Rossland candidate contests Kootenay West for Green Party
By Rossland Telegraph
Andrew Duncan of Rossland is running for election, hoping to represent our riding for the Green Party of BC as an MLA.
Asked to explain his priorities and his reasons for running for office, Duncan apologized for being tired because he had been out until 3:00 am on a Search and Rescue mission, helping to get an injured mountain biker to medical care after a crash on the Flume trail.
His answer indicated that he wants to help build the kind of world for his children to grow up in “where we do the right thing, not because it’s easy but because it’s hard, because it’s right! A world where my children can be inspired about their future and not be terrified.”
He continued:
“We have a hard road ahead of us; our so-called “leaders” continue to put their politics ahead of the people. Many feel left behind and populism is on the rise because of poor governance. The Green Party offers a change for the better, where lobbyists of large corporations and large unions are not controlling the actions of the government. Government is meant to be for the people by the people.
“My priority is simple: I want better. I want better as a father. I want better as a citizen. I want better because I want these amazing people and the places I call home to continue to inspire me and continue to inspire all of us.
“My priority is Green because I do not want my government to continually gift money to the fossil fuel industry. My priority is working within the 12 years we have left as laid out by the Intergovenmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to reverse the effects of a changing climate. My priority is my children’s future.
“We must remember that the government is elected by the people and is meant for the people. We have forgotten this, and the government has forgotten this as well. We are having an election during a healthcare crisis, in the COVID-19 pandemic. Across North America hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives because of this virus. This is not governing with the people of British Columbia’s best intentions in mind. This is governing, by whip, by greed and by hubris.
“This NDP government is typical of British Columbia, nay Canada, where to get short-sighted gains, we sell out the people of this province for profit. Boom to bust went the Gold Rush. Boom to bust went the forestry industry. Boom to bust went so many other mining communities. Will LNG be the next boom to bust? — Even though the NDP is subsidizing the industry to the tune of $6.5 billion a year. Yes — LNG will bust, because we continue to follow old ideas laid out by governments like the NDP who have forgotten whom they serve.”
Duncan went on to explain that, in the Green Party, MLAs are free to vote on behalf of their constituents, not at the behest of party leaders:
“I am free in the British Columbia Green Party to listen to my constituents. I can vote for my constituents’ needs, wants and for what’s best for the Kootenay West riding. I can vote for my communities, for my home and my children’s future. I can be free of party propaganda, and free to question the parties’ platforms. Free to do what is right! Isn’t that what North American, Canadian and British Columbian democracy is supposed to aspire to? Isn’t that why we tout democracy as great, and why we are fought and died to preserve democracy — the freedom of voice, the freedom of choice for the people?
“We need better governance. We need more minority governments were parties must work together for the greater good of British Columbians. This is something the Green Party understands, and is well versed in. It was the NDP that banished this working arrangement in September.”
Duncan’s responses here can help to inform voters before going to the polls and placing that crucial “X” beside one candidate’s name.
