Vancouver-Fairview (Byelection)

The following is an information page for the upcoming by-election for Vancouver-Fairview.

When is by-election occuring?

October 29, 2008.

Does whoever that wins the by-election still have to run for the general election on May 12, 2009?

Yes. In theory they also have to be nominated by their party again, but presumably that will be an expedited process, assuming they do win the by-election.

That candidate could win in the by-election and lose their seat again in the general election; an example in the past was in Alberta’s June 12, 2007 by-election of Calgary Elbow – it was previously a Conservative seat (outgoing Premier Ralph Klein’s) and then became Liberal in the by-election. In the March 3, 2008 general election, Calgary Elbow became a Conservative seat again.

What were the 2005 results? (Ref: Wikipedia)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Gregor Robertson	13,009	46.59%
	BC Liberal	Virginia Greene	12,114	43.39%
	Green	Hamdy El-Rayes	2,479	8.88%
	Sex Party	Patrick Gallagher Clark	121	0.43%
	Central Party	Scott Yee	102	0.37%
	Work Less	Malcolm Janet Mary van Delst	95	0.34%

What were the poll-by-poll results?

Elections BC Vancouver-Fairview 2005 Statement of Votes (pdf).

What was the support and voter turnout in the 2005 election?

Maps illustrating the 2005 split of votes in the riding, and the voter turnout are as follows – click for an enhanced view:

Who is likely to win this by-election?

See analysis on July 15 and July 16.

Candidates

Jodie Emery – British Columbia Marijuana Party
Wilf Hanni – BC Conservative Party
Margaret MacDiarmid – BC Liberal Party
Jenn McGinn – New Democratic Party of B.C.
Jane Sterk – Green Party of BC

Questions

Asked on October 24, 2008 via e-mail / e-mail form on internet campaign site:

1. What is the number one major issue LOCALLY facing the people of Vancouver-Fairview, opposed to a provincial issue?
2. If you were elected MLA of Vancouver-Fairview, what specific measures would you do between November 2008 and April 2009 to address this issue?

Answers to Questions (in order of receipt)

Wilf Hanni – BC Conservative Party

The number one issue facing the residents of Vancouver – Fairview and indeed all British Columbia residents, is the economy. With the World’s economy in recession and with the possibility that it could turn into a world wide depression, people are rightfully concerned about the possibility of losing their jobs or seeing their life’s savings wiped out, leaving nothing for their retirement.

Premier Campbell recently took a few small steps in the right direction to address this issue with his 10 point economic plan. Unfortunately, he did not go far enough. He should have repealed the carbon tax, cut personal taxes further and announced a more ambitious infrastructure plan. In addition, he should have recalled the Legislature, immediately and not waited until the end of November, so that this situation could be adddressed before it gets worse.

As the MLA for Vancouver – Fairview, and the Leader of the BC Conservative Party in opposition, I will have far more power to speak out than any government Liberal or opposition NDP backbencher. I will use that power to inform the public about what is happening in the Legislature and to put pressure on Premier Campbell to implement the changes that are necessary.

Jane Sterk – Green Party of BC

1. I don’t think there is just one issue so I will start there and then narrow it down to one for the purpose of your survey. I find the Vancouver Fairview riding quite diverse so it is difficult to pinpoint one issue. I was dropping literature in Shaughnessy this morning and that area is distinctly different from other parts of the riding as is False Creek, Arbutus, etc. I was talking to people along Cambie at 16th and they felt that the whole neighbourhood had changed as a result of the construction of the rapid transit line – forever reducing the sense of community, destroying long term small businesses and generally reducing the traffic (pedestrian and otherwise) that helped add life and a sense of excitement and uniqueness to the community. In Fairview there is evidence of strong locally owned small and mid-sized businesses that have been there for a long time. However, business owners I have talked to suggest that there are economic pressures that some feel they may not survive for the long term – from high municipal tax rates to pressure from chains. As each local business gets replaced by a national or international chain, the whole character of Vancouver Fairview changes from something that is diverse and attractive to the kind of sameness of neighbourhood that characterizes so many of our communities these days. I talked to the owner of a second had book store and he said there are few left in Fairview and no feminist books stores while the Chapters at Granville and Broadway has lots of customers. Subtle but profound changes! I find the public transit to be very good in Fairview. Traffic is a problem everywhere and made more difficult by ongoing construction on many roads in the riding. I haven’t biked in Fairview but many roads lack dedicated bike lanes although friends tell me there are safe bike corridors in the riding. This, however, feels like a regional issue.

So, my selection for the number one issue is support for small business so we preserve the local character and diverse neighbourhoods in Vancouver Fairview including assistance for the recovery of local businesses along the Cambie corridor.

2. The specific measures I would undertake between November and April to address this issue are as follows:

* I would spend time visiting locally owned businesses to better understand what support they feel they need from the provincial government and/or municipal government
* As I gain a better understanding of the issue from those in business, I would advocate on behalf of these small business issues with municipal council, with the government ministers and in the legislature, and with ministry staff in an effort to find collaborative, implementable ideas to address this important business sector.

Jodie Emery – British Columbia Marijuana Party

The number one issue facing the people of Vancouver-Fairview is prohibition. Prohibition of drugs is related to every other important aspect in our city, from policing to housing, crime to health care.

The amount of money spent on enforcing marijuana laws, arresting and processing people, keeping prisoners in jails, and hunting down grow-ops would all be better spent building new hospitals, schools, and housing.

Homes that have marijuana growing inside would be better used for families; marijuana growing should be done in greenhouses on farmland just like other plants and produce. Hospital beds would better serve the community than prison beds, and ensuring a safer supply of drugs outside of the illegal market would cut down on property crime dramatically.

Prohibition enriches organized crime. Criminals control everything about illegal drugs, which means the manufacture, distribution, prices and purity/safety are not regulated by proper standards. Organized crime benefits from prohibition, and that means they will fight with violence to maintain control of their territory. Prohibition creates crime, just like prohibition of alcohol created gangs, violence, and unsafe product.

If I was elected MLA of Vancouver-Fairview, I would repeal prohibition of marijuana, end prosecutions of marijuana users and growers, transfer the control of drugs from federal to provincial control, and re prioritize police budgets to be more effective in stopping dangerous crimes. Homes would be built and hospitals upgraded instead of spending millions on expanding prisons and police budgets.

Margaret MacDiarmid – BC Liberal Party – No answer.
Jenn McGinn – New Democratic Party of B.C. – No answer.