Coalition of Progressive Electors
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Coalition of Progressive Electors
|
|
|---|---|
| Active municipal party | |
 |
|
| Leader | Meena Wong |
| Chairperson | Tim Louis, Connie Hubbs |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Ideology | Social democracy |
| Political position | Centre-left |
| Colours | Yellow, Black, Green & Orange |
| Seats on City Council |
0 / 11
|
| Seats on Park Board |
0 / 7
|
| Seats on School Board |
0 / 9
|
| Website | |
| www |
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The Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) is a municipal political party in the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia. It has traditionally been associated with tenants, environmentalists, and the labour movement. COPE is generally guided by social-democratic principles, and has a long history of championing issues like improving public transit and investing in affordable housing. It last held a majority government on City Council from 2002 to 2005. COPE is committed to a just and sustainable city and will work to achieve this by providing options to meet basic needs that reduce emissions and support environmental well-being. COPE is a strong and vocal opponent of development and resource exploitation that endangers the health and well-being of our planet and future generations.
In 2014, the party adopted policies advocating for aboriginal representation at the municipal level.
At a General Meeting in September 2014, an overwhelming majority of COPE membership endorsed Meena Wong as the 2014 mayoral candidate. The community organizer and activist has stated that the focuses of her campaign are giving citizens a voice and keeping housing affordable. She has also proposed a tax on vacant homes in Vancouver.
In addition to Wong, the membership endorsed a slate of 16 candidates. In accordance with the party's equity policy there is a First Nations (indigenous) candidate for each board and the majority of candidates are female.
The party's 2014 election platform advocated for a new Vancouver Housing Authority, to become a Sanctuary city, to implement a minimum wage raise to $15/hr, and to hold a referendum for electoral reform to consider switching from a First-past-the-post voting system to a proportional representation system.
According to its constitution, COPE has three purposes:
Anybody who lives, works, or studies in Vancouver can become a member of COPE.
COPE members meet four times every year at General Meetings to discuss business relating to the party, with one of these meetings being an Annual General Meeting. In an election year, one meeting will be a Policy Conference, where the COPE membership decides on its election platform, and a Nominations Conference, where the COPE membership decides on its candidates for Vancouver City Council, Vancouver School Board, and Vancouver Park Board.
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