The Vote for Environment website is attracting enough attention that Green Party members, largely left out of the site's choices, are hitting back hard.
An e-mail circulating among Greens accuses organizers Kevin Grandia and Alice Klein of being shills for the Liberal and NDP parties respectively.
“Five minutes of exhaustive research showed that Kevin Grandia was a paid Liberal staffer for many years,” said the message. Citing a blog, which in turn cites Sean Holman's Public Eye site, it noted he worked for Liberal incumbent Raymond Chan as well as the B.C. Liberal Party.
Grandia did not return the Tyee's call.
As for Klein, she is the editor and CEO of Toronto alternative weekly Now Magazine. The paper, according to the message going to Greens, “backs the NDP.”
Klein could not be reached either.
Vote for Environment makes assumptions that favour the Liberals and NDP, the message said. The choices are based on inaccurate polling, it said. “Unfortunately without accurate polling this site is not doing anyone any service,” it said. “In fact it is making things worse.”
It concluded, “The web site is founded by a former Liberal staffer and funded by a NDP newspaper editor – is it any wonder the site only recommends voting Liberal or NDP?”
The site does pick Green leader Elizabeth May as the best person to beat Conservative Peter McKay in Central Nova.
Green Party communications director John Bennett said the Vote for Environment people are welcome to their opinions, but the site is flawed. “I can say we don't agree with their calculations in a lot of instances,” he said. “We don't advise people to go there.”
Saanich-Gulf Islands Green candidate, Andrew Lewis, said, “What I'm hearing is people vote the way they want to. Nobody can tell them how to vote. I think there's a lot of backlash against this thing, which I think is healthy.”
In unrelated news, you'll find The Tyee's take on strategic voting here.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee's Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. You can reach him here.
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David Lewis
3 years ago
Grandia wants something done on climate
It wouldn't take much research to discover that Elizabeth May was a staffer working for the Conservatives, when Tom McMillan was Brian Mulroney's Environment Minister. She is proud of it.
Do Greens think this means Elizabeth is a shill for the Conservatives, planted as their leader in collusion with Harper so she can lead them on to drive that stake through Dion's heart without winning so much as a single seat anywhere? I'd guess not. She may do exactly that however, no matter what Greens are smoking that has them believing otherwise.
A few minutes of research would show that Grandia is sincerely interested in seeing something done about climate change, and a few minutes more would show the same about the Greens and Elizabeth May. People get carried away as the electoral system is winner take all, and some lose sight of the fact that it is the system that is pitting people of similar views and interests against each other.
If you think what Greens say to each other during election campaigns has any connection to truth ask them out in BC what they were saying when Adrianne Carr wanted to get rid of the young man who held the leadership during the seemingly endless years when types like Carr weren't interested because there was no money in it as there is now federally, or there were almost no votes in it as there was in BC until support surged and Carr suddenly wanted in. That leader, Stuart Parker, had the sheer gall to think Carr should run against him in a leadership election, it was incredible. Carr was outraged, why wouldn't he just step out of her way by resigning? What were they saying about Stuart Parker? And, supposedly, he was one of their own.
People who think politics is a blood sport haven't experienced blood at the level the Greens go in for it.
Budd Campbell
3 years ago
Kevin Grandia
I knew from the Georgia Straight and from PublicEyeOnline of Grandia's work for Raymond Chan and for Gordon Campbell. That's OKay with me as long as it doesn't colour what his site does in terms of estimates and recommendations.
The problem I have is that at least some of his recommendations did seem to have a bit of a Liberal tilt. For example, the Briony Penn recommendation in Saanich-Gulf Islands is based on an entirely judgemental redistribution of the NDP vote there, given Julian West's forced departure as part of a green coalescence strategy.
politico
3 years ago
A Hack did that?
Go Figure!
Although, a cursory glance of the site quickly determines the "scientific" merit is non-existent.
Clearly, strategic voting ( Buzz Hargroves baby as I recall) had to packaged in such a way the environmental crowd would approve of.
The notion embodied in both the voteforenvironment and voteforclimate is very much the essence of the environmental movement. The whole holier than thow transcending of human pettiness drives the attractiveness of the site and well hides the partisan nature and intent of the effort.
Brilliant work really especially when you consider the impact it will have.
seth
3 years ago
useful idiots
The bad old day Soviet officials used to refer to the left in the west as useful idiots. Harper's Neocons look at the Greens in the same way.
These brainless fools who instead of working inside the Liberal and NDP for greener policies had to start their own party and pushed by the Neocon media will split the vote so badly that the two thirds of Canadians who hate Neocons will none the less have a Neocon government.
Their US branch Ralph Nader gave George Bush an 8 years license to gut the US environment and kill a million Iraqis.
The BC green branch has gifted us with 4 more years of environmental destruction by ensuring an election victory for Gordo's gang of neocon thugs and will likely give us four more.
This election, the most environmentally unfriendly government in Canadian history will likely be given a another license to destroy the environment by the Greens.
politico
3 years ago
Good point Seth
That is why the Shun Lunn campaign pulled no punches and went after the main culprit in Harpers cabinet and things are looking are good for the environment now that Lunn is on the ropes.
His defeat will send the strong message to these windbags that they are not as infallible as the mainscream would have us believe.
DPL
3 years ago
Hey I don't even live in
Hey I don't even live in Sannich and the Islands , but did live there for some years, and don't vote Liberal in my own riding but have no problem sending some cash to Dr.Briony Penn's office to help get rid of the reform/ alliance/ conservative slug holding the position of do nothing much for the average folk MP. Go Briony and wipe the floor with the guy
Budd Campbell
3 years ago
CVBC role in Sannich-Gulf Islands
That is why the Shun Lunn campaign pulled no punches ...
Interesting comment, politico. How aggressive was the effort to push all the non-Tory vote there into a single column behind Liberal candidate Briony Penn?
You will recall that over a year go Will Horter and the Conservation Voters of BC ordered Green members in that district NOT to nominate anyone. The Greens disobeyed and nominated Lewis. What did the CVBC do in response?
politico
3 years ago
CVBC etc
I think you overestimate the CVBC and fellows like Horter and Dauncey.
Sure they have their loyal fans but their reach is limited.
Nobody orders anybody to do anything successfully.
What is most fascinating is the enivros embracing the concept of strategic voting long advocated by Hargrove.
We see that Hargrove is silenced this election yet the strategic vote is going to drive the day and impact this election more than any other single factor due to the complete avoidance of any debate on the issues that matter to Canadians.
You want a horse race, expect strategic voting to dominate.
politico
3 years ago
By the way
It should be clear that the Shun Lunn campaign has no connection with Horter or the Dogwood initiative.