According to media reports, which first appeared on the 20th, the Green Party’s anticipated candidate in Peterborough-Kawartha plans to ask his supporters to vote for the NDP. Both the Globe and Mail and HuffPostCanada indicate that all of this is supposed to happen once it is too late to take the candidate’s name off of the ballot. In the meantime the plan appears to be to attend debates while pointing out how it’s better to vote NDP because “some” of their positions are similar.
Either you represent your party or you don’t? A lot of voters are away or won’t catch these stories; they will believe they have a legitimate Green candidate. If this is allowed to happen, isn’t this deceiving and misleading voters?
This story has been out there since August 20th. It is now the 23rd and so far the Green Party is still looking into it. Are they that slow to act or does the leadership agree with the position taken in Peterborough?
This type of nonsense hurts the party not only in Peterborough, but across the country as many voters will now wonder what their Green candidate might end up doing or for that matter what Ms. May might suggest in the dying days of the campaign.
With many polls suggesting the possibility of a minority government, shouldn’t the Greens be trying to elect a rump of MPs who can possibly hold the balance of power in parliament and the influence that would give them? No one expects them to win huge numbers in this election, but they do represent a legitimate option. Their ultimate aim this time around should be full party status in the House of Commons. The extra resources and exposure would place them in a better position leading up to the election after this one.
It is rather defeatist at this early stage to suggest your voters go elsewhere. Who would have predicted the Orange Wave in Quebec last election? There are a lot of undecided Canadian voters and Ms. May gave a credible performance in the leader’s debate that impressed many of them.
It is understandable that from a PR point of view May doesn’t want to get involved in removing a candidate or blocking their nomination, understandable that she wants to appear to be different to other leaders out there. But the reality is that she needs party officials who will take action.
It is now four days and counting to see what Ms. May and the officials in the party will do in Peterborough-Kawartha. What gives?
Why do candidates put themselves up for nomination if they have no intent on completing the campaign?
Likely the same reason that some spoil their ballet. Maybe it is a form of protest.
ballot
I kinda liked ballet 🙂