Sonia Furstenau steps down as leader of BC Greens

SONIA Furstenau, former MLA for Cowichan Valley, on Tuesday announced her decision to step down as the BC Green Party leader after a decade of service in local and provincial politics.

The party said Furstenau’s leadership has culminated in transformative wins for British Columbians, including the recent signing of a four-year Green-NDP agreement—an achievement rooted in years of her advocacy and tireless efforts.

“During her tenure, Furstenau has steadfastly advocated for progress, demonstrating how a third party can achieve tangible policy changes to make our province more equitable and sustainable. While representing the Cowichan Valley as MLA from 2017-2024, Furstenau was instrumental in delivering professional reliance reform to ensure our land use decisions are more evidence-based and was a tireless advocate for restoring Indigenous jurisdiction over their children. She successfully championed major projects, including the new Cowichan District hospital, a new hospice, the new Cowichan Secondary School, the Village Model housing to address homelessness, and a new weir for Lake Cowichan, ” the party said in a statement.

After the 2024 election, Furstenau worked alongside Adam Olsen and new MLAs Rob Botterell and Jeremy Valeriote to negotiate the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord between the BC Greens and the BC NDP, which includes:

  • Healthcare: $15M for new and existing community health centres 

  • Mental health: $50M investment to  expand public access to mental health services

  • Housing: $30M to support local communities to implement immediate and effective solutions for homelessness, and increases to SAFER and RAP rates

  • Climate Action: A comprehensive evaluation and update of CleanBC 

  • Transit: a commitment to expansion of regional transit across the province

“Furstenau’s leadership has cemented the BC Green Party as an enduring political force in British Columbia and left a legacy of tangible progress. From pushing for better health and mental health care to holding the government accountable on LNG and protecting old-growth forests, her efforts have consistently focused on creating a more equitable and sustainable BC,” the party said.

Furstenau said: “Serving as the Leader of the BC Green Party has been an honour and a privilege, I am proud of what the BC Greens have accomplished in the last seven years. We’ve demonstrated the value of a third party in the BC Legislature that is focused on finding solutions and working across party lines. Collaboration and cooperation are more important than ever in our increasingly partisan political landscape. I am grateful to all of the supporters, staff, and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to build this movement. Together, we’ve achieved so much for British Columbia. The BC Green Party is in strong hands, and I look forward to supporting its next chapter.”

The party said that to ensure a seamless transition and continuity of leadership during the process, Valeriote is stepping up as the interim leader. The party is also finalizing the timeline and details for its upcoming leadership race, which will be announced in February. Expressions of interest for the leadership race are now being accepted; individuals interested in running are encouraged to contact leadership.contest@bcgreens.ca.

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