Green Party of Ontario ~ 10 Key Values (a short 3 min. video)

It's Time to Fix Politics as Usual in Ontario

Submitted by Mike Schreiner on Tue, 2011-09-13 12:07

 

Today the Media Consortium came out from behind closed doors just long enough to announce their plans for the debate, which at the moment don't include a seat at the table for the Green Party of Ontario.

I sincerely appreciate the support I have received, from people from all walks of life and all political backgrounds in communities across the province. Thank you. Please know that we will continue to do everything we can to ensure our voice is heard and your issues are discussed during this campaign.

Regardless of what happens, I will continue to travel across the province and speak to Ontarians about sensible, long-term solutions for tackling some of the most important challenges we face today – the disappearance of good, local jobs, rising energy prices and climate change and the sustainability of our public health care system.

I am committed to ending politics as usual. I will continue to stand up for communities by supporting efforts such as the grassroots campaign by community members and farmers to stop the mega quarry and protect our farmland and clean water in Melancthon Township.

We will continue to push the consortium and the other party Leaders’ to support democratic debates, and we will continue to ask important questions that Ontarians care about.  We will also continue to get our message out in every way we can – online, traditional media and the best way of all, by knocking on doors talking directly with our neighbours.

This is just another example of politics as usual, and we need your help to fix it. It’s time for Green MPPs to bring a new fresh approach to politics at Queen’s Park.

I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail,

Mike Schreiner

Elizabeth May Answers the Debate Questions

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the executives of the big five TV networks decided their opinion mattered more than yours, more than the over 120,000 Canadians like you who signed the petition.

However, while they can keep Elizabeth May off their own airwaves, they can’t silence her. You said you want to hear what Elizabeth has to say on the issues being debated, and you can.

Tonight during the debate, from 7-9 p.m. Eastern time, Elizabeth May will respond to the questions put to the other leaders. You can watch that live in real time on the web site of the Vancouver Sun:

www.vancouversun.com/news/decision-canada/debate.html

Immediately following the debate, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, Elizabeth May will hold a press conference, which you can watch via live streaming video: www.greenparty.ca/live

And be sure to follow Elizabeth’s real time comments in her blog and on Twitter.

Blog: www.greenparty.ca/en/blog/7
Twitter: @ElizabethMay

Rallying For Democracy: From Coast to Coast

With Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada
The broadcasting elite have shut Green Party Leader Elizabeth May out of the televised Leaders’ Debates. They don’t want you to hear Elizabeth May speak about climate change, youth engagement, respect for veterans, first nations issues, and women’s rights.

Is this true democracy? Is this really happening, in our Canada?

The majority of Canadians believe Elizabeth May should be in the debates. She was there in 2008. She must be there in 2011.

Join us and rally for democracy!

Toronto

When: Thursday April 7th from 17:30-19:30
Where: This is London Club, 364 Richmond Street West Toronto, ON M5V 2L7
Visit the Facebook event here >>

Montreal

When: Friday April 8th from 17:00 – 19:00
Where: Newtown, 1476 Crescent St, Montreal, QC (Métro Peel)
Visit the Facebook event here >>

Halifax

When: Saturday April 9 from 12-1PM
Where: Sackville Landing, 1655 Lower Water Street, Halifax, NS
Visit the Facebook event here >>

Hamilton

When: Sunday April 1oth from 17:30-18:30
Where: TBA
Visit the facebook event here >>

Vancouver

When: Monday April 11th from 12.00-13:00
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery (Georgia St. side), 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver BC

Elizabeth May barred from televised debates, AGAIN!

Elizabeth May has been denied entry into the televised leaders’ debates.

Instead of speaking up to defend true democracy, other party leaders seem relieved—perhaps due to the glowing reviews Elizabeth received after her first appearance in the 2008 debates.

What kind of democracy excludes a party with the support of one million of its citizens?

What kind of democracy allows a handful of TV executives to decide that a party that only runs candidates in one province has more right to be in a national leaders’ debate than a party with candidates in every riding?

In the last election, your voices won Elizabeth her rightful place in the debates. We can’t believe that we have to ask you to rally on her behalf yet again. But we do.

Here’s what you can do:

• Vote in CBC’s poll on whether Elizabeth should be invited to the leaders’ debates
• Donate to support Elizabeth’s battle for inclusion
• Sign our petition
• Send a text message to the Chair of the Media Consortium, Mr. Troy Reeb of Global TV on his cell phone at 647-261-3752
• Email the news directors of consortium members CBC, CTV, Global, TVA
• Email party leaders Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, Michael Ignatieff and Gilles Duceppe
• Forward this message to your friends and family

With your help, Elizabeth will show Canadians why Greens belong in the House of Commons. And why there’s no debate that she belongs in the debates.
Thank you for taking part in our fight for true democracy in Canada.

Change the Channel on Attack Ads

Attack ads are spiraling out of control. If you're disgusted with negative politics and the state of Canadian democracy, it's time to change the channel!

The Green Party of Canada is sending a message to the other political parties: Canadians are sick and tired of attack ads. We're sending the message with an attack ad of our own -- an attack ad on attack ads!

Queens Park G20 Demonstration

Yesterday was the Mass Demonstration Calling for an Inquiry to the G20 Summit at Queens Park in Toronto.  I attended along with some members of the Green Party of Ontario from Toronto Centre. The turn out was pretty good with about 150 people attending. Here are some pictures I took, and some of the news items about the event.

I was asked by the makers of this film to make a comment for a follow up they are working on. All in all it was a success and hopefully an inquiry will be called soon.

The Toronto Sun Story

http://underoccupation.com/g20/

Mass Demonstration Calling for Public Inquiry into G20 Summit

The following is from the Facebook event page for this event. I have added links, images and made minor grammatical changes. 

Please attend this event if you are able to.

WE "THE PEOPLE" DEMAND JUSTICE & ACCOUNTABILITY

WE DEMAND A PUBLIC INQUIRY

The police and governments of Toronto, Ontario and Canada, have now proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they THINK they can literally round up hundreds of citizens, gathered together to exercise their Charter rights to protest, for no real, legal or discernible reason-AND THAT WE THE PEOPLE OF TORONTO, ONTARIANS AND CANADIANS WILL SIMPLY STAND IDLY BY

Suspension of civil liberties

------Just snatch and grab them off the streets, and thrown them in a cage, in many cases without access to legal counsel and in a few cases after being threatened or physically harmed by the police services.

The arrested citizen then has to bear the cost of trying to defend themselves. If the police acted illegally where is the accountability? 

The citizens of this city again have to bear the cost of trying to prove that, and the public pays the damages. Not one single person in government or the police agencies has been held accountable. So in fact, the police are totally and utterly unaccountable. 

The bureaucrats who made the decision to round up peaceful protesters, or just people walking down the street, are unaccountable. 

The politicians are also unaccountable, as apparently they have veto power over investigating themselves and apparently don't even have the guts to conduct any kind of investigation, instead some semblance of an investigation has to be conducted by the Ombudsman. 

Who the hell is accountable? 

So WE THE PEOPLE if the police can illegally detain Canadians without any kind of accountability or oversight, how is this (in any functional way for the citizen) any different from a police state? 

Arbitrary arrests and detentions on the basis of secret laws that nobody knew about, with no accountability.  

That is the very definition of a POLICE STATE. WE THE PEOPLE are still absolutely appalled by what we saw on that weekend and shaken to the core by the hundreds of examples of police brutality that we witnessed and experienced and utterly disgusted by the silence and sheep like acquiescence from the people who are supposed to be representing all of us in Toronto and Ottawa. 

January 8, 2011

Queens Park -Toronto, Ontario

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Please attend and please bring your video camera to help protect the demonstrators.

As we have seen the police are free to do as they like without repercussion unless they are caught red handed.

As we have seen last summer in Toronto it is unsafe to freely protest

even though this is our CHARTER RIGHT!

Bush Surgeon General Nominee!!!

George Bush's nominee for Surgeon General has drawn a lot of heat for among other things, his crack-pot anti-gay views as a leader in the United Methodist affiliate of the Institute on Religion and Democracy.