Peter Ladner and Gregor Robertson, both successful entrepreneurs, vie to be Vancouver’s next Mayor. Both are Vancouver born.
Peter Ldner was a co-founder of Business in Vancouver and is already an Alderman at Vancouver’s City Hall. Robertson is a co-founder of Happy Planet and they are both cyclists.
Ladner supports creating mobile business licenses so small business owners, such as a Burnaby plumber, would not need to spend time getting registered in every separate municipality. Robertson says he thinks this idea “undermines local governments’ ability to accept their own bylaws”.
Robertson plans to outlaw the ability for Vancouver businesses to provide plastic bags to their customers. Ladner believes paper bags wreck more havoc on the environment and an anti-plastic bag bylaw should cover the whole Lower Mainland. In additon Robertson wants to tax condo owners who leave their properties empty for extended periods instead of renting them out. “The intention is that if a property is effectively being used as a holding and not a residence then t should be taxed like a business”. Ladner opposes this idea and believes it would scare away investors. Of course it would!
Robertson also wants to have a 6 month trial period where one land of the Burrard Bridge is reserved for cyclists. Three lanes would be for those driving in rush hour traffic but only two lanes for those driving against the traffic. Ladner supports widening Burrard Bridge sidewalks and preserving the current road space for public transit and vehicles.
Ladner’s major priority is that Vancouver be seen as globally competitive in attracting and retaining businesses. Robertson, who supports the concept of a provincial carbon tax (though not the provincial one just brought in) said one of his big goals is to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world (more taxes for the consumer?)
Ladner said “i think if there’s an NDP mayor business gets nervous”. Robertson said “Ladner is a social conservative”. No doubt most of us remember the NDP’s effect on the BC economy and real estate market in the 1990s.
What other policies have the two candidates discussed? And what are your thoughts on which one will best benefit Vancouver?
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