LADNER AND ROBERTSON DIFFER ON WARDS AND ON ADDING INJECTION SITES

Both Peter Ladner of the Non-Partisan Association and Gregor
Robertson of Vision Vancouver support Insite, Vancouver's
supervised-injection site.

But if Robertson wins the November 15 mayoral election, he would like
to see more supervised-injection sites in the city. According to him,
these may not exactly the same as the facility on Hastings Street and
could be tailored to specific demands in particular neighbourhoods.

"We need to be saving lives wherever we can," Robertson said in the
first public mayoral debate held Wednesday evening (October 1) at the
city's central library.

And aside from additional injection sites, Robertson said that there
should be more programs for treatment as well as detox centres.

For his part, Ladner said that he doesn't see how more
supervised-injection sites will work. According to him, the emphasis
should be on treatment.

Ladner also noted that most intravenous-drug users don't access
Insite, pointing out that only 10 percent of "fixes" by addicts are
done inside the facility.

The matter of supervised-injection sites was one of two major issues
in which the two candidates differed during the debate.

On the matter of electoral reform, Robertson said that he originally
supported having a ward system in the city. However, Robertson said
his view has slightly shifted to having a mixed ward and at-large
systems of electing civic officials.

Robertson said that he intends to have this issue studied under a
Vision administration, and put a recommendation through a referendum
in the 2011 municipal election.

For his part, Ladner said that he is happy with the current at-large
system of electing civic officials.

Both candidates declared that solving homelessness is their top priority.