fringe

Wednesday October 14, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday October 14, 2015 LetÕs be frank: the Green Party movement in Canada would be all but dead without Elizabeth May as its leader. Through her boundless energy and passion, May has achieved the near- impossible by keeping the Greens in the public eye during the current election dominated by the front-running Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats. Excluded from most leadersÕ debates, she uses Twitter and Facebook to reach voters, appears on TV and radio every chance she gets, talks with reporters at length, travels across Canada on behalf of Green candidates and meets constantly with university students and seniors groups. Indeed, she is possibly the hardest-working federal leader in the campaign, committed to protecting the environment, energetic, funny, personable and dedicated. Despite all her hard work and eternal optimism, though, the Green Party appears headed for an election nightmare, sliding backwards with fewer votes than in the previous two elections. At best, the Greens may elect just two MPs, including May in her B.C. riding of Sannich-Gulf Islands. May told the Toronto Star editorial board on Thursday she ideally would like to win 12 seats to become an official party in Parliament. At worst, the Greens could suffer their second straight decline in voter support nationally and lose the only other elected seat they hold in Parliament. If that occurs, the Greens would be on the verge of irrelevance on the political scene, doomed to be a fringe party with no clout, no money and few friends. It would be a sad outcome for May who has made the Greens a part, albeit tiny, of the political conversation in Canada since she became party leader in 2006. Polls consistently show the Greens with barely 3-4 per cent support nationally, including in Ontario and B.C. where the party likes to claim it has the most support. (Continued: Toronto Star) http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentar

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday October 14, 2015

Green Party on the verge of irrelevance

Let’s be frank: the Green Party movement in Canada would be all but dead without Elizabeth May as its leader.

Through her boundless energy and passion, May has achieved the near- impossible by keeping the Greens in the public eye during the current election dominated by the front-running Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats.

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist - Saturday September 26, 2015 During a testy phone call, Justin Trudeau dismissed David SuzukiÕs views on the Liberal climate change policy as Òsanctimonious crap,Ó according to Suzuki. Suzuki revealed the contents of the conversation during an interview on SiriusXMÕs Everything is Political with Evan Solomon. Suzuki says he fired back, calling Trudeau a Òtwerp.Ó The renowned scientist, broadcaster and activist says Trudeau called him personally June 28, 2015 to talk about the Liberal platform on climate change that was to be revealed the next day. ÒI didnÕt call Justin, he called me,Ó Suzuki said. ÒHe wanted an endorsement and he wanted to tell me exactly what his program was.Ó For the record: Justin TrudeauÕs speech on the environment: June 29, 2015 The program includes support for the Keystone XL pipeline, a rejection of the Northern Gateway pipeline and a commitment to work with the provinces to establish a cap-and-trade system. ÒI said, ÔJustin, stop it, youÕre just being political, you just want to make headway in Alberta,ÕÓ Suzuki says he told Trudeau. ÒYouÕre for the development of the tar sands, youÕre for the Keystone pipeline, but youÕre against the Northern Gateway, youÕre all over the damn map!Ó MacleanÕs explains: Where the leaders stand on the environment Suzuki went on to advise Trudeau that taking the target of a 2 degree rise in temperature seriously means 80 per cent of the oil sands has to stay in the ground. Suzuki believes stopping oil sands development will mean Òno debate about pipelines or expanding railways or shipping stuff offshoreÑnone of that comes into it.Ó Suzuki says this is when the exchange turned nasty. ÒHe said, ÔI donÕt have to listen to this sanctimonious crap. I proceeded to call him a twerp.Ó (Source: MacLean's) http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/why-david-suzuki-called-justin-trudeau-a-twerp/ Canada, Justin Trudeau, environment, climate change, Liberal, Mother Nature, Davi

Excluded from most leaders’ debates, she uses Twitter and Facebook to reach voters, appears on TV and radio every chance she gets, talks with reporters at length, travels across Canada on behalf of Green candidates and meets constantly with university students and seniors groups.

Indeed, she is possibly the hardest-working federal leader in the campaign, committed to protecting the environment, energetic, funny, personable and dedicated.

Despite all her hard work and eternal optimism, though, the Green Party appears headed for an election nightmare, sliding backwards with fewer votes than in the previous two elections.

At best, the Greens may elect just two MPs, including May in her B.C. riding of Sannich-Gulf Islands. May told the Toronto Star editorial board on Thursday she ideally would like to win 12 seats to become an official party in Parliament.

Tuesday May 12, 2015At worst, the Greens could suffer their second straight decline in voter support nationally and lose the only other elected seat they hold in Parliament.

If that occurs, the Greens would be on the verge of irrelevance on the political scene, doomed to be a fringe party with no clout, no money and few friends.

It would be a sad outcome for May who has made the Greens a part, albeit tiny, of the political conversation in Canada since she became party leader in 2006.

Polls consistently show the Greens with barely 3-4 per cent support nationally, including in Ontario and B.C. where the party likes to claim it has the most support. (Continued: Toronto Star)