NDP MLA Mable Elmore backs Melanie Mark for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant nomination

Former park commissioner Sarah Blyth says process should be “slowed down”

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      The B.C. NDP brass seems to be in a hurry to get a nominee in Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.

      On April 22, the party announced that it is opening up nominations for a candidate to represent the constituency currently held by outgoing New Democrat MLA Jenny Kwan.

      Prospective aspirants have to be quick if they want in. The deadline for applications is May 1.

      While others may be thinking about it, Melanie Mark isn’t waiting for too long.

      On Saturday (April 25), Mark will launch her campaign with the support of Vancouver-Kensington MLA Mable Elmore.

      Elmore is the same New Democrat MLA who ran against Kwan for the federal NDP nomination for Vancouver East on March 22.

      Kwan, who won that contest, recently told the Straight by phone that she’s working on a “transition plan” for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.

      Kwan also indicated that while a number of hopefuls have sought her support, she’s not endorsing anyone.

      According to former Vancouver park commissioner Sarah Blyth, the word is that the nomination may be held soon, either on June 13, June 14, or June 20.

      That troubles Blyth, who is encouraging Diana Day to enter the race.

      Day is co-vice chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council. Day, an Oneida Nation woman, is also Vancouver Coastal Health’s leader in aboriginal community development and engagement.

      Blyth explained that because the B.C. NDP has a rule that only those who are party members 90 days prior to the nomination meeting can cast votes, the only people qualified should have been members by March this year.

      This means that there is no opportunity for aspirants to sign up new members.

      “How are the candidates supposed to get folks, their own supporters to become members to vote for them in the nomination?” Blyth asked in a phone interview Friday (April 24).

      “I’m just trying to think of the way to make sure that it’s the most inclusive [nomination process],” Blyth also said.

      Blyth has an appeal: “The process has to be slowed down.”

      Without referring to anyone, Blyth argued: “It has to be fair for all even if people prefer one candidate over the other.”

      Mable Elmore's email included this photo with the following cutline: "All on board for Melanie Mark (with the pink scarf)!"

      On the same day that the B.C. NDP headquarters announced that nominations were open for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, Kwan’s former rival Elmore sent out an email endorsing Mark.

      “Melanie has a strong and proven track record of being a powerful voice for the marginalized -- which makes her an outstanding candidate and I’m certain an excellent MLA,” Elmore stated.

      Elmore continued: “She was recently the Associate Deputy Representative at the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth and in 2006, she received a Young Woman of Distinction Award from the YWCA Vancouver.”

      She also said about Mark: “Melanie is of Nisga’a, Gitxsan, Cree and Ojibway descent and is also the co-founder of the Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre and past president of the Urban Native Youth Association.”

      Mark’s nomination campaign launch will be held at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre (1607 East Hastings Street).

      Comments

      10 Comments

      Nick Ellan

      Apr 24, 2015 at 12:16pm

      Note that there is also a $2000 filing fee, which is required to be paid on May 1st. While it's important to show fundraising ability, requiring a candidate to obtain that much money in the poorest riding in the province in a matter of days is... surprising.

      JamieLee

      Apr 24, 2015 at 3:20pm

      I agree that this process appears to need slowing down. Many people in the riding which are the most marginalized in the country need an opportunity to select who they want as their representative and as a result of the hurried up NDP process they won't be able to sign up as a member to support candidates they want. Plus the $20.00 BC NDP membership is cost prohibitive for many poor people in the riding. Even the federal NDP allows poor people a $1.00 membership. The BC NDP party brass has even before Jenny Kwan the sitting MLA won her bid to seek the Van-East federal nomination closed off membership. This is really unfair as many NDP supporters who were not yet members were unclear if there would be a vacancy for the Mt Pleasant MLA seat as Jenny had not been officially nominated. In politics there has to be fairness and honesty as cornerstones of our values. I encourage the BC NDP and Jenny Kwan's riding association to request a later nomination in order that candidates planning to run have some time to sign-up supporters. Even an extension of 30 days would give all candidates the same fair opportunity. The BC NDP must be seen to be welcoming and inclusive. But closing off memberships will be seen as favoring one candidate over others and this will be detrimental to the NDP chances in Van Mt Pleasant.

      Stephen

      Apr 24, 2015 at 3:49pm

      The article neglects to point out that the BC NDP still has on its books a rule barring men from being nominated as candidates in ridings vacated by an incumbent NDP MLA. This draconian policy was originally adopted in 2007 as a "temporary" measure to bolster the number of women candidates in the run-up to the 2009 provincial election. It has been extended at least twice since then. Which only goes to prove that when you rig a democratic election once--having persuaded yourself that the suspension of members' democratic rights is justified by the nobleness of the goal (aka, "the ends justify the means")--you become less squeamish about doing it again and again.

      It's worth noting that no other party, including no other provincial section of the NDP or the Federal NDP, has adopted such an anti-democratic policy.

      S. King

      Apr 24, 2015 at 5:40pm

      Sounds like the party wants to put someone they prefer into the riding instead of giving everyone a fair chance. To add insult to injury her profile says she lives in Burnaby. If Christy can live in Vancouver and represent another riding then I guess it can happen in Mt Pleasant.

      miranda da costa diaz

      Apr 24, 2015 at 6:43pm

      Well, talk about being fast off the mark for this race. Is there going to be only one candidate? I'm not a member of the NDP, but have looked at and supported this party since arriving in Canada. I have seen what seems to be a decline in its focus on social democracy and a rise in its attempt to be bland and timid. This is not a remark about any candidates. It is a comment on what might be seen as a very tightly controlled and not welcoming nomination process. And by controlled, I do not mean well-organized. In my country, socialists live their politics passionately and expect socialist leaders to be champions of the poorest and most underrepresented people. And when they do that, they do it with strength and strong feelings. The NDP should encourage this. How does this very, very short time between April 22 and May 1 give people with little money, but perhaps big political dreams, time to get $2,000? One has to ask if $20 for everyone to pay to be a member is really fair. To some, that is more than just 4 fancy coffees. And, say a strong leader who is a recent NDP member, whose supporters are not members, wants to run. There is no possibility for supporters to become members now. I think the NDP is missing out on a lot by not encouraging more people who have been outside the party to come in. In my opinion, it needs more freshness, more people from the grass roots to get active, but this is not the way to do it.

      Anders

      Apr 25, 2015 at 8:18am

      I wish people would quit with this 'marginalized' bullshit. The people living in this riding get shitloads of attention and aid. I doubt whether you can find a region that gets more funding from all levels of government, not to mention being ground zero for charity. The people there are many things, but marginalized is not one of them. This is a dream riding for any politician wanting maximum exposure. Having this on your resume is extremely valuable. It's pure gold.

      Al Seager

      Apr 25, 2015 at 11:54am

      There has already been a massive signup for the federal riding. Lets move on with the nomination!

      The Real MD

      Apr 25, 2015 at 1:24pm

      Anyone what wanted to be a candidate for this riding has known for months that there was at least a 50/50 probability that Jenny Kwan would win the VE nomination.

      If you do/did not have the political wherewithal to have your campaign and organization ready to go the day after that probability became a reality, I doubt you have the judgement to be even an adequate MLA given the complete lack of comprehension of how electoral politics works that not being ready one day one shows.

      Day is less than five months away from having run a municipal campaign, which she appeared to have focused on the areas that Mount Pleasant covers.

      If she and her supporters did not keep whatever personal contacts, organizations, donor lists and any other assets that a candidate needs organized and ready to go for a run at Mount Pleasant - because she/they lack the skills, or they did not think that far ahead, or simply have not made up their mind yet - that is their problem.

      Nothing prevented Day from being ready to go and announcing first, and it is not exactly surprising that now that someone else with a strong organization, community profile and campaign plan has, the cries of "unfair" are ringing out.

      If Day had announced first, there would be no complaints about the process from her people.

      ursa minor

      Apr 27, 2015 at 12:09pm

      Party nomination rules are very much damned if you do, damned if you don't. If the 90-day rule wasn't in place, there would be much complaining and controversy about "instant" New Democrats showing up to nominate particular candidate.

      Despite whatever 'the word' Blyth thinks it is, no nomination meeting date has been announced yet, and Jenny Kwan is still the MLA until she resigns.

      8 days?

      Apr 29, 2015 at 1:45pm

      April 22 - May 1st? Wow, the backroom's not even being that subtle about coronating someone. Where's Meena Wong been? Why isn't she running? Would the NDP even let her run?