Comments on: Green Party Rhetoric

By: Election time – Pie Palace

Election time – Pie Palace — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:43:31 +0000

[...] for someone who treats their opponents with dignity, and is able to disagree with an idea without taking shots at the idea’s proponents. David lives up to [...]

By: e

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:14:27 +0000

Hi Nell,

Who are you calling single?

Thanks for your comment. I’m glad that you found Elizabeth’s piece on CBC inspiring, and I’m glad that you’re interested in the Green Party. I hope that nobody construes the critique’s on this blog as in-fighting. We’re just trying to decide who we want to elect for the next leader (and eventually prime minister). Regardless of who wins, the party will be stronger!

By: Nell

Nell — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 16:15:16 +0000

As someone just deciding to vote Green, I can tell you that my preconception was that the Green Party is full of rabid activists criticizing one another, so busy with in-fighting that you couldn’t trust them to run a country. When I heard Elizabeth May speak on CBC radio, I was inspired! That is in fact what got me looking at the Green Party in a serious way. As an educated, poor, full-time employed single white mother of 2 I don’t know where I fit in your assessment of average, mainstream and willing to vote green. I do think that the suggestion that the Green Party needs to focus on those people (whoever they are) is just as alienating as a rant. I have read the bios of the candidates here in Nova Scotia (where we are having an election next week) and I would say that they represent the diversity that the Green Party espouses to encourage. By having diversity represented in candidates, the Green Party WILL appeal to a broad audience, not just young middle class single white guys (but some of them, surely.)

By: darrell

darrell — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 15:25:48 +0000

Knowing history and dwelling on it are two different things in my mind. Yes, it’s important to know the history of the problem, what did we do that got us into the situation, what has and hasn’t worked. But that shouldn’t be the focus of a politician’s message in my opinion. We can all point to what people have done wrong in the past but I’d prefer to elect a leader who will concentrate on what we can do to correct it now and/or in the future.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 01:17:51 +0000

–Within a revenue neutral strategy, start taxing pollution and carbon, while reducing taxes on income, profit and employment. Anything else is a crime.–

It is a crime to allow people to pollute for free. Pollution is an assault. Assault is a crime. Currently not only do polluters get away with comitting that crime, but the rest of us are paying to reduce the negative results of those crimes. So I agree with May on this issue. I don’t think that May is declaring that she is the ‘decider.’ I have never found May to someone who will not listen to others, she is very open to all ideas that lead us towards what most greens consider to be a better world. She has strong opinions and she will make them known. As it stands right now I will be voting for May. She is the only one getting media attention. I really like David C and he may have better ideas (I wouldn’t know because I have seen zilch from his campaign), but if no one hears them then what is the point. I am tired of election after election hearing people say that they know nothing about the Green Party positions. If someone wants to know where the Green Party stands on almost any issue they have to work to find out what that position is. Most people won’t do that. So, to me if the candidate will not get noticed and not get the party message out then it is pointless.

I also agree with what Martin said about the importance of history. The old saying along the lines of those who don’t know history are bound to repeat the past.

I am not even so sure that the Green Party should be attempting to be a big tent, wide appealing party, when that happens everything gets watered down to nothing. I am of the opinion that no matter how green the next leader of the Liberals is, if they regain a majority they will still do nothing positive for the environment. So I would most like to see proportional representation, with the greens representing greens, not the greens representing everyone, but in doing so abandoning their ideals and doing little for the environment.

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 31 May 2006 19:27:23 +0000

I wouldn’t say i’m not interested in the history of the problem. We can’t learn from the mistakes if we don’t acknowledge them. That doesn’t mean it has to come off as a rant or “what were you thinking” lecture.

Back to you question. What would I like to see out of a green party leader. Someone with practical ideas. I guess I would like to see ideas that realise that polution is part of todays economy. A sad reality I would say. I liked May’s ideas about the tar sands. Cutting the Capital Cost Allowance and charging them for water they take seem like reasonable ideas. A moratorium on expansion. Not going to happen. But it’s good to have dreams I guess.

The only problem with taxing business for poluting is that they can just go somewhere else. So corprate tax rates are going to have to be low or some other incentives so companies can afford to put in place proccesses that are enviormentally sound.

The other thing I would like in this leadership debate is the other candiate. David C. doesn’t seem to be getting alot of attention. Even here all the discussions, good or bad, are about Elizibeth May. He really needs to make his ideas know. Let’s face it that a Green Party leadership race doesn’t sell news papers, and the last thing posted on his site is about an Ottawa train yard. I’m betting people in the rest of Canada would like to hear more nationally scaled ideas.

By: 604 Plonker

604 Plonker — Wed, 31 May 2006 18:47:37 +0000

Very well put. Elizabeth needs to quickly learn that her activism tactics are passe in party politics, and that she needs to communicate a more diplomatic and positive tone if she wants to inspire “average” Canadians.

Tirades and rants turn the majority of people off in a hurry. I just hope May appreciates this.

We don’t need scapegoats, we need practical solutions.

By: Centrerion Canadian Politics

Centrerion Canadian Politics — Wed, 31 May 2006 18:35:27 +0000

I like this post (and I also like this comments above the post thing – cool!). Valuable insight for the interviews.

Good reply also, from your friend. Honestly, everyone knows I’M the one with THE solution . Just a little kidding of course.