A year in review with Sonia Furstenau and her goals for the B.C. Green Party in 2024

The B.C. Green Partycurrently holds two seats in the provincial legislature, both of which represent ridings on Southern Vancouver Island.

The next provincial election is scheduled for October 2024 and the party has put up nine candidates,including incumbentAdam Olsen,MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, and Party Leader Sonia Furstenau who represents the Cowichan Valley.

The party marked its 40th anniversary in 2023 and, despite its small numbers in the Legislature, Furstenau is optimistic about the future, sayingshe is ready to make history by electing the largest B.C. Green caucus ever next year.

She sat down in December with Gloria Macarenko, host of CBC's On The Coast,to reflect on what went right, andwhat went wrong for the Greens this year, and her hopes for 2024.

The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

You and Olsenare the only elected members of the B.C. Greens. As atwo-person party, what exactly is your role in the Legislature?

It's really to bring evidence-based solutions to the challenges that we face, everything from being realistic about climate change to addressing growing inequality. For decades, governmentshave ignored growing problems and now we are in a place of overlapping crises.

We have a housing affordability crisis,more people dependent on food banks, health-care issues and a growing teacher shortage. The Greens focus on what solutions we could be implementingthat would address theroot causes of these crises.

An Angus Reid poll published in October showedcost of living is top of mind for most British Columbians.How do you think the NDPgovernmentdealt with that this year?

Affordability has gotten worse and worse for people. I hear from many people, renters in particular, that housing insecurity impacts their whole lives.

More supply is not going to address this. We need affordable housing, non-market housing, co-op housing, and housing that is geared to people's income. And with all of the measures the NDP introduced, very little to none of it is about affordability.

You have two seats and so doesthe Conservative Party, whose support appears to be building.In some opinion polls, they are tiedwithB.C. United, the official opposition. What do you make of this momentum?

I think people are looking for easy answers andConservatives have come out saying that they don't really think climate change is a problem.

Climate change is a massive economic disrupter and we have apartysaying theydon't think it's a crisis we have to take seriously. That's quite a concern to us and I think should be a concern to all British Colombians.

WATCH| B.C. Conservative MLA ousted from opposition party for climate change views:

Former B.C. United MLA says he needs 'more information' on climate change

12 months ago

Duration 3:01

In a statement announcing his defection to the Conservative Party of B.C., Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman said he doesn't support "policies like the punishing carbon tax."

But is there something the Conservatives are tapping into that voters want?

They're tapping into a very real sentiment that people have that they are notable to rely on the government for basic serviceslike health care and education and infrastructure,but they're offering solutions that are not based in evidence.

Why are Greenmessages about our climate future not resonating in the same way and building similar momentum?

It'simportant to recognize that the momentumthe B.C. Conservatives building on is the federal Conservative party's momentum. This is Pierre Poilievre and tapping into the sentiment that government is not living up to our expectations.

We have defied expectations. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary andhave always been rooted in evidence-based, science-based responses to the worldwe're in and to deliver basic servicesand address crises before they are out of control.

Your deputy leader, Dr. Sanjiv Gandhi, resigned after he liked a tweet comparing Provincial Health OfficerBonnie Henry with a Nazi. How damaging is that?

It's really important we are clear with our candidates and supporters that we can go after policies,we can criticize legislation and public policy, but we have to make sure we are not focused on attacking people.

What is your long-term strategy for the B.C. Greens?

I think it is really rooted in our vision for this province, which is healthy communities, healthy people, healthy ecosystems and trustworthy government and institutions. That's what we should all be striving for in our work in public service and what I continue to focus onevery day.

On The Coast9:21A year in review with B.C. Greens Sonia Furstenau

B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau sits down with Gloria Macarenko to discuss what went right and what went wrong in 2023, and what she hopes to accomplish next year.