FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 2, 2026
SURREY, BC — Mike Starchuk today committed to replace Surrey’s 2008 lobbyist policy with a real lobbyist registry, live within the first 100 days of an Imagine Surrey council: who met the mayor, a councillor, or senior staff, about what, and when, searchable by any resident, alongside searchable disclosure of every City contract.
Surrey’s current policy covers paid lobbyists on development applications and nothing else. It carries no penalties, and registering means emailing a form to the project planner. A meeting about an arena, a land swap, or a City contract doesn’t have to be registered at all. Toronto has run a mandatory registry with its own registrar since 2008, and Ottawa has had one since 2012. Surrey is on track to become the largest city in British Columbia and is still running on the honour system. No wonder trust in City Hall is at an all time low.
Imagine Surrey will bring in a Lobbyist Registry and searchable contract disclosures to give more transparency to Surrey taxpayers. Imagine Surrey would go even further, by bringing in a council code of conduct that bars members from meeting unregistered lobbyists, with breaches referred to the City’s Ethics Commissioner. Mike Starchuk would ask the province for the power to fine lobbyists who break the rules and ban in-camera land deals without a rationale.
“Nobody is against people talking to City Hall. I’m against not knowing who did,” said Starchuk. “If someone meets the mayor’s office about a land swap, that meeting should be public knowledge. Major cities have done this for decades to improve accountability and fight corruption. Surrey can do it too.”
“In business, if you can’t show who you met and why, you don’t get the contract,” said William Li, Imagine Surrey council candidate and finance professional. “City Hall spends more than a billion dollars a year. Our standard should be higher, and now is the time to do it by voting for Imagine Surrey.”
“This October, put out the fire at City Hall and elect a team that will show you who’s in the room,” said Starchuk.
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About Imagine Surrey
Imagine Surrey is a civic party running a full slate of candidates in the October 17, 2026 municipal election. Led by mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk – a former firefighter and Chief Fire Prevention Officer, former City Councillor, and former MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale – Imagine Surrey is committed to making Surrey the City of Champions by delivering: safe streets, fast commutes, smart investments, lower costs, and strong services.
Council candidates: Yousef Aldabainah-Barakat, Chandan Chahal, Perminder Chohan, Narima Dela Cruz, Ashiyana Hanif, William Li, Dr. Margaret Mubanda, and Kevin Wilkie.
Contact
Trevor Loke, Campaign Manager
604-838-5178
[email protected] / [email protected]