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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Furstenau releases leadership campaign platform on climate and resource resilience

Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley, released another plank of her leadership platform as part of her bid to be the next leader of the BC Green Party.

The platform focused on improving the resilience of BC communities and natural resources. 

“COVID-19 has underscored the need to make our province more resilient in the face of crisis and change,” said Furstenau.

“This plan takes proactive steps to strengthen our province amidst challenges like climate change and an uncertain global economy.”

“We need to take decisive action to ensure all every community in BC has access to clean drinking water, basic food security and adequate emergency resources. We must also ensure that the benefits of BC’s natural resources flow to our local communities in a fair, equitable manner.”

Furstenau’s platform includes the following policies:

 

1.   Create a Resilient BC Strategy to: 

o    Protect communities from wildfires and flooding through landscape level, ecologically-centred, forest treatment projects.

o    Build capacity in communities at risk of extreme weather events and natural disasters and to support effective disaster response and recovery. 

o    Diversify fuel sources in rural communities to assist with transition off of diesel generators to cleantech through a lease to own cleantech transition program. 

o    Create jobs throughout the province by investing in ecological and biodiversity protection programs.

2.   Recognize that access to clean water is a human right and ensure B.C. communities have long-term, reliable and equitable access to clean water.

3.   Create a Food Secure BC strategy to make BC agriculture more climate resilient, improve local food security and support agricultural producers.

4.   Consult with industry, labour and stakeholders to ensure the benefits of BC resource benefit source communities, with the ultimate aim of sharing resource revenues with local First Nations, municipalities, and regional districts.

5.   Further our investment in value-added wood-based industries through research funding and access to fibre.

6.   Involve First Nations, municipalities, and regional districts as partners in a broader area-based land use planning process.

7.   Explore policies to increase community forests lands.

8.   Immediately halt logging of old-growth forests that are at critically low levels.  

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