COPE councillor David Cadman is claiming Vision Vancouver’s six representatives on the board of Metro Vancouver have hung him out to dry in his vociferous pitch to secure funding for a trip to Copenhagen next month.

Cadman, who is the international president of ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability, had requested $7,749.25 in funding from Metro’s finance committee to attend the upcoming UN climate talks. Last week, the committee—which includes Vision councillor Raymond Louie—recommended that no further payments be made to Cadman, and Metro representatives agreed to that recommendation at a November 13 meeting of the full board. Cadman said Metro Vancouver nominated him to be on the executive of ICLEI.

“For me, the thing that’s very frustrating is that not once has a single one of the Vision representatives on the board of Metro Vancouver lifted a finger to try and say, ”˜Hey, hang on, this is what we’ve nominated him to do.’ [Coun.] Tim Stevenson walks in and says, ”˜Well, ICLEI will pay for this, won’t they?’ He doesn’t seem to understand that ICLEI doesn’t have a tax base. It’s composed of its member organizations.”

Vision councillors Andrea Reimer, George Chow, Heather Deal, Raymond Louie, and Stevenson, along with Vision mayor Gregor Robertson, are all on the Metro board. Chow told the Straight he had no comment on Cadman’s claim.