As an avid Green Party supporter, I do not regret my decision to vote for them in the recent provincial election, even if our lack of support for the NDP is what edged the Liberals into a possible majority victory. I don’t support the policies of the Liberal party, but at the same time I was not adequately convinced that the NDP would have been much different for the people of BC. We need real change, and if the final tally doesn’t result in a majority win for the BC Liberals, then we can bank on the Green Party and the NDP having some say on what happens in BC, which is better than another majority Liberal government forcing its policies—many of which clearly appear to only benefit the wealthy—upon us all.
A majority win for the BC Liberals would be more of the same at a time when more than half of the voting population is clinging to hopes of change. The final numbers of the election results will be made public in late May; if the Liberals don’t win the extra seat needed to fully control the government, let’s hope the NDP and the Greens can get them to cooperate with the needs and the demands of the average citizen, instead of only governing with the priorities of the affluently privileged in mind.
The election was close, and the Liberals won by very small margins in some places, which makes me think that many voters are fed up with the current ruling party, especially considering that Christy Clark has been in power for 16 years. This election was business owners versus employees, economists versus environmentalists, homeowners versus renters.
As a young college student from a middle-class family who quite frequently enjoys spending time out and about exploring nature and getting lost in the wilderness, I do not feel that Clark represents my interests, nor do I have any reason to believe that she will do so in the future. Clark and her party are an absurdly corrupt bunch, and I fear that many who voted for her may not even be aware of how drastic the issue really is.
I lay my hope for future environmental and economic prosperity in our province upon Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, as well his newfound Green Party allies in parliament.
I believe that if we keep electing Green Party candidates who, unlike the NDP and the Liberals, have never even had a chance to demonstrate how they would govern, it will be possible to swing the balance of power back from corporate interests and millionaires to the interests of the people. It’s no small task, and not something that they can accomplish alone.
We do not need to vote for the lesser of two evils, like we are consistently led to believe. By voting based on our conscience, Green Party supporters have helped make history by electing a historic number of Green Party candidates, who I hope will be able to make an impact on the way in which Clark governs.
When the situation is grim and times are uncertain, just remember that it is always important to take the first step, even if you cannot yet see the whole staircase.