[Iowa-dx] Author Margaret Atwood urges support for the Green Party of Canada (fwd)

[hhart@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu]

Second amazing article.



Green Party of Canada / Parti Vert du Canada

A Word from Margaret Atwood

Dear Friend,

Global warming -- with the related environmental
degradation, "natural" catastrophes, and
accelerating species extinction -- is surely the
biggest issue facing, not just Canada, but the
entire planet. Without oxygen to breathe, water
to drink, and soil to grow food in, a cut to the
GST is worth nothing. It won't matter if you're
paying 1% less GST if you're dead. Nor will your
survivors care much that they got a deal on your
coffin -- they'll be dead, too.

Yet Stephen Harper's government has gone from
outright denial of climate change to lukewarm
attempts to cover up and paper over this issue,
while all the time keeping Stephen Harper's
pledge to "build a firewall around Alberta."
Stephen Harper doesn't want us to develop
alternate energy, he wants us to keep burning
oil. That's why there was no significant money
for green economic development in his latest
budget.

The Green Party can be depended on to keep green
issues front and centre. Graeme Gibson and I
joined the Green Party to support Elizabeth May
as its Leader. In October, we traveled to the
heart of Elizabeth's Nova Scotia Pictou riding to
give a boost to her campaign to defeat Peter
MacKay. Speaking to a packed hall of 600 local
voters, I enumerated the reasons why Pictou
should send Elizabeth May to the Canadian
Parliament.

She is fearless.

She is honest.

Having led the Sierra Club for so long, she knows
where the bodies are buried. If people make
untrue statements about environmental issues,
she'll have the expert knowledge to call them on
it.

When she gives her word, either in writing or
orally, she keeps her word -- unlike Peter
MacKay, who promised not to demolish the
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, but
then did it.

In October -- even in the home town of Peter
MacKay -- there was spontaneous cheering and two
standing ovations for Elizabeth May. Some of this
was no doubt due to his betrayal of the old
Progressive Conservative Party in the merger with
Alliance. As I wrote at the time, the Alliance
Party were the "body snatchers." They consumed
the Progressive Conservative Party whole and
emerged as the new "Conservative" Party.
Elizabeth insists we must not call them "Tories."
They are the Alliance-Conservative-Republican
Party of Canada.

Like Elizabeth, I believe we must stay focused on
defeating Stephen Harper. Ensuring Elizabeth May
is in the Leaders' Debate is key. The Green Party
must have the resources it needs to raise the
most important issues of our time. It must be
able to wage significant campaigns, especially in
key areas.

Donations can be made to the Green Party, and to
other parties as well. The Elections Act allows
personal donations only. You can donate up to
$1,100 each year to the national party and $1,100
to one local riding (electoral district).

We need to put Elizabeth May into the House of
Commons so that she can speak honestly about an
issue that is of top importance to Canadians.
When a general election is called, and if I am in
the country at the time, I will travel to Pictou
and go door-to-door for Elizabeth.

Please make your donation today.

Yours truly,

Margaret Atwood