Dan Fumano: Six months in, does ABC Vancouver risk alienating the big-tent coalition it built?

Vancouver’s new civic party swept to power last year by drawing support from diverse backgrounds and political affiliations.

ABC Vancouver appealed to past supporters of the Non-Partisan Association, which had long been the city’s centre-right, pro-business powerhouse. It ran some former NPA candidates, including Ken Sim for mayor. But ABC also found support from beyond the NPA’s traditional base. That’s why the upstart party’s logo incorporated three colours, its campaign manager said after the election: Liberal red, NDP orange and Conservative blue.

Now, a little more than six months after Vancouver’s ABC majority was sworn in, at least some observers say the party is at risk of alienating the more progressive side of the big-tent, centrist coalition it built.

Early in its mandate, the ABC-majority council quickly pursued some of their major campaign promises. They unlocked funds to hire more police officers and mental health workers, and took action to support revitalizing Chinatown. They made decisions and public statements supporting getting more housing built faster, including social housing.