Not that long ago Elizabeth May was getting all sorts of press. That is, until she managed to lead the Green Party to a stunning victory of absolutely no parliamentary seats. While she certainly seemed surprised, most people realize that a single-issue party led by a rather shrill leader, is hard pressed to win any seats in a first-past-the-post system.
That, of course, explains why Greens tend to foment for changing the rules of the game so they might actually win one in the guise of electoral reform.
In any case, Elizabeth sure hasn’t been getting much press since the election. It’s as if the press moved on to other business. Luckily for Elizabeth there’s still “The Canadian“. Billing itself as “Canada’s new socially progressive and cross-cultural national newspaper” and with an ‘About Us‘ page suggesting we contact them for “Early November 2006 Print Edition” advertising information I’m going to guess its not quite a Toronto Star or National Post.
The Canadian reports:
Canada must have a real climate change plan to interest U.S. President-elect Barack Obama in negotiating a climate change agreement between Canada and the United States, say the Greens. Canada will also have to provide some assurance it won’t turn its back on the deal a few years down the road, the way the Harper government abandoned the Kyoto Protocol.
“Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon can’t truly believe there are any similarities between the Harper government’s approach and Mr. Obama’s plan,” said Green Party leader Elizabeth May.
I have to say, I find myself asking “Elizabeth Who?” While I certainly concede that the Liberals, NDP and Bloc are justified in providing their input into any environmental plan the Conservatives decide to implement – at committee, during debate, and during a vote in the house – I hardly see how the non-MP leader of a zero MP party really has any grounds to tell anyone what to do.
I mean, its as ridiculous as having the leader of the Canadian Marxist-Leninist party hold a press conference to tell us all how to fix the financial crisis.
I have to agree with Steve Janke:
Her bleating is of no interest to anyone, in a political sense. That’s reflected in the media coverage. Her comments weren’t carried in the National Post or the Globe and Mail.
Fortunately, most of us won’t have to listen to the bleating until the next election. Maybe the Greens will finally dump May after her next routine defeat.
- Rafael.
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