General · 7th April 2009
Michael Stahnke
On Saturday April 4th I was one of approximately 300 people who participated in a demonstration opposing the General Electric/ Plutonic Power project at Bute Inlet and opposing the other large, privately-owned run-of-the-river projects to follow. The demonstration, which was held in Nanaimo, was also a protest opposing the Liberal government’s policy of not allowing BC Hydro to construct new generating capacity, but instead requiring that all new electrical power be generated from private, for profit corporations. This was a demonstration in favour of protecting our rivers and our environment and in favour of our right for a more open and democratic government.
The demonstration was staged on Saturday in front of the Nanaimo Convention Centre to coincide with a meeting of the Association Of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities. Regional Director Jim Abram, along with other regional directors, put forth motions at the meeting which would: a) allow participation of local governments in local land use planning, b) restore BC Hydro’s mandate for power generation, and c) place a moratorium on all private sector independent power projects until a plan is developed to determine social and environmental impacts and to determine if there is a need for these projects in the first place.
The demonstration was an important event. Organizers and participants are all to be congratulated for your commitment.
Two major themes of what will be required if we are to be successful were repeatedly voiced by speakers and organizers
A. We must work together. The issue is complex. We are up against multinational corporations with vast resources and we are opposing a provincial Liberal government whose philosophy promotes corporate ownership and wealth above individual rights.
B. This is a political issue, it will require political solutions.
The political solution most urgently required is a change of government. We need a people friendly, environment friendly government to work for us.
Our Provincial Election is on May 12th. For the sake of individual rights and environmental protection this election is probably the most important in recent memory. The Liberal government must be defeated.
Positive political solutions require that we acknowledge political realities. Our political reality is that the election will be very very close in this riding. The Liberal candidate is outspoken in her support for General Electric/Plutonic Power . If the Liberal candidate wins in this riding our fight becomes very difficult, almost impossible to win.
A second reality is that our Green Party candidate cannot win in this riding. I know and respect the Green Party candidate. I was a founding member of the Quadra Island Green Party and understand their aspirations. The political reality is that voting history, voting preferences and the current electoral structure make winning very difficult for the Green Party. The Party is hoping for an improved vote count. The problem is that every one of those votes is one less vote for the candidate who has won this riding and can win again. Every vote for a candidate other than our incumbent MLA is one less chance to save our rivers and to save Bute Inlet.
Claire Trevena, our incumbent MLA, is our New Democratic candidate. If the NDP wins the election we will have won our battle with GE/Plutonic. The NDP promises to place a moratorium on new independent power projects until cumulative environmental impact studies are done and a BC energy policy is implemented after full public participation. The NDP has also pledged to repeal Bill 30, which the Liberals passed, that prevents local government oversight of development that can affect our rivers.
Those of us who know Claire and are aware of her achievements, know her to be very environmentally and socially conscious. Her record over the past four years is proof of her commitment. Claire’s final speech in this most recent sitting of the Legislature was in opposition to the GE/ Plutonic project.
What I’m asking is quite plain, that Green Party members vote for Claire Trevena. This is not an abandonment of green principles. This is working together to achieve an important common goal, to achieve an environmental/social victory. Part of working together is voting for the candidate who can win, the person whom we need to win. Splitting the vote and allowing a Liberal victory is not in anyone’s interest.
This provincial riding is ground zero in the fight for the environment. The organizers and speakers at the rally emphasized the need for unity. There is no more important time for unity than now.
Bute Inlet
Comment by Michael Stahnke on 15th April 2009
Thank you all for the discussion. The main issue of my article is Bute Inlet. My reason for writing the article is to encourage people to work together to save Bute Inlet. Splitting the vote will not save our rivers.
rebutle
Comment by Jo-Anne M on 14th April 2009
This is all very well and good but I don't really know how getting Clair back into opposition is going to have any positive effect on this run-of-the-river prject in the end. What is going to have a positive effect is continuing to hold our elected officials accountable.
We have the right to vote but we also have to responsibility to ensure they are accountable. And yes, we need to carefully consider the effects of STV on our system of governance and vote accordingly AND we need to ensure that the referendum results are respected. Having a liberal or an NDP candidate is irrelevant to this.
We need to look at the big picture. Strategic voting does not work and promoting it is unethical besides.
Run of the River is the latest issue, it's an extraordinary issue and it's not going to be solved by voting for a party you don't believe in. If you look back there is always an issue that ends up not getting resolved during an election. What ends up happening is we get a mediocre result that nobody is happy about. I would much rather put my vote toward something I believe in and have that party be credited with funds to continue to promote what I believe in than to waste my vote on something that I don't believe in. Green voters are not responsible for putting a liberal candidate in our seat, liberal voters are. This is percisely why we need to consider the benefits of an STV system.
We need big picture leadership on green and economic issues. This is an opportunity to inspire real change because we are going to continue to be faced with run-of-the-river projects if we continue to vote for NDP who (also) don't have a hope of getting back into power. And we need to continue to hold our elected officials ACCOUNTABLE regardless of which party they are apart of.
response to the common good .....
Comment by Heather S. on 13th April 2009
Many good points Michael ! Rob and I were amongst the founding members of the Green party in Victoria about 25 years ago. Unfortunately as it currently stands to vote Green is a gift to the BC Liberals and we will be faced with more of the same - giving away the rights to our province with privatization of health care, ferries, hydro, forests and more. We only have to look at the last federal election to see what happens when Conservative, John Duncan was returned as the MP for our riding. I understand the sentiment of voting with your heart, but sadly this may have a devastating, long term impact on our region. Claire Trevena has worked tirelessly for us all and will continue to do so. Voting with my heart means voting for Claire. If the majority do vote yes to electoral reform and STV is implemented then in the next Provincial election it will be safe to vote with your heart if you wish to vote Green. Meanwhile, let's kick the Campbell Liberals out !!!
As a gov't employee I must leave out my last name.
Abandon the NDP and Save BC
Comment by Philip Stone on 13th April 2009
When Michael Stahnke says "This is not an abandonment of green principles" he indicates a profound misunderstanding of both Green principles and what the NDP stand, or rather don't stand, for.
The recent release of the NDP platform highlights the misdirection this once proud party has headed. 'Axing' the 'gas' tax is just one example of NDP policies that are completely out of touch with the realities of combating climate change and the shifts recognized the world over that are required to move us to a low-carbon future.
Having surveyed the NDP press releases from the past 12 months I can impartially inform GumBoot readers that over 70% of the 'news' issued by the NDP contain nothing but complaint and disagreement with the Liberals WITHOUT a single positive suggestion or idea. The remainder have 6% that contain a suggestion and most of those related to forestry, another sector that the NDP can hardly claim stalwart stewardship of during the Dismal Nineties. The rest were unrelated to policy.
As the Green Party is completely focused on solutions and positive forward-thinking ideas I strongly disagree with Mr Stahnke's assertion. Voting NDP is a wasted vote, a vote for a party that lacks leadership, vision and a basic grasp on what is going to be required to lead our province.
Let's recall that it's the GREEN economy everyone's talking about. Only the BC Greens have the integrated policies capable of making the green economy reality.
The Libs can't while they push oil and gas and the NDP can't when they lack the basic understanding that carbon pricing (eg: carbon tax) is essential to shift to clean energy.
Head first this time!
Comment by Susan Westren on 11th April 2009
A comment to your comment about heart-first voting. Ordinarily I would agree; however, seeing what the BC Liberals have done to our province puts us into extraordinary times where strategic voting is imperative. A vote for the Greens in this riding will hand-deliver votes to the Liberals, seal the deal on selling our province's power and water south of the border, and continue the countdown to irrevocable environmental destruction.
An NDP government is our best hope for STV, which will allow people to vote with their hearts and not have that equate an instant Liberal majority. Please, Greens, think thoughtfully about your actions! Voting with your heart when our province is in a Liberal death grip seems ultimately self-destructive.
Let's get STV in the rule books first, and then vote with our hearts!
vote where your heart is....
Comment by Jo-Anne Moore on 11th April 2009
...change does not happen over night! but if we continue to vote in order to keep the "other guys" out then we will never see the change we really need. if your heart is with the greens, by voting green, your vote demonstrates your belief in a long term vision of sustainability. add to the momentum. inspire others to vote for what they truly believe in.
stop voting for the next 4 years, it's feeding into the politicians 4 year life mentality . vote for the next generation. yeah, the short term might be lost but you add to a huge long term momentus gain and true change!
bcstv
Comment by pat gibson on 9th April 2009
perhaps another consideration for greens is that if the liberals Do get in again, in all probability they would never enact the new voting system even if the voters approved it because they would never have power again.
However if the ndp were elected they would likely enact the stv and in future it would be easier to make choices like voting green. Personally i would love to vote for thr greens , that is where my heart is but to split THIS vote and allow the lieberals to get into power again would be an environmental disaster of epic proportions. They are destroying the environment of this province as fast as they can
Re: The Common Good
Comment by Paul Ryan on 9th April 2009
Well said, Michael! Let's hope that people listen and understand just how important this election is.