[whatnext]

Can't say I'm in favour of it. "Vancouver First" has a parochial feel about it. Indeed, its one of the big flaws of Vision that they govern with no sense of responsibility to Vancouver's place and importance in Metro.

One of Canada’s oldest civic political organizations will decide next week whether to scrap the moniker that has held Vancouver’s mayor’s seat for five of the past seven decades.

Next Tuesday, Non-Partisan Association members will vote at a general meeting whether to adopt the name “Vancouver First” or move forward under their traditional banner...
http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/local/article/559038--npa-mulls-adopting-new-name

[WarrenC12]

So, the most hypocritically named party in the region is now going for a cheeseball name? I guess it's an improvement. Although it does make me cringe, similar to the "Best Place on Earth" tourism arrogance.

[nova9]

if vancouver was a country, this party name makes it seems like a ultranationalist organization - think, "England First" type slogans.

[red-paladin]

Better than Non-Partisan Association, the 'We're not a party' Party.
That's about as honest a name as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

[osirisboy]

im glad they wanna change the name NPA always reminds me of NRA

[officedweller]

So what happens when Surrey First and Vancouver First meet up at the Metro Vancouver Board Meetings?

[flight_from_kamakura]

^ hah! "there'll be winners and there'll be losers..."

[whatnext]

So, the most hypocritically named party in the region is now going for a cheeseball name? I guess it's an improvement. Although it does make me cringe, similar to the "Best Place on Earth" tourism arrogance.

That's not really true. If you look at the diversity in the NPA from Peter Ladner (almost a copy of Vision's Roberston through Philip Owen (conservative but brought in 4 Pillars) to Gordon Price there's quite a range of views.

[Waders]

Case settled.
Vancouver's Non-Partisan Association decides to keep name
NPA Canada's oldest civic party
By Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun June 29, 2010 8:02 PM

VANCOUVER - Members of Vancouver’s Non-Partisan Association, Canada’s oldest civic party, have decided not to ditch the name.

Saying the venerable name of the party, first formed in 1937, is worth preserving, members of the NPA voted 36 to six against a motion that would see the party renamed Vancouver First.

“Don’t let the NPA shoot itself in the foot again,” Charles Flavell, a long-time NPA member and owner of Purdy’s Chocolates, implored his colleagues just before the vote. “My plea is to not destroy the brand. If Purdy’s was in trouble, I would have changed the direction. I would not have dared to change the name.”

The idea to drop NPA in favour of Vancouver First arose in the wake of the NPA’s disastrous showing in the 2008 civic election, when Gregor Robertson’s Vision Vancouver and the Coalition of Progressive Electors took all but one of the seats on council. It was an ignominious defeat for a party that for more than half a century had controlled the mayor’s seat.

Divisive infighting among NPA supporters over the city’s growing drug and homeless issues and former mayor Sam Sullivan’s handling of them were largely blamed for the election outcome in which only two NPA members were elected; Suzanne Anton at council and Ian Robertson at park board

Bill McCreery, a former The Electors Action Movement (TEAM) member who proposed the name change, argued that the NPA name was no longer inclusive and that changing it to Vancouver First would help erase a dark stain on the city’s electoral history. Vancouver First “is a clear, unambiguous” alternative to NPA, he argued.

Most of the four dozen people in the room disagreed with him, including Anton, Robertson and NPA president Michael Davis. They all argued that the name NPA was too valuable and that the party would gain voter support in the 2011 election.

The NPA’s constitution set a high bar for changing the name; it required 75 per cent of those present to vote in the affirmative. But McCreery could only muster six votes ouf of 42 eligible.

McCreery said later he will continue to support the NPA despite his loss.

jefflee@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver+Partisan+Association+decides+keep+name/3217881/story.html#ixzz0sJLgtZwE

[whatnext]

:previous: Smart move. As the article pointed out, the NPA has lost control mainly when its starts infighting (ie. after pushing out Philip Owen and Sam Sullivan. Perhaps the infighting is not surprising since its a "big tent" party).

I'd be interested to see who their mayoral nominee will be. It is time white males (of a mainly Scottish/Anglo background) lost their lock on that position.

[flight_from_kamakura]

wow, 42 people.

the future's so bright, these senior citizens have to wear shades. to the crematorium.

[EastVanMark]

...am surprised they didn't commission a "study" regarding the name change and then decide to do nothing since that's pretty much all they ever did in their recent history. Guess this time they just skipped a step and moved right to the "do nothing" part.