Hi Friend,
Thanks to so many generous supporters over this past year, the Green Party of Canada has already seen a positive shift. Our new President and Members of our Shadow Cabinet recently spoke about why they stepped into these roles within the party. We felt it was important you hear in their own words why they believe the Green Party of Canada is the best investment in ensuring we have a livable planet for our kids.
We have an ambitious goal of raising $550,000 in December, and your contribution today will help us meet that target so we can start 2023 in a strong position to address Canada’s most pressing issues.
Adrian Currie is our Ontario Representative to Federal Council and Shadow Cabinet critic for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
“I joined the GPC in 2009 because its platform and its policies spoke to me. Since then, I’ve been even more convinced that the Green Party is the Party of the future because it is the only political party in Canada on the federal level that understands that Climate Change and Global Warming is real, and that we have to take concrete steps to mitigate the most serious effects of it.
I stepped up to be a Shadow Cabinet member because to me, actions speak louder than words and from my belief, if you want to make real change, then it’s better to have a seat at the table when decisions are being made. I have only been on Shadow Cabinet for a short time so I know that I have a lot of work to do to represent GPC members in this area.
What gives me hope is the amazing amount of work that we have done in the last year to rebuild and reorient our Party to make it more resilient going forward.
Many of you do not know about the work that gets done on Federal Council, but I will tell you that it is significant. Essentially, a core group of hard working Green volunteers have laid the foundation for a more diverse, inclusive, accountable, transparent and stronger Party which is transitioning from a small political party, to a medium sized one.
With the new team that we have hired and elected in the month of November alone, I’m confident that we can do the work that is expected of us as the Green-Party-of-Canada.
If you’re able to chip in and support our work, we will put it to great use."
Sarah Gabrielle Baron, Shadow Cabinet Nuclear Critic.
"Mentors have a way of planting a wee seed of an idea, a seed that grows in ways you hadn't expected, in ways so subtle you barely realize how its growth has shaped your life. Then, one day, you realize this mentor is aging, might be leaving soon. A bit of reflection reveals the cornucopia of fruits that seed once germinated.
I met Ed Burt through a Green Party meeting I'd organized on Manitoulin Island back in 2005. A whopping 4 people showed up to hear expert Brennain Lloyd talk about nuclear power and nuclear waste.
Ed had been part of strong citizen action in the late 70's and early 80's to ensure a nuclear power plant wasn't built near Manitoulin Island. Even more, these activists prompted the Seaborn Commission to go cross county and get real input. Ed urged us to not forget its recommendations, even if the government has.
Ed and I only chatted in depth a handful of times. He has prolific gardens, no-till, old school. He built his own house. He has a nice attached toilet room where one poops down a shoot, and a three year cycling compost system for that waste.
My favorite seed from Ed is, "we have to make peace with the water." He was shaking with emotion when he said it.
This seed, Ed's strength of conviction, leading by example in a life of harmony with nature, of putting food security first, of activism as required, has grown vines of interconnection in my own goals and choices. I'm Green for a lot of reasons, but a big ol' ripe pumpkin-size reason is Ed Burt."
Join us all in fighting for a green future.
"My name is Ian Soutar and I am your new President of the GPC Federal Council.
My story with the Green Party begins in 2015. I wanted to do something to help the trees, and where Stephen Harper appeared to be the biggest threat to them, the Green Party quickly became the obvious solution. Since then I’ve had the distinct honour of working with Elizabeth May and Amita Kuttner who have helped show me that in order to protect our planet, we must also protect its people.
It hasn’t been easy, and for the past couple of years I had to take a step back from my political engagement, but with the prospect of new leaders on the horizon, I decided to get back in and help stabilize our Party for them. Now, with Elizabeth and Jonathan at the helm, alongside our new Executive Director and a refreshed council, I must admit that I have never felt so good about the prospects of our movement. We have a lot of rebuilding to do together, but we have never been so well-poised to make the foundational changes needed to make us a force to be reckoned with on the political stage.
I have no misgivings about the hard work that lies ahead of us, but I have total confidence in our leadership, staff and volunteers to make our success a reality.
I hope, like me, you can feel the winds of change in the air.
The future is Green: all we need is you."
Sandy Crawley is our Shadow Cabinet critic for Arts, Culture and Heritage.
“The Green Party of Canada is the only federal party that isn’t hidebound by outmoded ideology. We are also the only party that holds collaboration with our larger federal rivals as a fundamental principle. This is the only path to collective progress for all Canadians on the existential threat we all face: the prospect of destroying our own habitat. My grandfather explained to me in depth at the age of five that nature was my best friend. That lesson runs deep with me and has shaped my values ever since.
Some people talk about saving the planet. It’s not the planet that’s endangered, it’s our own species. COP15 in Montreal has brought to light the interconnected ways that our worst behaviours are leading to a loss of biodiversity. It’s about time we recognize the logical conclusion - our own demise as a species. The GPC is the one indispensable political tool we have to avert the worst outcomes for our children and grandchildren. Pitch in if you can.”
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