Hi Friend,
Over the holidays I spent a week in Yellowknife.
And what struck me most - besides the -30C temperatures - was the potential we have to elect a Green there.
Why? Because of the similarities with Kitchener Centre, and with so many other ridings across the country.
Ridings where the local MP is coasting on the brand of one of the large political parties, despite people in that community deserving a hard-working advocate for their interests in Ottawa.
People like the local restaurant owner I met, who told me she had been trying to meet with her local MP *for months* to talk about a family member from overseas waiting to hear back about a work permit.
We heard stories like this one all the time in Kitchener in 2019. In the election just prior, Greens earned a modest 3% of the vote. By 2021, we had won the seat through sheer people power.
We could do the same in the Northwest Territories, and in dozens of other ridings where the sitting MP is riding the coattails of their party.
In these ridings, we need two things:
1) A committed and respected community leader to run as our candidate, and
2) To start early, with a willingness to take multiple election cycles to build up to a win.
With your support, the federal party could support ridings across the country to bring together these two ingredients.
They could do it by hiring staff to tell more of the stories of the work Elizabeth and I are already doing in Parliament as our two elected Greens, inspiring other community leaders to step forward and commit to running in their communities.
And by coaching, mentoring and supporting local riding associations keen to start early – knocking on doors, listening to community organizations in their communities, and building a vibrant community of volunteers committed to build up to a win.
All of this starts with making the most of your available tax credit in 2022, receiving back up to 75% of your donation when you do your taxes next year.
When I left Yellowknife a few days ago, I left thinking about what it would take to elect a Green there.
I know, it starts with contributions from supporters like yourself.
If I learned one thing from our win in Kitchener, it was that there is nothing fancy about winning elections as a Green in Canada. It’s simply about putting in the work. One conversation at a time. One door at a time. One donation at a time. And knowing, that over time, this builds the momentum we need for a breakthrough.
I hope you’ll consider joining us to earn a breakthrough in ridings across the country.
With your support, I know we’ll get there.
Mike
P.S. – Did you know you can get up to 75 per cent of your donation back with your tax credit? It's the most cost effective way to support Green politics.
The tax credit is calculated as below:
- Donations between $0 and $400: give you a 75 per cent refund
- Donations between $400 and $750: give you $300 plus 50 per cent of any amount over $400
- Donations over $750: give you $475 plus 33 1/3 per cent of any amount over $750 up to a maximum of $650 per year
If you’re not sure how the credit applies to you, we’d be happy to help. Email us at [email protected].