Mayors’ wishlists for incoming NDP government
Langford’s Young praises Liberal minister, notes ties with Horgan and warns against ‘red tape’
With a provincial government stacked in the Island’s favour, Vancouver Island mayors say they’re hoping for quick action on local priorities, from infrastructure projects to housing and child care.
All but one Island MLA, Liberal Michelle Stilwell in Parksville-Qualicum, belong to either the NDP or Green Party. Premier-designate John Horgan, who represents Langford-Juan de Fuca, is likely to name several of them to cabinet.
“Having a government that’s Islandbased is great, because there’s a real understanding of the issues that communities here face,” Sooke Mayor Maja Tait said.
Sooke desperately needs more medical services to keep up with its growing population, she said, including acute care and diagnostic services.
And while the Liberal government began a safety and congestion study of Highway 14, connecting Sooke to Victoria, its delivery was delayed by the election.
Tait said she has had trouble nailing down non-local ministers for meetings in the past.
“I tried at length to have minister meetings both at UBCM [Union of B.C. Municipalities] and outside of it and they were always cancelled. It was very frustrating,” Tait said.
Langford Mayor Stew Young didn’t have that problem with Liberal Transportation Minister Todd Stone. The Kamloops-South Thompson MLA has been on hand to announce provincial funding for multiple West Shore highway and road projects.
“He’s done more for this NDP riding and Langford than anyone,” Young said.
Young also has a long-standing relationship with Horgan and has shared with him his priorities — specifically, keeping infrastructure development moving and property taxes low.
“My comment to him is, don’t bring a whole bunch of red tape and bureaucracy. Otherwise, I told him, I’d put a bubble around Langford,” Young said.
The NDP government has assured the Union of B.C. Municipalities that the Island won’t get preferential treatment, said president Murry Krause, who is also a Prince George city councillor.
“We’ve heard from a number of the leaders saying they’ll work with all British Columbians in the capital region, but also Dawson Creek, Kamloops, Creston, Prince George and other places,” Krause said.
Many municipal leaders are looking for immediate action on housing affordability and a provincial strategy for the impending legalization of marijuana, he said.
“The clock is ticking on when the new federal law comes into effect. We’re just concerned we’re falling behind.”
The first item on Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay’s wishlist is a housing strategy.
“Nanaimo has always been known to be a relatively inexpensive place to live, but we’re quickly losing that distinction. Prices are rising at an astronomical rate and our community family incomes are not,” McKay said.
The second item is rail transportation, he said.
“It’s my understanding that the NDP are firmly behind rail. And now that they’re forming government, I’d like to see what they intend to invest,” McKay said.
McKay said he has a good relationship with the three MLAs who represent the Nanaimo area, including Stillwell, and New Democrats Doug Routley in Nanaimo-North Cowichan and Leonard Krog in Nanaimo.
As the centre of government, Victoria has less to worry about than other municipalities when it comes to getting provincial attention, Mayor Lisa Helps said.
Helps wants to see funding for capital projects such as Crystal Pool, housing affordability actions that include closing loopholes in policy that allow for rapid rent increases and delivering on child care promises.
She has already met with NDP MLAs Carole James and Rob Fleming, as well as Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver.
“In general, what I’d like to see is quick action,” Helps said. “If they can do everything they say they’re going to do in as quick a time as possible, I think the city will be in good shape.”