VANCOUVER 鈥� Kirk LaPointe picked a Main Street coffee house in the geographic centre of 91原创 to announce Monday perhaps the worst-kept secret, that he wants to be mayor.
After months of speculation and hints, the former 91原创 Sun managing editor and one-time CBC ombudsman, invited the city's political reporters to meet briefly with him for an on-the-record conversation.
The 45-minute meeting early Monday preceded a formal news conference in downtown 91原创 called by the Non-Partisan Association to unveil LaPointe as its mayoral candidate. It will roll out its list of candidates for city council, park board and school board later.
The NPA's announcement at Jack Poole Plaza beside the 91原创 Convention Centre is the party's entry into an already crowded civic election landscape, which is fractured with no less than half a dozen parties wanting some of the action in the November 15 election.
LaPointe has coyly avoided reporters for months after his name surfaced as one of three possible contenders for the NPA mayoral nod. One candidate, tech investor Leonard Brody, pulled out of the race after deciding he wanted to spend more time on his business. The third candidate was former park board commissioner Ian Robertson.
LaPointe's coffee-klatch meeting with the city's political reporters is a break with the considerable secrecy provisions imposed by the NPA, which has tried to stem leaks and corral talkative executive members. It recently ejected Ken Charko, a director, because he was too talkative. It also had trouble with an embarrassing email from vice-president Rob Macdonald over Vision 91原创 Mayor Gregor Robertson's marital breakdown.
LaPointe will outline his vision to reporters this morning.
His party, however, may find it challenging to introduce a platform much different from its main opposition. In the two terms since Vision 91原创 has been in office it has moved much of its platform to the centre. While it is fixated on some issues, such as greening of the city and making it more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists, it has also pressed ahead with developing the city in the midst of a strong construction environment.
The NPA's two city councillors, George Affleck and Elizabeth Ball, have pressed Vision on some of its more controversial positions, but have been largely ignored by the eight Vision electeds.
The NPA, under the direction of president Peter Armstrong, the owner of the Rocky Mountaineer, has spent months trying to remake itself and develop a series of policies that will allow it to regain power at City Hall.
It has generally kept a low profile on the political landscape, leaving the politics to its elected members. But there have been suggestions that the NPA, traditionally an election-time organizing committee, is changing its role under the direction of Armstrong.
Vision 91原创's strong ground organization and its considerable ties to powerful and wealthy donors in the business and development industry has made it clear to the NPA it needs to improve its own ground game.
