Adriane Carr is stepping down as leader of the Green party of B.C. in the hopes of re-energizing the party and winning a provincial seat in the legislature - something that eluded her in two provincial elections.
"It really started with the fact I didn't win the seat in 2005. I'd given two good goes at it. I was disappointed at not winning the seat and I think in my heart I knew that really spelled the beginning of how I could pass the torch for the leadership of the Green party," said Carr during an interview with Coast Reporter at her office in Gibsons Tuesday morning. "Politics is all about contesting elections and moving a party forward and raising issues. I think I did those things exceedingly well, but in the end people are measuring your success by winning seats. I've been assessing whether I'm the right person to lead the party into the next election and what needs to happen to the party - how it needs to change in order to win seats - and I really believe the party needs to grow phenomenally."
During the recent federal Green party leadership race, in which Elizabeth May became the new leader, Carr watched the party become re-energized, she said.
"It doubled the membership to 10,000 and I said to myself, 'I want that for the Green party of B.C. too,'" she said. "The only way to achieve that is for me to step out of the way and let new people come forward to run for the leadership and bring in that new energy."
Carr ran as a Green candidate in the 2001 and 2005 provincial elections in the Powell River - Sunshine Coast riding.In 2005 she was seen as the party's best chance to win a seat in the legislature, but she finished third, more than 4,000 votes behind the New Democratic Party (NDP) winner, Nicholas Simons.
Under Carr, the Greens won about 12 per cent of the vote in the 2001 provincial election and 12 candidates finished second. But in the wake of an NDP resurgence in 2005, the party's support dropped to nine per cent.
"We carved out the solid Green part of the voting spectrum," she said. "The NDP won back a lot of their support from a huge drop in 2001 and we had to work hard for all of the votes."
The party reaffirmed Carr as leader at a convention in Kelowna in October last year.
"I took [the party] from 1,000 to 4,000 members and from the so-called 'wilderness party' to mainstream politics," Carr said. "I'm really proud of the fact that it is the really credible third-party alternative in B.C. across the board in every single riding. We're the second or third choice of people in the ballot box. That's phenomenal, but we need the party to be the first choice for people at the ballot box in at least a few seats so we can get that toehold in the legislature.
"It was disappointing for me not to win. I think I would have made a great MLA. I know the issues and I think the voice I could have added and the voice the Greens could have added in the legislature are desperately needed because the issues that we raise are the emerging and pivotal crisis issues of this planet in this point in history - things like climate change and the security issues around food and water."
During the party's upcoming AGM in November, the party will choose an interim leader.
According to party bylaws, that person cannot run in a leadership race. A new council will also be appointed.
"Our bylaws require a leadership race approximately midway between the two provincial elections, so 2007 is the pivotal year," she said. "I wanted to give fair notice to people to start thinking about running in that race. At the same time we're doing an annual AGM mail out, which is going out this week, calling for names to come forward for our provincial council, which are two-year terms. I really felt it was fair to let people know I wouldn't be their leader during their term. The timing was right. That new council will be elected at our AGM in November. They will receive my formal resignation then and pick the interim leader and set the dates for the leadership contest. I really wanted to follow a fair and open process to give people time to think about taking on this role, and I feel good about that."
Over the years, Carr has championed for many issues including forestry and water. And there are others she is especially proud of.
"Getting junk food out of schools. That turned out to be something that turned into legislation," Carr said. "And I believe I put electoral reform on the map. It was a grassroots initiative that took place out of this little office in Gibsons. We raised 98,000-plus signatures province-wide and that signalled the start of the Citizens Assembly and getting electoral reform on the ballot for 2005 and again in 2009. I think I really awakened people to the knowledge of a fair voting system. "I'm proud of the fact that I raised the food issue. In Powell River and other parts of the Sunshine Coast food is grown locally. People get the chance to buy it locally and there were laws coming down both provincially and federally that would prohibit that local sale of goods. I've championed changing those laws and had an impact."
As for what the future holds, Carr said she's "not ruling out anything and she's open to offers."
"Really the sky is the limit. I'm passionate on the issues, so whatever I do is going to have to involve championing issues like global warming, food, water, sustainability," she said. "I've devoted my life to this cause. I will have to continue this work because it's at the core of my being. That being said, I really haven't thought about my next steps. I've put my energy into making this decision about the provincial party and announcing and implementing this decision that is in the best interest of the party. You won't see the end of me. My phone is always on and I'll always be there for the party if they need me. Now that I've made the decision, I can start to contemplate my future. I'm sure it won't take me long to make a decision. You'll get an answer sooner rather than later.
"People in this riding have been wonderful. I love this place - this is my home. It's been my home for 20 years. I won't leave the Sunshine Coast and I won't leave the issues. I've had calls from people suggesting I run locally. Some have called expressing sadness. A lot of people have been upset and people have been grateful and expressing their thanks to me, which I'm thankful for. I thank them because I have felt really well supported and well liked and well respected."
- With files from Laura WalzPowell River Peak
