NPA mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe vows to open the books

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      The Non-Partisan Association has launched its election campaign with a pledge to create “the most open government of any in Canada” if it wins at the ballot box in November.

      According to the party’s mayoral candidate, that regime would include requiring the regular disclosure of documents.

      “If you have a requirement that material be disclosed routinely, and as a default position rather than a matter of holding records and requiring people to demand them, that alone is a fairly big change in the culture,” Kirk LaPointe said in a phone interview with the Georgia Straight July 15, a day after he announced his candidacy.

      LaPointe, who teaches journalism at UBC, has worked for various Canadian media outlets, including positions as managing editor at the Vancouver Sun and as ombudsman at CBC.

      He noted that in his career as a journalist, he has filed “well over 3,000” access to information and freedom of information requests.

      “I teach a little bit about the law, and it’s frustrating, it’s glacial in its speed, and it can often be cumbersome and very costly, and in the end, what you have to remember is that this belongs to the citizens, it doesn’t belong to the government,” he said.

      “It’s not the government doing the public a favour to release this, and so we’ve got to wipe that culture out, and quickly.”

      LaPointe indicated he also intends to change media-access policies to allow reporters to speak directly with city staff rather than directing requests through the communications department.

      “I don’t know which adjective to use to describe how sorry I am with the current state—it’s not right,” he said. “I’ve certainly heard from enough current and former public servants about their own frustration with this, and I think they should have the muzzle taken off. It’s not a good situation in 2014.”

      LaPointe explained that in order to make Vancouver "the most open government", he would bring in an organization that specializes in the idea of openness to institute the system—much as Hamburg, Germany, did by bringing in Transparency International.

      “I was there a couple of months ago and looked at what they were doing,” he noted. “They brought about laws that require disclosure and far greater transparency around those conducting business with the government. And they had a very good slogan, which was, ‘Transparency builds confidence.’ And I think there’s a great deal of truth in that.”

      Another idea LaPointe has spoken to candidates about is bringing some city council, park board, and school board meetings into the community.

      “Even though City Hall is an important place for the community, it need not be the only place where meetings are held,” he stated.

      In response to LaPointe's comments about open government, Vision Vancouver councillor Heather Deal said this year's city budget is "full of details" and metrics, and reflects "an enormous amount of input from the public".

      "We disclose all documents at every opportunity, in fact whenever there’s an in-camera meeting, as soon as it is legally possible to do so, all documents are released," Deal told the Straight by phone.

      "We have an open data forum for all of our data, we have an enormous amount of input from the public, there is more information available to the public about the city now than there ever has been, and again I point to our budget, which is the most thorough budget that has ever been presented in the city of Vancouver."

      The NPA is expected to release its slate of candidates soon and further details of its platform over the coming weeks.

      The Vancouver election takes place November 15.

      Comments

      6 Comments

      Duffy's Love Child

      Jul 16, 2014 at 4:43pm

      How does one of Conrad Black's senior propagandists manage to rehabilitate themselves enough to gain the public trust?

      Not gonna happen.

      Who, at UBC, decided that hiring a propagandist to teach journalism students was a good idea? Was it the same people who thought clear cutting forests and establishing monoculture in the aftermath of a clear cut should be taught as if it was viable science to forestry students at UBC?

      Why not drop the pretense and just allow corporations to write all the curricula at our universities? Who needs PhDs?

      Young voter

      Jul 16, 2014 at 5:20pm

      LaPointe's commitment to truly open government sounds great and is sorely needed in today's age.

      frances

      Jul 16, 2014 at 9:30pm

      @Young voter: They always talk like this before an election. Afterwards, things are seen in a different light

      frostback

      Jul 16, 2014 at 11:24pm

      Vancouver's books are a good start. We all remember how the City suddenly found itself on the hook for the Olympic village, even though it wasn't supposed to be a City responsibility. But what about that absurd law which allows an unlimited campaign donation by anybody, anonymously?

      Last time around, there was a huge political donation from a single unnamed source. It amounted to roughly half of the total money donated to all parties and candidates, except - according to the existing law - we have no idea who gave it or received it. These candidates are making huge decisions about neighborhood densities, transportation, and other development. Shouldn't the voters know who is ponying up the money to sponsor them?

      MD

      Jul 17, 2014 at 6:50am

      Anyone with a shred of knowledge of municipal finance knows that the "books are open" already

      Then again, when has never having read, of even having the ability to read a public sector financial statement stopped anyone from beaking off about what they think is in them

      Anyone who believes this patronizing promise and votes for LaPointe on that basis probably cant count to 2 if you started them at 1

      MD

      Jul 17, 2014 at 6:56am

      frostback
      "Vancouver's books are a good start"

      Then you go on to complain about campaign donations.

      The "books" of the City of Vancouver would not show any campaign donations, because campaign donations go to parties, not the city.

      Yes, we should "open the books" so you can find something that will never be in there in the first place. Maybe you can look for Jimmy Hoffa's corpse in the "books" while you are at it, since you are just as likely to find it

      Based on the nature of your comment, you seem ready to vote on the basis of an empty promise that would not accomplish what you seem to think it would, without actually bothering to determine if the promise is relevant to your concerns

      ...and we wonder why the quality of our democracy is so low