It’s time for our weekly B.C. Monday Morning Quarterback—five quick thoughts on five topics: 

1. Province columnist Jon Ferry says it’s time to dump an elected Vancouver Parks Board:

Other Canadian cities don’t have separate parks boards. As its promo blurb states, the Vancouver parks board is the only elected body of its kind in Canada. It was formed back in 1888 to manage the new Stanley Park.

That was then. Now, politicians of all stripes (federal, provincial, regional and municipal) are on the green bandwagon. So, do Vancouverites really need a separate arm of civic government to protect public green space? Isn’t this overkill?

I don’t know exactly what savings Vancouver taxpayers would enjoy by turning the parks board into a regular city department. But I suspect it could be millions annually, given the board’s $103-million operating budget. 

A separate, elected parks board is neither common nor best practice. It’s another level of government that should be examined to see if it’s outlived its usefulness.

2. Sun columnist Don Cayo looks at an Ontario study of how a property transfer tax has hurt the Toronto housing market and wonders what the effect is here:

But the general thrust is clear. And it confirms what’s been said many times in B.C., including in previous instalments of this column — that a property transfer tax is a perverse way for governments to raise money. The tax may sound small — in this province it’s one per cent on the first $200,000 of every property transaction and two per cent on anything over that — but it has a big economic impact.

At best, a property transfer tax raises housing costs and stifles real estate sales for no good reason. At worst — and we too often see it at its worst in B.C. — it gouges and double-taxes some citizens.

It does amaze me that in all of Vancouver City Hall’s handwringing over housing affordability, no mention is made of the tax burden imposed on both new and existing residents.

3. Former Campbell chief of staff Martyn Brown wants government to end its addiction to taxpayer-funded advertising. Uh, yes, great idea, Martyn: too bad you have no moral authority to push for this after nearly a decade of architecting “The Best Place on Earth” and other taxpayer-funded ads.

4. Don’t think real people care about MP pension reform? Think again! These two—with no push from us—started their own anti-MP pension petition in Osoyoos and have collected 500 signatures.

5. Saanich is looking at changing over its garbage pickup from backyard to curbside. Hard to believe any municipality is still doing the expensive backyard pickup in this day and age of efficiency. Reminds me of this classic Simpsons song (featuring U2):