Vancouver firefighters’ union endorses Kennedy Stewart for re-election

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The Vancouver firefighters’ union has endorsed Mayor Kennedy Stewart for re-election, together with endorsing 10 councillor candidates from 4 political events.

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“We’re fairly trustworthy to supporting people who acknowledge the problems the fireplace service in Vancouver has confronted and proven dedication via their time period,” stated Lee Lax, vice-president of Vancouver’s Native 18 of the Worldwide Affiliation of Hearth Fighters.

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“This non-majority council has been capable of actually come collectively as a physique and no less than agree on one factor: Our fireplace division wants continued funding to catch up.”

Stewart, he stated, has been supportive from the “get-go.”

Stewart welcomed the endorsement, calling it “extraordinarily essential to me.”

“The dual crises we’ve confronted with COVID and overdoses, when it comes to a metropolis division, there hasn’t been anyone that’s been hit more durable than the firefighters,” Stewart instructed Postmedia Information. “They’ve accomplished such essential work …. It’s good that they’re endorsing me, as a result of I’ve tried to help them each step of the way in which.”

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Along with Stewart, the firefighters have endorsed eight incumbent councillors: Michael Wiebe, Adriane Carr and Pete Fry from the Inexperienced social gathering, ABC Vancouver’s Lisa Dominato, Rebecca Bligh and Sarah Kirby-Yung, OneCity’s Christine Boyle, and COPE’s Jean Swanson. The opposite two council endorsements are for brand new candidates Iona Bonamis of OneCity and Devyani Singh of the Greens.

Which means the one two incumbent members of the 10-person council not endorsed by the firefighters for re-election are Colleen Hardwick, who is just not looking for one other council time period however as an alternative operating for mayor with TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, and Melissa De Genova, who’s looking for her third time period on council with the Non-Partisan Affiliation.

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Requested in regards to the determination to endorse each incumbent councillor looking for one other council time period apart from one, Lax stated: “Our relationship with the eight councillors we’re recommending for re-election, these councillors have been among the strongest and most apt to hearken to the issues of firefighters.”

“The open door that we’ve had with every a kind of councillors via this time period has been unmatched by any metropolis council that I’ve handled within the 12 years that I’ve been doing this work,” Lax stated.

The firefighters’ union had requested candidates to reply an on-line questionnaire, with questions on their commitments to funding for firefighters and priorities reminiscent of overdoses. They acquired 31 responses from eight events.

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The firefighters’ announcement comes simply after a sequence of high-profile endorsements within the Vancouver election. This consists of final week’s announcement that the Vancouver Police Union was, for the primary time in its historical past, publicly backing a candidate, saying they consider Ken Sim and an ABC majority can be the town’s best choice.

Sim referred to as the endorsement an “honour,” however some observers have criticized the event. Progress Vancouver mayoral candidate Mark Marissen wrote on Twitter: “Ken Sim made a grave error in judgment by accepting this endorsement and shamelessly pandering to chase it.”

“This isn’t like an everyday union,” Marissen wrote. “They’ve weapons. We don’t.”

Sean Orr, a council candidate with a brand new social gathering referred to as VOTE Socialist, confirmed up uninvited at a candidates’ discussion board hosted by the Vancouver Police Union final week, waving a banner studying: “Police out of politics.”

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Not like the police union, the Vancouver firefighters’ union has repeatedly endorsed candidates in municipal elections up to now.

Election day is Oct. 15.

dfumano@postmedia.com

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