Tim Collins/B次元官网网址 staff

The B.C. Green Party came to Sidney this past weekend for itB次元官网网址檚 annual convention, its first since co-operating with the New Democratic Party (NDP) to unseat the 16 year Liberal government of Christy Clark. About 350 delegates attended the event at SidneyB次元官网网址檚 SHOAL Centre for a two-day meeting that emphasized the past accomplishments of the party and set the stage for the future.

B次元官网网址淭his is a momentous year for B.C. Greens and IB次元官网网址檓 delighted to attend our first convention in which a B.C. Green caucus is featured,B次元官网网址� said Andrew Weaver, Leader of the B.C. Green Party.

B次元官网网址淚 look forward to meeting with the B.C. Greens to celebrate our achievements of the last year and to discuss how we can build on the incredible momentum behind our party following the historic May 9 election.B次元官网网址�

That election saw the Green Party receive 332,387 votes, or 16.84 per cent of the total, a vote count that led to the party winning three seats in the provincial legislature. Due to the slim differential between the then governing Liberals and the NDP, the Greens were left holding the balance of power and at the end of May Weaver announced that the Greens had agreed to a four-year Confidence and Supply Agreement with the NDP to support the NDP and provide a B次元官网网址渟table minority government over the four year term of this next session.B次元官网网址�

The keynote address of the convention was delivered by Dan OB次元官网网址橬eill, leader of the Economics and Policy Sustainability Research Group at the University of Leeds. His research has, in recent years, focused on the changes required to achieve a sustainable economy within planetary boundaries (a steady-state economy). He has developed a system of national indicators to measure how close countries truly are to that steady state economy and what proximity to such an economy means to their social performance.The convention also featured plenaries, including a panel discussion with the B.C. Green Caucus, as well as a series of workshops.

What some considered the high note of the proceedings came with the opening comments of a series of speakers including Adam Olsen, who energized the crowd with words full of optimism for greater things in the future.

One of the important themes of the convention involved the challenge the Greens experienced in being able to field a slate of candidates that fully reflected the diversity of British Columbia, according to Stefan Jonsson, the partyB次元官网网址檚 director of communications.

B次元官网网址淭hat fact was explored openly and honestly and we managed to identify some concrete ways to move forward and ensure that we reflect the rich diversity of this province in the next election,B次元官网网址� he said.

Another factor high on the agenda involved what the introduction of some sort of proportional representation might have on future elections. With a nearly 17 per cent of the total votes already in the Green PartyB次元官网网址檚 favour, any proportional system would invariably lead to a greater number of Green MLAB次元官网网址檚 in the House and possibly lead to a shift in the way the voters in B.C. cast their votes, diminishing the B次元官网网址渟trategic votingB次元官网网址� that has occurred in the past, acknowledged Jonsson.

B次元官网网址淚t was not as much the B次元官网网址渂alance of powerB次元官网网址� that British Columbians gave us on May 9 as it is the B次元官网网址渂alance of responsibilityB次元官网网址�. We are part of redefining politics in this province and we take that very seriously,B次元官网网址� explained Jonsson.