Good Sunday Morning,

Every house in the cul-de-sac had a volunteer at the doorstep. Adam spied an occupant through an open basement window.  He seized the opportunity to engage and crouched down for a face to face chat. He listened intently and answered questions thoughtfully. “You are the first politician that has ever knocked on my door and actually talked with me,” the man tells Adam. “They all come asking for my vote but no one ever seemed to really care about me and my family.”

The campaign team tried to simulate the pressures of the stage during debate prep. Adam had studied the latest policy announcements from the BC Green Party platform until late into the night, reminding himself of the intent and deep considerations that went into crafting them. He was nervous as his expectation of himself grew exponentially. Then he found his rock, the foundation of his being, and stood on it firmly. From there he ventured out into the depths of political discourse knowing that he could easily return to the stability of his personal values. Like a jazz musician dancing around a familiar tune, he found comfort in spontaneity. With every debate he trusted himself more.

Good Sunday Morning,

Voting is the sacred bedrock of our democracy. Our vote is power, it's justice, it's freedom. It's our opportunity to build a better world. Yes, that's a cliche. But it's true. Voting is the most powerful tool we have to decide how we govern ourselves and what the rules are that keep our civil society civil. 

It's a right we have sent our young men and women in uniform to die for. It's a privilege that has been afforded to us by those who stood up for what was right and what was fair. It's a responsibility to future generations who will inherit the consequences of the decisions we make today. Perhaps that's why it pains me so when campaigns turn nasty.

Good Sunday Morning,

It is widely reported that methane is about 30 times as potent a greenhouse gas as CO2. "But as reported in a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, authored by MIT assistant professor of engineering systems Jessika Trancik and doctoral student Morgan Edwards," writes David Chandler, "this conversion factor may significantly misvalue methane. Getting this conversion factor right is challenging because methane's initial impact is much greater than that of CO2—by about 100 times. But methane only stays in the atmosphere for a matter of decades, while CO2 sticks around for centuries. The result: After six or seven decades, the impact of the two gases is about equal, and from then on methane's relative role continues to decline."

Good Sunday Morning

Greens often feel misunderstood when we are perceived as being a one issue party. Fact is Green policy platforms have repeatedly demonstrated that we offer a comprehensive approach and that we seek complete solutions to the challenges of our time. But all those solutions are, in the end, intrinsically linked to the environment. When David Suzuki wants journalists to forget about the Dow Jones and report on climate change every day, it's because he understands that our civilization (which includes the Dow Jones) depends on it.

Except for the nuclear option, all our energy is generated by the sun. Plants capture that energy through photosynthesis and power the food chain. Ancient plants used photosynthesis to capture carbon and sequester it underground over millions of years. Eventually this made it possible to have a 10,000 year sweet spot of climate stability that allowed us to invent agriculture. We all depend on the natural processes powered by the sun. As we have exploded our human numbers, we depend on our ability to grow food reliably for our survival. And when we feel all powerful and in control, it's good to remind ourselves that the industrial revolution has not yielded a single new staple in our food supply.

Good Sunday Morning,

For so many of us, this weekend represents a time of renewal. Blossoms budding from a lifeless branch, resurrection from the tomb, liberation from oppression, no matter the tradition, in our celebration we move past what was and embrace what will be. And sometimes to embrace what will be, we are called upon to relinquish old patterns. That's not usually easy. But it is inevitable. Opportunities don't lie in the past, they are the promise of the future.

The traditional approach to predicting the future is to analyze the past. There is an interesting story that's told about that. It seems that about 150 years ago a group of experts were invited to discuss the future of the city of New York. These experts came together in 1860 and speculated about what would happen to the city of New York in 100 years. And the conclusion was unanimous, the city would not exist in 100 years. Why? Because they looked at the curves on a graph and concluded that if the population kept growing at the prevailing rate, to move the population of New York around would take six million horses. And the manure created by six million horses would be impossible to deal with, since they were already drowning in manure.

Good Sunday Morning,

When Elizabeth May released A Green Approach to Reforming the Standing Orders of the House of Commons I scanned the five pages of fine print and thought to myself, "this is great but no one is ever going to read it." I was wrong. Not only did it get read but it caught the attention of prominent journalists including Susan Delacourt and Kady O'Malley. Following on the heels of the release of her 2017 TEDx talk, where Elizabeth inspired a standing ovation with a humorous exploration of Canada's 150 years of 'Electoral Dysfunction', it once again demonstrated her unwavering dedication to improving Canada's democracy by calling a spade a spade.

"One of her more eye-catching suggestions is to have the Commons sit six days a week for three weeks at a time," writes Susan in this IPolitics piece. "But the really intriguing suggestions in May’s paper are all about dialing down the partisanship in the Commons — by, among other things, breaking up caucus-based seating and placing MPs in the Commons alphabetically, or by the geography of their home ridings." She recounts talking with Elizabeth about how we’ve gotten accustomed to the idea that the Commons is supposed to be partisan theatre — "a place to bray and bellow, and test out talking points and strategies for some future election."

Good Sunday Morning

We find comfort in being surrounded by people who believe what we believe. We are attracted to our friends, join service clubs, and participate in most group activities because we seek to connect with people who believe what we believe. The excitement of sitting in the stands to watch a sporting event stems not from the notion that we can see the action better or the seats are more comfortable, but from the fact that we are surrounded by many others who pay good money to cheer the same team that we have put our faith in. It even extends to our relatives. To the extent that we are sometimes disappointed with our biological family, it is often because they fail to fulfill a natural expectation: They were raised in the same environment and come from the same background, why don’t they believe what we believe?

Surrounding ourselves with people who share our world view gives us strength and courage and hope. This year’s Global Greens Congress in Liverpool was no exception. Just having wrapped up, it was an incredible meeting of minds from around the world who addressed themselves to the challenges of building a bright, new future. Elizabeth was in England, accompanied by her Executive Assistant Elysia Glover, our GPC President Ken Melamed, our Vice President (French) Jean Rousseau and two delegates representing Canada’s Young Greens; Cherie Wong and Ian Soutar.

Good Sunday Morning,

A federal budget is a complex document. Much of it is locked up in non-discretionary spending, maintaining services, programs and policies that have been entrenched over many decades. This year's 280 page budget is no different. It really is very much a political document, signalling the priorities of this government. Many considerations go into setting these priorities. They include the voting public's expectation to fulfill campaign promises, the changing global political and economic climate, the current and projected resilience of our Canadian economy, and the public's appetite for change. Some would argue that they also include the persuasive arguments of lobbyists, bureaucrats and consultants that make a full time living influencing government policies to suit their own agenda.

Since a budget is by it's very nature a forward looking document, it signals intent and so tells only part of the story. Sometimes programs are announced and moneys are allocated but funds are never actually spent. Budgets are a primary tool for governments to project their vision for the country and indicate the trajectory they would like us all to be on. That's why a budget vote is recognized very much as a confidence vote and in minority or coalition governments serves as the linchpin for parliament's approval of the government as a whole.

Good Sunday Morning,

Real people, representing real people. Whether or not we agree with their view of the world, this basic premise underscores the populist movement sweeping the globe. Rule by the elites, no matter how variant the criteria we use to define them, is no longer acceptable. So our first impulse is to upset the apple-cart and send a clear message to those in power: "We're not going to take this anymore."

This kind of reactionary politics is nothing new. As Preston Manning recounts in this piece, we have been here before; many times. In fact it's the hallmark of the majoritarian oppositional voting system we call First-Past-The-Post. And while it has presented us all with the reality show of a Trump presidency, it does not have to inevitably result in right-wing populism. A closer look at last week's election in the Netherlands, which has been widely reported as a defeat of populism, makes that clear. While the Liberals will likely lead a coalition to hold onto power, both they and the Labour party took a hit. To the benefit of the ultra right yes, but also to the benefit of every other major party on the ballot except the socialists.

Unlike the US, which offered only one alternative to the status quo, Holland's electoral system offers many. To get on that country's unusually complex preferential ballot, new parties simply have to pay a deposit of €11,250 and gather a total of 580 signatures spread over the 19 electoral districts. The result, which left all of Europe breathing a sigh of relief, was that the ultra-right Freedom Party had to compete with a wide field for that protest vote.

Good Sunday Morning,

My initial response to this address by Trudeau during CERAweek in Texas was "what a total sellout he has turned out to be." And then as I stuck with the speech I had flashbacks to the heady days of the 2008 US presidential election and then 2009, when Barack Obama failed his progressive base with the compromises of governing. The parallels are mind boggling. Like a sitcom rerun with a new cast of characters. Bush/Harper, Obama/Trudeau, Trump/O'Leary.

It is of course argued that Canada is different. Currently we have three official parties in the House and, with just one stellar MP, a much stronger Green Voice on the national stage. There are two leadership races under way that could change our trajectory. But in the general election we have the same 'winner takes all' voting system that breeds an US versus THEM mindset. In order to impact change 'WE' have to win and 'THEY' have to lose. Winners rule. Losers languish.