John Rustad has declared that a BC Conservative government would abolish Metro Vancouver — a federation of 21 municipalities, one electoral area, and one treaty First Nation that oversees basic services in the Lower Mainland — to eliminate "extra bureaucracy" in the province's most populated region.In an address to the local leaders at the Union of BC Municipalities convention in Victoria on Thursday, he argued that residents would benefit just as much, if not more, from a simple utility service.."One of the things I look at is Metro Vancouver," Rustad said. "It has a significant cost structure, it's a lot of bureaucracy, there's a lot of costs that get downloaded ... From my perspective, it doesn't need to be there."He said that if his party formed government it would "get rid of Metro Vancouver and turn it into what it's supposed to be, which is a water, sewer, and garbage utility.""We don't need that extra bureaucracy and cost in our system," Rustad argued, "and it would certainly be helpful for many things that need to get done in the Lower Mainland."He pointed to the entity as an embodiment of the phrase, "the bureaucracy is expanding to support the expanding bureaucracy," and said it was high time that was reversed..The entity now known as Metro Vancouver began its life as the Greater Vancouver Water District in 1924. The Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District came into being 32 years later, and in 1967, BC formally incorporated the area into a regional district. It existed as the Greater Vancouver Regional District until 2017, when it was given its current name.It now handles liquid and solid waste services, drinking water services, regional parks, and air quality, as well as regional growth and planning for urban development.Residents of the area pay into Metro Vancouver via municipal property taxes and utility fees. In 2025, it had a budget of $3.2 billion — $1.464 for operating costs and $1.768 for capital projects such as wastewater treatment plan upgrades and affordable housing. That works out to around $875 per household.In recent years, Metro Vancouver has been criticized for what many have referred to as unnecessary bureaucracy, which has driven up costs for taxpayers. Between 2019 and 2024, for example, the budget for administrative costs alone grew from $397 million to $534 million.Earlier this year, a review was commissioned by Deloitte to look into the governance structure. It returned 49 recommendations, most of which involved better oversight. .Due to a high level of spam content being posted, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
