Today (November 3), Mayor Sam Sullivan asked the federal Liberal party not to scrap Vancouver as the venue for next year’s Liberal leadership convention.

Sullivan wrote Liberal party president Doug Ferguson, citing media reports that the party is reconsidering its earlier decision to meet in Vancouver.

Sullivan stated that Tourism Vancouver officials will be in touch with Ferguson’s office to discuss convention space and hotel accommodations for delegates.

“In addition to removing an estimated $10-15 million from our economy, relocating the convention to central Canada will result in a lost opportunity to showcase Vancouver as host of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Sullivan wrote.

The mayor also stated that he hopes the Liberal party “will agree to be part of our success, our celebration and our countdown to 2010”.

“Vancouver’s commitment to green values, inclusion, multiculturalism, innovative drug policy and the largest social housing investments any Canadian city has seen in a generation should offer a very inviting backdrop to your Party,” Sullivan wrote.

According to David Hurford, a spokesperson for Sullivan, the Liberal party’s management committee is meeting tonight and a final decision on the location for the 2009 leadership convention could be made this weekend.

The Liberal party was originally scheduled to hold a policy convention in Vancouver in May 2009. Following losses in the October federal election, Liberal party leader Stéphane Dion announced that he is stepping down, paving the way for a leadership race and changing the focus of the planned convention.