NPA POLITICO ACCUSES VISION OF COLLUSION

A city councillor with the centreright Non-partisan Association (NPA) says “political collusion” is underway to keep Vision Vancouver in power.

NPA councillor George Affleck described the electoral agreements struck by Vision and other left-leaning parties with the Vancouver and District Labour Council (VDLC) as an attempt to “pull the wool over voters’ eyes”.

“It’s disappointing that there’s a political collusion that’s going on,” Affleck told the Straight by phone. “Vision has run this government into the ground, and now the other parties who call themselves progressives are putting together a regressive plan.”

According to Affleck, it’s another example of Vision’s ability to pull a ruse on other parties.

“They [Vision] have masterminded the way to be in power for 10 years by, you know, relegating the other political parties into pretty much oblivion by fooling them and tricking them,” Affleck said.

The VDLC has stated that it will endorse a maximum of four candidates for council for each party that is running a mayor, and five for a party that does not have a mayoral candidate.

But Vision will field five candidates for council, plus a mayor. If all of them win, the party retains control of city hall.

Even though the VDLC may normally only endorse a maximum of four council candidates for Vision, the party could have the highest number compared to the other parties.

The Green Party will run three candidates; Onecity, two; the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE), two, plus Jean Swanson, if the antipoverty activist seeks a COPE nomination.

There are 10 seats in council, and the VDLC will not support more candidates than there are seats, which means that not everyone will get endorsed.

Former COPE councillor Tim Louis is a critic of Vision, which he doesn’t consider a progressive party. He described COPE’S deal with VDLC as a “good arrangement”.

“I’m hopeful that between the Green Party and Jean Swanson and COPE, there will be a true progressive majority,” Louis told the Straight by phone.

VDLC president Stephen Von Sychowski explained by phone that each agreement was a result of discussions with a given party that considered several factors, including previous election results.

According to Von Sychowski, Vision “pushed strongly” for five council candidates and VDLC “ultimately agreed” even though it may endorse only a maximum of four.

“If it was critical for them [Vision] to run those…numbers, then so be it,” Von Sychowski told the Straight.