The provincial Green's nomination committee will be looking into whether any their leadership candidates have abused the party's membership rules. At issue: the Greens have a $10 membership fee. But members can "request" that fee be "waived on the basis of low income" or financial hardship - a request that's always granted. In an interview with Public Eye, interim party leader Christopher Ian Bennett confirmed that's because the Greens have no means of checking the income levels for incoming members. And now there's concern some leadership candidates may have used that loophole to encourage supporters to sign-up on the cheap.

Mr. Bennett says anyone who is found to have abused the waiver policy may face disciplinary action from the committee. And, to prevent something similar from happening in the future, he's planning on introducing a resolution at the party's upcoming annual general meeting requiring everyone to pay the party's $10 membership fee - no ifs, ands, or buts. The following is a complete draft of that resolution.

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Change to Policy - Motion regarding Membership and Fees ´

So that GPBC begins to resemble other political parties and non-profits, it needs to , distinguish between ‘supporters’ and members, by defining supporters as those people who support the general principles of the organization and who may or may not volunteer, who may or may not financially support the organization and who do not participate in policy and decision-making. There are no fees associated with public supporters of the Green Party of BC.

Members will be persons who will be called upon to volunteer for the Party, who can be asked to financially support the Party, and who will be requested to participate in internal organizational decision´-making through their CA’s, Provincial Council, the Leader and policy-making at Annual General Meetings.

To support members’ participation in the Party, they will receive administrative, organizational and communication assistance. In order to provide, plan for and budget for these supports and their attendant expenses, a nominal membership fee will be charged to all members.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT All members of the Green Party of BC will pay annual membership dues of $10.