The environment: No. 1 in Canada elections
p2pnet news view | P2P | Politics:- If there was such a thing as proportional political representation in Canada, Elizabeth May and the Green Party would have a significant presence in the Houses of Parliament.
However, Canada still runs under the antiquated first past the post system and despite an impressive showing, the Greens will have to wait till next time around.
Reader’s letters newspapers from opposite ends of the country — Vancouver and Ottawa — pretty well sum things up.
It’s been suggested, “Canadians voted for the economy and against the environment,” writes Jennifer Kuhl in the Vancouver Sun, going on
“This struck me as an interesting observation because if one were to total the percentage of Canadians who voted for a party with a prominent environmental platform (Liberal, NDP, Green), the number would be 51.2 per cent.”
She adds »»»
It seems Canadians tried to vote green but, with a three-way split of the green votes, found themselves with a bad case of the blues.
As the proverb goes, divided we fall. Unfortunately, we’re taking the environment with us.
In the Ottawa Citizen, “the popular vote indicates that the majority did indeed see beyond today’s economic panic and chose to prevent tomorrow’s economic panic by voting for parties that had plans to radically reduce our carbon emissions,” says Sharon L. O’Sullivan, concluding:
“Other countries are far, far ahead in terms of realizing that the environment is the economy. Unless significant, substantive action on the environment becomes part of the ‘new’ multi-point action plan for responding to the current economic turmoil, Canada can expect a good deal more economic turmoil in the not too distant future.”
Just after the results were announced, “I’m not surprised people are apathetic when a 1.37% voter swing can give the Conservatives an extra 20 seats in parliament and yet the Greens didn’t get any seats with a 2.33% gain in votes,” said Liz Newton in a p2pnet Reader’s Write.
Vancouver Sun – How the environment issue played out during the election, October 20, 2008
Ottawa Citizen – Most Canadians who voted, voted for the environment, October 20, 2008
p2pnet – Canada`s 34 NCMPs (New Copyright MPs), October 20, 2008
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