The voters of Saanich-Gulf
Islands (SGI) have made history, electing Canada’s first Green Member of
Parliament. Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party, defeated Conservative Cabinet
Minister Gary Lunn in a close and hard-fought race for the riding on Vancouver
Island.
“I want to thank the voters of
SGI for choosing respect, for choosing a positive vision for Canadian politics.
Together we will make history and change Canadian politics,” said Ms. May. “I
also want to thank the Green candidates and volunteers, who worked so hard for
the last 37 days. Most of all I want to thank everyone who voted Green.”
The undemocratic
action of the broadcasters limited the choice of Canadians in this
election. Immediately following the 2008 debate, when Canadians had a
chance to see Ms. May, Green Party support increased. Following the 2011
debates where Ms. May was excluded, support began to drop immediately. As a
result, across Canada, the overall Green Party vote declined, although there
were still strong showings in ridings such as the Yukon, Victoria, Vancouver
Centre, Dufferin-Caledon, Calgary Centre, Okanagan-Shuswap, and Bruce-Grey-Owen
Sound.
“In 2008, I was able to show
millions of Canadians what a truly positive and forward-thinking party looks
like, and our vote went up significantly. In 2011, the TV networks decided
positive messages do not make for good TV, and 4.3 million Canadians were
denied the chance to hear our positive vision, and our vote decreased. There is
a direct correlation,” said Ms. May.
“Despite this, the Green Party
achieved our goal for 2011. We now sit in Parliament, and we can no longer be
denied our place in any aspect of Canadian democracy,” Ms. May continued. “On
this foundation we will build and we will show Canadians there is a real
alternative to the old parties. The Green Party will continue to grow,
addressing the critical issues the other parties ignore.”
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Contacts:
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C: 613-614-4916