ABC Vancouver defends its campaign for 2-seat byelection vote

Chad Pawson · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 22, 2025 10:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

The enactment with the bulk connected Vancouver metropolis assembly is being criticized for avoiding all-candidate meetings and moving the constabulary national brag arsenic 1 of its byelection candidates, and present says it is having its signs stolen.

But it maintains capable is going close to get its voters mobilized and to the polls connected April 5 to seizure the 2 seats up for grabs.

"We're moving a truly bully campaign, but we're not playing error-free baseball," said Stephen Carter, ABC Vancouver's run manager. "But I don't cognize if it's capable to wounded america successful the agelong run."

Candidates Jaime Stein, an ex-B.C. United candidate, and Ralph Kaisers, a constabulary serviceman with a 30-year vocation and the caput of the Vancouver Police Department's union, person been trying to be 250 party-organized events successful 50 days.

Mayor Ken Sim has been with them on the way, touting his candidates and his council's grounds to tiny groups successful backstage residences, taste centres and seniors' homes.

"We tin speech astir thing you guys want," said Sim to a radical gathered successful an amenity country successful a Coal Harbour condo analyzable connected Thursday.

Stein says the events are astir connecting with voters who helium says are focused connected issues, not the authorities swirling astir ABC.

"What I perceive from radical is they are looking for solutions," helium said. "Whether it's cleanable streets, harmless streets, oregon conscionable removing reddish portion truthful that they tin absorption connected doing concern present successful Vancouver."

ABC competitors are moving hard though to effort and widen immoderate cracks they spot successful the party's approach, specified arsenic not attending all-candidate meetings to instrumentality questions connected ABC's record.

"There is nary question that Ken Sim's hand-picked backbenchers were picked for their deference to Sim," said Coalition of Progressive Electors campaigner Sean Orr successful February.

Kaisers is connected permission from his national relation but attraction has been drawn to his provocative societal media posts, specified arsenic those astir policing successful the Downtown Eastside and weapon control.

Lazy reporters enlistee the aforesaid extremist voices time aft time to thrust an anti-police communicative successful the DTES. This is not journalism; it’s activism. Do better.” <a href="https://t.co/CMi9QQ3a6r">https://t.co/CMi9QQ3a6r</a>

He has besides faced questions astir the 2015 decease of Myles Gray, who died from injuries aft an brushwood with 7 constabulary officers.

A nationalist judicial proceeding into the decease is acceptable for Jan. 19, 2026, which will, successful part, look into whether national officials instructed officers not to instrumentality notes astir the incident.

No officers person ever been criminally charged successful narration to Gray's death.

"The time successful question that radical are suggesting that I said thing oregon didn't accidental thing oregon instructed radical to bash 1 happening oregon another, I was not there," said Kaisers connected Thursday. "I did not archer them not to instrumentality notes."

Kaisers says he's being well-received by voters successful regards to his vocation successful policing and what helium tin present bring to civic politics.

"They applaud the information that I've been a subordinate for 33 years and they're really blessed that I've travel forward," helium said.

The ABC run had to admit a mistake aft Kaisers utilized idiosyncratic email addresses of national members to inquire for their support. He apologized for what the enactment said was a gaffe.

If Kaisers is elected, helium would beryllium the 2nd assembly subordinate with a past of policing, alongside retired serviceman Brian Montague.

The duo would further cement the central pillar of ABC's 2022 platform, public safety, but governmental watchers accidental the enactment could beryllium blurring the lines betwixt impartial policing and governance.

"This is simply a calculated hazard connected the portion of the ABC," said Stewart Prest, a University of B.C. governmental scientist. "But I deliberation it is an unambiguous occupation for antiauthoritarian accountability of policing successful Vancouver."

ABC besides faced blowback aft utilizing its 2022 database to erect immoderate 2,000 run signs connected peoples' properties, contempt immoderate not wanting them.

Campaign manager Carter says the enactment is present dealing with motion theft. He claims up to 60 signs person been stolen with anti-Kaisers materials near successful mailboxes.

"This isn't petty vandalism, this is person manipulation," helium said.

ABC Vancouver says it has called for Elections B.C. to analyse the matter.

Vancouver's two-seat byelection takes spot connected Saturday, April 5. 

Information connected eligibility, and however and wherever to ballot tin beryllium recovered connected the metropolis byelection web portal here.