What now? Gregor muses keeping MLA seat, Cadman debates a joint slate, Al a no show
Gregor Robertson won’t say if he’ll give up his provincial MLA seat before November’s elections.
“I’m going to think about it,” he offered up Sunday, hinting he might get away with being both a sitting MLA and a mayoral hopeful.
"It looks like we may not have a fall session, so I won't be in Victoria much if at all over the coming five months. But it’s one I’m going to think of over the next couple weeks and make a decision."
Speaking of decisions, Raymond Louie has said he’ll run for his spot on council again.
Louie was visibly dejected in giving his concession speech Sunday, but sounded off the right words.
"We have a better vision for what Vancouver can do," Louie said. "And today we’re showing that in fact we’re going to be able to do that come this coming November."
Al De Genova, who finished a distant third in Vision's mayoral race, was a no show for Robertson's victory. Vision staffers said De Genova was with his supporters a few blocks away at the Italian Cultural Centre and planned to call Robertson.
Meanwhile, COPE Coun. David Cadman, who has mused openly about running for mayor, says he could be willing to let Robertson run as the sole mayoral candidate between the two parties, but only if there was a “common campaign” involving shared planning and pooled dollars.
"Personally, I would [be willing to run under a banner with Gregor Robertson as a sole mayoral candidate] but I think that's going to depend on the kind of proposition that is made to COPE," said Cadman, as Robertson was soaking up the applause Sunday.
"It’s got to be a party to party decision so that we find a way of building this and making real unity and not symbolic unity. We have to actually feel that this is somebody who is going to lead us forward in both campaigns," Cadman said, referencing what he called 2005's 'non-competing campaign,' in which COPE ran half a council slate without a mayoral candidate and proceeded to get all but annihilated.
Meanwhile, to be filed under How civilized:
NPA MAYORAL NOMINEE STATEMENT ON VISION NOMINATIONLadner Congratulates Robertson on Nomination Victory
VANCOUVER – Vancouver City Councillor and NPA Mayoral Nominee Peter Ladner made the following statement about the results of Vision Vancouver's nomination meeting.
"I congratulate Gregor Robertson on his Vision Vancouver mayoralty nomination. Members of Vision Vancouver had to choose from three qualified candidates, each of whom would present a defined candidacy for voters in the upcoming election. I haven't had the opportunity to work with Gregor Robertson in the past, but I appreciate the mix of business and provincial political experience he brings to this race.
I look forward to the upcoming campaign and to the free and respectful exchange of ideas and perspectives. I look forward to the dialogue with our citizens across the city and to building an NPA team comprised of diverse candidates who are first and foremost committed to good government, not political ideology.
I look forward to the dialogue with Gregor Robertson, as we compare our visions and plans for the City of Vancouver, and to a civil competition that lives up to the high expectations of our citizens."
Tags: vancouver, gregor robertson, al de genova, raymond louie, peter ladner, politics, npa, sam sullivan, vision vancouver, david cadman, cope



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