Council bid for Provincial candidates forum fails at final meeting

Coun. Kyle Sampson, a member of the city’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee where the idea was initially discussed, said council has spent considerable time examining how to advance Prince George’s priorities beyond traditional lobbying efforts.

“We talked a lot at committee, formally and informally, about how we better ensure that the priorities of Prince George go beyond just lobbying but gain commitments from those folks who are looking to serve Prince George,” Sampson said. “These are inherently provincial issues that we lobby for, of course.”

The motion came against the backdrop of ongoing concerns about costs municipalities incur responding to issues that traditionally fall within provincial responsibility. A recent report to council noted the City of Prince George has spent more than $26 million in recent years on issues considered provincial in nature.

Sampson said the sudden timing of the provincial election left the City with little opportunity to plan such an event through normal channels.

“Of course, with the Province calling a snap election no one could have planned for, it’s frustrating, disappointing, aggravating, I would say,” he said.

However, because the proposal was introduced as a late notice of motion, council first needed unanimous approval to suspend the normal procedural rules and allow the matter to be debated. Without unanimous consent, the motion could not proceed.

Coun. Trudy Klassen was the lone member of council who did not support the request.

Klassen said her opposition was not necessarily to the concept itself, but to the timing and circumstances surrounding it.

“There’s times I’ve disagreed with something and I’ve voted in favour because I thought it’s really important to have a unanimous council,” she said. “I did that on the public inquiry on forest fire management.

“But for this one, I just felt because we’re crossing over in an election time, I just thought it wasn’t appropriate to just hang that on the next council. Because it will be the next council that will deal with the MLAs who are elected. I just felt it was not the best timing.”

Her comments highlighted a central tension in the debate. Supporters maintained that waiting for the next council was not a practical option because municipal councillors elected on Oct. 17 would not be sworn into office until after the provincial election campaign had already concluded.

Without immediate action, they argued, the opportunity to engage provincial candidates in a formal public discussion about regional priorities would be lost.

As the motion stalled, Coun. Cori Ramsay suggested an alternative path that would have avoided the need for unanimous consent.

Ramsay proposed having the issue brought forward as a mayor’s report, which can be added directly to the agenda and debated without the same procedural hurdle attached to a late notice of motion.

The idea was not adopted.

“You know, seven councillors and the mayor wanted to enter an item for debate tonight,” Ramsay said. “It needed unanimous consent for it to get there. Unfortunately, it was opposed by Councillor Klassen.

“I had put forward an idea to amend the agenda for the mayor to amend the notice of motion from our Intergovernmental Affairs Committee to a mayor’s report. It was not accepted. Unfortunately, democracy dies today.”

The failed motion underscored divisions on council during its final meeting before voters head to the polls in both the municipal and provincial elections.

While supporters saw the proposed forum as an opportunity to press provincial candidates on issues affecting Prince George, opponents argued it was inappropriate for an outgoing council to initiate a process that would ultimately be carried forward by a newly elected council.

With the procedural motion defeated, council never reached debate on the proposed candidates forum itself, effectively ending any possibility of a City-hosted event before provincial voters cast their ballots.

Monday’s meeting marked the final regular gathering of the current mayor and council before residents elect a new council on Oct. 17.

by Cheryl Jahn

Council bid for Provincial candidates forum fails at final meeting

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