next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
Nothing local in the queue today ..
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Frank de Jong <fdejong@greenparty.on.ca>
Montreal Gazette
GREENS TRYING TO PUT THINGS INTO PROPORTION
Corinne Smith, _The Gazette_
(Monday, August 19, 2002)
As Green Party Canada wrapped up its national convention in Montreal
yesterday, one thing was clear for members: the time for change is now.
"We don't think 'business-as-usual' is working for this country," said Chris
Bradshaw, interim GPC leader. "We think the change needs to be significant."
While issues discussed by 50 members at a northend community centre ranged
from health-care to provincial-federal power sharing, it was electoral
reform tht emerged as a priorty.
Dwayne Collard, the Green Party's chairman, said that when it comes to
electing representatives, Canada is lagging behind most of the world's
recognized democracies."
"Most other countries have moved to some semblance of proportional
representation," Collard said.
Proportional representation -- a voting system that elects political parties
in proportion to their support among voters -- would alleviate voter apathy,
said another GPC member.
"Many people are disillusioned, and they don't know what can be done,"
because they feel their votes make no difference, said Gretchen Schwarz, the
party's communications coordinator.
Expanding in Canada
She pointed out to the 2000 Federal Election, when the Liberal Party was
re-elected to power with only 41% of the popular vote.
Canada, the United States, and Britain are the only democratic countries in
the world that don't use some form of proportional representation.
Green Party Canada was founded 18 years ago and is affiliated with Green
parties around the world. In Europe, "greens" have 172 seats in 16 national
parliaments, according to GPC literature. The party is expanding in Canada:
a Quebec chapter opened eight months ago and has 500 members.
The next step is to make GPC's ideas relate to issues "the average Canadian
has on their minds when they go to bed at night," Bradshaw said.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
SUST-MAR TIP: our archives are http://www.chebucto.ca/lists/sust-mar
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects