Mayor Gregor Robertson questions NPA candidate Kirk LaPointe’s residency
Mayor Gregor Robertson has called for an amendment to the Vancouver Charter to prevent a nonresident from ever running for mayor in the future.
Robertson made the comment in Shaw’s downtown Vancouver studio on October 27 after a televised mayoral debate against three other candidates, including the NPA’s Kirk LaPointe, who lives outside city limits on the UBC campus.
“I hear concerns on the street about Mr. LaPointe not living in Vancouver or paying taxes or voting in Vancouver,” Robertson told journalists. “But he’s proposing changes—cuts to services—that potentially don’t even affect him because he doesn’t live here.”
One of LaPointe’s other rivals, independent mayoral candidate Bob Kasting, regularly highlights his local roots in political debates. “I live in Vancouver, I work in Vancouver, and I play in Vancouver,” Kasting said in his closing remarks in the Shaw TV debate.
In Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Montreal, it was illegal for nonresidents to run for mayor in those cities’ last municipal elections. Because there’s no similar law in place in B.C., Saanich resident David Shebib has been able to put his name on the mayoral ballot in 13 municipalities in the Capital Regional District.
Robertson hopes the province steps in to address this situation. “There should be an amendment to the charter to ensure it’s a resident and taxpayer of Vancouver who’s eligible to run,” the mayor said.
Comments
8 Comments
Disgusted
Oct 29, 2014 at 1:14pm
Mayor 'Moonbeam' questions someone else's residency...
The jokes write themselves!
Paul T
Oct 29, 2014 at 1:56pm
How about the mayor come out and tell us where he's living? Those who live in glass skyscrapers next to churches shouldn't cast stones.
Christine
Oct 29, 2014 at 2:31pm
It's true. Kirk Lapoint should really live in the city where he is running. Maybe he could promise to move to Vancouver if elected? That would probably silence his critics.
ursa minor
Oct 29, 2014 at 2:35pm
If Robertson has an issue with Lapointe living at UBC and running for Mayor, perhaps Vision shouldn't have people campaigning at UBC either.
Dave
Oct 29, 2014 at 3:53pm
If UBC is not in Vancouver, what city is it in?
Arachides
Oct 29, 2014 at 4:45pm
Allowing UBC to operate it's own fiefdom has long been supported Vision and their NDP roots given the high numbers of unionized employees working there. For it's part the COV has multiple shared services agreements with UBC including the Vancouver Fire Dept and all of them include unlimited free parking for COV employees on UBC land regardless of transit/bike connections. If keeping so called outsiders from running is his goal why doesn't Vision show leadership and deny COV employees who are non-residents of Vancouver time off to work on and/or finance their campaign and candidates as we've seen with the recent sweetheart deals they made with their own unions. While the mayor has promised UBC a subway they haven't committed a single dollar towards it's construction. If in fact City Hall views UBC as a seperate entity should they not come to the table with their own funding contribution.
Last, now maybe I've missed them but are there any signs indicating that when you're going to UBC you're leaving the COV or are there any when you're leaving UBC that say welcome to Vancouver.
Brent
Oct 30, 2014 at 8:23am
UBC is a little peninsula of Vancouver. If you're living there you are pretty much living and spending your dollars in Vancouver. Gregor is trying to create a storyline where there really isn't one. What else is new...
AKG
Oct 30, 2014 at 11:01am
The fact that Vision is pushing this storyline - complete with Conservative-style concern-troll attack ads - has finally made it impossible for me to vote for them in this election.
Unfortunately, I can't stand the other parties either. Gonna be a difficult election.