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Greens Pass Bloc: Polls
Federal party now fourth in national support.
Canada's Greens leapfrogged the Bloc Québécois in two recent national polls, putting them in fourth place among federal parties for the first time. But the new support may not be enough for an electoral breakthrough under Canada's current electoral system, if world results are any guide.
Green parties have been elected to parliament and joined governments in democracies from New Zealand to Germany. The common thread for Green success, however, has usually been some form of proportional representation. In countries that use the first past the post system, such as Britain, the United States and Canada, Greens have had much more trouble.
For an overview of how Greens from Europe to Oceania are faring now, check out the following polls.
Canada: 9 per cent. Canada's Greens polled at 11 per cent in an Environics poll published in early January. They dropped down to nine, however, in a Leger poll conducted later in the month.
Finland: 8.9 per cent. Two months before the legislative election, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has hinted at bringing the party into his coalition of Centrists, Social Democrats and ethnic Swedes, which is expected to earn a new term.
Ireland: 7 per cent. The Green Party faces a tough challenge in the legislative election expected in May. Usually the fourth political force in the country, the Greens tied Sinn Fein in the latest survey. The party currently holds eight mandates in the House of Representatives.
Czech Republic: 7.6 per cent. The Czech Greens made it to the government, after the long political stalemate that followed the June 2006 election, and have topped the Democratic Union-Czech People's Party (KDU-CSL) to become the fourth most popular political organization.
Germany: 10 per cent. The Greens played a key role in the last Social Democratic government, partnering with Gerhard Schroeder in exchange for the Foreign Ministry and a commitment to gradually phase out nuclear energy. However, a close finish to the 2005 election and the subsequent "Grand Coalition" of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats relegated them to legislative spectators.
Estonia: 6 per cent. The Greens, assembled as a political party late last year, are the fourth most popular party in the Baltic nation, leaving behind established organizations such as the Social Democratic Party (SDE) and the Estonian People's Union (ERL).
Britain: 3 per cent. Without the benefit proportional representation, the British Greens sit way behind the three dominant parties. Just like Canada, however, the Greens do better nationally than do regional independence parties.
Australia: 7 per cent. The Australian system of preferential voting limits the role of the down under Greens. Most votes there are redistributed between the governing Coalition of Liberals and Nationals or the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
New Zealand: 7.5 per cent. The country's Greens placed specific conditions on the two major parties -- Labour and National -- before the last election, and although a coalition seemed likely, no agreement was finalized with the administration of Helen Clark. The party sits in third place. ![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
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12
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Grumpy
5 years ago
Green vote
Vote Green, well its better than not voting at all. As the Libs, Cons, and NDP have all failed to gain my vote, I choose to vote Green.
The problem with our non democratic country is that it is an old boys club that every 3 to 5 years has a vote, which is nothing more than changing the deck hairs on the Titanic!
Want change, vote Green and hope that we elect 10 or more members!
anarcho
5 years ago
For Shame!
It is shameful that 9% of the population (or more!) goes unrepresented because of our undemocratic system of voting. It should also be pointed out that with a proportional system we would not have NFA nor most of the right-wing cut backs
Gaali
5 years ago
Green Vote
I've supported the Green Party of England and Wales since I was 19, I'm now 46. I didn't understand the opinion poll comment about England and Wales: that the Green Party here may only be at 3%, but it does better than regional independence parties, at a national level. That isn't right! Plaid Cymru has 4 MPs in the House of Commons, the Scottish National Party has 4 MPs and as well is riding very high in opinion polls for the newish Scottish Parliament which is to be reelected in May 07. It might come out top. Articles in various national newspapers now discuss it.
Frank
5 years ago
Greens and PR
The reason we still don't have PR or a version of PR like STV is because some prefer that others not have a voice.
I won't vote Green but I'd certainly like to see them win about 10% of the seats. It would be healthy.
granthams
5 years ago
local solutions
It seems to me that the Greens should present a higher profile in municipal elections before asking voters to give them the reins provincially or federally.They would be very successful in many communities and could prove themselves as competent leaders. Global Problems Local Solutions
alive
5 years ago
green frogs?
Maybe they all want to be a frog in a bigger pond?
Chances are as you suggest that on a local level they could convince us that they are concerned for OUR sake!
anarcho
5 years ago
Not The Way we do it
Canadians don't have the same groupings in municipalities as federally. Cities tend to have progressive blocs of which Greens are a part. Setting up a separate Green municipal party, would under our undemocratic system, split the vote and the developer-real estate interests would get always in. (Well, they do usually, anyway)
Lefty
5 years ago
No PR no Green Vote
I agree, the natural allies of the greens are the socialists. Without proportional representation the greens only serve as vote splitters which allow the Gordoccios to win elections.
We need proportional representation in the worst way, I can understand why Gordoccio & Co want first past the post.
puffball
5 years ago
Well, my understanding is
Well, my understanding is that BC-STV gets another kick at the can in the next provincial election (in part with thanks to Gordo, I think) so it would be useful for those who are like-minded to organize a fruitful campaign in support of BC-STV prior to said election. By the way, if you're reading this before Monday Feb 5, visit the main page of the Globe & Mail, and vote in their online poll about what sacrifices you're willing to make for the sake of climate change.
freebc
5 years ago
Bah humbug!!!
Prorep is not democracy. It does not elect individuals that the voters want. It elects people who are listed in a party higharchy and not them that I vote for now.
Prorep forces coalitions and compromises in which the voter is left out in any decision making.
It would be far better if BC was to force by individual constituentcy a collection of democratically reform minded people who will break the Westminster model of elections, and build a constitution which includes foremost direct democracy as it's only platform.
People powered politics is the only way for green minded individuals to break the impass of ideologies that exists now.
You may continue to bitch, but at the end of the day, nothing will change for you until the system does. And to be perfectly honest, the Greens are seen as antiworker, communist nearly nutbars and will not be elected in any useful numbers anytime soon. You people frighten those of us outside the cities. Which is not to say that we disagree with everything you suggest. It's the things we DON'T agree with which frighten us.
With direct democracy legislation (that works) in place which is binding on a government to enact, individual items can be presented to the voters, and debated publicly prior to a referendum vote to decide the issue. If the issue is presented correctly and reasonable arguements can be made to support or reject something, the voters will ultimately decide correctly.
Right now in our parlimentary dictatorship, the voters don't vote for who they like necessarily, but rather they vote for the least objectionable person(s). Those they dislike least.
That's why the Greens will never make the in roads needed to bring about meaningful change.
However, I believe that democratically minded individuals can lay down the rocks long enough to elect people that will run without an agenda and bring people powered governance into being. And that people powered governing will be far more effective than what we see now.
Add to that the ability to elect a particular representative from a specific area within a region, where folks KNOW the person they are electing and you have responsive governance too.
VancouverPointGreen
5 years ago
Making headway for winning seats
What wasn't mentioned is that the Green Party topped the NDP in Alberta and Quebec in the same poll. It's very close in urban centres, like Victoria and Vancouver as well. Dependig on how Taliban Jack and Chairman Chao take on the Clean Air Act with the Conservatives, the poll numbers may become even more favourable.
It should be added that out of the 6 seats the Czech Greens won in that country under a Right coalition, 4 of them were placed in cabinet positions.
The Greens have gone up in the polls in NZ as well to 8%and would get 10 seats if the election were held today:
http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/NewsDisplay/tabid/209/articleID/20362/Default.aspx
The point is that more voters are seeing the benefits of having global values represented by an organized political party. Hopefully, Elizabeth May and the Greens will bring up the importance of proportioal representation in our archaic electoral system.
Thanks for paying attention, Angus!
freebc
5 years ago
Vancooverpiontsgagme
It will be prorep over my dead body.
I will NOT allow that junk to pass by without some fightin'.
Prorep is NOT democracy and it won't fix anything here.
As suggested in an earlier discussion, the Swiss model of direct democracy is worth looking at because in THAT model, the people control the politicians.
You don't like my politics? I don't like yours either. But issue by issue governance where the public can debate fully and then decide what the politicians are going to do via referendum works for me. Then I can depend on the collective wisdom of ALL of the voters. Not just a handful of deal making slime buckets doing things that Gordo wants because he can...