Davies, 51, attracted lots of attention to the Downtown Eastside after she was elected in 1997. Her aggressive questions in the House of Commons shamed the federal government into action, first through the $25-million jointly funded Vancouver Agreement, and later through the approval of a supervised injection site.

Davies, now the NDP critic for postsecondary education, has already begun her attacks on one of the Conservative Party's favourite hobbyhorses, income-contingent student loans, which have led to higher tuition fees in other countries.

Davies was ahead of most politicians with her early endorsement of same-sex marriages. Unlike other Vancouver MPs, she also fought Premier Gordon Campbell's draconian welfare policies. In addition, Davies has pushed for more humane immigration policies. Thanks to her efforts, the NDP is now promoting a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to sponsor a relative to immigrate to Canada.

Her chief competitor, Shirley Chan, has an impressive résumé: a former chair of VanCity Savings, a former chair of the UBC board of governors, and former chief of staff to former mayor Mike Harcourt.

Chan, who was raised in Strathcona and lives in Kitsilano, handled herself well during a June 10 debate with Davies about postsecondary education at Vancouver Community College's King Edward campus. Davies was caught off guard after Chan's husband, Steve Hopkins, asked how much it would cost for the NDP to fulfill its promise to provide a national program of student grants.

Chan and Davies have each run chippy campaigns, with Chan's sometimes getting downright nasty. Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Green candidate, Ron Plowright, has focused on spreading a positive message. He performed exceptionally well during a June 10 debate on youth issues at UBC's Robson Street complex.

Conservative candidate Harvey Grigg is not a factor in this contest.