Thank you, Lyall Atkinson

I want to thank Lyall Atkinson.

Today, Lyall dropped out of the race for Mayor and endorsed me. His name will still appear on the ballot, but he is asking his supporters and other Victorians to vote for me.

Lyall and I have real political differences. That makes his decision all the more meaningful, and I am genuinely grateful for the trust he has placed in me.

Our politics has become increasingly divided. We are pushed into silos and encouraged to see the political label before we see the neighbour. I worry that we are slowly importing an American-style politics of division and forgetting the shared values that connect us as Victorians and Canadians.

This campaign is trying to do something different.

I believe we can disagree, sometimes profoundly, and still recognize the values we share. Community. Fairness. Responsibility. Looking out for our neighbours. Leaving our city better than we found it.

Today, Lyall demonstrated what that can look like.

From left to right and back to centre, and including people who identify with no political camp at all, we are building a broad coalition around our shared values and a desire for change.

Thank you, Lyall. I am grateful for your support and for your willingness to reach across our differences.

We are neighbours first. We have more in common than we think.