Should Vancouverites Be Given A Say About The 2030 Olympic Bid?
April 05, 2022
The issue is big enough and important enough that Vancouverites deserve a say.
TEAM Councillor Colleen Hardwick will bring back her Olympic plebiscite motion to city council on April 12th, after pulling it from last week’s council agenda. Hardwick said she wants to use the time to talk to Vancouverites about a ballot vote and the importance of hearing from local residents. “Kennedy Stewart’s claim that an Olympic plebiscite would violate the city’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with First Nations is completely false, there’s no truth to it at all and he knows it,” said Hardwick. “In fact, when city staff went through the draft motion I put forward, they made absolutely no reference to any sort of breach. This is simply Kennedy Stewart’s way of sidelining Vancouverites when it comes to big decisions about their city, and the last thing he wants is to have to make a choice between the 2030 Games, or the rights of Vancouverites to have a say.” Hardwick encouraged Vancouverites to visit these online polls that are now up asking about having an Olympic 2030 plebiscite:
“Pick one or pick them all, but I’d encourage Vancouverites to speak up and let your elected representatives know how you feel,” added Hardwick. “In 2003, we held a plebiscite in advance of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and it had the greatest turnout for a plebiscite in the city’s history. So, there’s no question people are interested in having their say about something that impacts their city in such a profound way. How can anyone, particularly mayor and council, be opposed to a transparent, fair, and democratic plebiscite about the 2030 Olympic Games?”