Analysis: NPA Vice President Elizabeth Ball is optimistic about the party's future, despite the resignation of the mayoral candidate two months before the election. He said and added: upon. "
Peter Wall was a nonpartisan and Vancouver association's 2022 local election campaign launched in May and is the only supporter of the crowd of hundreds to have Mike.
Wall's voice echoed from the audience as NPA candidate John Cooper prepared to introduce the party slate of the Vancouver Council and Park Commission candidates at the Italian Cultural Center that night.
"Who has the microphone?" Cooper asked from the stage what was prepared and what wasn't. "Peter. Peter, do you have anything to say?"
Wall, one of Vancouver's most prominent developers and philanthropists for decades, said from the audience: Shouted. Go get it.
The crowd exploded with applause and Cooper replied: "Thanks to Peter, and I know you have the greatest benefit of our city."
But just the end of Friday, two months after the campaign started, election day Within two months of, Cooper suddenly ceased to be a candidate for mayor of PNG, and Wall was far more disastrous about the possibility of the party regaining mayorship in October.
Thoroughbred race enthusiast and former co-owner of Hastings Racecourse, Wall, was in the mayor's seat when the NPA changed horses at this point in the race. I bet on Friday that I would effectively kill my chances. During October.
"I make all the bets that everyone wants to take. I will take all the money I have and bet on it," Wall said. "It's unlikely they'll take a winning candidate there."
Party leadership, as expected, added another spin to the latest developments. Fifteen months after the boardanointedto lead the party to the 2022 election in a press release announcing Mr. Cooper's resignation, the NPA said, "Future mayoral candidates. We plan to announce and strengthen our overall strength. Our skilled candidate team
For most of the past century, NPA has been Vancouver's most successful political party. Yes, a middle-aged politician, a right-wing politician, and many offices in the city, but despite the party's historic rule, Cooper's surprising resignation was a series of recent NPAs. Another way to go, Wall is the latest former supporter of leveling criticism on the board.
Wall personally knows only a few directors. "But their actions were so stupid that John had to resign because he was basically working against him."
Wall said Cooper. He said he believed he was a great mayor and might have had a chance to win.
"He wants to be the mayor," Wall said. "I suggested he should run independently."
A few weeks after the May campaign began at the Italian Cultural Center, the NPA announced Magnato. We have opened a campaign office in a landmark skyscraper complex in downtown, where the wall center is located.
Thursday afternoon with Cooper's larger face and purple NPA logo and slogan It was wrapped. The entire outside of the office on the ground floor of the Wall Center on the corner of Helmacken Street and Hornby Street. By Friday morning, shortly after Cooper's resignation was announced, a man in a suit was outside the wall center, peeling a purple NPA poster through the window.
In the 2018 Vancouver election, NPA mayor candidate Kensim lost slightly to current mayor Kennedy Stewart, and NPA was elected five more councilors than any other party in 2018. rice field.
But since then, Sim and four of the five former NPA councilors have resigned from the party in this year's election, all publicly for the same reason. I opposed it.Various,Concerns about the board,Party members will have multiple new directors in 2019 After electing.
Sim , along with former NPA Cownes, is currently runningfor the emerging mayor of ABC Vancouver. Rebecca Bligh, Lisa Dominato, Sarah Kirby-Yung, former NPA coun. Colleen Hardwick is another new party, the team'smayoral candidate.
Cooper resigned on Friday without answering or answering questions And sent about Wall's comments on the NPA Board. However, in a statement released online, Cooper thanked NPA for giving him the opportunity to run with "great" candidates, adding: I have always tried to be of utmost integrity and to walk with an unwavering commitment to those who serve.
Former third-term NPA city council member Elizabeth Ball, who joined the board at the end of last year and is now Vice President, resigned on Friday the night before. He said he was surprised.
"This is John's choice. It's not our choice, but he's a great person, so whatever he does, we really support him." Ball, who worked for many years at the NPA Caucus with Cooper, said.
When asked about Wall's criticism, Ball said: … The whole board has only heard positive things about John.
Ball said she was still happy with the party's outlook, and a famous figure in Vancouver's performing arts community chose the theater metaphor.
"You are in the middle of a rehearsal and one of the leading actors is quitting or getting another job, etc., and you have to deal with that," Ball said. .. "We have to move forward and respond by looking for another candidate."
"But the show has to continue."
dfumano@postmedia.com
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