Vancouver’s left-of-centre civic party, the Coalition of Progressive Electors, is calling on Vancouver voters to support their NDP candidates in the May 12 provincial election.

Will Vision Vancouver–regarded by many as the NDP’s farm team–follow suit?

Vision Mayor Gregor Robertson was, after all, the NDP’s star candidate in the 2005 provincial election and a number of Vision caucus members in council and on the park board and the school board are identified with the NDP.

In a newsletter issued today (May 6), COPE noted that many local NDP candidates are also members of COPE.

“Please find some time to head down to your local campaign office and help out in the final push to see progressive political change in B.C.,” COPE’s newsletter states.

COPE external chair Alvin Singh told the Straight that NDP caucus members and candidates in the city have “done a very very good job advocating for the issues that COPE identifies with”.

In a phone interview, Singh pointed to Mel Lehan, the NDP’s candidate in Vancouver-Point Grey who’s challenging incumbent B.C. Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell. Lehan has been a strong advocate of sustainable communities.

Singh likewise mentioned Mable Elmore, who’s running in Vancouver-Kensington and whose advocacies include better mass transit.

Asked whether he expects Vision to follow COPE’s lead, Singh said: “Vision has been a little apprehensive in taking a stand in these sorts of things. I don’t know why that is.”

“But I think that COPE is a party that hasn’t shied away from taking a very public position on things that are important to the city and we will continue to do that,” he added. “I hope that they take a stand.”

Vision Vancouver did not respond to a request for a comment by deadline.