Vancouver 1st explained

Vancouver 1st
Subheader:Active municipal party
Leader:Fred Harding
Founder:Jesse Johl
Dissolution:2018
Headquarters:1275 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver
Ideology:Libertarian conservatism
Position:Right-wing
Membership:1,000[1]
Membership Year:2013
Colorcode:
  1. 013D79
Blank1 Title:Fiscal policy
Blank2 Title:Social policy
Seats1 Title:Seats in the House of Commons
Seats2 Title:Seats in the Senate
Seats3 Title:Seats on City Council
Seats4 Title:Seats on Park Board
Seats5 Title:Seats on School Board
Slogan:"Putting Vancouver First."
Country:Canada
State:Vancouver
Parties Dab1:Municipal political parties in Vancouver
Elections Dab1:Municipal elections in Vancouver

Vancouver 1st was a municipal political party in Vancouver, British Columbia. It supported the mayoral candidacy of Fred Harding, a retired West Vancouver police officer, in the 2018 municipal election.[2]

History

Vancouver 1st was founded in mid-2013 by Jesse Johl as a "pro-business, pro-development" anti-establishment municipal party.[3] None of Vancouver 1st's 13 candidates won in the 2014 municipal election.

Fred Harding, Vancouver 1st's mayoral candidate for the 2018 municipal election, received 5,645 votes and placed 6th in the mayoral race. Fred Handing would later become the mayoral candidate for the Non-Partisan Association for the 2022 Vancouver municipal election,[4] and Vancouver 1st would not participate.

Ideology

Vancouver 1st claims to be a "big tent, libertarian-minded party" that prioritizes residents and taxpayers. The party advocates for lower taxes and small government.[5]

Vancouver 1st does not support SOGI 123, a resource package made for teachers and school administrators to help avoid discrimination in their curriculum based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). This caused one of the party's school board candidates, Tony Dong, to quit the party a week before the 2018 municipal election.[6] [7]

Platform

2014

For the 2014 municipal election, Vancouver 1st's party platform included, among other things:

2018

In October 2018, Vancouver 1st promised to negotiate the return of the Vancouver Grizzlies and construct a "world class" NBA stadium in southern Vancouver.[8] The party also promised to get Vancouver a franchise spot in the MLB and construct an MLB stadium in the same area as the NBA stadium. Additionally, Vancouver 1st said it would reverse a decision made by the provincial government in early 2018 to exclude Vancouver from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[9]

Electoral results

Mayoral! Election year! Candidate! Votes! %! Position! Result
2014NoneN/AN/AN/ADid not contest
2018Fred Harding5,6453.256th
Vancouver City Council! Election year! Votes! %! Seats! +/–
201445,508
201880,8555.79

Notes and References

  1. News: Pablo . Carlito . Vancouver First is the latest new civic party to challenge Vision and the NPA . October 27, 2018 . The Georgia Straight . October 2, 2013 . en.
  2. News: Seyd . Jane . Former West Van police officer vies for Vancouver mayor's chair . October 29, 2018 . North Shore News . September 12, 2018.
  3. News: Johl . Jesse . Vancouver First . 29 October 2018 . Vancouver Courier . October 30, 2014.
  4. News: McElroy . Justin . August 30, 2022 . NPA names Fred Harding as its new Vancouver mayoral candidate . CBC News . 2 September 2022.
  5. Web site: About Us Vancouver 1st . www.vancouver1st.ca . October 29, 2018.
  6. News: Little . Simon . Vancouver 1st school board candidate breaks with party over SOGI video . October 29, 2018 . Global News . October 13, 2018 . en.
  7. News: Bacchus . Tommy . Vancouver 1st VSB candidate quits party over anti-SOGI video . October 29, 2018 . The Georgia Straight . October 12, 2018 . en.
  8. News: Mooney . Harrison . Vancouver 1st party pledges to bring NBA back to the city . October 29, 2018 . Vancouver Sun . October 6, 2018.
  9. News: Chan . Kenneth . Vancouver 1st Party promises to bring back the NBA with a new stadium . October 29, 2018 . Daily Hive . October 6, 2018 . en.