Stephen Hui, November 4, 2011
straight.com
The upstart Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver electoral group has endorsed six more candidates in order to fill out its slate for city council.
Among the new endorsements are candidates from “rival” slates, NSV notes in a news release today (November 4).
NSV announced it is recommending voters support RJ Aquino (COPE), Adriane Carr (Green), Sandy Garossino (independent), Tim Louis (COPE), Bill McCreery (NPA), and Ellen Woodsworth (COPE).
Randy Helten is already running for mayor, and Nicole Benson, Marie Kerchum, Terry Martin, and Elizabeth Murphy for council, under the NSV banner.
NSV’s release states:
NSV makes these recommendations with no strings attached. To our knowledge this is the first time that a Vancouver electoral organization has supported candidates running on a variety of competing slates without requiring a reciprocal agreement.
We do this enthusiastically because we do not view these candidates as rivals. Their records on council and in public life are exemplary, their platforms largely consistent with the principles and policies supported by NSV. They are strong advocates for real democracy, which should be free of undue influence from the powerful development lobby, whose main objective—maximizing profit—is in a fundamental conflict of interest with housing affordability and ending homelessness. They recognize that growth must come in ways that are community supported and that respect neighbourhood assets, character and scale.
