I’ve voted already. I voted Green and I feel great.
I believe every campaign needs to send an email to every Green supporter urging them to send forward an email to everyone in their contact list urging them to vote Green along with reasons why.
To aid in that effort below this content is attached as a Word document that you can download, edit, change in any way you see fit, add your own reasons and then send to everyone you know and urge them to add their own preface and forward it to everyone they know. C'est aussi disponible en français en bas.
None of the old-line traditional parties understand just how deep the environmental crisis we face is:
• Sir Nicholas Stern, the former chief economist of the World Bank report warns that 40% of species will be extinct by 2050 unless we fundamentally change our society. See http://www.greenparty.ca/en/node/1148
• Scientists are telling us that two-thirds of polar bears will have died off in our Arctic by 2050 http://www.greenparty.ca/en/node/2789
• The global economy is losing some $2 to $5 trillion a year from the disappearance of forests far more than the $1 to $1.5 trillion current banking crisis, according to an EU-commissioned study. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7662565.stm
Only the Green Party is presenting serious solutions to the crisis.
Alan Coxwell, the Green Party candidate in Prince Edward-Hastings puts it succinctly: "Vote Green before we all have to."
The reason that the Liberal Party is talking about the Green Tax Shift, the reason that the NDP is talking about “green collar jobs,” is the rapid rise of the Green Party. It is only by voting for what we want that we will ever get it.
Albert Einstein said it best: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
It is the Liberals, NDP, Conservatives and Bloc that have got us into the mess we are in environmentally and economically. Voting for one of these parties will only perpetuate the crisis we are in.
In 1989 all the old-line, traditional parties committed, unanimously, in Parliament to eliminate childhood poverty in Canada by 2000. Today more children live in poverty than in 1989 -- more than 1.1 million. All the old line parties have been in power federally or provincially since then -- and childhood poverty has continued to rise unabated.
The Power of Voting Green: The Most Strategic Vote you could ever cast
If you ever doubt the power of voting Green look at this simple fact: in 2006 4.5% of Canadians voted Green -- and the other parties fearful about the exponential rise of the Green Party were forced to begin 'greenwashing' their policy -- taking first our slogans and phrases, then taking pieces of our policy substantially watering them down and calling them their own.
The 4.5% of voters who voted Green in 2006 were the most powerful voters in Canada. The Liberal Party, often called the natural governing party -- took the Green Tax Shift and made it their central plank. Voting Green in 2006 changed the entire political climate of Canada.
A vote for the Green Party is the most powerful vote you can ever cast. Because it sends a clear, unequivocal signal to all the old-line parties that they must seriously begin addressing the issues raised in the Green Party platform. A vote for the Green Party is a vote for tomorrow.
Dying Days of Campaign; Desperate Pitches
In the last week of the campaign, there’s been a lot of discussion in the media about strategic voting. Strategic voting is negative voting. It’s asking electors set aside what they really believe in and vote for a party that they don’t support.
Conservative Support Fallen During Election
The final composition of the Parliament will look very much like it was before dissolution according to seat projections by DemocraticSpace.
In Quebec the resurgence of the Bloc and the fall of the Conservatives to third place -- will bloc Harper from any majority -- guaranteed.
However, throughout Canada the Liberals and NDP are working to scare Green supporters into voting “strategically” for the Liberals or NDP. This frankly makes me angry and cynical about these old line parties that only care about power and not about actually creating real change.
Here’s the simple truth: strategic voting will not make any difference in 254 seats in this election. In other words, these seats are “safe” seats where the party that’s going to win it could run a parachute candidate, who has never lived in the riding, doesn’t attend a single all candidates debates and will still win. In this more than 82.5% of Canadian ridings strategic voting will make absolutely no difference.
Of the 54 "swing" ridings that are too close to call, the Conservatives are only competitive in 42 of them. If Liberals and NDP were serious about defeating Harper they would work a trade off in these 42 ridings with us. Simple. If the NDP and Liberals were serious about defeating Harper they would be promoting vote swapping. But the Liberals and NDP are doing neither.
It's important to realize that 'strategic voting' could only make a difference in 13.6% of ridings. But those pushing strategic voting are pushing it in every riding.
If the NDP and Liberals were serious they'd bring in proportional representation. While the NDP waxes eloquent about democratic reform, the NDP leaders in BC and Ontario both spoke out against electoral reform recommended by both provincial Citizens Assemblies at the time of the referendums.
The NDP and Liberals are pushing 'strategic voting' in safe ridings -- the only purpose of which is to depress the Green Party vote.
I have absolutely no faith in the Liberals who ratified Kyoto (great) but while in power CO2 emissions rose 30% above the Kyoto reduction commitment.
I have absolutely no faith in Jack Layton or the NDP. By opposing putting a price on carbon –- the only thing that environmentalist, economist, business leaders say will make a difference in addressing climate change -- has led David Suzuki to condemn the NDP.
I have absolutely no faith in the Conservatives. Harper has broken international law by saying he won’t even attempt to meet Canada’s Kyoto agreements
All three old-line, traditional parties, approved of giving hundreds of million of dollars to GM, Ford and Chrysler in Ontario -- without any corresponding, non-negotiable dramatic increases in fuel efficiency.
Jack Layton agreed with Stephen Harper in steadfastly opposing the Green Party’s inclusion in the televised leaders debates –- until pressure from his own members forced him to reverse his position.
Why has the environment risen to be such a prominent issue? It’s because a) the rise of the Green Party and b) the rise of consciousness in the public about the depth of the environmental crisis we face. The Liberal Party can’t even sell a $10 a tonne carbon tax – that is a tax shift, do we really think that they will be able to implement a $50 a tonne?
Why are we Green?
We have to remember why we support the Green Party here’s one ad from Ireland and one from the UK that I particularly like
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=qvtUeSjzYL0&feature=related
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=bgpqaHLsX6A
The Guelph Greens have a slogan – vote for the party your children want you to vote for. Vote for the future. Vote for tomorrow.
None of the old-line, traditional parties are or will address the seriousness of the crisis we’re facing.
For me there is only one party I can vote for. I will never vote strategically. The very thought of doing it makes me sick. I mean the thought makes me feel terrible. I have absolutely no faith in the Liberals, the NDP, the Conservatives. None.
Here’s how Randy Weeks, the GPC candidate in Calgary West describes the scam of 'strategic' voting
Every election some party tries to steal your vote with a "strategic vote" scam. They will prey on your fears and anxieties by proclaiming that fabricated disaster scenario "A" can ONLY be avoided by casting a vote for party "B". Typically, the perpetrators of this scam have a long established history inaction and deception and are seeking yet another chance to let you down.
Smart and informed voters refuse to relinquish their vote to this simplistic ruse. Instead, they vote according to their convictions; they vote with heart and they walk home feeling good about their choice. Adept voters know that voting for a party they distrust to get rid of a party they dislike is not smart strategy; they know that genuine change cannot happen by supporting the same old entrenched parties.
Former Leader Chris Bradshaw points out that: Strategic voting denies all parties the honest reflection of voter's first preference, which is what government use to set priorities for legislation (and the opposition parties' 'quality' of opposition).
And so I urge you to vote with your heart. Vote with your conscience. Vote for tomorrow. Vote for your children and grandchildren.
This is most powerful of all: vote the way your children want you to vote.
Jim Harris
Former Leader
Green Party of Canada
PS. Please email me your feedback at jim@greenparty.ca so that I can continually improve this.