Green Conservatives - The Truth About The Green Party

By: Jesse M. Zimmerman (originally published with edit by YUFreePress)


The Green Party, both the federal and the Ontario provincial counterpart, have made some gains in the last few years and are being taken more seriously by voters. Here at York University people with Green Party pins are becoming quite common and there seems to be some consensus that the Greens are a grassroots, progressive, even a defiant choice. This was once exemplified to me when a friend of mine was declaring with a rebellious tone that he had voted Green before. There is something perceived as ‘cool’ and ‘out there’ about voting Green rather than one of the so-called traditional Canadian parties. It appears to be a bandwagon, but how many ‘supporters’ have taken the time to fully figure out why? When examining the Green Party’s platform in great detail though, one would be surprised at how regressive, conservative and even right-wing their policies actually are. There is some inherent absurdity in having a party named after one issue.



The Green Party movement began in Europe, sprouting various national parties. The policies vary depending on which nation, some being more akin to Social Democratic policies and others more centrist or conservative. Canada’s Green Party was founded in 1983 and did indeed start as a tiny grassroots party focused on environmental politics. It grew at a slight pace over the years and grew under Jim Harris in 2003. Harris, a former Progressive Conservative and motivational speaker for large corporations, started to shift the party rightward. He hired David Scrymgeour, a former aid to current Conservative Finance advisor Jim Flaherty. The assumption made by many that the Greens are a grassroots, communal party would be surprised to learn that under Harris leadership the Greens became the most top-down of all Federal Parties with immense power amassed in the leader and little control in the hands of riding associations and local party activists. Under Harris the Greens had barely anything for a party platform either, making their policies more or less unknown.



In 2006 Elizabeth May became the leader of the Federal Greens. It is believed that Jim Harris, although he resigned voluntarily beforehand, was not pleased about this (he openly expressed contempt for female members on different occasions). Despite Elizabeth May’s wishes to start from a ‘clean slate’ many Harrisites still hold incredible sway on various councils within the party’s internal apparatus. May herself is not excused from having a background in Conservative politics. In 1986 she worked under Brian Mulroney’s government as an assistant to then environment minister.



A close look at the Ontario Green Party displays other right-wing trends in their leadership and policies. Frank de Jong held the torch of leadership since 2001, recently announcing he will not be running for re-election as leader just this year. De Jong is a self-described Eco-Capitalist, citing big business as a tool for environmental sustainability and criticizing extensive government subsidies and funding for crown corporations. Is unregulated capitalism going to solve the global climate problem? Is it just me or is unregulated, rampant capitalism the root cause of the current global climate problem? De Jong also cited two types of Green Politics, those that favoured government subsidization and those that favoured market-friendly approaches. He chose the latter, claiming that less government is preferable and citing the concept of ‘an invisible Green Hand of the Market’. This language and methodology clearly falls into a neo-liberal model, the idea that the market can solve all problems, including environmental ones.



Both the provincial and federal Green Parties want to cut income tax substantially, which would likely result in less equality overall and cut back various public services. The proposed Carbon Tax idea, to tax resources, would likely have negative impacts on the socially and economically vulnerable as well. This is a regressive tax that ultimately punishes working citizens instead of the polluting corporations. It would likely drive the cost of heating fuel up, leaving many low-income families especially susceptible. There seems, thus, to be a lack of a social justice element in the Greens and a focus on environmentalism, but not environmental justice. A just transition between our current modes of production is essential, one that will not result in rampant job losses or worsening monetary inequality. Both pillars of environment and social justice are arguably necessary for anyone who defines themselves as progressive. The Green Party substantially lacks this separate pillar as is evident by the callousness of such regressive policies such as the Carbon Tax.



Another way to truly understand a political party is to take a thorough look at the people who run for the party. Although there may be some more progressive-leaning members of the Green Party, the fact is that Conservatives are filling their ranks. An example of this is Adrian Visentin, the candidate for Canada’s Green Party in Vaughan during the 2008 Federal Election. Visentin was formerly a member of the right-wing Reform Party and candidate for the Canadian Alliance, the precursors to the Harper Conservatives. The Reform Party was endorsed by the Heritage Front, a now defunct white supremacist group, back in the 1990’s. Even though the Reform Party rejected the endorsement publicly, there must have been something in their platform that appealed to white supremacists. It is odd that the Greens, a party many mistake for one of the Left, have a former Reform Party member in their ranks.



Although the environmental issue is of extreme and critical importance, would it ultimately be helpful to have a party called the Healthcare Party, or the Get Out of Afghanistan Party? The focus on the environment with a lack of focus on social justice makes many informed voters and environmentalists view the Greens as regressive. To do positive things on issues of eco-justice be sure to be informed and truly understanding the policies of the various political parties and movements and not be swept in by shiny logos and progressive sounding titles.

Drop Fees - End Poverty

Last Thursday, November 5th was a good day for a demonstration. The weather was shifty, from sun, to rain, to cloud, to hail and back again. I guess one could argue it was symbolic since the students of Toronto and social justice networks marched despite the constantly changing and challenging weather.

This year the CFS (Canadian Federation of Students) has began a campaign of "Drop Fees for a Poverty Free Ontario"; rather than simply doing the singular "Drop Fees" campaign that it's been doing for years, this time they have opted for a more holistic approach, tying issues of lack of access to education to poverty issues. Having grown up in the general Jane & Finch area, I've seen so much potential in people who could not pursue their gifts and talents in the way they could have because of their economic situation. Through easily accessible education society as a whole can benefit greatly.

At York University itself the YFS (York Federation of Students) enjoys extremely high support, having won a general election last year of a nearly 2 to 1 difference againts a rival, more right-wing slate, the YFS is sure to play a pivotal role in the forming student movement. Helping to mobilize York students, I have heard many diverse viewpoints on this issue. When people doubt I always recall the situation that took place a few years ago in France when the then right-wing government attempted to enact legislation that discriminated directly against youths and students. Students proceeded to take to the streets and occupied them for days until the government had to retract that offending legislation. This example, where a student movement was allowed to grow free of apathy and complacency, shows how potent and useful a strong student movement really is.

http://www.dropfees.ca

Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty