If you’ve ever seen or come upon an unsavoury pack of reporters poking their microphones in a politician’s face, you’ve probably wondered: “What the heck is all the fuss about?”
Well, if the politician in the scrum is Rob Ford, you probably know what all the fuss is about.
Doing the hezza, anybody?
But if it’s Mayor Gregor Robertson in the scrum, the topics can be a little less sensational and national-news-leading than the sad saga that continues in Toronto.
So to give you a taste of what questions Robertson is asked by media types, I thought I’d let you in on a scrum that occurred after last Thursday’s press conference to announce the re-opening of The York Theatre on Commercial Drive.
First things first: To get an idea of what it’s like to ask the questions, please stand up, stick out your arm with a small device in your hand and have another person — preferably with fresh breath and a healthy swipe of deodorant — stand uncomfortably close to you and occasionally bump shoulders.
First question: I wanted to ask you about the cost of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Vancouver, including $13,000 in booze and $20,000 in umbrellas. How do you respond to those costs?
Robertson: “The FCM conference in Vancouver was a gathering of over 2,000 elected officials from communities right across Canada and it actually came in $300,000 under budget for the city.”
Second question: How do you respond to a recent story in the Province about the politicization of city hall?
Robertson: “Well, I think it’s a real stretch. I’m very careful in my office and working with city staff to not politicize that relationship. Staff are non-partisan and they are scrupulous about that.”
Third question: What about the city staffer who wrote in one email referenced in the story that said Surrey is not a real city?
Robertson: “That’s just a dumb comment. People slip up and say things that I think can have unintended consequences and that’s certainly totally uncalled for.”
Fourth question: What do you think about having a property tax for off-shore investors, similar to what they have in Hong Kong, to slow down the pace of rising house prices?
Robertson: “It’s been challenging to identify exactly how much impact there is. There is certainly impact on the high-end market —the West Side of Vancouver, West Van and Richmond. How that impacts most of the housing in the city and the region is debatable. So we don’t want to take any rash actions that might impact investments in the city.”
Fifth question: What’s your response to the Police Complaint Commissioner criticizing the Vancouver Police Board for not implementing a policy to ensure no unfair ticketing practices in the Downtown Eastside?
Robertson: “I take the letter from the OPCC seriously. I think the VPD will come back to the board with updated numbers and more data to understand the ticketing issue and next steps that we need to take.”
Note: I, obviously, didn’t include everything Robertson said during the scrum, but I think you get the gist. I know, I know, not exactly Rob Fordesque but — as former Canuck Todd Bertuzzi once said — it is what it is.
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