Even when things have seemed bleakest for the BC Greens, they’ve always had Adam Olsen.
When leader Sonia Furstenau was forced to move ridings to fight for her political life, or when the party started lagging in fundraising and candidates, or when the Greens struggled to find relevancy in the ever-shifting B.C. political landscape — there was always Olsen, steady and reliable as the MLA for Saanich North and the Islands.
Which is why his abrupt announcement he won’t be seeking re-election in October has hit so hard.
It’s not just the loss of one of the most eloquent and thoughtful orators in the legislature, or the backbone of the Green party. It is, quite possibly, the loss of the party itself.
The BC Greens are now staring out at the electoral abyss.
With Olsen gone, Saanich North and the Islands is suddenly a swing riding. New Democrats used to hold it, prior to Olsen. It also has a historical undercurrent of conservatism. It would be a minor miracle if the Greens (who do not yet have a candidate ready to name as Olsen’s replacement) hold the seat.
Furstenau is facing a steep uphill battle to knock off BC NDP cabinet minister Grace Lore in Victoria-Beacon Hill, following Furstenau’s decision to move from the Cowichan Valley.
Losses in those two ridings would reduce the BC Green seat count at the legislature to zero.
Meanwhile, the party’s two other best hopes — West Vancouver-Sea to Sky and Kootenay Central — are long shots at best, made more complicated by the surge of the BC Conservatives in provincial popularity.
Put bluntly, there’s a very real chance there is no BC Green party left at the legislature after Oct. 19. That’s a stunning scenario to envision for a party that held the balance of power just four years ago.
All of that has weighed heavily on the mind of Olsen, as he’s wrestled with his future.
“It was a very challenging time because I don’t want to let those people down,” he said in an interview.
“I’ve been fighting alongside those folks, we’ve been doing important work, raising issues other people in politics aren’t talking about. I’m still very passionate about those things.”
Yet, the 48-year-old admitted he’d been struggling with the unrelenting workload after seven years as an MLA, the toll it has taken on his personal life and the unspoken expectation by many that he’d just keep running for re-election again and again. He also recently mourned the loss of three childhood friends. And his son Silas is graduating high school.
“One of the analogies I use right now is my bucket is completely overflowing,” said Olsen.
“So my commitment to my family and myself going forward is what I choose to put into that bucket. I’m going to choose to leave the time and space to… enjoy life and the people around me. These are the lessons I learned from the losses. Life is a very precious thing.”
The future of the Greens had increasingly fallen on Olsen’s shoulders.
Partly it was because his re-election was seen as the safest seat for the party, and a guarantee of at least one MLA returning to the legislature. But also it was because of the widespread respect Olsen commanded amongst all parties at the legislature.
The Greens have struggled for profile recently, as political attention has focused on the collapse of BC United, the rise of the Conservatives and the strong re-election bid being fashioned by the NDP.
But that’s not the only problem.
The Greens only have 18 candidates named — barely 20 per cent of B.C.’s 93 ridings. Other parties have between 50 and 70 candidates already in place, working on the ground, knocking on doors, raising money. The Greens don’t appear prepared, or able, to run a true provincial election campaign. Fundraising is tepid. Organizational experience amongst staff is lacking.
Olsen is being tasked with turning that all around, as he transitions into the new mantle of campaign chair.
“Is it a challenging situation? Yes,” he said. “Do we have a difficult job getting people elected? It has always been so. When I did it, it was a challenge. But I did it. Andrew (Weaver) did it. Sonia did it.
“And I’m comfortable in our democracy other people will be able to navigate that as well.”
“I will say, BC Greens add value to the legislature,” added Olsen.
“We’ve consistently raised issues nobody else has been talking about, we’ve raised them in our own unique way, we’ve forced government to talk about things they’d rather not talk about.”
That is quite true. B.C.’s democracy has been better served with the Greens in it, fighting away at the legislature on topics other parties have ignored.
Viewed that way, the prospect of the party ceasing to exist is a frightening one. But with Olsen’s departure as a candidate, the very existence of the Greens has never looked more tenuous.
Rob Shaw has spent more than 16 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for Glacier Media. He is the co-author of the national bestselling book A Matter of Confidence, host of the weekly podcast Political Capital, and a regular guest on CBC Radio.
