Earlier this week, the Edmonton Journal's Graham Thomson reported Ron Stevens, Alberta's deputy premier, would be keeping a blog as part of his campaign in American's capital to "rebrand Alberta's oilsands as something clean." But, for some reason, that blog has been shutdown. Of course, that would have nothing to do with the fact Deputy Premier Stevens used the headline "Mission accomplished" for his final entry. As one of his readers commented, "those words were last heard in the US political context" on May 1, 2003 - almost exactly five years ago. "Since then, they have become synonymous with a mission that actually was not accomplished and whose very premise is based on lies and distortions. An apt analogy indeed!" Fancy that! The following is a complete copy of that entry.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Mission accomplished

I woke up this morning to a New York Times article that roared off the page, saying Americans were angry with the escalating gasoline prices.
There is clearly an energy demand that is not being met, the article said.

So while I was primed up to defend Alberta's environmental record to the D.C. media, that wasn't the case at all. In fact, most of the dozen or so media outlets I spoke to at an availability at the Canadian embassy were more curious about how Alberta would meet that demand.

So still no polar-bear suited protestors despite pre-trip media predictions that we'd be dogged by them. All we saw were two young, polite people who handed Alberta's Washington representative Gary Mar and I some environmental literature as we entered the embassy.
I'm pretty sure they didn't know who we were.

In any case I found the trip to be extremely successful.
Among several meetings today, one with Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson resonated the most. It emphasized the need to go beyond D.C to speak to legislators in individual U.S states to advance Alberta's interest. And that's something Gary and I and members of our government plan to do.

Finally I'm happy to report that Gary's office is quite utilitarian... in a Triple A location, mind you. I'm proud of Gary for not ordering any marble fountains or statues of himself for the office.

Mission accomplished!
Posted by Deputy Premier Ron Stevens at 8:33 PM
Labels: gasoline, media, washington
5 comments:

Paul R. Baer said...

Dear Mr. Stevens,

I am truly sorry to disappoint you in not showing up in Washington, however it is increasingly difficult and dangerous to leave my ice floe due to the decreasing ice pack.

But may I say, what a wonderful title for your blog! "Mission Accomplished" - those words were last heard in the US political context exactly five years ago tomorrow. Since then, they have become synonymous with a mission that actually was not accomplished and whose very premise is based on lies and distortions. An apt analogy indeed!

See you and Ed soon, I'm sure,

Mr. Paul R. Bear
April 30, 2008 4:57 PM

Stephen Harper made a whistelstop visit to Vancouver today - getting together with Premier Gordon Campbell just prior to delivering a luncheon speech to the Business Council of British Columbia. But some members of the chattering classes were a bit surprised the prime minister didn't take the opportunity to do any campaign events with Vancouver-Quadra by-election candidate Deborah Meredith. Although, it's our understanding Ms. Meredith was on hand for the speech. And she attended two meetings with the prime minister after the luncheon.

Add another line to the list of all-candidate debates being skipped by federal Conservative Vancouver-Quadra by-election candidate Deborah Meredith. In an interview with Public Eye, Voters Taking Action of Climate Change director Kevin Washbrook confirmed Ms. Meredith won't be showing up for their global warming town hall meeting - scheduled to take place this Thursday at the Saint James Community Square. Said Mr. Washbrook, "It looks like, as of now, that Deb has still declined the meeting. It would be better for us if it included all the candidates. But we'll do what we can."

Last month, The Georgia Straight's Carlito Pablo reported Vancouver-Quadra federal Conservative by-election candidate Deborah Meredith "decided not to participate" in a debate being organized by Engineers Without Borders Canada. And now Public Eye has learned she's skipping another chance to face off against her opponents. In an interview, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting spokesperson Jim Thompson said he's been told Ms. Meredith won't be showing up for their all-candidate debate because it's a "busy time." This, despite the fact the debate is being held this coming Friday at the University of British Columbia - where Ms. Meredith works as a law lecturer.

Mr. Thompson said Ms. Meredith was also the only by-election hopeful who didn't complete a three-question survey (distributed on February 18) asking candidates for their opinions on "broadcasting issues." According to the spokesperson, the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting "went to great lengths to make sure the emails weren't lost on the Internet. And I had a number of conversations with their campaign office. But the deadline - which was the end of business yesterday - came and went with no reply for their campaign."

Today, the Winnipeg Free Press's Frances Russell accused the federals Liberals of having "repudiated virtually all of" legendary party strategist Keith Davey's's "maxims." Of course, that's going to be disappointing news for the party's national co-chair Mark Marissen. After all, in a January 2007 profile, the Vancouver Sun's Miro Cernetig reported Mr. Davey's was his "mentor." And, indeed, in December 2003 report, The Globe and Mail's Jane Taber quoted a long-time British Columbia Liberals as saying Mr. Marissen "fancies himself as a young Keith Davey."

Yesterday, The Georgia Straight's Travis Lupick reported American president George Bush's former deputy chief of staff will be speaking in Vancouver next week as part of the Fraser Institute's Illuminismo dinner series. At the time, institute communications director Dean Pelkey said seats for the event - which have been on sale since at least January 18 - have been selling fast. But not too fast, it seems. Because, as of Tuesday, there were still seven seats left at the event's 16 "intimate" tables. The following is a complete copy of the email announcing the availability of those seats.

We are pleased to let you know that our Illuminismo event featuring Karl Rove on Monday, February 18th has only 7 seats left. In the midst of one of the most hard-fought American Presidential primaries, this is the first Canadian appearance by controversial political strategist and former Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush. His insights and understanding of the politics and policy issues surfacing during this exciting time are certain to enhance your knowledge and stimulate some great conversation.

Held by The Fraser Institute in the spectacular forecourt of the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Illuminismo dinner series is limited to 16 intimate tables, allowing guests the time and opportunity to interact with the speaker throughout the evening. Showcasing the most informed and high-profile speakers the world has to offer, these distinguished evenings engage you in an exclusive forum with your friends and peers to explore, discuss, and challenge your assumptions and beliefs.

Tickets for the evenings are $500 each or $750 per couple. Tax receipts will be issued in accordance with CRA guidelines. To reserve these last tickets now, please call Inu at 604-688-0221 ext. 524 or email inum@fraserinstitute.ca.

Other events included in this series are:

April 28, 2008* - Richard Dawkins on Evolution and Religion
sponsored by Inwest Investments Ltd.

British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science writer - author of The Selfish Gene and the current best-seller The God Delusion.

*new date confirmed

May 26, 2008 - Mark Steyn on the War on Terror
sponsored by Ed Belzberg

One of Canada's most acclaimed and best read political columnists, author of the best-selling America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Warm regards,

Hassan & Nezhat Khosrowshahi
Co-Chairs, Illuminismo

The Manning Centre for Building Democracy's second annual networking conference and exhibition is being billed as an opportunity for right-wing to "learn more about your fellow activists and conservative-oriented organizations from across the country." So some might find it passingly odd Canadian Medical Association president Brian Day is scheduled to join former Ontario premier Mike Harris as part of a issues management panel discussing "strategy for the conservative movement on healthcare."

Asked for comment, Canadian Doctors for Medicare director Margaret McGregor noted the association bills itself as being non-partisan. And "this can be accomplished either through attending no partisan events or all partisan events hosted by all movements and parties. So I now assume the Canadian Medical Association has decided to do the later - that he'll speak at anything and everything."

Dr. McGregor also added, "the appropriateness of" of Dr. Day's participation at the conference "depends on what he says....And I would expect his remarks to reflect" the results of a recent online member consultation survey confirming 60 percent of physicians "believe our current mix of public funding should either be maintained or the public portion expanded."

Tonight, around 160 federal Liberal supporters paid $150 each to attend the party's Vancouver Island Leader's Dinner at the University of Victoria. But more newsworthy was who didn't show up to hear Stephane Dion speak. By our eye, we spotted just three Indo-Canadians at that event: Tek Manhas, Gordy Dodd and his wife. And that doesn't bode well for the Liberal's chances in Saanich-Gulf Islands - which, according to the 2001 census, is home to 2,430 members of that minority group.

Federal Liberal leader Stephane Dion may not seem like much of a party animal. Nevertheless, on Friday, he'll be at speaking at a town hall meeting at the University of British Columbia student union building's party room. That meeting will be followed by weekend roundtable events in Victoria, which have yet to be announced.

A federal Conservative political aide sent members of the Chinese media a list of questions for Raymond Chan just before the Liberal parliamentarian was scheduled to hold a press conference. Mr. Chan called the Friday afternoon press conference to "set the record straight" concerning accusations he "did not contribute" to a motion calling on the Japanese government to "formally apologize" and compensate "women who were coerced into military sexual slavery during the Second World War." But, four hours before that conference, former Fairchild Radio AM 1470 producer and host Ronald Leung - the special assistant to British Columbia political minister Stockwell Day - sent an email to "five or six" of his friends in the Chinese media, telling them "I think the public should know the role of (sic) Raymond Chan played in the Comfort Women motion issue."

And he included in that email a list of fourteen questions, such as "Why was Raymond Chan never involved in all-party negotiations on the successful Comfort Women motion? Why was his party represented by other Liberal MPs, while Chan was nowhere to be seen?" Asked about the perception he was feeding questions to the media, Mr. Leung responded, "You can look at it different ways. But those are my friends in the media. And I was just trying to say, 'I worked in the media before. So I would ask those questions if I was in the media.'" The following is a complete copy of the aforemetnioned email.

***

From: Leung, Ronald
Date: 1 Feb 2008 10:14
Subject: Comfort Women Motion and Raymond Chan
To: "Leung, Ronald"

Dear friends,

I think the public should know the role of Raymond Chan played in the Comfort Women motion issue:

- How many questions did Raymond Chan ask in the House of Commons about the Comfort Women issue? (answer: none)

- How many statements did Raymond Chan make in the House of Commons about the Comfort Women issue? (answer: none)

- How many speeches did Raymond Chan make in the House of Commons about the Comfort Women issue? (answer: none)

- How many times did Raymond Chan raise the Comfort Women issue with ministers of the Harper government? (answer: not once)

- How many motions on the Comfort Women issue did Raymond Chan introduce in the House or in any committee? (answer: none)

- Why did Liberal MPs on the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs refuse to support the Comfort Women motion adopted by Jason Kenney` s Subcommittee on Human Rights?

- When the Comfort Women were testifying to parliamentarians, why did Raymond Chan arrive 45 minutes late, and then leave early? Is that his idea of showing respect?

- How many other Comfort Women motions meeting did Raymond Chan attend? (answer:none)

- What did Raymond Chan do about the Comfort Women issue during his nine years in government? (answer: nothing)

- What did the Liberals do about the Comfort Women issue during their thirteen years in government? (answer: nothing)

- Why was Raymond Chan never involved in all-party negotiations on the successful Comfort Women motion? Why was his party represented by other Liberal MPs, while Chan was nowhere to be seen?

- Who was the only MP to raise the issue of former Prime Minister Abe`s objectionable remarks about Comfort Women (answer: Conservative MP Nina Grewal)

- Who sponsored the successful Comfort Women motion? (answer: NDP Olivia Chow, Conservative Barry DeVolin, Liberal Derek Lee, Bloc Meilli Feille. NOT Raymond Chan)

- If Raymond Chan objects to elements of the successful Comfort Women motion, then why did he and his party support it with unanamous consent?

Ronald Leung
Special Assistant
Ministers' Regional Office

Federal Green leader Elizabeth May has suffered a relapse of keyboard-in-mouth disease. Earlier this week, she rejected a call to extend Canada's military mission in southern Afghanistan beyond February 2008, stating, "The Manley Report fails to consider that the recommendation of more (International Security Association Force) forces from a Christian/Crusader heritage will continue to fuel an insurgency that has been framed as a ‘Jihad’." Asked about that controversial comment, former party deputy leader David Chernushenko told Public Eye, "My advice (to Ms. May) would be, get more people to read over press releases before they actually go public...If you don't want people to misinterpret or re-interpret what you have to say, you have to be really clear about what you're trying to say."

Last month, The Times Colonist's Les Leyne noted parliamentarian Keith Martin is now "diametrically opposed to (federal Liberal leader Stephane) Dion's fervent view that Victoria has to start treating its sewage simply because it's the right thing to do." But Mr. Martin's sewage treatment skepticism also seems to be odds with a commitment he made during the last election as a member of the Liberal's British Columbia election team. According to the Grit's Made-in-BC Agenda, its representatives would "help the City of Victoria to identify funds to allow them to stop dumping raw sewage into the Straight of Juan de Fuca." Fancy that!

On October 29, parliamentarian Blair Wilson resigned from the federal Liberal caucus admist allegations of election campaign misspending. And now Public Eye has learned he won't be running for the party in the next election either. In an interview, federal Liberal communications director Elizabeth Whiting stated, “As you know, there was a comprehensive review that was done by the Liberal Party of Canada’s British Columbia’s green light committee. After that, the leader consulted with the British Columbia and the national campaign co-chairs of the party and has determined that Mr. Wilson will not be the candidate for us in the next election.”

On Sunday, The Province's Elaine O'Connor cited federal Liberal parliamentarian Blair Wilson’s former campaign manager making a number of undocumented allegations against the MP. But, in two-year-old interview with Public Eye, Elizabeth Wood actually denied the truthfulness of one of those allegations.

In The Province, Ms. Wood recounts a meeting between herself, her successor Guillio Vilas, Mr. Wilson and prospective official agent Wayne Rowe during the 2005-06 election. According to the newspaper, "as she left (Mr. Rowe’s) office she was asked to get into the van Wilson was driving. While he sat in front, she says, Vilas paid her a month and a half’s salary she was owed in cash. She alleges he also asked ‘what else she wanted’ before she got out."

But, in a taped interview on January 17, 2006 with Public Eye, Ms. Wood told a somewhat different story. Asked whether an incident similar to the one described in The Province happened, Ms. Wood said "That sounds very skulduggery. No." And questioned if she had ever been presented with an "envelope of money in a van or outside a van or anywhere near a van" Wood responded, "No. No. I was paid by the month by cheque by the party through the riding association. And I was paid $1,000 a month." Ms. Wood hasn’t responded to a phone call placed early yesterday morning requesting clarification.

Commenting on Ms. Wood’s accusations, Mr. Wilson told The Province, "This is the first time that I have heard anything to this respect at all and it is a complete fabrication and unproven." In an earlier interview with Public Eye, Mr. Vilas also denied the accusations.

Mining Association of British Columbia senior policy and communications director Byng Giraud will soon be resigning as one of the province's two federal Conservative national council members. Speaking with Public Eye, Mr. Giraud said he will be leaving council within the next 30 days, barring an election. "It's just become too time consuming. In the last 60 to 90 days, it's become apparent to me that I just don't have time for my work, my family, my many other volunteer commitments and this. So it's been two-and-a-half years - which is longer than it should have been in in the first place. And we're riding high. So it seemed an appropriate time to go." National council will appoint an interim replacement for Mr. Giraud following consultations with caucus members and constituency association presidents.

On Monday, aboriginal leaders assembled in Victoria to protest a treaty process they say will extinguish their land-title and self-government rights. But they weren't the only ones on the front lawn of the legislature. Spotted amongst signs reading "We Demand Fairness," "We Need Justice" and "No to Genocide," was Saanich-Gulf Islands federal Liberal candidate and prominent environmentalist Briony Penn.

In an interview with Public Eye, Ms. Penn explained she had been asked attend by members of the Sencoten Alliance - a political/cultural organization representing four southwest British Columbia First Nations. The alliance is concerned its members weren't consulted about the soon-to-be ratified Tsawwassen First Nation final agreement - an agreement that may infringe on their treaty rights.

"I was just there to gather information and be informed on the issue at this stage," explained Ms. Penn. "As they've put forward, they'd like to have further consultation. And I support their need for further consultation."

But couldn't such information gathering have been done without attending a demonstration? "I was wearing two hats (at the protest). I'm actually a journalist," she responded - referring to her gig as a columnist for Focus Magazine. "So I was there to interview and get all parts of the story."

And what about her position on the treaty process as a whole? "I have no comment other than that. I can't comment on the treaty process at this stage. But, as the candidate, I do support people's desires to make sure they are fully consulted."

Saskatchewan organic farmer and anti-free trade activist David Orchard says he's been approached about running for a federal Liberal nomination in British Columbia. In an interview with Public Eye, Mr. Orchard, who twice ran for the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives, explained, "I've given all the various different invitations consideration. And that's probably about as far as I can go at this moment."

But, he noted, "In British Columbia, during both my leadership runs, I had more votes than any of the other candidates. We already had a wonderful base of support for British Columbia - in part because of environmental issues but also because of sovereignty issues."

Mr. Orchard, who endorsed Stephane Dion during the recent Liberal leadership race, declined to say where he was considering running in British Columbia. Although rumour has it Burnaby-New Westminster is one possibility.

Federal Liberal leader Stephane Dion once said, “Perception is a word you hear a lot in politics. My word is conviction.” This, according to a new Facebook group created to encourage party members to "respond in a concerted, positive way" to Mr. Dion. And it's good the leader feels that way. Because that means he won't care the group's name - "A United Party, A Unity Canada" - appears to include a typo. After all, the rest of the text on their Facebook page refers to the group as "A United Party, A United Canada." Fancy that!

Federal parliamentarian Dominic LeBlanc, vice-chair of the Liberal's policy and platform committee, says the party's platform will be ready in just over two weeks - coinciding with the Harper administration's Throne Speech. In fact, a version of that document was available for release back in Apri. But when talk of a spring election turned out to be just that - talk - the party spent the summer revising the platform to come up with "a number of coherent, cohesive national themes that reflect concrete policy proposals that can be understood by the vast majority of Canadians."

Speaking with Public Eye earlier today, Mr. LeBlanc said the fact the Liberals aren't in government has allowed them to develop a more innovative platform. "Frankly, it's a lot more exciting to work on policy proposal when you don't have the straightjacket of some Ottawa bureaucrat telling you successive governments have only been able to do a, b, c," he explained. "We're finding it much easier to be enthusiastic when you can sit down with a group of people in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, who are concerned about gun crimes in their community and look at how to make their community safer and not be lectured by some bureaucrat in Ottawa."

Mr. LeBlanc stated there will be a "very heavy emphasis on sustainable development and climate change" in platform. And he praised the British Columbia government's climate action proposals, noting his party will be staking out "a very aggressive position that Premier (Gordon) Campbell needs a partner in Ottawa that's willing to do something serious around the climate change crisis and not join a group of climate change deniers in Washington and in Canberra as did Mr. (Stephen) Harper last week." The following is an edited transcript of that interview.

***

Public Eye What is the present status of platform development for the Liberals right now?

Mr. LeBlanc After Mr. Dion became leader in December he, in early January, asked Bob Rae, Scott Brison, myself and a woman called Joan Bourassa from Alberta to basically bring together a group of people that would start to shape a national election platform for an election that we all thought was going to be in the spring. At the time, the working assumption was that it was very likely we would be in a national election sometime after the last Conservative budget. So we were working on a timetable which said we needed to have a platform ready for the leader to make final decisions on by the beginning of April. And we met that deadline. In other words, we had this spring a platform that was largely finalized. He had sort of a few remaining decisions to make - because there's often too many ideas and not enough money. But then, when we realized we didn't have a spring election, we sort of parked that document on the shelf and took a fair bit of time over the summer - both Mr. (Stephane) Dion himself and Brison and Rae and I, including some of the stuff I'm doing in Vancouver tomorrow - to try and add to it or refine it. And, of course, the government's fiscal circumstances changes. We saw some of these surplus numbers last weekend. They're playing a game that they criticized us for doing - hiding big surpluses. Which means the government has more fiscal room than we were budgeting in our platform. So we're going to revise it again. And we will be ready with a platform document for the leader by the time the Throne Speech document is delivered. So in two and a half weeks, we need to be ready again as we were in April with a platform. Sean, there aren't going to be many surprises let's say - in the sense that Mr. Harper has, in our view, failed to deal with the high cost of post-secondary education. He has not done enough, in our view, around poverty - working families and poverty, senior citizens on very modest incomes (many of them widows) or a million children that live in families below the poverty line. He obviously hasn't done enough on climate change. This province is leading the way, in many ways, with Premier Campbell's announcement last week which - in our view - is absolutely in the right direction. Mr. Dion himself and his leadership has talked about three pillars. The platform is going to reflect those ideas. But a very, very heavy emphasis on sustainable development and climate change. And, as I say just in conversations even this morning, we're going to be taking, I hope, a very aggressive position that Premier Campbell needs a partner in Ottawa that's willing to do something serious around the climate change crisis and not join a group of climate change deniers in Washington and in Canberra as did Mr. Harper last week.

Public Eye Now, you mention a very strong focus on the environment and sustainable development (in platform). I wonder how useful that is though from a political, from an election standpoint given the fact that all political parties in this country - including the Conservatives - are making representations on this particular issue? It seems like a motherhood issue at this particular juncture in time.

Mr. LeBlanc Yeah, Sean, that's a fair question. But I think if you ask people, do they believe for a minute that Mr. Harper is sincere about wanting to deal with the climate change crisis or is he simply responding to public opinion polls which show massive support - particularly amongst younger generation voters and arguably people on the West Coast who are, in many ways, leading the issue in terms of Canadian public opinion - I don't think Mr. Harper is sincere at all. If you look at the David Suzukis and the Al Gores and some of the people that seem to be quite positive about the provincial plan here, they have all said that Mr. Harper's intensity based targets, this Pacific group of companies, is basically a refuge for climate change deniers. All the code words are there. Mr. Harper is not interested in hard caps. He's not interested in carbon trading systems. He's not interested in tackling issues as difficult as the oil sands.

Public Eye You mention that, over the summer, you've been further tweaking, further refining the platform. What specifically has that involved - what specifics changes have you made other than simply reacting to government's fiscal position?

Mr. LeBlanc What it probably did Sean is help us over the summer come to terms with the fact that a national election platform can't answer every problem and speak to every regional issue. We have to come up with a number of coherent, cohesive national themes that reflect concrete policy proposals that can be understood by the vast majority of Canadians. Previous platforms - when the Liberals were in government - tended to look like Throne Speeches or federal budgets. A Liberal Party campaigning from opposition needs to realize that we're not tied to every department of finance memo that was ever sent around three years ago.

Public Eye So you're saying there's more blue sky territory in this particular document?

Mr. LeBlanc There's more blue sky and there's a greater opportunity to listen to the grassroots of the Liberal Party. When you're in government - and I can say I've never been a minister - you tend to think that the Ottawa bureaucrats have simple answers to complex problems. They often don't. And we've had to make some tough choices. We'd obviously like to spend very, very large amounts of money on infrastructure. In order to do that, we'd probably have to make some choices around other areas where we're either willing to reduce spending or not move as quickly as we'd like in some other area. In other words, the summer gave us a chance to really sharpen what is the fiscal circumstance of our platform - to make sure it's responsible. And things like a further GST cut down to five percent are completely irresponsible because it's going to take six billion dollars out of the government coffers disproportionately from wealthier people then from lower income people. And it means the government may not have the money to, for example, partner with Premier Campbell on climate change or deal with some of the infrastructure or Gateway challenges that this province is facing.

Public Eye You mentioned the involvement of grassroots. Now, of course, the Red Ribbon Taskforce recommended strong participation from the grassroots of the Liberal Party when it comes to development of the platform. How has that occurred?

Mr. LeBlanc Well, for example, last Friday and Saturday in Ottawa we had a very, very productive two day meeting with the national policy committee of the party which brings together 15 elected policy chairs from each province and territory in Ottawa. These are volunteer party members - but elected to that particular function in their particular province and territory. We had a very good working discussion with those people - and out of that will come some changes to some of the draft documents we prepared. Tonight I'm sitting down with the VP for policy of the Liberal Party of Canada in British Columbia, Nancy Singh. We've brought together from different constituency associations the policy reps. We've been trying to do that. Scott Brison and Bob Rae have done that extensively - as has Mr. Dion. I hosted, for example, in Shediac, New Brunswick on two occasions this summer working groups with local business people - one with Mr. Goodale this past Wednesday and with Mr. Dion himself in Halifax. So, frankly, it's a lot more exciting to work on policy proposal when you don't have the straightjacket of some Ottawa bureaucrat telling you successive governments have only been able to do a, b, c. We're finding it much easier to be enthusiastic when you can sit down with a group of people in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, who are concerned about gun crimes in their community and look at how to make their community safer and not be lectured by some bureaucrat in Ottawa.

Public Eye Are you planning on having regional platforms, as has happened in the past in B.C.?

Mr. LeBlanc Yes, we hope so. I know that the group here has been working on a number of sort of drafts. Mr. Dion has told us that we should encourage the B.C. agenda that has been - to our view - very successful in the past. I know some colleagues of mine from the caucus in this province have been working on with some of the party people. So that answer is yes. Some regions tend to do it - others don't. B.C. and Alberta have traditionally been amongst the most structured and organized (party wings). And, in this province, it's led to considerable success.

Public Eye How useful is it consulting with the grassroots? I'm thinking, in the past, the Kingston Liberal Conference, for example, which was so influential in shaping the future of the Liberal Party...

Mr. LeBlanc ...and the Aylmer Conference.

Public Eye ...that's right - for the most part simply involved, for lack of a better term, big brains not the rank and file. So is this really a helpful process to involve the grassroots?

Mr. LeBlanc I think there's room for both. In other words, you're right. You've identified two of these meetings that were sort of turning points in Liberal Party thinking. But a great deal of the identification of problems and issues is done at the grassroots. In other words, if you bring a group of policy experts together to deal with issues like child poverty, it's only because you're seeing in communities across the country - including this province - way, way too many families with children struggling to pay rent and cover family expenses. Grassroots is sort of a patronizing term, to be honest. I'm not sure that is the right one. We all tend to use it. But public consultations - or even consultations with party members - are most helpful in identifying common problems and frequently common solutions. There's no doubt there's also room for, as you say, big brains or some leading thinkers that get together around a particular problem. And we have done one around the auto sector in Ontario. We're looking at doing one around the forestry industry. This province can teach the rest of the country a lot about some of the challenges here. There's room to do both. Mr. Dion himself has spent a great deal of his life in those policy think tank kinds of discussions. The experience of him going out and doing ordinary, grassroots policy consultation has been very helpful for him. He, perhaps, hasn't been exposed to a great deal of that in his professional career. So he, I know, has said to us over the last six months that for him to get out and have an evening in somebody's kitchen with a group of local businesspeople talking about challenges around infrastructure and urban communities has been good for him too.

Mr. LeBlanc Final question for you: you've spoken a lot about climate action, obviously. But, of course, there is always the issue of healthcare which, arguably, to most Canadians is a more immediate and pressing issue. Where does the party currently stand when it comes to the prominence of healthcare in its platform?

Public Eye You're right to identify that - it's obviously going to be a big part of our platform because it's so important to every part of the country, Canadians in every region of the country. One of the difficulties, from our perspective, is a pretty serious shortage of doctors, nurses and health professionals. It's more acute in some regions of the country than others. It's a big problem in some rural communities. But access to trained healthcare professionals is a problem. The high cost of prescription medication is a problem. And, for example, some parts of the country don't have any catastrophic drug coverage. The big challenge around the delivery of healthcare is it’s a provincial jurisdiction. The federal government has tended to simply be a financial partner - in our view a partner that can be more generous. But it's also got to be in a way that brings about change. To spend more on a healthcare system that doesn't bring about some fundamental restructuring around homecare, community care and PharmaCare and prevention and wellness issues, in our view we're be missing the boat. And, again, my layman's knowledge of British Columbia would tell us we have a lot to learn from this province around some wellness initiatives. My sense is that B.C. is ahead of other jurisdictions in terms of trying to focus resources on health prevention and wellness. Even look at issues as difficult as the drug problems. This province is a leading jurisdiction in trying to tackle difficult questions like illegal drug use in a way, frankly, that's more enlightened than other parts of the country.

A federal election may be just a few weeks away. But the Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats have yet to hold candidate nomination meetings in a number of British Columbia ridings. The Liberals have the most open tickets on their slate - nine - followed by the Conservatives and New Democrats at six each. The following is a complete list of those ridings, compiled following conversations with senior members of each of those parties.

Conservative

Burnaby-New Westminster
Burnaby-Douglas
Vancouver Centre
Vancouver East
Vancouver South
Vancouver Kingsway

Liberal

Burnaby-New Westminster
Cariboo-Prince George
Southern Interior
Surrey North
Kooteny Columbia
Nanaimo-Alberni
Port Moody-Port Coquitlam
Prince George-Peace River
Vancouver Island North

New Democrat

Abbotsford
Cariboo-Prince George
Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon
Delta-Richmond East
Richmond
Vancouver South

Carnivorous Canadians may have to be pay more to satisfy their hunger pains if the federal Greens ever form government. In an email responding to suggestions the party should be promoting vegetarianism, agriculture critic Kate Storey stated the Green's shadow cabinet "essentially agree" they should advocate "to remove subsidies, tax breaks and support programs for industrial meat production. This reduces the supply of cheap meat which then influences the consumer to buy less."

Continued Ms. Storey, "A ban on meat is dictatorial. I think that it is preferable to change consumer choice by offering better alternatives than by controlling their choice. The Green party needs to be careful to leave command and control politics to the likes of (Conservative Prime Minister) Stephen Harper."

In an interview with Public Eye, Ms. Storey said it "will be up to the members" to determine what the Green's policy on industrial meat production should be. As for her personal opinion on vegetarianism, the critic stated, "I personally think (food choice) should be up to the individual…And to just come out and say everyone should be vegetarians isn't really feasible. But there are a lot of problems with our industrial meat production. And rather than saying all meat is bad, I would prefer to look at the industry and say, 'What's allowing them to overproduce and what effect is it having on our society and our health as well.'"

Last month, Michael Ignatieff made national headlines after suggesting the federal Liberals should adopt the puffin as their symbol. Said the former party leadership candidate, "They lay one egg (each year). They put their excrement in one place. They hide their excrement...They flap their wings very hard and they work like hell.” Not exactly the best choice of words. But rather than hiding this particular piece of excrement, Mr. Ignatieff's supporters seem determined to remind party members of his gaffe. The evidence: last week, local Liberals received invitations to attend an Ignatieff fundraiser at the Vancouver Public Aquarium - invitations that featured two puffin photographs. The following is a complete copy of the text of that invitation, which also misspells Mr. Ignatieff's last name.

YOU ARE INVITED TO A
RECEPTION
with
Special Guests &
Michael Ignatieff, M.P., Ph.D.
Deputy Leader, Liberal Party of Canada
speaking on
“The Canada We Want –
The Canada Our World Needs”
Vancouver Public Aquarium, Stanley Park
Thursday, October 11th, 6 pm

“British Columbia is booming. Canada is poised for greatness. It is time for us to address the challenges we still face: developing our resources in a sustainable economy, harnessing our brain power, exerting our
leadership on the world stage, and making sure that every Canadian gets the chance to realize his or her potential.”
Michael Ignatieff, September 2007
Member of Parliament (Etobicoke-Lakeshore)

Michael Ignatieff knows the challenges we face as Canadians. He put himself forward to lead the Liberal Party and Canada last year, and in doing so he made a profound commitment to all Canadians. Canada needs leaders of Michael’s stature, abilities and vision.

In order to attract and keep his caliber of leadership, we need to stand behind Michael Ignatieff for the financial obligations he made on our behalf while seeking to represent our aspirations and to lead Parliament and the country.

Join with us at one of Vancouver’s favourite landmarks for a major address by an exceptional thinker who today is one of Canada’s leading public intellectuals and politicians. This occasion is certain to be memorable. Come out to welcome Michael and hear his thoughtful interpretation on the critical issues of our time. Participate in this unique opportunity to probe his thinking about the challenges this country faces. Share with Michael Ignatieff your ideas on the Canada we have and the Canada we want for our children and grandchildren.

Tickets for this event are $200 per person. Tax receipts will be issued for an amount net of costs. Payment must be by advance cheque or personal credit card.

If you cannot attend personally, but would like to contribute your ticket to make it possible for a young Canadian student to attend the event, please indicate your wishes on the form below.

To reserve tickets we ask you to print and complete the registration form found below and send it via facsimile to: 604-608-6157 or via mail to MICHAEL IGNATIEFF Vancouver Reception c/o Gerry Lenoski, Suite 1000—355 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 2G8

If you have any questions, please contact Gerry Lenoski at 604-813-1762.

Note: As of January 1, 2007, regulations for political contributions changed. The limit for contributions to leadership campaigns is $1,100.00. Corporate contributions are prohibited. Tax credits are issued as follows: 75% of the first $400.00, 50% on the next $350.00 and 33.5% on an amount over $750.00 and not exceeding $1,100.00 For example a $200 contribution will cost you $50.00 and a $750.00 contribution will cost you $275.00. If you are unsure if you have met your contribution limit or are interested in other ways of helping Michael meet his outstanding obligations, please be sure to call Gerry Lenoski.

Please confirm your attendance by Wednesday October 3rd, 2007.

Thank you.
V. Philip Boname, Chair
Organizing Committee
MICHAEL INGNATIEFF Vancouver Reception

The starting pistol has yet to be fired for the Vancouver-Quadra federal Conservative nomination race. But some party members are wondering whether University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business law division lecturer Deborah Meredith will actually make it to the finish line - suggesting she could drop out in favour of former BC Cancer Foundation president and chief executive officer Mary McNeil. But, when asked today if she'd given any thought to dropping out, Ms. Meredith said, "No." And she also said no one had approached her about taking her name off the ballot. Meanwhile, on Friday, former Richmond nomination candidate Howard Jampolsky announced he has decided against putting his name on that ballot. The following is a complete copy of that announcement.

Howard Jampolsky
5531 Cantrell Rd • Richmond, BC V7C 3H3

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 17, 2007

HOWARD JAMPOLSKY DECLINES OFFER TO
RUN IN VANCOUVER-QUADRA BY-ELECTION

RICHMOND - Howard Jampolsky announced today that he will not seek the Conservative Party nomination in Vancouver-Quadra for the upcoming by-election.

Following the Richmond nomination in which he finished second, Jampolsky was approached by several Conservative Party and Jewish community leaders in Vancouver urging him seek the Vancouver-Quadra nomination.

"It is a great honour to be asked to run, and I want to publicly thank those who approached me, those who offered their time as campaign volunteers, and those who pledged funds," Jampolsky stated.

Jampolsky stated he believes both of the current nominees would make outstanding candidates and MP’s, and pledges his full support to the successful nominee, but added he does not believe it is appropriate to interfere with the internal democratic process of another riding by endorsing either nominee during the nomination period.

In declining to run, Jampolsky stated that he is dedicated to Richmond - the city of his residence - and will continue his work to improve his community in the areas of public safety, better integration of the Vancouver International Airport into the community, as well as continuing his work as a Council appointee to the Richmond Intercultural Advisory Committee.

Earlier this year, Jampolsky was successful in lobbying the City of Richmond for the installation of Automated External Defibrillators (devices used to restore proper heart rhythm during cardiac arrest) in Richmond’s two ice arenas. He has also been working with YVR, Nav-Canada, and several airline operators in trying to find ways to reduce excessive noise from certain aspects of airport operations.

Earlier, we reported federal Green council member Christopher Ian Bennett is introducing a resolution calling on the party to reimburse leader Elizabeth May "up to $1,000 for the costs of maintaining a second residence in Centra Nova." But, in an interview with Public Eye, Green national communications director John Chenery couldn't say if the proposed allowance would be used to make mortgage payments on that residence. "If it's a housing allowance, she can basically use it to do whatever she likes with. If she paid her mortgage with it that would be her business. But I can't really give you any more information than you already have on your blog about it."

Last month, The Canadian Press reported federal Green leader Elizabeth May "recently bought a house in New Glasgow, which sits in the riding of Central Nova where she plans to run in the next federal election." But she could soon be getting some help with her accommodation expenses from the party. Christopher Ian Bennett, who served as the national communication director for Ms. May's leadership campaign, is introducing a motion at the Green's upcoming federal council meeting calling on the party to "reimburse the Leader for up to $300 per month for health and dental insurance costs and up to $1,000 for the costs of maintaining a second residence in Centra Nova."

In an interview with Public Eye, Mr. Bennett, who sits on the council, explained, "In the past, it's been part of the party policy to support the leader on expenses when they have to commute or travel like we often do for our press secretary or different people of that nature. And we're trying to give our leader as much support as she can as she continues to build inroads in Nova Scotia and build out our campaign." Green communications director John Chenery didn't return a phone call placed yesterday morning. The council is scheduled to meet on August 19.

The federal Conservatives in Vancouver Quadra may soon have a third nomination candidate. In an interview with Public Eye, Howard Jampolsky - who recently lost the Tory nomination race in Richmond to Alice Wong - confirmed he's thinking about putting his name on the ballot. "It's something we're exploring. After the Richmond nomination, I got a number of calls from some people who wanted me to take a look over there. And my initial reaction was, 'Hey, look, I just came off a year long campaign and I just want to sit back and just relax for a little bit - spend a little bit of time with the family.And I don't really want to go into another long-winded campaign that could drag on forever.' Then, after (Liberal incumbent) Stephen Owen announced his resignation, the by-election aspect came up and they phoned me back again and I said, 'It does change things. It's certainly something I'd consider.'"

"By the end of this week, I'll make a decision" on whether to run, Mr. Jampolsky continued. "I understand is that they'll be calling the nomination race very soon - it may even be this week for all I know. So I'm guessing by the time they announce the nomination I'll make my final decision."

But won't living in Richmond make it more difficult to win an election in Vancouver Quadra? "I don't think so. I think that, in a by-election, it's a bit of a different story. Because, it's one election. And you need to find a candidate who can stand in there and debate all the issues without having 307 other candidates to help you out. So you're kind of in there slogging it alone. And I think you have to be really up on your party policy. And you have to be really up on why you're running and what you want to achieve. And I think I've got that...So I think I would have a reasonable shot at winning that election."

If Mr. Jampolsky enters the nomination race, he'll be running against former BC Cancer Foundation president and chief executive officer Mary McNeil and University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business law division lecturer Deborah Meredith.

Federal Green Vancouver Quadra candidate Dan Grice is going to "really push" the issue of democratic accountability during the upcoming by-election in that riding, proposing a radical change to the way parliamentarians are compensated. Speaking yesterday morning on Public Eye Radio, Mr. Grice said, "if elected, he's prepard to "take half of my salary and put that aside and let my constituents vote whether I should get the rest of that money" - challenging his opponents to make the same commitment. "I come from the private sector. And you don't get paid a flat salary. You get paid performance bonuses," he explained.

Mr. Grice also spoke out against the fact many parliamentarians seem to ignore voters once elected. "The fact MPs don't regularly meet with their constituents is a travesty of our democratic system. Their job is to represent us - not represent the party. It's not vote once every four years and see ya later.” And that's why the Green candidate promises to have regular video conferences with constituents if he gets to Ottawa.

Federal Conservative constituency associations in British Columbia took in almost twice the amount of individual monetary contributions as their Liberal counterparts in 2006. According to Elections Canada, the Tories received at least $420,287.43 in such contributions from their supporters - $197,318.51 more than the Grits, who raised $222,968.49. This, despite the fact the financial transactions returns for nine Conservative ridings in this province aren't yet available online. Meanwhile, the 32 New Democrat constituency associations with available returns have declared $288,749.92 in contributions.

A federal election isn't expected anytime soon. And that's good news for the Liberals, who raised just $531,141 in the first quarter of 2007 - ten times less than Tories. Nevertheless, the Grit still appear to be slouching toward Ottawa in the hopes of being reborn. The latest election readiness news: the party is scheduling training sessions for ManagElect, their voter identification system. The following is a complete copy of the invite to those sessions.

From: Scott Blurton
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 11:28 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Les sessions de formation de ManagElect/ManagElect Training Sessions - August/août

Le Français suit l’Anglais

Subject: ManagElect Campaign Software

Your riding association can immediately begin to use ManagElect. Requests for access should be sent to helpdesk@liberal.ca. Please include the name of your riding and contact numbers in your correspondence.

What will be covered in the training sessions?

Overview

Duration: 40 minutes

Who should attend?

Candidate, Campaign Manager, Canvassing Chair, or Election Day Chair

What is covered?

A basic overview of the ManagElect package: Attendees learn how the software integrates into the core elements of a campaign strategy. This is a very basic overview focusing on ManagElect features; this is not a tutorial.

Beginner

Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes

Who should attend?

Campaign Manager, Information Technology Coordinator, or Database

Administrator

What is covered?

An overview of everything needed to get started: It focuses on pre-writ period and opening days of the campaign. Attendees will learn what items are required or recommended and how to install and set-up ManagElect for their riding.

Canvassing

Duration: 1 hour

Who should attend?

Campaign Manager, Information Technology Coordinator, or Database

Administrator

What is covered?

Various strategies for identifying voters are covered: In this session attendees go over best practices as well as third party add-ons for canvassing. Campaigns intending to use a call center or phone queue management technology are encouraged to attend. We also explore the various techniques for outputting riding data and then entering canvassed data back into the system (bar code versus optical mark reader).

The following dates and times are available:

(ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN)

A. Thursday, August 9 – 7:00PM [Canvassing]
B. Thursday, August 16 – 10:00PM [Overview]
C. Thursday, August 23 – 7:00PM [Beginner]
D. Thursday, August 30 – 11:00PM [Canvassing]

How to sign up?

Send an e-mail to training@liberal.ca and indicate your preferred session or call 1-866-574-5131 to sign up.

What do I need?

Participants require access to the Internet (preferably high speed) for the visual component. Simultaneously you need to dial-in to a toll free number for the audio segment.

Detailed system requirements:

Stable 56k, cable modem, ISDN, DSL, or better Internet connection

PC

* Internet Explorer® 5.0 or newer, Netscape® 6.0 or newer, Mozilla® Firefox® 1.0 or newer (JavaScript and Java enabled).

* Windows® 2000, XP, 2003 Server.

* Minimum of Pentium® 400 MHz with 356 MB of RAM (recommended)

MAC

* Safari™ 1.3 or newer, Firefox® 1.5 or newer on PowerPC G3/G4/G5, Firefox 1.5.0.2 or newer on Intel® (JavaScript™ and Java™ enabled)

* Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther) or newer

* PowerPC G3/G4/G5 or Intel processor (G4 450 MHz with 256 MB of RAM or better recommended)

Earlier, Public Eye reported federal Green climate change critic Guy Dauncey is one of six activists asking party members to, in effect, not run a candidate in Saanich-Gulf Islands. But worries that a Green candidate could split the vote on the left isn't the activists only concern. They're also alleging party members weren't given "proper notice" of the riding's nomination meeting - which is scheduled to take place this coming Saturday. In fact, in a separate email sent to Green leaders, cardholder Harald Wolf writes he is "concerned about the secrecy and lack of transparency in the convening of the nomination meeting and AGM for the Saanich-Gulf Islands riding."

According to Mr. Wolf, "This meeting has not been generally advertised, nor has it been posted on the riding’s web site, or that of the federal Green Party site, as others are. Given the inadequate notice and lack of transparency, I wish to file a formal complaint seeking that the nomination meeting be postponed until such time as the constitutional notice requirements are complied with." The following is a complete copy of that letter.

***

From: Harald Wolf
Sent: July 12, 2007 1:54 PM
Subject: Saanich Gulf Islands AGM & nomination meeting
Importance: High

July 12th, 2007

To whom it may concern,

As a member and long time supporter of the Green Party of Canada in the riding of Saanich Gulf Islands, I am concerned about the secrecy and lack of transparency in the convening of the nomination meeting and AGM for the Saanich-Gulf Islands riding.

It is my understanding that the Party constitution requires that all party members be notified of nomination meetings and annual general meetings at least 30 days in advance. This has not occurred. In fact, I (as well as other members) just recently received a mailed notice that a nomination contest and AGM have been set for this coming Saturday, July 14, 1-3pm, at the home of Bryce and Laurie Kendrick in Sidney. This meeting has not been generally advertised, nor has it been posted on the riding’s web site, or that of the federal Green Party site, as others are.

Given the inadequate notice and lack of transparency, I wish to file a formal complaint seeking that the nomination meeting be postponed until such time as the constitutional notice requirements are complied with. I am seeking legal advice to address my options regarding the lack of compliance with the constitution.

I am calling upon the National Office of the Green Party and Leader Elizabeth May to uphold the principals of fairness and democracy in the administration of this party. I ask that you intervene in this matter and cancel the meeting scheduled for this Saturday July 14th, until a meeting date can be secured that allows for the constitutionally required notice to all members to be given.

I hope you will act quickly to uphold the principals upon which this party was founded. I look forward to your prompt reply on this important and timely matter.

Cordially,

Harald Wolf
Saanich, BC

Cc:

Elizabeth May, Leader
Adrian Carr, Deputy Leader
Laurie Aaron, Executive Director
Sharon Labchuk, Director of Organizing
Ben West, BC Organizer
James Falcon, CEO Saanich Gulf Islands EDA
Green Party National Office

Federal Green climate change critic and prominent environmentalist Guy Dauncey is one of six activists urging party members to vote "None of the Above" at their upcoming Saanich-Gulf Islands nomination meeting - scheduled for this coming Saturday. The reason: according to an open letter distributed by Dogwood Initiative executive director Will Horter, "The candidates already nominated to run against Lunn" - specifically Liberal Briony Penn and New Democrat Julian West - "have strong environmental credentials, are strong advocates for electoral reform, and are not likely to bow down to traditional party politics." And, if the Greens run a candidate in the upcoming election, votes for that individual "could cause the election of (Natural Resources Minister) Gary Lunn, a key player in Stephen Harper's anti-environmental government."

The letter goes onto to state, "The Green Party constitution doesn't specify what happens if 'None of the Above' wins on the nomination ballot. However, the Green Party executive, which has to certify all candidates, is unlikely to override the democratic choice of local members and force a candidate onto its (sic) the ballot." Andrew Lewis is the only candidate running for the nomination. The following is a complete copy of that letter.

***

-----Original Message-----
From: Will Horter
Sent: July 11, 2007 5:10 PM
To: bcenvirowatch@lists.onenw.org; LW-List; oog@lists.onenw.org; ofc@lists.onenw.org; gsx@lists.onenw.org
Subject: [oog] Open letter to Green Party members in Saanich - Gulf Islands

Dear members and supporters of the Green Party:

Re: Upcoming nomination meeting in Saanich - Gulf Islands We are living in extraordinary times. Global warming will require each of us to change the way we relate to one another, and to our communities and our planet.

This will be a big challenge, requiring each of us to do extraordinary things. We know you care deeply about the future of our planet and your community, and that you understand that slight changes to business as usual will not address these challenges at the scale or on the timeline necessary.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May recognized this when she allied with Stephane Dion to put "progress ahead of partisanship" by agreeing to not run candidates in each other's ridings.

Unfortunately, despite this courageous action, our political electoral system remains broken. As it is currently structured it inhibits, rather than facilitates, the scale of discussion and action required to address the challenges that face us.

Addressing these challenges will be hard, but we can succeed if we work together. Elizabeth May and Stephane Dion took the first step, saying, "While the need for cooperation may be obvious to the average Canadian, within political parties, one is not supposed to allow even limited cooperation. We admit we are different from most adversarial, political leaders... We will always put the country and the planet first."

We, concerned British Columbians, also need to put our country and our planet first. Too often issues that matter - the future of nuclear power, oil tankers in British Columbia's inside passage, coastal drilling for oil and gas - get captured by a partisan political process that puts sound bites and partisan attacks over solutions.

We need to fix that.

Extraordinary times demand extraordinary actions.

This is why we are jointly writing to you to make an unusual request: We are asking you personally to go to the nomination meeting for the Green Party in Saanich-Gulf Islands which may take place this Saturday afternoon (July 14th) in Sidney, and vote for "None of the Above." We don't make this request lightly, and here's why we're making such an extraordinary request. Make no mistake, we do understand that this IS extraordinary: we are deep believers in the process of democracy, and do not take lightly such a request.

People in the Saanich-Gulf Islands federal riding are among the most environmentally conscious voters in the country. Unfortunately, for the past four elections, their political support has been split between three federal parties: The Liberals, the NDP and the Greens.

This has allowed the Conservative candidate to be elected four times by a minority of the voters. In 2006 the voting was: Conservatives (37 %); Liberal (26%); NDP (26%); Green (10%) The simple fact is that if the Green Party runs a candidate in the coming federal election it will make it much more likely that the Conservative candidate will win once again.

And this is not just any Conservative candidate. Gary Lunn, the four-time incumbent, is Stephen Harper's Minister of Natural Resources. And "Dirty Gary" sure does like developing resources. As the Tyee recently wrote, "Lunn . is trying to push nuclear power, rev up the oil sands, and make way for more pipelines and supertankers on B.C.'s coast."

Mr. Lunn is the leading BC voice for the Conservatives' plan to circumvent the 35-year old moratorium banning oil tankers in northern BC waters. He recently claimed the tanker moratorium to be a figment of the public's imagination, stating that it "has never existed" despite numerous documents which verify that the tanker ban was created by his own ministry before Harper took power.

Lunn supports breakneck expansion of the Alberta tar sands despite the fact that it is Canada's biggest and fastest growing greenhouse gas emitter. He favors nuclear power as the solution for the power addicted tar sands, which needs massive amounts of energy to steam the dirty tar out of the sand.

Lunn was quoted by CanWest early this year saying, "[w]e burn a lot of natural gas to extract that oil from the sands right now. So there's a great opportunity to pursue nuclear energy -- something that I'm very keen on."

"Dirty Gary," who the Times Colonist has described as "an enthusiastic champion of nuclear power", recently approved a plan to bury nuclear waste underground. With this plan, the TC columnist Susan Riley wrote, Lunn "has given the green light to a near-moribund industry that is now rebranding itself as green."

And that is not all:

* Gary Lunn killed the popular EnerGuide program that helped thousands of Canadians offset the cost of retrofitting their houses to become more energy efficient, bringing it back a year later as a much weaker programme.

* Lunn has been a mouthpiece for the asbestos industry, allowing Canadian corporations to continue to profit from global sales of killer asbestos whilst allowing a de facto ban at home. Lunn played a role in Canada's undermining the Rotterdam Convention, refusing to allow asbestos to be listed in the United Nations agreement that guarantees that countries shipping toxic substances have the right to know what they are. Minister Lunn's position was supported by only four other countries whose democratic and environmental records speak for themselves: Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Iran and Peru. Surely, we can't allow Gary Lunn to be elected a fifth time by once again splitting the progressive vote among three parties. A recent Tyee article framed the issue well: "[h]ow does a guy like Lunn win a riding that contains areas synonymous with earth love and sustainability?

And if the environment is the challenge of a generation, how come environmentalists can't cooperate to take out a man they all say is one of its biggest foes?" The candidates already nominated to run against Lunn have strong environmental credentials, are strong advocates for electoral reform, and are not likely to bow down to traditional party politics:

* Briony Penn, the Liberal candidate, is a former long-time Green Party member. Briony, a PhD in geography, is prominent environmental activist, reporter and writer. Briony lectured for 15 years at the University of Victoria. She made headlines in 2001 by protesting private logging development on Salt Spring Island with a horse ride through downtown Vancouver au naturel. Briony is active with a number of NGOs and serves as a founding director of The Land Conservancy.

* Julian West, the NDP candidate, is a former Green Party candidate in Cowichan-Ladysmith. Mr. West is a PhD in applied mathematics from MIT and has taught at universities across the continent. West has been active in environmental politics and on electoral reform. He joined the Green Party of British Columbia in 1995. In 1997, he co-founded the Electoral Change Coalition of BC, and in 2000 was a charter member of Fair Vote Canada. Julian has served on the boards of Fair Vote Canada and Fair Voting BC for the past seven years.

These are extra-ordinary times. We can't let a pro-nuclear, pro-oil tanker, pro-oil-sands-growth Conservative like Gary Lunn win again. That is why we are calling on you to vote for "None of the Above" at the nomination meeting for the Green Party in Saanich-Gulf Islands. With two environmentalists running for the other parties, the Green Party is unlikely to replicate its previous vote totals, but these votes could cause the election of Gary Lunn, a key player in Stephen Harper's anti-environmental government.

Playing a role in defeating Gary Lunn, a sitting Minister of Natural Resources, on environmental issues related to climate change, would give the Green Party enormous credibility. In April, speaking at the nomination meeting in the uptown Toronto riding of St. Paul's, the National Post reported that Elizabeth May stated the Green Party might abandon its efforts to field candidates in every riding. May stated, "It's possible we won't have people in every riding. adding that there was a general feeling in the party that fielding candidates in as many riding as possible was important."

We have concerns that the candidate nomination process has likely been subverted because it appears that proper notice has not been given to all members in the Saanich-Gulf Islands EDA. Just last week the nomination meeting was scheduled for Saturday, July 14th, 1-3pm, at the home of Bryce and Laurie Kendrick in Sidney, 8727 Lochside Drive Tel; (250 655 5051). (RSVP required) This late notice does not comply with the Green Party constitution which requires 30 days written notice unless a snap federal election has been called. Also, people have been told that the the executive of the riding is limiting attendance to "current members of the SGI EDA, and invited guests only."

We call on Green Party members in the riding to exercise their democratic right and demand the riding executive comply with the Green Party rules. In addition, when a properly noticed nomination meeting is held we urge you to collectively choose to change the way politics is done in Canada. Vote for "None of the Above" at the nomination meeting and become part of a historic effort to turn this country away from the destructive path Harper's conservatives have set us all on.

The Green Party is already having an impact in the riding, having influenced the two other parties to poach Green Party members as their candidates. Helping to defeat Gary Lunn by avoiding vote splitting could actually strengthen the Green Party in the riding. So how will this work? The Green Party constitution doesn't specify what happens if "None of the Above" wins on the nomination ballot. However, the Green Party executive, which has to certify all candidates, is unlikely to override the democratic choice of local members and force a candidate onto its the ballot.

We all are committed environmentalists - some Green Party members, some Green Party voters, some Green Party supporters. Collectively we believe that the best action for the Green Party to take, both for the environment and for the Green Party itself, is to not run a candidate in the Saanich-Gulf Islands riding.

It should be noted that we are writing to you in our personal capacities, and any organizational affiliations are listed for information purposes only, and do not reflect the views of those organizations. As committed environmentalists we need to work together to ensure that the candidate who gets elected to represent Saanich-Gulf Islands is an advocate for the environment, not an apologist for the oil and nuclear industries.

Please vote for "None of the Above", and encourage your Green Party friends to do the same.

For the future,

Guy Dauncey
Writer, Green Party member
& Federal Shadow Cabinet critic on climate change

Marlyn Horsdal
Book editor, Saanich-Gulf Island
Green Party Member

Casey Brennan
Former Green party candidate for Esquimalt-Juan De Fuca
Environmental activist

Harold Wolf
Saanich-Gulf Island
Green Party Member

Will Horter
Writer, environmental and human rights activist

Dorothy Cutting
Climate Change activist,
Salt Spring resident

As some of capital city readers may know, federal New Democrat Jack Layton and his moustache attended yesterday's Pride Parade celebrations in Victoria - along with his provincial counterpart Carole James. But even though his body was there, his mind appears to have been elsewhere. During his speech at Fisherman's Wharf Park, he referred to Ms. James as the next premier of...er...Ontario. Although, as one wag quipped, that might be more of a possibility than succeeding Gordon Campbell.

The federal government will be making a major announcement in Victoria next Monday at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. The event will feature National Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor, Chuck Strahl - British Columbia's political minister - and, possibly, Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Conservative staffers were spotted doing advance work for the announcement earlier today.

"The pre-eminent BBQ event of the summer season" - at least among British Columbia Conservatives - won't be happening this year. Gerry St. Germain's annual barbeque was attended by more than 1,500 fellow travellers last August, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But we're told problems securing parking for the event means it has been put on hiatus until 2008.