[PODCAST]: Brad West

“Before you go off and try and save the planet or achieve a major complicated societal objective, job number one for government is to provide basic core services.” –Brad WestFans of Brad West extend far beyond the mid-sized BC municipality he represents. Maybe because he’s willing to go where other elected representatives fear to tread. The mayor of Port Coquitlam, West is concerned on a few fronts. One is a trend by the provincial government to concentrate more and more power in the hands of fewer people – namely, the Premier and Cabinet. Controversial legislation rammed through by the BC NDP this session will allow Cabinet to bypass the environmental assessment process and override municipal authorities for projects nebulously determined to be “provincially significant.” Like most mayors, West is all for correcting the current flawed process through streamlining provincial regulations and speeding approvals, he’s just skeptical the BC govt’s strategy is an effective way to achieve it.Prior to becoming mayor in 2018, West worked for the Steelworkers union, whose members are the lifeblood of the province’s natural resources sector, “salt-of-the-earth” people in towns, cities and villages across BC. Used to be, anyone holding a resource job supported the NDP. Not anymore. Over the last few years, West says centre-left parties in many jurisdictions, including the NDP in BC, have become so fixated on ‘progressive’ policies, they’re not properly delivering core government services like healthcare, education and infrastructure. The parties have become so disconnected from what matters most to regular working people, they’ve lost their trust and their vote. Mayor Brad West sat down with me this week to share his frank perspective on these issues and more, including an egregious public policy he thinks will haunt communities for years to come.Enjoy!FranProducer: Rob ShawFeedback: [email protected] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northernbeatnews.substack.com/subscribe