So what’s going on with the NPA is a topic of much interest among political observers these days. The party seems poised to win in the 2018 civic elethat ction, given Vision’s apparent wilting and uncertainty about any co-ordinated response from non-NPA parties.
However, the NPA seems to be undergoing some internal tussling, with putative mayoral candidates with wildly different opinions. My story here from the Globe highlights the extreme differences between Glen Chernen, who has formally announced he’s running for the nomination, and new NPA councillor Hector Bremner.
To top that off, the NPA has now delayed its nomination process by a couple of months at least. Speculation is high that the party is interested in making room for any unsuccessful Liberal Party leadership candidates who don’t win.
Here’s the news release from them this morning
Building the new NPA: an open call for Mayoral Candidates
Vancouver, B.C., January 30, 2018 – Today, the NPA officially launches an open nomination process to seek out a mayoral candidate to lead the party into this fall’s municipal election. NPAPresident Gregory Baker says the NPA wants to provide a long runway between the announcement of the mayoral nomination contest and the nomination meeting itself in order to attract as many strong candidates as possible. The ideal candidate leads change, builds consensus, and bridges differences.
Baker says the NPA‘s mayoral nomination contest will be an opportunity for potential candidates to share their ideas. It will also provide an opportunity for the NPA to reflect and build on the important contributions the party has made in shaping the city over the past 80 years.
“We’re making every effort to improve diversity in our candidate selection by reaching out to a wider group of Vancouver residents. We want to get it right and have the best candidate represent a new, revitalized NPA,” said Baker. “The people of Vancouver deserve a leader who champions the interests of all its citizens, not just a handful of special interest groups.”
Baker says the NPA is looking to broaden its relevance given the changing political landscape: “The electorate has changed and there are new challenges to address; the NPA has to move with the times. We have a new provincial government, and with so many current members of Council not running again in 2018, we’re looking at a substantially new City Council. It’s a great opportunity for the NPA to rebuild and renew.”
Those who may be interested in exploring the NPA mayoral nomination can contact the NPA by phone at 604-637-7951, by email at , on Twitter @npavancouver, or through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
npavancouver/. Prospective mayoral candidates can request an application package by emailing . A candidate selection committee will be established to review applications and interview prospective candidates. The Committee’s recommendations will then be brought forward to the Association’s members at a nomination meeting sometime in the spring.
The process for selecting NPA candidates for City Councillor, Park Board Commissioner, and School Trustee will be announced at a later date. Those interested in these positions are encouraged to contact the NPA as noted above.