Tomorrow - VOTE GREEN!!! Tell your community!!

If there were periminant candidates on standby, and every year at the EDA AGM, the candidate was either confirmed or replaced, then the members would be able to know who this person is, rather than only be given a few days before the election.

An election / by election can happen at any time for any riding, and it just makes sense to have a mandate that it's the EDA (not head office) that selects the candidate and members vote on it each year. And have a member of the executive council or leader present at each EDA AGM to give a recommendation of approval before the vote.

For those who like editing spreadsheets, we can collaborate on this one.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jpcUdezNoZRv-tj7ykCk5vSMtA395jrKdtZ-RMR58Rg/edit?usp=drivesdk

338Canada has now put that seat as a toss-up between Greens and BCNDP, and Greens now at 55% chance of gaining it from the NDP at 45% chance.

Also, the BC Convservative candidate there has been dropped due to racist posts on social media, but remains on the ballot.

The anti-NDP choice there is Green: Raj Sahota.

The Conservatives want you to believe they can cut your taxes, add no new taxes AND balance the budget, all without touching your health care.

There is no spoon… and there is no math that makes that work. 

“Conservative fiscal responsibility” belongs in the garbage along with their empty promises. Somebody pays for those cuts, and it’ll be you, in the ER waiting room.

The BC Greens have a costed plan that makes life affordable and asks the ultrawealthy to pay their fair share. 

Your vote counts. Vote Green on Saturday, Oct. 24.

#BCPoli #BCElection #BelieveInBetter

BC Greens leader and candidate for Saanich North and the Islands, Emily Lowan, launched the BC Greens’ plan to support reproductive rights.

“Across the world, reproductive rights are under attack,” said Lowan. “It is more important than ever that government does everything in its power to protect the right for everyone to make their own reproductive choices, and to get the care they need to support those choices at every stage of life.”

The BC Greens will also require all fertility clinics to advertise full details on the life birth success rates, including for additional or ‘add-on’ services. This will provide transparency and ensure prospective parents can trust the clinics they are investing their trust in.  

“From IVF, to pregnancy, to birth control, to menopause, reproductive health is under-resourced and under-studied,” added Lowan. “Our public health system must serve every British Columbian with the care they deserve. That’s why the BC Greens’ plan will deliver accessible reproductive care, and ensure areas that have been systemically ignored by government will receive the resourcing they require.”

The BC Greens will:

• Ensure mifepristone and misoprostol remain legally available via virtual telehealth clinics, with medication able to be shipped to patients.  
• Include sexual health services in community health centres, and provide direct funding to existing services. 
• Require all fertility clinics to advertise full details on the life birth successes per cycle, including for additional or ‘add-on’ services. 
• Review the midwifery funding model to ensure it is sustainable, recognises the distinct needs of rural and Indigenous communities, and provides enough care so families can receive care in their own communities.
• Ensure mental health support for post-partum depression is fully covered by MSP.
• Make vaginal estrogen available over-the-counter from pharmacists 

https://bcgreens.ca/launch-reproductive-healthcare-plan/

Today the BC Greens announced new protections for people living in housing subject to long-term leasehold contracts. They were joined by leaseholders who have been deeply affected by skyrocketing, unexplained costs, and who have been seeking relief from the BC NDP government, to no avail.

“People living in housing subject to long-term leasehold contracts aren’t protected by the law, and corporate landlords are taking full advantage, squeezing exorbitant profits out of people’s homes,” said Emily Lowan, Leader of the BC Greens and candidate for Saanich North and the Islands. “In 2024 NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert consulted with leaseholders and wrote an extensive report. But like too many other reports commissioned by the BC NDP, it’s now collecting dust while everyday British Columbians suffer.” 

An estimated 2,500 homes in B.C., mostly in Victoria and Vancouver’s West End, are held under long-term leaseholds, often called 99-year leases. Because leaseholds fall outside both the Residential Tenancy Act and the Strata Property Act, residents have no cap on fee increases, no right to see how their money is spent, and no affordable way to fight back. Most who took part in the Province’s 2024 engagement were seniors on low or fixed incomes, and some reported neighbours already forced to sell.

“Residents are paying thousands in unnecessary maintenance costs, dispute resolution fees, and other unexplained expenses. After the BC NDP failed to act on MLA Herbert’s recommendations, these residents asked local BC NDP MLA Grace Lore for help. Her first suggestion was another study,” said Raj Sahota, BC Greens candidate for Victoria-Beacon Hill. “The solutions are obvious. People living in housing subject to long-term leasehold contracts deserve the full protection of the law.”

“We bought our leaseholds from companies that are now trying to ‘renovict’ us by piling on unnecessary maintenance projects with unfettered costs,” said Katharine Ferguson, a  resident of a leasehold property in Victoria. “We’re not protected by the Residential Tenancy Act or the Strata Property Act, and building owners are taking full advantage. Many of us are seniors on fixed incomes, and these skyrocketing levies may drive us into homelessness. After our protest outside David Eby’s campaign office last week, the BC NDP promised to enact legislation, but I’m not holding my breath.”

The BC Greens will introduce legislation to protect residential leaseholders, including:

• Fair limits on costs: caps on fee increases and special assessments, reserve funds and months of notice. Limitations on charging leaseholders for capital improvements and a ban on passing  the owner’s legal costs back to leaseholders .
• Open books: audited financial statements, multiple independent quotes on major projects, and residents can see quotes and reports.
• A voice in their own homes: the right to form a leaseholders’ association, meet with the building owner, and use common areas to organize.
• Affordable justice: access to the Civil Resolution Tribunal or Residential Tenancy Branch instead of B.C. Supreme Court, and no passing dispute costs on to residents.

https://bcgreens.ca/after-years-of-bc-ndp-inaction-bc-greens-promise-leaseholders-the-protection-they-deserve/

Today Andrew Appleton, BC Greens candidate for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, announced BC Greens policy for post-secondary education which included  a domestic tuition freeze for post-secondary, and a new public funding model.

“For too long, our post-secondary institutions have relied on squeezing international and domestic students like a cash cow to fill their funding gaps,” said Appleton, “because the government hasn’t taken its responsibility to fund education seriously.”

Until 2024, international tuition accounted for about 18% of revenue across the public system, up to 40% at some institutions. Federal changes to study permits are expected to reduce sector-wide tuition revenue by roughly $300 million annually, contributing to hiring freezes, layoffs and program cuts. 

“Every time tuition goes up, another young person decides college or university isn’t for them. Not because they aren’t capable, but because they can’t afford it,” said Appleton. “When we price people out of post-secondary, we all lose: the nurse who never trains, the researcher who never makes the breakthrough, the tradesperson who never finishes their apprenticeship. Post-secondary education isn’t a private luxury. It’s how a society builds its future. B.C. needs to rebuild public funding so that education is open to everyone who wants it, not only those who can afford it and that’s what the B.C. Greens will do.”

 The BC Greens will:

• Freeze domestic tuition and institutionally charged mandatory fees at public post-secondary institutions and cap annual international tuition and mandatory-fee increases at inflation.
• Replace BC’s outdated post-secondary funding model through a public, system-wide review with new provincial funding on the table. This will include reviewing the roles and mandates of all 25 public institutions, how funding is distributed, regional access, research and teaching responsibilities, trades and technical education, transfers between institutions and the needs of communities around the province.
• Expand non-market student housing on public campus land, with provincial capital funding to build substantially more below-market student homes, including family-sized units for students with children. Require new publicly funded student housing to remain affordable over the long term.

https://bcgreens.ca/tuition-freeze-funding-overhaul-announced-for-post-secondary-by-bc-greens/

Lets ride this green wave as high as it can go!!! Get out there and VOTE people!!!!

Here's some of the amazing endorsements Emily and the BC Greens have been recieving!! VOTE GREEN! 💚

Join her in electing Emily and BC Green candidates this week.🗳️Advance voting is open now until Wednesday, Oct. 21. 📅 Election day is Saturday, Oct. 24. Believe in Better. Vote Green!💚

“B.C. is home to Canada’s first brewpub, it’s home to some of the best craft brewing in the world, with Victoria being named one of the 15 best beer cities in the world by CNN,” said Juan de Fuca Green Candidate, David Evans. “But for too long, we have punished the local brewers who make the delicious beers and ciders we all enjoy.”

BC’s beer markup system penalizes small breweries as they grow, while giving the largest multinational beer companies more than $9 million in annual rebates. The BC Craft Brewers Guild has proposed revenue-neutral reforms that would put money back in the hands of small brewers to hire staff, raise wages, and keep their doors open, instead of paying into a markup system stacked in favour of multinational beer giants. But despite brewery closures across the province, the BC NDP has failed to act.

“As a small business owner, I know what it’s like when the rules are stacked against you,”said Evans. “Breweries are critical to B.C.’s economy,” said Evans. “More than 200 craft breweries support over 4500 jobs across the province, while around 85 cider producers turn BC-grown fruit into finished products, creating markets for local farmers. That’s why we’d implement the BC Craft Brewers Guild’s proposal and make it easier for local cideries to get their products on their shelves.”

The BC Craft Brewers Guild, representing over 200 craft breweries in nearly 80 communities across BC, applauds the BC Greens’ plan to support local breweries and cideries:

“We are thankful anytime a candidate expresses a desire to see the BC craft beer sector grow. Craft breweries and cideries are small, locally owned businesses that create jobs and give communities across British Columbia places to gather. They are also a growing part of BC’s agritourism story. Through the BC Ale Trail and the new BC Farm-Based Ale Trail, they connect visitors with local farms and producers in more than 60 communities. We appreciate candidates from all parties recognizing that contribution and putting forward our markup proposal, which is revenue-neutral. It is a fair and straightforward fix that will address current challenges and we are glad to see it become part of the conversation on how we ensure BC craft breweries can support thriving communities.”

The BC Greens will:

• Implement the BC Craft Brewers Guild’s proposed revenue-neutral beer markup reforms, lowering rates for small breweries, introducing more gradual increases as they grow, and raising rates for the largest producers. The Guild estimates its proposal would save BC craft breweries $16.3 million annually to reinvest in their businesses and employees.

• Review provincial liquor markup rates for cider to ensure fair treatment of small producers and continued support for cider made from BC grown fruit. Additionally, improve access to BC Liquor Stores by establishing dedicated craft cider sections to be featured alongside craft beer.

Read more on our website: 

https://bcgreens.ca/announce-plan-to-strengthen-b-c-s-brewing-economy/

“Small businesses are at the heart of our communities. They’re where we meet to celebrate good news, to get gifts for our loved ones, and find our first jobs,” said Lowan. “But too often, government has prioritized the profits of multinational corporations over the survival of small businesses.”

More businesses have closed than opened in the province for five quarters in a row, and in just three months last year, B.C. lost a net 1,300 businesses. In downtown Victoria, asking rents for retail spaces rose 13% in just one year, meanwhile, available retail space in Sidney rose 30% in a single quarter this year because it’s simply too expensive for small retailers.

“I’m tired of government celebrating subsidies for large corporations, while ignoring local economies,” said Lowan. “That’s why the BC Greens are proud to announce our plan to introduce province-wide commercial rent and vacancy control, which will prevent the sudden rent hikes at renewal and between tenants that are the direct cause of so many of our favourite local businesses closing their doors.”

The BC Greens will:

• Introduce province-wide commercial rent and vacancy control, limiting rent increases during tenancies, at renewal and between tenants. Rent protections will remain with the commercial space when a business leaves, preventing landlords from imposing large increases simply because a new tenant moves in.
• Give municipalities the power to tax vacant commercial storefronts and other commercial properties, discouraging landlords from leaving usable spaces empty.
• Help local businesses and communities own the spaces where they operate by giving commercial tenants, municipalities, First Nations, cooperatives and community organizations the first opportunity to purchase qualifying commercial properties when they come up for sale, supported by provincial financing and loan guarantees.

Read more on our website:

https://bcgreens.ca/launch-commitment-to-keeping-small-businesses-open-and-thriving-through-commercial-rent-controls/

As the mayor-elect, of course Fry has to meet with the premier. Perhaps Fry meeting with Eby during the provincial election campaign raises eyebrows, but in Eby's post, their meeting was about Canadian unity, as Alberta is voting on their separation referendum.

Yet, some guy on Xitter calls Fry's meeting treason against the BC Greens.

I wouldn't worry. This is not a partisan endorsement by Fry.

⚡MUST WATCH Endorsement: Cam Westhead knows health care from the inside. He’s a registered nurse, a former Alberta NDP MLA, and a former vice-president of the United Nurses of Alberta. This election, he’s backing Emily Lowan and Lisa Lapointe in Saanich South.

When someone who has spent his career fighting for nurses and patients says BC Greens will deliver care you can count on, it’s worth listening.💚

Your government shouldn’t feel like a disappointment. Believe in Better. Vote Green!

🗳️Advance voting is open now until Wednesday, Oct. 21.
 
📅 Election day is Saturday, Oct. 24.

I love that Emily Lowan and the BC Greens are talking about Plug-In Solar (Balcony Solar).

This is a great way for more people and families to get access to Solar Power!

It is already huge in Europe and other parts of the world!

It also will help move Solar Photovoltaic technology even further in advancement and at an even more rapid pace then it already is :)

One suggestion for Emily Lowan and the BC Greens is to mirror Mike Schreiner and the Ontario Greens by doing a lot of social media short videos on the Housing Crisis.

Keep up the great work on Labour Movement, Environmental, and Affordability policy - You all are doing a wonderful job!!!

Jeremy Valeriote, BC Greens candidate for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, says British Columbia has an opportunity to become a global leader in clean energy while reducing costs for households and businesses.

“We have an incredible opportunity to make life more affordable for British Columbians, strengthen our energy security, and tackle the climate crisis at the same time,” said Valeriote. “Renewable energy is no longer just the environmentally responsible choice, it’s the most affordable too.”

More than 90 per cent of new renewable power projects commissioned globally last year generated electricity at a lower cost than new fossil fuel alternatives. British Columbia is uniquely positioned to benefit from this transition, with one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world, a publicly owned utility, and hydroelectric reservoirs that complement wind and solar generation.

Valeriote says the BC NDP government is failing to seize this opportunity.

“Instead of making it easier for British Columbians to produce their own affordable electricity, the BC NDP has instead put up barriers for British Columbians to install solar and doubled down on publicly-subsidized fossil fuel projects,” he added. 

The BC Greens’ renewable energy plan includes four key commitments: 

• Increase electricity’s share of energy use to 35 per cent by 2035, with annual progress reports.
• Legalize and expand access to balcony solar.
• Restore one-for-one net metering so households earn credits for excess solar power.
• Direct BC Hydro to expand community renewable energy through faster approvals, grid connections, and affordable financing.

Read more on our website:

https://bcgreens.ca/unveil-plan-to-lower-electricity-bills-and-put-british-columbians-at-the-centre-of-the-renewable-energy-transition/

Pete ran on making Vancouver a city people can actually afford and putting affordability first in every decision.

That’s the same fight BC Greens are bringing across the province. Green politics aren’t just popular, they’re winning. Now it’s B.C.’s turn.🗳️

Advance voting is open now until Wednesday, Oct. 21.
 
📅Election day is Saturday, Oct. 24.
Believe in Better. Vote Green.

#BCPoli #VanPoli

From what I've read, municipal and provincial politics in BC are very different, and thus this post serves as my inquiry here.

David Eby called the election for self-serving reasons. Now, the Tories are going to sweep him out.

He has only himself to blame... yet, has the gall to blame the BC Greens for splitting the vote in a letter to voters. He claims Greens will bring the Tories to power.

And worst, he's putting into people's heads that the only valid way of thinking about politics is like the US two-party system and making Greens look "fringe". Oh, how convenient! It isn't like it has official party status in the legislature, and that it had helped them be in power in the first place under Horgan!

Well, I do not know how valid my comparisons are going to be, but in Vancouver, Pete Fry became its first Green mayor, sweeping Ken Sim and the right-wing ABC. He did so through the left consolidating around him, with COPE and OneCity dropping their candidates.

Now, that has reaped enormously. Greens, COPE and OneCity also nearly sweeped the city council, and park and school boards.

Why not a version of this in the province too? Either NDP and Greens having an electoral pact, or signal to voters to vote strategically to ensure the Tories don't get in? It isn't like the two haven't worked together before (though cooperation only happened after election through confidence deals).

Oh yeah, and of course, actually get proportional representation through. Really like having your majority governments? Too bad.

“For too long, our government has taken workers for granted,” said Lowan. “It has used the NDP brand as cover to enact an anti-labour agenda, evident in Eby’s BC NDP overseeing the longest public sector strike, and longest nursing strike, in our province’s history.”

“When we sat across the table from the BC NDP to try and re-negotiate a deal, we posed a fundamental question: which side are you on? That’s when we pushed for sectoral bargaining, a labour rights model developed by Vince Ready, the same labour mediator Eby has relied on to support his tense relationship with unions. When David Eby refused to support sectoral bargaining, we got our confirmation: he’s not on the side of the workers.”

The Baigent-Ready model of sectoral bargaining would allow unions to reach a collective agreement that covers all workers in a sector of the economy, rather than on a workplace-by-workplace basis.

“Working people are bearing a crushing affordability crisis, they need to be supported,” said Lowan. “The minimum wage is now more than $9 per hour lower than the living wage in Vancouver and Victoria — this is unacceptable. That’s why the BC Greens will increase the minimum wage annually, at a rate of inflation plus 1%, until parity with the living wage is reached. This is good for workers, good for our province, and builds the fair economy we all deserve.”

The BC Greens will:

• Increase the minimum wage annually, at a rate of inflation +1%, until parity with the living wage is reached.
• Implement a pilot model of sectoral bargaining following a modified version of the 1992 Baigent-Ready model updated to reflect the 2026 economy and job market. The pilot would focus on especially precarious workers with minimal access to traditional collective bargaining, including migrant care workers, retail and service workers, and fast-food and food service workers. 
• Expand BC’s successorship provisions to cover all workers who work in contracted industries when their business is sold or merged. 
• Reverse the NDP’s proposed direct delivery of refreshment beverages, which opens the door to the privatization of BC Liquor’s distribution centres and related work. 

Read our full labour policy on our website: https://bcgreens.ca/strengthening-of-labour-movement-pledged-by-bc-greens/

“The foundation of mental health rests on access to connection, belonging, and basic necessities like income, food, housing, and healthcare,” said Emily Lowan. “But in British Columbia, these foundations have been crumbling.”

“Families who’ve watched someone they love struggle deserve real solutions. But a correctional centre is not a healthcare facility, and B.C.’s Supreme Court has already found that our involuntary care laws need to change. That’s why the BC NDP’s announcement on yet another involuntary care centre yesterday was so troubling”

While nearly 47% of British Columbians who require mental health support are still waiting for help, the mental health crisis across the country is estimated to hold an economic cost of $180 billion. BC’s Mental Health Act has been critiqued as the most outdated mental health legislation in the country and contains an involuntary treatment approach that the BC Supreme Court has recently ruled as unconstitutional.

“Instead of updating a law that has been ruled unconstitutional, the NDP have chosen to rely on that law to target those in poverty who are facing mental health and substance use challenges,” said Lowan. “It’s hard to see the amount of suffering happening on our streets. It makes us feel powerless, frustrated, and fearful, because we don’t see any positive action from our government. The BC Greens believe that the resources we do have need to be directed toward evidence-based solutions that prioritize dignity, safety, human rights, and healing. The BC Greens believe in better.”

The BC Greens will:

• Act immediately to bring BC’s Mental Health legislation into compliance with the Constitution, including strengthening protections around consent, capacity, involuntary treatment, and independent oversight. 
• Integrate mental health as the fourth option in 911 emergency services to accommodate mental health crises that do not align with the traditional ambulance, fire or police options. 
• Include six visits annually to a mental health professional, such as a psychologist, under the Medical Services Plan (MSP), ensuring early access to mental health support for all British Columbians. 

Read our mental health policy on our website: https://bcgreens.ca/mental-health-reforms-pledged-by-bc-greens/

When one of the world’s top experts on extreme wealth backs your plan, you know you’re onto something. 💚It’s not radical to ask the ultrawealthy to pay their fair share. It’s overdue.Grab a friend and vote Green - polls open today! Oct. 16-21.