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Lower Mainland Green Party Candidates Insist Emerson Resign

News Release
For Immediate Release

Lower Mainland Green Party Candidates Insist Emerson Resign

Emerson defection a dark day for democracy

(Vancouver, BC, February 14, 2006) Nine of the Green Party's candidates from the Lower Mainland have stepped forth to demand the resignation of former Liberal candidate (now Conservative MP) David Emerson. Furthermore, say the nine GPC candidates, Emerson's defection provides yet more evidence that electoral reform, particularly some form of proportional representation, is urgently required in Canada.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Arno Schortinghuis, Green Party candidate for Vancouver-Kingsway, said: "The day that Mr. Emerson "crossed the floor" to the Conservative party was a dark day for Canadian democracy. We believe that to do this so soon after the election is opportunistic, deceitful and possibly fraudulent. He has betrayed his supporters and the entire electorate in Vancouver Kingsway. He has put his personal goals ahead of those of the electorate."

Mr. Schortinghuis noted that Prime Minister-elect Stephen Harper made a promise to make government more accountable. However, his first act as prime minister shows that he has little regard for the wishes of people of Vancouver Kingsway. How can we ever trust this man again? Mr. Schortinghuis and his colleagues look forward to a ruling from the Ethics Commissioner as to whether Mr. Harper is in breach of ethics rules for offering a cabinet post for switching parties.

Mr. Schortinghuis and colleagues also called into question the integrity of the existing electoral system, which encourages so-called strategic voting instead of voting according to actual values, beliefs and ideals.

Voters in the Green Party candidate's ridings frequently indicated intentions to vote strategically under Canada's antiquated and imbalanced first-past-the-post electoral system, in order that the Conservative candidate would not get elected. They suggest it is possible that Mr. Emerson's margin of victory is due to these strategic votes. This is one more reason that we desperately need a system of proportional representation (PR), added Mr. Schortinghuis, so that the wishes of each voter are reflected in the election results, and put an end to the need for such duplicity and trickery by old-line parties.

Mr. Schortinghuis and his Green Party colleagues were not surprised to see Mr. Harper reach outside of his party for suitable cabinet members but were shocked that Mr. Emerson joined the Conservative Party, since it is possible for opposition MPs to join the ruling party cabinet while remaining members of an opposing party. This type of cabinet structure is common in Europe.

Mr. Emerson must resign his seat so that the true wishes of the voters of Vancouver Kingsway may be heard.

The nine Green Party of Canada candidates calling for Emerson's resignation are:

Arno Schortinghuis, Green Party Candidate, Vancouver Kingsway Jerad Evans, Green Party Candidate, Vancouver Centre Robert Hornsey, Green Party Candidate, Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission Jean Philipe LaFlamme, Green Party Candidate, Delta-Richmond East Richard Mathias, Green Party Candidate, Richmond Patrick Meyer, Green Party Candidate, Langley Pierre Rovtar, Green Party Candidate, Surrey South-White Rock Roy Whyte, Green Party Candidate, Surrey North Silvaine Zimmerman, Green Party Candidate, West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country


For more information:
Derek Pinto
Media Relations Officers

Authorized by the Chief Agent of the Green Party of Canada
Information: media@greenparty.ca
Read this media release online

posted by Annamarie at 6:20 PM