Commentary

A sign of success? Vancouver Greens have become everyone's target in this election campaign

by Charlie Smith on October 8th, 2018 at 8:01 AM
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      In the last two Vancouver election campaigns, the Greens had it fairly easy.

      The NPA and Vision Vancouver slugged it out in the months leading up to voting day, making things easier for Coun. Adriane Carr.

      In the last election, the de facto Green leader cruised to victory, unblemished by attacks from the others, winning more votes than anyone else running for city council.

      But after the three Green candidates topped last October's school-board by-election, their party is now viewed as a bigger threat.

      What stings Vision Vancouver, in particular, is the possibility that it could face obliteration because of a rising Green tide in Vancouver.

      If the Green brand supplants Vision Vancouver's as the most trusted for keeping the city pristine, that's horrible news for the Vision slate.

      Vision is running five candidates for council, including the very green Heather Deal, Catherine Evans, and Tanya Paz.

      Deal is a four-term incumbent councillor; Evans is trying to make the jump from park board to council; and Paz is the long-term chair of the city's active transportation council.

      Their best chance of being elected may occur if support is suppressed for Carr's three Green colleagues seeking council seats: Strathcona neighbourhood activist Pete Fry, park commissioner Michael Wiebe, and architect David Wong.

      After all, there are only 10 seats on council.

      This is the backdrop for the following tweet by Kevin Quinlan, who's chief of staff to Mayor Gregor Robertson.

      Among those who retweeted it included Yes Vancouver campaign operative Mark Marissen, Atira Women's Resource Society CEO Janice Abbott, long-time NDP supporter Bill Tieleman, and B.C. Cycling Coalition executive director Richard Campbell.

      It's not the first broadside from a Vision person at Carr during the campaign. Coun. Andrea Reimer's tweet below refers to Carr's vote against the city's Making Room policy, which permits duplexes in single-family areas across Vancouver.

      The federal Liberals and provincial NDP also have a keen interest in suppressing the Green vote in this civic election.

      That's because if Greens are elected to the park or school board or to council, their name recognition will increase.

      This, in turn, will make them attractive candidates for Green Leader Elizabeth May in next year's federal election. 

      The last thing Justin Trudeau needs is a surging Green party siphoning away votes from incumbent MPs like Jody Wilson-Raybould, Harjit Sajjan, Joyce Murray, and Hedy Fry.

      Meanwhile, B.C. Green Leader Andrew Weaver is likely eyeing local Green prospects for the next provincial campaign.

      NDP premier John Horgan and his chief of staff, Geoff Meggs, also don't want to see the Greens exerting too much power in Vancouver after the election. That could create problems for two cabinet ministers in particular—David Eby (Vancouver–Point Grey) and George Heyman (Vancouver-Fairview)—if this brings forth strong Green opponents in the next provincial election.

      Oddly, the biggest beneficiary of a powerful Green party in Vancouver is Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.

      That's because people who vote Green are among the least likely to support his party. They'll migrate from the federal Liberals and New Democrats. That's because the Conservatives already lost any remaining greenish members during the Harper era.

      In this Vancouver election campaign, many local Conservatives are supporting Coalition Vancouver, Vancouver 1st, and the NPA.

      If they're smart, they might want to save a couple of votes for the Green council candidates. That would be one way to throw sand in the gears of the other federal parties.

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