BC NDP will have to look elsewhere for a Speaker, Green MLAs say

The NDP can’t count on a B.C. Green Party legislator to take on the role of Speaker of the legislature, according to a newly-elected Green MLA.

Jeremy Valeriote said the idea of serving as Speaker “was floated” but he wants to stay focused on serving people in his riding, bringing transit to the Sea to Sky corridor and learning the ropes of being an MLA. 

“It's a problem for the government to solve, and unfortunately, we're not really able to help,” Valeriote told Canada’s National Observer in a phone interview on Nov. 13. This sentiment was echoed by Green MLA Rob Botterell. Both Botterell and Valeriote are serving their first term as MLAs. 

Although the NDP was able to secure a slim majority, political watchers note that it's a precarious position for the government, and striking a deal with the Greens would provide some stability. The NDP needs to select an MLA to be Speaker of the legislature, which, if it were an NDP member, could endanger the party’s slim majority. Conservative leader John Rustad has indicated he’s not willing to give up an MLA for the role. 

The NDP’s precarious majority may afford the Greens “some direct influence” — but Valeriote and Botterell pointed out that for the last four years, Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau and former MLA Adam Olsen didn’t have that benefit and still did good work.

“Whether or not those discussions [with the NDP] are successful, we can have an outsized presence in the legislature and really speak truth to power,” Botterell said.

Botterell, a retired lawyer of nearly 40 years, won Saanich North and the Islands with 36 per cent of the vote. He negotiated key provisions of the Maa-nulth Treaty for Huu-ay-aht and worked for the B.C. ministry of Finance, but this is his first time wading into politics.

Valeriote won in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, beating runner-up Yuri Fulmer — the Conservative candidate — by fewer than 700 votes. He ran in the last provincial election and lost by only 60 votes, and previously served as councilor for the town of Gibsons from 2014 to 2018.

Canada’s National Observer spoke with Valeriote and Botterell about their priorities heading into the legislative session.

Although the Green Party doesn’t hold the balance of power and the outcome of the party’s talks with the NDP remains to be seen, Valeriote and Botterell say either way, they’re excited to try and help shape smart policy in the B.C. legislature.

For example, Botterell thinks there is an opportunity to push the NDP to rethink its stance on the carbon price. During the election, the B.C. NDP said if the federal system were repealed, it would remove its provincial pricing system, leaving the Green Party as the only defender of the policy. 

“I believe that if we spend the time with the NDP government, we can have a good chance at bridging the gaps over [the] carbon tax,” Botterell said. 

Valeriote agreed, saying with the NDP returning to power, there is an “opportunity to collaborate with people who are evidence-based, and the evidence shows that the carbon price is one of the best tools we have to fight climate change.”

Bringing reliable and affordable public transit to the Sea to Sky corridor is one of Valeriote’s main priorities, and also a plank of the B.C. Green’s 2024 platform, which promised free public transit. 

There are precious few transit options in the Sea to Sky corridor — you can't get from Whistler or Squamish to Vancouver on public transit — and the benefits of changing that are many, Valeriote said.

“Regional transit in the Sea to Sky is a really tangible, really straightforward solution that has climate benefits, but it also has economic development benefits in that people can participate in the economy without having to own and operate a car and drive it 100 kilometres a day to get to and from work,” he said. Reducing the number of cars on the road reduces planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from burning fuel and also provides road congestion and safety benefits, he added.

The B.C. Greens’ election platform put an emphasis on health and cost-of-living, two big concerns for British Columbians. For example, after knocking on thousands of doors, it was clear people were hurting from both a lack of doctors and affordable housing, Botterell said 

It's imperative to address these critical issues in conjunction with the climate emergency, he said, adding that they are all linked — the climate crisis and burning fossil fuels have well-documented negative impacts on human health and affordability.

“It's absolutely essential that we tie climate to cost-of-living and quality of life and well-being,” Valeriote said. 

“Right now, people are pitting them as being opposed, but … if we don't solve the climate crisis, life will get a lot more expensive and a lot less pleasant.” 

Both the B.C. Conservatives and B.C. NDP are pushing to expand LNG production and export, albeit with slightly different rhetoric on how these aims fit into provincial climate targets, making the two Green MLAs the only anti-LNG voices in the legislature.

Climate is Valeriote’s top issue. The reason he decided to enter politics was to try and ensure a healthy planet for his two daughters.

“If we're the only two in the house saying, ‘This is misguided and ill-considered,’ I'll be happy to continue being that voice until the evidence is so overwhelming that we don't have to say it anymore,” Valeriote said.

“Everybody wants a strong economy, but when you actually boil it down, I don't know that LNG is really a huge economic driver,” he said.

A market forecast study released last month found B.C. LNG production is expected to ramp up right as global production plateaus, casting doubt on the business case for investing in expensive LNG infrastructure.

“I think there's a lot of other things that we can do to develop our economy in a way that's fit for the future,” Valeriote said.

As Green MLAs, they have the opportunity to ask tough questions, point out potential pitfalls, and propose solutions and ideas that the two major parties are uncomfortable with, Valeriote said.

Some people are not ready to discuss issues — like the energy transition — that we know are coming, and the Green MLAs can push those discussions forward, he said.

Furstenau and  Olsen are staying on for the “foreseeable future,” Valeriote said. Their ongoing involvement and advice is a “huge advantage,” Botterell said, describing it as a masterclass in how to be an effective MLA.

“Obviously, we're on a steep learning curve, but we're really confident that as we plan for the spring session, we'll be well-positioned to pick up the torch and carry on their work,” he said.

Natasha Bulowski & Kathryn Fraser / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer