I left Sidney on Wednesday for the first
leg of the national leader’s tour (you remember, the one we aren’t having
because we are only running in one riding. Stage direction: read with voice
dripping in sarcasm).
It has been a fabulous, energizing
experience – although a bit rough on my voice as you will know if you watched
the half hour national broadcast thanks to Channel Zero last night.
Here’s a run down of the trip --- Arrival Toronto Thursday night. Launch of Platform with great press
attendance and a full phalanx of Green GTA candidates. Mad dash through the
media gauntlet. Editorial boards
of Globe and Mail and Toronto Star, CBC Radio studios, CFRA, CFRB, CP24, CTV
(thank Don Martin), taping with Peter Mansbridge for The National and a great
rally. At least 250 Green
supporters jammed into This is London club.
Friday, between 5 and 6 am CBC Toronto
radio. 6:45am train to Montreal with whistlestop rallies at Guildwood, Oshawa,
Cobourg, Belleville, Kingston, Brockville, Cornwall, Dorval and Montreal. Great fun blasts of energy. Brass band
at Cobourg and Farley Mowat boarded the train with local candidate and energy
expert, Ralph Torrie. Eric Walton
at Kingston with a bagpiper and large Green contingent. Strong rallies that
made me so glad the Greens are truly grassroots. Montreal and press conference with health care expert Holly
Dressel on our plans for Pharmacare and addressing wait times.
Another round of interviews, in English and
French, and on to a stunning rally (preceded by a pro-democracy flash
mob). At least 300 Greens squashed
into the club on Montreal and a great rallying speech from Georges
Laraque. My favourite absurd moment – my press
secretary locking me into a broom closet at the club so I could phone into Adam
Sterling’s show on CFAX without being drowned out by the exuberant crowd. When I finished my speech, people kept
on cheering – and cheering -- and
Georges leaned down my level to tell me “I think they want an encore.” An encore
for a speech ?? We all had a good
laugh at that, but I did go back to the microphone for more. And then we were off to the airport to
Halifax.
We had a noon rally by the Halifax Harbour
with over 300 people, music from one of Nova Scotia’s most talented composers
and musicians Scott McMillan and a great speech from an old friend Silver
Donald Cameron. I raced out of the
rally with my daughter to get to the next rally in New Glasgow.
(Full disclosure in blog… this day was
emotional. I was also desperately
trying to reach the bedside of a wonderful woman I knew was near death. Lolly McLean had been a huge supporter
and friend ever since I moved to Pictou County. Like another mom to me. I reached her a few hours after she passed, with my dear friend,
her son Shaun and daughter Robin able to share that the last time she paid
attention to the TV was to watch me on CTV Question Period with Craig Oliver
last Sunday. God bless her. Very
hard to leave the family and move on to keep to my schedule.)
The New Glasgow gathering was like a family
reunion for me. So many old
friends and two candidates present, Matthew Chisholm for Central Nova and Glen Carabin
for Cape Breton-Canso. Rousing and spirited. (more
disclosure.. then I had to race to be on time to be Maid of Honour at a very
special friend’s wedding.)
Back to the airport hotel for an early
flight to Toronto. Landed at 7:30
am and headed to Orangeville to support our Dufferin-Caledon candidate Ard van
Leeuwen. Thanks to St. Mark’s
Anglican church for their warm welcome, where I attended the Eucharist service,
and then on to the planned events.
A wonderful bagpiper led our group to the
rally venue in Orangeville. It was
a comfortable spot for 100 people, but became sauna-like with the 150 or so who
showed up. Wonderful energy. On to Guelph, and a terrific youth rally on campus
with candidate Rev. John Lawson.
Raced to Kitchener-Waterloo where the rally site was packed. People
spilling out into the street and leaning in thru windows. With five local candidates … quick
media interviews and on to Hamilton
-- and a spectacular rally there.
A big venue with a stage and packed with another 300+ crowd. I am sure I had more people showing up
for Green rallies in the last three days than any other national leader. We have videos of all this. Check it out.
Fortunately, the National Campaign Manager
and the Executive Director (Yay! Lois and Johan) approved having some high tech
gadgetry and a videographer travelling with us. It allows us to upload high
quality video directly to our website. That makes up a bit for not getting
media coverage of our tour. We had
thought that, as in 2008, we would have tons of media on the Toronto to
Montreal whistle-stop tour. In
2008, we had interviews and camera crews from TVA, CPAC, CTV and print
journalists too. This time we had
the National Post and iPolitics.
Thanks to independent Channel Zero (CHCH
and CHEK and others) for creating an opportunity for me to respond to questions
from a panel of journalists in Hamilton.
It is on-line if you haven’t seen it.
http://emayin.ca/fortherecord
Now, en route to Vancouver for our rally,
some more media interviews, and taping The Hour with George Strombolopous. And a quick hop (sadly not my favourite
ferry ride) to get to Victoria in time for the rally there. And then home. To my own bed. And my happy little elderly
puppy. Awaiting the call
from the Consortium that they will bow to public opinion and allow me to be in
the Leaders’ Debate.
I can get to Ottawa in time. I do not need
a day off for mock debates and preparation orchestrated by handlers and spin
doctors. I am ready. Anytime, anywhere.