High profile Green Party candidate Adriane Carr responded with outrage to today’s decision by Canada’s broadcasters to deny leader Elizabeth May a spot in the televised leadership debates next month.
“I’m incensed,” Carr told The Tyee. “This has got to make Canadians angry.”
A consortium of Canadian networks that includes CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV, Global Television and TVA made the decision after three leading parties expressed resisted May's inclusion.
The New Democratic Party, the Conservative and Bloc Quebecois painted the Greens as a single issue party and questioned its ability to elect an MP. They also pointed to a deal between May and Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion to refrain from running candidates in each other’s riding.
The three parties said they would not participate in the debates – which take place on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 – if May was given a spot. That threat ultimately carried the day.
"It became clear that if the Green party were included, there would be no leaders' debate," said a press release issued by the consortium.
Carr, who is running in a hotly contested four-way contest for Vancouver-Centre, described the behaviour of the three parties as “undemocratic.”
“They’re worried we’re going to poach their votes,” she said.
She also had harsh words for the network consortium, attacking the broadcasters for siding with the arguments of the opposition over the interests of free speech.
“The guys heading the parties are bullies,” she said. “But the consortium is full of wimps.”
In addition to securing the Green party’s wrath and sustaining criticism from across the country, the broadcasters will also likely face dismal ratings. They booked the English language debate head-to-head with a highly anticipated on-air showdown among the US Vice Presidential candidates. US Republican nominee and Alaska governor Sarah Palin is expected to draw high viewership on both sides of the border.
Though May had threatened legal recourse if she was denied a spot in the debates, Carr said she was unable to say what specific course of action would be taken. But she was certain the decision would be challenged.
“My belief is that you’ll see us in court," Carr said.
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Silvaine Zimmermann
3 years ago
Democracy without Fair Speech?
Get the mainstream media consortium where it hurts. Let's cancel our cable connections, and tell CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV, Global Television and TVA WHY! Excluding the voice of almost 15% of Canadians is unacceptabe. If you believe in democracy, cancel your cable bundle!
G West
3 years ago
May in the debate
Ms May, the other parties and the media should simply have called Harper's bluff.
If he doesn't want to be part of a debate that includes the Green Party then he should forget about the debate entirely.
I think the Green Party is a huge waste of time, I sent Ms May a personal email when she climbed to the top of the party and I asked her for clarification on several platform points that weren't clear on the Green website...she didn't even bother to reply - but that's no reason not to have her as party of the leadership debate.
That's democracy and these kinds of decisions threaten what little of it we have left in this country.
sicntired
3 years ago
Who is afraid of what?
The word is that all the leaders with the exception of DION were opposed to the Green party appearing in the debates.With Harper's record on the environment it's a no brainer why he objects.Jack Layton's stance is so undemocratic that he has no excuse other than pure political fear of losing votes to the greens.He lost mine a year ago.The block is playing it close to the vest but are every bit as complicit as the others.None of these men can make any claim as a true democrat if their stance doesn't change.This is opportunism,cowardice,fear and self aggrandizement on all of the leaders parts.I only hope Canadians will raise their voices in protest or boycott these debates if all political leaders are not allowed to take part.The only possible objection was the lack of a member of parliament.This has been dealt with and there is no legal or ethical reason for Elisabeth May's exclusion.If this decision is allowed to stand,Canada can no longer be referred to as a democracy..
Grumpy
3 years ago
The cancerous Canadian corporations.
It seems the 'big three' in Canadian politics don't want to be the big four and called their media friends to stop the greens in the leader's debate.
Well guys, this is what you have done:
Shown that Canada is not a democracy, rather an oligarchic dictatorship, an Old boys Club, run by Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dumb, and Tweedle Dumbest. Not one of the so called party leaders is worthy of being PM.
The Corporate media should collectively all lose their broadcast licences.
As for me, though I was largely tiring of the 'Greens' and their desire to tax the poor with environmental taxes (so easy to do), rather than providing a real platform for controlling pollution etc., I will vote 'Green', simply because I just can't vote for anyone else!
MPSmith
3 years ago
NewWest Candidate Speaks
Adriane is bang-on correct. After watching Sunday's kick-off speeches and subsequent interviews, I felt convinced we Greens would at last be allowed to join the debate. No TV network could deny the popular support, the obvious momentum, and the passionate will of the Green Party to address the issues. Elizabeth May made an infallible argument for inclusion - that of democratic representation.
I believe we are now living through what Al Gore describes in his book "The Assault on Reason" - the arrival of the internet as a modern version of the ancient Greek "agora", or house of assembly, where all points of view were open to discussion. I hope to bolster my own campaign for Green MP in New Westminster-Coquitlam using this limitless resource.
...because a lot of our other resources ARE reaching their limit... and we need to TAKE ACTION NOW. www.marshallsmith.ca
isthatso
3 years ago
Harper should get the blame.
"The three parties said they would not participate in the debates – which take place on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 – if May was given a spot. That threat ultimately carried the day."
According to what I saw on The National last night, and I just checked it again, the three leaders said that if Harper wasn't in, then neither were they, and Harper was the one who said no. The other 3 leaders didn't say if May was in they were out. They said if Harper was not in because of May, then they were not either. Give discredit where discredit is due!
G West
3 years ago
isthatso
Yep! That's pretty much it - Sweater vest Steve is the one who doesn't want the Greens in the shouting match....you're absolutely right.
bcandbeyond
3 years ago
Greens exclusion from debate
Check out my take on this at:
www.bcandbeyond.wordpress.com