I predict the Together Victoria candidate will win Victoria鈥檚 upcoming byelection and the majority, headed by Ben Isitt and his second-in-command, Jeremy Loveday, (and ambassador for 鈥渟top hurting our feelings鈥�) will continue their ideological agenda 鈥� which clearly the voters of Victoria want.
We have to respect the wishes of the voters, even if our candidates don鈥檛 win. In the U.S., say 鈥渁bortion鈥� and most Republicans will vote for the most repulsive person sitting in the White House. In South Africa, despite years of outrageous corruption, most Blacks support the African National Congress because they brought sorely-needed racial equality to their country.
In Victoria, just say 鈥減rogressive鈥� and regardless of your credentials, you鈥檙e elected. For decades, I鈥檝e called myself progressive, with big donations and activist work, along with money and support to the provincial NDP and the federal Liberals, but clearly I鈥檓 not progressive enough.
How else do you explain people voting in the entire Together Victoria slate? It鈥檚 no wonder Isitt, who heads this group, wants more money for a part-time job. I can鈥檛 imagine a less-qualified slate of candidates who are in charge of overseeing the city鈥檚 annual budget of more than $300 million each and every year.
Look at the resum茅s of these people and it鈥檚 no wonder they need more time to figure things out. But again, that鈥檚 the choice of the voters.
To get elected to Victoria council you have to either be: An incumbent; on a slate; or a 鈥渟tar.鈥�
We can eliminate any 鈥渟tars鈥� by having them observe just one council meeting. Yet there are some very good and very qualified candidates with good name recognition.
With the NewCouncil slate, I had some, due to my taking on the province and the city over their destructive creation and handling of the tent city. Clearly, however, my name recognition wasn鈥檛 enough. (No, I don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 a star and I won鈥檛 be running.)
Another person with name recognition is Stephen Andrew, part of our NewCouncil slate. Andrew got more votes than any other council candidates who didn鈥檛 win (not Pam Madoff).
The top six 鈥渘on-winners鈥� included four of our NewCouncil slate. But clearly our quest to bring back common sense, fiscal responsibility and safety wasn鈥檛 enough 鈥� again, the will of the voters.
When I read the letters to the editor, I chuckle when people write that Isitt and his group better watch out next election.
Isitt doesn鈥檛 have to watch out. He can insult a large swath of the electorate and still top the charts because he spends most of his council time returning each and every email, text and message.
That鈥檚 one of the qualities of the late Rob Ford, the former mayor of Toronto. No, I鈥檓 not comparing Ford鈥檚 many flaws 鈥� I鈥檓 saying that Ford got virtually no council support for his wacky ideas as councillor, but since he returned every phone call, enough of the people of Toronto thought that was good enough to be mayor.
Isitt getting back to you will be enough to win his next job: Mayor.
And for those who get on their high horses saying, 鈥渨e don鈥檛 want slates,鈥� good luck with that. The Grumpy Taxpayers have condemned slates and I recall the sa国际传媒 coming out against them.
I hate to break it to you, but Together Victoria isn鈥檛 thinking, 鈥済osh, they have a point 鈥� let鈥檚 disband our group.鈥�
Just watch. Next election, Together Victoria will run even more than a simple majority. In addition to their 鈥減rogressive鈥� banner, their quid pro quo included substantial union and bike-lane proponent support. Why do you think that immediately upon taking office, council added jobs to the payroll and fast-tracked more bike lanes?
Until like-minded people get together, with proper financial backing, to support fiscal responsibility, an end to the outrageous tax and user-fee increases, governing within their own jurisdiction, and caring about the safety and security of Victoria residents, you will get what I affectionately call 鈥淟oopyville鈥� to continue.
It鈥檚 the will of the people.
Stephen Hammond came in second to聽Mayor Lisa Helps in October 2018 on the NewCouncil slate.
