Victoria Council unanimously passed a motion calling for the Province to hold a public inquiry into money laundering.
Councillor Sarah Potts made the motion, noting Victoria's housing affordability crisis has skyrocketed with prices exceeding incomes. And she says there needs to be investigating into the links between organized crime, money laundering and the overdose crisis:
" So Victoria's housing affordability crisis has skyrocketed, as we know, in recent years in recent years. Local housing costs have exceeded local incomes. An average of one person dies of an overdose every 4 days in the city of Victoria. It's safe to say here the public trust has been badly damaged as a result of allegations of money laundering in the province. It's also quite likely that hundreds of people are dead as a direct result of unprecedented criminal activity. British Columbia needs a public inquiry modelled after the Quebec Charbonneau Commission to rebuild faith in our institutions, and to protect the people in the city from this ever happening again. "
Mayor Helps will write a letter to the Premier, Minister of Finance, and Attorney General, letting them know of the city's support for an inquiry.