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More eyes needed on our local governments

It was on an evening newscast in mid-March that CKNW radio journalist Shelby Thom reported that Vancouver city councillors voted themselves a generous double-digit pay increase, plus new health benefits, and additional bonus pay for those who were ap
city hall
Declining media coverage of municipal affairs is becoming a problem more of us should be concerned about says columnist Mike Klassen. photo Dan Toulgoet

It was on an evening newscast in mid-March that CKNW radio journalist Shelby Thom reported that Vancouver city councillors voted themselves a generous double-digit pay increase, plus new health benefits, and additional bonus pay for those who were appointed to the coveted deputy and acting mayor positions.

The story eventually gained traction and was picked up by the Vancouver Courier and other news outlets in the city.

What raised eyebrows about the pay increase story most of all, however, was not the additional cost to taxpayers.

It was the fact that council’s decision had been made three weeks earlier, and no media outlet either bothered to notice, or felt it was worth reporting.

Some news outlets decried the lack of transparency on the vote, saying the city should have issued a statement that would allow reporters to follow up.

As no journalist attended the evening council meeting where the pay increase was approved, the item was overlooked.

In another story published in the Courier’s sister publication Business in Vancouver, reporter Bob Mackin revealed through a freedom of information (FOI) request that nearly a quarter-million dollars had been spent on politically connected consultants from a slush fund operated by the office of Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.

It would be a full week before other newsrooms decided to also report on Mackin’s scoop.

What many do not know is that officials at the City of Vancouver worked hard to frustrate the reporter at every turn.

Mackin’s original FOI request was placed on Nov. 17. Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the reporter should have received his requested information within 30 business days.

But the city refused to provide it, using a loophole that allowed them to withhold the information provided it was released publicly within 60 business days.

When that period passed, Mackin filed a complaint to the province’s privacy regulator in mid-February.

In response, instead of fulfilling the original request immediately, the city opted to start a new file and extended the date to Friday, April 1.

Fridays are politicians’ preferred day to deliver bad news.

When it comes to being transparency challenged, TransLink is giving the City of Vancouver a run for its money.

During a recent open meeting of the TransLink board, reporters and the public were invited to watch the proceedings. However, because no background materials or meeting agenda were provided to the observers, reporting the proceedings became a nearly impossible feat.

When asked if a copy of the agenda was available, TransLink told those in attendance to look it up on its website. When asked if background information on the board deliberations was available, the response was “yes, but in five business days.”

These tactics are just some that are employed by gatekeepers to make it harder to report important news about how our governments operate.

Because resources are limited in many newsrooms, much of the coverage is dependent on press releases instead of reporters seeking quotes from city representatives, or attending council meetings.

Declining coverage of municipal affairs is not a new phenomenon. It is, however, becoming a problem more of us should be concerned about.

Lately, we have devoted considerable national coverage to the issue of political donations and government lobbying.

But we have institutions that require donations and lobbying activity to be regularly revealed, reducing the risk of corruption considerably, at least at the provincial and federal levels.

By contrast, it is only after the fact that we learned how Metro Vancouver directors spent more than $200 million of your dollars on a brand new office, or how political insiders raked in huge contracts to run the failed transit referendum campaign.

Little, if any effort, is made to hold politicians accountable for stories like these.

While British Columbians shake their heads at the endless scandals that regularly beset Montreal politics, without dependable reporting of our own local government institutions how can we know similar corruption is not happening here?

With billions in proposed spending on civic infrastructure, it is the time to invest more, not less in local government reporting.

Furthermore, the public must know what is happening in real time, and not days, weeks or even months after it has already happened.

mike@mikeklassen.net 

@MikeKlassen