Frances Bula header image 2
← →

NPA comes up with candidate list that leaves empty spots, requires no vote

May 20th, 2011 · 26 Comments

Kind of a shocker when the NPA list of candidates was released yesterday.

Unless I’m really missing something, they’ve essentially handed control of the school board to Vision/COPE for the next election, since they’re only running four candidates for the nine-member board. At park board, they’re field four candidates for seven positions. And at council, they’ll have 10 people running for 10 spots, but there won’t be any vote-off in June since there’s no competition.

I have to say, I’m surprised by this. I would have thought potential NPA candidates would be thinking, “Okay, we’re not going to win a majority this time, but by 2014, a lot more people may be getting tired of Gregor and his team. So I’ll run and get a minority spot in this election, but then in 2014, I’ll be an experienced hand and potentially part of a majority government.”

So either an awful lot of people are thinking that there’s no chance even in 2014 or they don’t see the NPA as being a vehicle that represents them or … I don’t know what. Some part of this may be the provincial/federal election fatigue that’s afflicting both parties.

Even Vision Vancouver, apparently, (they haven’t released THEIR list of candidates yet) isn’t seeing a huge amount of competition for its open spots, whatever those open spots are. (We don’t know exactly what’s open yet. There’s been a lot of speculation about whether George Chow is running again. Every time I ask someone in Vision what’s happening with him, they get a funny look on their faces and tell me I have to ask George. George hasn’t responded to my phone calls or emails. Yoohoo, George, can you let us know? Deadline is past.)

But even so, it’s quite amazing to see the once-powerhouse NPA not be able to fill its roster.

The NPA list/news release below

NPA candidates offer business and community experience
Vancouver, BC – The Vancouver Civic Non-Partisan Association (NPA) has attracted a diverse group of business and community representatives as prospective candidates for the November 2011 civic election in Vancouver. The NPA Board of Directors approved the following business and community leaders for consideration by its members at the June 4th NPA nomination meeting at the Vancouver Croatian Culture Centre.
NPA Candidate for Mayor:
Suzanne Anton, two term Vancouver City Councillor. Former Vancouver Park Board Commissioner, Crown Prosecutor, Mathematics teacher (CUSO), Member of ARKS CityPlan  committee, Member of Vancouver City Planning Commission, and, Director Riley Park Community Association.
NPA Candidates for City Council:
George Affleck, President & CEO of Curve Communications and Community Leader.
Elizabeth Ball, Former NPA City Councillor and Arts Advocate.
Sean Bickerton, Partner of Kulture Shock Media and Community Leader.
Joe Carangi, Lawyer and Community Problem Solver.
Ken Charko, Entrepreneur, Owner of Dunbar Theatre and President of Charko Investments.
Mike Klassen, President of Thinking Cap Inc., Fraser Street Area Community Leader and Noted Blogger.
Jason Lamarche, Small Business Banker, Community Organizer and Dog Lover.
Francis Wong, Business owner and VP of Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area Society.
Bill Yuen, Professional Engineer and former School Board Trustee.
NPA Candidates for Parks Board:
Dave Pasin, President of InTech Environmental Canada Corp. and Community Sports Leader.
Casey Crawford, Customer Relationship Professional and Community Volunteer.
John Coupar, Marketing Professional and Parks Advocate.
NPA Candidates for School Board:
Ken Denike, current School Board Trustee and Professor Emeritus at UBC.
Stacy Robertson, Lawyer, Parent and Community Volunteer.
Fraser Ballantyne, longstanding Vancouver School Board Administrator and Education Leader.
Adding to the above NPA roster are previously approved candidates:
For City Council:
Bill McCreery, Urban Development Consultant, former Parks Commissioner and Neighborhood Advocate.
For Parks Board:
Melissa De Genova, Business Professional, Community and Youth Advocate.
For School Board:
Sophia Woo, Mental Health Clinician and Community Leader.
 
Members of the NPA will vote at the nomination meeting on June 4th, 2011 at the Vancouver Croatian Cultural Centre on Commercial Drive.
“The NPA Board has reviewed all of the applications and is very pleased with the scope, talent, experience and diversity of our prospective candidates, “ said John Moonen, President of the NPA. “Each bring unique skills, a desire for change, a passion for Vancouver communities and a commitment to non-partisan politics in the best interests of the city. Together, this team is dynamic, forward-looking and energizing.”
Candidate profiles will be posted on the NPA website at www.npavancouver.ca. Updates and news can also be found at www.facebook.com/npavancouver or by following the NPA on Twitter at @NPAVancouver.
Vancouver’s Civic Non-Partisan Association (NPA) is an independent organization made up of citizens who live, work or own businesses or properties in the City of Vancouver. One of Canada’s longest established political organizations; the NPA has elected Mayors, City Councillors, Park Board Commissioners and School Board Trustees since 1938.

Categories: Uncategorized

  • Mike Klassen

    Frances, thanks for the plug on the activities of the NPA. Since we’re doing comparisons, let’s look at the “once mighty” COPE party, who fielded an almost entire slate of candidates in 2002 (holding off on a spot for the Greens, I think). Now reduced to a handful of candidates.

    Vision aren’t even running a full slate, are they? In fact, apart from one park and school candidate who have declared in recent weeks we should expect the rest of the candidates to be acclaimed.

    As for the mayor, no competition there. Vision are only running one person this year. No one will challenge Gregor.

    As parties move six months out from an election it’s a greater challenge to secure commitments to run early. I’m not saying that the NPA plans to fill additional spots before November, but of course that’s an option.

    The NPA are running a full slate for council, unlike all the other parties. And it’s a great team of honest, community-minded citizens who are passionate for Vancouver. Voters should expect no less.

    Btw, for those who are interested in meeting the NPA candidates, there is a pub night at Original Joe’s (Broadway & Cambie) this Wednesday beginning at 5:30pm.

  • Everyman

    Surprising. Perhaps some candidates are waiting to see what happens with a provincial election? Alternatively, maybe folks just realized School Board is a no-win scenario if they’re going to be responsible for overseeing budget cuts, and that Parks Board has become largely irrelevant.

    And whatever happened to Tung Chan as a candidate? I thought he might be waiting for a federal slot, but that didn’t happen.

  • jesse

    This has more to do with building slowly towards a win 3.5 years from now. Fielding more than a handful of “shoo-in” candidates, so goes the argument, risks splitting the vote. Better to get a small but vocal group to field the media and build a sustainable crescendo.

    It also likely involves a bit of humility, that the NPA needs to re-evaluate where the marginal vote lies, and that will take a couple of years to drum out. To be frank the lone council voice of Anton did not seem to have a handle on it, nor should she be expected to.

  • Baran

    Not surprising. NPA suffered big from its Sam Sullivan days, and they still can barely get qualified candidates competing for the jobs. The nasty and opportunistic nature of of Mike Klassen’s writing in the City Caucus (which I occasionally glance thru to see what kind of bone they can come up with) is not helping the party’s image and message either.

  • Richard

    @Baran
    Good points. Regaring Klassen’s writing, in an ideal world, that wouldn’t have happened.

  • Adele Chow

    Never heard of most of these people. Good luck!

  • Max

    ooooh the haters (and the list grows…)
    ***

    Vision lacking
    By Rick Angus, The Province May 20, 2011

    Any prudent observer of Vancouver city hall knows that the Vision council has achieved little in the past three years.

    While many may believe Gregor Robertson is an attractive mayor, he has shown himself to possess little substance.

    Aside from the lunatic diversions of bike lanes and their overall incompetence in handling the Olympic Village, Vision has done little to improve the city’s economic prospects.

    The NPA may have lost touch with voters, but at least they tried to enact policies that benefited taxpayers, not just the freeloaders and indigents who take from the public purse, including city bureaucrats.

    Rick Angus, Vancouver

  • Max

    @Baran #4 :

    I guess it is tough to read what many others are thinking, but don’t have the oppotunity to publish out.

    But I do like your phrase ‘nasty and opportunistic’ that could be Vision’s new slogan as it describes them to a tee.

    I guess you missed the fact that Vision has fallen 11 points and there is time to expand that number.

  • sv

    Max-you’re just discovering Rick Angus now? That guy pens anti-tax/government/bike letters in his sleep. Next you’ll tell me that citycaucus is an NPA newsletter.

  • boohoo

    Max,

    Yet again, a story (and positive at that) entirely about the NPA and you jump in attacking Vision. Why is that?

  • Glissando Remmy

    The Thought of The Afternoon

    ‘The Orifice of the City Manager announced during today’s brunch that former White House intern Monica Levinsky was hired as executive assistant to the Mayor. ‘She will be compensated in Kit-Kat bars and watermelon lip gloss and we welcome her with open arms’ added Ms. Ballem
    (No word on KQ’s whereabouts, though, a crow-nest; top of the mast; look-out cage position was developed in the past weeks, for an individual who’s not afraid of heights and who can identify a Pirate Party member approaching the City’s Clock Tower from blocks away. I think he got it!)

    See Adele Chow? This is how it is done!

    ‘… no seriously, if I ask you to write a piece for me would you do it? You just printed, yet again, the best work of satire I never wrote. Thank you!’

    ………………….

    ‘Vision Vancouver is standing up for the best interests of the public with progressive policies that support sustainable urban living.’
    CLASSIC!

    ‘Mayor Robertson is the best person to continue the fight against street homelessness, and with another mandate, he can eliminate it altogether.’
    GENIUS!

    ‘Penny Ballam has been a big improvement as the City Manager. She is trying to fix an organization that isn’t used to thinking outside the box.’
    POWERFUL!

    ‘Vision and COPE have also given us the best School Board we’ve ever had. ‘
    VISIONARY!

    Now, here’s my only problem with you dear… you said:

    ‘It will be a “Happy Planet” for us all if he continues to lead and set a sustainable example for other cities in the world’
    PSYCHEDELIC!

    and then you added:

    ‘Yes, we live in Vancouver. Population: 642,843 (2010).’
    CATATONIC!

    And here’s the thing dear, please allow me:

    ‘We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.’

    You Adele, live on a Vision Plantation from a Happy Planet!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ORv_YEQr68

    NOTE TO READERS:

    I never was, am or will ever be a member of NPA, VISION, COPE, NDP, BC LIBERALS, CONSERVATIVES, GREEN, or any other self serving Party or of sorts.
    Capisci!?

  • George

    Glissy you are a true Independent!!

  • walrus

    Frances, you do come across as a Vision friendly fan more times than not. That’s not to say that the NPA isn’t lame, which they are. But seriously …. this blog is running out of gas.

  • Mark

    Walrus, if you met Frances at a cocktail party, would you say that, in those words, to her face? If not, maybe you should consider whether it’s a good idea to write it on a blog.

  • Frances Bula

    @Mark. Thanks for the defence, but I have to say that, in the context of some of the truly nasty personal stuff people have put on this blog that I can’t imagine they’d ever have the nerve to say in public, Walrus’ comment was quite mild. And it’s good for all of us reporters to hear back from people about what they think — some of which they wouldn’t tell us face to face but maybe we need to think about. We are all subject to seeing the world in particular ways, for all kinds of reasons, and now matter how much I and other journalists work to overcome the inherent biases we all have, every so often, we catch ourselves buying into someone’s idea or assertion because it “feels right,” not because there’s any proof. So I appreciate it when people point out arguments that I seem to have overlooked.

    But Walrus doesn’t provide a shred of evidence that the blog is “running out of gas” and I don’t see signs of it in the numbers or the energy of posters on issues they care about.

    When it comes to assessing the NPA team as not as strong as many of us would have thought it would be for this election, I’m hardly alone in this. I’m hearing the same from people who are party supporters.

  • Max

    Off topic but of interest:

    Coquitlam/CKNW(AM980)
    Charmaine de Silva | Email news tips to
    5/21/2011

    Premier Christy Clark joined Housing Minister Rich Coleman in Coquitlam Friday, to promote the construction of the first provincially-funded, affordable housing project for families in the Tri-Cities, in over a decade.

    The province is kicking in $7.3 million for the project, which will provide homes for 30 single moms and their children.

    The 4-storey, wood-frame, condo building on Como Lake Road is expected to be complete by next spring.

    Land for the project was donated by the City of Coquitlam.

  • mezzanine

    “the blog is running out of gas” and no one has been able to link that into a discussion about cars versus bike lanes?

    Maybe it is running out of gas… 😉

  • Higgins

    Glissando #11

    Loved it!
    Here’s the lyrics 🙂

    “We’ll have a Vision Plantation
    Where our population can roam
    If this new location
    Our whole aggregation
    Will love our plantation home
    Vision Plantation home”

    I did not get the thing with AC #6 but maybe some post is missing? To me it looks like satire Good job Glissy!
    BTW, here’s a joke: what happens when a phony former Mayor and a flip-flopper former Councillor meet in a municipal election?
    Independent Glissando Remmy wins! He he!

  • Michelle

    Mezannine, you are right, it feels like in a retirement home in here! Thanks god for Glissando’s comments, on the funny side as always.
    Higgins, I think you should go back a few posts on Suzanne Anton may 17, and read Adele’s delusional comments. It’s depressing only thinking someone really believes in that. Geez. Great weekend ya all!

  • Ned

    Mezzanine @ 17
    You want to know why’s quiet in here? Mayor & family and the rest of Vision staff & comrades are cowering in an underground bunker to wait for the apocalyptic 21st of May day to pass.

  • Bill McCreery

    @Frances 16. People making blanket statements about the “NPA team” perhaps should take a closer look at the individual candidates. These people are good, solid, people with a variety of business and community experiences. IMHO they will give Vancouver a better quality, balanced government than the Vision crowd.

    I have enjoyed working with the “NPA team” of candidates, am looking forward to the campaign, and am optimistic that we shall overcome 19 November!

  • Max

    @ Bill #21

    At a quick glance, Robertson can’t hold a candle to Anton, education or business wise.

    What he has going for him is a rich family and rich friends.

  • Glissando Remmy

    The Thought of The Midnight

    ‘Fair answers for Adele’s Chow fair questions. And maybe Allen Garr will crack another joke in his Vancourier rug. Comedy can be cruel.’

    http://www.citycaucus.com/2011/05/fair-questions-about-renewal-partners-vision-vancouvers-biggest-donor

    Higgins, Michelle, Ned 🙂

    We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.

  • Bill McCreery

    Agree Max 22. Also, Gregor’s on a short leash (that’s a + for him).

    As you say Suzanne stands up well against Gregor. In addition, the other NPA candidates are also strong contenders. Voters should also look closely at the Council, Park and School Board candidates as well.

  • Jason

    I’m just looking forward to the debates…. every time Gregor’s asked a question I’m expecting him to cup the mic and lean over to Meggs and Solomon for the answer.

    “pssst guys….what HAVE I accomplished in the last 3 years…I don’t know how to answer this one either.”

  • Bobbie Bees

    @Jason 25-
    Well at least Gregor still has a party.
    Suzanne must get pretty lonely in council chambers.