BC Green Party convention starts tonight in Kamloops

Jun 1, 2018 | 3:59 PM

KAMLOOPS — Almost one year to the day after it was announced the BC NDP party would form a government with the help of the provincial Greens, the same BC Green party is holding their annual party convention in Kamloops this weekend, kicking off tonight at Thompson Rivers University.

Delegates from all across BC will join BC Green leader Andrew Weaver, as well as MLA’s Sonia Furstenau and Adam Olson at the TRU Conference Centre for activities throughout the weekend. According to BC Green Party Director of Communication Stefan Jonsson, the strong showing by local Green candidates Dan Hines and Donovan Cavers helped bring the party to Kamloops for their annual event.

“Last year in the 2017 election, our candidates did really well. They grew a lot of momentum for the party in the Thompson Rivers area,” Jonsson explained. “There was a lot of momentum after the campaign, to really continue that growth, and the team here on the ground wanted to take on a big project. We like to move the convention around, and Kamloops seemed like the perfect place.”

Jonsson says the past year since the 2017 Provincial election has been huge for the Green party, pointing out that despite signing an agreement to support the NDP government the Green party remains in opposition in order to hold the government to account on a number of issues, while also ensuring accountability and encouraging cooperation on the legislature that is passed in Victoria.

“Generally the feeling is this has been an incredible year,” Jonsson said. “Not just for the Green party, but for the province in general, because what Andrew Weaver and Premier Horgan have done is demonstrated what it’s like for two parties who don’t see eye-to-eye on everything, but for whom there is common ground, they can work together. Policy that is passed and becomes public policy for the province is better because different voices came together to work on it.”

The convention runs June 1st to June 3rd at Thompson Rivers University.