Hot Topic
With voting day just around the corner WE city reporter Jessica Barrett sat down individually with the front-runners for the mayor’s chair. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say on Monday, Nov. 14 on affordable housing, corporate campaign donations and — you guessed it — Occupy Vancouver. Visit WEVancouver.com for complete transcripts.
On whether Occupy Vancouver is a relevant election issue:
“The election is about leadership and the lack of leadership and the lack of direction around Occupy Vancouver has been a real demonstration of the mayor’s leadership style.” — Suzanne Anton
“It certainly isn’t impacting the vast majority of the city at all and isn’t going to last very far into the next term of office. I’m convinced the key priorities of affordable housing, transportation, vibrant city, job creation — those are the big elements.” — Gregor Robertson
On affordable rental housing:
“We’ll aggressively pursue federal and provincial support. That’s the approach to get below-market housing, otherwise we’re counting on the market.” — GR
“I just want to build more housing. I think that is the only real answer... I do not need to subsidize rentals because the market place is building rentals for me.” — SA
On the amount of corporate donations received in this campaign:
“I do not know. These are questions you’d have to talk to our campaign manager about.” — SA
“I’m not directly in the loop on that.” — GR
... And whether they’d release that info before you head to the polls:
“I don’t think it’s feasible now; we’re only a few days away.” — GR
“It’s a bit complicated to do that, I think.” — SA
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