David Eby
Lawyer, Pivot Legal Society

"He has no experience on the Downtown Eastside, yet he is expected to come in here and solve the problems of the Downtown Eastside. I wonder why he was chosen. I know he is the former attorney general, and while he was attorney general, his government cut social programs that resulted in street disorder–like social housing, like refusing to raise welfare rates in 10 years."

Dave Jones
Director of crime-prevention services, Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association

"He's a gracious person and he's a good communicator, and I think he has connections with government at a time when he can actually successfully encourage or prod or otherwise get people that he knows together around some issues. My initial reaction is that's a pretty clever choice."

Libby Davies
Vancouver East NDP MP

"I feel very skeptical about his appointment. This is a guy who is very close to Gordon Campbell. He was the attorney general. I think that means he brings very much a law-and-order approach to problem-solving as he sees it. We're going to have to monitor very, very carefully what this guy is doing. It makes the circle very small."

George Chow
Vision Vancouver city councillor

"Under his stewardship, they passed the Safe Streets Act. As far as the police is concerned, nothing has improved for them. They lack the manpower to deal with the work. They're also inundated with judicial paperwork that they have to do. So I don't know what he's going to bring to this position that he could not bring as attorney general."