Raymond Louie: Vision Vancouver missed own deadline to disclose donors because it’s “popular”

Vision Vancouver has sought to score points about the supposed delay in the release of the platform of its main challenger, the Non-Partisan Association.

The ruling party was at it again today (November 3) at a news event held at its election campaign headquarters.

Mayor Gregor Robertson introduced councillor Raymond Louie, chair of the city finance and services committee, to provide estimates as to the cost of the NPA’s campaign promises so far.

“We’re today costing it out for them because I don’t trust and no one else should trust the NPA for putting out their information in an accurate and fair way because they’ve missed their deadlines,” Louie said.

Louie continued with a swipe at the NPA’s mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe, who happens to be a former media manager, “As a former editor of the Vancouver Sun, you know, if his employees would have missed his deadlines as he has, he’d be fired.”

And that brings to mind that Vision has also missed a deadline, a self-imposed one at that, which was to release the list of its campaign donors by midnight Sunday (November 2).

“I’ll leave that to the party,” Louie said in response to a reporter’s question during the news conference. “I can’t speak exactly as I believe they’re working on it right now and they’ll release it as it’s ready.”

Pressed that Vision missed its deadline, Louie explained that perhaps it couldn’t be helped because Vision’s a popular party and there are way too many people wanting to part with their cash to support it.

Here’s what Louie said: “It says that we had a thousand people come to our fundraising gala just the other day last week, and that many people are still flowing money and support through to Vision Vancouver because I think people support our party.”

He went on: “I know that they’re certainly donating to us and ensuring that we have a strong message to, you know, provide the services that are necessary for our citizens. And that’s part of the challenge of being popular I guess, that there’s a lot of work to be done to put it all together.”

So when to expect Vision’s donor list? Louie said: “We’ll get it out as soon as it’s ready.”