TEAM hopes its launch party marks the beginning of the end for Vision Vancouver

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      The Electors Action Movement, also known as TEAM, is a relic of civic political history in the minds of many Vancouverites.

      But that could change when the new TEAM holds its launch party at Heritage Hall at 7:30 p.m. on March 12.

      "We want to run a short slate so we leave room for other people to be elected, whether they are Green or COPE or NPA—or Vision, for that matter," TEAM chair Dave Pasin told the Straight by phone.

      In its heyday under then-mayor Art Phillips, the party stopped a freeway through Chinatown and Gastown and pioneered a neighbourhood-centred planning process.

      In those days, TEAM attracted candidates from across the spectrum, including future NDP premier Mike Harcourt, future NDP cabinet minister Darlene Marzari, future B.C. Liberal MLA Art Cowie, and former senior bureaucrat and UBC geographer Walter Hardwick.

      Phillips and Hardwick both had ties to the federal Liberals.

      Similarly, Pasin said that the new TEAM is not an ideologically based party.

      He said that TEAM's objectives include "a return to community-based planning" and greater consultation with neighbourhoods.

      In addition, he said that TEAM favours greater autonomy for community-centre associations and election-finance reform.

      Pasin claimed that Vision Vancouver is "tone deaf" as a political party.

      "I think that’s the kiss of death," he said. "I think you’re seeing that with the federal Conservatives. People get [in] lock-step with what the leadership wants—what’s been predetermined—and they lose track of what’s actually going on beneath them.”

      Vision Vancouver executive director Stepan Vdovine declined the Straight's request for a response to this allegation.

      TEAM's vice-chair, Bill McCreery, told the Straight that his party currently bans donations from corporations and unions, but it will likely allow individual donations up to $5,000 over an election cycle.

      McCreery, a TEAM park commissioner from 1972 to 1974, said the party is speaking to four people about possibly running for mayor, but he wouldn't disclose their names.

      He also revealed that TEAM's first member in 1968, UBC professor emeritus Paul Tennant, will be at the March 12 launch.

      Tennant will become the first member of the new TEAM; the second will be membership chair Jennifer Palma, according to McCreery.

      "It's passing the baton from the older generation to the new generation of young Vancouver people," McCreery said. "Hopefully, the symbolism will be there. I think it's an important statement."

      Pasin, who owns a company that manufactures environmentally friendly solvents, said that he is too busy with his business to seek office in the November election.

      McCreery said that he feels he'll be too old to run in November, and wants to clear the way for younger candidates.

      Both ran for the NPA in the 2011 civic election, but each insisted that their party welcomes people from across the political spectrum.

      In 2012, Pasin was highly critical of a decision by Caterpillar Inc. to shut down a plant in London, Ontario after a labour dispute.

      McCreery has worked with neighbourhood activists across the city in opposition to spot rezonings by the Vision Vancouver–controlled council.

      McCreery revealed that last year, TEAM was in negotiations with Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver, but talks broke down before Christmas.

      “I think they genuinely wanted to work something out," he said. "It was just that their culture and our culture were so different."

      Last year, former NPA city councillor and municipal lawyer Jonathan Baker was working with TEAM, but in November he decided to rejoin the NPA.

      Comments

      22 Comments

      Alex

      Feb 27, 2014 at 11:28am

      GREAT TO HEAR, anything and any party to get rid of the Gregor Robertson dictatorship at City Hall, get rid of developer influence, and to BRING BACK consultation is welcomed.

      City Hall is now run by developers exclusively, everything and anything that is done is to sweeten deals for them, example is calling $2000/month an "affordable rent" for renal properties, providing developers with MILLIONS of tax breaks and/or city land to build renal housing (usually only 10% of a development).

      We should ALL REMEMBER TO VOTE next November!

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      Rick

      Feb 27, 2014 at 11:53am

      The mayor exemplifies Slavo Zizek's point that cool has nothing to do with democracy. People with a cool, hip, kind of image can be insidiously dangerous to democracy, because their apparent affability disarms our suspicions and obscures their elitism. We keep expecting the people whose actions support social stratification to look like reactionaries: uptight, old fashioned, ornery, and intolerant. But it's Mr Happy Planet -- a zillionaire from health food, how cool is that? -- who privatizes the street with the most expensive properties in the city for the benefit of his peers, and tries to ram through all these community plans without consultation. Consultation is just an irritant when you know you're right and those who don't agree, or have yet to be persuaded, are just a bunch of uncool losers.

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      Mike Andruff

      Feb 27, 2014 at 12:05pm

      Alex is bang on, "Bad politicians are elected by good people who don't vote." (Billy Graham). In the 2011 election, no one candidate received more than 19% endorsement from eligible voters. What's up with that? Please support the VancouverDecides2014.org Voting Initiative which is currently seeking corporate support to include a reminder to vote November 15th on envelopes mailed to customers.
      To make a more democratic vote we all need to have two vital behaviors: 1) diarize November 15 and the time you plan to vote right now, and 2) read papers like the Straight, and use other media to educate yourself on the people, parties, and the issues between now and November 15th, and then VOTE!

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      This should be fun

      Feb 27, 2014 at 12:50pm

      Good to see another option on the electoral table.
      that said, when you bring more public consultation to the process (team mandated) you’re always going to get special interest groups pushing their agenda.....often times resulting in the good for some at the expense of others....so be it....roll the dice.
      With that in mind, most of these groups have spoken out against higher densities in there neighborhoods. (e.g. woodlands and marpole).
      Less new housing products (greater densities) will eventually lead to an increase in rents by dropping the available housing products in themarket. just basic economics.
      So if your renting...not so good.
      Lastly, please stop blaming's developers, They are not charities put in place to provide you cheaper rent. They run a business and seek profit like anyone else who is willfully employed. They respond to condition that exist in the marketplace. No one forces you to rent a place from them....if it’s too expensive, find something cheaper elsewhere or buy something outside of the city.
      When vacancy rate drops, the prices will come down.

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      Collarbone O'Hare

      Feb 27, 2014 at 1:32pm

      No, TSBF, when vacancy rate go UP prices MAY come down. You should think of running yourself, laddie!

      RUK

      Feb 27, 2014 at 1:35pm

      It's awesome of TEAM to make room for other parties to be elected so that it is not a complete TEAM sweep of available positions!

      (One is reminded of Trevanian's anecdote regarding the ant climbing the cow's leg, assuring her of his gentleness.)

      As for "more consultation with the public," I am interested in how that would play out.

      Consider the DTES Area Plan, referred to in other news releases of the day, and which I have been reading (it's not bad).

      This thing notes background surveys that go back to 2005. The Local Area Plan committee started in January 2011 and presented to council a year later. Workshops and meetings were held in April 2012, September 2012, April 2013, May 2013, July 2013, August 2013, September 2013; the plan was released in December 2013 for review at meetings held January 2014, February 2014, and will go to council again next month.

      If this is dictatorship, it is curiously ponderous. If this is not consultation, I am wondering if the current proposal to extend municipal terms to 4 years should be adding another decimal place.

      Alex

      Feb 27, 2014 at 1:47pm

      @This should be fun,
      You are misinformed, buying the same LIE that developers and Vision Vancouver has been selling that cost of Vancouver housing is due to density and local demand.

      Not so! 25% of condos downtown are all empty based on census data, which equals to an extra 35 towers of 30 floors!

      Just goto ANY new condo development opening and look at the crowd. 95% are foreigners who are using condo buying as money laundry and as vehicle to pull money out of their countries to be safe from prosecution or worse. There is absolutely NO local demand for such housing as almost no one can afford them, even at this low interest environment.

      No one EVER talks about foreign ownership, how to tame it down, and maybe tax them higher like other countries, as ALL of decision makers are drinking from the same stream of Asian money, and they don't wanna cut their own income. Developers, Real-estate marketers, land owners, have the MOST influence in the city, have PAID for Vision last 2 elections and have been reaping the benefits over the last 6yrs!

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      collarbone o'hare

      Feb 27, 2014 at 2:21pm

      Salovo Zisek and Trevininian???? Who did they play for? Yankees farm club?

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      .. fun indeed...

      Feb 27, 2014 at 3:53pm

      So, TEAM re-emerges, COPE finally runs an independent slate and the voters all try to figure out who's who on a ballot that will now be the size of a small newspaper in our non-ward system. BadaBing! Yeah..

      Mike Dumler

      Feb 27, 2014 at 3:56pm

      I am glad to see that another Civic Party has come out in support of civic Election Finance Reform. Unfortunately finance reform will not be in place for the elections later this year,yet another broken liberal promise. I was surprised that Charlie didn't mention this, or ask TEAM about its position on reforming our "at large" system of electing city-councillors which is rather unique among large cities. Such reform is also long overdue in my view, and since we seem pretty evenly split between the current "at Large" system and Wards, I believe it is time to look at a mixed system which could bring us together and make us more democratic. More on this is available at Vanopolis.ca.

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