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FEATURE Furstenau says it’s not too late to govern differently

The B.C. Green leader promises to listen to science in addressing the climate crisis and overdose deaths O ver the years, some political leaders have explicitly promised to follow evidence-based policies in responding to society’s most vexby Charlie Smith ing challenges, including the climate crisis, if their party forms government. But aer the election, they’ve ignored this pledge. is was on display when Justin Trudeau was leading the federal Liberals into the 2015 election. Climate was a big issue during the campaign, but aer the election, Trudeau’s party bought Kinder Morgan’s Canadian assets. He and his then–nance minister, Bill Morneau, subsequently proceeded with a pipeline project that will result in more annual downstream emissions than the entire total generated in B.C. each year. And its cost shot up astronomically.

Similarly, in 2005, Vancouver mayoral candidate Sam Sullivan promised to pursue evidence-based policies while leading the NPA. Aerward, his critics said he refused to follow best practices by not allowing separated bike lanes on the Burrard Bridge and in other areas of the city to reduce crashes between vehicles and cyclists. However, the leader of the B.C. Greens, Sonia Furstenau, insists that she’s serious with her pledge to listen to scientists and North Vancouver–Seymour Green candidate and climate-strike organizer Harrison Johnston says that Sonia Furstenau has been the only B.C. party leader to truly hear his concerns, whereas he felt like he was ignored by federal Liberal and provincial NDP cabinet ministers. Photo by Jimmy Jeong. experts. And it’s not only with regard to would have only been 96 such fatalities in economic transition. We’re in transition In contrast, when he attended demonclimate. In a phone interview with the 2018 instead of more than 4,000. because of climate change. strations at the oces of federal EnvironGeorgia Straight, she emphasized that she is year, there were 684 overdose “Pretending that is not so is the worst ment and Climate Change Minister Jonawill embrace an evidence-based approach deaths in B.C. in only a four-month period, thing that people in decision-making than Wilkinson, B.C. Environment and in other areas, including addressing the from May to August, according to the B.C. positions can do,” Furstenau added. “We Climate Change Strategy Minister George opioid crisis and combatting inequality. Coroners Service. actually need to get in front of that transiHeyman, and B.C. Attorney General David

“We cannot continue to ignore reality Furstenau noted that the provincial tion and decide where we want to end up. Eby, these politicians weren’t interested in and we cannot continue to ignore evidence health ocer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, issued a Where I want B.C. to end up is resilient and engaging with young people in a serious that tells us what solutions are needed to be report two years ago with recommendasafe and secure—and also where people way. As a result, Johnston has signed on as in place,” Furstenau said. “So in a climate tions to address the overdose crisis. But can have a quality of life that isn’t rooted in the Green candidate in his home communcrisis, for a government to give $6 billion many of those proposals, including deconsumption but about connection.” ity of North Vancouver–Seymour. in tax cuts and incentives to the fracking criminalization, have been ignored. “Our leaders are failing young people, industry makes no sense.” “We approached COVID-19 listening they’re failing Indigenous people, they’re

Of course, she was referring to the NDP to what the experts told us what to do, failing Black people, they’re failing people minority government’s eorts to attract a listening to the scientists, listening to Dr. with disabilities, they’re failing drug users, large, Shell Oil–led liqueed-natural-gas Bonnie Henry,” Furstenau said. “We’ve and they’re failing our communities as a project in northwestern B.C. Oen called a taken the guidance of experts in response We’re in a transition whole,” Johnston wrote in a recent comcarbon bomb by its critics, the LNG Canada plant will rely on fracked natural gas—and to this global pandemic. We need to take the guidance of experts in response to the because of climate mentary on Straight.com. “We can’t beg them for change any longer. We need it will gobble up a growing portion of B.C.’s opioid crisis.” change. something to hope for again.” carbon budget with each passing decade. Furstenau, a former teacher, told the Furstenau said that government’s job is

“It goes against what the evidence tells Straight earlier this year that she entered – Sonia Furstenau to ensure that every person in the province us we need to do,” Furstenau continued, politics—rst at the local level in the Cowihas access to public services such as health “which is to urgently reduce our emissions chan Valley, then provincially in 2017—to care and education. and urgently invest in clean energy so that address a “feeling of disillusionment with “I think we should really question the we can have a safer future for our children.” decisions that were being made”. Accordway we do political campaigns when party

As for the opioid crisis, Furstenau pointing to her, those decisions, such as granting It’s a vision that has attracted the support leaders go into ridings and make promed to Portugal, which has decriminalized a provincial permit for a contaminatedof young environmental activists such as ises about what government should be personal possession of cocaine and heroin waste dump in her town’s watershed, were Harrison Johnston, a 20-year-old organizer ensuring exists for every community in and sharply driven down the number of aecting communities across the province. with the climate-justice group Sustainathis province,” the B.C. Green leader deoverdose deaths and HIV infections. Ac“What we need to have more of in polbiliteens Vancouver. In a phone interview clared. “Every community should have cording to drug-policy researcher Adam itics is forward-looking visions that put with the Straight, Johnston said that Fursschools where children have safe places to Fisher, if Canada had the same overdosedeath rate as Portugal had in 2016, there people at the centre of that,” she said at the time. “We’re in a transition. We’re in an tenau was the only B.C. party leader who truly listened to what his group had to say. learn, where they thrive. Every community should have enough doctors.” g