Candidate profile: Rana Nelson representing Green Party in Kootenay-Columbia

Canada’s Green Party is looking to take Kootenay-Columbia with its local candidate, Rana Nelson.

Nelson, a resident of Revelstoke, is making her debut in politics in the 2021 Federal Election.

The Green Party, as the name implies, has climate change as its central focal point.

“This summer has certainly brought that into relief. What I think we need to do a better job of getting out to people is that our climate policy is combined with our economic policies to try to bring down the fever of the planet,” said Nelson.

Nelson said the Green Party will use the pandemic recovery to shift Canada’s economy to a more sustainable model.

“We don’t want to bounce back to our old ways, we want to bounce forward. We want to shift from the fossil fuel economy, which we know is causing our forest fires, our rising temperatures, our flooding. All of this is connected,” explained Nelson.

Nelson feels a top-down approach is needed to help mitigate the damage that has been done by climate change and reduce its future consequences.

“It’s not enough for me to recycle or ride my bike to work, because what we need is the big policy changes from government and big business. That’s the only thing that is going to reel us back from the brink,” said Nelson. “It also takes huge citizen action because our governments are not making the right decisions and businesses are continuing to be subsidized by this government, we have to stand up and say ‘enough is enough,’ and that’s what I’m doing. That’s what I see will make the change, and I’m hoping to inspire other people to join me.”

The Green candidate proposed shifting the skills of fossil fuel workers to working on sustainable energy infrastructure.

Nelson said her party also has a platform to address affordability for all Canadians, such as housing and childcare. She also mentioned more work needs to be done to encourage the production of local foods.

“We know that countries with these strong social policies have healthier and happier people and a stronger community fabric,” said Nelson. “It’s been a scary time, not only with COVID but with this summer as well, and having resilient communities where we are taking care of each other helps mitigate that fear.”

If elected, Nelson said she will take the opinions of all Kootenay-Columbia residents into consideration.

“I firmly believe that collaborative work is the only way we’re going to stop having such intense fire seasons, for example. It’s not an us against them kind of thing, everybody needs to be listened to and involved in this shift,” said Nelson. “This is not anti-logging; this is not anti-anything, it’s for people. I will be doing my best throughout the campaign, and if I’m elected, to make sure nobody is left behind.”