http://greenpolitics.ca A grassroots view of green politics Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:49:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 http://greenpolitics.ca/2009/05/was-the-stv-referendum-set-up-to-fail/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2009/05/was-the-stv-referendum-set-up-to-fail/#comments Fri, 22 May 2009 20:58:52 +0000 Stuart Hertzog http://greenpolitics.ca/?p=407 Although BC-STV nearly squeaked by in 2005, it went down in flames spectacularly this year. Despite the almost $750,000 spent and aided by a small army of volunteers, poor process, too many amateur cooks on the ‘Yes!’ side’s committees, a complicated voting system badly explained, and too-large electoral areas meant that BC-STV was practically doomed from the start. Could it have been deliberately set up to fail? Or was this just a case of hubris?]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2009/05/was-the-stv-referendum-set-up-to-fail/feed/ 8 http://greenpolitics.ca/2009/01/ndp-green-coalition-needed-in-bc/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2009/01/ndp-green-coalition-needed-in-bc/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:34:17 +0000 Stuart Hertzog http://greenpolitics.ca/?p=302 The BC Green Party's determinaton to run a full slate of candidates in this year’s provincial election could be interpreted as a sign that it has not yet developed a mature political strategy for the election. Only an NDP-Green coalition can keep Gordon Campbell from victory in 2009.]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2009/01/ndp-green-coalition-needed-in-bc/feed/ 3 http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/10/different-leader-same-mistake/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/10/different-leader-same-mistake/#comments Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:19:33 +0000 Stuart Hertzog http://greenpolitics.ca/?p=207 Although philosopher George Santayana offered the sage advice to learn from history or repeat it, it seems that his message hasn’t yet reached the inner sanctum of the Green Party of BC. By parachuting herself into the recently-announced Victoria-Fairview byelection, leader Jane Sterk is making the same mistake as her predecessor.]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/10/different-leader-same-mistake/feed/ 8 http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/09/can-green-parties-stay-green/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/09/can-green-parties-stay-green/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:46:32 +0000 Stuart Hertzog http://greenpolitics.ca/?p=173 As polls show public support for the Green Party of Canada rising steadily to between 10% and 12% nationally and up to 15% here in BC, the tension between possible electoral success and the party’s set of basic Green political values becomes even more apparent. The problem is that most party members have no knowledge or understanding of core Green values.]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/09/can-green-parties-stay-green/feed/ 15 http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/09/green-politics-is-non-hierarchical/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/09/green-politics-is-non-hierarchical/#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:23:45 +0000 Stuart Hertzog http://greenpolitics.ca/?p=147 This is the second of a two-part series on restructuring Green political parties in accordance with Green values. The first part of this series considered the democratic deficiencies present in centralised Green parties. This second part presents a non-hierarchical structural model that offers many advantages to revitalise Green parties as dynamic centres of citizen activism.]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/09/green-politics-is-non-hierarchical/feed/ 6 http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/09/green-politics-is-not-top-down/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/09/green-politics-is-not-top-down/#comments Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:32:00 +0000 Stuart Hertzog http://greenpolitics.ca/?p=134 Despite the intent to create a more democratic political process, many Green parties from the start adopted the same ‘top-down’ hierarchical structure as mainstream political parties. Their leadership progressively sealed themselves off from the party’s grass roots, and in many cases membership and fundraising declined precipitously. This analysis looks at why.]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2008/09/green-politics-is-not-top-down/feed/ 1 http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/one-step-forward-two-steps-back/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/one-step-forward-two-steps-back/#comments Mon, 29 Oct 2007 03:42:26 +0000 Stuart Hertzog http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/28/one-step-forward-two-steps-back/ Seeking to end two decades on the fringes of politics, BC Greens took their first tentative steps on the slippery slope to power. Whether it leads towards the Green ideals of world peace, ecological and social justice, and grassroots democracy depends on whether the party sells its soul in its quest for influence.]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/one-step-forward-two-steps-back/feed/ 3 http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/and-the-winner-is/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/and-the-winner-is/#comments Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:01:42 +0000 Stuart Hertzog http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/23/and-the-winner-is/ After a hotly-contested race, the BC Green Party chose Esquimalt councillor Jane Sterk as their new Leader. She’s going to have to use all her impressive political and personal skills to repair the damage of the previous eleven months and build the party into a vote-getting machine for 2009. ]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/and-the-winner-is/feed/ 0 http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/capturing-the-global-warming-agenda/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/capturing-the-global-warming-agenda/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:27:57 +0000 Stuart Hertzog http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/09/capturing-the-global-warming-agenda/ BC premier Gordon Campbell’s announcement of his intent to reduce provincial greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020 has serious political implications for the BC Green party. It will take more than puppy-dog thinking to convince voters to give up their allegiance to the mainstream options.]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/10/capturing-the-global-warming-agenda/feed/ 0 http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/09/is-homelessness-deliberate-social-policy/ http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/09/is-homelessness-deliberate-social-policy/#comments Fri, 28 Sep 2007 05:33:07 +0000 Jack Etkin http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/09/27/is-homelessness-deliberate-social-policy/ JACK ETKIN WRITES: In my opinion, homelessness is deliberate, not on the part of the homeless but on the part of the people who are running this country. $1 billion per year in five years would create 30,000 units of housing, which could house homeless people all across Canada and probably reduce rents overall.]]> http://greenpolitics.ca/2007/09/is-homelessness-deliberate-social-policy/feed/ 6