Tea & Two Slices is a long-running local news round-up by NEEDS frontman and veteran dishwasher Sean Orr, who lives and works in Gastown, deeply aware of his privilege.

Triple deleted: Langley Liberal MLA Rich Coleman announces retirement from politics. I’d be rejoicing if this wasn’t a totally cynical ploy to avoid accountability for the money laundering crisis he presided over. One of the most nefarious characters in local political history, Coleman decimated this province with cuts to the arts to pay for a leaky roof, slashed services when he was Minister of Housing and Social Development, and was responsible for the appalling failure that was Little Mountain. The dirt he probably has on people in power to hold on for this long must fill an empty condo.

And despite all this, the real estate industry is still not complying our anti-money laundering efforts. Yippee ki-yay motherfucker: How do we follow the money? Canadian real estate gets ‘abysmal’ anti-money laundering grades. Give me a gymnasium full of realtors and 5 minutes.

Some good news: Vancouver council declares homelessness emergency, allowing for “targeted” vacancy-control recommendations. Reminder that homelessness in Vancouver is a relatively new phenomenon. Austerity measures in the 90s coupled with almost no new social housing and no vacancy control has put thousands of people on the streets. Next up, start expropriating vacant lots and slumlord SROs. We have the tools!

Oh, the poor downtrodden tax avoiders. Will they ever stop being persecuted? B.C.’s speculation tax ‘sets women back many decades,’ human rights complaint says. Ah yes, when feminism is truly intersectional! She’s both white and upper class! Imagine the outrage if this was a Chinese satellite family? The cries of “freeloader” would be deafening. Just pay the tax!

Smell the desperation: Discount offers hardly making Metro’s rental market more affordable. You don’t say? I know the Yang Gang is no more but can we start the Yan Gang?

“Discounting at higher rent ranges is like a deal at a store full of Ferraris when most renters can only afford Hondas,” says Andy Yan, about the spate of new purpose-built rental that’s hitting local housing markets.

Housing meme of the day:

Another legacy of the BC Liberals: ICBC surpluses should be hands-off to politicians, David Eby says. Why we ever tried to run crown corporations as for-profit entities I will never know. I mean, I guess we could be worse and have for profit prisons like in the States, but…

Imagine being this fragile: School name change in Prince George sparks community backlash. And yet, this division is by design. As Joe Bowser lays out in this Twitter thread, this resentment between small town resource workers and First Nations is manufactured and extracted just like lumber and oil.

Direct action works: Wet’suwet’en chiefs, ministers reach tentative arrangement over land title but debate over pipeline continues. Looks like Canada will continue to be held hostage by foreign corporations.

Direct action works, exhibit B: 50 years later, Militant Mothers of Raymur celebrated in Vancouver. And yet the media continue to take the stance of “What about the economy and what about the injunction?” to this day over the side of justice. Nothing has changed.

Glad I don’t have a phone: Vancouverites report receiving calls from unknown woman screaming in distress

Bonus: ‘You’re always alone’: 4 takes on being black in British Columbia.