Accountability for the Vancouver Economic Commission
Posted: Aug 7, 2012
3 August 2012 (Vancouver).
As Mayor Robertson and his entourage spend around $100,000 of taxpayers money on their trip to the London Olympics, Councillor George Affleck is again raising the issue of accountability and transparency around the expenditures of both the Vancouver Economic Commission and the Mayor's office.
"I'm absolutely not opposed to Vancouver pursuing business and economic opportunities around the world, but when the Vancouver Economic Commission was granted $2.9m by Mayor and Council on March 27th, 2012, we were not provided with a breakdown of expenses. Because of that I voted against it," says Affleck. "It is unknown and unknowable how the Commission's money is spent, as there is no reporting and no accountability."
"I only learned that this London trip was costing $100,000 in a press release earlier this week and yet I was expected to vote on it back in March? That is unacceptable. To me, it is apparent that the VEC has become an off-the-books slush fund for Mayor Robertson. At a time when other governments are being questioned over expenditures for coffee, it is astonishing that Vancouver's Mayor can continue to hide major expenses such as this trip to London."
Councillor Affleck will be bringing a motion to the first meeting of council in September asking for full accountability for the trip to London, including a report of all meetings involving Vancouver's Mayor and City staff, and a report as to the purpose and achievements of the trip.
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