Suddenly, the energy level has ramped up in the campaign and lots to do and cover the last two days. Things started off Wednesday with duelling newsers from Vision and the NPA, where Vision announced its “family-friendly” (you’d think in this province, they’d be wary of that phrase, but whatever) affordability platform, emphasizing their commitment […]
First big campaign day: NPA talks about free parking on Sundays, Vision talks housing, free swim lessons
October 10th, 2014 · 70 Comments
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Vancouver Greens: More from developers for low-cost housing, maybe luxury tax, lots more real talking with residents promised
September 18th, 2014 · 27 Comments
Feels like the municipal campaign in Vancouver finally started to pick up some speed today, as the Greens launched their platform and Vision Vancouver had the first news conference with real news, announcing more money for school lunches for poor kids. (And the NPA sniping away at that.) I mostly covered the Green announcement, as […]
Tags: 2014 Vancouver Civic Election
Vision paints NPA’s LaPointe as inexperienced waffler, he paints Robertson as the guy who can’t deliver on his big promises
September 6th, 2014 · 48 Comments
I have to second the opinion of my colleague Mike Howell at the Vancouver Courier, who concluded his summary of this week’s election shenanigans with the question: Is it time for reporters to take a vacation until this campaign settles down to something reasonable? Vision’s Gregor Robertson held his first campaign news conference, accusing NPA […]
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Robertson: CPR is “bullying”; LaPointe: Vision has been “incompetent” on CP file
August 15th, 2014 · 174 Comments
So CPR sent out the bulldozers to take down the zucchini plants and raspberry bushes this week along its long-unused line, which apparently is now so critically in need of work that the clean-up couldn’t wait until, say, the end of the season. As someone on Twitter remarked, the PR in CPR sure doesn’t stand […]
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The NPA plan for more “openness and accountability” at city hall
August 12th, 2014 · 161 Comments
First written-down piece of policy from the new NPA team. Your thoughts on the specific remedies here? Tuesday, August 12, 2014, Vancouver BC – The Non-Partisan Association’s mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe says an NPA government would create a bylaw requiring the City to disclose information routinely, strengthen the City’s freedom of information office to ensure records are […]
Tags: 2014 Vancouver Civic Election
Gregor Robertson holds steady with 59 % decided voters but NPA’s LaPointe starts strong
July 31st, 2014 · 40 Comments
I went to get some of my crazed summer-frizzed hair chopped the other day, so got to talk to my hairdresser, my infallible guide to the mood of the city. He has a lot of west-side clients, so he gets a sense of things percolating before I do. He told me when the tide was […]
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When journalists become politicians — the perks and perils for Kirk LaPointe, Michael Valpy, Rene Levesque, Nicole Parton, and more,
July 24th, 2014 · 7 Comments
Got to talk to yet another one of my former bosses, Mel Rothenburger of the once-great Kamloops Daily News, about what it’s like to go from journalist to politician. Do your former colleagues give you the kid-glove treatment? (No) Is it more rewarding than journalism in some ways? (Yes, because you get things done instead […]
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Former Vancouver Sun managing editor Kirk LaPointe launches campaign for mayor
July 14th, 2014 · 74 Comments
Busy day for me and all city-hall journos today as NPA and Kirk LaPointe finally went public, after six weeks of rumours, that he is definitely, really, no kidding, the mayoralty candidate. A group of those of us who cover city hall regularly got invited to meet him this morning at Kafka’s on Main (not […]
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Who is the NPA’s third possible mayoralty candidate, Leonard Brody?
June 8th, 2014 · 11 Comments
Gotta say, the NPA’s strategy or non-strategy when it comes to picking (and publicizing) their choices for mayoralty candidate is increasingly mysterious. There has been a steady dribble of leaks from various board members about who the candidates are. First name leaked was Kirk LaPointe’s, my former boss at the Vancouver Sun and currently a […]
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Speculation rampant about NPA candidates: journalist LaPointe in? Macdonald out
May 29th, 2014 · 22 Comments
Great excitement this week when Mike Howell at the Vancouver Courier was first up to publish news about the rumours that former Vancouver Sun editor, former CBC ombudsman Kirk LaPointe is being considered by the NPA as a mayoral candidate. Mike actually got a live interview with LaPointe that confirmed there’s some kind of negotiation […]
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