Political opponents not touching Mayor Gregor Robertson’s split from wife

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      The Straight today (July 18) asked representatives of civic parties in Vancouver about Mayor Gregor Robertson’s separation from his wife Amy.

      There were two questions asked on the line. Is their party going to comment on the matter? And if the topic is brought up during the election campaign, will they continue to keep their hands off it?

      “On this one, I will not be weighing in with a public comment,” Green councillor Adriane Carr said.

      Whether or not it will be brought up during the campaign is up to Robertson’s Vision Vancouver and the Non-Partisan Association, according to Carr.

      Previously, Vision accused the NPA of undertaking a smear campaign against Robertson, a charge denied by the NPA vice president Rob MacDonald.

      “It’s already come up—hasn’t it?—between the NPA and Vision. I expect that, you know, I mean, maybe they’ll continue to bring it up. Maybe they won’t. But that will definitely be the choice of the NPA and Vision,” Carr said.

      If it does surface again during the campaign, Carr said that the Greens are not going to touch it: “I really feel strongly this is a personal matter.”

      Sean Antrim, executive director of the Coalition of Progressive Electors, said: “People’s private lives should be kept private.”

      Antrim also said: “I hope that the election is about issues like housing.”

      According to Antrim, COPE will not touch the issue if it is brought up again during the campaign.

      Glen Chernen is the mayoral candidate of the Cedar Party, and he doesn’t think it’s his business to talk about Robertson’s marital woes.

      “I’m sure somebody will bring it up but it won’t be me,” Chernen said of the matter.

      Chernen added: “It really doesn’t interest us at all.”

      Comments

      9 Comments

      Well spun

      Jul 18, 2014 at 5:16pm

      Vision are the only people who have tried to make Robertson's marital problems a news story and they did it to smear the NPA. Pathetic. I guess it is easier to defend something the other side won't touch but I would like to ask who owns the condo the mayor is using as his home at the moment.

      Holier

      Jul 18, 2014 at 9:20pm

      Well, if they won't bring it up I will. How can Gregger be expected to run the city when he can't even make his marriage work?

      Westcoastboi

      Jul 18, 2014 at 9:27pm

      Well, that was a useful article.

      Chris

      Jul 19, 2014 at 9:21am

      Voters do not care. Period.

      @Holier

      You're basically saying it's one person's job to make a marriage work--that is an extremely immature, selfish, and one dimensional view. There are two people in a marriage. Get real.

      John S

      Jul 19, 2014 at 9:45am

      There's a little more to the story than Robertson's alleged marital infidelity. Why the coverup? At least Allen Garr had the guts to put the details in print in the Vancouver Courier.

      Voters might care...

      Jul 19, 2014 at 11:30am

      ...if there were anyone else involved in the split and if that person represented a conflict of interest or proof of incredibly bad judgment on the mayor's part--neither of which you want in the leader of your city. (Unless you are of a similar stripe that is.)

      Martin Dunphy

      Jul 19, 2014 at 12:28pm

      John S:

      Allen Garr uses anonymous sources. The Courier uses email "interviews".
      The Straight does not.

      Holier

      Jul 19, 2014 at 5:39pm

      Maybe voters should consider Greg ramming Vison's agenda down Vancouverites throats. Perhaps that is something that his wife grew tired of as well.

      u_r_lifesaver

      Jul 20, 2014 at 1:56pm

      Say what you want about the US government, but they're a whole lot more entertaining than ours. Personal matter? If this was the GOP presidential debate, Newt Gingrich would be trying to use it against him. Until he realized, oops, his relationship history is sketchy at best.