COLLINS: More regulation, more cost, few results

Oct 27, 2023 | 5:30 AM

HAVING RULES AND REGULATIONS is important to governing our society. But when rules are made as stop-gap measures, with no long-range structure, they can do more harm than good.

Housing is a perfect example, and we see more problems every day. The housing market definitely needs regulation, but the regulations need to be thought through, and be strong enough to last over time. Things like the short-term housing regulations, forcing municipalities to build a certain number of housing units to avoid the wrath of God (aka Eby), and forcing new developments to contain a certain number of affordable units, could all end next year if the NDP loses the next election.

Then it will start all over again. More studies, more cost, few results.

Government is so concerned with winning, they will promise just about anything, and do nothing. What a tangled web we weave! I know you’ll think I’m on some monstrous high when I ask why politicians of all parties couldn’t find some common ground that will work for the people, and not the politicians. I can hear you laughing already. We’ve been exposed to the underbelly of politics too often to realize that isn’t going to happen.

And then there are the increased police costs. Not only do we need more real peace officers to keep us safe, we now have the short-term housing police, the affordable housing watchdogs, the code of conduct marshalls, and more yet to come. All this, of course, prevents units being built, because the rules don’t let developers make the money necessary to make the affordable units viable.