Furstenau responds to BC Coroner’s Illicit Drug Toxicity Report
VICTORIA, B.C. – Today, BC’s Chief Coroner released their most recent report on illicit drug toxicity deaths. Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley, has released the following statement:
“211 people died from poisoned drugs in January. Their deaths were avoidable. They leave hundreds of loved ones behind, adding to the tidal wave of people affected by the toxic drug crisis and lack of political will to fix it.
“We’ve seen from this report that more than ¾ of those dying are men in their thirties to fifties, dying at home alone. But it can be anyone - a teenager trying drugs for the first time at a party, a construction worker treating pain, or a father of two children managing a decade of addiction. This isn’t a wedge issue. This is a whole of British Columbia issue.
B.C. Greens respond to 2023 Budget
VICTORIA, B.C. – The BC NDP government’s 2023 Budget acknowledges the current challenges in British Columbia but fails to shape a better future for British Columbians.
“It takes courage to make lasting changes that support people over the long term, not just cheque by cheque,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the BC Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley. “This premier’s first budget makes some good investments but keeps British Columbians dependent on once-a-year tax credits from the government, instead of actually making the cost of living more manageable.
B.C. Greens Call For Major Investments In Public Transportation
VICTORIA, B.C. – The B.C. Green Caucus is calling on the BC NDP to increase provincial funding of BC Transit to $1 billion dollars to create a robust public transit system across the province.
“A good public transportation system can help create more liveable and healthier communities, reduce emissions and road congestion, and bring considerable economic benefits,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley. “British Columbians living outside of Metro Vancouver have been chronically underserved. The $1B investment should fund regional transit strategies for areas like the Sea-to-Sky Corridor and Vancouver Island.
B.C. Greens propose four-day workweek pilot
VICTORIA, B.C. – The B.C. Green Caucus is calling on the BC NDP to pilot a four-day workweek across the province.
“It's time British Columbians had a better work-life balance,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley. “People are exhausted from trying to keep up with rising costs of living, inadequate healthcare, and working through a pandemic. Business owners and managers are facing a significant labour shortage and are struggling to keep employees.
B.C. Greens call for raise in shamefully low disability rates
VICTORIA, B.C. - With nearly a quarter of people with disabilities living in poverty in British Columbia, the B.C. Green Caucus is calling on the BC NDP to raise the shamefully low disability rates to above the poverty line while waiting for federal funding.
“By some estimates, persons with disabilities (PWD) experience poverty at twice the rate of persons without disabilities,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley. “It’s time for the BC NDP to step up and support some of B.C.’s most vulnerable people.”