There is a new political party in British Columbia and there is no guesswork involved in knowing where they stand, the name says it all.

Founded in 2019, the B.C. EcoSocialists (BCES) want to tax rich people and corporations; build new green energy and transportation infrastructure; stop all new fossil fuel infrastructure, including LNG; shut down Site C; close the province含羞草研究社檚 coal mines; return land and power to Indigenous people; decriminalize drug usage; institute proportional representation based on the Norwegian system; and raise the minimum wage to $16/hr.

含羞草研究社淲e know that it含羞草研究社檚 not a dream, but a practical reality, that we can all live decent lives without having to keep other people down. BC has the resources to house everyone,含羞草研究社� states a Facebook post with the headline 含羞草研究社淔urther left than the NDP, greener than the Greens含羞草研究社� dated Jan. 13, 2020.

含羞草研究社淲e can feed everyone, without subjecting them to the humiliation of food banks. We can afford to provide childcare to everyone who needs it. We can raise welfare rates so that every person who is unemployed (for whatever reason) can live with dignity.含羞草研究社�

If that sounds idealistic, Edward Quinlan, the party含羞草研究社檚 33-year-old regional director for the Skeena and Bulkley Valley regions, disagrees.

含羞草研究社淲e have literally billions of dollars that are escaping our economy, going to other countries, accumulating wealth elsewhere, meanwhile we含羞草研究社檙e barely taxing our natural resources,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 the kind of stuff that needs to be looked at. That含羞草研究社檚 the kind of fundamental overhaul that we need to be having in our economic system and in our political system.含羞草研究社�

Quinlan acknowledges that the political left is pretty crowded in B.C., but believes the other progressive parties are part of a status quo that isn含羞草研究社檛 making effective change.

含羞草研究社淚t clearly isn含羞草研究社檛 happening in the system that currently exists and that含羞草研究社檚 why I think there needs to be another voice that kind of steps in and shuffles everyone over and says, 含羞草研究社榥o, we含羞草研究社檙e now the new left, y含羞草研究社檃ll can argue all you want, but we含羞草研究社檙e coming with information, we含羞草研究社檙e coming with extremely loud youth voices and we含羞草研究社檙e coming with a heck of a lot more compassion and empathy than has ever been exercised in political discourse,含羞草研究社� he said.

He also acknowledges even the name of the party could be a trigger for a lot of people, but dismisses that as political rhetoric that the BCES is working at changing.

含羞草研究社淵ou can throw a lot of red herrings about a lot of things that are used incorrectly,含羞草研究社� he explained. 含羞草研究社淚 think it含羞草研究社檚 about shifting the way that we look at the language that含羞草研究社檚 used. There含羞草研究社檚 nothing wrong about socialism. There含羞草研究社檚 not anything wrong about saying, 含羞草研究社榳ell, hey maybe let含羞草研究社檚 leave a little bit more of the pie for those who don含羞草研究社檛 really ever get any pie.含羞草研究社� There含羞草研究社檚 nothing wrong, to me, saying maybe we should bump up the corporate tax rate a little bit, maybe we should actually level fines against environmental infractions to the point where businesses don含羞草研究社檛 just budget for their legal costs because it含羞草研究社檚 lower than instituting the technology that would actually clean up what they are doing.含羞草研究社�

Furthermore, he believes the party含羞草研究社檚 views are representative of a lot more people, particularly marginalized voices 含羞草研究社� including women, immigrant, single parent, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) and LGBTQ voices 含羞草研究社� that are gaining strength and, perhaps more importantly, are being heard by

含羞草研究社淎t the end of the day hearts and minds are more powerful than naysayers and I think the truth speaks to people a lot more than negative voices and I think that there含羞草研究社檚 an appetite for this kind of hope,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 think there含羞草研究社檚 an appetite for, yeah, we can actually balance budgets and still have enough money left over for the things that we need to be paying for.

含羞草研究社淚s it going to piss off some companies? Yeah. Is it probably going to be better for the long term existence of the people who currently live in this province and on unceded territory, which we含羞草研究社檙e on? That含羞草研究社檚 what we need to be talking about not if ecosocialism is a dirty word or might push some people away. Look at the policies. Look at the people who are involved. Take a look at the Facebook page. Take a look at some of the studies that we draw information from, then make a decision.含羞草研究社�

The party含羞草研究社檚 platform is based on five tenets according to its Facebook page: 含羞草研究社渉omelessness and gentrification [are] getting worse; inequality is getting worse; overdose deaths continue at a massive, tragic rate; fires, droughts and floods are more frequent; and climate catastrophe is upon us, while BC builds more fossil fuel infrastructure.含羞草研究社�

They say they draw inspiration from people such as: 含羞草研究社淕reta Thunberg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders and the folks at Extinction Rebellion.含羞草研究社�

Quinlan said he was drawn to the party for a lot of reasons, but the bottom line

含羞草研究社淧eople want to feed their kids, people want to have shelter, people don含羞草研究社檛 want to be stigmatized for their vocation, for any challenges they may be facing with their mental health.含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淔or me, it含羞草研究社檚 about focussing on compassion and empathy on a political and societal level. It含羞草研究社檚 not about how do we count the beans and say how many are leftover for these social projects that I guess we have to pay lip-service to because if we don含羞草研究社檛 they含羞草研究社檙e not going to vote for us. It含羞草研究社檚 about the opposite. What do we need to do and how are we going to achieve it?含羞草研究社�

He has not ruled out running as a Stikine district candidate in a future election, but said there is far too much work to do in organizing the party before entertaining those kinds of thoughts.

Quinlan holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Northern British Columbia. Since coming to the Bulkley Valley in 2016, he has worked as an economic development officer for the Village of Telkwa and a business analyst at Community Futures Nadina.

He is currently a School District 54 trustee.

editor@interior-news.com
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