COPE splits from Vision Vancouver for 2014 election

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – There will be a bit more choice at the ballot box next year for voters in the City of Vancouver.

COPE has formally cut ties with the ruling Vision party.

Delegates at COPE’s annual general meeting Sunday voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion that would see it field full Council, Park Board, and School Board slates, as well as a hopeful for the mayor’s chair.

“Having someone running for mayor gives you a huge amount of profile,” says Executive Director Sean Antrim.

“You can actually express what your platform is and differentiate from the other parties.”

While Antrim admits members are frustrated by Vision’s lack of movement on affordable housing and transit, he doesn’t completely rule out working with the party in the future.

“I would never call out coalitions this far in advance of an election because we don’t know what the political landscape is going to be in November of 2014. But  the membership doesn’t want to run the election the same way it was run last time.”

In 2011, COPE only managed to elect a lone representative on school board, as it ran a limited number of candidates as part of its agreement with Vision.

In a statement to News1130, Executive Director Stepan Vdovine writes, “It’s far too early to speculate so far out before the next election on what may happen. We are not even at halfway point in this term.”

He goes on to say, “Vision Vancouver has always worked to build broad based coalitions to bring about progressive change and to deliver results for our city and will continue to do so with other progressive voices.”