Jane Sterk - Politics

Politics

Sterk got involved in Green Party politics following her trip to Mexico where she witnessed ocean pollution and rapid development causing environmental and social damage. She understood that sustainable and responsible development could have avoided the damage. While she had never belonged to a political party before, and had previously voted for parties across the political spectrum depending upon specific candidates, she joined the Green Party in 2001. She ran as the Green Party of Canada's candidate in the 2004 federal election for the Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca riding where she came in fourth of six candidates, garnering 9.2% of the vote. She was the Green Party of British Columbia's candidate in the May 2005 provincial election in the Esquimalt-Metchosin riding. Of the four candidates in the riding she placed third with 10.4% of the vote. Later that year she ran for seat on the Township of Esquimalt's city council. As a councilor she supported pedestrian rights, urban farming, and using biofuels in the city vehicle fleet. She served as alternate director at the Capital Regional District. While she supported the construction of a regional sewage treatment plant, she, along with the other Esquimalt councilors, opposed locating plant along the waterfront at Esquimalt's Macaulay Point.

She served her three year term as councilor while accepting a faculty position teaching business administration at University Canada West and becoming leader of the Green Party of British Columbia. She took over for Christopher Bennett had been the interim leader of the party since the previous leader, Adriane Carr, left in September 2006 to become deputy leader of the national party. The party held a leadership vote during its annual convention in Victoria in October 2007. Competing for the leadership position against Sterk were small business owner Damian Kettlewell and filmmaker Ben West, both residents of Vancouver, community activist Jack Etkin of Victoria, and Bowen Island oceanographer Silvaine Zimmermann. Using the preferential ballot, Sterk won with West coming in second and Kettlewell third. As leader she set party priorities to increase membership, raise funds for the 2009 provincial election, and open a party office in Victoria. She participated in the October 2008 provincial by-election in Vancouver-Fairview but came in third with 7.2% of the popular vote. For the 2009 provincial election she ran in Esquimalt-Royal Roads the riding where she resides, she placed third behind the NDP and the BC Liberals.