Monday, September 22, 2008

Mayor confident in race with Team Burnaby challenger

By DAN HILBORN, 24 HOURS NEWS SERVICES
Published September 19, 2008

Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan is sounding confident and scrappy after the relatively unknown Andrew Chisholm was named as his Team Burnaby challenger for the upcoming Nov. 15 civic election.

Corrigan said the selection of Chisholm, who is president of a property management firm, indicates a lack of confidence in Team Burnaby’s longest serving elected representative, Lee Rankin, who was previously rumoured to be interested in running for the mayor’s chair.

“I’m deeply disappointed,” Corrigan said. “I would have hoped that he (Rankin) would have showed more courage after having been such a critic and obstructionist at council.”

Rankin, who has served 22 years on Burnaby council, admitted that he seriously considered taking another run at the mayor’s chair, but said his law practice and young family took priority. “My goal in politics is to affect change, and to do that, you need teamwork,” Rankin said. “It’s not about individuals.”

Chisholm, who ran independently for council in 2005, said Team will bring a non-partisan attitude back to a city that has elected majorities from the NDP-affiliated Burnaby Citizens Association since the early 80s. Of the 16 Team candidates, only Rankin and council hopeful Anna Terrana, a former Liberal MP, have previous elected experience.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/2008/09/19/6816356.html

News flash: Stephen Harper steps down

That's Harper of the Green Party, not the PM

By DAN HILBORN
Published Sept. 12, 2008, in 24 Hours Vancouver

At least one amusing sideshow to the federal election came to an end this week when Stephen Harper - a personal trainer, not the prime minister - announced that he has stepped down as the Green Party candidate in Burnaby-Douglas.

The B.C. Harper told 24 hours that his wife recently accepted a new job in London, England, and the couple will move overseas this weekend. The party is expected to name a new candidate within a few days.

But the departing nominee still had a little advice for voters. “I’d like to see Stephen Harper out of office – the other Stephen Harper, that is,” he said.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/canadavotes/news/2008/09/12/6750711.html