The Green Party in the Boundary Similkameen is hosting a series of public meetings aimed at finding and fielding a candidate in the May 9 provincial election.
In the Boundary and Similkameen the Green Party has fielded candidates in every provincial general election since 1986.
“The decades of swinging back and forth between old line parties has not addressed the most serious issues of environmental degradation and climate change and the Greens want full on government work in these matters,” said party organizer Dave Cursons.
Cursons speaks from experience. He was one of those early candidates.
“A lot of voters say that they would vote Green if they thought the Greens could win. Of course, if these folks did vote Green we’d have some more seats in the B.C. Legislature and that would make a big difference,” Cursons said.
Boundary Similkameen, currently represented by Liberal MLA Linda Larson extends from Manning Park in the west to Christina Lake in the east and from the U.S. border and up to, but not including, Penticton. In 2009 and 2013, the Green Party collected about nine per cent of the popular vote.
The first Green Party meeting takes place in Princeton, at the Riverside Centre at 7 p.m. on March 10. There are two meetings planned for March 11, in the Grand Forks Library at 10 a.m. and at the Oliver Recreation Centre at 2:30 p.m.
Nominees will be endorsed after they have concluded an online vetting process through nominations@bcgreens.ca, and then party members in Boundary Similkameen will choose their candidates.
Jillian Oliver, press secretary for the B.C. Green party, said they are on the lookout for a candidate in the Penticton riding as well.
More information about the local Green Party is available at 250-499-5417. The provincial party’s website, including their platform, is at www.bcgreens.bc.ca.