The Orr Report: On Zohran Mamdani’s big win — and all the news from City Hall
This week Zohran Mamdani won a stunning primary election victory in New York City.
We needed that win, especially given everything happening in the U.S., in Canada, and around the world right now. A 33-year-old Muslim immigrant and democratic socialist defeating a political dynasty backed by the establishment – what a story!
My group chats haven’t been this happy since, well, April 5th at least. There was even an informal Mamdani victory party in Mt. Pleasant last night. I wasn’t able to make it, however, as there was an evening of public hearings at City Hall.
Things have continued to be busy for me at 12th and Cambie – to say the least.
Last week I was invited on CBC Radio to talk about my successful motion to ask the provincial government to legislate Housing as a Human Right. I also got to take part in a ceremony and feast hosted by the Musqueam to celebrate the naming of Trutch Street to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street. (Check out this Tyee article for more background. And more information on the new name and its pronunciation is available here.)
Renaming a street that used to commemorate one of the worst anti-Indigenous racists in B.C. history may seem like a small thing, but it’s an important step on the road to real reconciliation in this city and this country. I was humbled to be part of it, and there’s so much more to do.
Amendments, Abstentions, Austerity …
Until about 10 days ago, I was batting 5-for-5 in terms of getting motions or amendments passed at Council. Sadly my streak was broken when ABC, for some reason, voted down my amendment to ask the developer to extend tenant relocation protections to seven renters being displaced by a new rental tower on East 10th Ave.
The next day, an amendment from Pete Fry to add teeth to the City’s tenant relocation process for another Broadway Plan development did pass. We’re chipping away, and together we’re making clear that renters cannot be disregarded anymore.
I put forward another successful motion last week, adding consultation with tenant, housing, and ethnocultural groups to the work plan to finalize Vancouver’s Official Development Plan. The ODP is part of the implementation of The Vancouver Plan, an ambitious document developed over many years and previous City Councils that centres housing for all, climate justice action, and thriving public services and local economies. Provincial legislation requires the City to implement the ODP by June 2026. Thanks to this amendment, more grassroots groups will now have more of a say as the ODP is finalized.
Also last week, Ken Sim and ABC passed directives for City staff to look at austerity Budget scenarios including a 0% property tax increase. This is a clear signal that austerity is ahead. What services will Ken Sim and ABC cut? An amendment to direct staff to more explicitly report on what services might be on the chopping block was voted down, so I abstained on the vote – since we didn’t have enough information.
This was frankly a cynical move by ABC. The Budget will come to Council in the Fall and be voted on in December. I will fight austerity and service cuts every step of the way, and will continue to advocate for expanded public services – like making sure our win on restoring library hours is fully funded. Ken Sim and ABC have no mandate to cut public services. It’s almost as if they’ve learned nothing from the by-election result.
Desperate to change the channel from their own record, ABC’s been getting a little spicy. Sarah Kirby-Yung, for instance, tried to call me out on social media for abstaining on a couple recent votes. CBC’s Justin McElroy did a segment on the uses and legalities of abstentions and when they’re used. Turns out Kirby-Yung herself has abstained no less than 62 times during her time on Council.
Getting Organized to Win in 2026
While we enjoy the news from New York City, let’s think about how good we could all feel the morning after the next Vancouver municipal election in October 2026. That’s something worth imagining, and worth working hard for over the next 16 months.
Behind every great underdog story are countless volunteers taking time to fight for their communities, talking to their neighbours, and getting organized to win.
Zohran Mamdani reminds us we can’t settle for status quo politics. We can’t settle for a few crumbs from the establishment. We have to fight for what we need. That’s how we win.
Last Sunday, COPE held our Annual General Meeting in a rented room at the 411 Centre on Fraser Street in East Van. The room was packed, while a couple dozen more (including myself) joined the meeting remotely.
The vibes were immaculate, and we elected some great new folks to our executive team. We also broke out into committee meetings to start assembling plans to scale up for next year.
There’s never been a better time to join COPE. Notice has been served, and plans are in motion. Next year, we’re going to evict Ken Sim and ABC.