Today was quite a day in the world of partisan Vancouver civic politics. The civic Green Party held a special general meeting at noon to discuss electoral cooperation with COPE and Vision Vancouver. Meanwhile, COPE also held a special general meeting at 3pm to debate and potentially ratify an agreement with Vision, proposing the following slate:
City Council: Vision 7 / COPE 3
Parks Board: Vision 5 / COPE 2 – (plus one position offered to civic Greens)
School Board: Vision 5 / COPE 4
Interestingly, the civic Green Party membership voted to reject the Vision-COPE offer of one seat on Parks Board. The Greens voted instead to work with COPE alone, should the COPE membership reject Vision’s terms later in the afternoon. The Greens also voted to reject any cooperation with Vision, and to hold their nomination meeting in mid-August 2011.
COPE’s special general meeting, with about 200 members in attendance, began with a member from the floor trying to get a motion on the agenda to negotiate with the Greens instead of Vision, but was defeated in a close vote.
The highly polarized membership then heard arguments for and against the proposed deal with Vision. Those against argued that the last three years have proven that Vision City Councilors do not vote progressively, that they won’t caucus with COPE, that they continue core NPA policies, and that COPE needs to distinguish itself more clearly from Vision in order to win and make real change. Those in favour of Vision’s offer argued that COPE and Vision share more commonalities than differences, that the NPA is much worse than Vision, and that it is desirable to avoid vote-splitting with Vision. The coalition vote passed, with more than one third present voting against.
Chris
June 27, 2011 at 9:29 am
When NPA supporters were the biggest backers of COPE breaking from Vision, it has to make you think. This guy (http://twitter.com/#!/Lawson1945) seems more upset than anyone else.
Stuart Mackinnon
June 27, 2011 at 9:32 am
The original motion to cooperate with COPE at the Vancouver Green meeting was moved by Jamie Lee Hamilton. I amended it to clean up the language and put a nomination process in place.
Tristan Markle
June 27, 2011 at 10:07 am
Thanks for the clarification, Stuart :)
Richard
June 27, 2011 at 11:17 am
“The coalition vote passed, with more than one third present voting against.”
But, 2/3 voted for…. that is called a pretty overwhelming majority.
Steven
June 27, 2011 at 11:27 am
The motion passed by a very close show of hands.
The executive pushed through the resolution without allowing those still waiting on the floor to argue for or against the resolution to speak. It was clear that the COPE executive was intent on stifling debate in order to push ahead with their plans to unite with Vision unabated.
It was a sad, sad display.
A very small, very foolish majority has now sacrificed COPE’s integrity for the second campaign in a row.
It is time for a new, revitalized left-wing party in Vancouver. COPE is dead.
Richard
June 27, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Steven,it was the floor that voted not to extend the time for debate, not the executive. And from where I sat, there was a sea of orange voting in favour of the agreement. Even Tristan does not try to say that the voted was passed by a very close show of hands.
You appear to love revisionist history.
Bob
June 28, 2011 at 8:16 pm
I fear COPE has set itself on the road to irrelevance. Its been proven time and time again that people often vote against something, as much as for something. Now COPE has handed the Greens(and the NPA)the anti-Vision vote.