The campaign manager for the Green Party candidate running against NDP leader Carole James stepped down this morning with just six weeks to go until the election.
“I believe Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals need to be defeated in the upcoming election,” said Chris Parent in an e-mail explaining why he quit working on Adam Saab's campaign in Victoria-Beacon Hill which he had joined just a few weeks ago. “Carole James and the NDP are the ones to move the progressive voice.”
In the e-mail and in a phone interview he stressed that he thinks very highly of Saab personally, but disagrees with the party's strategy.
“If the Green Party were to focus on having 30 strong candidates, they could pick the ridings that would work best for them,” he said on the phone. “Otherwise you're looked at as the freaks and the geeks.”
“A good strategy for the Greens is to run Greens in every riding possible,” said Saab, who said he was “very surprised” Parent stepped down. “You can't elect them if they don't run.”
Even Greens who don't win will help shape the public debate, he said. “I'm very confident we will succeed in this election . . . These politicians you endorse will be influential in some form,” he said. “There's lots to be gained.”
Parent was hired after the Green Party posted the job, Saab said. Many of Saab's and the party's core supporters are working on leader Jane Sterk's campaign as well as the 'yes' to Single Transferable Vote campaign. “I agree with them. I think that is the most important part of this election.”
“We have a very professional team that's planning our campaign,” said Sterk. “I don't function from a place of fear. That seems to be the modus operandi for a lot of people who seem to think the Green Party doesn't have a right to run candidates.
"At some point in time people should get used to the fact the Green Party is part of the political landscape.”
As for Parent's departure, she said, “He's sort of a one-week wonder I guess. He had ties to the NDP.”
Parent said he joined the NDP after the 2001 election and sat as an alternate on a party committee, but that he is non-partisan. While he liked Mike Harcourt's approach, Glen Clark gave him a bad feeling. “I [once] got kicked out of the legislature for flipping him the finger.”
“I'm not a big party guy. I think that's obvious,” Parent said, adding he plans to put his efforts into encouraging voter registration.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.
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sunshine coast girl
3 years ago
A vote for any Green
in BC is a vote for the Liberals. When are these people going to understand that?
NicS
3 years ago
Greens OK, Now BCNDP Is Better
The Greens did what they had to do and should be commended for having helped bring the environment to the fore. The BCNDP has taken that challenge and moved forward with their new sustainable BC policy that was passed at their 2007 convention. It has principles like the Precautionary Principle enshrined within it. This is a policy that goes beyond Greenwashing, it is a policy that has teeth in it to deal with today's environment in a way that will protect all of us in the future.
badfreeway
3 years ago
NDP != Green
How do you square that with the NDP's endorsement of the Port Mann/Hwy 1 project, NicS? We discussed this briefly on another site a few months ago, before their position reversal...
seth
3 years ago
Another Greenie for Gordo?
So mr badfreeway. With your Green vote Gordo wins and the Port Mann and a 1000 fish farms will be built. Apparently with the NDP only the Port Mann gets done.
So the Green vote is really a Brown vote.
Low information Green voters - what to do?
badfreeway
3 years ago
Could our voting system be any more broken?
I'm asking Nic a specific question that relates to previous comments on this subject.
A vote for the NDP in my riding is a vote for the NDP's biggest Gateway booster and likely the next finance minister. A scary combination indeed.
seth
3 years ago
hold nose and vote
I hate the system that makes us do that but all I can say to mr bad freeway the alternative is much worse. Hopefully after the election you can gather support, raise hell and maybe change NDP policy. With a Liberal/green win there is zero chance.
sunshine coast girl
3 years ago
We all have to hold our noses
at some time. I did during the Glen Clark years and I actually even worked for Gordon Wilson in one campaign. Couldn't bring myself to even speak to him, but the alternative was much, much worse.
Frank
3 years ago
Green strategy
Vote NDP and Yes to STV
That will stop Campbell's most destructive policies and allow the Greens to elect around 15%, and probably more, of the MLAs the next time around.
badfreeway, I don't agree with the NDP on Gateway either but first-past-the-post is always about voting for the lesser of two evils. So I'll vote NDP and Yes to STV.