Have there been slates in Saanich politics before this year? Of course there have been.
Frank Leonard ran a slate of five people for many years. They were never identified as a named slate, but they certainly worked together and voted as a block on many issues.
Presently there is a loose slate supported by the Victoria Labour Council, CUPE and the NDP of Judy Brownoff, Colin Plant, Zac de Vries, Nathalie Chambers and Teale Phelps Bondaroff. Will they all vote the same way on all issues. Most likely not. But they are all of the same political persuasion.
No one is saying that they are not quality individuals within this persuasion, but they are all loosely linked. The slate or group, United for Saanich, which includes Richard Atwell, Karen Harper, Kathleen Burton, Ian Jessop and Cory Montgomery, are not affiliated with provincial or federal political parties such as the NDP or Liberals.
These are people who are independent thinkers who have come together with no agenda except to help move Saanich forward and provide a voice for residents. They have made it clear that each individual will vote as they please on each motion, and are more than willing to work with whoever else does get elected to Council. They are focused on working for you, the residents of Saanich, rather than for any other outside group or having their own agendas.
The residents of Saanich are the focus, those people who have been ignored for far too long. I believe that they should be supported on Oct. 20.
Mary Hayward
Saanich