Why did you leave the Green Party?

This a question I am sometimes asked as I run for City Council with Vision Vancouver.

The short answer is I wanted to be in a ‘big tent' party, one that draws many people together, and one that has a proven track record of getting things done. 

I have the greatest respect for the Greens at Park Board. My caucus mates, Dave Demers and Camil Dumont, are not only people I respect and admire, but I have grown to love them as people. 

But when I look at this past City Council, I see one that was incredibly dysfunctional. So many staff reports came with multiple amendments from the floor. If you give good direction to staff and work with them during the creation of reports, if you are really understanding what the public process has gathered, then there isn’t the necessity for on-the-fly amendments at the last minute. 

What I see in the candidates Vision Vancouver has selected for Council, and at other levels, are hardworking, thoughtful folks who can work with staff, listen to the public, and get things done. They are also folks who understand that we need bold ideas to move Vancouver forward. We can no longer tinker away; we need to confront climate change, the housing crisis, and the overdose problem head-on.

Vision Vancouver is a party that believes in the things I do and shares my values. And it is where I am excited to be to move Vancouver forward.