08) TRICKY CHALLENGES FOR VANCOUVER CIVIC ACTIVISTS
PV Vancouver Bureau
The call by the Coalition of Progressive Electors for municipal election reforms is a good example of the role that Canada's oldest left civic party can play, even without a sitting member on city council.
Elections in Vancouver have become the most expensive in Canada, topping $5 million last fall, or more than seven dollars per resident. In the last three campaigns, the right-wing NPA and the centrist Vision Vancouver have spent millions, making it increasingly difficult for COPE and smaller parties and independents to mount a serious challenge.
Unfortunately, the "Vancouver Charter" gives the province legal authority over Vancouver municipal election regulations, allowing previous governments to ignore referendum votes in favour of a ward system.
While COPE supports the general thrust of a motion by Vision to ask the government to amend the Charter, it also proposes giving teeth to the request, by making it much more detailed. This could prevent attempts by larger parties to find loopholes in new regulations. Another option, COPE argues, could be an informal agreement among civic parties.
There are other key issues during Vision's second term at City Hall, such as taxation. After three years of following the direction of the 2005-08 NPA administration, which began shifting an increased share of the tax load from businesses to homeowners, Vision has changed gears. For the 2012 budget, Mayor Robertson's party plans to reduce the scale of this shift, which was highly unpopular with homeowners.
Relations with the city's workforce, represented by CUPE and other unions, will also be on the agenda. The labour movement remains an important backer of both Vision and COPE. Robertson and his fellow councillors (unlike Rob Ford's regime in Toronto) hope to avoid any confrontation when collective agreements come up for renewal.
Significant debates will revolve around the crucial issues of development and housing. Vancouver's director of planning Brent Toderian was removed on Jan. 31, sparking intense speculation. Some wonder if Toderian was seen as too abrasive by certain developers - some of whom also support Vision. The Mayor, however, says a change was necessary to focus on the city's housing crisis.
While some of the steps taken by Vision have reduced the numbers of homeless people on the streets, there are still thousands of residents surviving in shelters or tiny, dirty rentals. A project to redevelop the Little Mountain lands - the site of Vancouver's first social housing after World War Two - has done little to reassure housing advocates. The latest plan calls for 234 social housing units among 1800 condos, finally replacing the homes bulldozed several years ago. But this would not mean any net gain in affordable housing for the poor.
These issues were on the minds of about 100 COPE members at the party's Jan. 22 consultation, which reviewed the 2011 campaign and discussed the way forward. Those present were unanimous about making electoral reform an urgent issue.
There was also agreement that COPE must focus on building grassroots alliances, working with community groups to advance progressive policies at City Hall and School Board. Most thought it was too early to adopt an electoral tactic for 2014.
But there were differences over COPE's approach to other civic parties. Some argued that the Toronto experience shows that the main danger to working people at the municipal level is the emergence of mayors and councillors linked to the Harper Tories. These far-right forces are behind the drive to slash local services and to impose lower wages and benefits on civic employees. In Vancouver, this means the NPA, which was defeated last November by the Vision/COPE slate - although Vision reaped the benefits.
Others argued that Vision is the real enemy of working people in Vancouver. One panellist bluntly called Vision "part of the one percent", while COPE represents the "99%". This was a direct condemnation of the labour movement and forces on the left, such as the Communist Party, which have supported electoral unity of left and centre forces to block the NPA.
COPE's annual meeting on Feb. 19 (2 pm at the Ukrainian Church, 354 W. 10th) will elect a new executive. With only one elected official (school trustee Alan Wong), COPE will mainly be an oppositional force during this term. But an all-out war against Vision could alienate COPE from thousands of voters who see the Mayor's majority as a positive alternative to the NPA threat. The new COPE executive will have to steer a careful course through these tricky waters.
(The above article is from the February 15-29, 2012, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist 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.)