Green Party in Kamloops carries hope into future after 20% of popular vote

May 10, 2017 | 6:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — A day after the Green Party in Kamloops earned more than 20% of the vote in both ridings, Dan Hines and Donovan Cavers are excited about the future. 

Receiving nearly 10,000 votes between the North and South Thompson gives them hope moving forward.

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“It tells me that the old story that it would impossible to be elected as a Green in Kamloops, in an Interior, resource town, is actually a false myth,” said Hines, who run in Kamloops-North Thompson. “It’s not true. It is very possible for a Green to be elected here.”

The hope also comes from the party’s two-seat gain on Tuesday night, bringing the total to three seats for the Greens in victoria. 

Hines and Cavers are excited about the potential for the Greens to team up with either a Liberal or NDP minority and table legislation to ban all big money from B.C. politics. 

“Holding the balance of power, depending on the outcome of a couple tight races, could be interesting,” said Cavers, who ran in Kamloops-South Thompson. “I know they’ll be pushing really hard for banning corporate and union donations, which was a hallmark of our election platform. As well as bringing more of a proportional voting system.”

With 16.7% of the popular vote, Hines calculated that under a proportional system it would amount to 13 seats for the party in the legislature. 

As it is, the Greens have three seats in the legislature.  

“What we’re going to see is a stronger, more robust Green presence in the legislature,” said Hines. “Having three together to collaborate and to support one another.”

Cavers, following his fifth election campaign, will take a step back and have to think hard about running again. 

Hines, on the other hand, would be all on board for another campaign, which he says could come as soon as this summer if there’s a non-confidence vote beyond May 22. 

“What I’m running for is the next generation,” he noted. “We owe them, we have a responsibility for them, and we can’t use their inheritance and be mindful that we owe them good life, a healthy planet. That is our responsibility to them. So I’m going to stay involved, and I’ll run again. There’s no question there.”

RIDING RESULTS: Kamloops-South Thompson

RIDING RESULTS: Kamloops-North Thompson