13 August 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ken Sim's Public Safety Plebiscite "Won't Solve Anything”
Vancouver – Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate Kareem Allam today rejected ABC Vancouver's proposed non-binding public safety plebiscite, calling it political theatre that fails to address the serious challenges facing the city after four years under Mayor Ken Sim.
"A plebiscite won't solve anything and neither will Ken Sim. He's had his four years," said Allam.
ABC Vancouver is proposing that voters be asked two non-binding questions this October: one on strengthening municipal bylaws to prohibit open-air use of hard drugs in public spaces, and another on formally requesting the Province convert portions of the old St. Paul's Hospital site (or a similar location) into a secure medical facility offering both voluntary and involuntary care beds.
Allam said the proposal comes too late and does too little. Vancouver residents have already lived through years of rising street disorder, open-air drug use, and pressure on emergency services. A non-binding vote, he argued, does not deliver enforceable action or the leadership required to restore order and support for those in crisis.
Allam also questioned the cost. Running a plebiscite means staff time, legal drafting, ballot design and tabulation, and a public information campaign, all of it paid for by Vancouver taxpayers, and all of it in service of two questions the mayor and council already have the authority to act on. Council can amend municipal bylaws at any regular meeting. The mayor can request a meeting with the Province tomorrow. Neither requires a vote.
"Residents don't need another survey. They need a city that works," Allam said. "Ken Sim is spending public money to ask permission for things he can already do. Council can change a bylaw at any meeting it wants. The mayor can call the Premier this afternoon. Getting people off the street and into care is the job, and no ballot question does it for you."
Allam said a Vancouver Liberals council would use the authority the city already has: enforcing existing bylaws consistently and citywide, coordinating outreach teams with shelter and treatment capacity so people are moved into care rather than moved along, and negotiating directly with the Province for the beds Vancouver needs. None of that requires a plebiscite. All of it requires a mayor prepared to own the outcome.
The Vancouver Liberals are focused on practical solutions that strengthen public safety, restore frontline services, and deliver measurable improvements for families and neighbourhoods across the city.
Media Contact:
Vancouver Liberals Communications