Adriane Carr open to NPA–Green alliance for Vancouver civic election

by Carlito Pablo on May 18th, 2011 at 2:27 PM

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Adriane Carr believes that Vancouver is ready to elect its first Green councillor.

She is considering running for this post with the Green Party of Vancouver, which she currently serves as a board member.

What’s more, in a potential scenario that could turn this year’s November civic election into a wild ride, Carr is open to the idea of running alongside the Non-Partisan Association as her party’s electoral partner.

“The reason the Green party is reaching out to other parties, all of them, is because of leveraging—the desire to leverage out of every party the kind of programs and decisions that would be in the best interest of citizens, that would push the [Green] agenda on all those parties’ parts,” Carr told the Straight in a phone interview on May 18.

An environmentalist with the greenest of credentials—she cofounded the first Green party in North America, the Green Party of B.C., and is presently deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada—Carr isn’t impressed with the ruling Vision Vancouver party.

“People talk about Vision as having a good agenda in terms of the goal of the greenest city in the world by 2020, but they have still a ways to go in terms of the maintenance of a plan at the local level, a civic plan that really does retain livability at the neighbourhoods,” she said. “I think some of the moves they’ve made at the West End have been counter to that. I think they were willing to slash budgets in parks board, and not follow through on a vision of maintaining a very robust park system. It’s an issue for many Vancouverites.”

Vision and its junior partner, the Coalition of Progressive Electors, are offering the municipal Greens only one slot—and for park board only—in a proposed three-way alliance for this year’s election.

Sven Biggs, a former board member of the Vancouver Greens, told the Straight by phone that he has heard suggestions that the party run one candidate each for council, park board, and school board.

Biggs doesn’t agree with Carr’s criticisms of Vision. He noted that Carr pushed the idea of a Green–NPA alliance at a recent board meeting but that the concept hasn’t found support among directors.

Carr hasn’t made up her mind about running for council but noted that “you’re not the first one who’s asked.”

“I absolutely believe that the election of Elizabeth May as the first Green MP has paved the way for more Greens getting elected at all levels, including to council in Vancouver,” she said.

Comments

21 Comments

The Greens: More Mushy middle of the road

May 19, 2011 at 6:55am

Just what we need, a fourth mushy middle of the road municipal political party. The Greens would join Vision, NPA and COPE in representing the myopic middle of the roaders who've turned Vancouver into little more than a real estate casino, a soulless resort kept alive by asset inflation. 'Green' is a meaningless position embraced by all political parties.

RonS

May 19, 2011 at 8:24am

Well she's showing her true colours now, Conservative Blue! What a hypocrite! Or perhaps she just needs a job, however with a party that has shown complete financial ineptitude and arrogance beyond belief when in power? Please!

ursa minor

May 19, 2011 at 9:40am

I don't know if this is something I don't like about the Greens, or just Adrienne Carr, but I'm sick of the Greens being branded as 'progressive' and at the same time being willing to hitch a ride on whatever right-wing bandwagon happens to be going by. If you remember the 2001 Provincial election, the Carr was lockstep with Gordon Campbell on taking away full collective bargaining rights for teachers, and proclaimed in the televised leaders debate that her party "trusts business to do the right thing".

It's extremely opportunistic, if not disgusting, for her to try and ally the Greens with a party who did everything in their power to criminalize poverty and homelessness the last time they held power at City Hall.

If Greens are willing to be simply Organic Conservatives that's fine, but stop lying to people about your "progressive" credentials. Real progressives see the free market as the cause of environmental problems, not the solution.

Bruce

May 19, 2011 at 9:45am

Wow. That's just amazing, proposing to get in bed with the party of casinos, opposition to bike lanes, and abusive landlords. Turns out Ms. Carr has no principles at all, other than her own narcissism. And this has probably deep-sixed any hope of a coalition with Vision, her fellow greenies have to love that.

I wonder if it's just an effort to find another source of income, due to Harper cutting the per-vote subsidy she relies on for her paycheque. Classy.

Stuart Parker (yes, THAT Stuart Parker)

May 19, 2011 at 9:45am

Had Carr not cancelled the 1999 deal giving the Greens nine slots and turned up her nose at Larry Campbell's unilateral stand-down of six candidates in 2002, the Greens would be getting a hell of a lot better offer right now. Nice to see her principled opposition to coalitions vanish along with her per-vote subsidy sinecure. Classy Adriane, real classy.

Progressive?

May 19, 2011 at 9:55am

Why do people think the Greens are progressive? This is why they cannot be trusted. Opportunism at its worst.

Stephen Karr

May 19, 2011 at 10:33am

They used to be progressive, in the 90s especially, but definitely not anymore.

Ken Lawson

May 19, 2011 at 10:57am

This woman moving around like a fly, cannot win at the federal level, cannot win at the provincial level, why does she think she can win at the municipal level. We need a conservative in a party.

Justavoter

May 19, 2011 at 11:05am

I applaud this, we need some new voices in municipal politics. At the moment we have two parties NPA (development crazed) and Vision (really really development crazed). Anyone who can moderate the current development sell off and work towards actual honest citizen input would be most welcome. If this is the Green so be it.