It has become standard operating procedure in Canada for governments wanting to cling to power to loosen up the purse strings as the next election looms.
Funding announcements for local infrastructure projects or community nice-to-haves come with press releases and hardhat-clad photo ops, heralding the greatness of the government of the day.
Some announcements are stronger than others. The province’s approval for a seismically sound rebuild of Argyle secondary in June, was a good one, although it really could have been approved a whole lot sooner since the province identified it as a priority 11 years ago.
Other times, the press conferences are for things the government has already announced and they’re just looking to get double mileage and more photo ops without spending any more actual money.
The “news” release we received from the province last week was perhaps a new low for newsworthiness. It boasted $271,000 for funding new fire alarms at six West Vancouver schools, complete quotes from the MLAs and a line praising the government’s balanced budget.
To quote many a sarcastic parent: “What do you want? A cookie?”
Here is a news flash for the province. You don’t get extra credit for ensuring schools have adequate fire alarms. You just get safe kids. Another release the same day announced a North Shore school would have new windows installed.
Meanwhile, some other very deserving projects that would absolutely warrant a media circus remain unfunded. The new Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant must be online by 2020 but it desperately needs a one-third cash commitment from the province. As long as we’re waiting on pennies from Victoria, that badly needed project could use about 21.2 trillion of them.
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