Elizabeth May - recently resigned as the Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada to take on new challenges.
You can view a reasonable biography of her at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
She has now completed her intial Q and A's with the National media and has come out in fairly good shape. She raised the significant issues of Canadians respecting the environment, education, health, foregin policy including her area of strength, NAFTA.
I see two areas of interest for discussion.
The first deals with the newfound level of interest the media is showing the Greens. It began during the last federal election when Cretien's policy of publicly funded parties had its first impact. To his credit and probably his best policy Cretien promoted and successfully enacted law which improved our democracy. It helped to diminish the control corporations have on elections and allowed smaller parties with specific public agendas move into the main stream.
This is discussed further in the following bulletin by Elections Canada
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Finances
Income tax receipts for contributions to political parties were not available before 1974, at which time political parties became subject to an election expenses limit and had to disclose revenues and expenses in a return submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer. In 1996, the Canada Elections Act was amended to stipulate that only those registered parties that received at least two percent of the valid votes cast nationally or at least five percent of the valid votes cast in the electoral districts in which they endorsed a candidate were eligible to receive the reimbursement of 22.5 percent of their election expenses provided for in the Act.
In 2003, Parliament passed Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act (political financing). The amendments significantly tightened the rules for political contributions and the financial activities of parties and candidates. Among other provisions, the new legislation introduced limits on political contributions and a ban on contributions from unions and corporations to registered parties and their leadership contestants.
The amendments also extended those provisions to cover electoral district associations and nomination and leadership contestants. Disclosure and registration requirements for political entities were similarly extended, and financial reports for registered political parties and registered associations must now include statements of assets and liabilities, as well as all sources of revenue and contributions, including non-monetary contributions.
C-24 also established a publicly funded system of quarterly allowances for registered political parties, based on the number of votes they obtained in the previous general election.
Registered political parties that obtain at least two percent of the total valid votes cast in a general election, or five percent of the valid votes cast in the ridings where they have endorsed candidates, are entitled to a reimbursement of 50 percent of their actual election expenses paid.
Candidates may issue tax receipts for contributions to their campaigns and receive a partial reimbursement of their expenses. A candidate who is elected, or obtains at least 10 percent of the valid votes cast in the riding, receives a reimbursement of 15 percent of the expenses limit for that riding shortly after the return of the writs. If the candidate also complies with all the post-election requirements of the Act, he or she qualifies for a second instalment representing a reimbursement of 60 percent of actual election and personal expenses paid, minus the amount already received. The total reimbursement may not exceed 60 percent of the election expenses limit for the riding.
All candidates are entitled to full refunds of their $1,000 deposits, provided they comply with the reporting requirements of the Act and return unused official receipts within certain deadlines.
___________________________________________________________________During the last federal election the Green Party were better able to fund advertising in key highly populated areas resulting in continued growth. This Greens like the traditional parties will have to broaden their policy interests to capture the attention of Canadians. They appear ready to do this - albeit under the umbrella of environment - and to some level that can work.
The media would rather be chased than chasing so the new bucks the Green Party has - as a result of the changes to election financing - allows them to catch more coverage.
The Greens were also right to assume even greater exposure by choosing Elizabeth May - she does have an established relationship with the press, especially during fights over free-trade, globalization, and NAFTA. May, similar to Bob Rae does not have a long history with the party they wanted to lead - nevertheless it's a good fit.
Now let's examine what all this means for Newfoundland and Labrador and whether or not the Green Party can resist the quick buck to be made on our backs. During the last federal election you may recall a local Green Party candidate quitting because the party came out swinging at the seal harvest. Newfoundland and Labrador and the local Greens were sacrificed to raise the vote count and subsequently the bucks for the party. You see - and I'm sure no surprise to you, pictures of seals in Toronto and Vancouver areas bring sentiment, donations, and votes - regardless of the group you represent.
For our province and in parts of the Maritimes and Quebec this is one issue that will define where Elizabeth May will take the party and its extreme members. She knows the seal issue is not a matter of sustainability and she knows the condition of the ground fish stocks - especially offshore are - but let's see if she can guide the party through the maze of zealot activists and fraudulent money grabbers that use this province as their only reason for being.
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