Burnaby MP Kennedy Stewart to quit, run for Vancouver mayor
Posted May 10, 2018 11:12 am.
Last Updated May 10, 2018 2:33 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Burnaby-South NDP MP Kennedy Stewart, has announced he is giving up his seat in the House of Commons to run for Mayor in Vancouver in the hopes of uniting the city’s left-wing parties.
From the top of the Vancouver Lookout, Stewart, 51, said he would run as an independent in the fall civic election, but was open to endorsements from other parties.
“I think that we need to come together – the progressive forces have to come together and unite – and we have to keep the NPA out,” Stewart said Thursday morning. “This is a really exciting day for me. I’m totally stoked. I’m pumped.”
In a launch that was large on ambition, but small on details, Stewart said he plans to focus on housing affordability, the opioid crisis, and getting big money and back-room lobbyists out of city hall. He also wants to develop a environment part to his platform, including tackling climate change and “doing everything” to stop the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Stewart and Green Leader Elizabeth May were arrested in March for violating the oil company’s court injunction when they stood within five meters of the facility’s gates during a protest. A decision must still be made on whether the pair will be tried for civil or criminal contempt, however Stewart said he thinks voters have been supportive of his decision.
Originally from Wolfville, NS., Stewart moved to Burnaby in 1988 where he received his master’s degree in political science from Simon Fraser University, before going to London for his doctorate. He has rented in downtown Vancouver for the past three years.
He will face off against several left-leaning candidates, including Shauna Sylvester who already launched a campaign around a similar theme of unity, but he was hesitant to say whether he thinks vote-splitting will be an issue.
“I think we’ll eventually all pull together and that’s what I’ll be working on 100 per cent to make that happen,” he said.
Stewart plans to give up his federal seat at the end of the session, but he doesn’t know if federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will replace him in a by-election. The new Ontario-based leader was elected despite not holding a seat in parliament.
