Vancouver Greens on City Hall service: living wage, public spaces, ethics
The Green Party of Vancouver would require the City and its major contractors to pay a Living Wage, invest in libraries and community centres, make City Hall easier to deal with, and back stronger provincial integrity laws and an independent ethics office.
GOOD GOVERNMENT · PAGES 42 TO 43
A City That Works for You: what the Platform 2026 says
A City That Works for You is the Green Party of Vancouver's plan for how City Hall treats the people who use it. The party says the public service should run well, work in the open and put customer service first. The chapter runs from benches and plazas on city streets to the pay of the workers who deliver city services.
Two items deal with public places. The Greens would put amenities for people first, naming active transportation (walking, cycling and rolling), street furniture, slow streets, parklets and plazas. They would also invest in what the platform calls third spaces: libraries, community centres and other places where people meet outside home and work. Council decides street design, while community centres belong to the Park Board.
The rest of the chapter is about City Hall as an employer and a service. The party would require the City and its major contractors to pay a Living Wage, meaning pay high enough to live in Vancouver. It promises clearer processes and better communication so that dealing with the city is less confusing. The platform says Vancouver is already one of BC's Top Employers and that the Greens would build on that.
The last item is ethics. The platform says Pete Fry opposed moves by ABC to suspend and weaken Vancouver's Integrity Commissioner, the official who handles complaints about how council members behave. The Greens say they would support stronger provincial integrity laws and protect the independence of ethics oversight. Those provincial laws are for the Province to pass; Council can only ask.
7 COMMITMENTS
What the party says it would do
A City that Works For You
The Greens say they would prioritize a well-organized public service that runs efficiently and transparently and puts customer service and satisfaction first in all its activities.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council sets the direction and budget for the city's own staff and services.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 42
People first
The party would prioritize public amenities that put people first, from active transportation infrastructure to street furniture and benches, slow streets, parklets and plazas.
- Who has the power
- City Council The city owns and designs its own streets and sidewalks, so Council can decide this alone.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 42
Public spaces
The Greens would invest in third spaces such as libraries, community centres and other public gathering places, which the platform calls essential civic infrastructure. The party says these places should be clean and welcoming to all.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Council can fund public spaces, but the Park Board runs community centres, so it would have to act on that part.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 42
City services as customer service
The party would make City Hall more transparent, responsive and user-friendly, with clearer processes, better communication and a staff culture focused on helping people solve problems. The platform says local government should not be intimidating, confusing or frustrating.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council directs how the city runs its own counters, permits and public communication.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 43
A living wage for every city worker
The Greens would require the City and its major contractors to pay a Living Wage, so that people who deliver public services can afford to live in the city they serve.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council decides the pay rules in the city's own hiring and in the contracts it signs.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 43
Vancouver's reputation as a top employer
The platform says Vancouver is already recognized as one of BC's Top Employers. The Greens say they would build on that through stable leadership, respect in the workplace and a high standard of public service.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council oversees the city as an employer and sets the tone for its staff.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 43
Integrity and Transparency
The platform says Pete Fry opposed ABC's attempts to suspend and undermine Vancouver's Integrity Commissioner. The Greens would support stronger provincial integrity legislation, protect the independence of ethics oversight and keep elected officials accountable to the public.
- Who has the power
- Province Integrity laws for local governments would come from the Province, so Council can only ask for them.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 43
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Where the power sits for this chapter
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about a city that works for you
Does the Green Party of Vancouver want a living wage for city workers?
Yes. The Green Party of Vancouver would require the City and its major contractors to pay a Living Wage. The party says the people who deliver public services should earn enough to live in the city they serve (platform, page 43).
What would Vancouver's Greens do to make City Hall easier to deal with?
The Greens say they would make City Hall more transparent, responsive and user-friendly. They promise clearer processes, better communication and a staff culture focused on helping people solve problems (platform, page 43).
What does the Green Party of Vancouver say about the Integrity Commissioner?
The platform says Pete Fry opposed ABC's attempts to suspend and undermine Vancouver's Integrity Commissioner. The Green Party of Vancouver says it would protect the independence of ethics oversight and support stronger provincial integrity legislation (platform, page 43).
Would the Vancouver Greens invest in libraries and community centres?
Yes. The Green Party of Vancouver would invest in libraries, community centres and other public gathering places, which it calls third spaces and essential civic infrastructure. The party says these places should be clean and welcoming to all (platform, page 42).
What street amenities does the Green Party of Vancouver want?
The Green Party of Vancouver would prioritize amenities that put people first. The platform names active transportation infrastructure, street furniture and benches, slow streets, parklets and plazas (platform, page 42).
Can Vancouver City Council pass the integrity laws the Greens want?
The Green Party of Vancouver says it would support stronger provincial integrity legislation, and laws of that kind are passed by the Province, so Council can only ask for them (platform, page 43).
ON THE BALLOT
The Green Party of Vancouver candidates behind this
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- Platform 2026, Green Party of Vancouver (72-page PDF, last updated September 29, 2026) SAYS SO ITSELFGreen Party of Vancouver · pages 42 to 43 · published · checked