I received a good response from many people on the unfortunately, it hasn’t resulted in much, YET.
This issue shouldn’t, can’t, won’t go away. With candidates in every riding in the nation, The Green Party is a truly national party. Would you like more proof of the Green Partys’ breakout from “Fringe” Status?
Just take a look at the parties last election results (click on the image to see a larger version)… more importantly, look at the results from the other “fringe” parties.
The Green Party of Canada is the only one of the “fringe” parties to get votes in every single Province and Territory in Canada.
Notice also that not every province had “independents” running… yet often, independents receive more attention than many major parties and certainly more than the Green party. In Quebec, the NDP received 158,000 and the Conservative party received 300,000 yet the Green Party received over 108 000 votes. That’s over 1/3 the number of Quebecers voting for the CPC, and 2/3 the number of Quebecers voting NDP. How can the Green Party be “fringe” when its’ polls are so close with 2 of the other “major” parties in the 2nd most populous province in Canada?
Across the country. The Green Party received at least 3% of the vote from every single province and territory. 6% in BC, but we’re all nuts out here… though, Alberta hit 6% as well. The “runner-up” for fringe party in those two provinces? The Marijuana party with 0.2% of the vote in both provinces. (FYI: The Mary-jane party beat out the Christian Heritage Party in both those provinces… does that mean Pot is more important than Religion? Ha… for another post perhaps.)
“Fringe” status goes to parties who can’t muster candidates in every province (BQ Exempt of course (mais oui!)).
“Fringe” status goes to parties who can only muster dozens of votes in an entire province.
“Fringe” status goes to parties who base their platform on singular ideals, rather than a comprehensive package.
So tell me again why the Green Party is classified as “fringe”?
It’s not about voting for the Greens… vote for whoever you like. But the numbers do not lie. The Green Party is no longer one of those parties where the candidate is just “that guy who lives down in tent in the trailer park. (no offense to those living in trailers or tents.)
This is a legitimate party that Canadians have put significant democratic muscle behind. Elections Canada has recognized that, it is time for the Establishment to recognize that as well.
So. Contact the Media.
Contact your local MP and other party candidates. Tell them you think the Green Party should be a *full* member of the elections process.
The Liberals
The Conservatives
The NDP
(Sorry couldn’t find one for the BQ)
Tell the media. Every Hour, on the Hour, send an email, make a phone call. Do what needs to be done so that our democratic right, nay privilege in Canada is the best and most fulfilling that it can be. At the very least, do it because with Jim Harris at the debates, the other 4 parties will actually have to think on their feet to figure out what to say and respond to this guy. He’s an outsider. He shouldn’t be, not anymore.
Tell the moderator of the debates.
And sign the petition (@the Green Party Website).
Here’s the Contact information for the major media outlets:
The CBC:
Phone: 1-866-306-4636
Or web/email: http://www.cbc.ca/contact/index.jsp
Radio-Canada Nouvelles (news):
Phone: 1-888-306-4636
email: http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/pourNousEcrire/
CTV:
Phone: (416) 332-5000 (Ontario)
news@ctv.ca
Global (Corporate):
Phone: (204) 956-2025 (Manitoba)
email: viewerrelations@globaltv.ca
Global National TV
email: globalnational@canada.com
And yes, I *will* continue to harp on this, until the Jim Harris steps foot in front of all Canadians at a national Debate, or when the Election ends, whichever comes first.
While I do believe that the Greens have earned their right to be included in the national televised debate, I think the real issue is electoral reform. Until we have a truly representative electoral system, this kind of gross bias will continue. If we were using proportional representation (or something relative) then this wouldn’t be an issue for the Green Party. Just to beat the horse some more, another good example of the problem is how the NDP got almost a half million more votes then the Bloc did last time around. Yet, the NDP currently has about half the number of seats as the Bloc does…. Electoral reform should be the ultimate issue!!
KRS:
I agree, by the same measure… the Green Party received 1/3 the votes of the Bloc Quebecois… yet the BQ was nearly opposition and the Green had 0 MPs. It’s crazy. We’re basically ignoring 580,000 people.
I think having the Green Party in the debate would at least bring that issue a little closer to the fore… but for now, I’m focusing on getting the Green Party the recognition it deserves and it earned and getting them in the Debate. How they do in the actual election is, for now, secondary.
I’ll do all of that, except I’ll do it in reverse. I’ll tell them I don’t want the Greens included because they don’t have any MPs.
Strange that every other party ever included in Federal debates had to have at least one MP in the Commons (Inlcuding the BQ and the Reform in 1993, try wikipedia for once) at dissolution but the Greens are “special”
(your) Highness:
The Reform party and Bloc were born out of the same time of intense regional discontent.
Yes, Debrah Grey won a by-election under the Reform Party banner. But that was only because Reform was a strictly “Western Protest Party” (in the words of Wikipedia).
The Bloc was the same… a regional party built on dissatisfaction of the Progressive Conservatives (Mulroneys) implosion.
They had massive support within their regions, and as such demanded representation and recognition in the debates as soon as they came on the scene.
They are different beasts and your attempts to somehow equate their circumstances with the true, grass roots, national alternative of the Green Party is disingenuous and quite plainly false.