From the Mouths of Babes

Elizabeth, the first thing I will say is of all the indivduals I have met in my life you are clearly the one of the most impressive. You're intellect, quick wit, and dedication to what you believe in is truly inspiring.

We held the first event for you in our riding after you officially declared you're run for GPC leadership. I and many of our executive were new to the Greens, enthusiastic and optimistic, just out of what was for most our first election campaign in 2006. We knew little about you other than what we could read about your reputation with the Sierra Club. Having listened to you're impressive speech at a Unitarian event, we were warmed by how easy it was to speak to you, and how graciously you accepted our invitation to come to our riding.

The event in our riding was the biggest we had done. You didn't let us down. You're speech, without notes as usual, kept everyone's attention. People told me after that they had never heard a politician with as good a grasp of the issues.

The next time we saw you was at the 2006 Convention, the first convention that any of us had attended. It was a great experience. I saw how easily you fielded rapid-fire questions from a press scrum in the hallway after you were elected leader. There was nothing but optimism around. Our membership rose to top 3 in the country.

We now have gone through two more elections (one provincial). Our executive is now much more experienced. We understand much better now how hard it is to win in our ridng - in any riding, in fact. In 2008 we beat all the other three major parties in many ways: First with signs up, best booths at fairs, best newspaper ads, best volunteer participation at public events. We did respectably in the election, but we still fell very, very far short of the winner.

For us to win in our riding it is going to take very hard work: Continuing to build our association and presence, a strong candidate, Greens in parliament or the Provincial Assembly, and a strong national campaign by the GPC and our leader.

I think I understand why you will choose to run in Central Nova again Elizabeth. I doubt if anyone, Green or not, would be able to provide you with an argument that would pursuade you otherwise. That is who you are, and that is therefore part of the mix that makes you an exceptional person.

I would expect the Liberal party to run a candidate in CN in the next election. Maybe the performance of the Conservative govermnment over the next while will soften the support in CN and elsewhere. There will be many factors at play that can create the circumstances for a win in CN - some are in our control, and some are not.

As an EDA CEO it is my opinion that, despite the strength of your personality and your positivity, you will need to spend a much greater portion of the next election in CN than you were able to in 2008. Just as important, the CN EDA will need to deliver to you no less than exceptional support for your campaign. If they and the voters of CN are truly up to supporting you in more than a moral victory, then I believe that they will need to deliver to you an association of more than 500 GPC members, and be able to raise over $50,0000 of CN contributions in no more than 24 months from our last election call. They will also have to do this in tough economic times.

Let us hope that in CN, like in all EDA's, the local association realizes that we are now no longer a protest party. That we can no longer afford to be happy to produce "improvements" in our ridings vote percent during elections. We as Greens wish to change the way our country works - to exist and thrive in greater harmony with the environment that we live in. We will only do that if we can convince our friends and neighbors in considerably higher numbers that we are worthy of representing them in parliament.

Anything short of winning now will be a devastating failure.

The one way to always be a politician who people want to vote for (even if they don't). People smell a phony from a mile away and we all knew ahead of time that the Conservatives would run a deficit if a recession hit, we all knew that no matter what he tried Dion could not force a party that believes in power over all other considerations to do anything but be true to itself, that Layton and the NDP would make any deals needed to have more seats and/or more power.

If your principles say run in Central Nova, then do so. If party members decide that your principles do not match theirs then a change will occur, but you must be able to hold your head high and say 'I did it my way'. This is true for all candidates, all EDA's, all people. Respect is gained only by earning it. Few politicians earn respect, but Elizabeth May did so last election and will continue to so as long as she listens to opinions and then goes with what is right for her.