It’s Getting Hot In Here

After reading Hannah’s blog about the recent success of the green party in Ontario, with new leader Elizabeth May (see Zoe’s blog about Elizabeth May), I’m excited about the potential of the green party gaining a lot more support and influence in the next Canadian elections. The green party faces several challenges though in getting their message out. In the past two national leader’s electoral debates the greens were shut out despite having candidates in every federal riding, this needs to change before the next election (see London Free Press editorial). If you go to the Green Party’s Demand Democratic Debates website you can join the email petition to urge the Presidents and CEOs of Canada’s news media to include the Green Party leader in the nationally-televised leaders’ debates. Not only would this promote democracy in our elections, it would inject the environment and a woman’s perspective into the debates.
According to Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley, “Canadians today draw their electoral information primarily from television . . . The public broadcast of a debate held by several leaders of registered political parties is not a contribution to the parties but the provision of a service to the public.” The Demand Democratic Debates page has a lot more information about why we should demand to see Elizabeth May (check out her Blog) on our screens during the next electoral debates . You don’t have to be a Canadian (to watch TV) and it is in the interest of News companies and the media to respond to public demand (more viewers more money) so the more emails the merrier. Please take the time to learn more and take action for democracy and the environment today!