Subject : Green Party options
First, I think it is really essential that the SK greens produce an issue of
the Weaver this summer. We need to explain to our members and supporters
why the name was changed. We also need to assure them that this does not
represent a move to the right, following the federal GPC. Since I have returned
from my trip, at least a dozen supporters have told me they are very worried
about the move, and all of them had assumed, from the news article in the
Leader Post, that this was a move to the right.
We also need to inform as many people as possible about the fall meeting. I
have volunteered to help put this together and help do a mailing.
Second, there is another
option open for the federal Greens in SK. Some have insisted that we
have to run a full slate of GPC candidates.
Some want to run none. Others want only to run in constituencies where
the Green vote will not "defeat the NDP."
But there is another option that I personally favour. As you know, I am very
much in favour of a change in the constitution of the GPC to make it a federalist
Green party, along the lines of the Greens in the USA and Australia. A confederation
of indpendent state Green parties.
The option that I would propose would be to constitute the present provincial
division of the GPC into an independent federal level Green party. This would
be a major push to other Greens to try to develop a Green Party of Canada as
a confederation of provincial and territorial Green parties.
I have talked to Elections Canada. They say we can do this. We just need to
go through the party registration process, the details of which are on their
web site. We would have to round up more members; the minimum is 250, but they
recommend getting 375 members, with addresses, as they will mail confirmation
forms to them. Some people who sign pledges do not return their forms.
What about the name? I proposed they we be called the Green Party of Saskatchewan,
and reminded them that we are registered under that name as a provincial party.
The woman I talked to said they might not approve that name as it could be
too close to that of the Green Party of Canada. When I suggested the name Saskatchewan
Greens, she said that would probably be approved. I explained to her that there
are many countries in the world which have more than one Green party, and that
France has five at last count, and Spain four.
I would hope that this option would be discussed by the executives and with
other options at the fall meeting.
Cheers, Jack
John W. Warnock
2156 Retallack St.
Regina, SK
S4T 2K4
(306) 352-5282
