The Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) will challenge Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson for the city’s top job during the next civic election in 2014, the party’s membership decided Sunday at its annual general meeting.
The move signals a bold departure from past party strategy that saw COPE strike a deal with Vision Vancouver in support of Robertson in the past two elections.
The same deal saw COPE nominate only a handful of candidates for parks board, school board and council, rather than a full slate. That policy, too, will change in 2014, COPE members agreed.
Sean Antrim, COPE executive director, said the results of Sunday’s vote signal a growing frustration among party members with what many see is a lack of movement by Vision on key urban issues.
“I think a lot of people at the (AGM) meeting voted for Gregor (Robertson) in 2008 and have become a little bit frustrated with the lack of progress on affordable housing and affordable transit,” Antrim said.
Antrim said the decision not to run a mayoral candidate in the past likely contributed to the party’s near-complete elimination from the local political scene in 2011. Only one COPE candidate, incumbent Allan Wong, hung onto his school board seat.
“People think it was not necessarily the best strategy because of the profile you get from running a mayoral candidate,” he said.
Sunday’s AGM drew out a record attendance of more than 400 people to the Maritime Labour Centre. A recent surge in membership forced the party to move from a smaller venue in order to accommodate the crowd.
Antrim said there are more young people joining up, including community activists and students.
“It was a much more diverse crowd at the meeting than I have seen before,” he said.
Comments