Last night was quite the night for the Green Party of Canada.   Live national coverage and a suspenseful run to the finish from an amazing slate of candidates. On the 8^th ballot, we have a new leader!  And we made history!  Annamie Paul is the first Black leader of a federal political party. And the first Black woman leader of a federal political party. And the first Black woman Jewish leader of a federal political party. (And if you were wondering, the NDP’s David Lewis was the only Jewish leader – although Bob Rae was an interim Liberal leader).

So LOTS of history!  Never mind the labels. We have a strong leader with class, smarts and charisma.  And she is already running in a by-election.  Toronto Centre has been a safe Liberal seat for 27 years.  Let’s hope that is about to change!

This week we also had yet another premier decide the pandemic created a great opportunity for an election campaign. This time it’s Premier Scott Moe in Saskatchewan. God bless our newly elected Green leader in that prairie province, Naomi Hunter. I have her permission to share her email to understand what it is like to struggle without the resources and staff that the larger Green Parties have across Canada:

“This is only the second time we’ve ever had a full slate in our history. Most of my candidates don’t own cars. So I’ve been on the road since I finished harvesting at my farm around the end of August. Now it’s turned into a marathon. Because if we don’t finish by 2pm on October 10, we start losing people off the ballot. I’ve literally been sleeping in my car.

 “Saskatchewan is huge. My deputy leader is doing all of the city of Regina. The city of Saskatoon is completely done. It’s rural Saskatchewan I’m struggling to finish alone. Quick explanation: some folks yell at us at doors in every one of these towns. That is what I’ve been doing all day every single day since the end of August.”

I asked her to check if out of province Greens can send donations legally. The answer is yes. Their financial needs are relatively small….  https://saskgreen.ca/donate/

Without being too blunt about it, please send your larger donations to the campaign in BC where Sonia Furstenau could lead us to many more seats. It really matters to get the great content in ads like this distributed so everyone can see Horgan’s hypocrisy in sharp relief.

And, even more important, see that there is a hopeful, positive alternative for BC voters.

Enough politics!

I want to share how the communication with readers in this little missive every week can really make waves.  One of my dearest friends, Susan Wetmore, sent an email to another friend on Salt Spring, asking how people did not seem to know about the threat of the US Navy conducting underwater blasting, torpedoes and bombing in the shared waters of the Salish Sea. Nancy, on Salt Spring, wrote back after last Sunday’s newsletter and I realized that I had only barely heard about the threat myself. https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/u-s-navy-tests-will-put-endangered-b-c-orcas-at-risk-say-experts-1.5076832

So by Friday, I had written the Prime Minister, Ministers of Defence, International Affairs, Environment and Fisheries to demand we communicate clearly to the US Government that Canada will not accept deaths of our endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales due to US military testing. Incredibly, the State of Washington has objected, but Canada has said nothing. I also made it my question Friday in QP, eliciting an incredibly feeble answer from the parliamentary secretary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoeQf8ZWNCA&ab_channel=GreenPartyofCanada 

But in the room, MPs from all parties looked shocked. I swear some jaws dropped. So, as ever, I am grateful to all the readers of this little letter for sending me updates and making sure we are not missing issues that need attention.

Onwards! It is indeed a GOOD Sunday Morning!

Love to all,

Elizabeth

PS On Global TV West Block this morning, I am interviewed.

And at 5:30 ET, I have a half hour slot on Cross-Country Check up!

Key Moments this week in Parliament.

• Elizabeth May: The DFO is cooking their science on risks to Pacific salmon from fish farms
• Elizabeth May on Bill C-4: Canada is struggling, not failing
• Elizabeth May: Is it not time to implement a Guaranteed Livable Income?
• Elizabeth May: Canada needs a wealth tax
• Elizabeth May: The federal NDP needs to press the government to act on climate change
• Elizabeth May: Joyce Echaquan's death is a tragedy and should never happen again
• Elizabeth May proposes fast-tracking Bill C3, to make sexual assault sensitivity education mandatory for judges