The second of three columns on the candidates in the BC Green leadership race: Jonathan Kerr, Emily Lowan and Adam Bremner-Akins. Party members vote on a new leader Sept. 13-23.

Are the BC Greens an environmental protest movement consigned to shouting on the lawn of the legislature, or are they a party that advances its policies into reality inside the corridors of power?

It’s a question Jonathan Kerr says is core to his campaign as party leader.

“I’m not interested in the Greens being a protest party standing out on the legislature steps with a megaphone,” he says in a recent interview. “I’m focused on holding the balance of power inside the legislature so we can enact more green policy.”

Kerr’s central pitch is blunt: the Greens can’t win more seats if they cling to protest politics. He wants the party in the rooms where power is wielded, shaping housing, health care and the economy, not just yelling about climate.

“If we drive the party further to the fringe and the far left extreme views, we’ll never get those voters and we’ll never win more seats,” he says.

At 44, Kerr is the establishment candidate in a race that includes two rivals barely half his age. He stands........

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