NPA mayoral applicant Ian Robertson claims Vision Vancouver is “scared” about election

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      The Non-Partisan Association’s Ian Robertson says he doesn’t take too seriously the crack made about his party by Mayor Gregor Robertson.

      The former park board chair was being asked about the Vision Vancouver incumbent’s remark in a May speech that the NPA is a group of “angry old white men”.

      “I am probably one of those angry old white men,” Robertson said with a laugh in a phone interview with the Straight.

      On a more serious note, Robertson said that the mayor’s remark is representative of the way Vision has governed the city.

      “It’s just typical of the...arrogance that Vision has shown over the last six years,” he said. “I witnessed it in my second term on park board and that type of arrogance and off-handed comments that were made about the NPA.

      “And when I hear that,” Robertson continued, “what I hear in that kind of comment is that Vision Vancouver are nervous, that Vision Vancouver are scared, and quite frankly, they have every reason to be nervous and scared about this upcoming election.”

      If the ex-park commissioner, who stayed away from the 2011 election, is sounding like a politician again, it’s because he was one of three people who applied to the NPA board to represent the centre-right party in November as its mayoral candidate.

      Tech entrepreneur Leonard Brody recently bowed out of the race. Brody in turn endorsed former Vancouver Sun managing editor Kirk LaPointe.

      Robertson said that while the NPA is more focused at present on getting together a strong team for the election rather than talking policy, it has a strong sense that Vision is “extremely vulnerable”.

      “I’ve spoken with many individuals who have said they have voted Vision in the past and are certainly not voting for Vision this time around,” said Robertson, who is the executive director of the Tourism Industry Association of B.C.

      While the mayor has earned points with the Vision faithful with his remark about the NPA, Robertson said that it may have just cost the incumbent some more votes.

      Robertson said: “To all the other angry old white men out there, there’s probably some that are angry about it. Not me.”

      Comments

      3 Comments

      Alan Layton

      Jun 25, 2014 at 11:42am

      If the worst thing that you can say about another party is that they are 'arrogant', then you're doomed.

      RUK

      Jun 25, 2014 at 1:48pm

      I'm scared that there is no credible opposition party to Vision. I like Vision but the usefulness of a strong, loyal opposition cannot be overstated.