Canada Needs A Renewed Green Party

To understand how livid I was yesterday following the release of Mark Carney’s MOU with Alberta allowing for a pipeline to the North Coast and giving up basically any pretense of Alberta keeping its emissions in check - I literally had to stop work and go out and take my dog to the park. For an hour. In high winds.

I won’t go over the arguments against the pipeline MOU as Jake Laundau has already done that for me, and his article is thorough and clear: its a mistake, one that will cost us right now, and cost later generations even more as we double down on selling dirty fuel to markets increasingly able to kick the habit. This is to say nothing of the danger we’re putting coastal communities in, and the utter disrespect shown by Mark Carney and the Liberals to First Nations and the province of British Columbia, all while crowing about ‘collaborative federalism’.

Instead, I want to talk about why I was actually mad yesterday - who exactly am I supposed to vote for to oppose this stupidity?

The first answer should be an obvious one, yet it isn’t. Elizabeth May, the Green Party of Canada’s leader and sole MP, sold her vote on the budget on the premise of acknowledgement of basic climate reality by this government and had it immediately undercut by Carney. As a GPC member it has been an embarrassing display by someone who knows better - and sadly it just won’t end.

Yesterday Elizabeth, following technical difficulties, gave a good speech to CPAC outlining her opposition to the MOU and any pipeline to the northern BC coast. She made great points about shipping bitumen by rail being fine, and how First Nations are not going to roll over. She’s been on top of this issue as she should be, particularly given her home is downstream of any catastrophic event.

But what she refuses to say is the obvious - she was played. Lied to. Deceived by Mark Carney.

Instead, May harkened to ‘civility’, insisting how she ‘doesn’t like to say someone has lied’, despite it being the clear case. The Prime Minister was not fooled Elizabeth - you were, and you should be angry about it. The moment calls for righteous anger, and we are stuck with placidity.

And this is all before we get to the sorry state the Greens are in. 1.2% of the vote in the federal election, dwindling membership with low engagement, and so often held hostage by crank members and a confounding internal culture it couldn’t even get through a special meeting to fix its own rules recently. It still isn’t even clear when new leadership will have a chance to take over, as neither Elizabeth May nor the Federal Council have seen fit to give a hint of the timeline for renewal.

The largest threat to the environment, to climate action, and to local communities in decades is looming over our heads, and the federal Greens are stuck so far in the weeds we may as well not exist. What else we got?

I don’t know how many folks watched last night’s first NDP leadership debate, but yeesh.

I was told the French was very rough even from Avi Lewis, the only person who could reasonably speak it, though he clearly outpaced everyone else in substance and presentation in both languages. His problem remains as ever his tone, with one particular interruption of another candidate reminding me of Justin Trudeau’s slips of arrogance.

Rob Ashton, the outsider-with-a-chance with blue collar idealism and a working man aesthetic, haltingly tried to explain his views, peppered with fake laughs and inflections. He reacted poorly every time when asked to respond in French (literal “oh Jesus”), and when pressed in the post-debate scrum he refused to take a position on either Quebec’s Bill 21 and pipelines. My view of him as the potential NDP leader most likely to promote coal mining to save small town jobs remains in place.

Heather McPherson, the only elected politician of this bunch, was oddly silent throughout and I was genuinely surprised when the moderator had to ask her to say something during an open debate section. While her post-debate answer on the MOU was great (not happening because of First Nations opposition, lack of respect from the Liberals, etc.), her past support of travesties like TMX do make me skeptical, and she has not proven the most charismatic of contenders in this leadership race.

Tanille Johnston and Tony McQuail both had terrible French (even to my ears) but a lot of boldness to them. Johnston was very forceful in her condemnation of the MOU and any attempt to push through a pipeline over the objections of her people, and I look forward to her rematch against Aaron Gunn in Vancouver Island North. Both her and McQuail matched Avi Lewis’ focus on the climate crisis and at points went beyond, imploring viewers to not forget the world we’re leaving our children. Unfortunately, to be blunt, neither of these two are going to end up as NDP leader, with McQuail unlikely to even make the next funding quota. If Johnston does make it to the end, it will be interesting to see where her vote goes in the ranked ballot.

All this to say: I’m not enamoured with any of the options. Lewis may have the policies and willingness to stand up against the MOU, but I’m convinced his attitude will turn too many people off. McPherson is the safe pick for the NDP, but for me in this moment, I don’t know if I want to support ‘safe’. And I’ve no idea what to think of Ashton’s trajectory in this race.

If I were to consider dropping support for the Greens and joining the next Orange Wave… I really need better convincing than this group has so far offered.

The progressive left is in a sorry state in this country. Even the governments run by the New Democrats, in BC and Manitoba, either lack the charisma and gravitas to put up a good fight (Eby has been low energy in his response to the MOU, even if his position is correct), or erring more towards crass populism and exuding arrogance (Kinew’s government has been earning a bad track record lately).

Yet hope exists. BC Green Leader Emily Lowan’s tirade against the MOU was exactly the level of righteous opposition I wanted to see out in the world. First Nations and climate-minded activists are gearing up for a fight we know will be tough. Many are no longer fooled by Mark Carney’s bullshit ‘Elbows Up!’ rhetoric. The tide against regressive conservatism and profit-driven exploitation of land and people is turning worldwide.

But we desperately need leaders here in Canada to, you know, lead. There has to be a voice on the federal stage willing to get angry, call Mark Carney a liar, and upfront say its time to tear down a system which sees its role as benefitting industry (and its captured governments, like Smith’s) over the people who elect them.

Is there anyone willing to step up?