A councillor for the Vancouver Island city of Comox has set his sights on provincial politics, with his decision to put his name in the running to be leader of the B.C. Green Party.
Jonathan Kerr is the first candidate named in the contest. Applications were open starting at the end of February, and closed in mid-June.
"The B.C. Green Party is entering an exciting new chapter," the party's website says. "This leadership contest is an opportunity for a bold new vision, fresh energy, and a renewed commitment to building a sustainable, just, and prosperous British Columbia."
MLAs Rob Botterell and Jeremy Valeroite are not running for leader, choosing instead to work with their communities. Valeroite is currently sitting as interim leader.
Kerr said that he wanted to run because "the B.C. Greens, they're the only party with a long-term vision.
"And to grow this party, I really feel we need a leader that can articulate the vision, inspire British Columbians to act and then deliver results," he said. "And I know what it takes to run for office as a green and win. I've done it twice here locally, twice elected as a green Comox Councillor, and now I serve as the Vice Chair of the Regional District. So I really think the next chapter of the B.C. Greens is like filled with excitement and success and I think I'm the right person to lead the party there."
Kerr was elected twice to Comox council, and has been serving as vice chair of the Comox Valley Regional District. As an elected official, he has helped create a housing authority, and opposed the destruction of a forest and wetland in Comox. He has also led a recruitment committee that brought 45 family doctors and nurse practitioners to the community.
Kerr has also been a family doctor for 17 years, and received the My Family Doctor Award from the BC College of Family Physicians (2024) for that work.
“I am excited about the future of BC, where housing is affordable, everyone has a family doctor, well-paying jobs are plentiful, the economy is strong, and we are protecting our forests and oceans,” said Kerr. “The B.C. Greens are the only party with the long-term approach needed to truly make our province more affordable, healthy and sustainable. The B.C. Greens have done a lot with just a few MLAs, but we can do a lot more if we grow our caucus. I feel I have the experience and energy to make it happen."
Kerr wants to bring his approach as a scientist to the role, saying that "'m a scientist at heart and I think you want to analyze the data and not just do things that might sound right, but actually we know that our data proof and that they are correct.
"For example, we I went for a run this morning along the dike road there and was looking up at the Beaufort range and all the clear cutting that's happening and what we're doing is we're exporting raw logs to other countries. And what's really sad about that is that we're not just exporting a logs, but we're exporting jobs. All the value-added jobs are gone now from BC and we're exporting those overseas," he said. "People always know that the Green Party has the best the best environmental plan. That's kind of a given. But a lot of people don't know is that Greens have the best economic plan because more jobs are created here when we take care of the environment and take care of our local communities. And so that's kind of why the data shows that what we're doing right now is is the wrong path.
"And quite frankly, we need to do better," he added. "We need to follow what the science says, follow what the data says, and create more jobs, improve our economy, and meanwhile protect our environment."
Kerr is the first to announce his candidacy for leader of the party, though he will be meeting with other candidates soon. He said that his roles as councillor, vice chair and family doctor won't be affected by his campaign for the role.
Kerr will be launching his campaign at an event on July 5 in Courtenay, and will be travelling throughout the province meeting with voters and discussing the future of the party in B.C.
