Business interests dominate new TransLink panel
The province has taken its first step toward installing a professional unelected board of directors to run a radically reformed TransLink.
A screening panel of five people that critics say is too heavily weighted in favour of business interests has now been chosen to nominate prospective TransLink directors.
The panel consists of:
•Graham Clarke, chosen by the province. He is chair of the Vancouver International Airport Authority, governor of the Vancouver Board of Trade and owner of the Clarke Group of Companies.
•Former NDP premier Mike Harcourt, nominated by TransLink directors and Metro Vancouver mayors.
•Hugh Lindsay, chosen by the BC Institute of Chartered Accountants, is president of FMG Financial Mentors Group Inc.
•Dave Park, nominated by the Vancouver Board of Trade and that organization’s chief economist.
•Bob Wilds, nominated by the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council. He is the council’s managing director and is on the board of the Business Council of B.C. and a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade.
The five panelists are to propose 15 qualified candidates, from which a group of area mayors will select nine directors who will form the new TransLink board in January.
The panel is expected to begin its work soon on orders of transportation minister Kevin Falcon even though the legislation to overhaul TransLink introduced in the spring has not yet become law.
The two-stage process aims to ensure the province doesn’t directly appoint the board, although critics say it is sure to lead to a pliant group that will do the minister’s bidding.
“You end up with the Vancouver Board of Trade, the port corporation and the gateway council deciding how to run TransLink,” said Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan.
“There’s a facade being put on that the mayors get to choose something, but it really is a facade,” he said. “It has all the merits of being able to choose the members of your own firing squad.”
A regional council of mayors is to approve TransLink’s long-range plans, but most power and day-to-day decision making will rest with the unelected board.
Corrigan, who has boycotted the process, said he’s “astounded” Harcourt agreed to serve on the screening panel but noted the ex-premier has recently served on the airport and port authority boards.
“He’s rubbed shoulders with those guys for some time,” he said.
New NDP transportation critic Maurine Karagianis also denounced the move, noting three of five panelists are tied to the board of trade.
“They’ve put a business agenda in place for Translink that sidesteps having elected representation,” she said. “It’s taxation without representation.”
Surrey Coun. Marvin Hunt, TransLink’s vice-chair, said the panelists seem to bring financial expertise rather than transit system knowledge.
“We all know the biggest challenge of TransLink is money,” he said. “Hopefully they can wave the magic wand and come up with some money.”
Hunt remains concerned about the powers of the unelected board.
“The only accountability is a very distant accountability back to the mayors of the region,” he said.
Falcon could not be reached for comment.
The reformed TransLink will get the power to raise gas taxes up to three cents a litre, as long as property taxes and other revenue streams go up at the same rate.
It’s also expected to get more involved in land development, potentially earning money from the sale of property near or above transit stations.
Falcon has also proposed eventual expansion north to Whistler and east to Chilliwack.
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