Sonia Furstenau is currently the only name in the running for the BC Green Party and she would like the job in order to help boost and diversify the province’s economy.

Speaking on The Jeff Andreas Show, she says Kamloops is an example of a city that is embracing change and she was impressed with the forward thinking withing the community. “Now you’ve got this new investment coming, The Hive, where you’re really transforming your downtown into literally the hive of the new economy, inviting the kind of innovation and entrepreneurial economy into your city. This is what is so possible across BC and this is what the Greens really recognize as the future for BC’s economy.”

As the forest industry continues to face challenges, Furstenau says it is important to make sure people are learning new skills that can be useful for a long time. “Investments in education, from early childhood to post-graduate to training programs, and ensuring that we have this incredibly educated well trained population that can fill in this space that is emerging as the knowledge economy of the 21st century.”

Indigenous relations are another topic of discussion when the election rolls around. She says it’s not enough to say you’re going to be better, you actually need to see some action and the ongoing situation with the Coastal Gas Link project is an example of that. “It actually has to translate into a real change in approaches and action and listening has to be a significant part of this. Our current interim leader Adam Olsen met with the Chiefs at Wet’suwet’en and also met with the RCMP and went up there really to listen and to understand.”

The next leader of the BC Greens will be unveiled at a convention in Nanaimo, which will be held at the end of June.

Furstenau says she will be making a stop in Kamloops in March.

Photo via Twitter