May misplays the “sexism” card
http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/09/09/may-misplays-the-sexism-card/

There is a link there to a profile she did on the leader Oct 29, 2007.

I think it important to listen to all sides, and not just turn the channel. I should reiterate that the GP is not “my party”. My vote is decided on issues, not party.

Again, too, your comments would carry more weight with me if you introduced yourself so I knew where you were coming from.

Thank you for am agreeable post.

Steve, it seems to me in the last GPC convention, your guest speaker, Joe Trippi, in response to the Green Party’s obsession with proportional representation, suggested that the party first focus on getting a MP ELECTED under the existing rules, and then work to change the system from within. I don’t recall him suggesting using every questionable means possible to get into the debates, which seems to have become an obsession with this party, and particularly its narcissistic leader.

So, what happens if she gets into the debates and tanks (a not entirely unreasonable outcome)? This is not the case where a relatively unknown person is given a catapult onto the national stage and media spotlight for the first time. She has had plenty of media exposure, (in fact, I would argue, overexposure), that have been reflected in the rising polls since the last election. The problem with overexposure, for me at least, is that you begin to see a pattern. Can Elizabeth May go one day without uttering or releasing in a presser a cheap shot at Harper? Can she continue to claim she isn’t a politician while being one of the most political of leaders? Can she continue to spread untruths or misrepresentations without eventually getting caught up by her own words?

Those are the risks she faces – the electorate tire of her rhetoric, innuendos, smears and just change the channel when she speaks. As I do. And I suspect as the public really gets to know her, the polls will move accordingly.

Rather than her very questionable tactics, the GPC should act like Smith Barney. They earn money the old fashioned way – the earn it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFpPovznSG8

p.s. a “sitting MP” usually, by definition, sits in Parliament. This guy never will as a Green MP. Hence, he does not qualify by any reasonable standard.

The electoral map is in fact different than it was in 2006. More Canadians than ever are voting Green or are interested in Green policies. In whatever way you want to discount it, there is a sitting Green MP. The GP have met or surpassed all of the criteria that the media consortium had set down to exclude them before (there does certainly need to be a line to cross before you can partake in a national leadership debate). These are facts, quantifiable and unspinnable. Forget speculation that May being a woman or advertising sway have anything to do with the equation (and Chris DID suggest that he did not feel these were true), the previous requisites have been met, period. Seems the children have stepped outside of the classroom and into the playground and proudly proclaimed that “if she’s going to the birthday party, well then I’m not.”

“Hmph.”

I am fully aware that in an article printed more recently than 18 months ago (this morning in fact: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/09/formerpm-climate.html) a group of significant leaders of all political colours pleaded with the public and public servants to act upon and not just promise environmental policy change. As pretty as our family man PM looks in a sweater, our environment does not listen to words, but responds only to actions. I pray that more and more Canadians do the same, bypass the rhetoric of ALL of the party leaders and instead read the policies that will, in the end, have an effect on our prosperity, reputation and very existence. I am truly impressed at how effective these machines are at swaying public opinion and votes with pointed advertising campaigns: pure genius, and I mean that. But I feel more and like the carpet is being pulled from under my feet with every ad I accidently see, and am saddened to know that so many of us make our political choice based on good or bad advertising. We are not voting on softdrinks, and I despise being treated as if we are.

In response to one commenter, what exactly constitutes a legitimate party?

Finally, my name is Steve Salt and I am an educator. I am friend of Chris Tindal’s and a former GP member. I am now becoming increasingly non-partisan and tired of the ineffectiveness and inefficiency of partisan politics and the lack of free votes (party over country). Our American neighbours had forefathers who, before they signed the Constitution, insinuated that partisan politics should be avoided at risk of negating the effectiveness and integrity of this wonderful gift that we have that is democracy. I tend to agree with them.

dot, I have a great deal of respect for your comments, research and level of knowledge: you have a gift of words even if I don’t agree with them.

Pleased to meet you.

Who are you?

David, first off, Elizabeth May claims she ran for the Small Party in the 1980 election, which she claims is the predecessor to the Green Party. This was not a registered party at that time, but she claims she has media clippings showing that her group of independents across Canada did call themselves the Small Party.

Elections Canada had not officially yet recognized the Bloc, but Duceppe won under their banner – same thing.

As far as Chris’ claim that the Bloc crossed the floor in the same manner as Blair Wilson, this is a distortion of a grand scale.

The Bloc was formed when a number of MPs left the PC party on principle (whether you agree with it or not). They subsequently sat in the House of Commons as a separate group, and did elect Duceppe under their affilitation. This is in no way analagous to what Blair Wilson did. Had he crossed over to the GPC over one year ago, I might conced you have a point. But he sat as an independent until the eleventh hour, even later, before realizing is political career was over, made a swan song move. And your leader, unfortunately, didn’t just pinch her nose, but openly embraced his move.

I’m not sure you get national newspapers where you live, but had you read the G&M 18 months ago, you would have seen a column on this very subject that I had some involvement with. It was based on substantive arguments, not spin and misinformation.

Nice try. Dig into your piggy bank to read the full column.

Ms. May deserves an invite to the leaders’ gabfest

An election won or lost on the environment? The environment has aspired, and failed, to become something more than a wacko B-list issue in recent federal elections. The next time looks different. Matters green are hot topics of debate. The Stephen Harper Tories are rolling out energy-efficiency programs to stall the Opposition’s green momentum. Nuclear reactors, coal and water are back in the news. Climate change horror stories are everywhere.

The only other reason I can think for why the Bloc was included in the debates is because Lucien Bouchard was a former cabinet minister for Mulroney. Which seems a bit unfair to me.