The boys and girls at Vision Vancouver had more than an inkling they were going to get badly beaten in Saturday’s byelection for that sole council seat. That’s why, while other political parties had gatherings well publicized at this restaurant or that hotel to either celebrate or lick their wounds, if Visionistas met at all, it was in secret.
Vision saw this coming from so far off they put up young, political neophyte Diego Cardona, spoon-fed him issues, then watched him go down in fifth place on the ballot just ahead of a woman with the nickname “Watermelon.” And, by the way, did you see even one Vision election lawn sign?
Yes, governments as long in the tooth as Vision can expect to be beaten in byelections. “It sends a message.” But Hector Bremner’s win for the NPA was more than a slap on the wrist. It could well signal the end of an era.
This was a significant win for a party that has been out of power in the city for more than a decade and catches Vision at a particularly vulnerable time in its history. After all, in the last general election in 2014, Vision lost its majorities on park board and school board. Vision also lost its super majority of eight votes on council, which allowed it to approve grants without relying on its oppositions. And those Vision council candidates who did get elected trailed both the sole Green Party candidate (Adriane Carr) and the three NPA candidates who won.
As for Hector Bremner, the former executive assistant to Liberal Deputy Premier Rich Coleman, he benefitted mightily from the fact the Liberals are now out of power in Victoria. That leaves a serious handful of Liberal backroom folks with time on their hands, including Christy Clark’s ex, Mark Marissen, to work on Bremner’s campaign, to say nothing of the general municipal election next year.
It must surely give Vision pause and have Mayor Gregor Robertson mulling over just what to do next in life.
If that wasn’t enough to give our ruling party a nudge, consider the results of the school board byelection.
This electoral re-set was brought on when the endlessly squabbling board was fired ostensibly for failing to pass a balanced budget and amidst allegations, supported in two separate independent reports, of Vision trustees bullying staff and creating a “toxic workplace.” At the time, those trustees pointed to the last time a Vancouver school board was fired for not balancing a budget and COPE held the majority. This was in 1985 when Socred Bill Bennett was premier, and when the next school board election rolled around, COPE trustees won all nine seats.
Well that didn’t happen this time. This time the chief Vision bully Patti Bacchus chose, or was told, not to run. And the second bully in charge, school board chair at the time Mike Lombardi got whacked by the voters.
More concerning for Vision should be the fact that the top spots were picked up by all the three Green candidates who ran. While you may find fault with some of that party’s less-than-progressive policies, they seem to be the home for more and more voters of the centre-left persuasion.
Vision did get three seats. Two of the least offensive Vision trustees, Allan Wong and Joy Alexander were returned along with former trustee and First Nations leader Ken Clement. He got bounced in the last general election when Vision lost the majority.
The NPA ended up with two, the not uncommonly rude Fraser Ballantyne and newbie Lisa Dominato.
The final slot, coming just ahead of Clement was long-time education activist Carrie Bercic. And that was bad news for the fast fading left-of-centre COPE that for a moment dominated both school board and the rest of civic politics. Bercic carried the OneCity banner, a breakaway group from COPE.
One more point. In case you were wondering whether we would end up with the same squabbling bunch around the school board table, NDP education minister Rob Fleming did deliberately leave Dianne Turner in place at least for the next year. She is the trustee who was appointed by the Liberals after the last crew was fired.
She will be the babysitter engaged in all public and private meetings of the board and report directly to the ministry on just how the kids are getting along.
