Green Party Blues

In the July/August Walrus' (www.walrusmagazine.com) Green Party Blues, Murray Dobbins does a masterful job of showing Canada just why the environmental report card from the North American Commission for North America was so poor, and how outdated his knowledge of the political playing field in either Canada, or even the world.

The use of terms, like right wing, and left wing, are the tell tale signs of the latter. There is no left or right wing in politics anymore, there is a whole group of people on the outside of the political game looking in, and waiting for a change. They do not sit on the left or right wings, but on the outside somewhere waiting for a party and leader that understands their want for change, and a need for someone who looks past the next election cycle for the sake of the world's future.

Those on the outside represent about 75% of those under 35, and about 50% of the average Canadian eligible voter.

The story also goes a long way to explain why the various environmental groups have failed so badly in getting solid intelligent change made to the way the Canadian government looks at protecting the environment.

If there are 2,000 environmental groups in Canada, who do not want to get political, or consider themselves lobbyists, then the problem is defined in that paragraph. It certainly gets no solutions provided by Elizabeth May, and all others think that by working in small unorganized groups will affect change.

What is needed, is to get into the power centre, and make the changes that are needed. To do that you need to get elected. To do that you need some money. To do that you need to think.

Jim Harris did that. Yes, Jim employed some tried and true political campaigning tools and ways.

They worked, and now the Green Party of Canada is creeping onto the political, public and finally media agendas at the same time.

Some people don't like that. Some people are scared of that. Some people are scared that they may be asked to put up or shut up.

The membership is where the policy and sweat for the success of the party has come.

The Green Party of Canada is different than most others in the world, because Canada is unique.

The Green Party of Canada is just different enough to pull those from the outside into the centre of the political stage and actually make a difference.

Maybe Dobbins should have spent more time looking at those on the outside looking in, instead of displaying a lack of real knowledge of just what the political playing field looks like, and the new players waiting to suit for the game.