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Councillor Meggs’ new link to the NDP

December 16th, 2009 · 9 Comments

People were chattering about this at the lefty party a couple of weeks ago, but here’s the official announcement that Jan O’Brien will become the provincial secretary for the NDP. For those not in the know, O’Brien is the wife of Councillor Geoff Meggs.

I’m sure those who love to believe that Meggs is the “real” mayor of Vancouver — a constant observation from the critics, even though Meggs is clearly not part of the EcoCapitalist circle around Gregor Robertson  — this will add new dimensions to their conspiracy theories.

BC NDP HIRES JAN O’BRIEN AS NEW PROVINCIAL SECRETARY

Burnaby–The BC New Democratic Party today announced that Jan O’Brien has been appointed Provincial Secretary.

O’Brien is succeeding Laura Nichols, who has served as Provincial Secretary since 2006.

A labour relations specialist, O’Brien currently works in the advocacy department of the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union. She previously wrote for a Vancouver daily newspaper and was a vice-chair of the BC Labour Relations Board. She  is a director of the Vancity Credit Union and the West Coast Legal Action Fund. She has been involved in other community organizations including DOXA (Vancouver’s Documentary Film Festival) and Everywoman’s Health Centre. A committed environmentalist, she is a member of Nature Vancouver and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.

O’Brien will begin her new role early in the new year.

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  • L’il Rural Lib

    “part of the EcoCapitalist circle around Gregor Robertson”

    and at the center of that circle is one rich girl, who inherited a bundle of money and now uses it to achieve political ends she supports.

    Why do we know so little of Carol Newell . . . it is her money and her agenda, but our city.

  • Glissando Remmy

    On a related topic.
    Vancouver’s Metro News/ Wednesday, Dec. 16th, 2009, Page7.
    Napoleon Bonaparte said it best, “a picture is worth a thousand
    words”.
    While in Copenhagen, where the real green activists and “Climate change” advocates are demonstrating in the streets trying to pressure the politicians to reach an agreement (tough luck with that, by the way), Mayor Robertson is in his symptomatic shallow mood, happy that he can do some tricks on his bike. That’s typical of our elected guy.
    Look closely at the picture… NOBODY’s looking towards the camera; people there have other worries…
    Gregor must have known long before that Copenhagen is nothing but a free trip to Europe on a BS premise, so enjoy!

    As for Meggs, O’Brien, NDP, VV, City Hall, Whatever, the “one degree of separation” game continues…
    We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.

  • FBT

    “…even though Meggs is clearly not part of the EcoCapitalist circle around Gregor Robertson…”

    Geez Frances, you’ve been around long enough to know that some of those involved in “inter-coastal” relationships take turns being the top and/or bottom. Come on…….

    So Gregor and his merry band of dreamers and schemers gladly seeds (intentional sp) control to Meggs and his union cronies for certain initiatives and Meggs seeds (again, intentional sp) control back to Gregor for his ridiculous schemes and enviro-snakeoil endeavours.

    Between the two, they take turns bending over while pandering to their supporters and forgeting about the vast majority of Vancouverites. Who by the way have grown tired of their antics.

    But on the topic of Meggs though….so his wife

    “…O’Brien currently works in the advocacy department of the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union…”

    and Meggs pulls Vancouver out of regional bargaining group.

    Sounds like there was more to his motives than looking after Vancouver’s ability to reasonably bargain with their union.

    They may as well do their damage now because in 2011 they are finished.

  • Visionless in Vancouver

    How ironic that the very people who clearly only pretended to care about Vancouver issues and Vancouverites during the last election are turning out to be the sleaziest most power-hungry group of all in recent history. They really pulled the wool over all of our eyes!

    And how surprising that the only two Councillors pushing back against the these power-grabbers and their constants handouts to big business and developers are Suzanne Anton and Ellen Woodsworth.

    I very much regret supporting this Vision crew in hindsight. I sure won’t make the same mistake in the next election.

  • Marcella

    The coverage of Jan getting this position reeks of sexism. Yes, she happens to be Geoff’s wife, but anyone who knows Jan — frankly, anyone who has bothered to find out anything about her — would know that she is not a stooge or puppet for anyone.

    Jan is a brilliant woman, someone who is a lawyer AND has an MBA. She has worked for years in many different organizations, and guess what? She doesn’t take orders from anyone, including Geoff.

    Her appointment should be judged on her merits as an individual, and what she can and will bring to the NDP. Making this about Meggs is nothing but sexism, pure and simple. When will we ever get past this kind of puerile thinking, and judge professional women on their own merits?

  • Blaffergassted

    Yes, some of the language on this thread is sexist, Marcella.

    It may be coming from people who are trying to deflect the conversation away from the issue of nepotism.

  • Bill Lee

    And the Georgia Straight mentioned O’Brien’s directorship on the Vancity Credit Union as well.

    A clerk was bemoaning the sell off of Vancity: Citizens online bank, insurance arm etc. and yet the directors fees haven’t gone down with the lesser responsibilities.
    Yet only a few thousand vote on directors out of the hundred’s of thousand members.

  • A. G. Tsakumis

    Marcella,

    When Geoff was using his position as councillor nouveau to get his wife elected to the VanCity Board, was that sexist too?

    A very FEEBLE effort at deflection. No one suggested Geoff was sitting at home in a wife-beater and a stack of empty beer cans barking out orders. But to suggest that he would have no influence, or that they wouldn’t be working together on an agenda that might not be in Vancouver’s best interest or that that agenda isn’t one that advances the political aims of both Jan and Geoff, is absurd.

    In fact, it’s dishonest is what it really is…but this is a word at the top of Vision’s lexicon and, of course, that of the NDP.

    Good luck with those windmills, sweetheart.

  • George

    Didn’t the exact issue come up with a park board commissioner with his wife on the variance board.
    It seems as if boundaries are starting to blur with this group of officials.
    Oh, I think I need to wake up and smell the coffee…. anyone else?