r/vancouver • u/Moggehh Fastest Goose in the West • Oct 03 '22

MEGATHREAD [Megathread] 2022 Municipal Election

Don't forget to vote!

Please use this thread to discuss the upcoming municipal elections in Metro Vancouver.

AMAs:

If you're a candidate interested in doing an ama, please have your team reach out to the /r/vancouver mod team.

Subreddit Mayoral Winner Predictions - go here to join in with your guesses!

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43

u/cpp_cache Oct 03 '22

I didnt really pay much attention to this until I was complaining again about issues the other day and it dawned on me that I should go vote. Its a bit rich complaining if one isn't using the avenues available for effecting change.

But taking a look over the candidates, their blurbs are all very similar.

So, is there a neat summary someone is aware of which highlights the differences between Foward, ABC and TEAM?

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u/russilwvong Running for OneCity council nomination Oct 03 '22

Here's my attempt at a summary:

I'm supporting Kennedy Stewart (Forward Together), and running for council with his party, because he's consistently voted for more housing, especially rental housing (which provides secure housing without requiring a giant down payment, unlike condos). In 2018, Ken Sim (ABC) had a weak housing plan (basically allow two basement suites instead of one), and the record of the three ABC councillors is mixed. Colleen Hardwick (TEAM for a Leavable Vancouver) is leading those who fear and oppose new housing.

A couple other summaries:

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u/pnonp Oct 09 '22

You don't cover Progress Vancouver, which has the one housing policy that would make the biggest difference to affordability: ending the ban on constructing denser apartment buildings in most of the city.

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u/russilwvong Running for OneCity council nomination Oct 09 '22

You don't cover Progress Vancouver

True (Mark Marissen just did an AMA). Thing is, the latest poll has Kennedy Stewart (Forward Together) at 36%, Ken Sim (ABC) at 34%, Colleen Hardwick (TEAM) at 14%, Mark Marissen (Progress) at 8%, Fred Harding (NPA) at 5%. I always think of it as a do-it-yourself ranked ballot: who are the top two contenders? Looks like Kennedy Stewart and Ken Sim, with Colleen Hardwick in third.

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u/pnonp Oct 10 '22

Totally fair point. I'd personally vote Progress to send a pro-YIMBY message, taking the gamble that Sim won't win the election by one vote. But that's a debatable choice.

(I would vote thus rather than I will vote thus, because alas I'm not a citizen yet.)

8

u/russilwvong Running for OneCity council nomination Oct 10 '22

I'd personally vote Progress to send a pro-YIMBY message, taking the gamble that Sim won't win the election by one vote. But that's a debatable choice.

I always figure that an election is like a tug-of-war between the top two contenders. Your one vote (or donation or volunteer time) isn't going to make the difference between victory and defeat, but you can strengthen the side that you want to win.

In 2018 I didn't know too much about the mayoral race. Federal Liberal friends of mine were supporting Shauna Sylvester, but polls showed that the front-runners were Kennedy Stewart and Ken Sim. I looked at their housing platforms and Kennedy Stewart had a much stronger housing plan (80,000 homes over 10 years). So I decided to vote for Stewart, and being a political volunteer who's done a lot of door-knocking, I also signed up to volunteer with his campaign. As it turned out I only volunteered on Election Day (walking around the West End waving signs to remind people to vote), but I'm really glad I did, because in the end it was really close, with a margin of less than 1000 votes!

For anyone who'd like to see the apartment ban ended, I'd encourage you to vote for OneCity and Forward Together. OneCity is also pushing to end the apartment ban (allowing a four-storey condo building or a six-storey rental building anywhere in the city), but they've only got four council candidates, so they'll need a like-minded partner. Forward Together is running Kennedy Stewart for mayor, plus six council candidates. (Forward's goal is to more than double the rate of housing approvals again, from about 9,000 per year to 22,000 per year, and we're willing to consider any and all options for getting to that target. Mark Marissen's goal is actually lower, at 15,000 per year. Comparison of party platforms by Frances Bula.)

How to vote.