I feel compelled to add my voice to those who have already commented on Al Pope’s piece on October 30 entitled Young Canadians Protest, Greens Grab Spotlight.
Apparently a group of young people appeared in the House of Commons during question period to support Bill C-311, an NDP private members bill that would commit Canada to doing more to combat climate change.
Pope takes exception to Elizabeth May appearing on TV to comment on the issue.
He seems to feel that, since it was an NDP bill, it should be the NDP alone who are allowed to comment on the protest.
In his own words however, Pope claims that “NDP Leader Jack Layton seemed surprised to be interrupted while speaking on the floor.”
So why should it be only the NDP that comments on the protest?
Also, the media generally decide for themselves who to interview and which clips to air.
Elizabeth May did not ‘link herself’ to this story; the media linked her to it.
Pope also seems to see the Green Party as encroaching on NDP territory. He says, “How did the Greens get the idea that two parties working the climate change beat would be better than one?”
The Green Party was on the ‘climate change beat’ long before the NDP, and besides, it will take all of us working together to deal with this issue.
We need all the parties working the climate change beat.
This is not a game of keep-away; it is a life and death situation and partisan protectionism will only exacerbate the problem.
The Green Party is the grandmother of environmentally concerned parties. Their policies have reflected concern for the environment since the party’s inception.
The Green Party has always stood for environmental stewardship, concern for social justice and concern for fiscal responsibility, while the other parties seem to only support these things as far as it is politically expedient for them to do so.
This being the case, Green voters are not always those for whom the NDP is the second choice.
Those attracted to the Greens’ social policies might hold the Liberals as their second choice, while those attracted by the fiscal responsibility might consider the Conservatives their second choice.
If the Green Party did disband, you might find it of very little help to the NDP.
Pope’s suggestion the Green Party disband is especially ludicrous in light of the latest DataPath poll that puts the Green Party in second place federally here in the Yukon.
This poll puts the Greens at 23 per cent compared to the NDP at nine per cent.
I expect the Green percentage to rise even higher since in the past many people wanted to vote Green, but strategically voted for other parties. Now they no longer have that dilemma.
Now those people can vote for whom they most believe in and support a real contender at the same time.
Barry Durward
Whitehorse