The Green Party of Vancouver is sounding the alarm on ABC’s latest move to consolidate power at City Hall.

A new report from the City Clerk recommends that City Council cut short the terms of 10 of Vancouver’s 11 advisory committees by about nine months - shutting them down on January 30, 2026, instead of the original end date of November 1, 2026. 

These committees were created to provide independent, community-based advice on renters’ rights, equity, accessibility, arts and culture, food security, seniors, women, youth and families, and transportation. They were meant to be active throughout the 2026 election year - precisely when public scrutiny and civic engagement should be strongest.

Instead, ABC is choosing to shut them down.

The reasons given - staff “capacity,” FIFA, conference travel, and a compressed meeting schedule - are political choices, not inevitabilities. Council can choose to fund the modest staffing required to keep committees running. Instead, they are choosing to “save” roughly $11,000 in meeting costs, rather than invest approximately $160,000 to preserve Vancouver’s democratic infrastructure. 

This comes on the heels of ABC’s attempt to abolish the elected Park Board. The pattern is clear: when independent bodies question ABC’s priorities, ABC doesn’t listen. Instead, it tries to dismantle them.

Renters, equity-seeking communities, seniors, people with disabilities, youth, women, arts workers, food advocates, and more are all being told their voice is a “capacity issue.”

Vancouver Greens reject this move and call on all Councillors to:

1. Vote against shortening the advisory committee terms,
2. Protect advisory committees through the 2026 election year, and
3. Fund the staffing required to support real public participation
   

Vancouver deserves more democracy, not less.

The Vancouver Green Party will stand with advisory committee members to defend their seat at the table.

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