Non-Partisan Association
Encyclopedia
The Non-Partisan Association (NPA) is a civic-level electoral organization in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
. There are, and have also been in the past, Non-Partisan Association political parties in the nearby municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond
and Surrey
.
The NPA was established in 1937 to counteract the rise of the democratic socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
. The party is generally perceived as centre-right
within the Vancouver political spectrum. Encompassing a broad coalition, it draws its strongest support from the business community and Vancouver's neighbourhoods on the west and south side.
Peter Ladner
was the NPA's nominee for mayor in the 2008 Vancouver civic election
on November 15, 2008, but lost to Gregor Robertson
, the candidate for Vision Vancouver
. The NPA's electoral platform suggested that an NPA government would focus on reducing crime, improving housing affordability, leveraging the 2010 Winter Olympics
, protecting the environment, advancing the city's arts and culture sector, and working collaboratively with senior levels of government, community groups, and the private sector. The campaign emphasized the importance of experience and fiscal prudence during an economically tumultuous time.
The party, led by Suzanne Anton
as the NPA candidate for mayor, once again lost to Robertson and Vision Vancouver in the 2011 Vancouver civic election
on November 19, 2011, but elected two members to the city council.
Over the years, these basic themes have been expanded to include the following principles:
, broke away and ran for mayor after the NPA chose George Miller
as its candidate instead of Spencer. The result was the right wing vote was split, and socialist Lyle Telford
was elected. Telford would only serve one term before Jack Cornett was elected in the 1940 election, beginning the NPAs longstanding dominance of Vancouver's City Hall.
during many periods since 1941. Its majority on council has been interrupted during periods such as: 1967–70, 1972–78, 1982–86, 2002–05 and 2008–present. It's ability to elect a mayor was interrupted from 1958-1963, from 1973-1986, and since 2009, electing only 3 of the last 8 mayors since 1972. Over the years, its opposition has been The Electors' Action Movement
(TEAM) in the 1970s, the left-of-centre Coalition of Progressive Electors
(COPE) in the 1980s, and Vision Vancouver
in the 2000s.
There have been eleven NPA mayors of Vancouver:
Presently, the NPA has only two city councillors. Two members also sit on the Parks Board, and three members sit on the Vancouver School Board.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. There are, and have also been in the past, Non-Partisan Association political parties in the nearby municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond
Richmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
and Surrey
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
.
The NPA was established in 1937 to counteract the rise of the democratic socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
. The party is generally perceived as centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
within the Vancouver political spectrum. Encompassing a broad coalition, it draws its strongest support from the business community and Vancouver's neighbourhoods on the west and south side.
Peter Ladner
Peter Ladner
Peter Ladner is a former Vancouver city councillor, first elected as a member of the Non-Partisan Association in 2002 and re-elected in 2005...
was the NPA's nominee for mayor in the 2008 Vancouver civic election
Vancouver municipal election, 2008
The 2008 Vancouver municipal election was held on November 15, 2008, filling seats on the Vancouver School Board, the Parks Board, the Vancouver City Council, and the position of Mayor of Vancouver. It was held at the same time as municipal elections throughout the province...
on November 15, 2008, but lost to Gregor Robertson
Gregor Robertson (politician)
Gregor Angus Bethune Robertson is a Canadian politician who has been the 39th Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, since 2008. He was elected as part of the Vision Vancouver party slate...
, the candidate for Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver is one of three parties represented on Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vision was formed in the months leading up to the 2005 municipal election.-Formation:...
. The NPA's electoral platform suggested that an NPA government would focus on reducing crime, improving housing affordability, leveraging the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, protecting the environment, advancing the city's arts and culture sector, and working collaboratively with senior levels of government, community groups, and the private sector. The campaign emphasized the importance of experience and fiscal prudence during an economically tumultuous time.
The party, led by Suzanne Anton
Suzanne Anton
Suzanne Anton is a city councillor for Vancouver, British Columbia. She is currently an incumbent city councillor, elected as a member of the Non-Partisan Association in 2005 and in 2008. From the 2008 civic election, she is the only elected NPA representative on the city council...
as the NPA candidate for mayor, once again lost to Robertson and Vision Vancouver in the 2011 Vancouver civic election
Vancouver municipal election, 2011
The City of Vancouver held its triennial municipal election on November 19, 2011, along with other municipalities and regional districts in British Columbia. The ballot elected one Mayor, 10 councillors, nine school board trustees and seven park board commissioners...
on November 19, 2011, but elected two members to the city council.
Philosophy
The NPA's seemingly ironic name stems from the ideological position that civic governance should not be driven by partisan, or party, politics. The tenets of the NPA's original constitution still stand today:- To strive to improve civic government in Vancouver.
- To support the election of the most suitable candidates for civic office.
- To oppose the introduction of party politics into the elected boards of the city.
Over the years, these basic themes have been expanded to include the following principles:
- Municipal levels of government should act for the benefit of the people and should allow every individual the freedom of worship, assembly, opportunity and initiative.
- Individuals have the right to enjoy the fruits of their labour, and to own private property, and individual enterprise is generally preferable to government intervention.
- Civic progress and stability can only be achieved by upholding the law, accepting social responsibilities, and accomplishing change by intelligent planning.
- Elected civic representatives should make decisions based on the viewpoint of many individuals and organizations, and not be under obligation to policies or platforms of political parties.
Early years
The NPA's first civic election effort was a failure because a member of the executive, Colonel Nelson SpencerNelson Spencer
Nelson Spencer was a merchant, provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada, and a lieutenant colonel with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I.-Biography:...
, broke away and ran for mayor after the NPA chose George Miller
George Clark Miller
George Clark Miller was the 23rd mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from 1937 to 1938. He was born in Huron County, Ontario, moving to Manitoba, then in 1941 to Vancouver....
as its candidate instead of Spencer. The result was the right wing vote was split, and socialist Lyle Telford
James Lyle Telford
James Lyle Telford was the 24th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from 1939 to 1940 and a founder of the British Columbia branch of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation . He was born in Valens, Ontario....
was elected. Telford would only serve one term before Jack Cornett was elected in the 1940 election, beginning the NPAs longstanding dominance of Vancouver's City Hall.
Electoral success
The NPA has often enjoyed electoral success during its history. It has held a majority on Vancouver City CouncilVancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
during many periods since 1941. Its majority on council has been interrupted during periods such as: 1967–70, 1972–78, 1982–86, 2002–05 and 2008–present. It's ability to elect a mayor was interrupted from 1958-1963, from 1973-1986, and since 2009, electing only 3 of the last 8 mayors since 1972. Over the years, its opposition has been The Electors' Action Movement
The Electors' Action Movement
TEAM was a centrist political party from 1968 to the mid-1980s at the municipal level in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It fielded candidates for the office of mayor as well as for positions on the city council, school board, and park board...
(TEAM) in the 1970s, the left-of-centre Coalition of Progressive Electors
Coalition of Progressive Electors
The Coalition of Progressive Electors is a municipal political party in the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia.-Origins:...
(COPE) in the 1980s, and Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver is one of three parties represented on Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vision was formed in the months leading up to the 2005 municipal election.-Formation:...
in the 2000s.
There have been eleven NPA mayors of Vancouver:
- Jack (Jonathan Webster) CornettJonathan Webster CornettJonathan Webster Cornett was the 25th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from 1941 to 1946. He was born in Lansdowne, Ontario, moving to Vancouver in 1907....
(1941–46) - Gerry McGeerGerry McGeerGerald Grattan McGeer was a lawyer, populist politician, and monetary reform advocate in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
(1947) - Charles E. JonesCharles E. JonesCharles E. Jones was the 26th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from August 1947 until September 1948. He was born in Whitby, England and moved to Vancouver in 1905. It is uncertain whether the Whitby of his birth was the fishing port in Yorkshire, or the district of Whitby in Ellesemere Port...
(1947–48) - George Clark MillerGeorge Clark MillerGeorge Clark Miller was the 23rd mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from 1937 to 1938. He was born in Huron County, Ontario, moving to Manitoba, then in 1941 to Vancouver....
(acting) (1948) - Charles Edwin ThompsonCharles Edwin ThompsonCharles Edwin Thompson was a Canadian politician. He served one year as the 27th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia.Born in Grey County, Ontario, Thompson worked as a teacher, rancher, and an automotive dealer....
(1949–50) - Frederick HumeFrederick HumeFrederick J. Hume was the 28th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from 1951 to 1958. He was born in New Westminster, British Columbia where he served as mayor from 1933 to 1942...
(1951–58) - William RathieWilliam RathieWilliam George Rathie was the 30th mayor of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 1963 through 1966....
(1963–66) - Tom Campbell (Independent 1967–70, NPA from 1970–72)
- Gordon Campbell (1986–93)
- Philip OwenPhilip OwenPhilip Walter Owen was the mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from 1993 to 2002, making him one of Vancouver's longest serving mayors. His father was Walter S. Owen, who was Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1973 to 1978....
(1993–2002) - Sam SullivanSam SullivanSam Sullivan, CM served as the 38th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has been invested as a Member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award...
(2005–08)
Presently, the NPA has only two city councillors. Two members also sit on the Parks Board, and three members sit on the Vancouver School Board.
See also
- List of mayors of Vancouver
- Vancouver City CouncilVancouver City CouncilVancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
- Coalition of Progressive ElectorsCoalition of Progressive ElectorsThe Coalition of Progressive Electors is a municipal political party in the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia.-Origins:...
- Vision VancouverVision VancouverVision Vancouver is one of three parties represented on Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vision was formed in the months leading up to the 2005 municipal election.-Formation:...
- Green Party of VancouverGreen Party of VancouverThe Green Party of Vancouver is a municipal political party in Vancouver, Canada who has nominated Green Party of Canada deputy leader Adrianne Carr as their sole nominee for Vancouver City Council...
- Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable VancouverNeighbourhoods for a Sustainable VancouverNeighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver is a municipal political party in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is running candidates in the Vancouver 2011 Municipal Election. The party is running a candidate for mayor , and four city council candidates...