UBCM has been a busy convention and I am just taking a quick break to update you on some of the events and workshops I have attended in the last 3 days.
Monday opened with two workshops, a panel debate on De-criminalization of Marijuana in the morning and a panel presentation on Local Government Finance: Matching Revenues with Responsibilities in the afternoon.
Naturally, I found the debate to a packed room of over 200, on the de-criminalization of marijuana the most compelling and engaging of the two presentations. And today at the Plenary session, the resolution, brought by Metchosin, was endorsed by a majority of delegates. But the debate, both at the panel and on the convention floor, was not without conflict and controversy.
One of tomorrow’s key resolutions up for delegate voting, will be A8, brought by Saanich, regarding oil tankers and expansion on the coast. I will be supporting this resolution and please look on Facebook for a photo of Councillor Copley and me, taken by the Dogwood Initiative, stating our support for A8.
Today’s keynote speaker was CBC Radio’s Anna Maria Tremonti, host of “The Current.” She gave an excellent presentation that opened with her question, “Do politicians and the media need each other?” She concludes that we do and argues that if we are in the business of making decisions and taking actions that affect others, then we should talk about why we make the decisions we make, take the actions we take, defend them and explain to the public our rationale. I whole- heartedly agree.
She made many good points and I will summarize her presentation in more detail on this blog. I also had the chance of spending a bit of time with her afterwards, asking a question about the future of CBC and investigative journalism.
I then attended the AVICC luncheon and joined other colleagues from all over Vancouver Island to talk about and share what’s happening in our communities.
Tomorrow, I will be on deck at 7:00 a.m. to hear more speakers and to vote on more resolutions, including A-8.