Federal party has sold out on provincial Green parties

To the editor,

An open letter to Central Nova Constituents:

On March 7th, The News published a letter of mine (Interesting to muse whats behind Mays decision), postulating that Elizabeth Mays decision to run in Central Nova could be the predecessor to her jumping ship to the Liberals and being rewarded for running against Peter MacKay with the Environment Ministry in a future Liberal government.

In light of the May/Dion candidate exchange that has been crafted between the Liberal Party and the Green Party of Canada (GPC), it seems that I was slightly off: rather than Ms. May crossing over by herself, it seems that she will now be taking the entire GPC with her. It will not be much of an amalgamation (one year? two years?), but more like a snack and a burp for the national Liberals.

Prior to this letter, out of courtesy to the Green Party of Nova Scotia (GPNS), I did not identify myself as a member of the GPNS. On political principle, I am not a member of the GPC.

As of March 6, my candidacy to stand for the leadership of the GPNS had been rejected on technical grounds by the GPNS executive. Go figure, eh? The GPNS executive decision is pending legal review, and possible action, on my part.

It would seem to me that the last thing the GPNS executive would want is a leadership candidate addressing the general membership on the following: 1. the GPC has sold provincial Green parties down the river; 2. it is a political imperative for provincial Green parties to own the core Green principles of bioregionalism and decentralization, and; 3. it is imperative for the GPNS to extend the commercial designation of Atlantica into a political designation.

Should one do a search on the GPC web site for the terms bioregionalism and decentralization the result is a fat zero. I liken it to the Green historical psyche having undergone a lobotomy, the political term for the latter being purge. It is little wonder that a technical glitch stands in the way of my leadership candidacy for the GPNS.

The GPNS AGM and policy convention will be held May 4-7 in Kentville.

Thank you for your attention.

Sebastian Ronin

Pugwash River