Letter - Political times are changing
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The face of Canadian politics is evolving, and Elizabeth May is the poster girl.
Support for the Green party is on the rise and although some tend to attribute this to what they call “protest votes” aimed against the governing Tories and opposition Liberals and NDP, I’m confident that the Greens are still happy to ride on the wave of popularity that may give them a more active role in Canadian politics.
In any democracy when people are not happy with the ruling party they vote outside the mainstream and if it is true that some of our votes are in reality protest votes, I think May should go with that.
Our priorities are shifting, with quality of life, family support, consumer protection, better education, support for research and a shift towards public transport. The Green party attracts a large percentage of young people, however in recent years has a growing “older” following.
After voting NDP for the last 34 years, I am now discovering that I could vote for the Greens because they tend to lean towards multi-culturalism, liberalism, freedom and environmental awareness, which are all issues that the Green party has in its policy program.
Acquiring the political skill required to move in the top echelons of power is one of the main challenges May faces. Saying that, when you look at the performance of Harper, Ignatieff and Layton, you realize it isn’t that difficult.
May has my respect, as she showed more cojones in the federal election debates and on the campaign trail than the other three combined. You just have to respect someone who would take Peter MacKay in his father’s riding of Central Nova. Although she didn’t win, she did take 32 per cent of the vote in MacKay’s riding, showing that voters are not content with the status quo.
I think many are hoping that May announces that she will seek a seat in Saanich-Gulf Islands. Besides it’s time for the Keebler Elf to move on.
William Perry,
Victoria, B.C.
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