OTTAWA - The Green Party of Canada is calling for immediate action to protect seniors who are obligated to withdraw funds from their registered retirement income funds (RRIFs).

"Canadian seniors can not afford the huge losses facing them because of the rules requiring them to withdraw money from retirement funds. These rules need to be changed in this session of parliament," said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada.

These funds have been hit hard by the financial meltdown, with some seniors faced with the loss of as much as 50% of their life savings disappearing overnight. Seniors organizations have been calling for a moratorium of at least two years on all mandated minimum RRIF withdrawals to permit retirees of all ages to make unfettered decisions regarding their financial situations.

-30-

John Bennett
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
Phone: 613 562 4916 ext. 230
Cell: 613 291 6888
Fax: 613 482-4632

OTTAWA - The leader of the Green Party watched the Speech from the Throne from the Senate Chamber. "It was shocking to hear that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has so quickly abandoned his election commitment to no deficits," said Elizabeth May. "In the leaders' debate I was the only leader honest enough to tell voters that, while we would work to avoid deficit spending, in a recession it might be unavoidable. Mr. Harper committed to voters that he would maintain balanced budgets. In his first statement of intentions he has broken that promise."

The Green Party of Canada also found very disturbing the focus on nuclear energy and rapid industrialization of Canada's fragile Arctic. Also disappointing was that the Harper government continues to cling to a dangerous level of greenhouse gases as Canada's target, while calling that target "realistic."

"The government of President-elect Barack Obama is committed to real targets. Mr. Harper's goal of ever expanding tar sands fueled with natural gas from the Beaufort Sea remains the last vestige of George. W Bush in global negotiations," said Ms.May

For More Information

John Bennett
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
(613) 562-4916 ext. 230
(Cell) 613) 291 6888
Fax: (613) 482-4632

OTTAWA - Leader of the Green Party of Canada Elizabeth May will be taking up her regular spot in the gallery when the House of Commons opens for session today.  The Green Party saw large increases in public support with almost a million votes across Canada.  May says, she considers these voters her constituency, "The election result have resulted in much more support for a more democratic electoral system.  We urgently need electoral reform in this country so that voters feel their ballot makes a difference." 

May also hopes that respect and decorum will return to the House.  "The shenanigans that we see so often in Parliament only add to the disillusionment and distrust that Canadians are feeling about their government and are part of the reason for low voter turnout." 

According to May, "There are large challenges looming for this session of Parliament: the democracy deficit, the economic challenge, with the plight of seniors of particular concern, and the environmental crisis. Obviously the global economic crisis will demand attention but we need to realize that it is not separate from our environmental crisis.  Follow through on environmental issues, such as more investment in rail and municipal infrastructure, will stimulate the economy and will create jobs as well as help stabilize the climate.  Green collar jobs are the future of the economy."

The new parliamentary session must focus on the challenges of the financial meltdown faced by average Canadians and ensure the climate crisis is no longer ignored. With US President-elect Barack Obama bringing in real climate action, the Green Party of Canada will be pushing Canadian leaders to negotiate a real climate plan.  At a minimum it would include California emissions standards for cars and hard caps on industrial greenhouse emissions replacing the present make-believe-in-Canada intensity regulations. President-elect Obama's platform included hard caps on greenhouse gas emissions, increases in energy efficiency and $150 billion investment in renewable energy. 

The US government, with Obama's blessing, is considering a $25 billion bailout package for the Big Three automakers. The companies have also turned to the Canadian and Ontario governments for help. One in seven jobs in Ontario is related to the car industry. Over the last decade, the federal and provincial governments have invested over a billion dollars in the car industry while jobs have continued to dwindle. "We have to do something different," says Ms. May. 

"We have to come up with new solutions. We have a crisis in the climate and a crisis in the economy. We can address both by requiring the car companies to meet California emission standards and agree to continually improve fuel economy as a precondition of any loans or subsidies.  This will improve the
competitiveness of the Canadian auto sector," said Ms. May.

-30-

John Bennett
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
Phone 613 562 4916 ext 230
Cell 613-291-6888

OTTAWA – The Green Party leader Elizabeth May announced today that press secretary Camille Labchuk will leave her position after this week to pursue new opportunities and plans to enroll in law school next fall.

Ms. May said that Ms. Labchuk is a close friend, trusted advisor and is dedicated to achieving the goals of the Green Party.

“Camille has done a terrific job and she will be sorely missed,” said Ms. May. “She has held a very key position on my staff and replacing her will be no easy task.”

Ms. Labchuk, 24, is a graduate of Mount Allison University. She ran as the federal candidate for the Green Party in Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe in 2006 and joined Elizabeth May’s staff during her campaign for leadership of the Green Party. Ms. Labchuk was appointed Press Secretary to the Leader in August of 2006.

“I am grateful to Elizabeth May and the Green Party for having provided me with such a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow,” said Ms. Labchuk. “I feel honoured to have helped contribute to the many successes of the Green Party and I will continue to work to advance our goals in new ways.”

The press secretary position will be filled shortly. In the interim, media inquires should be directed to John Bennett, Director of Communications.

OTTAWA – Canada must have a real climate change plan to interest U.S. President-elect Barack Obama in negotiating a climate change agreement between Canada and the United States, say the Greens. Canada will also have to provide some assurance it won’t turn its back on the deal a few years down the road, the way the Harper government abandoned the Kyoto Protocol.

“Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon can’t truly believe there are any similarities between the Harper government’s approach and Mr. Obama’s plan,” said Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

The Obama plans includes mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 using a market-based cap and trade system.

“Mr. Obama has a real climate change plan with caps of industrial greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Harper has no caps and encourages industry to increase emissions by relying on intensity targets. This means a fundamental change in Canadian policy is needed to make a deal with an Obama administration,” said Ms. May.

The Green Party of Canada supports the former Environment Commissioner’s call for a mobilization of the federal government to meet the climate crisis.

OTTAWA – The Green Party’s biannual general meeting and policy convention will take place from February 27th to March 1st in Pictou, Nova Scotia, announced leader Elizabeth May today.

The convention was slated to happen in September of 2008 but was postponed twice – first due to four by-elections and then as a result of the general election being called.

“Greens in Canada have been looking forward to this convention for nearly a year,” said Ms. May. “We are fortunate that our venue was able to re-open early to accommodate our meeting. I am eager to showcase my riding of Central Nova to Greens across the nation. Central Nova is the Greenest riding in this country and I know that the hospitality of Nova Scotians will make this convention a memorable one.”

The convention will take place at the deCoste Centre in Pictou. Green Party members will gather there to debate and vote on policy resolutions, elect new federal councilors and hear from an exciting line-up of keynote speakers. Greens from countries around the world are expected to attend.

“More voters in Central Nova cast ballots for the Green Party than in any other riding in the country,” said Ron Kelly, CEO of the Central Nova Green Party Association. “This convention will attract a great deal of local interest and help carry our momentum forward and into the next election.”

The Party’s 2006 convention was in Ottawa and 2004 convention was in Montreal. This will mark the first time a Green Party national convention is held in Atlantic Canada and the first time in 25 years a bi-annual general meeting is held east of Montreal.

OTTAWA – The Green Party is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to take steps to protect Omar Khadr, a Canadian and former child soldier who has been held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay since 2002.

Mr. Harper has consistently ignored evidence of inhumane treatment and torture at the facility despite Canada having this information since 2004. Canada has the shameful distinction of being the only western country not to have sought repatriation for a citizen held at Guantanamo.

“President-elect Barack Obama admits that torture occurs at Guantanamo Bay and plans to close the facility as soon as possible,” said Green Party leader Elizabeh May. “Mr. Harper has previously said that there is ‘no real alternative’ to allowing Mr. Khadr’s continued detention. Now that he is aware the facility will be closed, will Mr. Harper finally admit that Mr. Khadr was unlawfully detained and take action to repatriate this former child soldier?”

Mr. Khadr’s long-awaited trial is set for January 26th, 2009 – only six days after Barack Obama’s inauguration.

“Time is running out to bring Mr. Khadr home,” said Ms. May. “It is critical that Mr. Harper first recognizes the brutality that occurred at Guantanamo and next acts to prevent further harm from occurring to Mr. Khadr by seeking to have him returned to Canada immediately.”

Ms. May said that the Prime Minister’s demonstrable lack of concern for Canadians in trouble abroad is disturbing.

“Mr. Harper’s willingness to ignore the plight of Mr. Khadr and many other Canadians in trouble in foreign countries is not reassuring. Canadians deserve a leader who, instead of burying his head in the sand and disregarding serious evidence of torture, will fight to protect them.”

OTTAWA – The Green Party is denouncing the Harper government’s continued efforts to block chrysotile asbestos from being listed as a hazardous substance under the United Nations Rotterdam Convention. The Convention regulates international trade in dangerous substances and was introduced to protect developing countries from hazardous imports. Canada’s government has blocked the listing at every previous opportunity and is refusing to deny that it will do so again.

“Asbestos is undeniably carcinogenic yet the Harper government has consistently shown absolute disregard for science and public health by vetoing any attempts to list chrysotile asbestos as hazardous under the Rotterdam Convention,” said Green Party leader Elizabeth May. “Canada’s continued role as ring leader of a group of countries who seek to protect exports of this toxic substance is a matter of national shame.”

Convention negotiations begin in Rome today. Listing asbestos under the Convention would require that destination countries be made aware of the risks of asbestos and provide prior informed consent.

Canada’s role in the current negotiations is seen as critical. It is expected that if Canada stopped opposing listing chrysotile asbestos, other countries would follow suit.

“The World Health Organization estimates that over 100,000 people die asbestos-related deaths every year,” said Ms. May. “How, in good conscience, can the Canadian government continue to export death by asbestos to developing countries where safety procedures are sub-standard and workers have next to no protection?”

The Canadian Medical Association Journal has condemned the government’s stance on asbestos. Health Canada recently commissioned a report on asbestos and although the study was completed in March, the government is refusing to release the expert findings.

“Prime Minister Harper’s unwillingness to put public health and safety first is a tragedy,” said Ms. May. “The Green Party would immediately stop exporting asbestos, end asbestos mining in Canada and develop a just transition strategy for the affected workers. Enough is enough.”

Greens across the country are shocked and saddened following the tragic and unexpected death of Pat Gostlin. Ms. Gostlin was the Green candidate in Oshawa in the recent federal election. She was killed by a drunk driver while driving home early on Sunday morning in Durham.

"Pat's untimely death is simply devastating," said Green Party leader Elizabeth May. "She was a tireless and dedicated advocate for change. Her warmth, kindness and cheer touched all those she met. Pat will be sorely missed and I extend my deepest sympathies, on behalf of all Greens, to her family and loved ones."

Ms. Gostlin's efforts were instrumental in propelling the Greens into the televised debates in the last election, when she and other Greens organized a protest that hit the national airwaves.

"Many of us were blessed by the opportunity to know and work with Pat. Many more of us felt proud after learning of her tremendous efforts to protect democracy in Canada. Pat will always have a special place in Green history and today we mourn her tragic passing."

Les Verts de l’ensemble du pays sont stupéfaits et attristés par la mort tragique et soudaine de Pat Gostlin. Mme Gostlin était candidate pour la Parti Vert dans la circonscription d’Oshawa à la dernière élection fédérale. Elle a péri dans un accident de la circulation impliquant un conducteur qui aurait conduit en état d'ébriété à Durham, en Ontario, tôt dimanche matin.

« Le décès soudain de Pat est dévastateur », a dit la chef du Parti Vert Elizabeth May. « Elle était une militante aussi dévouée qu’infatigable. Sa chaleur, sa bonté et sa cordialité ne laissaient personne indifférent. Pat nous manquera beaucoup et, au nom de toutes les Vertes et de tous les Verts, j’offre mes condoléances à sa famille et à ses nombreux amis. »

Les efforts infatigables de Mme Gostlin ont grandement contribué à propulser les Verts dans les débats télévisés des chefs à la dernière élection, lorsqu’une manifestation organisée par Mme Gostlin et d’autres Verts a suscité l’intérêt des médias d’un bout à l’autre du pays.

« Beaucoup d’entre nous ont eu la chance de côtoyer Pat. Beaucoup d’entre nous ont ressenti une immense fierté en apprenant l’ampleur des efforts qu’elle déployait pour protéger la démocratie au Canada. Pat occupera toujours une place d’honneur dans l’histoire du Parti Vert, et aujourd’hui nous pleurons sa mort tragique. »

KINGSTON – Green Party leader Elizabeth May says recent lawsuits filed against Canada under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) illustrate very clearly that the agreement is detrimental to Canadian interests and must be renegotiated to protect people and the environment – not corporate profits.

Ms. May won a debate before the Queen's University Debating Society today as she and Mark Levinson, trade expert from the U.S., were viewed to have successfully argued for reopening NAFTA.

"Few Canadians are aware that NAFTA rules allow corporations to sue governments for policies that harm their investments," said Ms. May. "U.S.-based Dow Chemicals filed a two million dollar notice of action against the federal government in August over Quebec's lawn pesticide ban. During the election campaign, we learned that a U.S. businessman is suing the government for disrupting his plans to establish for-profit healthcare facilities in Canada.

"That successive governments in this country can sit back and watch while corporations sue us is unimaginable. NAFTA allows foreign corporations to significantly infringe upon Canada's sovereignty and, as these and other lawsuits show, our public healthcare and capacity to protect the environment are under siege as a result of this flawed trade agreement.

"The Green Party believes that allowing foreign investors to sue Canada for protecting the public interest makes no sense. Safeguarding public health by banning lawn pesticides should not open Canada up to lawsuits from companies that seek to poison, pollute and profit while doing so. Neither is it right that our cherished public healthcare system is threatened by the desire for corporate profits.

"The Greens would welcome working with a new U.S. President to reopen NAFTA to fix its flaws and ensure that the environment, public health and workers' right are protected."

OTTAWA – Dr. David Suzuki has commented on a recent article where his views on the role of the Green Party in Canadian politics were severely distorted.

After a teleconference with Lakehead University students on Tuesday, an article appeared in the Thunder Bay Source suggesting that Dr. Suzuki said Canada’s political landscape should not include a Green Party. Commentators and bloggers were quick to spin the misleading article and have erroneously claimed that Dr. Suzuki believes the Green Party impedes environmental progress.

Dr. Suzuki has informed the Green Party that the article was misleading and does not accurately represent his opinion.

“The article is a grotesque version of what I said,” said Dr. Suzuki. “I said I look forward to the day when there is no Green Party because as long as there is one, the environment is a political football when it should be the basis of every party's platform. But until that time, I said I was glad there was a Green Party and that Elizabeth May got into the leaders’ debates. I did not ‘rebuke’ Greens. I wish these reporters would listen and report, not hear what they want to hear.”

Green Party leader Elizabeth May agrees with Dr. Suzuki that the old-line political parties must accept the environment and climate change as critical issues in order to arrest the climate crisis before it is too late.

“The Green Party has the best policies to deal with the climate crisis,” said Ms. May. “This is why we have continually urged the other parties to adopt our policies and embrace the changes we propose.

As Dr. Suzuki said in June, “We need to be at a point where the values that are talked about by the Green Party are all values that Canadians have."

OWEN SOUND – A prominent Green is lauding the efforts of the Green Party and leader Elizabeth May in the recent federal election campaign.

"Almost a million Canadians responded to the messages of Elizabeth May and the Green Party of Canada," said Shane Jolley, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Ontario. Jolley took 33 percent of the votes in the 2007 Ontario provincial election in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.

In the October 14th election, 41 Green candidates received 10 percent or more of the popular vote, up from 8 two years ago, and the top result has risen almost 20 percent under the leadership of Elizabeth May.

"The recent speculation that Elizabeth May will defect to the Liberals is pure nonsense. She's committed to the Greens, and I'm confident that the Green Party membership wouldn't let her go," said Mr. Jolley.

"In spite of the sudden focus on economic uncertainty mid-campaign, Elizabeth May kept the urgency of climate change on the front burner and successfully delivered the message that the health of our economy and the health of our environment are directly linked," said Mr. Jolley.

Canadians insisted that the leader of the Green Party be included in the national leaders' debate, and Elizabeth May responded authoritatively on the full breadth of national issues.

Unfortunately, the premature election, with the lowest voter participation in Canadian history, left significant numbers of electors unrepresented in Parliament.

"This is the clearest evidence of the need for electoral reform in this country, not only for the benefit of smaller parties like the Greens and NDP, but for urban Conservatives and rural Liberals. Proportional representation would significantly reduce the destructive elements of partisan politics, and re-engage citizens in the democratic process."

OTTAWA – Green Party leader Elizabeth May today decried the new election law that disenfranchised thousands of Canadians. The new voting rules prevented many Canadians from exercising their democratic right to vote on October 14th. New, overly stringent voting rules that require proof of identity and residential address were in effect in the recent election and the Green Party has received extensive information on voters being refused at the polls.

"The new voting rules have been a disaster for democracy in Canada. The Green Party is urging the other federal parties to repeal, or substantially amend, this piece of bad legislation without delay," said Green Party leader Elizabeth May. "I have personally heard from many, many voters who denied the right to cast a ballot in the federal election due to new proof of identity requirements that are both unnecessary and were poorly communicated to voters."

Bill C-31, passed in the last session of Parliament, means that voters must present photo identification along with proof of residency prior to voting.

"The new voting rules proved very problematic for many Canadians, including homeless people, transient individuals like students, individuals without driver's licenses and those living at PO Box addresses in rural areas," said Ms. May. "In my riding of Central Nova, students at St. Francis Xavier University were turned away in droves and many non-students, even with proper documentation, were denied the right to vote.

"The new rules sought to solve the non-existent problem of double voting but what we have seen instead is that more and more Canadians were prevented from voting. This serves only to exacerbate the voter turnout crisis and it is urgent that we do not allow another election to take place under the existing rules.

"Canada does not have a voting fraud crisis but what we do have is a crisis in voter turnout. For the first time ever, less than 60 percent of us voted in this election. It is unclear how much of the poor voter turn out was due to people being denied the right to vote, but I estimate it to be in the tens of thousands. We need to protect the democratic right to vote for all Canadians and reverse the trend in declining voter turnout."

 Download the audio (6 min, MP3)

When the new House of Commons is convened in mid-November, Fair Vote Canada says the first order of business should be a commitment to institute a citizen-driven electoral reform process, with a timeline that ends no later than the next election. The call for action was issued at a Parliament Hill press conference, where Fair Vote Canada was joined by Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

“How far does our system have to deteriorate before our political leaders address the appalling democracy deficit created by our dysfunctional voting system?” said Larry Gordon, Executive Director of Fair Vote Canada. “The lowest turnout in history, distorted results, seven million orphan voters, the Green Party with nearly one million votes being denied seats, the Bloc getting a million fewer votes than the NDP but far more seats – this is not democracy and it is not tolerable.”

“First-past-the-post was developed in the 11th century, when people believed the earth was flat,” said Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada. “When it was first used in Canada, leeching was still considered a cutting-edge medical practice. Time has moved on but Canadians are still being punished by a dysfunctional voting system that is an embarrassing relic of a bygone era.”

Fair Vote Canada is calling for a citizen-driven federal reform process, with one model being the independent citizens’ assembly and referendum process used by British Columbia and Ontario. The process used by New Zealand in the early 1990s is another option: in a first referendum, voters indicated whether they wanted reform and also voted on their preferred alternative system; in a second referendum, they voted between their preferred alternative and the status quo.

“Mr. Harper said he intends to address the future of the Senate.” said Andy Blair, Vice President of Fair Vote Canada. “Last year, Senator Hugh Segal and others floated the idea of a national referendum on abolishing the Senate. If Mr. Harper proceeds with such a referendum that is an opportunity to add a referendum question on electoral reform for the House of Commons.”

“The next Parliament will be judged by the Canadian people on whether it continues the do-nothing path of past Parliaments, or if it finally recognizes the urgent need to give Canadians equal votes, fair election results, and a truly representative House of Commons. With voters walking away from the system in disgust and young people concluding that voting has no purpose, Canada cannot afford a Parliament that sits on its hands,” said Blair.

OTTAWA – The Green Party of Canada’s Federal Council unanimously passed a motion at a Sunday meeting confirming full support of leader Elizabeth May.

The Green Party’s Federal Council met on Sunday night. Councilors also decided that the Green Party’s biannual policy convention would be held in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, in February of 2009.

The convention was originally slated to take place in Pictou in September but was cancelled when Prime Minister Stephen Harper disregarded his fixed-date election law by calling a snap election.

“The Green Party is energized after our best election result ever,” said Ms. May. “We had 41 ridings above 10% of the vote and we are looking forward to becoming even stronger in advance of the next election.

“I am excited to host our policy convention in my Central Nova riding, where we had the strongest showing in the country with a second place finish and 32% of the vote. This is where I intend to sit as a Member of Parliament after the next vote and it will be a pleasure to showcase Pictou County to Greens from across the country.”

Green Party leader Elizabeth May has not called on voters to abandon Green Party candidates. A news story that states otherwise is misleading.

Ms. May did say that, "Being honest with the voters, I acknowledge that there is concern over vote-splitting in a small number of ridings. But I am not going to say 'vote Liberal here, vote NDP there.'

"I do understand how difficult choices can be due to the perverse results of the first-past-the-post voting system. Canada needs an electoral system that accurately represents how Canadians vote.

"I repeated over and over that I would not advise voters to vote for anyone other than Greens. Attempts to misrepresent my position on this issue are tiring. I do not support strategic voting and I have not advised voters to choose any candidate other than Green."

Stephen Harper's untruthful response under oath to the Chuck Cadman tape proves he can't be trusted on any issue and that no political strategy is beneath him, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said today.

An expert hired by his own party has contradicted Harper's sworn testimony that an author who interviewed him doctored a tape-recorded statement about a sleazy financial offer to ensure the dying Cadman would support the Conservatives in a House of Commons vote.

“Harper is trying to cover his scandalous tracks and fool Canadians on the Cadman affair,” Ms. May said.

“Media reports make it clear that Harper did not tell the truth in a sworn statement to a court of law. Not only that, but true to form, he unfairly attacked the interviewer.

“Mr. Harper has once again demonstrated that he has no respect for the law or the truth. Canadians should remember this when they hear his statements about carbon taxes, income trusts, Afghanistan or any other issue.”

In the interview, journalist Tom Zytaruk asked Harper about a reported offer by the Conservatives to give Cadman, an independent MP who was dying of cancer, a $1 million life insurance policy in exchange for his support in a crucial budget vote.

This is Harper's tape-recorded reply: “I don't know the details. I know that, um, there were discussions, um. But this is not for publication.”

When that answer, which clearly indicates Harper knew about the offer, was made public, the Conservatives said Harper had been answering a different question and that Mr. Zytaruk had altered the tape.

“I presume it was done by him,” Harper testified under oath after the Conservatives sued for libel over the report.

The Conservative Party lawyer had tried to keep the tape out of court until after the election, and it is now clear why.

The analysis by the Conservatives' own hired expert concludes the tape was not altered.

“Harper's desperation to avoid scrutiny on the alleged bribe to Chuck Cadman shows he will stop at nothing to protect himself and to try to stay in power,” Ms. May said.

Mr. Cadman rejected the offer to buy his vote, Ms. May noted. “He had integrity. Harper does not.

“The only thing Harper says that can be trusted is that he is desperate to win a majority.

“When he can't even be truthful in testimony under oath, there is no reason to believe he is truthful about anything, just as there is every reason to believe he is not fit to govern or represent Canada,” Ms. May said.

“Harper broke his own law and sprung an election on Canadians precisely because he was afraid of this scandal hurting him politically, just as he feared scrutiny over allegations the Conservatives broke the elections law with illegal money transfers in 2006.

“Instead of obfuscation, accusation and dishonesty, the Green Party will offer truth and transparency to Canadians. Canadians must send Harper a message that his games will not be tolerated by tossing him out on Election Day.”

Elizabeth May is poised to take the riding of Central Nova. A series of polls show Ms. May is steadily gaining support while the support for the incumbent Conservative has steadily declined. It’s clear now that Elizabeth May is the only candidate who can defeat the Conservative incumbent. “I’m so excited and humbled by the growing support for my candidacy in Central Nova. It would be such a thrill to represent them in the House of Commons”, said Ms. May.

The results indicate rising support for Elizabeth May and will confound the pundits and other observers who believed this riding was an impregnable Conservative party bastion. “In the last two years the conservatives have shown contempt for Atlantic Canada and a disregard for the economic well being of Nova Scotians and it is now coming home to roost” said Ms May.
“Signs are going up, the phone doesn’t stop ringing, volunteers keep streaming in. We are going to win this riding,” said Keith Mcintosh, Central Nova Campaign manager for Elizabeth May.

The latest poll shows that Ms. May stands to receive the support of 29.3% decided voters in the riding. Her support is within the margin of error of that of Conservative MP Peter MacKay, who was chosen by 36.7% of decided voters in the riding. New Democratic Party candidate, Louise Lorefice polls at 20.7%. 13.3% of voters were undecided.

The poll was conducted by Oracle on October 8 & 9. The sample size is 300 and the margin of error +/-5% 19 times out of 20. The question asked was “If a Federal Election were held today in Canada, which Party’s candidate would you vote for in your riding of Central Nova?”

On Tuesday, Canada needs to elect Green Party MPs, leader Elizabeth May said today.

“Media reports and suggestions from other parties that I am urging strategic voting across the country or that backroom deals are being made are complete nonsense,” Ms. May said. “As I have said over and over, strategic voting is generally not a sound strategy at all and I do not support it. Canada needs to elect Green MPs.“

Ms. May was responding in particular to the headline and opening of a Globe and Mail story that directly contradicts what she said to the reporter.

“I clearly said that voting strategically as advice is pretty useless. I also said: ‘Suggesting one should jump away from the Green Party is very bad advice indeed.’

“We have a strong team of candidates across Canada. Every one of them is working hard to win and this much we know for sure: Canada needs Green MPs. I intend to win in my riding of Central Nova and I want to be joined by a strong caucus of MPs, like Adriane Carr in Vancouver Centre, Blair Wilson, Mike Nagy, Dick Hibma, John Fryer, Huguette Allen and others. We are running strong campaigns across this country.

“The best outcome of the election will be the defeat of the Harper government and the election of as many Green MPs as possible.”

Ms. May noted that support for her leadership, and the Green Party and its forward-looking policies continue to rise.

“Perhaps what is worrying the other parties is the strong support the Green Party has received from Canadians in this election. In this election we will elect our first MPs.

“I want to do politics in a much different way, with collaboration, civility and respect. But I am not making deals with other parties, and the Greens are not in discussions with other parties.

“I will say it once again so absolutely no one can be confused or misled: I want Canadians to elect Green MPs.”