After previously bashing the Green Party's economic platform, I was glad to see the headline Growth trumps environment in China report.

Even Communist China understands human nature better than Manitoba's Green party. But an even bigger concern is the fact that the world's biggest polluter is putting environmental concerns on the back burner for economic growth. Meanwhile back in Canada, the Greens, Liberals, NDP, and Conservatives battle over who can appear to be the Greenest of them all. It would be nice if we could get the same kind of brutal honesty from our own government.

It appears that the Liberals/Greens and the NDP have pushed the Harper government too far while tinkering with the Conservatives Clean Air Act, and the government will be forced to abandon the legislation. Frankly, this will be a good thing in the long run. The Clean Air Act was thrown together in haste for purely political purposes. It would be fair to say that something like Kyoto, which has the potential to devesate our economy, should be an election issue.

Labels: China, Communism, Conservative Party, Green Party, Liberal Party, NDP, Y2Kyoto

The only reason why Green Party candidates across Canada have yet to break through is because of the whacko-fringe aspect of the party. All too often the fringe aspect of the party takes over.

Such is the case in Manitoba. Green Party of Manitoba leader Andrew Basham takes the party to the fringe with his economic policies. Hell, the party theme is "Rethinking Progress: Well-being NOT growth". In this article Basham delivers a few killer-quotes like, "I don't look at it as running against Gary Doer, I look at it as running against the paradigm of growth economics." And why would an aspiring politician want to knock economic growth? "Economic growth actually costs a lot of jobs, it doesn't create them as we like to think," Basham said.

If the economic platform isn't confusing enough, try the parties "six pillars" on for size:

• Ecological literacy
• Rebuilding democracy
• Creating ecological communities
• Protecting the commons
• Bringing the economy home
• Establishing a sustainable energy future

But we wish Andrew Basham the best of luck in the next election, if for no reason other than he's taking on none other than Gary Doer in Concordia. With Basham and Ken Wadwell challenging Gary Doer, they may just steal enough votes to take down Doer. But God save us all if the Green party were ever to get into power.

Labels: Gary Doer, Green Party, Manitoba, politics