Taxpayers Federation seeks recall for civic officials

“Accountability and transparency? I mean, if we’ve seen anything, that’s even more important right now. But, as for recall legislation, if we can find a way for it to be effective, for it to be not just to be ‘Head on a Plate” politics, that it’s something that actually helps, that’s great. Let’s find something that works.”

And recall is not the only thing the Federation is pursuing. It would like to see an Office of the Auditor General for Local Government. One that has more teeth than the one created in 2013 and recently quashed by Premier John Horgan. And Sims says there are countless examples of where such an office would be effective, such as one local example.

“So, over the years, since we’ve been covering these issues, we’ve seen all sorts of crazy things,” says Sims. “So, for example, you’ve got that misspending, that bad contract overrun that’s happening up there in Prince George when it comes to that building [the parkade], that needs to be answered for. So there needs to be an auditor general that takes a look at stuff.”

The current recall legislation applies only to provincial politicians, not civic ones. And having a successful application is not an easy task. According to the rules as laid out by Elections BC: “The voter organizing the recall petition is called the proponent. For the petition to be successful, the proponent must collect signatures from more than 40% of the voters eligible to sign the petition.”

Fine, says Sims, it shouldn’t be easy, but at least it’s there.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to result in politicians being turfed every month. We get that. But it’s having it there. With that politician knowing that there’s a chance that if they do fill-in-the-blank, that they could be recalled? That’s powerful. That’s a check on them, a little conscience, that’s your Jiminy Cricket in your mind.”

She says with enough pressure out to bear on Premier Horgan and newly-minted Municipal Affairs Minister Josie Osborne, the better the chances of it happening.

by Cheryl Jahn

Taxpayers Federation seeks recall for civic officials

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