[FootPrints]

Glad to get your reply. I just really bothered me that the party would write letters to places that were hosting his seminars, and try to stifle free speech. I've never read his books, and do admit he might be "kooky" but to each his own. As long as someone is not physically harming another, they have a right to their beliefs. I will always stand behind that.<br /> Since when is thought a crime? <br /> <br /> Maybe I have been too harsh, blaming the Green Party as a whole for this incident.<br /> <br /> (Off topic but I had to look up Maliseet, I've never heard of that Indian Band before. I have been trying to find my own Indian ancestors. I do know they are from the Mohawk Indian Nation. Having trouble narrowing it down from there.)

[Marcarc]

It should be noted that it was Warman who was acting and signing on behalf of the Green Party, although that certainly doesn't excuse the party. They may very well have apologized since, or may have even expanded their demands on Icke, I don't know. If I thought they were going to be a party in power I would no doubt evaluate all of their actions that could be discovered, but the greens are very much still fringe so that two bucks at least means somebody is yelling about the environment.<br /> <br /> Maliseet bands are located on the western side of New Brunswick and eastern Maine, whereas perhaps you may have heard of the larger Micmac tribes which are located in eastern NB, NS, Nova Scotia, and from research I've heard they helped eradicate the Beothuk of Newfoundland, but I"m not sure about that.

[Zeeboo]

hello I plan on being a green party candidate in the next federal election and I have seen david icke aka "crazy Icke" speak. He is a really good speaker but then he goes off about how our world is run by some spirt lizards (which he does back up some what... I don't believe him personally but the way he constructs it he could very well be right) I was surprized to hear of this case and the next one which followed... Mr. Warman sued Icke for saying his is an enemy to free speech. hilarious. Anyway if you would like to view his speeches all you need to do is download win amp then click on media library and goto WWW TV. several channels play a speech he made at brixton academy. it is long but well done. only about 40 minutes are spent on the lizards and the rest is about how the structure of this planet works. On a side note I hope his is right because I don't like thinking people like hitler and bush are human.

[sthompson]

Hmm, hadn't heard of any of this before so I'm going to read a bit more. But backing slowly away from any discussion of the legitimacy of the idea of spirit lizards...<br /> <br /> And Marcarc, I know it's a bit of an aside, but could you please post some evidence to your assertion that the Green Party is the "most democratic" of the parties? <br /> <br /> Some interesting discussion re the Greens on rabble under <a href="http://www.rabble.ca/babble/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=001729">Greens Attack Walrus</a>, in response to what I thought was a very interesting article by Murray Dobbin in the most recent issue of the Walrus, "Green Party Blues". As one babble poster says, Green Party Blues includes a "description of the collapse of democratic process within the party".<br /> <br />

[CamTheCat]

I've recently looked into this incident myself.<br /> <br /> As far as I can tell these events happened some time ago, and occured between ppl that obviously didn't represent Green values very well. There was a change of direction withing the party, under the leadership of Jim Harris, and this bothered many members. In the last couple of years the party has had an amount of restructuring that again caused grumbles from within, and I do know that a few NDPers in the Green Party left to form the PEP (peace & Ecology Party). Anyways, in any political over time there will be some bad apples that get a lot of negative attention, and some ppl who leave a party and take it upon themselves to campaign against the ones they are mad at.<br /> <br /> I have faith in this party as a viable option for Canadian voters. I'm running for the Green Party in the next federal election, running as a candidate in my local district.<br /> <br /> This is a great forum, and I hope to get to know you all soon.<br /> <br /> Cameron W

[MadeInCanada]

I might consider a vote for the Green Party. I might, if I was a tree-hugging hippie, that is.

[Roy_Whyte]

[QUOTE BY= MadeInCanada] I might consider a vote for the Green Party. I might, if I was a tree-hugging hippie, that is. [/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> LOL that is pretty funny but we are not all a bunch of hippies. I drive a V8 Mustang, I eat meat on weekends, I may or may not own a gun, I don't hug trees, I supported the twinning of the Port Mann bridge (man did I catch shiet for that), use deodorant and don't donate to Greenpeace.<br /> <br /> There has been lots of this and that said about the Green Party and most coming from supporters of one certain party which I will keep unmentioned here. <br /> <br /> The day of the Greens is coming or at least Green politics in the true sense of the word. As our earth dies around us through mismanagement and greed, people will turn to ideas to better ourselves and our environment instead of using it for profit and a dumping ground.<br /> <br /> Will the Greens expand on where they were last federal election... I would hope so, and I know there are more higher profile candidates running this time as the party meet the 2% rule as set by elections Canada. <br /> <br /> There have been high level Greens who have left the party, but that can be said of all the other parties. For as we have lost people to the others, we have also gained from them.<br /> <br /> Much is made of the "conservative" bent of our economic platform. Remember, we live in a democracy and even if our economic policy was built around Viking rape and plunder it would have to pass the population of Canada test. The Greens are still in my estimation feeling out policies and directions and in my book that is a good thing as it shows a willingness to change and adapt. We know the Liberals and Conservatives will stick to the free market version of rape and plunder. <br /> <br /> The BC provincial Greens had by far the best platform for the people and the province. I will debate and challenge anyone on the merits of that platform. The federal platform is still under my scrutiny but I don't see any huge red flags yet. <br /> <br /> Is the party democratic and open? You bet! Before I moved over I made the hierarchy promise to stick to their word about democratic reform at the federal level, bank reform and kicking NAFTA to the rubbish bin of history. When I put forward the idea to run as a DD (direct democracy) formulated candidate, I received no inkling of hesitation and in fact it was welcomed with eager anticipation. Allowing their candidates some flexibility speaks volumes to me. It should to others who think they might want to support the Greens.<br /> <br />

[Marcarc]

That the Green Party is the most democratic comes from several articles during the last election. I was regularly at their website, which included online polls. According to media reports at that time, as well as their website, several of their policies were changed in accordance to the web polls. For example, their diehard opposition to nuclear power was changed to a reluctance acceptance of it due to the fact that most canadians seem to have voiced a 'reluctant acceptance' of it.<br /> <br /> So far as I know, no other political party has ever done such a thing, or even contemplated doing such a thing. If a policy is unimportant or politically expedient then of course parties will adapt policy based on what polls might say, but that is quite a different mechanism. <br /> <br /> That Green's are making strategic choices based on expediency and which may upset grassroots supporters shouldn't surprise anyone, virtually every new party does that in order to get votes. The Greens, as mentioned before, are a very loose amalgam of environmentalists, but that is changing, as the above poster attests. So far as I know they have no policies that are 'set in stone' like the liberals,conservatives, and NDP have where independant votes are not tolerated. Canadians are notorious for being, at best, indifferent to the environment, at worst, downright destructive to it, so it isn't surprising that the party makes efforts to reflect that view somewhat.<br /> <br /> That is where the 'most democratic' party assertion comes from. It is even more democratic than the conservatives 'citizen's initiatives', which would have garnered them the 'most democratic party' in my eyes. And so, no doubt we will see it sacrificed, like the citizens initiatives, as the Party gets more popular.<br /> <br /> I suspect short of not voting, votes for Greens are the closest thing to a 'protest vote' that canadians can make, which is why I suspect they might be getting more popular.

[CamTheCat]

That's what I'm talking about!<br /> <br /> Man, it's refreshing to meet other Green cats in this forum. There are many other political forums where I feel like I've been thrown in with the lions when I bring up the Greens. That said, I'm never afraid of a challenge, and I've been holding my own in a few debates regarding the logic of the Green party, both in Canada and worldwide.<br /> <br /> Dig the green values link below....<br /> <br /> http://www.greenparty.ca/greenvalues.html?&MMN_position=115:3<br /> <br /> Cameron W

[Wayne Coady]

[QUOTE BY= MadeInCanada] I might consider a vote for the Green Party. I might, if I was a tree-hugging hippie, that is. [/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> Well then what would you have to be to support the Liberals, Conservatives or NDP... mixed up?

[Dino]

I'll be voting NDP. The green party is as equally right wing with the conservatives and liberals on economics. The green party doesn't even believe in balanced budgets. Why waste your vote on a party that can never form without proportional representation?

[CamTheCat]

Dino, please elaborate. I'm not sure that you're entirely correct.

[Dino]

Elaborate on what? The leader of the green party said it last election that balanced budgets didn't matter. He plans on funding social programs while cutting taxes for corporations! Doesn't make much sense.<br /> <br /> Look at this wonderful poll! <a href="http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051103/postgomery_polls_20051102/20051105?hub=TopStories">here</a>

[CamTheCat]

During the last election, the leader of the Green Party may have said that balanced budgets didn't matter in context of the party fighting for change, with the obvious outcome that the Green Party wan't going to win by a landslide. In the past the Green Party has been very concerned with the issues, and less concerned with outlining a balanced budget (as they knew they wouldn't be running the country that year). I do believe that they are hard at work creating a balanced budget in preparation for the upcoming election. Balanced budgets for Canada do matter, and I know that as an ex progressive conservtive, Jim Harris (leader of the Greens) is moving the party over to a fiscally conservative stance, while still upholding values of social & ecological justice.<br /> <br /> It makes a lot of sense. It makes the most sense of any of the parties.<br /> <br />