My sincere thanks to everyone who has been so supportive these past few weeks as my family struggles with some very serious health issues.

The next legislative session resumes tomorrow and I look forward to representing the wonderful constituents of OBGH in the coming months as an independent MLA. Mike Smyth’s article provides an excellent and accurate analysis of my decision to leave the BC Green Party and sit as an independent. Further insight as to why I believe that it is important for the BC Green Party to develop a new vision and voice independent from mine is provided in Keith Baldrey’s column published today.

Moving forward, I will be prioritizing several key issues:

1) First and foremost, I will prioritize constituent issues. In this regard, I have incredible support from Judy Fainstein, Noah Conrad and Perry Fainstein;

2) Second, I will continue to work with the Ministers of Environment (George Heyman) and Energy (Bruce Ralston) to advance the economic agenda embodied in CleanBC;

3) I am also very much looking forward to working with Michelle Mungall, MLA on the innovation file. We had a very productive initial conversation and I can tell she is the perfect Minister for this portfolio.

Finally, the Premier and I exchanged letters that were made publicly available today on the Confidence and Supply Agreement website. In these letters we reaffirm our commitment to working together and building on the successes of the last two and half years.

Below I reproduce a copy of the letter I sent to the Premier. His response is available here.

Thank you to all the residents of Oak Bay Gordon Head for giving me the opportunity to represent you.

Text of My Letter

27 January 2020
Honourable John Horgan
Premier and President of the Executive Council
West Annex Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Premier Horgan,

As you know, the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA) is an agreement signed by all members of the BC Green Caucus and the Government Caucus.

As I am no longer a member of the Green Caucus, I am writing to you to clarify my intentions regarding my support of this Government and propose a path forward.

I intend to continue to support Government on all matters of confidence and to support the spirit of the CASA. Going forward, my relationship with Government will continue to be based on the founding principles of the CASA, “good faith and no surprises.”

As an independent MLA I do not intend to engage on all matters before Government, however I would like to retain the option to meet with Government on a limited number of priority policy areas of key importance to me. I propose that my legislative office will work with CASA Secretariat staff to facilitate such meetings and coordinate follow-up as necessary. I and my legislative staff will happily sign new undertakings of confidentiality with Government to enable continuation of these consultation meetings.

If any serious concerns or issues arise, I propose that I raise them directly with political staff in your office, as I will no longer be party to the CASA Consultation Committee process.

As for my participation in Question Period and the House, I will make any requests to the Government House Leader, with the understanding that allocation of speaking time to independent members is an issue that is negotiated between the House Leaders of all parties.

While the Agreement for Coordination of External Communication between the BC Green Caucus and the BC New Democrat Government will no longer apply to me, I will endeavour to provide the Government with advance notice of any public communications from my office, and I propose that the Government reciprocate on subjects that I have identified as having particular interest to me. I propose that my office continue to work with the CASA Secretariat staff in this regard.

The new Leader of the BC Green Caucus will properly take my place in regular meetings with you, but as partners who have accomplished so much together in the past two and half years, I hope and expect the two of us will still be able to sit down together to advance our common goals, and to find solutions if circumstances require it.

Sincerely,
Andrew Weaver, MLA
Oak Bay-Gordon Head

Today, I announced that effective Monday, January 20 I will sit as an independent MLA in the BC Legislature.  As the BC Green leadership race unfolds, I believe that it is important for the BC Green Party to develop a new vision and voice independent from mine. My presence in the BC Green caucus could hinder that independence. Sitting as an independent will also give me a better opportunity during the upcoming legislative sitting to attend to personal matters, including a number of health challenges affecting my family.

Below I reproduce my office’s press release.

Media Release

Weaver to step aside from BC Green Caucus to sit as an independent
For Immediate Release
January 15, 2020

Victoria, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, Oak Bay Gordon Head MLA, today announced he will leave the BC Green Caucus and sit in the legislature as an independent, effective Monday, January 20.

“Over the last few months I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about how best to balance my commitments under the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA), my desire to see the BC Green Party grow its political presence in British Columbia and increasing health demands affecting my family”, Weaver said. “After careful consideration I feel it is best for all parties if I continue my legislative work as an independent member, prior to the beginning of the spring legislative session.”

“As the leadership race unfolds, I believe that it is important for the BC Green Party to develop a new vision and voice independent from mine. My presence in the BC Green caucus could hinder that independence” Weaver said. “Sitting as an independent will also give me a better opportunity during the upcoming legislative sitting to attend to personal matters, including a number of health challenges affecting my family.”

Weaver also announced today he will return to the University of Victoria to resume his academic duties upon completing his term as an MLA.

“I’m excited about the prospect of eventually getting back to the classroom”, Weaver said. “I entered politics to have a positive impact on the political discourse on climate change, and I am very proud of the accomplishments of the BC Greens under my leadership. I look forward to watching their continued growth under the party’s new leader.”

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Media Contact:
Judy Fainstein, Director of Operations
Office of Andrew Weaver, MLA
Phone: (250) 472-8528
Judy.Fainstein@leg.bc.ca

On Friday, November 8 I had the opportunity to deliver a keynote address over lunch to delegates of the Clean Energy BC, Generate 2019 Conference. As evident in the video and slides of my presentation (reproduced below), I started the talk with a framing of what is happening in the climate system, why we should care about it and what has been done in terms of greenhouse gas mitigation. I then moved on to a discussion of potential opportunities in electrification and innovation within the emerging field of negative emission technologies.

Presentation Video

Slides Used in presentation

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As this is the last day that the legislature will sit before Remembrance Day, the Premier rose to deliver a statement on its importance.

I rose shortly thereafter to provide a brief response, which I reproduce in text and video form below.

Video of Statement

Text of Statement

I would like to join the Leader of the Official Opposition and the Premier in spending some time to reflect upon what we will be experiencing on the 11th hour of November 11, in two weeks.

On the 11th hour of the 11th month in 1918, World War I came, officially, to an end. A year later King George V declared that November 11 would be Armistice Day. Ever since then, we’ve taken a time and a moment to reflect upon what those before us have actually accomplished, done and given to make us have the ability to live the lives that we live today.

I hear the stories from the member of the official opposition, who talks about his family. Earlier this week we had a very important moment in my family’s life, where we passed a bill memorializing Holodomor, a dark period in Ukrainian history. So many of our Canadian relatives have experiences through that.

To the Second World War. Many of us here will have ancestry in England. My father grew up as a little boy in Birmingham at a time when Coventry — the cathedral, as you all know — was bombed. They had a bomb shelter in their yard. His father worked building military planes. Outside of the house, they had smokestacks to fill the skies with black smoke so the bombers wouldn’t see the lights down below.

These are the stories that we have, but as time goes on, we begin to forget these stories. That is why November 11 is such an important day. It makes us all, each and every one of us, reflect upon what has happened so that we might collectively say: “Never again.”

As such, I think it would be entirely appropriate, hon. Speaker, with your leave, for all of us to take a moment of silence, in that we won’t be here together on that day.

Mr. Speaker: Thank you, Member.

Let us do that. A moment’s silence, please.

Today Minister George Heyman and I had the distinct honour of receiving Clean16 and Clean 50 awards from the Delta Management Group for our collaborative efforts that lead to the creation of British Columbia’s CleanBC economic plan.

As noted on the Clean50 website,

“Canada’s Clean50 annually offers recognition to Canada’s leaders in sustainability for their contributions over the prior two years.”

“The Clean50 Individual awards – or just “the Clean50” are selected from 16 diverse categories that transcend numerous  industries, academia, different levels of government, thought leaders and advocates, and are based on accomplishments delivered over the prior two years.  The leader in each of the 16 categories is also declared to be part of the Clean16, depicting those 16 Honourees as the top contributor in their respective  categories.”

The citation for the award states:

“A climate scientist and a climate advocate walk into a Legislature… They may represent different political parties, but that hasn’t deterred these champions of the environment from close collaboration. The BC MLA and Minister for the Environment have worked together to design “CleanBC,” an ambitious economic plan to build a thriving, climate-responsible and climate-resilient economy through incentives and goals: transitioning to all zero-emission vehicles by 2040, demanding far greater energy efficiency in both new and existing buildings, and investing significantly in training workers for a low-carbon economy. The ultimate goal: a net 40% reduction in BC’s 2007 GHG emissions by 2030. BC once again leads Canada in the fight against climate change.

Dr. Weaver also introduced the Business Corporations Amendment Act (passed unanimously, the first non-government bill to pass into law in BC history), which provides a legal framework for businesses committed to pursuing a triple bottom line to incorporate as Benefit Companies. It is the only law of its kind in Canada.”

Unfortunately I was unable to travel to Toronto with Minister Heyman to accept the award due to my recent bout with vestibular neuritis. Nevertheless, I was able to prepare an acceptance video which I reproduce below.

In the government’s press release, as well as our own press release (reproduced below), both Minister Heyman and I emphasize the power of collaboration. We believe CleanBC and this award are evidence of what political leaders can accomplish when they work together. But that collaboration doesn’t end now.

For CleanBC to be effective, government must implement the first phase of emissions reductions and quickly identify how they will fill in the remaining 25%. And, it must be matched with legislated, ambitious accountability and transparency mechanisms. ‘Trust us’ is not good climate policy. That’s why I have been working with Minister Heyman on the Climate Change Accountability Amendment Act, to be tabled this fall. It will provide an evidence-based foundation to the work done by this government and all to come.

Acceptance Video

Media Release

BC Green Party Leader, Minister recognized for CleanBC collaboration
Climate change policy now front and center in provincial political conversation

For immediate release

October 3,2019

VICTORIA, B.C. – Dr. Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, and George Heyman, B.C.’s Minister of
Environment and Climate Change Strategy, have received Canada’s 2020 Clean50 and Clean16 honours for
demonstrated leadership in sustainability through the development of CleanBC .

“Over the last two years, my team and I have been working with Minister Heyman to design CleanBC, our
economic plan to build a thriving, climate-resilient society. It has been the hallmark of our minority government
and will continue to be my top priority as we ensure it is fully implemented to reach our 2030 targets,” said MLA
Weaver. “CleanBC is an important starting point and our ambitions must continue to rise. It is time we reimagined
the climate crisis not solely as an environmental problem, but an incredible opportunity for innovation and the
advancement of our society.

“For CleanBC to be effective, government must implement the first phase of emissions reductions and quickly
identify how they will fill in the remaining 25%. And, it must be matched with legislated, ambitious accountability
and transparency mechanisms. ‘Trust us’ is not good climate policy. That’s why I have been working with Minister
Heyman on the Climate Change Accountability Amendment Act, to be tabled this fall. It will provide an
evidence-based foundation to the work done by this government and all to come.

“More than 100,000 British Columbians – many of them children- participated in last week’s global climate strike to
shame world leaders for their inaction and demand better. We need to prove that we hear them. We need to
prove that their BC government cares about protecting their future.

“Receiving this recognition is more than a personal achievement; it represents something much greater than one
climate scientist’s life’s work. Hanging in the B.C. Green office in the legislature is a framed official report from
February 17, 2014, that documents an amendment I brought forward to the Throne Speech debate. It reads,

‘…that the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia recognizes that climate change is one of the greatest issues
facing our province and that this government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is inconsistent
with the current expansion of United States sourced thermal coal exports coming through British Columbia
harbours, and therefore calls upon government to follow the lead of our Pacific Coast Action Plan Partners,
Washington, Oregon, and California, and explore all means by which the government may halt the expansion of
thermal coal exports in British Columbia.’

The amendment failed with 73 nays that day; I was the only yea.

“Today, that political conversation has changed. That photo is now historical record, but it is no longer our future.
Climate change is now a top concern of all British Columbians, and indeed all Canadians, and this minority
government is listening and acting.”

Minister Heyman says their collaboration is evidence of what political leaders can accomplish when they work
together.

“The important collaborative work to develop the real and measurable CleanBC climate and economic plan –
between Dr. Weaver and me and our two parties – is a clear demonstration that legislators can work together to
address critical issues and to respond to the urgency expressed by young people around the world demanding
that we act to secure a safer future,” Minister Heyman said.

The Clean50 awards are presented every year by Delta Management Group, an executive search firm for
professionals working in the environmental sector. Previous Clean16 award winners include Tamara Vrooman,
president and CEO of Vancity, Craig Ryan, director of Social Entrepreneurship at Business Development Bank of
Canada, and Matt Jamieson, president and CEO of Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation,
among many others.

Announced annually by Delta Management Group and the Clean50 organization, Canada’s Clean50 Awards
recognize those 50 individuals or small teams, from 16 different categories, who have done the most to advance
the cause of sustainability and clean capitalism in Canada over the past two years. The top recipients in each
category compose the annual Clean16.

“The 2020 Clean16 are truly leaders in sustainability in Canada. Both Minister Heyman and Dr. Weaver have
made significant contributions through CleanBC by working collaboratively to help make B.C. and Canada a better
place,” said Gavin Pitchford, CEO of Delta Management Group. “Canada’s Clean16 awards recognize these
achievements to support a low-carbon future that creates new clean growth opportunities and benefits people.
The competition for the top spot this year in every instance left us with many great choices – and to be selected
from amongst such a strong group of peers is truly a testament to the contribution Dr. Weaver has made to
helping make Canada more sustainable for all Canadians.”

CleanBC is a pathway to a more affordable, safe and sustainable future. CleanBC was developed in collaboration
with the BC NDP government and supports the commitment in the Confidence and Supply Agreement to
implement climate action to meet B.C.’s emission targets.

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Media contact
Macon L.C. McGinley, Press Secretary
B.C. Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | macon.mcginley@leg.bc.ca