We had the absolute honour of speaking with MLA Rob Botterell, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saanich North and the Islands, whom we first had the pleasure of meeting in person at the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform this summer. In this episode, we explored MLA Botterell’s leadership on British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and how it helped open up a long-standing “black box” within government. We also discussed the BC Green Party’s core values, priorities in the next legislative sitting, and the misconception that prioritizing people and protecting the environment are mutually exclusive. Drawing on his 25 years as an Indigenous rights lawyer, MLA Botterell also shared his perspective on key Indigenous concerns, from major challenges plaguing Indigenous communities today to his critique of Bill 15, including its bypass of Indigenous consultation and the risk it poses to years of reconciliation efforts. We then discussed CARGA, the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord between the BC NDP and BC Green Caucuses in British Columbia, especially in terms of interparty collaboration on tariff response policies, and what comes next for youth engagement and Vote16 following the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform. Stay to the end to hear which creative social media challenge has been MLA Botterell’s favourite!
