Robertson's looking for another kind of handshake like this (minus the Conservative propaganda), but is unlikely to walk away with anything of substance from Harper this time around.

I have been delinquent during the Games, as unlike those who transformed themselves into “media”, I took some time away from the blog and municipal politics to enjoy the civic experience of a lifetime.

That being said, I am now back in the swing of things, and will be posting regularly from this point forward.  CivicScene will also have some featured pieces coming out in one of Vancouver’s preeminent news outlets in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Mayor Gregor Robertson has left himself little time to rest in between the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as he has made his trek eastward to Ottawa and Toronto in search of “a commitment to a national housing strategy” and more provincial and federal funding for transit.

Yet on the heels of Premier Gordon Campbell’s government preparing people for today’s budget which will dramatically “cut back on the operating budgets of government” as well as Prime Minister Stephen Harper prefacing his upcoming budget by calling it the “toughest of his career,” I can’t see the Vancouver Mayor walking away with anything at all in terms of financial commitments.

But the trip is significant for the way in which Robertson is graduating from his roles and responsibilities that are most often bound within the confines of Vancouver’s official boundaries.

First, let’s talk about transit.  Robertson is saying all the right things when it comes to an area of public policy in which he has little to no autonomy over.

He understands the trend in retail politics that links transit with the municipality it is operating within, even though Translink is of course regional in scope.  He gets that in spite of his goals for making Vancouver one of the world’s greenest cities, public transit is never something that he can ever firmly commit as part of the plan without the dollars kicked in from the upper levels of government.

He also understands that Vancouver is far better served by transit than municipalities like the Tri-Cities, and thus adhering to the prevailing logic that the “Evergreen Line is first up” is smart politics based on reality.

A UBC line down the broadway corridor?  Yeah…maybe in a decade.  And I strongly emphasize MAYBE.

Gregor is beginning to position himself behind the need for transit solidarity with his regional partners across Metro Vancouver, and that he is well placed to advocate broadly rather than just for the purposes of Vancouver’s benefit.

Which leads me into my second point having to do with homelessness.  I have written before about how Robertson should be leading a national rallying cry for better support for housing across the country.

Once again I am going to reference J. David Hulchanski report from 2002 entitled “Housing Policy for Tomorrow’s Cities,” which details how the “federal role in housing since the Second World War has been…checkered.”

It also delves into the fact that municipal or urban affairs has been something that the federal government has only delved into a handful of times over the past century.

Sorry, but this kind of hands off approach to municipalities – REGARDLESS of jurisdiction – does not lend itself well to the realities of the majority of our country’s population.

Enter Gregor Robertson.

Now I am by no means arguing that Robertson is definitely going to have any more success than the Larry Campbells or David Millers who over the years have been very aggressive in engaging the federal government on a number of public policy issues.

What I am suggesting, however, is that housing policy is a place where Gregor can make real inroads in if nothing else, raising the issue back up to a national consciousness and in turn initiating a cross-country debate.

If housing and eliminating street homelessness is his baby (and from all indications thus far into his term, this is shaping up to be his defining legacy – good or bad), then he needs to play a larger role in lifting the issue out of the specific situations found in every city across this country.

So, let’s see what comes about from the glad-handing and the post-Olympic Ottawa love-in that Gregor is bound to encounter.

Even without the dollars, this could be the start of Robertson emerging as an impact player within Canada’s municipal affairs.

Breathtaking, isn't it?

The situation with regards to the Canadian pavilion – in theory, something that should have been one of the jewels of the Olympics – is a national disgrace.

Now, before I go on, let me say that in general, I am shocked to still see general work and even construction happening across the downtown core at this late stage in the game.  From the Alberta showcase to the tents around BC Place, it seems as though many attractions will be ready to go just in time for the start of the opening ceremonies.

But with regards to the Canadian government’s involvement, the sordid details speak for themselves

• $10.4-million spent
• A formal request for proposals only issued on November 3, with the competition closing November 17
• The contract was given to US company for expediency
• The “pavilion” is little more than a big tent…without doubt one of the ugliest structures in all of the temporary attractions going up across town
• Construction will still be continuing with the opening of the Games

I was speaking to one of the Ontario folks who were in town to put the final touches on the Ontario pavillion for example, and was told that their planning began in the spring of 2008.

So why exactly did the government wait until the last minute with regards to their offering to the world?

If we spent over a year constructing our representation in Beijing (which from all accounts was a huge success during the Summer Games), why wouldn’t we do the same for our home turf.

The picture above does not do the pavilion justice in terms of how hard on the eyes it really is.  Walking by it is the only way one can truly experience the shame attached with such a horrendous display designed to represent and encapsulate the best our country has to offer.

Oh, and in typical Harper fashion, its being taken care of by the Americans.

This comment by Minister James Moore’s press aide about says it all:

“”If you want a pavilion ready for February, then there’s no need to start work on it in September.”

I wonder if this is also the case with other issues of “importance” to the Harper government.

I don’t know about you, but on this one, I am truly outraged, regardless of my political bent that most people in political circles (and otherwise) are well aware of.

Wait for the clip of Stephen Harper’s speech, and take a look at Gregor’s expression.  I know he must be jetlagged, but it is hilarious, if not telling.

I will get to the post on the moderation of Vancouver’s municipal political scene over the weekend.  Happy Halloween!

Stephen Harper announces funding for the Vancouver South Shore Trade Area this past Tuesday.

So what was lone NPA City Councillor Suzanne Anton doing with Harper after the announcement?

She was lining up for campaign style photos with the Prime Minister.  Now, before someone comes back to me and references this shot with Mayor Gregor Robertson to try and downplay Anton’s presence there, let me assure readers that as has been described to me, Anton’s multiple shots taken by the PMO’s official photographer seemed pre-arranged and suitably posed for a brochure or some other kind of promotional piece.

Suzanne Anton draws the majority of her municipal support from the neighbourhoods that Vancouver Quadra is comprised of.

Joyce Murray currently holds Vancouver Quadra for the Liberals, achieving a comfortable win in the last election after a close call with her first by-election victory.

As Anton’s hopes for a Mayoral nomination dwindle with Peter Ladner loyalists firmly in Ian Robertson’s camp (the same group that was able to successfully stage a coup against sitting Mayor at-the-time Sam Sullivan), the Conservative nomination in Vancouver Quadra seems like a perfect landing for an individual that has clearly outlived her usefulness at the municipal level.

Joyce Murray had a very close call during the by election in March, 2008, just barely getting elected by less than one percent (a result that was largely aided by Stephen Harper’s final week decision to bypass the riding in a visit to Vancouver).  She took this close-call and subsequently turned it into an easy win in 2008 by just under 5,000 votes.

That being said, Anton would be a formidable competitor for Murray due to her strong voting bloc of support on the west side of Vancouver combined with the momentum that the Tories are currently enjoying.

With a poison pill Bill on the HST possibly coming down the pike within weeks, could we see Anton make a quick and seamless jump into a federal election campaign and a future cabinet post?