Tag: municipal election 2010

Cats, Chopsticks, and Rainbows: All eyes on Naheed Nenshi

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 will be Calgary’s 36th mayor’s day, and his/her time to shine and to celebrate his/her victory. However, October 18th, which is election day, will truly be Naheed Nenshi’s day, win or lose. Nenshi has come a long way from being a low polling candidate overshadowed by Ric McIver and Barb Higgins, to a surging 3rd candidate who can now claim one and a half newspaper endorsements (one from the Calgary Sun and an honorable mention from the Calgary Herald) and polling in the 20s at least. Nenshi’s background and history is one of great interest, and far more detailed and known than his challengers Higgins and McIver.

Biography

Nenshi was born in Toronto and grew up in Marlborough in Calgary, and the beginnings of his political interest began right at Queen Elizabeth Jr/Sr High school, where he was the Prime Minister of school’s 10th mock parliament. Interesting enough, then MLA Bob Hawkesworth was invited as Speaker of the House. Nenshi went on to become president of the University of Calgary’s Students’ Union, and his current campaign manager Chima Nkemdirim, served as Vice President External.

Nenshi would finish his university education with a Bachelors of Commerce at the University of Calgary, and would also obtain a Masters in public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

He would go on to working with McKinsey & Company abroad, one of the world’s top business consulting companies. Nenshi decided to return to Calgary at the age of 29 despite a lucrative offer in Geneva, according to the Herald. Back at home, Nenshi started his own consulting firm, the Ascend Group, and worked with various companies including the Gap, the Government of Alberta, and the United Nations.

Nenshi joined Canada25, a group for Canadians under the age of 35 that worked towards developing public policy. In 2002, he was the lead author of “Building Up : Making Canada’s Cities Magnets for Talent and Engines of Development.”

He has served as the Chair of the Epcor Centre for Performing Arts, was the lead author for imagineCalgary’s 100 year plan, co-founded the Better Calgary Campaign, and was deeply involved with Civic Camp’s beginnings.

Nenshi is now a professor at Mount Royal University’s Bissett School of Business.

Civic involvement

Nenshi’s initial involvement with city politics was during the time when council was considering on selling Enmax. He believed the sale of Enmax to Enron was completely undervalued and should have been noted by city council. Whether or not Nenshi did anything to prevent the sale of Enmax, we now know what did end up happening to Enron.

Nenshi contested in Ward 3 in 2004 after Canada25 decided to field an aldermanic candidate after then Alderman John Schmal decided to step down. Nenshi placed 4th behind 3rd place (now current Ward 3 alderman) Jim Stevenson and 1st place (former Ward 3 alderman) Helene Larocque.

Nenshi continued to engage in civic politics with the Better Calgary Campaign, a local watchdog of civic politics. He has involved himself in Civic Camp, another group devoted to civic engagement and renewal. He has also been a Calgary Herald columnists, writing on various issues about city hall before he decided to run for mayor.

The draft

Nenshi campaign in the early days began with a draft on Facebook. Nenshi responded and for some time, it was really a decision between running for alderman or running for mayor. Some would have liked to see him run in an aldermanic race, but Nenshi decided that the better path would be to run for mayor. Has it paid off for Nenshi to run for mayor? The momentum says yes, but the final confirmation will be the poll numbers.

What has been so spectacular is that the Nenshi camp started off with someone else wanting Nenshi to run. Has it been the same for Ric McIver? Yes to a degree, but Nenshi started out as a low profile candidate despite his civic involvement around the city. In order to get from a grassroots campaign with almost no name recognition (in the general public) to a statistical tie with Higgins and McIver is an amazing feat itself.

The Better Ideas

Nenshi’s strongest weapon to date has been his platform. People have been captivated by the fact that Nenshi has a strong platform, which details what needs to be fixed and how. It is probably why Nenshi has attracted the young people. It has not just been through social media. The fact that the next generation of Calgarians are skeptical of candidates who provide vague platforms and ideas has helped Nenshi. He has gone on the offensive with nothing to lose since the beginning, and that has helped him tremendously.

Nenshi’s 12 better ideas, coupled with his cutredtape.ca and buildthetunnel.ca websites, have propelled Nenshi to the top of the race. He emerged from the lower tier candidates, and this has earned him an endorsement from the Calgary Sun and an honourable mention from the Herald. It’s because Nenshi had something that the editorial boards could read into and work on that he gained the endorsements, and that has left his competitors in the dust.

Scuffle with the chief

When Nenshi asked two questions about the police department funding, he received the wrath from Calgary’s police chief Rick Hanson. While Nenshi targeted Ric McIver, it brought out Hanson, who called Nenshi’s position to be “ill-informed” and “irresponsible.” This was the turning point for Nenshi’s camp, according to the Fast Forward Weekly, as Nenshi had demonstrated he was a viable candidate if other responded to his campaign.

John Dooks, president of the Calgary Police Association, was not impressed by Nenshi’s statements as well. The union would go on to endorse Ric McIver for mayor.

Social media giant

Nenshi and his campaign team have developed a massive online presence that has been virtually everywhere. All the social networking sites, most notably Twitter, cannot escape this massive presence. Nenshi’s rabid followers have essentially kicked out all the online McIver followers that once dominated the Calgary Herald online comments section. This Ron Paul-like dominance has given Nenshi the upper hand when it comes to his social media strategy. When Nenshi released his iPhone application, this signaled the end of the Internet race between him and McIver and Higgins.

Nenshi has the largest Facebook following, which is close to 10,000 fans. In 2007, the largest mayoral following was only 400. Times have changed in the early days of Facebook and YouTube. On Twitter, the #yycvote hashtag is completely dominated by pro-Nenshi supporters in their purple avatars. They work as a collective to bring down any kind of anti-Nenshi rhetoric, especially that coming from the Hawkesworth camp.

Attacks and crushing them

The power of the Nenshi mob, especially online, is frightening. When Bob Hawkesworth decided to launch an out-of-context video claiming that Nenshi was committed to selling Enmax, the Nenshi-bots all went after the so-called “Hawkesworth trolls”. The unusually aggressive and troll-ish behavior of Hawkesworth’s online team was challenged and was overshadowed by Nenshi’s online masses. Bob Hawkesworth would later concede and throw his support behind Barb Higgins. Even after Hawkesworth wrapped up his campaign, his online team has continued to attack Nenshi and McIver aggressively.

Support for Nenshi

All candidates have received various endorsements from candidates and the like. McIver has been endorsed by former Ward 6 alderman Craig Burrows and current Ward 13 alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart. In addition, he’s been endorsed by the Calgary Police Association and Calgary Herald. Higgins received backing from Paul Hughes and Alnoor Kassam, who were both once considering a run for the mayor’s chair. She has also since been endorsed by Bob Hawkesworth after he dropped his campaign for mayor. Nenshi has been endorsed by Wayne Stewart after he stopped his campaign. MLA for Calgary-Buffalo Kent Hehr, who was considering a run, also endorsed Nenshi.

The 3 way debate

Nenshi challenged the top two contenders to a 3 way debate with this drastic quote from Rick Bell’s “Ready to rumble” column:

“Anytime, any place. A time of their choosing, a place of their choosing, a moderator of their choosing, a format of their choosing, I will be there.”

A 3 way debate never occurred between the candidates.

The purple madness

The distinct colour of purple has also added to the Nenshi camp. You can see it anywhere, and it’s to a point where people are starting to get annoyed by the colour. However, it has distinguished Nenshi from the rest, which usually feature some sort of blue or red, and has made it stick out. It started out as a very bland gold and blue, but the purple has done its job this election. Some will even be glad the purple goes away after the election, especially with the Nenshi supporters that dominate on Twitter.

Political leanings

Some, like the National Post and Dan Arnold, are perplexed that Calgary would choose a more left-leaning mayoral candidate and how Toronto is ready for their conservative Rob Ford. However, Calgary has always elected more liberal mayors compared to what Calgarians prefer provincially. However, some contest this claim because the mayors may be “liberal” in party name only. Dave Bronconnier ran under the Liberal banner against Rob Anders. Al Duerr had a membership in the federal Liberal party. Ralph Klein believe it or not, once was a member of the Liberal party. Rod Sykes ran under the Liberal banner in the 1980s. Grant MacEwan was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party before he became mayor. Harry Hays was a Liberal under the Pearson government. Donald Mackay had two unsuccessful runs for federal politics as a Liberal candidate. Surely the claim that Calgary has changed is quite different than what history might show.

Polling to the top

Nenshi has stunned poliitcal observers with his low polling numbers skyrocketing to tie with Higgins and McIver. It would be a safe bet that both Higgins and McIver did not expect this just a couple of months ago. What began as an inevitable Bronconnier vs. McIver showdown is now a rare 3-way battle between Nenshi, Higgins, and McIver. While some disagree with the claim that Nenshi is at the 30% mark, it has been astonishing to see him come from 1-5% to at least the 20% mark in a matter of just 2-3 weeks. No other candidate, including past and present alderman running, has been able to pull this feat.

Win or lose, civic politics might change

Whether Nenshi wins or loses this mayoral election, it is inevitable that he has changed how many people, especially the youth, look at city politics. In the optimistic sense, a Nenshi victory would transform city politics and re-engage the youth like never before. The next generation of Calgarians will start to pay attention to city politics, something that we have not seen in in a very, very long time. That would be a legacy that no other mayor before him could claim. In the pessimistic sense however should Nenshi lose, it could have a devastating effect. The youth and young adults might see it as “the same old game” and leave with a sense that their efforts were futile. That would not be good going into 2013 as people’s interest will inevitable drop. It would also be unlikely to see a Nenshi run in 2019 or 2022.

However, regardless of the result, Nenshi will have established himself as a very powerful and influential individual in this city. He will have more sway and a bigger following than any of the aldermen elected on council regardless of what the outcome is. His grassroots following will carry over regardless, and no aldermanic candidate or incumbent can claim that at this point (although McIver comes close).

Nenshi has garnered more national attention than McIver during his run, and his campaign will be a case study for years to come.

Sources

Calgary’s underdog mayoral candidate Naheed Nenshi defies categories – National Post

A three-way showdown for mayor of Calgary – The Globe and Mail

Remington: Nenshi is the true face of change for Calgary – Calgary Herald

Dan Arnold: Dear Toronto, Calgary wants its personality back – The National Post

From back of the pack to a real contender – The Fast Forward Weekly

Mayoral hopeful Nenshi, Police Chief Hanson spar over election claims – Global Calgary

Ready to rumble – Calgary Sun

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Cats, Chopsticks, and Rainbows: Ward 4 Interview with Sean Chu

Sean Chu immigrated to Canada in 1985 after three years of military service in Taiwan. He worked for his family’s pizza joint before becoming a police officer. He decided to be involved in politics after having children. He has received the Alberta Centennial Medal for Outstanding Community Service , and picked to be on the Premier’s Calgary Advisory Committee. 
Why are running for alderman in Ward 4?
Chu believes he can make a difference because it is his nature to help people out, and one way to do that is through city council. 
Chu has a variety of volunteer experience, and believes his connections to ward 4 will highlight his involvement. He says that his family and friends all still reside in ward 4 and he wants to give back to that community. 
What does the city look like 100 years from now?
“I envision the city to be five times its size,” says Chu. 
He also envisions a north-central LRT and better traffic flow. Chu cited an article that if traffic flow is improved by 10%, productivity goes up by 25%. He also sees a better bidding process for the city and that there will not be “the ‘f’ (fraud) word.”
Is social media an important driving force, or is it still the voting demographic and the hot issues that dictate the election?
Chu believes that the social media right now is helping solidify its own future.
“I think we are on the way there, but not today,” says Chu. “People still like face to face and door-knocking.”
Chu told CalgaryPoliitcs.com that 70-80% of his signs are on private property as a testament of the power of door-knocking. However, social media has an optimistic political future.
“We are going in the right direction,” says a hopeful Chu. “It’s a trend for the future.”
What was one thing the city did right this term?
Chu believes that city council did the right thing to try and sell and promote Calgary to other cities and overseas. He said you needed a leader to promote the city, and while many bash Bronconnier for going overseas, it was integral for our growth. 
“When you don’t have the little things, you can’t put things together,” says Chu of all the things the city needs to pursue to make it a better city. 
Should municipalities be granted constitutional powers?
“Once you have constitutional powers, if you have the wrong people in power, you might get taxed to death,” warned Chu.
Chu wants to find a way for the city to collect taxes, but a cap should be in place and no hidden taxes should be allowed.
Almost all candidates have preached the importance of transportation. Would you take the bus to work at least once a week if elected? If not, why would you not take it if you are recommending Calgarians should take it?
“When I was a policeman, I took the bus 90% of the time,” says Chu. “If I don’t have to rush from one place to another, I would rather take the bus.”
Chu told CalgaryPolitics.com that he enjoys bus rides while listening to music or reading a book. 
What does your platform include in terms of Aboriginal issues?
Chu does not have specifics on Aboriginal issues, but believes it is still an important one.
“It’s kind of hard because it’s not necessarily a city issue,” says Chu. 
Chu says he wants see programs with actual merit in order for him to consider it, and it would not matter what issue it may be. 
With CCTVs and the public behavior bylaw, do you believe the city has a place for dictating and monitoring the conduct of its citizens?
Chu believes in safety comes first when it boils down to issues like closed-circuit televisions or the public behavior bylaw. 
“It’s not just good for citizens, it’s also good for the homeless,” says Chu.
“As policemen, we have no time to pick on the homeless,” Chu suggested. “We are just like everyone else. We have compassion for them too.”
Chu describes how police officers went out of their way to get shoes for the homeless, and says that police are not trying to segregate any one population.
CCTVs act as witnesses and are useful in deterring crime, says Chu, and he believes it is a partial reason why crime rates have fallen in the down town area.
“If you didn’t commit a crime, you shouldn’t be afraid,” Chu told CalgaryPolitics.com.
This is cross-posted with CalgaryPolitics.com
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Cats, Chopsticks, and Rainbows: Ward 4 Interview with Brad Northcott

Brad Northcott grew up in Huntington Hills and when to John A. MacDonald and John G. Diefenbaker schools before they were junior and senior highs respectively. He has raised all of his kids here and has decided to give back to the community as his kids now have all grown up. He graduated from SAIT as a journeyman plumber and now operates his own plumbing business. 
Why are running for alderman in Ward 4?
Northcott thought that issues such as pools and libraries needed to be addressed because these were concerns that may not get as much coverage in the media. He also thought that the airport tunnel issue was extremely important.
What does the city look like 100 years from now?
“It looks like we’ll have higher density in the established neighborhoods,” says Northcott. 
He also believes that the north-central LRT line will be an important issue in the future, and was concerned about the disruptions it may cause in the future for communities.
Northcott looks back and is amazed that ward 4 is now “the outer ring of inner communities.”
“Density will grow and pressure on infrastructure will grow,” remarks Northcott. “The building blocks need to be put into place now.”  
Is social media an important driving force, or is it still the voting demographic and the hot issues that dictate the election?
While Northcott thought the Internet was key to accessibility in terms of information, he still needs to see how social media will evolve.
“I’m not big on it. I don’t really utilize it,” says Northcott.
What was one thing the city did right this term?
Northcott told CalgaryPolitics.com that the city really benefited from the major roads and infrastructure that this past council put in. It was something “that had to be done.”
Should municipalities be granted constitutional powers?
“I’d like to learn more about the ability to have a firm grasp of funds,” says Northcott.
While Northcott said he would be open to explore the issue, his first instincts tell him that it might not be a good idea for municipalities across the country.
Almost all candidates have preached the importance of transportation. Would you take the bus to work at least once a week if elected? If not, why would you not take it if you are recommending Calgarians should take it?
Northcott is a tradesperson and usually requires a car to go all over the city, but he was open to the idea of taking transit to work.
“I am interested in trying the bus and appreciating transit,” says Northcott.
What does your platform include in terms of Aboriginal issues?
Northcott said he had nothing specific for any particular ethnic group. As a Metis, he believes everyone benefits from his platform and ideas.
“I am open to anything that will make things better,” says Northcott. 
He also says that he does appreciate issues about affordable housing and will work to find ways to benefit everyone.
With CCTVs and the public behavior bylaw, do you believe the city has a place for dictating and monitoring the conduct of its citizens?
“I like the security aspect of it. I don’t like the interference in the freedom of life,” suggests Northcott.
He says that the “erosional quality of life” and concerns in high density areas have made the subject matter an important one. Security devices are not meant to be spying and disturbing people who may sleep under a tree because their homeless according to Northcott.
He relates to a case where an individual was being disorderly at a golf course because he was intoxicated. In cases like that, a public behavior rules were fair and appropriate in dealing with individuals like that.
“There are boundaries. There have to be boundaries,” Northcott told CalgaryPolitics.com

This is cross-posted with CalgaryPolitics.com

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Cats, Chopsticks, and Rainbows: Ward 4 Interview with Jon Wong

Jon Wong was born and raised in Calgary and in ward 4. He went to the University of Western Ontario and received a B.A. in political science and governmental affairs with honours. He currently works as a marketing and business director for a painting contractor. In his spare time, Jon is involved with coaching amateur sports at the club level and at all three levels of schooling. 
Why are running for alderman in Ward 4?
Wong wants to give back to the community that he was born and raised in.
“I commend all candidates for running. It’s not an easy thing to do,” says Wong.
However, Wong says that there has been a lack of focus and understanding about the community from candidates as his top concern is meeting community needs.
What does the city look like 100 years from now?
Wong hopes that Calgary will evolve to what Plan It set out the city to be. He also wants to see Calgary as “the best place in the world” to live in.
“We will have a self sustainable community, a vibrant economy, and the infrastructure is there for everyone,” says Wong.
Is social media an important driving force, or is it still the voting demographic and the hot issues that dictate the election?
“I still think that the traditional way of getting your name is still prominent in this election,” remarked Wong.
While Wong does not believe social media is on par with mainstream media, it does have a place to get his generation out there to vote and learn about the election.
“A lot of them associate with social media, just not politics,” Wong pointed out. 
What was one thing the city did right this term?
Wong saw that over a large period of time, city council’s relationship with the provincial government was something that council was improving on. 
He pointed out that a significant portion of our funding does come from the province, so developing that key partnership with Edmonton is important.
Wong also saw city council moving in the right direction in promoting the city. 
Should municipalities be granted constitutional powers?
Wong did not believe that constitutional powers should be allotted to cities. He pointed out that between the federal and provincial governments, a lot of inefficiencies and arguments occur because of this federal system we put into place.
“You’re always going to have some sort of overlap,” says Wong. “Things aren’t going to get done.”
Almost all candidates have preached the importance of transportation. Would you take the bus to work at least once a week if elected? If not, why would you not take it if you are recommending Calgarians should take it?
Wong believes Calgary has a great transportation system and that taking the bus as an elected official would be setting an example for other Calgarians. 
“I think I would. Taking the bus would give me an awesome way to connect with the residents of Ward 4,” Wong told CalgaryPolitics.com. 
What does your platform include in terms of Aboriginal issues?
“They have the same issues as any other group. When I look at our ward, I look at them as fellow communities of the ward,” says Wong.
Wong said his platform contains issues that affect everyone regardless if they are Chinese or Aboriginal. He said that all groups have a voice, and they have to be heard.
With CCTVs and the public behavior bylaw, do you believe the city has a place for dictating and monitoring the conduct of its citizens?
Wong says there is a fine line between juggling public safety and removing the sense of big brother watching over citizens. Wong points out that closed circuit televisions do help police and protect the public, and that it depends on statistics about which communities have higher crime rates. 
On the public behavior bylaw, Wong found merit in it. He relates to efforts in Toronto to eliminate aggressive panhandlers because these individuals were disrupting everyone’s daily lives and ability to do so without disorderly interference.
Wong was careful to also point out that implementation had to follow what the intent of the law was originally.
“If there are complaints that it’s unfairly targeting the wrong people, we as city council should sit down and review it,” says Wong. 
This is cross-posted with CalgaryPolitics.com
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