Tuesday January 11, 2022 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The B.C. Green Party announced today that it surpassed its $1 million fundraising goal for 2021 by nearly 10%, raising a total of $1.093 million. This is the first time the party has received over $1 million in a non-election year.
Monthly fundraising records were also set in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, October and December of 2021. 5,645 donors, 34% of whom were first-time donors, made 23,219 donations in total.
“I am beyond grateful to the thousands of donors who put their faith in our work this year,” said Sonia Furstenau, leader of the B.C. Green Party. “Supporters, volunteers and donors have been more generous than ever with their time, energy and financial support. I find everyone’s actions inspiring and hopeful.”
The fundraising campaign included reach-out by email and postal mail and through their party website.
Restabilizing:
The BC Green Party was caught somewhat off guard in fall 2020 when NDP Leader John Horgan called a snap election in September of that year, during a pandemic. Funds were not ample and candidates were not in the works or in place in several ridings.
That was the saw-off point of proactive cooperation between the two parties. Once the NDP had a majority government, the need to appease the views of opposition MLAs in the Legislative Assembly and committees (both BC Liberal and BC Green).
The Horgan government has forged forward after that with laser-focus on COVID pandemic management and the concomitant economic recovery, though even from day-one of coming to power in summer 2017 Horgan’s approach has been for his Cabinet, MLAs and government to use every day as if it were the last…. keeping the pressure on to reorient the policies, priorities, initiatives, investments and programs of government in new, long-term directions.
Realities in BC:
“2021 was a year of immense challenges for many British Columbians. Heading into 2022, we need to take an honest look at the state of our province,” said Furstenau in her statement today. “The reality is that people are struggling.”
She feels the NDP government “hasn’t made a dent in affordability for the average British Columbian”, though that could be argued in light of pandemic benefits in 2020, somewhat holding BC Hydro rates in line, maintaining a robust range of low-income support programs around disability and housing, and moving forward with the complexities of achieving affordable child care across various communities. Supports for the economic recovery of both businesses and weather-impacted individuals and communities has been readily forthcoming from the NDP government in the last two years.
Furstenau feels that the NDP government is “scrambling to respond to foreseen climate disasters”. She says the BC Government “failed to learn from previous COVID-19 waves and was once again unprepared for the current wave”. The government also proved a need to pay more immediate attention to current conditions, as was sadly evident in having missed issuing, by a country mile, any adequate and detail-appropriate heat dome warnings; about 570 people died in the extreme heat in the last week of June 2021, mostly seniors living alone in urban areas.
Money toward leadership:
“What our party’s fundraising results tell me is that people are looking to the B.C. Greens for the decisive leadership and proactive vision that is missing,” said Furstenau today.
And already looking to the next BC provincial election in 2024: “This is the type of government we will offer British Columbians in 2024. In the meantime, the B.C. Greens will continue to bring forward solutions to support people and families, to protect our natural environment, and to be mindful of what we owe to future generations. 2022 needs to be a year of action.”
“2020 and 2021 were both record-breaking years for the party,” said Jonina Campbell, Executive Director of the B.C. Green Party. “Combined with the exceptional work of our MLAs, staff and volunteers, these fundraising results keep us on track to meet our ambitious goals for the 2024 election. More and more, British Columbians are looking to Sonia Furstenau and the B.C. Greens for leadership in difficult times,” she said in the BC Greens statement today.
MLAs:
Sonia Furstenau is the MLA for Cowichan Valley, first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2020. The other BC Green MLA is Adam Olsen (Saanich North and the Islands), first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2020.