ROBIN ADAIR
VANCOUVER ISLAND – In the wake of the provincial election, Premier David Eby has sounded conciliatory. He acknowledges that many British Columbians didn’t vote for him and he’s promising to do better. So, what does “better” look like and how will we spot the difference?
For example, “Will David Eby listen?” This particular question was discussed when we hosted a dinner party and our guests both had deep ties to the public service. “Eby needs to stop dictating from his office” they intoned. “He needs to listen to his civil service because they’re the ones who really get things done”.
As I was listening, I couldn’t help but think it would be better if Eby and company instead listened more closely to “Joe Public” as sometimes elected and unelected officials can get carried away with shiny new ideas and forget to engage average people in their vision.
A couple of issues come to mind to illustrate that promises without results ring hollow. Right after the election, Eby said “People want their emergency rooms running as well as a family doctor and anything less is unacceptable.” Well, despite the NDP pouring millions into a program to improve conditions for family physicians, huge shortages continue and promises that every British Columbian will have a doctor in 2025 don’t feel credible.
People want to see immediate results rather than campaign promises and until more foreign doctors and physicians from other parts of the country are granted easy access to our medical system the crisis will continue. Yes, the training of more doctors and the opening of a new medical school at SFU will bring relief down the road but for people lacking medical services now this cold comfort.
A second contentious issue: Finding solutions to systemic drug addiction, crime and homelessness. Eby says, “When it comes to downtown, people want to feel safe with their kids. And if they run a business downtown, they don’t want to be dealing with someone with a brain injury and addiction.” Well, this sounds very much in alignment with public sentiment, but where is the immediate action?
Certainly, the NDP government did move some of the homeless into housing and created more beds for detox and recovery. But this really only scratches the surface of a problem that has festered for decades and gets worse every day. Where are the new supervised treatment centres? Where are the new mental health facilities to assist those street people dealing with brain injury and dysfunction. And what about the catch and release of criminals who plague our homeless and the wider community? It’s fine to say people need to feel safe but open drug use and homeless people refusing help cannot stand. Again, where’s the response?
There’s no reason to doubt that David Eby wants to make people feel safer and be able to access much-needed health care. However, if he wants to win back credibility, he needs to take action – which we all know speaks louder than words.
Robin Adair is Co-Host Victoria Rumble Room, a current events video podcast attracting a cumulative audience of over 2 million views. Adair worked as a TV and radio reporter, anchor and commentator for 25 years including 17 years at CHEK TV in Victoria. Later a government relation consultant, conference coordinator Adair also served as a political pundit and media commentator. Always community minded, he was the Chair of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce (2006) and Chair of Camosun College Board of Governors (2008). In 2010 he served as the General Manager of Communications and Protocol for the City of Vancouver during the Winter Olympic Games. For these past three years Robin Adair has produced and co-hosted Victoria Rumble Room, a current events video podcast attracting a cumulative audience of over 2 million views.
