VICTORIA, B.C. – Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley has issued the following statement on B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth report Skye’s Legacy: A Focus on Belonging.

VICTORIA, B.C. – Today the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth released Detained: Rights of Children and Youth under the Mental Health Act, highlighting the urgent need for the provincial government to better protect young people involuntarily detained under the Mental Health Act.

VICTORIA, B.C. – Today’s announcement of the Youth Community Partnership program falls short of creating the jobs needed for British Columbia’s COVID-19 recovery and is only an incremental step in the right direction by the provincial government.

VICTORIA, B.C. – Democracy in British Columbia moved a step towards increased accessibility for youth today with the introduction of the Elections Amendment Act, which lowers the age of optional registration to 16 years old. 

VICTORIA, B.C. — In response to today’s Auditor General report on contracted residential services for children and youth in care, Cowichan Valley MLA Sonia Furstenau has released the following statement:

VICTORIA, B.C. – Sonia Furstenau, B.C. Green Party spokesperson for children and youth, released the following statement regarding B.C. Children and Youth Advocate Bernard Richard stepping down.

“I have greatly appreciated Bernard’s work and his advocacy for children in British Columbia,” said Furstenau.

VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, introduced a Private Member’s bill to lower the voting age to 16 in B.C. This is the third time Weaver has introduced the bill.

“Young British Columbians have the greatest stake in the future of our province; they should have a say in the decisions our politicians make,” said Weaver.

VICTORIA, B.C. - Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, today introduced a bill to protect Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSPs) and Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) from creditors. The bill, the Court Order Enforcement Amendment Act, 2017, was first introduced by Weaver in March 2016 and would provide RDSPs and RESPs with the same legal protection as Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIFs).

“A child should not have their education investment seized due to misfortune that befalls their parents,” said Weaver

VICTORIA, B.C. - Andrew Weaver welcomed B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Mike de Jong’s campaign platform plank that would give free optional kindergarten for 4 year olds. This comes on the heels of a Conference Board of Canada report documenting the benefits of investments into Early Childhood Education on Friday. De Jong’s policy follows in the footsteps of the B.C. Green Party platform which proposed to provide free early childhood education to three and four year olds.

“I am delighted that Mr. de Jong is proposing this excellent evidence-based policy as part of his B.C. Liberal leadership campaign,” said Weaver.