Vancouver Drops Bid to Suspend Integrity Commissioner as Council Dysfunction Debate Winds Down

A tense, year-long standoff over Vancouver’s integrity commissioner ended quietly this week after a procedural ruling shut down a controversial motion to suspend the office's investigative powers.

Mayor Ken Sim ruled the motion out of order on Tuesday, calling it “frivolous” and effectively ending months of political infighting.

“Basically, we can just carry on,” said Sim.

The now-defunct motion, introduced by ABC Vancouver councillors in July 2023, sought to temporarily halt investigations into city council and the mayor while an external review of the Integrity Commissioner’s Office was conducted.

But the debate grew mired in dysfunction, as several councillors and park board commissioners filed complaints against each other, triggering more investigations — and raising concerns that council was attempting to muzzle its own watchdog.

The motion was delayed four times as an external review was launched and completed. That review ultimately recommended greater independence for the integrity commissioner.

“It has been a lot of wasted resources and time to get to this point,” said Coun. Pete Fry.

Commissioner Looks Ahead

Lisa Southern, the current integrity commissioner, issued a statement welcoming the end of the debate and said she looks forward to finishing her term professionally.

“I have remained committed to carrying out my responsibilities impartially and diligently,” she said.
“I look forward to supporting a smooth and professional transition,” she added, noting she supports hiring her successor before her term ends in December.

Province Faces Pressure for Reform

Vancouver’s internal drama is just one example of mounting frustrations across B.C., where several city councils have descended into gridlock over code-of-conduct disputes.

Coun. Fry said he supports keeping an independent integrity commissioner in Vancouver, but called for provincial intervention to give the role more enforcement power.

“Right now, the integrity commissioner is somewhat toothless,” Fry said.
“There’s no authority to impose sanctions. We need more teeth and clearer enforcement.”

Ethics expert Reece Harding, who served as Surrey’s first ethics commissioner, echoed the sentiment.

“It’s a bit of a free-for-all out there,” said Harding.
“There’s no consistent process, no defined sanctions — and no one to step in when things break down.”

What Could B.C. Do?

Other provinces are taking different approaches to municipal ethics:

• Ontario recently passed legislation allowing mayors or councillors to be removed for serious misconduct — with unanimous council support and approval from the province’s integrity commissioner.

• New Brunswick created a Local Governance Commission, which can suspend politicians or appoint outside supervisors.

• Alberta, meanwhile, eliminated municipal codes of conduct altogether, instead proposing a separate ethics commissioner.

Harding says B.C. needs its own model, especially one that allows provincial intervention when councils are too dysfunctional to govern themselves.

“When a city becomes frozen in dysfunction, the province has to be able to break the ice,” he said.
“There needs to be a clear process, clear consequences, and someone with the authority to act.”