The more I think about it, the more I think 2007 has to be the year the Green Party to move it or lose it, so to speak.

After more than 20 years of almost complete irrelevance in Canadian Politics, the Green Party has to break through in 2007, especially after Elizabeth May's 2nd-place finish in London North.

Of course, in order to do this, the party needs to do a number of things. Consider them a list of New Year's resolutions:

-Foster some real leadership within the party. Jim Harris just wasn't going to cut it, and Elizabeth May won't, either.

-Draft some actual policy. Let's face it: there are some interesting ideas within the party -- particularly the decentralized approach to state building. However, one look at the party's policies is utterly embarrassing. How about, for example, an energy policy that actually demonstrates some understanding about how energy is produced, and how much it actually costs to produce it?

-Recruit, recruit, recruit. The party needs new blood, lots of it, and fast.

-Build a party organization. Nobody in this party has a clue how to, among other things, campaign. Jim Harris, for example, somehow managed to miss a spot on national television, on CBC, and the closest he got to getting back to that level was a 30 second interview on CTV. Not smart. Leadership training would be at a premium, as would some training in how to organize the day-to-day operations of a political party, and a political campaign. Getting in touch with Ralph Nader for some help and guidance would be a wise proposition.

-Look outside the Green Party's traditional base. I passed a couple of Green Party campaign workers on the University of Alberta campus in January, and they basically looked like a couple of stuck-up hipsters who would just as soon spit in the face of a voter as speak to them. Refining the party's outward public image into something a little more professional and serious would be a wise move.

Personally, I think the Green Party needs to follow the Reform party's model for building the organization. Like with the Reform party at the time of its creation, the Green party has a good opportunity in front of it right now, and needs to act decisively to take advantage of it.

   

I seriously doubt the Green Party will ever be a major player. You are correct, it's filled with amateurs and people who have no idea what they are doing. During the London by-election, I saw May campaigning.. she looked like a fairy flapping her wings with a sign saying 'vote Green'. It was bizarre.

   

I wont put it past May, She is a smart woman and really knows the enviroment. The key to them wining any seats is taking part in the official leaders debates; if she cant make this happen neither will any seats happen.

All the speculation; aswell as recent polls sujest that the defining issue in the next election will be the enviroment. People deserve to hear what the Green party has to say; in short, it would be stupid of the media to not allow May to take part in those debates.

   

It depends how you look at it. The Greens have arguably been a major player for years because they have influenced policy.

Politics is about more than winning seats in the House. May understands that in a way that I doubt anybody else in modern Canadian electoral politics really grasps.

Her policies are too close to Mulroney style corporatism for me to support her, but the leaders of the other parties would do well to consider her multi-partisan approach and the media would be doing us all a favour if they'd explain that kind of politics to the general public.

   

Her politics are too close to Mulroney corporatism? She wants to revoke NAFTA, revoke NATO, revoke every international group Canada is involved with.

I support the Greens under Jim Harris - if someone like him comes back, I'm there.

   

She also wants to let corporations dictate policy. The NAFTA and NATO bits are a sop to the pre-Harris part of the party and to an attempt to attract NDP voters who don't look too closely.

May knows she won't have to fulfill those promises, or even back them up to any large extent, even if she wins a seat or two.

She is Jim Harris, Gup, just better at her job.

She's a hell of a politician, and she understands third party politics. Any progressive conservative with environmental leanings out there would be crazy not to consider voting for May.

   

Jim Harris and Elizabeth May were both members of the Mulroney PC's. Infact May was his enviroment minister for a time so it stands to reason that her policies would be similar.

   

Jim Harris was a terrible leader, and a worse politician. It was Harris who came up with the Green party "energy" policy.

That thing made me feel stupider for just having looked at it.

I think the number one hurdle facing the Green party is becoming more than a one-issue party. The environment will be a big issue during the coming election, but there simply aren't enough one-issue votes on any issue to win so much as a single parliamentary seat.