Thoughts on Climate Change: Climate Scientists Plead with Green Party Supporters in Key Ridings to Vote Strategically

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Climate Scientists Plead with Green Party Supporters in Key Ridings to Vote Strategically

Three of Canada's leading climate scientists say that Green Party supporters can help to defeat the Conservatives in this election by voting strategically in 121 key ridings. They are calling on Green Party Leader Elizabeth May to make a clear statement supporting this approach.

The scientists are Dr. Andrew Weaver from the University of Victoria, Dr. William Peltier from the University of Toronto and Dr. John Stone from Carleton University.

Based on the latest polls, they say that:

In 81 ridings, Green Party supporters can help to defeat the Conservative candidate who is currently leading.
In 40 additional ridings, Green Party supporters can help to ensure that a Conservative does not overtake the current leading candidate at the last moment.

We list the ridings in each category, plus the information sources, below.

We agree that it is about time that Elizabeth May reconsidered her position on strategic voting. On September 30, 2008, she was quoted as opposing strategic voting despite admitting that,

"'We are too close to the edge of a global apocalypse,' [...] 'We have got to grab the opportunities we have. And clearly the contribution Canadians can make to a global solution is to get rid of Stephen Harper.' [...]

"'I'd rather have no Green seats and Stephen Harper lose.'"

On October 8, 2008, she seemed to recommend strategic voting in key ridings, but on October 9, 2008, she come out strongly against any strategic voting because

"I want Canadians to elect Green MPs."

No wonder that as of October 11, 2008, some of her supporters still sounded confused by May's stance.

We agree with the scientists. We think that Elizabeth May should change her position. She should keep it simple by saying,

"Vote for Green Party candidates everywhere except the ridings where you can help to guarantee a Conservative loss by voting strategically."

Preventing a Conservative win in this election is important for stopping dangerous climate change. This goes beyond any party loyalty, personal ambition, time and effort invested Green Party candidates and supporters or party funding issues.

Update: we agree with greenpolitics.ca about the need to

"...remind greens and Green parties everywhere of the philosophical principles of Green politics should they inadvertently be lead astray by the lure of power, money, glamor, or fame."

We hope that Green Party supporters and the Party Leader, of all people, would understand that some personal sacrifice is justified when the planet's future is at stake.

Still, it should not be up to supporters of one party alone to help defeat the Conservatives by voting strategically. We encourage all progressive voters to check the more general list of key ridings where strategic voting by anyone who is opposed to the Conservatives can make a difference.

Ridings where Green Party supporters can help to defeat the Conservative candidate who is currently leading (in alphabetic order):

Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale
Barrie
Blackstrap
Brant
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
Burlington
Burnaby—New Westminster
Cambridge
Cariboo—Prince George
Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia
Chatham-Kent—Essex
Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River / Desnethé—Missinippi—Rivière Churchill
Durham
Edmonton Centre / Edmonton-Centre
Edmonton—Strathcona
Elgin—Middlesex—London
Essex
Fleetwood—Port Kells
Glengarry—Prescott—Russell
Haldimand—Norfolk
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
Halton
Huron—Bruce
Jonquière—Alma
Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo
Kildonan—St. Paul
Kitchener—Conestoga
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex
Lévis—Bellechasse
London West / London-Ouest
Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière
Mégantic—L'Érable
Nanaimo—Alberni
NB - Fundy Royal
NB - Tobique—Mactaquac
New Westminster—Coquitlam
Newmarket—Aurora
Newton—North Delta / Newton—Delta-Nord
Niagara Falls
NL - Avalon
NL - St. John's East / St. John's-Est
NL - St. John's South—Mount Pearl / St. John's-Sud Mount Pearl
North Vancouver
Northumberland—Quinte West
Nova / Nova-Ouest
NS - Central Nova / Nova-Centre*
Oakville
Okanagan—Shuswap
Oshawa
Ottawa West—Nepean / Ottawa-Ouest—Nepean
Ottawa—Orléans
Oxford
Palliser
Parry Sound—Muskoka
Perth—Wellington
Peterborough
Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission
Pontiac
Prince Albert
Prince Edward—Hastings
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre
Regina—Qu'Appelle
Richmond
Richmond Hill
Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean
Sarnia—Lambton
Saskatoon—Humboldt
Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar
Saskatoon—Wanuskewin
Selkirk—Interlake
Simcoe North / Simcoe-Nord
Simcoe—Grey
St. Catharines
Sud—Mount Pearl
Vancouver Island North / Île de Vancouver-Nord
Vancouver Quadra
Victoria
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
Whitby—Oshawa
Winnipeg South / Winnipeg-Sud
York—Simcoe

* In NS Central Nova, where Elizabeth May is running, the detailed analysis table (source below) shows the Greens as the second place party. The VoteForEnvironment.ca strategic voting choice is to vote Green.

Ridings where Green Party supporters can help to ensure that a Conservative does not overtake the current leading candidate at the last moment (in alphabetic order):