She’s already the youngest leader of a political party with an elected member in Canadian history. Now, Emily Lowan has her sights set on holding the balance of power in the B.C. legislature. The 26-year-old B.C. Green Party leader spoke to CTV News Wednesday on the campus of the University of Victoria, where she graduated with a degree in political science and was a member of student government just four years ago. Her youth, she says, is an asset. “As a young person, I have the most on the line, thinking about my climate future and just day-to-day affordability,” Lowan said. “I think it’s one of my greatest strengths, because I’m coming in, seeing the broken system for what it is, because I live it every day.” Lowan’s parents both worked as public servants. When they broke up, she grew up fast. “They separated when I was seven,” she said. “As the eldest daughter, I think that always meant that I carried a larger sense of responsibility and felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, maybe, from an early age.” The B.C. Green Party leader seems to have always been a go-getter. A Rhodes Scholar finalist in her fourth year at UVic, she laughs recounting precocious early feats achieved while a Girl Guide. “I got the badge for getting the most number of badges in the shortest span of time,” Lowan said, with a laugh. She grew up on the Saanich Peninsula and caught the political bug—and a passion for environmentalism—early, when she met federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May during a high school trip to Ottawa. “She was just a huge bright spot and an inspiration to me from a young age,” Lowan said of May, who has endorsed her in Saturday’s provincial election. After university, Lowan worked for the Climate Action Network, taking on fossil fuel companies. In her free time, she enjoys biking, ocean swimming and running, including in the Victoria Half Marathon. “I also love really light-hearted pranks,” Lowan said. On the campaign trail, however, she’s been a serious combatant, going toe-to-toe with NDP Leader David Eby and Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson in the leadership debate and sharply criticizing the larger parties’ policy positions. Lowan has built her campaign around affordability and economic inequality, and Eby, in particular, seems to have taken notice, promising to hike income taxes on those making more than $1 million. The Greens are pushing for a new tax on wealth, not income. “I think it’s critically important that we tax the ultra-rich and the mega corporations to pay their fair share,” Lowan said. She describes her party as “building a formidable movement to reclaim B.C.’s economy for everyday people.” Lowan’s campaign as Green leader has coincided with municipal success. Vancouver mayor-elect Pete Fry, who previously served as a Green city councillor, joined Lowan in her riding Tuesday and endorsed her. Success on election night, Lowan says, would mean the Greens once again holding the balance of power in a minority government, as happened in 2017. “I am open to having conversations with anyone, whether that’s a formal agreement or on a vote-by-vote basis,” Lowan said. Could she have a prank in store for her political opponents this weekend? “Let me into the legislature and we’ll see,” Lowan said. With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Rob Buffam
