Saturday September 21, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
BC Greens delivered their campaign kickoff in Victoria this morning.
Gathering at BC Green Party headquarters at 1010 Fort Street, party leader Sonia Furstenau officially launched the campaign with a few remarks.
She was joined by BC Green candidates including Dr Lisa Gunderson (Deputy BC Green Party Leader and candidate in Oak Bay-Gordon Head), Christina Winter (Victoria-Swan Lake), and Camille Currie (Esquimalt-Colwood).
The party announced earlier that “over a hundred volunteers will engage communities in key BC Green ridings across the province”, and that was Furstenau’s opening remark today, adding that the party is ‘small but mighty’.
More Greens after October 19:
For weeks now, Furstenau has been saying that she expects more BC Green MLAs in the BC Legislature after October 19. She sees that as a way for government to work better for the interests of British Columbians, when all parties work together without one party having a majority.
In the session now ended, there were just two BC Green MLAs (Furstenau and Adam Olsen).
Furstenau had previously run in Cowichan Valley but this time is running in the downtown riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill where she’s up against BC NDP cabinet minister Grace Lore who still draws power from the previous Carole James (former BC NDP Finance Minister) stronghold there.
Furstenau says most of the expected BC Green wins are for seats on Vancouver Island and the mainland west coast area, in ridings that are “ready for real change”.
Currently there are 77 BC Green candidates said Furstenau today, though the BC Green candidate list online only shows 61 at this time.
Who’s got a good shot:
Candidates who appear to possibly have a good shot at winning in 2024 include:
- Jeremy Valeriote in Vancouver West-Sea to Sky (who came very close there in 2020),
- Camille Currie in Esquimalt-Colwood (who has built and maintained ground in debating the health-care crisis),
- David Evans in Juan de Fuca-Malahat (where he is widely known from having built community through his The Stick in the Mud Coffee shop over 16 years),
- Christina Winter in Victoria-Swan Lake (where she has built a steady base through door-knocking for the Greens over the years), and
- Cammy Lockwood in Cowichan Valley who carries the party weight of ‘not losing Sonia’s seat’.
A young well-known Saanich leader Ned Taylor will do well for the Greens in Saanich South but he’s up against BC NDP candidate Lana Popham who has been a cabinet minister for seven years.
The party’s de[uty leader Dr Lisa Gunderson will make a strong impact in Oak Bay-Gordon Head but is up against a strong BC NDP ground support team for Diana Gibson.
Today’s BC Green news release says they feel their candidates have a strong chance in Saanich North and the Islands (candidate Rob Botterell), Courtenay-Comox (candidate Arzeena Hamir), Kootenay Central (candidate Nicole Charlwood), and Powell River-Sunshine Coast (candidate Chris Hergesheimer).
Reducing poverty:
Furstenau says poverty should be eliminated in BC, not just reduced. She said the BC Green platform will be released in a few days which includes plans to “eliminate deep poverty in this province”.
At a presentation to the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce on September 10 Furstenau commended businesses that innovate to better support their employees but said that BC needs a smart economy and a robust social safety net.
Climate tax:
The BC Greens still want to uphold a carbon tax in BC. She equated dropping of the carbon tax (as the federal government may do, by which provinces will follow) with not helping people with affordability.
But this past week at Premier David Eby said if re-elected that his BC NDP government would essentially find the money elsewhere, i.e. that social and economic support programs would not be eliminated if the carbon tax were to end.
Election period:
- Today is ‘Writ day’ when the Fall 2024 BC provincial election campaign officially begins.
- Advance voting will be available across BC on October 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16.
- Election Day is Saturday October 19, 2024.
See election news links & voting timelines in the Island Social Trends Community Calendar
===== RELATED:
- Premier Eby addresses BC municipal leaders in Vancouver (September 19, 2024)
- High-profile Greens support Juan de Fuca-Malahat candidate David Evans at fundraiser in Metchosin (September 11, 2024)
- BC Greens pitch smart economy & robust safety net (September 10, 2024)
- Primary health-care requires community-based approach say BC Greens (September 9, 2024)
- Digital Literacy Secretariat would be set up by BC Greens (September 3, 2024)
- Summertime Victoria office party for South Vancouver Island BC Greens (August 2, 2024)
- Election news links & voting timelines: Island Social Trends COMMUNITY CALENDAR
- NEWS SECTIONS: BC PROVINCIAL ELECTION 2024 | POLITICS