A B.C. Liberal election promise to undertake another review of integrating services or amalgamation in the capital region is being met with disbelief by amalgamation advocates and skepticism by others.
“Our question to the premier is: What gives? First you don’t listen to the electorate. How can you state that this is your platform, when in fact you’re dismissing the platform through your actions,” said John Vickers of Amalgamation Yes.
Eight of 13 capital region municipalities put amalgamation related questions on their municipal ballots in 2014.
Vickers noted that of the 88 per cent of Greater Victoria residents able to vote on the issue in that election, 75.1 per cent voted yes for some form of amalgamation review. Several municipalities subsequently wrote to the province indicating their willingness to participate in a provincial study of amalgamation options.
Vickers said the B.C. Liberals seem to be retracing steps already taken and wondered what it will take to see real action.
The B.C. Liberals’ promise is to undertake a review of capital region governance “and work with communities on possible service integration or amalgamations, should residents support these services.”
It states no community not wanting to participate in integration or other governance change will be forced to participate.
“It’s almost like a zombie promise. It’s the one that keeps coming back,” said Michael Prince, University of Victoria Lansdowne professor of social policy. The promise is bizarre, he said. “This kind of raises more questions than answers.” It’s particularly bizarre given the Liberal government’s proven reluctance to step into local government issues such as sewage treatment, he said.
Last summer, the province awarded a $95,000 contract to Circle Square Solutions, a firm headed by former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister George Abbott, and Urban Systems to examine integrating municipal services and governance in Greater Victoria, Prince noted.
That project team met with all 13 municipal councils during June and July and has submitted a report to the province that is said to be under review by government officials.
B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver dismissed the promise to review governance in the capital region.
“They’ve already got the report,” he said. “The review’s already been done. I asked this in question period: When are you going to release it? They’re sitting on a report that they should have released,” Weaver said.
A Liberal spokesperson said the promised review will focus on regional services and approvals that are the responsibility of the Capital Regional District itself, and not on the municipalities — distinguishing it from the Abbott review.
There are some issues that have stalled at the CRD due to divergent opinions, including approval of the Regional Growth Strategy that would extend CRD water to parts of the Juan de Fuca electoral area, and establishment of a regional transportation authority.
— With a file from Lindsay Kines
