Abra Brynne is running for the Green Party in the upcoming federal election set for Oct. 21.
Brynne, a Nelson resident, is looking to build off the momentum from her predecessor Bill Green, who captured six per cent of the vote last election cycle — the highest result for the Greens ever since the party started fielding candidates in the region.
“I think around the world there’s a momentum building with more and more Greens getting into positions of power and having influence on government — we see that across Canada. And I think we also see it here in the province,” said Brynne.
“I think for a lot of people, having three Greens (MLAs) having a significant influence on our provincial government has made people realize the opportunities there of having a party that is dedicated to collaboration, that has a clear environmental commitment but is also very pragmatic. We’re fiscally conservative, we recognize that it’s not an either or; a functioning economy is based on a functioning environment.”
READ: Abra Brynne wins Kootenay-Columbia Green Party nomination
Brynne is the executive director of the Central Kootenay Food Policy Council, president of the Kootenay Country Store Co-op, the chair of USC Canada, a volunteer on the Kootenay Organic Growers certification committee, and a founding member of a number of other organizations related to food security.
Brynne touted her work in food security, having built up a network of contacts in communities throughout Kootenay-Columbia. Her objectives under the Green Party banner include building a vibrant, green economy, addressing the climate emergency, restoring civility to politics and expanding public health care.
“Anybody who lives here for any length of time loves it here. It’s so gorgeous and our landscape and our ability to be out working and playing in it is a key part in why we want to be here.
Whether you’re recreating or working in that environment and those ecosystems, I think it’s pretty hard not to recognize that things aren’t the same as they used to be,” she said.
“The ponderosa pines through this valley are under stress — you can see that, and people are talking about cedar trees dying because they are not getting enough water. There are communities under great threat from wildfire. There’s so many reasons for us to all pay attention to what’s happening and I really feel that across the political spectrum, people care about the landscape, they care about the places they work and play and they care about their children.”
The Green Party has released it’s platform, with pledges to address issues such as reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, focusing on the climate emergency, transitioning to a green economy and expanding social and health care services.
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