Blogger Invites Prominent Tories to Join Greens (Letter)

Dear Editor,

As a member of the Green Party, I'd like to invite two prominent Conservatives in my area, Ken Waddell, the publisher of the Neepawa Banner (formerly the Mayor) and Robert Sopuck, my Member of Parliament, to join the "Greens!"

I was delighted, Mr. Waddell, to read your recent column, supporting (or, at least inviting a debate on) a guaranteed minimum income, as embodied in the successful "Mincome" pilot project in Dauphin back in the 70s. It so happens my party has endorsed such a policy for years. I actually wrote a paper for the Green Party of Manitoba myself a few years ago, detailing the success of "Mincome" and pointing out what a "win-win" effort it was, enriching the lives of many poor and disadvantaged people in just about every way that counted.

And I don't think we need to agonize over how to pay for it. 
Just tighten Canada's laws which allow wealthy corporations and individuals to hide their billions in offshore accounts, forcing the rest of us to pay, not just our share of taxes, but theirs, as well.

As for Mr. Sopuck, your own background in the field of conservation would make Elizabeth May proud. So surely this is as good a time as any for you to cross the floor and join us! 

After all,  in 2012, your boss, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, axed the Round Table on Environment and Economy on which you served for some time and which had produced so many valuable reports. Among other things, those reports warned of the many dangers posed by man-made climate change. These are dangers which have become clearly evident, all around us.

The Prime Minister has also assigned to the dustbin, many valuable recommendations of the International Institute for Sustainable Development that you, to your credit, Mr. Sopuck, played a role in creating! I distinctly remember one IISD news release some four years ago, warning that Manitoba would face more frequent and severe floods, due to climate change. 

Fast forward to today. My province (and yours) is suffering through the kind of floods which were supposed to happen once every 300 years. Instead they are just as bad as the ones that devastated our province a mere three years ago!

Prophetic, or what?

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister apparently clings to his belief that climate change is a socialist plot and scientists who tell the truth about it must be silenced!

It must be difficult to get so little support on issues you seem to believe in, from the government you belong to.

How likely is it that the Green Party will form government, you might ask? Just as likely, it seems, as it is for Conservative ones to implement the kind of much-needed measures I've outlined here. After all, Tory governments have had plenty of chances to do something over the decades, yet have fallen short.

So why don't your people contact my people and we'll do lunch?

Larry Powell

Neepawa, MB