Michael Davis, former NPA president, joins Vision Vancouver campaign
Davis says the Non-Partisan Association has become a party of angry, narrow people
With less than two weeks before the municipal elections, former NPA president Michael Davis has joined Vision Vancouver claiming the Non-Partisan Association has become a party of narrow, angry people.
Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson introduced Davis at a news conference Wednesday morning.
"The NPA has moved further and further to the right, a monochromatic party of angry people afraid of losing what they have," said Davis. "It’s not so much that I left the NPA, as the NPA left me."
Davis says back in its glory days, the NPA was a giant tent with room for everyone, but now doesn't even have an open nomination process. He claimed the batch of current candidates were appointed in a closed door session.
"Their qualifications are unknown, their promises unheard," said Davies. "Who knows what was said?"
Robertson says he is "thrilled" to have secured Davis's endorsement.
NPA reaction: Good for him
When NPA mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe was told Davis had changed sides he replied, "OK, good for him."
Asked about Davis's characterization of the NPA as a party of narrow, angry people, LaPointe said Davis should read the party's platform.
"I'm about feeding hungry children. I'm about a new dialogue to help deal with the homeless, that a lot of our policies are quite progressive economically and I'm sorry, I don't agree with that characterization."
With files from the CBC's Tim Weekes