At Vancouver city hall, 'abstain' means 'yes'

2 week_ago 7

British Columbia

Most weeks successful section politics, there’s statement implicit whether councillors voted for oregon against an important motion. But this week successful Vancouver, the question was astir councillors not voting astatine all.

Some metropolis councillors spot abstaining arsenic a protestation vote, but nether the Vancouver Charter it amounts to a 'yes'

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 20, 2025 2:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

At Vancouver metropolis hall, 'abstain' means 'yes'

Most weeks successful section politics, there's statement implicit whether councillors voted for oregon against an important motion.

But, arsenic CBC Vancouver's municipal affairs newsman Justin McElroy reports, this week successful Vancouver, the question was astir councillors not voting astatine all.

"It's not ever casual to formed votes … but I deliberation that's wherefore we're there, and I deliberation radical expect america to marque them," said Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung, who has been captious of absorption councillors abstaining from a mates of antithetic votes this week.

"Abstentions are not a vociferous voice. You're not taking a position."

A councillor who abstained from 2 of those votes defended the value of abstentions. But the weird information of Vancouver metropolis hallway is that abstaining is taking a ineligible presumption — though not the 1 the nationalist mightiness expect.

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