I鈥檓 sure all of you municipal politics junkies might have overdosed on the amount of written and broadcast Thursday about Shauna Sylvester announcing that she鈥檚 running as an independent for mayor of Vancouver.
Well, I鈥檝e got another one.
It鈥檚 about Sylvester deciding not to run for mayor.
Say what?
That鈥檚 right, Sylvester told a couple of reporters after her official launch that she would shut down her campaign if someone else stepped up who can 鈥渦nify this city in a way that I cannot.鈥�
I asked: Would that someone be Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr, who still hasn鈥檛 ruled out a mayoral run?
鈥淚 think Adriane has made a decision to only run as a Green candidate,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I think that would suggest that she can鈥檛 unify this city, if she鈥檚 only going to run as a Green candidate.鈥�
Well, well, well鈥arr can鈥檛 unify the city?
I called up Carr and read her that exact quote.
鈥淚t鈥檚 true that I鈥檝e indicated that I鈥檓 ready and willing to run, but as a Green,鈥� she said, pointing out her long history with the party. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about transparency for me, it鈥檚 about being genuine, it鈥檚 about being honest. The public knows I鈥檓 a Green.鈥�
She continued: 鈥淲here Shauna is wrong is that being Green doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 unify. I am working all the time at the council table to unify council. Greens, actually, in many circumstances around the world are a unifying force鈥攃ollaborative in the style of politics, eschewing hyper partisanship.鈥�
Carr said Sylvester鈥檚 entry into the mayoral race doesn鈥檛 change her plan to meet with OneCity, COPE and Vision 麻豆传媒映画to gauge whether those parties would endorse her as a mayoral candidate. Sylvester, for the record, doesn鈥檛 yet have the support of any of those parties.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 the candidate that the other parties say, 鈥榊ep, she鈥檚 got the best chance to win, she鈥檚 got that experience and the collaborative style that we鈥檙e looking for,鈥� then I鈥檒l run for mayor,鈥� Carr said. 鈥淚f I don鈥檛 get that support, then my chances to win go way down.鈥�
Interestingly, Carr said she and Sylvester had telephone conversations leading up to Sylvester鈥檚 announcement Thursday. Carr鈥檚 understanding from those conversations was that Sylvester would step aside if Carr were to run for mayor as a Green, which is not what Sylvester said in Thursday鈥檚 scrum.
鈥淪he indicated to me that if I stepped forward, and if I declare as the mayoral candidate, she wouldn鈥檛 run,鈥� Carr said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how she鈥檚 interpreting when I say 鈥榬unning.鈥� So I鈥檓 clear with you, I鈥檝e never changed my position since the AGM of the Green Party, which is I鈥檓 ready and willing to run [as a Green].鈥� 聽
Carr was clear that she does not want to have her and Sylvester battle it out at the ballot box. That competition for centre-left votes, she said, would give rise to the Non-Partisan Association.
Carr does not want a repeat of last October鈥檚 byelection, where four candidates on the left siphoned off each other鈥檚 votes and gave the NPA鈥檚 Hector Bremner a clear path to victory.
Carr couldn鈥檛 say when she鈥檒l make a decision on a mayoral run, but expects it be sooner than later.
鈥淚鈥檓 not foolish enough to run, if I don鈥檛 think I have a good chance to win,鈥� she said of the fight for the mayor's seat, which will be left vacant by the retiring Mayor Gregor Robertson.
When I spoke to Sylvester earlier in the week, I suggested it was a gamble to announce her candidacy for mayor without confirming support from OneCity, COPE, the Greens and Vision Vancouver.
Her response: 鈥淎nd that is a gamble I鈥檓 willing to take.鈥�
The election is Oct. 20.
@Howellings
