The City of Vancouver has chosen B.C.'s former attorney-general as its
first-ever "civil city commissioner" charged with halving homelessness, panhandling, open drug dealing, and public disorder by the 2010 Olympics. Lawyer Geoff Plant will bring "an understanding for social concerns, as well as enforcement issues" to the job, said Mayor Sam Sullivan. Plant has specialized in aboriginal issues during his legal career. As attorney-general, he presided over drastic cuts to legal aid that prompted the Law Society to censure him. However, he also helped initiate reforms to the justice system that earned praise, like community courts. Sullivan said he didn't have the details on how much Plant will be paid, how long the appointment will last or whether it will be a full-time or part-time job. The city had budgeted $300,000 a year for a commissioner and office as part of the Project Civil City that was announced last November. 
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