(Submitted photo/Iain Currie).

By Aaron Schulze

Green Visit

Currie joins Green Party leader in Victoria visit; disappointed in summer of in-party turmoil

Sep 19, 2021 | 5:11 PM

KAMLOOPS — Two days before Canadians who hadn’t voted during advance polls or via mail-in ballot cast their vote, the leader of the federal Green Party made her way to B.C.

Annamie Paul visited Victoria on Saturday (Sept. 18) and was joined by numerous Green Party volunteers and candidates, including Iain Currie – the Green’s candidate in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo.

Currie told CFJC Today he was excited to have Paul come to B.C. after spending nearly the entire campaign in her Toronto riding, as he says he and his wife were one of the first supporters for Paul and contributed to her campaign.

Currie noted summer 2021 has been challenging for Paul and the Green’s, primarily due to in-party turmoil. He expressed his disappointment with the Green’s federal council for publicizing their problems with Paul.

“At the beginning of the campaign, I understood why she was running hard in her own riding, given the distraction of what had happened this summer,” Currie says. “But at the leader’s debate… she knocked it out of the park. When people actually got a chance to see her and hear her message is when the national campaign started to turn around. I’m shaking my head even more at the party apparatus for what happened this summer. It’s hard to understand and it’s really been a drag on Annamie’s personal campaign, and I think that’s really unfortunate.”

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Currie says Paul coming out to Vancouver Island is a sign that the Green’s are confidents in retaining their two seats in Saanich-Gulf Islands and Nanaimo-Ladysmith, and perhaps winning a few more seats in B.C.

“There are a couple of good young candidates in Victoria that she’s supporting and giving them a boost,” Currie says. “The reason I’m here is I want to send a message of solidarity and get behind the message that’s becoming most associated with Annamie Paul, and that’s fixing our broken political system. Focusing instead on working across party lines to get things done that Canadians want. I’m here to use Annamie’s megaphone and get the message out to voters in our area too.”

Currie admitted the snap election came at the worst possible time for the Green’s, but they hope citizens vote for who represents their views, and to not vote against a particular party.

The federal election takes place on Monday (Sept. 20) with polls in B.C. open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.