Elizabeth May must have promised her bathroom mirror that come hell or high water, she was going to improve her green party’s position in parliament. And she has the chance in this election. It is based on a mix of factors. Nobody thinks it will be easy but it is not just hope.
There is no question that there is a serious concern for the environment this time around. How Andrew Scheer and the conservatives can continue to ignore global warming is the secret of this election. After years in the wilderness, the green party message of saving our world is getting through. It is just too bad that the party does pratfalls on other aspects of its agenda.
It also helps considerably that the greens are moving in to benefit from the expected collapse of the new democrats. Jagmeet Singh is leading the socialists to nowhere. He should have thought about where he wanted to take the party before encouraging all his Sikh friends in B.C. and Ontario to swamp the low membership of the NDP. It was a hollow win. Without a plan, it is very hard to raise money. Without money, it is very hard to run a very strong campaign. And if you cannot afford to charter an airplane, you are really going to find out how big this country is.
Ms. May’s major problem is that the party behind her is a mixed bag. There are separatists running for the party in Quebec. Most of the platform stuff for candidates to reference is motherhood. There is nothing particularly exciting. This party has a plan for the environment but has no very clear plans beyond that.
Mind you, Ms. May continues to impress the public. Media people who are paid to assess politicians are not always as positive. They report that she is sometimes off the wall. I watched her during the special committee hearings in Ottawa looking at how we vote and I saw a dogged and determined person asking more adult questions. I rated her and the liberal party committee chair as the more competent participants.
At this point in the campaign, Ms. May seems to have gained the most momentum. Her first obstacle is Jagmeet Singh of the NDP. He has shown some energy and still stands in the way of the greens taking over third place. It is the byplay in this election that provides a background to the battle between the conservatives and liberals.
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Copyright 2019 © Peter Lowry
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