“What we’ve demonstrated in the last 2½ years is how important it is to have a strong third party,” said Furstenau, a former teacher who made her name fighting a toxic-soil dump in her riding.

“We’ve been a moderating force on B.C.’s hyper-partisan politics,” Furstenau said.

She credits Green party pressure for banning big-money political donations, reigning in lobbyists and bringing in a tough climate-change plan.

“We’ve show that a few of us can make a huge difference,” she said. “In a lot of ways, we’re just getting started.”

The Province, January 11, 2020