04) DOWN TO THE WIRE IN VANCOUVER ELECTION

 

PV Vancouver Bureau

 

            A highly unusual Vancouver civic election is entering the final stretch, with advance polls open from November 4 to 12 and voting day on Saturday, Nov. 15.

 

            Unlike in 2008 and 2011, it appears that the centrist Vision Vancouver party may not be headed for easy majorities at City Hall, School Board and Park Board. On the other hand, none of Vision's challengers on the right and left seem to have seized the public's imagination. The final weeks of the campaign could end in a variety of scenarios, from outright Vision victories over fragmented opponents on the ballot, or a mix of winners from several parties.

 

            As stated before in People's Voice, Vision is backed by an unusual combination. Some of the city's major developers are big financial contributors, but Vision also has the endorsement of the Labour Council and most civic unions, and the support of many environmental activists. The Non‑Partisan Alliance (NPA), which has won most Vancouver elections since being formed in 1938 to keep the left out of City Hall, hopes to take advantage of Vision's perceived arrogance and the unchecked pace of high rise developments. But the NPA is known for its close links to the Harper Tories and big energy and mining corporations, and for its anti‑labour record, including a lengthy lockout of municipal employees during its 2005‑08 term in City Hall.

 

            These circumstances should have been favourable for Vancouver's traditional party of the left. COPE hopes to make a comeback by issuing a series of progressive policy statements, and several of its 19 candidates are well respected community activists.

 

            But the sectarian politics of its core leadership in recent years have alienated some former supporters. Only three COPE candidates were endorsed by the Labour Council, and civic unions are contributing only a fraction of their previous donations to the organization which they helped to found in 1968. In a campaign where many working class voters fear a resurgence by the NPA, COPE needs to reach far beyond a few neighbourhoods where the left remains fairly strong, but lacks the resources for an expensive city-wide campaign.

 

            The arcane mathematics of Vancouver's at-large electoral system could also affect COPE's chances. Vision has strategically nominated fewer than full slates for council, school board and park board races. But in each case COPE is running more than the number of open spaces. Voters who support a mix of Vision and COPE candidates to block the NPA will have to divide their votes, at COPE's expense.

 

            The main beneficiaries of any "anti-slate" trend could be smaller parties backed by voters who want to elect candidates more closely attuned to community voices. In the Council race, R.J. Aquino of the new One City party has strong labour support, backing from the growing Filipino community and other immigrants, and the important organizing skills of many former COPE and Vision supporters.

 

            The Greens may expand on their gains in 2011, when Adriane Carr was elected to Council, just 93 votes ahead of COPE incumbent Ellen Woodsworth. Carr's narrow win was in part due to some COPE supporters declining to vote for that party's entire slate - a classic proof that sometimes nominating more candidates can bring worse results.

 

            While the Greens are riding a wave of popularity, their image took a hit when several candidates disclosed holding shares in mining, fossil fuel and other corporations. On one level, this is not surprising, since the leadership of the Vancouver Greens tend to be from higher income sectors. Nor has Carr been notable as a defender of working class interests during her three years on Council.

 

            In the School Board race, Public Education Project candidates Jane Bouey and Gwen Giesbrecht have the advantages of wide name recognition, strong support from trade unions and education activists, and reputations as determined fighters against the Liberal government's under-funding of schools. During her two previous terms on the Board, Bouey was a powerful voice for Aboriginal education, low-income families, and students with special needs. She drafted the VSB's ground-breaking LGBTQ inclusion policy in 2002, and helped lead the public fight earlier this year to expand that policy.

 

            The "Public Education" theme has struck a chord, especially in the wake of Premier Christy Clark's teacher-bashing. It appears that Bouey and Giesbrecht could move from the "dark horse" category into real contenders, especially if they can pick up the two extra votes from those who back Vision's seven candidates, and from COPE supporters who remember Bouey's two terms as a COPE trustee.

 

            In this complicated situation, People's Voice does not have a full list of recommendations for our Vancouver readers. At City Council, a stronger left presence would help shift debates in a progressive direction. Electing R.J. Aquino from One City would be a big victory. Among the COPE candidates, Sid Chow Tan and Audrey Seigl are proven community activists with broad support, and Gayle Gavin was endorsed by the Labour Council. We'll have more to say about the race for Mayor in our next issue.

 

            At School Board, the Vision majority chaired by Patti Bacchus has been a powerful voice for public education, and they expanded the VSB's inclusion policy over bitter objections from fundamentalist bigots. The entire Vision caucus deserve re-election, but the Board would be greatly strengthened with Public Education Project candidates Jane Bouey and Gwen Giesbrecht at the table. (COPE has paid little attention to school issues since 2011.)

 

            Vision's record at Park Board has been mixed at best. We urge readers to support COPE's Anita Romaniuk, Imtiaz Popat, and Cease Wyss in this vote, along with Green Party gadfly Stuart MacKinnon.

 

(The above article is from the November 1-15, 2014, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)