March 29, 2011
Earlier today, the broadcast consortium responsible for arranging the Leaders' Debates announced that Elizabeth May would not be invited to participate. May took to Twitter, expressing her shock and vowing to get in the debate.
As we know, May was allowed to participate last time - but in 2008, the Green Party had an MP in the House of Commons, in Liberal-turned Independent-turned Green Blair Wilson. Wilson was defeated in the 2008 election and as such, Green representation in the House of Commons at dissolution of Parliament was zero.
Looking back to 1993, when two new political parties came to the scene, shows a precedent for requiring a seat in the House of Commons to be allowed in the debate. The Reform Party had Deborah Grey, elected in a by-election and the Bloc had a number of MP's, including Gilles Duceppe who was elected as an Independent.
As harsh as it sounds, the broadcast consortium is right - Elizabeth May is the leader of a party without a seat in the House of Commons and as such, should not be allowed to participate in the debate. Allowing her in the debate would set a precedent to include any registered political party in the country, regardless of whether they have representation in the House of Commons or not.
I respect Elizabeth May, but she shouldn't win this fight. Her priority now should be to run a strong local campaign in Saanich - Gulf Islands and get elected to the House, in order to justify her inclusion in the next debate.
Could we possibly agree on something?
ReplyDeleteThe Consortium makes the rules. If any other entity wanted to host a debate where all of the others wanted to participate, and wanted to include her as well, that would be their prorogative.
In the meantime, there is plethora of different stages where she can have her voice and her position be heard.