The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
October 14, 2008
FORUM PLUS FORUM EQUALS CONFUSION
After attending the all candidates forum last week for the four federal candidates in the BC Southern Interior riding I have a single skill testing question for you.
Which green party are you going to vote for?
From what I heard last week we now have four green choices. There's the NGP (New Green Party), the Liber-Greens, the Conserva-Greens and, of course, the original Green Party.
Sure, the candidates pointed to the economy as a key issue and even tried to explain the linking between the environment and the economy.
One can't live without the other; one supports the other; one is as important as the other and that both are essential to the future of our community, our riding and our country.
Okay.
I am a small business owner. I get all that about the economy and the environment.
I guess I was expecting something else.
There's no doubt that each candidate is right about what they were saying about protecting the environment helps to protect the economy, and for a change it's nice to see everyone leaning in the same direction. But if the environment and economy are such key issues to each party, then why do we have four parties to pick from in our riding?
Maybe the NGP (New Green Party) should merge with the original Green Party. They seem to agree with each other a lot these days. Maybe the Liber-Greens and Conserva-Greens should change their names. If you're Liberal about protecting the environment, does that mean you have a conservative approach to the economy or if you are Conservative about the environment does that mean you have a liberal approach to the economy?
I'm starting to side with those who say the two party system is a better way to go. It seems to me that it wasn't so many years ago that each party had a clearly defined platform with very little, if any, overlap into another party's platform.
Now it seems the parties have merged enough on environmental and economic issues that the lines have blurred somewhat.
And although each party may not be on the same page, they all appear to at least be in the same chapter this time around.
All that's left is the hard part.
Which green party to vote for.
