Vancouver byelection candidates differ over how best to reach voters
Chad Pawson | CBC News | Posted: March 19, 2025 12:00 PM | Last Updated: 22 hours ago
Opposition parties say ruling ABC dodging all-candidates meeting as ABC takes different approach
As Vancouver nears its April 5 two-seat byelection, candidates have been in neighbourhoods talking directly with voters at several all-candidates meetings, but two in particular have, so far, been absent.
The pass on the events by ABC Vancouver candidates Jaime Stein and Ralph Kaisers — running for the party with a current majority on council — has puzzled some voters and candidates from opposition parties who are making community-led events a central pillar of their campaigns.
"I mean, this is democracy manifest, right?" said Theodore Abbott, one of two TEAM for A Livable Vancouver byelection candidates at an event Monday in the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood.
"This is democracy in action happening."
WATCH | Questions as two candidates don't appear at all-candidate meetings:
On Monday, Abbott was one of seven candidates who individually sat at tables, available to answer questions from voters, before assembling a panel for another Q&A session altogether.
"I love meeting all these people," said the Green Party of Vancouver's candidate, Annette Reilly. "It just kind of gives me energy and uplifts me as I get to know everyone."
The all-candidates event was the latest in a series across the city aimed at allowing public access to candidates to ask them questions and hear them debate core issues facing the city, such as toxic drug poisonings, development like the Broadway plan, aging infrastructure and taxation.
Organizers of the Grandview-Woodland all-candidates meeting invited ABC Vancouver to the event, but the party declined.
"I think they were afraid to come, maybe," said Vancouver resident Yvonne Peters, who attended the Grandview Woodland event. "But it's important to be able to have conversations with people. That's what politics is all about."
WATCH | Byelection seen as defacto referendum on Vancouver's council:
Sean Orr, the candidate for the Coalition of Progressive Electors, along with others, has said the byelection is seen as a referendum on ABC Vancouver, which has been in power for more than two years of its four-year term.
In 2022, ABC ran on a platform of public safety and fiscal responsibility but has attracted criticism over decisions around supportive housing, climate policies, championing bitcoin for the city, questioning the work of the city's integrity commissioner and a move to dissolve the elected park board.
ABC elected 18 candidates across council, park board and school board in 2022, but only 13 currently remain in the party.
"I think people are really wanting change," said Orr. "But I think another thing is that they want to hear from ABC, and I think it's a real travesty that ABC isn't here to answer their questions."
250 ABC events in 50 days
ABC Vancouver's campaign manager, Stephen Carter, said the party has a different take on the utility of all-candidates meetings, saying they don't "make sense for us."
He argued his candidates, in and amongst the others, would lose time and attention for their message to voters.
Instead, Carter said the party is trying to hold 250 events in 50 days at places like Rotary clubs, cultural centres and seniors' homes.
"I think that's a far smarter plan," said Carter.
The ABC campaign has also faced controversy after Ralph Kaisers, the Vancouver Police Union president —currently on leave as he runs for council — had to apologize for using personal email addresses of union members to ask for their support.
"He's apologized," said Carter. "I hope that everybody understands that that was just a mistake."
ABC has also faced blowback after using its 2022 database to erect some 2,000 campaign signs on peoples' properties, despite some not wanting them.
One instance was the property of Coun. Rebecca Bligh's parents. Bligh was recently ejected from the party.
OneCity candidate Lucy Maloney said she views the ABC controversies as ongoing "contempt for rules," under the leadership of Mayor Ken Sim.
"On April 5th, I'm asking for your vote, so I can keep him in check, hold him to account, and fight him when he tries to do more damage to the city we love," she said in a statement.
Despite the negative attention, Carter said the party's candidates are being well received.
"It gets difficult to go into a byelection and … read the incumbents. You're never quite sure how you're going to be received," he said. "But people have been very, very open to supporting Jaime and Ralph."
Information on eligibility, and how and where to vote can be found on the city byelection web portal here.