Last week I penned a letter in support of Stephen Andrew, the BC Conservative candidate for Oak Bay-Gordon Head. His campaign team likely mailed it to riding constituents late last week.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I vote for the local candidate who I believe would best represent the riding I live in. In the same post I also listed twelve candidates I would certainly vote for (including those whose signs are shown in the banner above) if I lived in their riding. In each case, I could have written a long letter explaining why.

It was interesting to see that yesterday Ryan Windsor, the Mayor of Central Saanich, also listed a non partisan list of several candidates he supported.

We agreed on the three candidates whose ridings were on both our lists:

Stephen Andrew — Oak Bay Gordon Head
Grace Lore — Victoria Beacon Hill
Lana Popham — Saanich South

Below I reproduce the letter that I wrote in support of Stephen Andrew. I expand upon these views in a recent episode of  Rumble Room hosted by Robin Adair and John Juricic:

Letter supporting Stephen Andrew

Dear Friends & Neighbours,

As you know, we are in the midst of a provincial election campaign and soon you will be asked to cast your vote for the next MLA for Oak Bay – Gordon Head (OBGH). While I recognize that voting is a very personal decision, I wanted to let you know why I have chosen to endorse Stephen Andrew in our riding.

As your former MLA for 7 ½ years I understand the challenges that we all face. These include accessing stable healthcare, affordability, ongoing challenges with public safety, addiction and mental health, reconciliation and climate change. As many of you know, the latter is what I’ve dedicated my life’s work to.

While the media often focuses on party leaders and their platform, in reality we elect individuals (not parties or their leader) to represent us. And OBGH has a rich electoral history in this regard. In fact, the last time a BC Conservative Party member was elected, it occurred in a 1978 OBGH byelection won by Vic Stephens, who superseded Dr. Scott Wallace (also Conservative) to represent us.

Like many of you, I have always voted for the candidate on our ballot that I believe would provide the strongest, most informed and critical thinking voice in the provincial legislature. I look for someone who will be fearless, someone who will listen and someone who will stand up for their constituents. In the last four elections, like many of you, I put partisanship aside and voted for the candidate who ended up winning (Ida Chong – BC Liberal in 2009; Myself 😊 – BC Green in 2013 & 2017; Murray Rankin – BC NDP in 2020).

In 2024 my vote will be for Stephen Andrew.

Stephen is a long-time friend and one of the things I admire most about him is his willingness to explore all points of view and to seek out advice when challenged with difficult decisions. As a member of the LGBTQ2+ community, he will be a strong advocate for diversity and tolerance. He understands the importance of addressing climate change yet also recognizes that, you must bring people with you to advance effective policies, rather than polarize the electorate.

Most importantly, he is willing to listen, learn and stand up for what he believes is right. You can see these qualities reflected in his work as an award-winning investigative journalist – along with his tenacity and commitment to justice.

Stephen is committed to our community. Whether volunteering on community boards, fundraising for cancer research and animal welfare or advocating for persons with disabilities, Stephen has shown time and time again that he is dedicated to his community.

I look for three key qualities in our leaders –fiscal responsibility, social empathy and commitment to the environment. Stephen Andrew exemplifies these key qualities in his approach to governance. He has the skills, work ethic and talent to effectively represent us as the next MLA for Oak Bay – Gordon Head.

The BC Greens, a party I once led, have lost their way fiscally and are proposing aspirational solutions that they have no hope of delivering or funding. In addition, the 2020 BC Green OBGH candidate who now serves as the Chair of School District 61 led the charge to eliminate the School Police Liaison Program that completely undermined the community policing model in our region. The BC NDP, on the other hand, do not let their MLAs vote to represent the will of their constituents due to rigid party discipline. Not once in my 7 ½ years in the legislature did a single BC NDP MLA vote against their party (this was not the case for the BC Greens and BC Liberals).

I invite you to consider joining me in voting for Stephen Andrew to be the next MLA for Oak Bay – Gordon Head.

Sincerely,

Andrew Weaver
Oak Bay Gordon Head MLA (2013-2020)
Green Party Leader (2015-2020)