“Government isn’t judged by the size of its plans or the ambition of its announcements. It’s judged by whether things actually get done.”
—Brad West
Since the day I was sworn in as mayor of Port Coquitlam, I’ve held public Q & A sessions with residents every couple of months. When you spend enough time hearing directly from residents, the themes behind people’s frustrations become pretty clear.
Not about ideology. Not a battle of “isms” or faculty-lounge debates about abstract philosophical concepts.
What I hear most are concerns about material needs and what government is actually delivering. The concerns centre on competence and follow-through.
That’s what makes the current skirmishes in the B.C. legislature all the more embarrassing.
You’re forgiven if you haven’t been glued to the goings-on in the provincial capital, where a succession of bills have recently been introduced designed to achieve little other than allowing MLAs to make over-the-top charges about their political opponents voting for or against “human rights,” “free speech,” or “government coercion.” That, and points of order about attire, language, “micro-aggressions,” and other gripes more often heard in high school hallways.
The real goal is a steady stream of clips for social media to keep people outraged and the political donations flowing.
But while they argue, the real problems facing our province don’t pause.
When government systems stall, public trust wanes
Our economy is sputtering, and our social services are buckling under the strain. Badly needed projects are taking longer than expected. Costs rise while timelines slip. Decisions move slowly through layers of process, consultation, and review.
The result is a growing sense that things that used to be straightforward have become unnecessarily complicated.
This isn’t about questioning the role of government. Most British Columbians believe strongly in public institutions. They believe in good schools, strong infrastructure, high-quality health care, and communities that work.
But belief in government also comes with an expectation—that it should function well.
That means decisions that are clear. Processes that are predictable. Progress that is visible. And projects that actually get built.
Today, governments often seem better at studying problems than solving them.
A project is announced. Then comes the review, the process, the consultation (and the consultants), the redesign, the delay. Years pass before anything happens — if it happens at all.
None of this usually comes from bad intentions. But systems and culture matter. Over time, systems have become slower and needlessly complex, while the culture of government has become increasingly risk-averse — bordering on paralysis.
When that happens, government starts to lose something important: the ability to execute.
And execution — delivery — is what ultimately builds public trust.
Residents want results
Serving as mayor reinforces that lesson every day. Because at the local level, there is nowhere to hide if government fails to deliver.
Residents don’t care about policy language or strategy documents. They care about results.
Is the road repaired?
Is the permit approved?
Is the park built?
Is the budget responsible?
If the answer is yes, people notice. If the answer is no, they notice that too.
In Port Coquitlam, we’ve tried to stay grounded in that reality.
Focus on the fundamentals
Our council has taken a simple approach: focus on the fundamentals, plan carefully, live within our means, and make sure projects actually get delivered.
That means investing in the infrastructure that quietly keeps a city running — water, sewer, and roads — while also building the parks, trails, and recreation facilities families enjoy every day. It means keeping costs under control so residents aren’t constantly being asked to pay more. And it means staying disciplined about priorities so that the most important projects don’t get lost in endless process.
Sometimes it’s simple things. Like our often-imitated “pothole blitz,” where city crews repair every single pothole in the city in a matter of days as winter turns to spring. For the record, 158 were fixed in just two days last year.
That’s the approach of a city that continues to move forward while maintaining the lowest property taxes and utility rates in Metro Vancouver. In fact, if you’re a taxpayer in Port Coquitlam, you pay about $1,700 less than the regional average — every single year.
That didn’t happen by accident.
It’s not because Port Coquitlam has discovered some secret formula. It’s because we operate close to the ground. When something isn’t working, residents let you know quickly — and we fix it.
That accountability keeps you focused.
It reminds you that government isn’t judged by the size of its plans or the ambition of its announcements. It’s judged by whether things actually get done.
Government is not judged on its words
British Columbia has enormous strengths: talented people, strong communities, and unparalleled resources. But those advantages only translate into progress if our institutions are capable of delivering.
That means governments must focus less on announcements and more on outcomes. Leadership that understands good policy only matters if it works in reality.
Public trust is built slowly — decision by decision and project by project. Rebuilding it won’t come from polarization, division, or uncompromising ideologues seeking to reshape society in their image.
It requires something much simpler: governments that are disciplined, practical, and focused on getting things done.
Because in the end, the measure of government isn’t what it promises.
It’s whether it delivers.