Green Party finalizes leadership race

The B.C. Green Party will have three candidates running for its leadership now that applications have closed.

They are Cam Brewer, an environmental lawyer from Vancouver, Kim Darwin, a mortgage broker and entrepreneur from Sechelt and Sonia Furstenau, the party’s MLA for Cowichan Valley.

Voting will take place online or by telephone using a ranked ballot, from September 5 to 13, with the results announced the next day.

The party suspended the leadership contest in March due to the impact of COVID-19. It was resumed earlier this month. Voting in the leadership contest has been opened to registered non-members, known as “supporters.”

“It is exciting that we are entering the official campaign period of the leadership contest,” interim leader Adam Olsen said. “Three exceptional individuals have come forward to offer members and supporters new direction and leadership. I offer my gratitude to them and their teams for serving our party and embodying the principle of participatory democracy.”

The contest will feature a live debate broadcast online on September 1.

Former party leader Andrew Weaver left the Green caucus in January to sit as an independent MLA.