What’s not to love about Elizabeth May?
Canada heads to the polls, and I confess that I don’t know how the Canadian system works. However, the Green Party of Canada has candidates running in “ridings” (whatever that is) across the nation, and Elizabeth May, the Leader of the Green Party of Canada, is poised to take her own riding of Central Nova from the Conservative Party Incumbent.
But this is the kind of story that Greens should be learning from: “MAY TRADES VOTES FOR BABYSITTING“:
NEW GLASGOW, NS — Politicians and babies are a common combo on the campaign trail, but Green Party leader Elizabeth May took it a step further this election day.
Shortly after the polls opened, Ms. May babysat two young boys so that their mother could get out and vote.
Ms. May met the mother the day before while door knocking in New Glasgow.
“She said: ‘Unless I can find a babysitter, I don’t know how I can vote,’” Ms. May told reporters. “And I realized when I took care of the kids this morning, I’m the first babysitter they’ve ever had and it went really well.”
Right on!
Here is Elizabeth May’s message to voters today:
And one more note, I started to watch the Canadian Federal Leaders debate last night but ran out of time to watch the whole thing. I highly recommend it. Elizabeth May was allowed to join the five person debate, and it was certainly lively, informative, and a pleasure to see a Green at the Table.
The entire debate is on YouTube in 13 parts, you can view the playlist and watch them here.
If anyone knows Canadian politics, or catches election results, please post away in the comments!
“Buoyant Carr predicting Green MP from two coasts of Canada” – great article about some election chances for Greens around Canada today:
link here
The latest polls I saw provide a ringing endorsement (at least from a progressive perspective) for Canada to adopt a PR system (if not IRV). The Liberals, NDP and Greens collectively polled 53% which would of course easily provide enough seats in the Commons to form some sort of social-democratic government. But the country’s apparently wedded to their federal, first-past-the-post system so we’re probably stuch with another Harper government, at least for another year or two.
Elizabeth May lost her bid to unseat Conservative Defense Minister Peter MacKay.
According to this early piece, MacKay took 46.8%, May (green) at 32%, with the New Democrats around 24%.
Unfortunately she lost but it is great to see that the Green Party in canada is at least being given the opportunity to participate in debates and have such a strong following. We can only hope that the one day this country will experience the same.
Among the things not to love about Elizabeth May, I would list:
1. Her effective endorsement of the centrist Liberal Party candidate for the post of prime minister
2. Her plan to impose the costs of environmental transition on the lower and middle classes through a shift toward more regressive consumption taxes
3. Her disdainful attitude toward women who choose to have abortions
Eric, are you implying that she’s pro-life, or at least seems to lead toward restricting choice? How big a political issue is that in Canada? I thought it was more like most of Western Europe (Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy aside) where it’s basically accepted by the large majority of the population w/o the silly reservations alot of Americans supposedly have about it.
I partially agree w/you on the question of regressive taxation. I do think we need to work on consumption (though I guess Canada isn’t nearly as bad as the states), but the problem is still primarily concentration of wealth. How bad is income inequality relative to America’s? I wouldn’t think it’s close. Or am I wrong?
Income inequality in Canada is less pronounced than in the US. However, inequality spiked after Canada entered free trade agreements with the US in the late 1980s and with Mexico in 1994. On the whole, incomes in Canada are more equal than in the US.
By the numbers: in 2004, Canada had an income inequality Gini coefficient of 33.1, while the US had 40.8. To compare, Sweden had 25.0, and Mexico was at 54.6.
Things n0t to love about May:
She and the Canada Green Party generally, are against all kinds of decentralization to self-reliant economies and decentralization to regions. This is oddball. All other Green Parties that I know of, want these things. The Green Party of the USA in its Ten Key Values, the European Green Party which its grouping in the European Parliament is jointly allied with the European Free Alliance of Members of the European Parliament who are from reions or suppressed Nations. In fact, I assumed that all Green Parties advocate Localization of the economy, self-reliant local communities, all kinds of people power. But mysteriously, NOT the Canada Green Party or May.