(Vancouver, November 27, 2013) NSV’s current aim is to be a catalyst for broad electoral cooperation in 2014, to restore real democracy and public accountability at Vancouver city hall. NSV is guided by a set of basic principles that we believe are essential to Vancouver ‘s future as a truly sustainable and progressive City of Neighbourhoods that reflects the diversity and values of its citizens. With well-established roots as a city-wide neighbourhood network since 2007, NSV became an electoral organization in 2011 to give a political voice to these principles and to citizens across Vancouver demanding an alternative to Vision and NPA-dominated city councils with developer-funded conflicts of interest.
There is currently a rapidly growing consensus across Vancouver that City Hall is out of touch with the balance of public opinion, and NSV is determined to bring all those who share that view together in 2014. The NSV Steering Committee is currently pursuing a mandate to explore the potential for cooperation with other electoral organizations around the following NSV Principles (details here NSV Updated Draft Sec 1 Basic Principles V14).
2. Advance Campaign Finance Reform
3. Value Vancouver as Community—not Commodity
4. Support Neighbourhood-based Planning
5. Respect Existing Local Area Plans and Community Visions
6. Empower Community Initiative
7. Promote a Diverse and Sustainable Economy
8. Advance Social Justice and End Homelessness
10. Protect and Expand Rental Housing
11. Support the Arts, Film, Culture and Tourism
12. Protect Heritage Buildings and Viewscapes
13. Improve Public Transit
14. Preserve Development Revenues for Amenities and Social Housing /
Our objective is to offer voters a full slate of exceptional candidates for Mayor, Council, Park Board and VSB that is free of developer-funded conflicts of interest, dedicated to real democracy and representative of the broad diversity and values of Vancouver’s citizens and neighbourhoods.
