B.C. Liberals attack two heavy-hitters
Attacking U.S. President Donald Trump is easy. Anyone can do it, and most of Canada does. But taking on Trump and the city of Vancouver at the same time takes a certain amount of moxie.
It was on full display on the weekend. Premier Christy Clark teed off on Trump for U.S. softwood duties for a few days, promising to fight tooth and nail to protect B.C.’s interests. Then the B.C. Liberals wheeled on Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, and promised to fight him, too. A reelected Liberal government would take one of Robertson’s Vision Vancouver key initiatives and file it in the recycling bin.
You don’t often see a premier take on the most powerful mayor in the province in the middle of an election campaign. But Liberals think the background to this startling move could make it a net win.
At issue is the use of natural gas within city limits, commonplace in many homes and businesses. The city has an ambitious goal to reduce emissions, and another phase kicked in Monday, when a new policy took effect.
It sets new emission limits for some of the bigger developments that go up on rezoned lots, which could limit the use of natural gas.
The Liberals see that as moving toward a “ban” on natural gas. Vancouver-Quilchena Liberal candidate Andrew Wilkinson served notice on Saturday they’ll reverse it and restore people’s right to use the fuel of their choice.
That means that if re-elected, the Liberal government would amend the Vancouver Charter, the foundational law that allows the city to govern itself, to strip council of the power to set energy policy to that degree.
That’s a pretty aggressive move against the biggest city in the province, one that’s believed to be unprecedented.
Wilkinson said: “City council wants to ban natural gas from the city, and we think that is wrong and needlessly adds costs to consumers, homebuyers and restaurateurs. While we all agree that climate change must be addressed, barring natural gas from the city at a huge cost to residents is not the way to go.”
City hall responded by denying any such ban. The new policy is in line with the province’s own changes to the building code, it said. There’s a complicated argument about the backstory to those changes. They could restrict the use of gas in larger condos. They’ve been in the works for a while and have prompted a lot of concern in the city about the ramifications.
Wilkinson insisted on Monday it’s “a slow-motion ban” on the use of natural gas. The Liberal platform promises to “protect the ability of homeowners and businesses to use natural gas as an energy source.” The weekend move is a lot more dramatic than that promise originally suggested.
It hearkens back to a farewell speech Energy Minister Bill Bennett gave to an oil and gas luncheon in Victoria a few months ago, where he constructed an imaginary dialogue with a no-growth, anti-everything, enviro opponent. Who did he pick for that role? Robertson.
The more interesting aspect for campaign watchers is the Liberals’ decision to rush to the defence of Vancouver residents’ rights and call out their city council for infringing on them. Arguments between the two are nothing new. The province and the city have clashed in the past on homelessness and the proposed Kinder Morgan oil pipeline to metro Vancouver.
“The Liberals see the city of Vancouver as the opposition,” cracked one observer.
Threatening to relieve a city of some of its power is a pretty significant gamble nine days before an election. There are 11 Vancouver seats, currently split 7-4 in the NDP’s favour. If council has lost touch with the taxpayers, and residents are freaked by the prospect of eventually losing their right to heat their homes with gas — or even to barbecue — this might be a winner.
If they take offence and object to Victoria trying to rescue them, the Liberals lose some ground. But this move plays outside of Vancouver, as well, and the Liberals are confident it will be well-received in other regions.