Conservatives would be ‘disaster’ for Vancouver, city’s mayor says
VANCOUVER In a rare move for a municipal leader, Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart has come out against Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives before Monday’s federal election, saying he would be a “disaster” for the city.
Stewart released a statement Wednesday, saying that he has met with the other leaders to talk about key issues facing Vancouver such as housing and transit, but despite repeated invitations Scheer refuses to meet with him.
Stewart says he is worried that Scheer’s government would be “a disaster for the city,” saying he read through his platform and was “shocked.”
Stewart says that a housing expert analysis released just days ago shows that Scheer would make housing less affordable for Vancouver and his planned $18-billion cut to infrastructure would kill the plan for Skytrain to the University of British Columbia.
Stewart also claims Scheer would halt progress on the overdose crisis.
Stewart, a former NDP MP, has met with Green party Leader Elizabeth May, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to discuss issues such as housing, transit and opioids. He said each leader expressed a willingness to work with Vancouver.
Stewart hasn’t endorsed any one leader or party.
“To be clear: (I’m) not telling people who to vote for. But I do want to tell people in Vancouver that if you care about housing, transit and opioids, and I know most people do, Andrew Scheer would be worse than (former prime minister) Stephen Harper,” said Stewart.
Postmedia News has reached out to Scheer’s communication staff for a response to the mayor’s comments.
Stewart’s statement was released the same day as a report card on the parties’ platforms from the Metro Vancouver Mayors Council on Regional Transportation.
The “cure-congestion” voters guide says the Liberal, NDP and Green platforms include a “permanent transit fund” for investments beyond 2027.
But the guide notes the Conservatives have only promised to support already approved projects, such as Skytrain to Arbutus in Vancouver and to Fleetwood in Surrey.