Letters: Bill 44 sparks controversy over local government

Mr Editor,

Re: “Richmond City Council supports homeownership, not rental, in single-family areas”

Bill 44 is a law created by the BC NDP government in 2023, purportedly to address housing availability and affordability.

To achieve this, the NDP government has given local communities until June 30, 2024 to draft and approve new OCPs in line with the details of Bill 44.

In fact, Bill 44 is a silent coup against the previous authority and autonomy of local governments in British Columbia.

This leaves many questions unanswered, such as: is this “coup” necessary and will it achieve its purported goals?

Like many recent housing initiatives, it will likely fail miserably and, in its wake, create much havoc and turmoil in single-family neighborhoods across British Columbia, which will literally and figuratively become crime zones. redevelopment war (Suggestion: visit Spiers Road ‘Redevelopment Progress’).

What is irrefutable is that our NDP government is intimidating local governments in British Columbia by threatening to comply with Bill 44.

But what are the “possible” sanctions?

Instead, it should make local governments in British Columbia aware that if this issue goes unchallenged, we can expect even more draconian measures from, say, Victoria, others remaining local government powers (although planning through OCPs is one of the main historical mandates of local governments). Governments).

Also, where are our three NDP MPs from Richmond – Ms. Greene, Mr. Yao and Mr. Singh?

Who do they represent?

Additionally, our nine Richmond city councilors and three NDP MPs were elected by the citizens of Richmond, not the current BC NDP government.

In summary, currently approximately 60 BC NDP MPs and all nine members of Richmond City Council are mocking and disrespecting the grassroots and local democratic process.

The irony is that the Richmond City Council itself has often acted on many fronts with a lack of respect for the local democratic process.

Classic rites of passage include standing up to given bullies.

Just say “NO” to Victoria.

Resistance is not in vain… it is increasingly necessary.

Otherwise, BC’s local governments will increasingly become historical relics, redundant, irrelevant, impotent and obsolete, etc., without even, ironically, any “heritage” designation.

Members of the voting public, neither in British Columbia nor in Richmond, have never voted for the above, and a majority of them would disagree if they were actually aware of Bill 44 and had the opportunity to vote accordingly.

RA Högler

Richmond

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