B.C. Green leader Sonia Furstenau says her party is not running to form government but to hold it "accountable" as it continues to announce its election campaign team and new candidates.
She made that statement Monday (Aug. 12) as part of her response to a question about whether she is concerned that her party's message is becoming lost due to the attention that the back-and-forth between B.C. United and Conservatives has garnered over the past months.
"(I) think right now, it is important for people to get to know the leaders and the vision that these parties have for this province," she said. She added that the party will continue its pattern of presenting on a fully-costed platform with plenty of policy details, so voters can see its vision.
To that end, the party formally announced Adam Olsen as campaign chair and Maureen Balsillie as campaign director.
Olsen is the sitting MLA for the Saanich North and the Islands, but is not running again for personal reasons. Balsillie has helped manage various campaigns, including the campaign of Aislinn Clancy, who won a 2023 by-election to Ontario's provincial legislature.
“Working alongside Sonia, Adam and the talented team of staff, candidates and volunteers, I am confident that on Oct. 19, the B.C. Greens will make history by electing the largest Green caucus in B.C. political history," Balsillie said.
The party currently sits in third place in a recent Research Co. poll with 10 per cent. It currently holds two seats, the minimum number to be recognized as an official party in the legislature. But both seats — located on Vancouver Island — will be open, with Rob Botterell running in Olsen's riding and Furstenau switching from Cowichan Valley to Victoria Beacon-Hill, where she will be running against cabinet minister Grace Lore.
These shifts mean the party could end up losing both sides.
The party said in a statement issued Thursday that Furstenau's bid for Victoria-Beacon Hill marks a "pivotal moment" for the party as it gears up to secure victories across Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland.
Furstenau used the occasion to praise two candidates: Cammy Lockwood, who will be running in Cowichan Valley and David Evans, who will be running in Juan de Fuca-Malahat. Evans' riding includes parts of Furstenau's former riding on the east side of Vancouver Island as well as communities such as Sooke and Port Renfew on the south-west shore of Vancouver Island.
“With strong leaders like Cammy and David on the bill, the party is well positioned to address the complex needs of the communities in Cowichan Valley while continuing to build on the progress we have made,” Furstenau said in urging supporters to rally behind Lockwood and Evans.
- with files from Tyler Harper
