VANCOUVER

Vancouver-False Creek: Political newcomers aim to beat former mayor Sam Sullivan

Alissa Thibault
Published Monday, October 5, 2020 7:20PM PDT

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VANCOUVER -- Vancouver-False Creek is a relatively new riding, only created in 2009, and has only been held by the Liberals since then.

This provincial election, former Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan is aiming for a third term as the riding's MLA.

In 2017, Sullivan won by 415 votes over the NDP candidate, Morgane Oger.

Liberals

Sullivan tells CTV News he has one focus for the election: street disorder.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the NDP Government purchased the Howard Johnson hotel on Granville Street to house those living in tents or on the streets. But crime and disorder around the hotel increased, leading to some residents saying they felt unsafe in their own neighbourhoods.

"There are people who are selling and moving out. I think we need to do something very strong," Sullivan said. "I believe that the NDP has made some decisions that were wrong and they need to be corrected, and we need to bring safety back to our neighbourhoods and for people with addictions who are dying in terrible numbers under the government's watch."

NDP

Trying to flip the riding for the NDP is political newcomer Brenda Bailey. She has a background in business and tech, having founded two startups, including Silicon Sisters Interactive, Canada's first woman-owned and -run video game studio.

Bailey's main focus is housing affordability.

"My decision to run really came from having lived in Vancouver-False Creek for almost a decade and seeing the increase in difficulty people are having finding places to live," Bailey told CTV News. "We know that with the Liberal government, we saw an increase in the lack of affordable housing. I'm very concerned that if the BC Liberals win we're going to see the speculation tax cut."

Bailey is also promising to push for a school to be built in Olympic Village, and to use her experience to build B.C.'s tech industry.

Greens

The Greens are also running with a political newcomer, young scientist Maayan Kreitzman.

The 33-year-old has just finished a PhD with the Department for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia and is also a community organizer with Extinction Rebellion Vancouver.

"I stepped up because we need more scientists in politics, and I'm a young scientist, and we need those voices to be in the political realm so that scientists actually get listened to," Kreitzman said. "There was a real need for candidates in the snap election so I felt I was called into service."

Kreitzman wants a government more focused on sustainability.

"We need to implement transformative changes to our economy so that we can live sustainably and thrive within an ecosystem and that means that we have to stop the billions that are going to fracking and gas subsidies," she said.