Counting votes at the Vancity AGM proved to be a challenge. But that may be only one of many concerns.
Vancity AGM Troubles
Premier using ‘shock doctrine’
A successful democracy requires vigilance. I wrote an opinion piece that appears online in today’s Vancouver Sun. I encourage you to read it. What follows is a quick overview. Naomi Klein observed that people will take advantage of a crisis to gain an advantage, in her book The Shock Doctrine,. The impending trade war threatened […]
Evading Accountability: AGM reporting
Credit union financial reporting standards in BC are too low and out of date. The standard should be higher in light of consolidation and technological change.
‘Risk’ Capital at Community Savings
CSCU proposes a new hybrid capital structure, with almost no rationale and with no discussion of the pros and cons.
Credit Union 2023 ‘Blues’
Social Identity and Co-operative Enterprise
In today’s world, much is made of ‘identities’. Social identities have always been important, especially in politics. What is noteworthy is how our identity preferences have shifted over time. Last October CCEC Credit Union merged with Community Savings. In the preceding two years I was asked about the prospects for CCEC as a small independent […]
Central1 Power Struggle
The C1 proposals serve the interests of larger credit unions, in the way risk would be redistributed and the way political power concentrated.
Concentra Sold, Who Benefits?
SaskCentral has sold its 84% interest in Concentra Bank to the Equitable Bank Group. Is it a good deal for the mid-size and smaller credit unions of Canada that been the primary clients of Concentra?
Feedback on the amended FIA
The BC Financial Services Authority (‘BCFSA’) has completed its first full year of operation and reported out. It is time for credit unions to assess how well the new regulatory regime works.
Concentration Risk
BCFSA is not targeting the risks, risks that are highly concentrated in the very large institutions, and community-based credit unions may be the collateral damage.