A Green Train Arrives in Moncton and the Million Dollar Question

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Saturday afternoon the Via train rolled into Moncton carrying a political leader and some very Green ideals. With little fanfare and about three dozen supporters from around the province the scene on platform one of the Moncton train station was more of an exercise in frustration than an actual political movement.

May only spoke for a few brief minutes and doled out hugs to those huddled in the rain to see her in person. Her idealism was refreshing and her message was clear: she was leading a party to make real change in Parliament. The Green Party itself as a party does not seemed flawed, as they now have a platform which is based on more than simply environmental issues. It is not the party, it is the system in which the party finds itself that is flawed.

The million dollar question though remains, is a vote for the Green Party essentially a vote for Stephen Harper's Conservatives? For example, if the voters cast their ballots for the Green Party in ridings that are neck and neck between the Conservatives and the Liberals that vote that was cast is essentially a vote for the Conservatives. Campaigning for votes in such ridings for the Greens is going to leave the country with a Conservative government with an agenda that could not be further removed from the platform of what they are championing.

Elizabeth May and the Liberal leadership even struck a deal to allow May to run against Peter Mackay in Central Nova because without such a deal the vote would be split between the Liberals and Greens leaving the Conservatives with the victory.

Remember in the 1990s when there was a Reform Party, a Bloc and Progressive Conservative Party that allowed the Liberals to win three majorities in a row? You can thank a system that does not actually count your ballot unless you vote for the winner. The New Brunswick election in 1987 is the go to textbook case of the fundamental flaws that are found in our electoral system. The McKenna Liberals won the election and all of the seats in the legislature with a mere 60% of the vote while leaving the other 40% of New Brunswickers without a voice in government. Where did thee other 40% of the ballots go?

I have nothing against the Green Party or Elizabeth May, I have an issue against a system that will not allow Canadians to vote for who they actually want to win and must vote in a way that will not leave their ballots wasted.