Sean Orr for City Council
Remarks at VOTE Socialist candidate launch event, July 17, 2022 in front of the Jericho Hostel
I’m thrilled to be here, on this historic site of struggle, to announce my candidacy for city council.
Because the struggle continues! From the birth of this city,, which was itself an insider real estate deal, to the birth of social movements in the 60s and 70s, the fight against displacement during Expo 86, the APEC riots in the 90s, Woodsquat, cancel 2010, to today- I’m proud to be part of the next chapter in the fight for social justice.
I’ve been writing about this city for decades. I love it. But I hate what it’s become. A playground for the 1%. A Hedge City where the financialization of real estate has destroyed the social fabric. A police state on stolen native land.
We can’t let the right wing dominate the narrative that Vancouver is overrun with crime without first understanding the root causes of crime- inequality. These parties don’t want real solutions- they want the status quo, and the status quo is clearly not working. But what can we expect from a former Parks Board commissioner who doesn’t even know what garden shears look like!
We need radical action at city council- not pearl clutching and constant points of order. Policy not pet projects. People over profits.
We need a large scale transfer of wealth. We need to protect renters. We need safe supply. We need free transit. We need to protect small businesses. We need to refund our communities. We need to tax the rich. We need to punch up not down! We need a Vancouver for All!