Anjali Appadurai thinks the provincial NDP party has drifted too much toward the centre.
In a talk to about 60 people at Nelson含羞草研究社檚 Lakeside Park on Tuesday, she said the party has become too comfortable with business as usual.
含羞草研究社淚 think a lot of members were having a hard time differentiating this party from more centrist elements,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淎nd so I含羞草研究社檓 articulating a vision that含羞草研究社檚 very different 含羞草研究社� And I think that含羞草研究社檚 bringing a lot of disaffected folks back.含羞草研究社�
She said social justice and climate activists need to 含羞草研究社減ush them to be better.含羞草研究社�
Appadurai is attempting to accomplish this by running for the leadership of the party. She is, so far, the only candidate in the race other than former housing minister and attorney general , who has the support of more than 80 per cent of the NDP caucus.
The winner of the leadership contest will become the premier, replacing the retiring John Horgan, until the next election to be held on or before Oct. 19, 2024.
To succeed in her bid for the leadership, Appadurai will have to attract a majority of the votes of NDP members, which currently number about 11,000 in B.C.
She hopes to sign up thousands of new members to support her, and she also wants to gain the support of current NDP members who, she says, have been disaffected by the government含羞草研究社檚 stance on such things as Site C, fracking, old growth, and the Wet含羞草研究社檚uwet含羞草研究社檈n conflict.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e not seeing signals from the government that their plans will be changed, not just in environment but in all public systems,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e in fact heard the opposite, that they intend to continue in the current trajectory, and for a lot of people that is incredibly frustrating.含羞草研究社�
She urged the crowd to join the party by Sept. 4, the deadline to be eligible for the November vote.
When Appadurai ran in the last federal election as an NDP candidate in the Vancouver Granville riding, she lost to the Liberal candidate by 436 votes.
It was her first run at electoral politics, and she is proud of her near-victory because 含羞草研究社渋t was a very grassroots groundswell that rose up 含羞草研究社� activists and organizers that I含羞草研究社檝e worked with for over a decade came together to make that campaign incredibly momentous.含羞草研究社�
Appadurai含羞草研究社檚 background, starting in her teen years, is as a climate and social justice activist. She has worked for West Coast Environmental Law, the Sierra Club, and the David Suzuki Foundation含羞草研究社檚 climate emergency unit. She worked with an international coalition that was attempting to influence governments at the United Nations.
Appadurai said she wants the NDP to do better on climate change, adding that climate is not a single issue but an all-encompassing one that affects all the others.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not just an environmental issue, as so many have tried to box it in as,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 fundamentally about our relationship with each other and with the land, and with our economies.含羞草研究社�
She saw last summer含羞草研究社檚 heat, fires, and floods in the province as 含羞草研究社渁 bellwether for the rest of the world含羞草研究社� as well as an indicator of how emissions, health care, and housing are linked.
Most of the people who died in last summer含羞草研究社檚 heat dome died in their own homes, she said.
含羞草研究社淭his is different from any other disaster that we含羞草研究社檝e had in Canadian history, with the vast majority of people were dying in their homes,含羞草研究社� she said, adding that this indicates the need for simultaneous 含羞草研究社渄eep investments含羞草研究社� in housing, health care and emissions reduction.
She argued for 含羞草研究社渁n immediate managed decline of the fossil fuel industry, one that puts workers first with major public investment in training programs for green jobs.含羞草研究社�
This could be funded by using savings gained from stopping subsidies to fossil fuel companies, she said.
含羞草研究社淭he only thing stopping that from happening is political will. There含羞草研究社檚 no other reason why we can含羞草研究社檛 begin that transition. There will be legal penalties, and there has to be transparency about that to the public. It含羞草研究社檚 going to cost us money to get out of this mess.含羞草研究社�
She proposed a moratorium on old growth logging, a referendum on Site C, heat pumps required in all buildings, and stopping the construction of homes that use natural gas heating. She said the government should stop classing LNG as a green fuel.
Appadurai proposes changing the electoral system by bringing in proportional representation, forming citizens含羞草研究社� assemblies on important issues, and lowering the voting age to 16.
含羞草研究社淟ook at this generation, they know more, and they understand the climate issue with a degree of nuance that surpasses almost anyone I know in government. And so lowering the voting age to 16 is a really huge part of this as well.含羞草研究社�
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bill.metcalfe@nelsonstar.com
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