Non-Partisan Association (NPA) mayoral candidate Suzanne Anton is Mayor Gregor Robertson’s chief rival in November 19’s municipal election. Anton was elected to the Vancouver Park Board in 2002 after starting her political career as a youth soccer activist. Three years later, she was elected to council – a position she re-secured in 2008.
Business in Vancouver recently sat down with Anton to discuss how she’d handle affordable housing, property taxes on businesses and why she wants to bring back Vancouver’s streetcar.
Why should business owners vote for you?
Small business faces a number of hurdles. Property tax is very hard on small business, red tape is very tough on small business and we’ve been very strong on both of those in the NPA.
We launched a five-year plan to shift tax from the commercial tax base onto the residential. It’s politically challenging because it means that the residential taxes go up quite high. That runs out next year. We have undertaken at the NPA team to continue with a shift.
I don’t know the final landing spot but we won’t be there after next year. It might [continue at] more like 0.5% per year [rather than the current 1%]. But we’ll definitely continue it. I’m also determined to cut red tape at city hall for small business owners [by installing a red tape commissioner].
What are the main elements of your economic plan?
The big pieces of it are that it’s important for the mayor of Vancouver to be the mayor of B.C.’s industries, and to think about Vancouver’s position because we are the metropolitan centre of the province. We’re not just our own local economy but we are a reflection of the provincial economy. I will have an Asia-Pacific council, a mayor’s advisory council and I will be turning to them for advice on trade, Asia-Pacific Gateway and cultural issues.
You’re advocating a streetcar project that is believed to cost more than $100 million. Why would you make that investment?
The city has already invested in the land, the city is the land owner, has purchased that whole right-of-way. This is a first step.
To get up Mount Everest you take a first step. I want to get that first step of the streetcar built. As soon as we get that built, people will be begging for it around the rest of the city. People want the streetcar back, and the way to get it back is to get it started.
Would you use city money to fund this project?
No. I’m not looking for city money in particular. I’m looking for a public-private partnership, and I’m looking for federal money. I’m hoping the federal government will be interested through its P3 Canada Fund because [the streetcar would connect] two very strong federal institutions, Canada Place and Granville Island.
Why are you opposed to Mayor Gregor Robertson’s STIR program for more rental housing?
STIR means giving taxpayer money to developers for little or no public benefit. When you pour money into developers’ pockets to build rental housing, you are not getting the parks, you’re not getting the child care, you’re not getting the streets, you’re not getting those genuine public benefits. I think STIR is a complete and utter waste of money.
Do you believe the marketplace will generate rental housing on its own and that there’s no need for incentives?
There’s no need for special incentives. It’s more of a valuation thing. A rental building is actually worth less money, so the way the city collects the fees could be different. That’s not really an incentive; that’s just recognition of value.
Are you proposing any limitations on tax increases?
Yes. No more than the rate of inflation.
Are there any service cuts that should be made at city hall to keep costs down?
I’m going to can the water meters program. That’s half a million [dollars] a year right now. It’s actually a $45 million project to get everybody in Vancouver to have a water meter but there’s no argument in favour of them.
The expectation with a water meter is that because your meter is metered you’ll use less of it, but because water is essentially free, if everybody uses less water there’s only one thing that can happen: everybody’s price goes up. So they’re a complete waste of time, complete waste of money.
What should Mayor Gregor Robertson do about the Occupy Vancouver protest?
What he should do now is difficult. I would never have let those tents get set up. I was on the Parks Board when we had squats. It’s a mistake to let people set up the first tent.
All in all, what’s the main plank of your campaign?
Leadership. Respect for taxpayers. Accountability. Plain common sense. Doing things the city needs to be doing. But my most transformational platform: streetcar. When we get the streetcar back in Vancouver – that will be transformational. •
