Straight Talk

Allan Wong jumps off COPE executive

by Carlito Pablo on October 30th, 2013 at 9:56 AM
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      The Coalition of Progressive Electors has lost its only elected Vancouver politician from its board.

      In yet another indication of internal cracks, the resignation of school-board trustee Allan Wong follows the recent departure of ex–MLA David Chudnovsky and former council candidate Rafael “R J” Aquino from the left-wing party’s executive.

      Wong is the only survivor of the rout suffered by COPE in the 2011 election. Its electoral partner, the ruling Vision Vancouver party, got all its candidates elected to council, park board, and school board.

      The four-term trustee told the Straight that he “removed” himself from the executive so he can focus on the one thing that interests him the most.

      “My efforts have always been with regards with education, and that’s where I would like to spend a majority or most of my time,” Wong said in a phone interview.

      The school trustee emphasized that his withdrawal wasn’t coordinated with the earlier resignations. The board is currently controlled by members who want COPE to divorce itself from Vision and run its own mayoral candidate and slates in next year’s election.

      The Straight asked internal chair Tim Louis if Wong’s exit is a setback for the civic organization. “I think that we are now moving faster and working harder to rebuild COPE than I have witnessed in the 40 years that I’ve been associated with COPE,” Louis responded on the phone.

      The lawyer and former city councillor added that the party recognizes that Wong has a full plate with his full-time job, duties as a school-board trustee, and responsibilities as a father of four.

      “We respect entirely the fact that he’s decided to not attend executive meetings,” Louis said. “And that would give him even more time to go to bat for and to be an advocate for the city of Vancouver’s children.”

      Comments

      7 Comments

      G

      Oct 30, 2013 at 10:34am

      Hopefully this is building up towards COPE running a full slate next election rather than being puppets for Vision. By associating themselves with Vision COPE has become a developer party by proxy whilst giving Vision the ability to trot out "social justice" issues when convenient. Vision is a party for developers & the wealthy wrapping their true intentions in the "controversial" bike lanes. The bulk of the left in Vancouver has bought into the concept of the bike as a symbol of progressive government and goose step right along even as developers are given the keys to the city. Vision is not a "progressive" party. Their first duty is to enrich their donors like Joel Solomon and the development community: activities they have mastered.

      Heather

      Oct 30, 2013 at 10:37am

      I don't know what this means, but our housing is so unaffordable because of Vision's destruction of affordable housing that enrollment is dropping in our schools. We need a strong opposition.

      I hope this signals more work on the ground to oppose the developers.

      A Successful COPE

      Oct 30, 2013 at 10:42am

      Is not a vehicle for Tim Louis' ego, but try telling him that

      Or anything else

      Tim Louis, the only person who still believes that Larry Campbell rode HIS coattails into office

      Destroying COPE

      Oct 30, 2013 at 1:16pm

      Chudnovsky and Wong's acts are part of a long attempt of VIsion supporters within COPE to demobilize COPE (turn it into an adjunt of Vision) and now that they've lost control of the executive, to destroy COPY (Aquino was a no show as far attending meetings, so he doesn't warrant a comment).

      lost your only elected

      Oct 30, 2013 at 6:32pm

      “I think that we are now moving faster and working harder to rebuild COPE than I have witnessed in the 40 years that I’ve been associated with COPE,” Louis responded on the phone.

      And you lost your only elected? Working harder than ever to drive people away from COPE when we need an accessible and broad-based progressive party the most in this city. More delusions from the predictably self-righteous and self-important Tim Louis.

      How many exec board mtgs has Allan Wong ever attended?

      Oct 31, 2013 at 8:53am

      I wish your reporter had asked Mr Wong how many past executive board meetings he has attended. I think we would have learned that Mr Wong has attended very few meetings and given very little input. Like so many of the pro-Vision group, Wong has been notable in his absence and the board was seen as a rubber stamp for pro-Vision decisions. His notice that he is 'stepping down' has little impact because he rarely 'stepped up' to participate.

      Re:Pro-Vision-ary

      Oct 31, 2013 at 10:25am

      I think it's cute that the self-righteous and self-important ideological hardliners are so focused on the juice boogeyman and his greenmen that their paranoia has them alienating the very people that agree with them in principle but are capable of talking to the public without frothing at the mouth.

      And of course Allan feels out of place... Why would he, an elected School Board Trustee, stay with a party that elects someone to the executive that's a self-proclaimed "proud high school dropout". Yeah, that's the message we want to send to our kids.

      The only thing this group knows is how to be angry and how to rally angry people around them. Anger masked in indignation and academic posturing. That's the most wrongheaded way to build public support.