Mayor should brush up on his governance

Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran needs a civics lesson.

In Ron Seymour’s article from May 13, Basran wishes that individuals seeking answers about irregularities in his 2018 campaign finances had “come to him directly” instead of filing complaints with Elections BC.

I can certainly empathize with the mayor here. I used to hate when another kid would “tell on me" to the teacher for swearing at recess! Why didn’t they just come to me? We could’ve handled the issue without any adult supervision.

Unfortunately for Basran, this is not a schoolyard disagreement and the amount of money in question is an awful lot more than what’s sitting in my swear jar.

Elections BC has a mandate to administer electoral processes in accordance with the Election Act, Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and Referendum Act. Elections BC is independent and non-partisan; as a politician looking to get re-elected, Basran is neither. Elections BC is here to ensure that (non) compliance with said laws is handled in an unbiased manner. What Basran “wishes” had happened in this case is the very definition of a conflict of interest. This goes to the heart of our democracy, and the corners Basran is seemingly fine with cutting to keep his office.

Basran may pride himself in the “level of sophistication” he’s brought to Kelowna municipal politics, but it’s clear to me that needs a lesson in statesmanship.

Sarah MacDonald, Kelowna