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Last night, Mike Schreiner appeared on The Agenda with Steve Paikin to talk about what this election means to him, why it’s so significant to have a Green voice at Queen’s Park, and the Green Party’s platform for the upcoming election.
Some highlights:
“Elected Greens around the world and in Canada are showing that you can do politics differently. I feel like I can work and collaborate with parties, while the three establishment parties’ politics as usual is “let’s bash each other and tear each other down.” I’m more interested in building Ontario up. If that means working with other parties, we will do that.”
I know you are fighting for a seat in Guelph. Given the low expectations for the Party, why do it at all?
I got into politics because I thought the three establishment parties were failing us on three major issues. One is the climate crisis. Two is rising levels of inequality Three is just the toxic way in which politics is done in Ontario. I want to change all three. Elected Greens across Canada are doing that, and that’s the people powered change that I want to bring to Queen’s Park.
Make the case for why, in a Parliament with 124 members, why would one Green make a difference?
I’ve already made a difference. I led the charge to get big money out of politics in 2016. I worked with the Premier in helping write the Legislation to ban corporate and union donations to political parties, lower donation limits, and then worked with the two opposition leaders to get that done. That’s what doing politics differently is about.
When people see elected Greens in action, they then vote for more Greens because they like what they are seeing. That’s why PEI has doubled their caucus, that’s why BC has tripled their caucus, and now Andrew Weaver is showing that you can hold what he calls the “balance of responsibility” in a minority government. In this case, the BC Greens hold them to their principles. That’s the role I can play in a minority government in Ontario as well.
The response has generally been positive for Mike’s appearance on The Agenda, see comments from Twitter below:
Thanks for @TheAgenda‘s terrific coverage of the parties and candidates in #OntarioElection2018, and especially for highlighting the elusive Green Party yesterday. After hearing @MikeSchreiner‘s intelligent discussion of the issues I’m rethinking who to vote for on June 7. https://t.co/iFWC0p1fpI
— Erika Sheridan (@EKSheridan) May 26, 2018
Saw the Green Party leader on TVO Agenda. Very impressed with platform, but most of all with the honesty & fact that reasoning behind proposals is sound, i.e. costs/benefits/risks/impact long-term, not short term (i.e. election cycle)…
— Julie Panneton (@JulieMDPanneton) May 26, 2018
@MikeSchreiner Until last night I was undecided about where my vote was going. After seeing your interview with S Paikin on TVO last night my vote is going with the @TheGreenParty. Have supported your right to be included in a debate and still do. More honesty and less politics
— Debbie Furniss (@Debbie_Furniss) May 26, 2018
Honesty and integrity in politics is why I’m voting Green. #Onpoli #MikeAtTheMic @MikeSchreiner https://t.co/gJnFMWZM7D
— Christopher Zabaneh (@EnerZab) May 26, 2018
#mikeschreiner “it only takes 1”, #Leadership is about making things happen @TheAgenda did a great service by offering airtime, showing #leadership in the media as always @spaikin fair questions – well done!
— Fernando E. Pardo (@ProfessorPardo) May 26, 2018
Thank you @sandragionas – we did (do) want #MikeAtTheMic but boy, a full 48 minutes of @TheAgenda with Mike and the @OntarioGreens is not a bad consolation. Well done! https://t.co/dK5WNHUa5u
— Radicle 1 (@radicleenergy) May 26, 2018
Thank you TVO, TheAgenda and @spaikin for the coverage this election. Your acceptance of the Green Party as an official voice on these important issues have been tremendously valuable. TheAgenda serves as such an important and balanced outlet for conversation.
— Aaron McIntosh (@AaronInToronto) May 26, 2018
What a fantastic episode. My vote is already decided, but I really hope the Green Party wins some seats in the election; I am very impressed by Mr. @MikeSchreiner and his ideas. Also, what a great panel! As always The Agenda was excellent.
— Alan Harris (@AlanWharris) May 26, 2018
I’ve never heard @MikeSchreiner speak for the @OntarioGreens. On @TheAgenda tonight he was well spoken and made a lot of sense to me. His platform was pragmatic. Stream it on @TheAgenda tomorrow. #ONPoli
— Dan Watkins (@d3talk) May 26, 2018
Following Mike Schreiner’s interview with Steve Paikin, a panel of energy and economics experts analyzed the Green Party of Ontario’s platform. Here are some excerpts from their discussion.
On the potential impact of Greens at Queen’s Park
“The history of small parties is a history of big ideas. The Green surge in 2007 sent a strong message to the governing Liberals that there was a real constituency for green ideas,” Toby A.A. Heaps, Corporate Knights Magazine
On replacing nuclear with water power from Quebec
“The opportunity to import from other provinces is absolutely a practical way of replacing the 10,000 MW from nuclear power,” Celine Bak, Analytica Advisors
“Some provinces are able to produce electricity better than others. We should think less about sovereignty and self-sufficiency and think more about generating electricity from the least cost producers,” Trevor Tombe, Department of Economics, University of Calgary
On the clean economy
“We should be confident in the opportunities described by the Green Party’s plan for the clean economy and jobs,” Celine Bak, Analytica Advisors
On a fully costed platform
“The Greens are the only party to put forward their ideas with full costing of how they’re going to pay for them. If you’re fiscally responsible, there’s only one choice this election,” Toby A.A. Heaps, Corporate Knights Magazine.