10 April 2007 - 5:18pm
Ever since Elizabeth decided to take on Foreign Affairs Minister, Peter MacKay, the press has been all over her decision. But then, they were quite sure she was wrong about London North Centre - but she came in second with 26% of the vote - and that was a short campaign from a standing start.
So, to set the record straight, here in Elizabeth's own words is her TOP TEN list (à la David Letterman) of why she is running in Central Nova:
10
Nova Scotia, and Atlantic Canada in general, are increasingly forgotten and un-represented. It is time to have a national leader of a political party in the House of Commons working for the people of Atlantic Canada. The most recent Harper budget is just one indication of the forgotten status of Atlantic Canada. We used to have post offices, passenger rail service, our own CBC TV supper time news, local schools (not monstrous P3 operations), and on and on. Jobs are disappearing, and the labour pressure and Harper message is "get up and go to Alberta." I want to bring the boys home -- from Alberta!
9
Nova Scotia has been my home since 1973. No matter how long I work in Ottawa, I am home in Nova Scotia nearly a quarter of every year, (some years more) working, not vacationing, from there. My dad is 82 (and does not travel) and I would not get to see much of him at all if my riding were anywhere but Nova Scotia. I am very close to my brother and sister-in-law too and they do not travel at all. I would never see them either. And my daughter would not see her grandfather and family and home while I was being a good MP somewhere else. I have to run prepared to be the best MP my riding has ever had. That means being there every possible moment. So where would family end up?? Squished into a once a year visit? I was not prepared to give up my family in Nova Scotia for politics (so, maybe "selfish" is true.)
8
I want my national message to match my local campaign. I may get skewered for stating the obvious, but here it comes again: The Harper Government is the single biggest obstacle to Canadian action on climate change, to an independent judiciary, to justice for aboriginal peoples, to protecting our health care system from for-profit intrusions, to an independent foreign policy, to women's rights, to universal child care, etc, etc. By choosing to run against a member of Mr. Harper's Cabinet, I can promote the Green Vision of Canada and draw the clear and sharp contrast with the perilous path of the current minority government.
7
I have some over-whelming practical considerations as leader. I will have to spend at least half of the campaign period out of my riding, traveling Canada on the leader's tour and the other half of my time in my riding. If the riding contest is "ho-hum" (as in me running against a Liberal or NDP opposition member), no national media will bother covering it.. (in a word "BORING!"). So to keep the media spotlight on Green Party issues, I need a high profile, fascinating, epic contest.
6
I need to prove that the Green Party is NOT a one issue party. By running in Central Nova I will be taking on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, raising the clarity of vision of our international policies versus the "aye, aye, Sir" approach of Mr. Harper.
5
Peter MacKay and I have a nice time together. He has a good sense of humour. I like him and want to liberate him from what must be a horrible life taking orders from Stephen Harper. (He may not see this as in his immediate best interests, but with time I am sure he'll agree it is for the best.)
4
That said, Peter has shown some really serious errors in judgment. He should not have broken his word to David Orchard (the pact that sealed his victory, going down in history as the last-ever leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada) and turning it over to the Alliance and Stephen Harper. The Progressive Conservative Party was cannibalized by the Alliance Party. The loss of the adjective "progressive" was more than grammatical. The heart was torn out of Canadian politics. The loss of the traditional, principled Progressive Conservative counter-weight to the ethically flexible Liberals has cost this country dearly.
3
The Green Party economic policies for local sustainable development, promoting community values and supporting small business and shared enterprise is best reflected in the Antigonish Movement. I have been invoking the theories of Father Moses Coady ever since my run for leadership of the Greens nearly a year ago. I love the idea of re-awakening the triple notions of adult education (as Father Coady urged for people to work together to sort out their shared problems and work to cooperative solutions), and of economic models of cooperatives and credit unions. Running from the home base of the Antigonish Movement makes sense.
2
I can win in Central Nova. (Sure, it is up-hill, but please tell me where there is a safe seat for the Green Party of Canada?) Peter MacKay did not have a wide margin of victory in 2006. Nearly 60% of the electorate voted for other the candidates. The most popular contender, a very fine woman named Alexis MacDonald, ran for the NDP. She works in Toronto with the Stephen Lewis Foundation and (I already knew) was not going to run again. After ten years with Peter MacKay as their MP, Pictou County, Antigonish County and Guysborough are all suffering higher unemployment, lower levels of investment, reduced services - whether health care, or libraries, or education - etc etc! I do not think it will be easy, but I do intend to win. People may say it will be a David and Goliath type of struggle. I think they forget how that one ended!
1
And my number one (slightly tongue in cheek reason) Drum roll please: How could I live anywhere without a Frenchy's? (for anyone outside of the Maritimes, find someone to explain that one to you.)
