The newly elected 39-year-old French president Emmanuel Macron made a compelling speech recently at the palace of Versailles, describing the need for political renewal in France and in the E.U. Macron promised a “profound transformation” and called for an end of the defeatism and cynicism he says has gripped the continent.
“The building of Europe has been weakened by the spread of bureaucracy and by the growing skepticism that comes from that,” he said.
Macron’s speech got me thinking about political renewal closer to home. Specifically, how long is too long for a government or public official to hold office? That question comes up continually as election season approaches.
For example, how many times did the BC Liberals’ critics point out the Liberals had governed for 16 years? There were the repeated references to the “dismal decade” aimed at the BC NDP, too, suggesting they held government for too-bleeping-long as well.
There is no hard science as to when an elected official reaches his or her expiry date but, particularly in local government, we see mayors and councillors who get very comfortable in their jobs. The reason they ran for office in the first place is often a distant memory.
Ninety-something Hazel McCallion gets the endurance prize. She was a Mississauga, Ont. mayor for 36 years before retiring in 2014. Although she was an immensely popular civic leader, I observe that she oversaw the development of a sprawling, car-oriented community.
In Metro Vancouver, we have a few mayors looking to give McCallion a run for her money. Delta has had Lois Jackson as mayor since 1999. Jackson, who was first elected in 1972, has said this will be her last term in office.
In the Tri-Cities, we have Coquitlam’s Richard Stewart in city hall since 2005, and mayor since 2008. PoCo’s Greg Moore was first elected in 2002 and has also been mayor since 2008.
In Richmond, a range of controversial issues has faced council during the tenure of Mayor Malcolm Brodie. The latest is the enormous, castle-sized homes that have been built on farm land for years, only recently making headlines. Brodie has served on council since 1996 and as mayor since 2001.
Mayors who have only served one or two terms — such as Surrey’s Linda Hepner, Port Moody’s Mike Clay or West Vancouver’s Michael Smith — rightly deserve more time to put their stamp on the office.
Derek Corrigan was first elected to Burnaby council in 1987 and has been mayor since 2002. You can say that he has long since put his stamp on his city but his floundering explanation for why he continues to allow low-income apartments to be razed while 45-storey, high-end condo buildings replace them should be a flag to voters that it is time for change.
In Vancouver, Gregor Robertson is nearing the longest term in office of any mayor in the city’s history. He was first elected in 2008 with a platform that focused on big changes and sweeping promises to eradicate homelessness and make housing affordable.
From a pure numbers standpoint — with the homelessness count at an all-time high and housing prices breaking records — Robertson’s mandate has heralded little benefit to those struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Without a serious reboot in their approach, it is hard to see what if any fresh ideas Robertson and Vision can bring after a decade running city hall.
As provincial voters seemed to want in May, it is possible that the Metro Vancouver elections in 2018 will bring a new generation of leaders like the ones Macron is calling for in the E.U.
It is my sense that many of the mayors will be announcing they will not run again lest they be given a hint by voters looking for a fresh approach. This change cannot come soon enough.
@MikeKlassen • mike@mikeklassen.net
