B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau opened nominations Tuesday for candidates across the province to be prepared in case of a snap election.
The next provincial election is scheduled for October 2024.
B.C. Premier David Eby, who swears in his new cabinet Wednesday at Government House starting at 10 a.m., has said he doesn’t intend to change the election date. But B.C. Liberal leader Kevin Falcon has suggested that he can’t trust Eby not to call a snap election, as former premier John Horgan did in 2020.
Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley, said she hopes the election isn’t called before October 2024, but either way, the party will be prepared.
“[Eby] has given me his personal assurance that the next time voters go to the ballot box, it will be in October 2024,” she said in a statement. “Nevertheless, it is our job as a party to be ready for anything, so we will be prepared for a snap election should that come to pass.”
Furstenau said more B.C. Greens are needed in the legislature. She said she and Saanich North and the Islands MLA Adam Olsen have worked hard to push the government on many files, “but there is only so much two MLAs can do.”
Furstenau urged candidates to step forward to protect the universal healthcare system, address the housing crisis, and move on climate action.
Nominations are for the current riding boundaries, but the party says it is working with local communities and applicants to ensure a smooth transition to new riding boundaries in case they come into force before the next election.
Anyone interested in applying to run with the B.C. Greens can go to bcgreens.ca/apply_to_be_a_candidate_2022.
