Pubdate: Fri, 03 Oct 2008 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Mike Howell WOULD-BE MAYORS GO HEAD TO HEAD Candidates Clash Over Supervised Injection Sites Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson favours opening more supervised injection sites in the city. NPA mayoral nominee Peter Ladner does not. The difference in opinion surfaced Wednesday night at the first public debate between the rivals. Organized by Langara College and held at the main branch of the public library, the contest attracted more than 300 people. "I think there is a place for more injection sites," said Robertson, in response to a question from Courier panelist Mark Hasiuk. "I think we need to be responsive to the demand that's out there, we need to be saving lives wherever we can." Robertson said the city could "try different formats, depending on the part of the city we're in and what the demand is." He said dozens of peer-reviewed studies on the Insite drug injection site on East Hastings show the facility to be a "remarkable success." Robertson said the city must also focus on treating addicts and educating people not to use drugs. He added that the city has to get "really serious about education and prevention" in schools and throughout the city. Ladner said he is a supporter of Insite and has visited the site several times to speak to the operators, clients and police about the facility's purpose. He said he knows there are mixed feelings about Insite but he believes it has a function in reducing disease. "It was originally, remember, set up to stop the rampant transmission of AIDS and hepatitis in that area, and it's had some successes there," Ladner said. "It's also been successful in referring people to treatment, but unfortunately there isn't enough treatment around." Ladner pointed out that addicts who use the site only use it for "about 10 per cent of daily fixes." So it has a very limited impact on having trained staff supervise every injection in the city. "To think that you could somehow use that model all over the city, I don't get it," he said. "I don't see how that would work. I think that our next spending priority, if we want to be really serious about dealing with drug problems, is spend more money on treatment." The views of both candidates were met with applause. Ladner and Robertson had their supporters in the audience, including their wives, councillors and candidates from both parties. Both leaders agreed ending homelessness was a top priority, with Ladner emphasizing the importance of working with senior levels of government to build housing. He noted that under the NPA-dominated council, 3,800 housing units are being built or in planning. "This is something the mayor cannot do by himself," he said, before taking a jab at Robertson, the former NDP MLA for Vancouver-Fairview. "In fact, if Gregor was really serious about solving homelessness, he would stay in Victoria and get the provincial government on the case." In response, Robertson said ending homelessness is what propelled him to leave his MLA's job and run for mayor. Although the provincial government has direct responsibility to deal with the city's "health care and housing crisis," he said the city has to lead the charge. "When the waters were rising in New Orleans, do you think the mayor of New Orleans kept saying, 'This is a federal problem, this is a provincial problem? We're going to wait for the province and the feds to show up and fix this one?' It doesn't really work that way." Robertson said the city has seen an increase in homelessness under the NPA-dominated council. He cited successive provincial governments closing down Riverview Hospital for mental health patients, the federal government's inaction on a housing program and an ineffective drug policy as contributing factors. Although Robertson agreed the city has to forge relationships with senior levels of government to end homelessness, he said the city has to have "a bit of on edge" to those relationships with governments. "It mortifies me that we're going into another winter right now with the problem continuing to get worse, despite all the stats and the numbers and all the rose-coloured glasses about how we've turned the corner, it's not getting better yet. It won't get better until the mayor of Vancouver is 100 per cent committed to solving homelessness." Both agreed there needs to be affordable housing in the city. Robertson said the city should also consider "workforce housing" for police officers, firefighters and health care workers. He noted many people working in those areas live outside of Vancouver. "If the proverbial doo-doo hits the fan in Vancouver, all of our emergency workers live out in the valley and have to get in here," Robertson said. "We're going to be in a big problem." The most commonly referred definition of "affordable housing" is that the tenant is paying less than 30 per cent of his or her income towards the house. Ladner said he's spoken to an architect on the West Side who can build a 560 square foot house in a homeowner's backyard-defined as laneway housing-for $150,000. "I'll take it," shouted one audience member. Ladner suggested the city consider zoning areas around SkyTrain stations to allow highrises. He said the transit hub at Broadway and Commercial is the busiest in the province. Yet the homes around that area are in low-rise buildings. On the topic of Project Civil City-which is an NPA initiative to reduce the open drug market, homelessness and aggressive panhandling by 50 per cent by 2010-Ladner admitted, "I don't think we've done a great job there and I think there's more that has to be done." If Vision Vancouver is elected to a majority on council, the party is on record as wanting to eliminate the job of civil city commissioner Geoff Plant. The party contends the money would be better directed in areas such as community policing centres. In the last question of the night from panelist Frances Bula, Robertson was asked how he would lead city hall with no municipal government experience. Robertson took a jab at NPA Mayor Sam Sullivan in his answer. "If experience was the ultimate qualification for being a good leader, then Sam Sullivan's dozen years as a city councillor would have led to a fantastic three years at city hall," he said. Robertson cited his experience as a small businessman (he co-founded Happy Planet Juice company) and his service as the NDP MLA for Vancouver-Fairview, where he worked with Cambie merchants affected by Canada Line construction. When Ladner was asked about the difference between him and Sullivan, whom Ladner beat in a leadership battle in June, he said, "I'm running for mayor and he's not. So I think the focus has to be on how I'm different from Gregor. That's the choice." The Courier is hosting another debate Wednesday, Oct. 8 between Ladner and Robertson at Science World. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the debate beginning at 7:30. Seating is first come, first served. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart