The Tyee and 24 Hours/Vancouver are sponsoring a debate later this month among the three candidates for the Vision Vancouver mayoral nomination.

The candidates are former parks board chair Allan De Genova, city councillor Raymond Louie and MLA Gregor Robertson. This is likely to be the first time all three contestants are in the same room sparring and facing questions since each announced their desire to run for mayor under the Vision banner.

The debate will take place the evening of May 21. The three candidates will field a wide range of questions from a panel of three veteran political journalists. Neither the questions nor the topics will be given to the candidates in advance. Time will be allowed for the candidates to rebut one another.

"We're very excited about our three mayoral candidates squaring off for the first time on stage, debating their visions and ideas for Vancouver," said Vision co-chair Mike Magee. "There's been so much excitement generated from this nomination race, and now our members will have the opportunity to see the candidates in action."

Never before in Vancouver has a political party held a nomination contest so early in the year. Never before have three experienced politicians competed so fiercely for a Vancouver party's nomination. Vision Vancouver will select its candidate in a nomination convention on June 15, 2008, at the Croatian Cultural Centre. Citizens must join Vision Vancouver by May 15 in order to vote at the party convention.

Offer made to NPA

The Tyee and 24 Hours/Vancouver offered to sponsor a similar debate among candidates for the Non Partisan Association mayoral nomination. The NPA declined. NPA chair Matthew Taylor indicated the party is planning to host its own candidates' "event."

The Tyee and 24 Hours have let the NPA's Taylor know they are still willing to organize a comparable event in advance of the NPA's June 8 nomination convention.

No members of the Coalition of Progressive Electors have formally declared their intent to run for mayor, though COPE councillor David Cadman has told The Tyee he is likely to do so.

All news media invited

The Tyee and 24 Hours expect to be able to broadcast the May 21 Vision debate online. All news media are invited to cover the debate, and many members have already said they will.

The Tyee is B.C.'s leading online-only magazine of news and culture, getting a quarter-million visits a month. 24 Hours is the largest free daily in Vancouver, reaching 224,000 readers a day.

The 90-minute debate will take place in the Norman Rothstein Theatre at the Jewish Community Centre (41st and Oak). The debate will begin promptly at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is free. To find out about tickets, go to the Vision Vancouver website.

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