Piece of Cake

Back in Central Nova today, and the office in New Glasgow was buzzing. Phones were ringing off the hook, signs were getting up and walking onto the streets of their own accord, media were banging at the door. Seriously though, there were non-stop interviews this afternoon and we are giving out signs by the dozen already!

I started the day with one of my favourite campaign tactics from the London North-Centre by-election: waving at cars at intersections. With a couple brave Green volunteers who woke up to meet me at 7:45am, we set up some Green Party signs and smiled at the New Glaswegians on their way to work. This is always an encouraging activity. We got many happy honking drivers who waved back and smiled. I think the response was more positive than an average day in London, Ontario. If the same energy experienced in that campaign can be broached here, and we can begin to gather that momentum at this early stage in the campaign, I think we have every reason to be optimistic about the results in this riding on October 14.

The bulk of the voters I spoke to today, whether it was out main-street canvassing or sitting in the New Glasgow office, were horrified that I have been excluded from the debates. We received phone calls from across the country to let us know that long-time Conservatives and NDPers were switching their votes to the Green Party out of disgust for the blatant partisan bullying displayed by their former leaders. Many of those supporters who already had Green signs on their properties called in to let us know that they were so mad I wasn’t going to be in the debates, they wanted a bigger sign on their lawn.

The media wave is a consistent flow of interviews, live broadcasts and call-ins focusing on the issue of the media consortium’s decision. The public outcry has been very gratifying and empowering. Every online question and radio phone-in has resulted in massive support for the Greens’ inclusion and expressions of disappointment in the media consortium and the party leaders who opposed my participation. More and more, people are telling me that this is a huge blow to Stephen Harper and Jack Layton, who have not openly responded to questions about the threats to the media consortium. Many individuals suggested today that the consortium’s decision could prove to be a boost to our national campaign, as well as to my local campaign in Central Nova. This is all good news, as long as the consortium reconsiders its decision in the long run and allows me to participate. By shutting me out, they are saying to Canadians: this is not a real party. Don’t vote for them.

At the campaign team meeting in New Glasgow this evening, I got excellent feedback on the day’s campaigning. Some members of my team praised my performance on national news. Others told me that their colleagues at work had seen me waving at cars this morning and were pleased to see me in their community. One triumph of the day was when the YWCA, a leading women’s advocacy group, issued a press release calling for my inclusion in the debates as a matter of women’s equity and as a model for young girls in this country.

But the icing on the cake, as it were, was the Birthday party I attended tonight. I was invited by a local supporter from Antigonish to her son’s 21st birthday party. They live in a subdivision called Terra Tory Dr. But while it is traditional Conservative ground, the road was plastered with Green Party signs. I met many new friends and was welcomed into the family celebration. As a special treat, they let me bring out the birthday cake with lit candles as we sang “Happy Birthday”.