B.C. has gone too far. Provincial legislation must apply equally to the entire province. So when B.C. applied a speculation tax on certain municipalities but not others, then threatens to undermine democracy by overriding 10 specific democratically elected local councils, red lights flash!
B.C. is not alone in a housing crisis. That doesn’t justify singling out municipalities that are already fully developed, already significantly densified, already struggling with taxes and renewing infrastructure.
Rezoning is impotent; it is property owners that decide if densification is worth it, not the municipality or provincial government which are mere ‘enablers’. B.C. revealed its real intent and that is to treat private property as if it was their own; to force private property owners to become pawns of social policies.
Private homes are a core Canadian value; ownership and occupancy must not be at the whim of government. What next? Will B.C. withdraw municipal grants and ignore municipalities that don’t cooperate? Will B.C. propose to confiscate private property for social housing?
Or is this a mere ploy to distract us from so many other mismanaged centrally controlled public services such as BC Ferries, the health aystem, Site-C, etc. Regardless, the heavy hand of this provincial government lacks respect for democracy. Nothing short of equal treatment for all British Columbians can be tolerated.
Enough. Stop this ill-considered nonsensical shift to focused autocracy, usurping municipal authority and meddling in private property.
Rick Lee
Oak Bay
