Vancouver Ethics Watchdog criticizes the secret meetings of the party of Mayor Ken Sim
The Vancouver Ethics Commissioner Calls Out Mayor Ken Sim and ABC Municipal Party for Secret Meetings
The Integrity Commissioner of Vancouver has found that Mayor Ken Sim and members of the ABC municipal council have violated the city’s code of conduct by holding private meetings to advance their policy agenda.
Commissioner Lisa Southern, after a year of attempting to gather information from ABC party members, discovered a pattern of coordination in emails related to motions and voting during public meetings.
In her decision published on Friday, Mrs. Southern clarified that while councilors are allowed to meet as a caucus, doing so outside of open meetings and influencing decision-making processes in a material way undermines public trust and participation in policy development.
Transparency in decision-making is a fundamental aspect of Canadian and American governance, with open-meeting requirements in place in all Canadian provinces and territories.
This is not the first time that ABC has been called out for holding secret meetings. Mrs. Southern previously flagged similar behavior within the Parks Board last February.
Impact of Private Meetings
According to Mrs. Southern’s latest report, the private meetings influenced decisions such as allocating $8 million for Mobly Park upgrades and eliminating the city’s Charter of Justice Action.
While Mrs. Southern found insufficient evidence in five other cases involving ABC, she acknowledged challenges in obtaining records of private communications between councilors and the mayor.
Response from Mayor Ken Sim
In response to the Commissioner’s findings, Mayor Sim’s office criticized the investigation’s cost to taxpayers and defended the practice of caucusing as a normal part of Canadian democracy.
However, critics like Councilor Pete Fry and Lucy Maloney argue that public decisions should not be made privately to uphold democratic values.
As the B.C. social elections approach next year, the controversy surrounding ABC’s secret meetings may impact voter perceptions of the party’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
Call for Accountability
Councilor Fry emphasized the importance of involving the public and city staff in decision-making processes to ensure transparency and community engagement.
He also highlighted the need for an integrity commissioner to address unethical behavior within municipal governance, pointing to previous instances of questionable practices by other political parties.
Commissioner Southern’s role as Vancouver’s integrity commissioner underscores the city’s commitment to upholding ethical standards and promoting transparency in government affairs.
