April 4
Twenty-two joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome MLA Rob Botterell and Julie Luna. He began his time with us this month acknowledging his appreciation for being able to live and work on this beautiful land, the unceded territory of 14 Indigenous groups. He spoke of his dismay with the recent display of prejudice by MLA Dallas Brodie. While he recognizes importance of freedom of speech, he believes so strongly that we should stand up and confront racist rhetoric that he will be bringing a motion to the legislature to censor MLA Brodie. While he understands that it may not pass, he is clear that it is his responsibility to challenge her belittling comments concerning Reconciliation.

When asked what “excited and delighted” him, he spoke with awe of the amazing sunrise that morning. While many of us may have enjoyed this sunrise, he had a particularly pleasing perspective: True to his Green commitment, had arrived from his home on Pender Island on his sailboat! Taking a picture of this sunrise as he sailed, he later told us that he had recently seen Adam, who is doing well, and sent him this photo, reminding him what he is missing. (Yes, he misses us.)

Rob is delighted to spend a full day each month on Salt Spring on the first Friday of each month, meeting with folks both before and after ASK Salt Spring. He hopes to spend even more time here once the legislature is in recess.

He also spoke of two recent events in the Legislature that exemplified what it is to be one of the Green Caucus members, holding the opposition to account.

Rob stood up to oppose the cessation of the Consumer Carbon Tax. He is deeply committed to a full review of Clean BC, an important element of the NDP-Green Accord. He strongly believes that this Clean BC review is key to identifying effective climate action strategies and that simply scrapping the Consumer Carbon Tax with no plan is short sighted. He questions how BC will replace the resulting $3 billion loss (added to the existing $11 billion deficit). While BC is in a relatively good position with its Gross Domestic Product when compared to other provinces, he is convinced that we cannot continue to increase our deficit without a plan. He is also very concerned about the loss of $1 billion of that $3 billion that had been distributed to low and middle income families. Adding as much as $1000 to the annual income of many BC families, he is deeply concerned about this loss to those who can least afford it. Later in this ASK Salt Spring gathering, a participant expressed how proud she was of Rob for his courageous stance.

Rob spoke to us about Bill 7, the Economic Stabilization Act. This act would give the government broad powers reducing trade barriers, procurement policies, and retaliatory measures. While Rob believes that swift, strategic action is needed, the lack of transparency in this bill as well as the sweeping powers of the Cabinet concerns him, effectively shutting half of the MLAs out of the conversation. Asserting that the legislature can move swiftly when needed, he supports transparent Legislative action rather than Cabinet power. He was optimistic, however, that a series of Green amendments will ameliorate concerns, making sure checks and balances remain strong.

When asked about the progress toward the 30-30 BC commitment to protect 30% of our land by 2030, Rob noted that our government is focused on tariffs with minimal action on many other important initiatives. He will soon dine with Christine Boyle, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks. He promised to offer information on this 30-30 question when he again joins us at ASK Salt Spring Friday, May 2, 11-1, in the SIMS Classroom.

An Early Childhood Educator spoke briefly of the serious lack of daycare spaces on Salt Spring. A serious concern, some programmes do not have any spaces for children until 2027; Working families who have succeeded finding homes are still having to leave Salt Spring due to this lack of care for their pre-kindergarten children. She asked Rob what had happened to the proposed wage, benefits, and pension plan for Early Childhood Educators. Rob promised to do the research needed to get a complete picture of childcare issues and work with this individual to seek solutions.

In Rob’s assessment, too many programs are getting neither the action nor the funding they need; Too many promises have been made by the NDP without the money to fund them. To address this, Rob strongly supports a wide-sweeping review of our entire tax system by an all-party special committee, possibly also including local governments. In his opinion, we simply cannot maintain whopping deficits like our current $14 billion one while also failing to fully-fund needed programs. He believes that we need to bring a far higher level of innovation and efficiency into our government while also overhauling our tax system. When he was asked whether this could include a wealth tax, he agreed that measures like a windfall profit tax on big corporations could be on the table during such a review.

A participant suggested that, based on the principle of everyone paying their fair share and everyone be receiving their fair share. He believed that an investigation of Salt Spring and Southern Gulf Islands Community Services was needed to asses whether those in need were being treated fairly. It was suggested that this was a complicated question better handled in a smaller, more focused conversation. Rob appreciated adding this participant’s concern to his list of issues to be explored.

A participant spotlighted her concern about too much traffic and insufficient transit. This introduced a question about the proposed new CRD Transportation Service. Adamantly opposed by the Local Community Commission, this service, focused on studies, planning, and the development of regional trails, may have significant benefits for communities on Vancouver Islands but is expected to tax Salt Springers with minimal benefit. With the Alternate Approval Process being launched to approve this new service 33,127 would need to complete a petition opposing this new service. Although it is likely that this new service will proceed, it is hoped that our local CRD office on McPhillips will soon be equipped to supply and submit these petitions if Salt Springers want to oppose this service.

We learned that the proposed expansion of our transit system to include more trips to Fulford has been delayed for one year with expected implementation January 2027. This increasingly-expensive transit system will require an increase in the 2026 tax requisition to meet operating costs even before this planned expansion. A participant suggested we should be more focused on getting visitors to help fund our growing infrastructure needs. A step in this direction is the Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership , charging a 2% accommodations tax to all visitors. This funding, largely allocated to regional marketing and affordable housing, has the potential of also funding local needs to enhance the visitor experience.

A longstanding, but never implemented, option may be to charge a small fee to visitors arriving by BC Ferries. Some ask: “What is stopping us from charging $1 to all visitors arriving by BC Ferries?” While many say that this is impossible, others ask “Why Not?” It is expected that the June 27 ASK Salt Spring visit by BC Ferries CEO and Prescient Nicholas Jimenez (11-1, SIMS classroom) may generate a further exploration of this revenue-generating idea.

Rob warned that implementing such a non-resident fee would require a collaborative approach to build support. He agreed, however, that while visitors fuel our islands’ local economies, they also increase pressure on our overstretched infrastructure and capacity to serve all. He cited a crowded Lady Minto Hospital during tourist season as an example of pressures to our critical systems as a result of our popularity as a unique destination.

When a participant asked Rob how he could implement significant climate action, he reminded us that a critical part of the NDP/Green Accord was the full review of Clean BC. Citing a current report on Clean BC calling it largely “aspirational” rather than “change-making,” Rob anticipates a fulsome dialogue as a result of this review. Two issues that do not seem to be on the Clean BC radar but are on Rob’s mind are LNG and fire suppression.

Rob and the Greens believe that delivered LNG costs will not compete successfully against coal. They are also convinced that we need a totally different approach to suppressing wildfires, a massive source of CO2. Rob cited some lessons learned from the recent Los Angeles fires: Although the damage was still extensive, newest technology, including AI, drones, and quick response water bombers, was used. Rob has hopes of being prepared to use such technologies in BC, convinced that utilizing innovation will significantly aid our current dependence on far slower trucks to get firefighters to the scene.

Wearing her School District 64 hat, a participant spoke with passion of the school district’s commitment to our climate, telling us that half the fleet of buses are electric and that that number will grow as the province approves the retirement of older diesel buses. With $1.2 million spent each year on the water taxi transporting students from island to island, she asked for creative solutions to allow the district to spend much of this money on education instead. What about an electric boat shared by our islands, transporting students, shoppers, farmers, artisans, medical services-bound islanders, and adventurers simply and inexpensively?

She also reminded Rob how important it is that he visit our schools, an invitation he immediately accepted. In addition to accepting the offer to speak at the 2025 graduation June 14, he also promised to visit often, committed to address a perceived lack of political interest among many students.

While he will speak on many topics when he visits our schools, he will speak with passion about Proportional Representation, in his opinion, the essential solution for the future of our democracy. When asked whether it would repeat a past failure by being too complicated for anyone to understand, Rob replied by citing the experience in New Zealand: Instead of going directly to voters, Proportional Representation legislation was introduced as a time-limited pilot. Voters had several years to vote using Proportional Representation, trying it out and seeing the results, before they were asked to approve it. Rob would like to see BC adapt the New Zealand voting experience, a step-by-step process implementing the change he believes is needed to offer fair and democratic voting for BC.

Our time with Rob over for this month, we applauded him for his measured, tenacious optimism; willingness to learn, ask questions, and find the answers; enthusiasm about visiting us every month; and subtle, refreshing sense of humour. (Thank-you Rob and Julie!)

Want to learn more? After our ASK Salt Spring gathering, Rob was interviewed by CHiR.fm's Damian Inwood. Listen to this interview as well as many more at ASK Salt Spring Answered.

Just in case you are interested. . . .This report has been written by Gayle Baker, founder of ASK Salt Spring, currently also a Salt Spring Local Community Commissioner. It has been reviewed and edited by Rob and his team.

Please join us this Friday, April 11, 11-1, at the SIMS (former Middle School) classroom to welcome our Restorative Justice Team for another Dialogue Circle, an opportunity to reflect on issues and build understanding and trust across differences in our community.

This month, we will learn the skills we need to have Gratitude in Trying Times, gaining the courage and compassion to have challenging conversations with humility, resilience, and curiosity.

Hope you will join us this Friday to continue our community conversation with the Restorative Justice Team!

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