Opinion: Anjali Appadurai probably doesn't expect to win, but her participation could focus the leadership debate on climate change
Victoria — The NDP leadership on Wednesday challenged the formation of the party, including presumed frontrunner David Eby.
"We are seeing people's livelihoods collapse faster than this government can provide solutions," declared Apadurai.
"We are seeing states burning. …We are seeing an entire generation of young people feeling hopeless about this government and electoral politics in general," she said. told Global TV's Richard Zussman.
As for Eby, Apadurai sees him as a "great politician" but someone who betrayed his activist roots.
"Ten years ago he was a rebel activist," she said. "But what David Eby stands for now is the founding of the party. The status quo of the party. There is disillusionment." An NDP candidate, he was narrowly defeated by the Liberal Party's Talib Nomohammed.
She is the campaign director for the Climate Emergency Force, an organization calling for "implementing war-scale policies in Canada to combat the climate crisis."
Eby, 45, welcomed Appadurai to a campaign that appeared ready for his coronation in early October until she came forward. } "Best luck to her, not very lucky," he posted on his Twitter account. "This race is an opportunity for a healthy exchange of ideas on how best to serve the people of British Columbia, and I look forward to that discussion."
However, some Given Apadurai's vow to reset the government's priorities on the front, the debate could be wildly divided.
She is adamantly opposed to her NDP's decision to proceed with the development of her LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat and the construction of her feeder pipeline on the coastal gas link through northern BC. is doing.
Late last month she attended a peace and solidarity summit hosted by her Wet'suwet'en Nation office. Laws in the face of police violence and fracked gas pipelines on coastal gas links. ''
She posted on social media a photo of herself with Pipeline opponent Chief His Namox, describing his "long-term vision" and the "current and future He praised efforts to preserve the balance of life so that generations can live in good health.
She describes the use of injunctions to clear protests along her pipeline as "a modern expression of old colonial law, designed to allow industry to do as it pleases." ” explained.
And she said she "witnessed constant harassment and intimidation by the RCMP and arbitrary arrests of land defenders."
"RCMP is essentially deployed as private security," she writes Appadurai. "This speaks to all of the colonial nation's priorities."
From a platform she posted this week: "Our people's power movement, as the province of British Columbia, It recognizes the sovereignty of indigenous peoples who hold land titles and rights claimed by the King.
"We will end colonial violence by governments and end indigenous cultures, languages and families.
In anticipation of Apadurai's entry, the NDP's Standing Committee on Economy and Environment announced last week urged people to sign the Climate First Pledge.
The undersigned promised that within 60 days of being elected leader he would make eight major changes whereby he would become Prime Minister of BC. Become.
• Declare a climate emergency.
• Immediately halt all new oil and gas production, exploration and infrastructure, and rapidly phase out all fossil fuel production, exports and use by 2033;
• Prohibit the export of aged logging and raw logs.
• Fund a just transition for shift-affected workers and communities.
• Accelerate the transition to zero-emission buildings.
• Expand, electrify and free public transport.
• Stop restocking all ocean-based farms.
• Respect the sovereignty of indigenous peoples.
Apadurai can be expected to sign the pledge.
Eby could not easily do so, as Adam Olsen of the Green MLA stated when he welcomed his Appadurai to the race.
"Forty-eight of the fifty-seven members of his B.C. I endorsed David Eby who said no," Olsen pointed out.
"This is the caucus she must cooperate with."
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Apadurai was an advocate for activists, British Columbia youth, and others dissatisfied with the government. He calls himself a representative of the movement.
"I am committed to running for leadership of the NDP in this state as a way to challenge the party status quo and present a vision of what our state could look like. We answered the call from a growing movement," she said.
"I have agreed to be a candidate and spokesperson for the movement, but it is much bigger than me."
She's also a "singer, songwriter and music producer," according to her Climate Emergency Unit biography. As I remember Eby was singing in alternative rock.
Perhaps the party could lighten the tone of the discussion with a karaoke night.
Now that Apadurai has made her intentions known, she will come up with her NDP's hefty admission fee. is needed. The Party expects the candidate to turn in her $15,000 by October 4th and another $25,000 by October 19th.
I don't think even she can win.
But she succeeded in prolonging the transition to new leadership at a time when the state needed urgent action on many fronts.
vpalmer@postmedia.com
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