Jay Sidhu reports on his week at UBCM

I spent this last week at the Union of BC Municipalities annual conference, at Vancouver Convention Centre, talking to mayors, councillors, ministers, provincial staff, and others.

I was there in my capacity as the non-partisan Constituency Manager for the West Van-Sea to Sky MLA, Jeremy Valeriote.

Casework and advocacy

That work includes casework: solving problems brought to us by residents in West Van and across the riding, which often involves talking to ministries or anyone who can help find a solution.

The other half of my role involves advocacy, and for that I have built strong relationships with local and regional stakeholders so that we can push for shared priorities and get things done — on issues including regional transit, healthcare, emergency services, childcare, and long-term care funding.

Those relationships, advocacy skills, and knowledge of government make me a good fit for the job of councillor, and I hope will persuade West Van voters to elect me next month.

I also recorded a short video from the UBCM conference:

Election rumours

The UBCM conference was somewhat overshadowed by reports that Premier David Eby will call a snap Provincial Election, two years earlier than scheduled.

With local elections just four weeks away, most council and mayoral candidates across the province strongly oppose overlapping election periods.

Many voters struggle to understand who does what in our political system, and mixing up local issues with provincial debates isn't likely to help.

And while the Premier will try to justify the move on other grounds, the timing is clearly all about exploiting the weakness of the opposition BC Conservative Party.

If you have questions about the campaign, reach me at info@votejay.ca or through the Support page.