Play It Again, Sam

...or not, as the case may be.

Sam Sullivan is out as the NPA candidate for Mayor of Vancouver, leaving him in office as a lame duck until November. Effectively, Peter Ladner is the mayor starting today.

Don't believe me? Vancouver's electoral system is not like those of most Canadian cities. There are no wards: all councillors are elected on a city wide basis, as is the Mayor. This makes the Mayor's chair one of first among equals: every chair in that room has the same mandate.

I've never been a fan of Sam, but I'm not convinced that Ladner's going to be a huge improvement. He's been lackluster as a councillor, and I see no reason to think this will change.

This city needs leadership from it's Mayor, and that will only come with an overhaul of the structure of the city's government. The appetite for that, unfortunately, appears to be a long time coming.