Former BC Green Party vice chair Kim Darwin, who ran as a candidate in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast constituency in the 2017 provincial election, announced she is renewing her candidacy for leader.
“I’ve built a highly successful business and it has sustained throughout the pandemic, but I am choosing to set it aside now, so I can dedicate my time to the leadership race and the leadership role when elected,” stated Darwin in a media release.
Darwin added that the BC Green party leadership campaign had barely begun in early March and was scuttled by COVID-19. She stated that the BC Green Party has announced an abbreviated leadership contest, beginning at 1 pm, June 15, culminating in a leadership vote from September 5 to 13, with the winner being announced on September 14.
Darwin is one of two declared candidates for the leadership of the BC Green Party. The other is Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley.
Darwin stated in her media release that she has a strong professional background as a business leader, and as a social impact investor and community organizer, that prepares her for the role of leader. Darwin added that she believes the BC Greens alone have demonstrated a proactive and pragmatic approach to addressing issues facing BC voters, beginning with the climate and extending to affordable housing, education, the rights and title of Indigenous people, the opioid epidemic and access to affordable healthcare, which is a hot-button issue with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Darwin stated she will work closely with the sitting BC Green Party MLAs, party members and staff to create a shared policy platform built around the core principles of the party, and which effectively transitions BC into a decarbonized economy that works for all families, and all communities.
“The clean tech, climate conscious economy of the future starts today in BC,” stated Darwin, “when we prepare to elect a provincial BC Green government to pass progressive, thoughtful and balanced legislation to transition our economy to one that restores the planet and supports an inclusive and thriving resilience for future generations.
“I’m asking BC Green members and supporters to let me do the heavy lifting to gather the team of MLA candidates we’ll take into the next election. This will give our MLAs increased capacity to implement our policies and platform into BC legislation. The quality and quantity of candidates that I am already working on to bring to the next BC election will be an absolute game-changer for BC politics.”
Sat Harwood, chair of the BC Green Party’s provincial council, announced in a media release that the party will resume its leadership contest on June 15.
“The entire world has faced a harrowing pandemic that is not yet over. But we expect some reprieve over the summer, and so, with caution and safety being our top priority, we will complete our leadership contest by mid-September,” stated Harwood.
BC Green Party interim leader Adam Olsen said these are unique and unprecedented times.
“We must continue to be adaptable to a changing world, while pushing the government for more progressive action,” stated Olsen. “This leadership contest is no longer just an opportunity to renew our party. It is an opportunity to renew our province and world. Bold, innovative leadership is badly needed, and I am certain that our next leader will rise to this challenge.”
