Green Party

[Basic]

Why is it not that many people are finding an interest in the Green Party?
I know they are growing but their party platform is actually reasonably solid this year and they seem to be taking themselves more seriously. Is it possibly because of their past lack of effort in previous elections or something? Overall, I think they are giving most people an actual reason to vote for them this year and most people don't realize it.

 

[Hank C]

In Calgary there are areas of the city (downtown/Center areas) where you'll find more Green signs than Conservative!!

 

[Finder]

First Past the Post.

Read up on the system we use. Simply said I bet about 10% or more of Canadians would vote Green if we had a different system. But simply said Green party support much like that of the NDP is pretty evenly spread across Canada. Green voters can't even elect one MP to represent half a million voters, so the interest in the Green party isn't about it's politics but the lack of it's ability to get elected representives in government.

for instance the ndp with 17% of the vote struggle to just get 6% of the seats.

 

[Basic]

I have decided that I am now going to vote for the Greens.
They need as much respect as they can get at this point as it seems to be in short supply for them.

On another note, how come this was moved from the political forums?

 

[MMMike]

I will probably vote Green Party, Basic. But I'm a bit concerned about the party leader and all the controversy and possible scandals swirling around him already.

 

[Finder]

I know there is much propaganda out there against the NDP these days from the hard right, the centre and even the left wing. But really if you are a Green voter, I would ask you to leand the NDP you vote this election. The NDP have the Greenist platform of all the parties and support electoral reform a principal which the Greens support fully. Economically there are a few differences in the parties but for long term gains voting for a party which is 100% behind electoral reform even MMP electoral reform will elect Green Members in the next parliment.

I know the Green party supports a purer form of PR, then the NDP's MMP platform. But really how things are now and how Canada is made up I highly doubt pure PR will be considered and MMP even though it is very close to FPTP would still elect at least 5-9MP's as of the polls have shown for the Greens in the last 6 months. (Pure PR would elect between 15-30MP's for the Greens in comparison)


MMMike, I'd consider voting NDP in your riding if they have a chance of winning for the above reason. I know in some provinces the NDP isn't the most progressive force for reform but the Federal NDP are very progressive on these matters. A vote for the Green party right now is merely worth 1.75, you miles while just donate $2 and vote ndp in the hopes of the NDP being able to push for reform which would help the greens.

 

[MMMike]

MMMike, I'd consider voting NDP in your riding if they have a chance of winning for the above reason. I know in some provinces the NDP isn't the most progressive force for reform but the Federal NDP are very progressive on these matters. A vote for the Green party right now is merely worth 1.75, you miles while just donate $2 and vote ndp in the hopes of the NDP being able to push for reform which would help the greens.

I think the NDP has maybe the best environmental platform of all parties (including Greens). I'll have to look at it more to be sure. I also like their plan for democratic reform and Broadbent's accountability plan. But for the rest I loath most things the NDP stand for: big government, big labour, high taxes, high spending etc... They are only concerned with wealth redistribution, forgetting that we need to create the wealth first.

So, no I don't think I'll be voting NDP anytime soon.

 

[I think not]

So, no I don't think I'll be voting NDP anytime soon.

8O

 

[Doryman]

Why is it not that many people are finding an interest in the Green Party?
I know they are growing but their party platform is actually reasonably solid this year and they seem to be taking themselves more seriously. Is it possibly because of their past lack of effort in previous elections or something? Overall, I think they are giving most people an actual reason to vote for them this year and most people don't realize it.

They shot themselves in the foot (and then enthusiastically clubbed out their teeth with the pistol) in Newfoundland when they came out against the Seal Hunt. That lost pretty much every one of their supporters to the NDP. I can't answer for the rest of Canada though.

 

[Finder]

MMMike, I'd consider voting NDP in your riding if they have a chance of winning for the above reason. I know in some provinces the NDP isn't the most progressive force for reform but the Federal NDP are very progressive on these matters. A vote for the Green party right now is merely worth 1.75, you miles while just donate $2 and vote ndp in the hopes of the NDP being able to push for reform which would help the greens.

I think the NDP has maybe the best environmental platform of all parties (including Greens). I'll have to look at it more to be sure. I also like their plan for democratic reform and Broadbent's accountability plan. But for the rest I loath most things the NDP stand for: big government, big labour, high taxes, high spending etc... They are only concerned with wealth redistribution, forgetting that we need to create the wealth first.

So, no I don't think I'll be voting NDP anytime soon.

I don't think they are for big government, as the Tory's and Grit's often run large governments themselves, nor are they "big labour" but are there to make sure that workers and all people get a fair deal in Canada, plus Buzz I'd say is firmly in the Liberal Camp while giving token credit to the NDP.

As for the Marxist asertion you are trying to pin on them, I have never seen an NDP government do anything close to a reappropriation of wealth. Any government in history have taxed and what the NDP wish to do with that tax money is different then that of the Liberals and conservatives.

Economically I myself I'd consider is Conservative. I believe in balanced budgits and fiscal responcibility. But I also believe in the money the government does collect should be used in making our system a fare system. Socially..... yeah I'm more or less a Chrsitin socialist.

Besides these points The NDP's stance on the enviroment and democratic reform is second to none. If the Conservative party where to say they would go for reform in the house tomorrow and they'd like mmp I'd switch my vote to conservative. But they are being a little conservative on this issue and don't have a strong stance. The liberals don't either and the Greens have a stance I disagree with plus they can't get in either. Knowing that even if somehow my vote gave the NDP a magority I'd know they would only be in the house for 4 years, which would be long enough to do democratic reform and there platform is pretty much a liberal social democratic platform anyways, well, the NDP are not revolutionaries, they are not bolshiviks and hell there not even socialists. Little would change if anything.

 

[aeon]

I have decided that I am now going to vote for the Greens.
They need as much respect as they can get at this point as it seems to be in short supply for them.

On another note, how come this was moved from the political forums?

Congradulation, the only party that makes sens.

 

[Freethinker]

I really want some form of PR, I think it is the best choice for the country. Rather than one party with 39% claiming the dictatorship for 5 years. You have coalition governements. Not the same as our minority governements that fall relatively quickly. With PR there would be more parties and more vote distribution. The compostion of parliment will then represent the compostion of voter choice.

But it will never happen because all of the parties with the most seats have benefited from FPP.

If we get PR, I might vote green, but it is unlikely under the current conditions.

 

[Calberty]

I've already voted Green this election. My vote is a vote for environmental responsibility. If nothing else, it forces the other parties to make the environment 'more' of a priority and not just an afterthought.

I'll be honest, however. I don't support a lot of the Green Party platform. I think they've made a mistake in trying to outline details on policies that do more to alienate voters than attract them. As I say to my Green candidate 'don't try to out-NDP the NDP'. That is a recipe for failure. the NDP is in it's 17th Federal election and is still a loser so why go after a small percent of loser voters? The Greens should push the environment and on many other issues such as the ins-and-outs of health care, foreign policy, etc. just be honest and say 'we're not going to form the government so our position is to support those policies of the governmnet that have takn environmnetal variables into accout'.

 

[Jersay]

I've already voted Green this election. My vote is a vote for environmental responsibility. If nothing else, it forces the other parties to make the environment 'more' of a priority and not just an afterthought.

I'll be honest, however. I don't support a lot of the Green Party platform. I think they've made a mistake in trying to outline details on policies that do more to alienate voters than attract them. As I say to my Green candidate 'don't try to out-NDP the NDP'. That is a recipe for failure. the NDP is in it's 17th Federal election and is still a loser so why go after a small percent of loser voters? The Greens should push the environment and on many other issues such as the ins-and-outs of health care, foreign policy, etc. just be honest and say 'we're not going to form the government so our position is to support those policies of the governmnet that have takn environmnetal variables into accout'.

That's just great there buddy. Label 20% of the population losers. You will get somewhere.

I guess i will just label Green party supporters, doped-outed hippy left-overs from the 1960s.

 

[Doryman]

[quote="Jersay]

That's just great there buddy. Label 20% of the population. You will get somewhere.

I guess i will just label Green party supporters, doped-outed hippy left-overs from the 1960s.[/quote]

Hah. I doubt you'd really be far off. Most of the ones in St. John's are half-baked Philosophy majors who live off Ramen Noodles. One candidate is running his campaign on his own finances, out of his own apartment. What a winner..

 

[Jersay]

Green or NDP?

 

[Doryman]

Green or NDP?

He's a Greener. The NDP is an elitist hippy organization as well, but the Greens are just painfully out of touch with the population, more than the NDP ever were.

 

[cyberclark]

From what I have seen and heard the Green Party appears to be on the same track as the old Social Credit. I don't see them as sitting close to the NDs at all! I'm watching them with a lot of interest. They could be something real effective after this election.

Their fiscal plans, the shell that I have seen are definately more conservative than ND but with a stroke of green.

It was sad to see them bogged in their own quagmire of loose money. 'had hoped for better.

 

[Basic]

Hah. I doubt you'd really be far off. Most of the ones in St. John's are half-baked Philosophy majors who live off Ramen Noodles. One candidate is running his campaign on his own finances, out of his own apartment. What a winner..

So what is so bad about that? If he is anything like the Green party member in my riding, he works full time and is a useful member of society while running in the election.
Why should one be rich to win?

 

[Doryman]

So what is so bad about that? If he is anything like the Green party member in my riding, he works full time and is a useful member of society while running in the election.
Why should one be rich to win?

The point is that if he can't organize at least a few people ( friends maybe?) to help him put up posters and pass out pamphlets, he probably can't be an effective representative of my riding. Seriously, I'm not knocking the fact that he's running a small operation, I'm knocking the fact that he's doing nothing. I haven't heard him in a debate yet, I've seen him give no interviews, and I've never seen a sign, poster or pamphlet referring to him or his party yet. I think he just put his name on the ballot for fun.