Royal City Record October 31 2014

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N E W

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2014

W E S T M I N S T E R

INSIDE TODAY: Q and A with radio host Drex P11



NEWS,

SPORTS,

OPINION

&

ENTERTAINMENT

THE MACHINE:

BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com

Just how significant is an endorsement from the New Westminster and District Labour Council? Does an endorsement from “the machine” clinch a spot on city council or school board? Although the labour council has been endorsing candidates since the 1960s, criticisms of “the machine,” as its critics have called it, have ramped up in recent years. Once fodder among local politicos, including some who failed in their attempts to get elected, the issue is now front and centre in the community. Questions at a mayoral forum held earlier this week focused on the issue, including a question posed by the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce. First-time independent councillor can-

 www.royalcityrecord.com

What is it? And, are civic candidates guaranteed a win if they have the labour council’s stamp of approval?

didate Catherine Cartwright acknowledges body on council had huge contributions from corporations and developers,” he it “will be extremely hard” to compete said. “Labour is an endorseagainst the labour machine. ment. It’s not a huge endorseShe said she’s not anti-union, MORE ON THIS ment, but it’s an endorsement.” but believes city council should School board: Critics, however, say nonbe balanced and reflect the Does union support endorsed candidates can’t comcommunity’s diversity. guarantee a win? pete with the financial contribu“Not everyone that works See page 3 tions from unions, phone banks in the community is of that and volunteers from unions that same political inclination,” she How it works: Everybody gets an are affiliated with the labour recently told The Record. “In interview. council. fact, I think there is too much See page 5 Calvin Donnelly, who has interference from other levels served numerous terms as an of government, quietly, on Editor’s letter: independent councillor, said he council.” The problem with believes the labour candidates’ Coun. Chuck Puchmayr, a slates in civic politics. ability to get people out to the former NDP New Westminster See page 6 polls on election day is more MLA, disagrees that the labourimportant than the money that endorsed candidates make it unions donate to the election campaigns. hard for others to get elected. The New Westminster and District “For years, the concern was that every-

Labour Council has a long history of endorsing candidates in civic elections – and a pretty good record of getting people elected. In 2011, it endorsed eight candidates for council and school board – and all of them got elected. This year, the labour council is recommending candidates in New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Langley Township, Maple Ridge, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Surrey, Delta, Langley City and Pitt Meadows. Before getting endorsed by the labour council, candidates must submit an application and be interviewed by a committee of eight to 12 representatives from unions affiliated with the labour council. Questions relate to a candidate’s community involvement, stance on climate change and environmental issues, and ideas on ◗Endorsement Page 5

Waiting for WOW

BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com

It’s unlikely an “iconic” piece of public art will be installed on New Westminster’s waterfront before the end of the year. Earlier this year, New Westminster city council agreed to proceed with three installations as part of the Vancouver Biennale. The plan would have seen Blue Trees by Konstantin Dimopolous on Columbia Street, Public Furniture/Urban Trees by Hugo Franca installed at a to-be-determined location and WOW New Westminster by Jose Resende located at Westminster Pier Park. Along with being the most controversial of the three installations, WOW New Westminster is also proving to be the most complicated. “It’s unfortunate. At the moment there is not much progress,” said Ammar Mahimwalla, Vancouver Biennale’s projects coordinator of the

For more info, scan with Layar Artist’s rendition/CONTRIBUTED/THE RECORD

Missing in action: An artist’s conception of the proposed WOW New Westminster, by Jose Resende, which is slated to come to Westminster Pier Park. It’s one of three pieces of public art destined for New West through the Vancouver Biennale. The projects have been pushed back to next year.

◗Biennale Page 8

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