Monthly Archives: January 2008

A message from Chris…

“This election represents a choice between the past and the future. If we elect one more Liberal, one more Conservative, or one more New Democrat, we change nothing. On the other hand, if we make history and elect Canada’s first Green Member of Parliament, we change Canadian politics forever. This Monday, March 17th, I would be proud to have your support and your vote.”

-Chris Tindal

Use the links on the left to find out who’s endorsing Chris, watch some videos, request a sign, and more. The links and search box on the right let you browse Chris’ over 300 blog posts from the last two years to get to know him better and find out where he stands on various issues. (The most recent blog posts are below.) If at any point you get lost or have a question, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

A Future Voice

(To download or print this letter as a PDF, click here.) 

Last June our Member of Parliament, the Hon. Bill Graham, stood in the House of Commons to announce his resignation. As a result, a by-election has been called for March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, in Toronto Centre. In his final address to Parliament, Mr. Graham said, “[the] people of my riding, I hope, will understand why I believe it is important that they be represented by a future voice rather than someone from the past.” I couldn’t agree more.

We are at an exciting time of opportunity for our city, our country, and our planet. It’s up to us, as citizens, to seize that opportunity. I’m running to be your Member of Parliament because I believe it’s time for government to do better, to aspire towards greater goals, and to achieve them with pragmatic and innovative ideas. I’m running as the Green Party of Canada’s candidate because I know Greens have the best plan for our country’s economy, for our environment, and for Toronto.

I’ve heard from many of you who have voted Liberal in the past that you aren’t comfortable doing so this time around. You know that even though someone has “experience,” it doesn’t always mean they have the right kind of experience. If that sounds like you, you’re not alone. Many current and former Liberals are supporting the Green Party and my campaign, including Pierre Trudeau’s former Director of Communications Jim McDonald.

I’ve heard from many of you who have voted Conservative, but feel like your party has left you. You know that the firing of your duly nominated local Conservative candidate because he was too focused on social and urban issues sends a strong message that this Reform/Alliance/Conservative party has not only turned its back on cities, but has turned its back on all Progressive Conservatives. If that sounds like you, you’re not alone. Many current and former Progressive Conservatives are supporting my campaign, including former provincial Cabinet Minister Phil Gillies.

I’ve heard from many of you who have voted NDP, but are discouraged by their overly-partisan and negative tone, and by their tendency to be long on grievances and short on vision. If that sounds like you, you’re not alone. Many current and former New Democrats are supporting my campaign, including Cameron Miller, who worked directly with Jack Layton during his leadership campaign and is the past president of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association.

These individuals and many others are able to come together for this cause for two reasons. One, because the Green Party’s vision for Canada transcends old-line politics, and presents a new proposition for voters tired by the left/right battles of the past. And two, because this by-election represents a unique opportunity.

We, the citizens of Toronto Centre, have the opportunity to send a strong message for change in politics. We have the opportunity to demand that our politicians offer real
vision and realistic solutions. And we have the opportunity to make history. I’m asking for your support in this by-election so that we can create that change together. I’m asking you to vote for a future voice, rather than for somebody—or some party—from the past.

Please contact me to let me know your thoughts on the important issues in this campaign, and browse this website to learn more about myself, my party, and the exciting path ahead.

Chris Tindal

ps. Successful election campaigns are not possible without your support. If you believe in what we’re doing, please request a sign, volunteer, or donate. Generous tax credits are available so the cost to you is minimal.

We Need Green MPs Now

Yesterday, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) released a report that says we must start paying a price for carbon emissions, and that a carbon tax in conjunction with a cap and trade system for big polluters is the best plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without harming the economy. The NRTEE now joins “a chorus of the country’s top economists and major banking institutions who say the only way to alter Canada’s emissions is to change market behaviour with a tax.” Environmental organizations were also unanimous in their praise of the report’s recommendations. Predictably, however, John Baird rejected the recommendation (childishly, too), even though it was his own government that created the panel, selected its membership, and tasked them with creating the report in the first place.

And yet, you’d think that with environmentalists, the banks, economists, and others on board, there would be at least one opposition party that was able to creditably take the government to task for so quickly throwing out this report, right? Unfortunately, for reasons I’m not quite able to grasp, not a single party in the House of Commons had the (wisdom? courage? political foresight?) to call for what is increasingly acknowledged as necessary and urgent.

Only the Green Party supports a carbon tax, which we would use to reduce taxes on income and investment. It’s incorporated in our detailed climate plan released last summer, and has been a core policy position for longer than I’ve been involved. Like so much of our vision for Canada, it is an idea whose time has come.

It’s reasons like this (not to mention this) that not only must Elizabeth May be in the leaders’ debate during the next general election, but we need Green MPs in Parliament as soon as possible. According to a poll released two days ago, most Canadians agree, and would like to see a Parliament with 25 Green MPs. (Not surprising, since under a fair voting system that’s around what our current level of support would produce.)

The Toronto Centre by-election represents an opportunity to realize that desire. A strong finish will (hopefully) scare the other parties into smartening up. A win would be historic, and break the old-line monopoly in Ottawa. It would mean ideas whose time has come would finally be taken seriously and begin to be implemented. And it wouldn’t be a moment too soon.

Funny Story…

When I posted the text and video of Obama’s Iowa victory speech last Friday I gave very little thought as to why I was doing so. It had just resonated with me and inspired me, and I wanted to share it. I also really liked the parallels I saw between his campaign (the message of change and hope, the example that an underdog can surprise you, the way he’s bringing together people from across the old political spectrum) and the campaign we’re running here. To illustrate those parallels, I linked select words and phrases from Obama’s speech to pages on this site.

So I was a little surprised to see that Bob Rae posted the exact same video to his site one day after I did, with the directive to “[reflect] on what it means for Canada.” It’s surprising because I’m not sure why he’d want to draw attention to the fact that new ideas beat out experience, that future thinking beat a politician from the past, that the candidate who everyone was sure was going to win is now, well

Then again, maybe, like me, he just got inspired and didn’t give it much thought.