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The question that the BC Finance Minister doesn’t want to answer.

By Sasha Izard
Feb 21, 2026


The Province of BC led by the BC NDP has been under great duress financially, having observered reductions in credit rating and has been making spending cuts, and tax hikes for the lowest income bracket, after the government scrapped a key source of revenue through the carbon tax, while massively increasing MLA salaries.

Well so much for kitchen table issues…

Perhaps one cut they overlooked as usual, was how much money it has been spending on the development and real estate lobby.

BC Housing’s out of control spending spree: $82,249 spent in only 3 and a half years, on costs related to a single lobby for real estate and development. – CRD Watch Homepage

Ravi Kahlon’s Kitchen Table – CRD Watch Homepage

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With numerous branches of government, including local and regional governments, as well as Crown Corporations and Statutory Entities being paying members of the UDI, the most powerful and influential registered lobbying organization for corporate development and real estate interests in British Columbia – isn’t it overdue time to end the ‘potential’ conflicts of interests involved, by separating lobby and state and saving the taxpayer a ton of money in the process?

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On Sept 28, 2024 – I sent the following email to Katrine Conroy, who was the BC Minister of Finance at the time:

Hello Minister Conroy,

The Ministry of Finance is responsible for the BC Assessment Authority.

BC Assessment is a paying member of the Urban Development Institute (UDI).

Why does BC Assessment pay membership fees to the UDI?

Thank you,
Sasha Izard

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On Oct 24, 2024 I received a response from Deputy Minister of Finance at the time Heather Wood:

Dear Sasha Izard:

Thank you for your email of September 28, 2024, inquiring why BC Assessment is a member of the Urban Development Institute (UDI). The province is currently in a transition period due to the provincial general election. As such, I have been asked to respond on behalf of the Minister.

BC Assessment is an independent, provincial Crown Corporation with a mandate to establish and maintain uniform real property assessments throughout British Columbia.

I understand that BC Assessment has previously responded to similar questions though [sic] correspondence and FOI requests.

Sincerely,
Heather Wood
Deputy Minister.

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Hello Deputy Minister of Finance,

BC Assessment has not answered, as to why they are a member of the Urban Development Institute.

BC Assessment has denied that it holds a membership with the Urban Development Institute, despite that I showed them their own receipt from their own FOI response that reveals that they hold a membership with the Urban Development Institute renewed on April 2 of 2024. (A screenshot of the receipt is attached to this email)

From what I understand, the Ministry of Finance is responsible for the Crown Corporation BC Assessment.  Is that not true?

Thank you,
Sasha Izard

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The Ministry did not respond.

Ever patient, a year later on Oct 24, 2025, I wrote back to the Ministry:

Are you going to answer the question?

Thank you,

Sasha Izard

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Once again there was no response.

Today on Feb 21, 2026, close to a year and a half since my original email to the Ministry, I wrote back to the latest Minister of Finance:

Hello Minister Bailey,

Are you going to answer the question?

Thank you,

Sasha Izard

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Conclusion:

The Finance Minister and Deputy Finance Minister’s offices have been evading answering basic questions for close to a year and a half, as to why BC Assessment which is under its Ministry’s authority is a paying member of the development and real estate lobby.

I can only read this as one thing: The Ministry of Finance is not accountable to the public, and is operating in contempt of it, despite full knowledge that its tax dollars are going to the development/real estate lobby under the auspices of the Ministry.

I’m willing to change my view of this, if I receive an answer to the question from the Ministry. Until then, my view stands: The Ministry is acting in contempt of the public the mandate of which it is to represent their interests.

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This article was the 21st article in the following series:

Index of Crown Corporations and Statutory Entities that have acted evasively about their UDI memberships. – CRD Watch Homepage