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The Green Party of Ontario (GPO) contests provincial elections in Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's second-largest provincial Green Party after the Green Party of British Columbia.
Overview
Although it shares the same Ten Key Values as other North American Greens, it is sometimes criticized by leftists as being eco-capitalist and one of the "furthest right" Green Parties in North America. The elements of green politics it emphasizes, including a green tax shift there are almost libertarian in character. For this reason they are sometimes called Blue Greens or Green Tories. Many key members are recruits from the former centrist Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, including the party's only elected politician, Elio Di Iorio who was a protege of former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark.
While the party's "left" sometimes resents compromises, the defenders of this strategy argue that it builds a "big tent", effectively splits the right wing vote, and does not prevent Greens from cooperating on the municipal and regional level with more left-wing parties. A term that Green activists coined to describe this strategy is radical centrist. Another term used to describe it is eco-capitalist.
Leader Frank de Jong is a key figure in this strategy, and has led the Ontario Greens since 1993. As of June 2003, the Ontario Greens stood as the fourth party, with support of 6% of the decided voters. The party did not, however, win any seats in the October 2003 provincial election.
Perhaps accordingly, it is a strong supporter of electoral reform such as that discussed in May 2005 for British Columbia: a referendum on single transferable vote (see British Columbia electoral reform referendum, 2005). Also in November 2005 PEI held a similar referendum on mixed proportional representation (see PEI electoral reform referendum, 2005) and an Ontario electoral reform referendum, 2007 is also planned.
Either scheme, or combining the two into bioregional multi-member districts as the GPO has long advocated to create a bioregional democracy in Ontario, would benefit the GPO greatly.
As of February 2005 it was at 9% in provincial polls, perhaps due largely to reversals by Dalton McGuinty, the Liberal premier, on major environmental issues such as the Oak Ridges Moraine and Red Hill Expressway and 905 Big Pipe.
Elected Greens
- Tom Adams, Oakville Town Councillor, Oakville
- Elio Di Iorio, Richmond Hill Town Councillor, Richmond Hill
- Warren Maycock, Orangeville Town Councillor, Orangeville
- Greg Pietersma, Dundas County English Public School Board Trustee, Dundas County
- Chris Rickett, Stratford City Councillor, Stratford
- Rob Strang, Orangeville Town Councillor, Orangeville
- Richard Thomas, Reeve of Armour Township
- Roger Villeneuve, Stormont County French Catholic School Board Trustee, Stormont County
Election results
| Election | Candidates elected | Total votes | % of popular vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | - | 5,345 | 0.1% |
| 1987 | - | 3,398 | - |
| 1990 | - | 30,097 | 0.7% |
| 1995 | - | 14,108 | 0.4% |
| 1999 | - | 30,749 | 0.7% |
| 2003 | - | 126,651 | 2.8% |
See also
- List of Ontario general elections
- List of Canadian political parties
- Green Party candidates, 2003 Ontario provincial election
External links
- http://www.greenparty.on.ca/
- A History of the Green Party in Ontario, by Frank de Jong
Green political parties in Canada | Provincial political parties in Ontario | 1983 establishments
"Green Party of Ontario"