Today is the last day to vote for the Burnaby Municipal Elections.
Here is a review of Richard T. Lee, the most experienced politician running in the Burnaby municipal election.
Here are links to Official Biographies**
MLA Bio: Served four terms as the BC Liberal MLA for Burnaby North (elected in 2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013) and as Deputy Speaker from 2015 to 2017. No private members bills introduced.
Legislative Assembly of BC Official Profile
City of Burnaby Bio: Elected to Burnaby City Council in 2022 under One Burnaby and currently running with the New Burnaby party.
City of Burnaby Councillor Profile
*3 Issues with articles for reference *
1. $1,000,000+ MLA Pension After leaving provincial office in 2017, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation estimated Lee's lifetime MLA pension at $1,167,657 ($67,520 annually). This followed a 2007 vote by the BC Liberals to reinstate the pension plan and allow sitting MLAs to buy back time from earlier terms, increasing his estimated lifetime payout by roughly $800,000.
Canadian Taxpayers Federation: Outgoing BC MLAs to Collect $13.3 Million in Pensions
2. $12,000 Spent Fighting a Recall Campaign In 2015, Lee faced a recall petition organized by Burnaby families, teachers, and nurses over Burnaby Hospital and public schools. Lee's campaign spent nearly $12,000 (out of over $26,000 provided by the BC Liberal Party) to fight JUST the recall petition, compared to approximately $2,000 raised by the recall organizers from individual donors. This was to hire a campaign manager and lease office space while the public was collecting signatures.
Burnaby Now: Richard Lee supporters outspent recall campaign
Times Colonist: Two Liberal MLAs targeted for recall campaigns
3. Shelter Plan Approvals and Subsequent Protests Lee was part of Burnaby City Council when they unanimously approved the city's shelter plan with BC Housing. Following public pushback over the proposed BC Housing project at 5389 Imperial St., Lee opportunistically attended anti-shelter protest and introduced motions against advancing the project, which received no seconders on council.
Freshet News: More protest against proposed BC Housing project in Burnaby
Burnaby Beacon: Council unanimously approves 24-hour shelter operations
Source: The Tyee: A Burnaby Supportive Housing Project Goes Down