Metro to hold receptions to lobby MLAS for support

Municipal politicians say senior provincial officials don’t have a thorough understanding of regional district’s responsibilities

Metro Vancouver’s regional politicians plan to hold a reception in Victoria to wine and dine MLAS in a bid to educate them and win support for issues facing the region.

The lobbying effort, similar to those in the private sector, was approved Wednesday by Metro’s intergovernmental committee.

Directors argued that B. C. politicians have little understanding of what the regional district does.

And they said the province often approves projects like the Port Mann Bridge and South Fraser Perimeter Road that end up costing the region money.

For example, the new Port Mann Bridge forced Metro to find another $ 10 million in its capital budget to relocate pipes under the Fraser River that were in the way of bridge construction.

“We’re constantly paying money to deal with their emergencies or are told ‘ this is what’s going to happen,’” Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan said. “The province should deal with us in the way we plan and do these things as a region.”

Corrigan said Metro should work with all agencies, such as the airport, ports and the province on infrastructure planning.

Another problem is lack of action by the government.

Metro is in the midst of seeking funding from the provincial and federal governments for upgrades to the Lions Gate and Iona sewage treatment plants, and continues to lobby the province for legislation to levy fines on restaurants that dump grease down the sewers.

“The situation with senior governments is very critical. For six years we’ve tried to get the provincial government to make decisions for us,” Delta Mayor Lois Jackson said. “You go in trying to be nice or you go in being a barracuda ... like I’ve tried sometimes. None of those worked. We have to find ways to deal with the MLAS.”

Staff was directed to find a date for a reception during the sitting of this legislature, as well as determine the issues to be discussed and the costs and logistics of holding the event. It was suggested three or four receptions could be held per year.

Corrigan said the reception would give Metro a “captive audience” of government and opposition MLAS. It hasn’t been decided who will attend the reception but the committee is leaning toward all Metro directors.

He said lobbying is an “extremely successful” process.

“When I look at some of the people over there lobbying, they got their legislation,” said Corrigan, whose wife Kathy is the NDP MLA for BurnabyDeer Lake.

“We’ll have better communication going over there ... and get [ our] issues to a debate. We can be in a position where this government doesn’t want to piss us off any more.”

The reception is part of an overall plan to improve communications and relationships with Metro municipalities, the public, Translink and senior levels of government.

Corrigan suggested the first reception be held at a time when the MLAS aren’t meeting with other lobbyists or the private sector. “We’ve got a lot of competition for their attention.”

Meanwhile, Metro also hopes to boost its profile through a branding exercise to convey what it does, particularly in terms of providing clean water, sewage and garbage collection.

Ninety per cent of Metro’s budget goes to those services, which are provided to its 22 member municipalities, yet most people have no idea the regional district is involved.