Vision Vancouver, COPE, and the Greens worked cooperatively to toss the NPA out of power in the 2008 Vancouver election.

Since Gregor Robertson's election as mayor, however, Vision has not exactly shared the spoils of power.

COPE councillor Ellen Woodsworth wasn't appointed to the Homeless Emergency Action Team. Nor was  COPE councillor and regional-issues chamption  David Cadman  named to the board of Metro Vancouver, which is embarking on several major initiatives, including an update of the Livable Region Strategic Plan.

So it was with some surprise that I noted a motion going to the city services and budgets committee on Tuesday (July 28), which revealed some cooperation between Vision and COPE.

One of Vision's most compassionate members of council, Kerry Jang, is calling upon the city and the province to address the negative impacts of the sex trade in Vancouver.

Jang's motion is seconded by COPE's Woodsworth, who has  demonstrated an  interest in the safety of prostitutes for years. The motion notes there are an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 people involved in sex work on the streets of Vancouver each month.

In the past, Woodsworth paid attention to the groundbreaking Living in Community project, which proposed, among other things, exit strategies for street prostitutes and a cooperative run by sex workers.

Their motion calls upon the city's general manager of community services,  David McLellan, to report back this fall on roles the city can play in dealing with street prostitution.

It also asks that Mayor Robertson  write to Premier Gordon Campbell and Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon in an effort to persuade them to fund a mobile access project provided by the  WISH Drop-in Centre  Society.

Vision rode into power last November in a landslide. But more recently, it has encountered some political challenges in dealing with a bicycle trial on the Burrard Bridge, a homeless shelter under the Granville Bridge, and growing discontent over its interactions with the park board.

Perhaps by extending the olive branch to a COPE councillor on an issue of importance to her, Vision can spread a little goodwill before the summer recess and contain  any political  waves before they develop into a tsunami.