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sabotabbyAs you can probably guess, I'm not a card-carrying member of any political party. In the past, I've voted for the NDP, the Communist Party of Canada Marxist-Leninist, and, occasionally, refused my ballot as a protest. Before every election, I carefully consider the various parties' platforms, the likelihood of any candidate winning, and the current level on my Outrage-O-Meter.
Let's get this out of the way right away: The results of the federal election in my riding have already been decided--it is virtually inconceivable that, barring some unforeseen scandal or tragedy, NDP leader Jack Layton won't be re-elected as my MP. But I've been perpetually dissatisfied with the direction that he's taken the NDP, and in particular, how he has abandoned the party's traditional working class, unionized base in favour of appealing to a fuzzily defined "Canadian middle class." This said, Layton's inevitable victory allows me to vote according to my conscience.
So I will. And I will be voting for Elizabeth May's Green Party.
While other parties diddle over the economy, the Green Party's focus has been consistent: the environment. As climate change, peak oil, and the food crisis increasingly become the most challenging issues of our time, it is increasingly clear that there can be no discussion of economics, social justice, or human rights without first tackling the issue of the environment. Given the disaster in Japan, I was impressed that the Green Party puts its position on nuclear energy front and centre on its website.*
As you might have read, May has been excluded from televised debates. This alone should make you consider backing them. It's a clear sign that we're increasingly moving towards an American-style, two-party race, and it's important that minority parties accumulate a significant amount of votes in order to justify their inclusion in the national discourse.
She's campaigning by train while the other leaders jet-set around. That's so steampunk.
I also shouldn't have to say this, but of all the major parties, only one is led by a woman.
Now, you might point out that, in the past, I have argued that the Green Party is made up of ex-Tories, including May herself, who worked closely with Canada'a most hated Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, and declared him Canada's "greenest PM." I may have even suggested a sinister plot by these ex-Conservatives and well-meaning hippies to siphon votes away from the more progressive NDP. I renounce this position. The NDP does a pretty good job of losing votes all by itself. And the Greens' confused and occasionally reactionary positions on immigration and abortion? Well. Does any of that matter next to wind farms and non-reusable garbage bags?
Sorry, I can't carry this on for any longer. Look at today's date, people.
(Also look at the Green Party website and see if you can spot a person who isn't white.)
* Did you go look? I had to dig a bit before I could find anything about their position on nuclear energy. They're against it, by the way.
Let's get this out of the way right away: The results of the federal election in my riding have already been decided--it is virtually inconceivable that, barring some unforeseen scandal or tragedy, NDP leader Jack Layton won't be re-elected as my MP. But I've been perpetually dissatisfied with the direction that he's taken the NDP, and in particular, how he has abandoned the party's traditional working class, unionized base in favour of appealing to a fuzzily defined "Canadian middle class." This said, Layton's inevitable victory allows me to vote according to my conscience.
So I will. And I will be voting for Elizabeth May's Green Party.
While other parties diddle over the economy, the Green Party's focus has been consistent: the environment. As climate change, peak oil, and the food crisis increasingly become the most challenging issues of our time, it is increasingly clear that there can be no discussion of economics, social justice, or human rights without first tackling the issue of the environment. Given the disaster in Japan, I was impressed that the Green Party puts its position on nuclear energy front and centre on its website.*
As you might have read, May has been excluded from televised debates. This alone should make you consider backing them. It's a clear sign that we're increasingly moving towards an American-style, two-party race, and it's important that minority parties accumulate a significant amount of votes in order to justify their inclusion in the national discourse.
She's campaigning by train while the other leaders jet-set around. That's so steampunk.
I also shouldn't have to say this, but of all the major parties, only one is led by a woman.
Now, you might point out that, in the past, I have argued that the Green Party is made up of ex-Tories, including May herself, who worked closely with Canada'a most hated Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, and declared him Canada's "greenest PM." I may have even suggested a sinister plot by these ex-Conservatives and well-meaning hippies to siphon votes away from the more progressive NDP. I renounce this position. The NDP does a pretty good job of losing votes all by itself. And the Greens' confused and occasionally reactionary positions on immigration and abortion? Well. Does any of that matter next to wind farms and non-reusable garbage bags?
Sorry, I can't carry this on for any longer. Look at today's date, people.
(Also look at the Green Party website and see if you can spot a person who isn't white.)
* Did you go look? I had to dig a bit before I could find anything about their position on nuclear energy. They're against it, by the way.
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no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 10:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 11:02 am (UTC)Every election, a number of my friends get taken in by the Green Party's schtick, and it is my civic duty to talk them out of it. If one must throw away one's ballot, vote for one of the cute fringe candidates. Otherwise, vote NDP.
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Date: 2011-04-01 11:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 04:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 08:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 11:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 11:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 01:24 pm (UTC)At least they got rid of the policy that they'd drop any position they had if enough people voted against it on their website. Though that was really funny.
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Date: 2011-04-01 01:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 01:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 02:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 10:07 pm (UTC)I am so old that I remember when he was an anarchist.
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Date: 2011-04-01 10:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-04 03:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 03:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 03:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 04:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 05:08 pm (UTC)Elizabeth May is the Green candidate in my riding. So far I've seen one tiny little lawn sign stuck by the road. Six weeks ago her office was wrecked when a teenager driving a pickup truck lost control of it and piled through the front of the building. Anyway, complete no-hoper IMO and I cannot fathom why she chose this riding over any other - see here (http://ltmurnau.livejournal.com/191373.html) for the results in the last two elections here, each time the Greens took a shade over 10% of ballots cast.
You want to talk about nuclear energy - Gary Lunn is my MP. As then Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, in 2008 he fired Linda Keen, the head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, who had ordered the Chalk River reactor to be shut down. Lunn refused to cite one example of what she had done wrong in her job, only that she had lost the confidence of the government. Obviously she was fired on the orders of the Prime Minister's Office (and was only one of a string of these vindictive dismissals).
Anyway, he lost his Cabinet post over his bungling of that, but if I were one of the opposing candidates in this riding I would be beating him with this like a stick. Things are just getting underway here, though. He's been our MP since 1997 (and this riding has been for the most part always Conservative) so I hope there will be a change.
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Date: 2011-04-01 05:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 05:13 pm (UTC)Do you know that I think you are awesome?
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Date: 2011-04-01 10:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-02 01:40 am (UTC)Under such a system, I would consider voting for what the Green party would become. But it's pretty futile under FPTP.
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Date: 2011-04-01 10:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-02 04:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-02 02:57 pm (UTC)Did I mention that my twin brother is running as a green candidate?
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Date: 2011-04-02 02:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-02 03:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-04 03:22 am (UTC)