Georgia Straight Endorses Green in Vancouver By-election

Whooee! Well friends an' foes, the very progressive Georgia Straight has endorsed Green Party candidate Dan Grice in Monday's federal by-election in Vancouver Quadra.

A vote for Grice will send a message to every federal party that it’s time for a carbon tax. A vote for Grice will strengthen Green party leader Elizabeth May’s sensible argument that she should be allowed to participate in the televised federal leaders’ debates before the next general election. A vote for Grice will announce to the country that the first-past-the-post system is an anachronism that undermines democracy and public participation. A vote for Grice will warn New Democrats that they should work cooperatively with environmentalists rather than engaging in drive-by smears.

Finally, a vote for Grice will reward a young man who has worked extremely hard and sacrificed making money because he wants to save the planet. Isn’t this a good enough reason for anyone who lives in Vancouver Quadra to make the relatively minor effort of visiting a polling station on Monday and placing an X on the ballot?

Yeow! The usually Dipper mag had some harsh words for the NDP.

The NDP too often practises politics as if it’s an exclusive club. And if you’re not a member of its club, the NDP sometimes won’t work with you. Witness the NDP’s eagerness to attack Liberals, often more vehemently than Conservatives. It is a dangerous attitude in light of the magnitude of the challenges posed by climate change. It helps explain why the federal party has sometimes done a poor job of reaching out to some immigrant communities and people of colour in Vancouver.

Yeah, I've noticed that the NDP seems to lash out against any and all non-NDPers. That attitude just might be costing them support. We're gonna be in a minority government situation as long as the BQ maintains even half of its current strength. Canadians need parliamentarians who can work together. Of course, it can go too far. Dion has taken working together to an obscene level.

I reckon it's a dang good thing we got some NDP MP's working to try an' stop the CPC-LPC coalition government. A few Green MP's fightin' alongside wouldn't be a bad thing, sez I. That is, if the Dippers would allow anybody to be on their side. Now that the Cons and Grits are a team, maybe the Dippers'll be more willin' to team up with us treehuggers once in a while.

Speakin' of the by-election, Chris Tindal's doin' good against Bob Rae. The CBC puts it as a race between Tindal and Rae.(MP3) The Dipper El-Farouk Khaki sounds like he's a nice, friendly feller. He an' Chris Tindal have hugged 5 times. Tindal an' Bob Rae only hugged once and the snootytoot Con candidate never even hugged Chris once.

JB