Burnaby's federal MPs are raising concerns that the public will not have a say in the electoral boundary changes proposed for Burnaby.
Burnaby-Douglas MP Kennedy Stewart and Burnaby-New Westminster MP Peter Julian - both New Democrats - are taking issue with comments made by Stewart Ladyman in a Huffington Post B.C. article.
Ladyman and two other appointed commissioners were tasked with redrawing B.C.'s electoral boundaries to accommodate the province's growing population. One of the more stark suggestions was to split the current Burnaby-Douglas riding in half and combine the northern part with a large chunk of North Vancouver. According to a poll-by-poll analysis by the HuffPost, Burnaby could stand to lose a seat (Stewart's Burnaby-Douglas seat) to the Conservatives if the Burnaby-North Seymour riding goes through.
There will be a series of public hearings on the suggested changes, but Ladyman seems to be hinting that this newly proposed riding of Burnaby-North Seymour will stay put, regardless of what the public says.
"The North Burnaby-North Vancouver issue has been on the table for a number of commissions, and there is just no way this time around but to cross the river," Ladyman told HuffPost B.C.
Stewart took issue with Ladyman's comments, stating that the commission has declared they are not interested in the communities' concerns.
"Before the consultation process even begins, commissioner Ladyman has declared that he and the commission are not interested in the concerns of our communities," said Stewart. "The boundary commission must clarify these comments immediately and restore faith in this process."
Meanwhile, Julian called for an apology.
"I think it would be appropriate for Ladyman to retract his comment and apologise," he said.
On Tuesday, Ladyman told the NOW that his comments were not meant to insinuate that the public would have no say.
"No, that's not the case. We have 22 public meetings. We are willing to listen. We are hoping people will come forward with suggestions that aren't just about their ridings," he said. "If they have a suggestion, we are willing to listen."
Ladyman likened the commission's task to managing a jigsaw puzzle, where changes to one riding affect the surrounding areas, yet each riding should have roughly 105,000 people. If someone has a better idea than Burnaby-North Seymour, Ladyman said the commission would be happy to hear it, but they racked their brains drawing out the proposed ridings, and they were not able to think of anything other than combining part of North Burnaby and North Vancouver.
"I think the time has come that we have to rethink what we do with the North Shore. It just can't sit by itself," he said. "We believe we will have to create a new riding with North Vancouver and something else, and at the present time, we have suggested it may have to cross with Burnaby."
Public hearings will take place in fall in several locations throughout B.C. Burnaby's will be at the Holiday Inn Express Metrotown, at 4405 Central Blvd, on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. To attend, email [email protected].
