Vancouver Mayoral Candidates on Public Consultation

As our Vancouver readers know, this coming Saturday, November 19th, is municipal election day in British Columbia.  Leading up to the election, The Vancouver Public Space Network sent out surveys to the various candidates asking their opinion on a variety of issues, including civic engagement.

Earlier we posted responses from some of the Park Board and city council candidates.  Here is what the mayoral candidates who responded had to say about community engagement:

How should Council promote civic engagement with youth and other groups that are rarely represented in community decisions and Council deliberations?

Menard Caissy, Re Party Vancouver
To promote civic engagement I would legislate and bring into legislate financial law that one per cent of all business not property taxes be spent entirely on free representation of Vancouver’s Voters to hold free yes FREE events at all Vancouver Public Libraries and other locations in Vancouver to both promote their own events and learn from each other but not be sidetracked or not be able to afford a space fee.  My lanta friends the amount of space at those libraries that is wastefully unused by anything other than Civic Employees sitting their pretending books aren’t all going onto webpages and downloadable books is appalling.

Victor Paquette, Independent
This is the most important question in this survey.  Councils should meet throughout the city.  Schools are often available during the evenings.  Both students and the public at large should be given the opportunity to vote on-line on issues that are relevant to their respective neighborhoods or to the city at large.

Golok Buday, Independent 
I think the individual, not the rabble, should be considered how ever I believe in the right to associate, peacefully assemble in order to offer the Government a writ of grievance.

Dubgee, Independent
Start being accountable to these groups and listening. Right now youth voter apathy is so rampant because we (I am under 35) feel like all politicians are going to screw us. So why bother? I believe voters will return to the polls given good options.

Gregor Robertson, Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver has reinstated citizen advisory committees for a wide range of groups that are not always represented at City Council.

Building on the successful Talk Green to Us program at the city, which engaged over 35,000 people in the development of the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan, we will develop new ways to reach our diverse communities, seniors,  youth and aboriginal groups so they continue to have a voice at City Hall. This will include a wide-reaching task force on Expanding Citizen Engagement to bring forward options to make city processes more transparent, accessible, and accountable to the public.

A Vision-led Council will also develop strategies to increase voter participation with young people.

Suzanne Anton, NPA
To level the playing field for individual taxpayers and improve the quality of Vancouver’s consultation process our NPA Team will:
·         host at least six telephone town hall meetings a year with Mayor and Councillors to discuss neighbourhood issues
·         host pre-budget meetings with Mayor and Councillors in Vancouver neighbourhoods and make budget documents much more comprehensive
·         create an Independent Pedestrian Advisory Committee to provide meaningful input on pedestrian issues and Vancouver’s capital plan— particularly as it relates to accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities
·         create an independent Office of Neighbourhood Engagement at City Hall to ensure basic consultative standards are established for developers and city planners
·         restore staff and funding for the Neighbourhood Visioning Implementation Teams and replicate them for all of Vancouver
·         make city information and planning data more accessible to the public
·         establish Mayor’s Task Force on Seniors Living in Vancouver
·         create the Mayor’s Youth Council of high school student presidents to increase participation in municipal government
·         support the West End, Grandview Woodlands and Marpole planning processes
·         re-open Hastings Park masterplan to consider governance and the option of establishing a community centre in the park
·         invest in major planning and consultation opportunities at Oakridge, along Cambie Street and SW Marine
·         establish “Facebook Walls” to alert citizens of topics to be discussed at City Council
·         allow 24/7 registration for participation in City Council proceedings through 311
·         celebrate our city’ s diversity by designating annual Chinese New Year, Vaisakhi and Pride Parades as official Civic Events and increasing support for community events and neighbourhoods that celebrate inclusion.

(As of posting this, the NSV candidate had not responded)

NOTE: PlaceSpeak is a non-partisan company that is not officially endorsing any candidates.  We present these responses for information purposes only.  It is our belief that the more informed the voters are, the better the outcome of the election.