Province columnist Lorne Parton wrote that their record "has given the movement respectability and credibility". And the left-leaning Committee of Progressive Electors (COPE), criticized the news media for "playing down news on city political organizations other than the one they supported, TEAM". During the year, park board commissioner Boyce left TEAM to join the NPA and Calder joined TEAM. With the election approaching, TEAM chose William C. Gibson as its mayoral candidate and endorsed a full slate for city council, including Calder, Hardwick and Phillips. The sitting school trustees were nominated along with six others, and there was a full park board slate. Candidates for city council said they were united by "a common concern for the quality of life in Vancouver" and cited as accomplishments the halt to the downtown freeway and progress toward development of False Creek. Park board candidates promised a complete review of the operations of the Park Board and greater control of pollution. School board candidates pledged to promote students' choice in schools and programs, and greater autonomy for students as they aged. 1970: Same number of seats but other gains Gibson did not defeat the incumbent mayor Tom Campbell, but closed the gap significantly compared with the 1968 result. TEAM's three sitting aldermen were re-elected, this time placing in the top five. TEAM elected three school trustees; a fourth almost made it but an NPA candidate eventually took the spot. Art Cowie was elected to the park board. Campbell began his third term by placing himself and his six NPA aldermen in ten choice appointments to committees and boards. Hardwick said TEAM had tried to avoid an opposition role on council "but Campbell has obviously decided to run the body on partisan political lines". However, the NPA's subsequent behaviour on council opened opportunities for TEAM. When three NPA aldermen did not attend a public meeting where citizens presented briefs in favour of parks for people, not cars, the TEAM–COPE bloc reversed an earlier council decision to proceed with plans for a six-lane road through what would become Jericho park. Campbell himself was frequently absent, and the structure and functioning of council itself came under question. All three TEAM aldermen filled in for Campbell when he was away, and a Province story described how Phillips spent his time in the mayor's office "priming an engine that had practically ceased to function. Phillips brought action on