Lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen)Territory / VICTORIA, BC — In response to today’s “assertive care” announcement, Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the BC Green Party has issued the following statement: 

“Of course we all want communities that are safe for everyone, but we don’t achieve this without investments that are guided by evidence. Investments in affordable housing, health and mental health care, and programs that are proven to deliver successful outcomes are the necessary responses to the crises we’re facing as a province. 

“Instead David Eby follows John Rustad off every reactionary cliff. I am deeply concerned about the over-reliance on involuntary care. We are currently involuntarily treating more people than we ever have in our province – over 20,000 people annually – yet there’s little evidence it reduces rehospitalization or repeat offenses. Where are the investments in prevention and addressing the root causes of what we’re seeing in our communities? There’s also no focus on long-term, community-based care after discharge. Even more worrying is the fact that substance use treatment in this province remains unregulated, leaving people vulnerable to unproven or even harmful practices.

“We need real solutions, like scaling up the proven Duncan Village model in every community. People need secure housing, a basic constitutional right to safety, and access to health and mental health services and treatment. The Village model has been a successful approach to housing people, reducing crime, and helping individuals get the care they need to rebuild their lives. It’s cost-effective and has community support. 

“Eby and Rustad are pushing reactionary soundbites, ignoring the root causes of homelessness and substance use. They offer next to nothing to protect people from predatory financialized landlords, leaving evicted individuals vulnerable to organized crime and toxic drug supplies. They fail to ensure that we have a mental health care system that prevents crises. And they do very little for the youth who have aged out of care, who are on a direct path to this outcome, failed by one system only to be put in another. 

“David Eby claims to follow evidence and data, yet he overlooks key reports like the Provincial Health Officer’s recommendations on alternatives to toxic drugs, the All-Party Health Committee’s findings, the BC Coroners Service Death Panel Review, and the Police Act Review. He cherry-picks evidence to fit his increasingly right-wing politics. A truly socially democratic government would be guided by principles of equity, fairness, and ensuring that people have the conditions to thrive. 

“Instead of proposing a positive vision for BC Eby is appealing to fear, which is a political strategy that fails to recognize the responsibility of governments to address systemic failures. The BC Greens will soon release our plans for mental health and substance use, which offer evidence-based solutions that make our communities safer for everybody.”

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Media contact: 
newsroom@greenparty.bc.ca 
Phone: +1 250-418-5528