Delegates to British Columbia New Democratic Party convention reaffirmed the party's commitment to sustainability, but not before members ripped the leadership for ignoring the principle in the 2009 election.
“I have to say I'm very frustrated to have to stand here at all to support this motion because it shouldn't have had to be here at all,” said Joan Sawicki, a former NDP environment minister.
In 2007 the convention approved a Sustainable B.C. policy document and passed a motion saying the 2009 campaign would be based on that document, she said.
“Those instructions were ignored,” she said. “I would suggest that a whole bunch of voters out there, especially young people who are turning their backs on our party because of that.”
The party has to do more than talk about green jobs and start talking about a total transformation to an environmentally sustainable economy, she said.
North Island MLA Claire Trevena said she was “immensely disappointed” that the party abandoned talking about sustainability in the election. “I think we would have won that election if we used Sustainable BC.”
Saanich South MLA Lana Popham also spoke in favour of the motion saying the party will fail future generations if it opts not to view issues through a sustainability lens. “When I was deciding whether or not to become part of this party I was looking for a home where I could put my commitment to the environment,” she said.
“I've said, and you've heard me say many times, that we didn't put enough of our positive vision out and the example would be the green bond,” said B.C. NDP leader Carole James.
The NDP had a proposal to raise money for environmental projects by offering a green bond, but didn't do a good enough job promoting it, she said.
“It's very clear you can't get a campaign and you can't get a platform out in 28 days,” she said. “I support the comments from folks who said we have to start that process now, we need to make sure it's ingrained, and we need to get it out earlier, well before the election.”
She said she has no regrets about the position the NDP took against the carbon tax and supports the party's position.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.
Green?
Great to hear these progressive voices pushing for change in the party. Here's hoping it actually happens this time.
media savy?
If Trevena had a better "personality" for TV and a voice less strident than James, she would get my vote.
Unfortunately she turns off anybody watching her and lucky that the NDP vote is strong in her riding.
Claire Trevena was very clear
She spoke with passion this morning in convention, about the need to use the BCNDP's Sustainability Policy to forward the party's vision for the future. Afterwards she gave a rather frank interview with Public Eye Online.
I must say though, that "alive's" comments are clearly misogynist and along the lines of Gordon Campbell's during the election that Carol James just does not understand the economy. On the one hand I feel sorry for anyone who would speak so lowly of a woman, on the other I think it disgusting reflection on all their characters that they would talk about these woman in such a nasty way with no provocation. Here is yet another example of Mike de Jong again speaking as if all woman are just shrills and suggesting that Carol as a woman is not capable of doing a man's job.
I suppose no suprise really, just another clear indicator of what all these Liberal men think and feel about woman, especially woman that are challenging these men's intellectual capacities.
BC NDP reaffirms commitment to sustainability
The word 'sustainability' is so meaningless now they may as well have made a commitment to breathing!
green leap forward
I am all for sustainability, reduced consumption, clean green energy, local economies and citizen democracy. But sorry folks CO2 is not the demon it has been made out to be on the climate change bandwagon (what was in their koolaid and pipes anyways???). I want the NDP to absolutely wipe out the Liberals and Konservatives and not hook up to the wrong caboose. Greens just can't win a seat.
Sustainability
Do you realize that when you talk about sustainability most people eyes glaze over. It is not that they don't care but the topic is frankly booooring and so much mind bending theory that it does not resonate. Mainstreet folks want to talk about stuff that has them concerned like HST, increases in heating costs and food costs - all those things that eat away at their purchasing power. Talk about that first but too much time on "sustainability" and their minds go somewhere else.