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Rob Shaw: BC Greens ghosted by their own MLAs

5 1
30.01.2025

Who wants to be the leader of the BC Green Party? Anyone? ... Anyone at all?

It’s a question now rippling through B.C. politics, after Green leader Sonia Furstenau resigned Tuesday and the party’s only two MLAs refused to take her job.

“I feel like I gave it everything I had, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished,” Furstenau said at a retirement event at a Victoria hotel.

“I’m very comfortable with moving back into private life.”

After seven years, Furstenau can leave politics with her head held high. Her strong debate performances as leader kept the Greens from being wiped off the electoral map in two elections. She saved the party from extinction more than once.

It wasn’t Furstenau’s job to figure out who should step up and lead the next generation of Greens. That should have fallen to the elected MLAs, Rob Botterell or Jeremy Valeriote. Except, apparently, neither is willing.

“Being a leader, the time commitment is not in the cards for me right now,” said Valeriote, the MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.

“I’m the house leader;........

© BIV