Why I'll be voting Green on October 10th!

I would loved to have seen Garfield Dunlop's (PC MPP for the riding of Simcoe North) face when he learned that the PC platform included a pledge to fully fund religion-based schools if voted into power. Everyone in the riding heard the huge THUD, when Garfield's jaw hit the floor.

In the PC's move to buy votes in the immigrant rich 416/905 area code ridings, they put rural ridings like Simcoe North, traditionally safe Tory seats up for grabs. My vote would have been secured, not so much for the PC party, rather due to it's local candidate Garfield Dunlop. He has been a good representative for the constituents of this riding.

The Green's pledge to put the question of religious school funding to a referendum vote. While I strongly disagree with segrated schools, I can respect the decision of my follow citizens if they choose otherwise.

Simcoe North's Green Candidate is: Wayne Varcoe
www.vote-green.ca/wayne.varcoe

Today the Green's released their election platform and I like what they are pledging to due. It is true alternative to the Liberals and PCs, whose policies straddle the middle of the polical spectrum. The Greens are proposing a fundemental shift in the role of the provincial government, that on the surface look to be quite radical, but upon closer review are much inline with my philosophies. Paramount is the notion that we enjoy a wonderful quality of life, and that all the comforts that we are priviledge to have come at a cost, and that these costs are not being fully paid for by us, the consumers.

Green philosophy is to make these hidden "externalities" (ie pollution) transparent and capture this cost, upstream during the manufacturing, rather then downstream, taxing personal income tax to pay for the environmental clean-up that is required after the manufacturing plant is closed, jobs are gone, and communities are left holding the bag (ie MURF brownfield site). The

Green approach is a true user-pay approach.

The Green's support electoral reform and YES vote on the Oct. 10 referendum. Here I have to admit my flip-flop, from a previous posting to this blog. Further inquiry on my part showed that while Dalton McGuinty, allowed this process to take place, it was undertaken by Elections Ontario, and outside of his influence. I allow his taint to cloud my initial intent to vote NO. I still feel while voter reform is necessary. I would have preferred instead a Instant Runoff voting method used in Australia, but have to respect the decision of the Citizens Assembly. I would not allow the # of MPPs increase. Why not 70 Ridings and 39 at-large seats?

Finally I am very concerned about voter apathy within my family, my neighbourhood, and my community. I feel this will benefit the Greens, as voter's apathy is a direct result the lack of integrity of our elected officials.

I heard Sen. John McCain, a candidate for the Presidency of the United States say, "We are where we are today." We are, where we are today because we elected and deserve the government we have. I don't blame our politicians for "where we are". It's not their fault. It's our fault, the electors who put the politicians in place.

If you don't like the way things are, don't complain if you don't vote!

The Toronto Star website is a good place to start finding the candidate and party that best fits your values and philosophies. Do your homework and VOTE!

Voting is a right and not a privilige. When we vote we honour the memory of Canadians, past and present whose sacriface has given us this priviledge.