Green Party questions other parties' support for democracy

Toronto – The Green Party is looking for cross-party support to include Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, in the only televised Leaders’ debate during the provincial election.  Bill Hewitt, President of the Green Party of  Ontario, issued an open letter today to Hon. Dalton McGuinty, Andrea Horwath, and Tim Hudak.

“In 2007, the Green Party received over 6 times that of all other parties without a seat in the legislature combined. We have run a full slate of candidates (with the exception of one riding in 2003) in the past two elections and will do so again this year, ” says Hewitt.  “We also have the support for the Green Party’s participation in this debate from a diverse group of community members across Ontario and across the politicalspectrum.”

Regardless of political stripe, many Ontarians agree that it is fair and reasonable that the Green Party have a seat at the table. Over 5,100Ontarians have signed the petition at LetMikeSpeak.ca – over 2,700 of them since the debate was announced on Friday. This support shows thatOntarians recognize the important role that the televised Leaders’ debate plays an important role in the Ontario election, and that including the Green Party is fair and democratic.

The Green Party is clearly part of a growing global political movement that has elected officials all over the world – including seats in Germany, Britain, Australia and most recently, in Canada at the federal level with the election of Elizabeth May earlier this year.  The Greens in the German state of Baden-Württemberg also formed government earlier this year, a global first.

Why should the Green Party should be included in this year’s debate?

·         The Green Party was first to launch their provincial platform, A Five-point plan for Ontario, on May 25th.

·         In the 2007 general election, the Green Party of Ontario received 354,897 votes.  This is six times more than the results of all other parties without a seat in the legislature, combined.

·         In 2007, Green Party candidates achieved results as high as 33.14%, including 18 second and third place results.  Green Party candidates placed third in two of five recent by-elections, and was within a few dozen votes in a third riding.

·         People across the political spectrum support fair and inclusive debates – municipal councillors, community leaders and members of all parties have signed a grassroots, non-partisan campaign ‘Mike at the mic’, started by Dave Meslin, a Toronto community activist.

·         Recent polling shows Green Party candidates in close races with Progressive Conservative and Liberal candidates in select ridings.

The campaign is centered around an online petition at LetMikeSpeak.ca.

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