Cambie Reports Episode 3 clocks in at 0:33, and covers metro Vancouver politics.
Find it on iTunes and HERE.
Here’s my personal summary of what I heard. We have all the fun, so that you don’t have to.
Cambie Report Episode 3: The “Independent” Mayoral Bid (0:33)
Shauna Sylvester:
Solid unity candidate on paper, major Vision background; where are the deep answers on policy questions??, missing, not so surprising for a new pol; past work is well-regarded; name recognition is missing, as it is for NPA’s Coupar. Is Sylvester a Vision stealth candidate – or is the breakaway from declining Vision on display here? Lefty break-apart is not unusual in Vancouver; Sylvester has criticized Vision obliquely. Vision is not out of the mayoral race yet (lots to think about here), and their internal debate will be ongoing for some time yet.
COPE:
Moribund? New board with possible mayoral candidate in Patrick Condon: opponent of density via height; opponent of rapid transit (prefers more, cheaper and slower transit). May want to be the unity candidate. May lack business & management skills that are crucial to running complex business like a city.
Note the tap-dance now underway to find an agreement on unity candidates for mayor and council seats. Deciding on numbers and affiliation resembles front-loading the negotiations over seat allocation, in much the same way it happens after a proportional vote.
NPA:
Bremner faces competition (Coupar). Note: media presence favours Coupar, and the cranky old guard in the NPA favours him. However, some big names are backing Bremner. Odd digression: is there any scope for strategic membership-buying, so that a specific candidate can be chosen that helps ensure a lefty win? Probably not, and in reality happens rarely.
Remuneration (Metro Vancouver Board):
Board Chair Greg Moore reconsiders the retroactive pension increase due to the usual uproar over paying pols. Still the opinion that elected officials need to be paid well. Perhaps a good idea is to create a broad pay scale for reference. Politically smart to walk it back and avoid blowback. Suspected that the issue may be sent to a very anonymous committee for final decision from the deep shadows.
Greens:
Carr’s voting record is deemed regressive: opposed to density, and viewed as pastoralist. Defended parking minimums and denigrated bike lanes.
