Green Party of Nova Scotia - Halifax Greens Blog

Provincial Leaders Meeting

2011-12-18T09:13:50-07:00

On Friday December 2nd there was a conference call between all of the provincial Green Party Leaders, Johan Hamels the GPC Executive Director, and MP Elizabeth May, the national Leader.

The purpose of the call was to establish a framework for cooperation on a national basis and a sharing of both information and resources in light of the financial crunch affecting all of the parties.

All provinces, with the sole exception of Newfoundland, and the Yukon Territories have registered parties. Alberta is in the throes of re-establishing itself after a dormancy of two years, and Newfoundland is in its infancy stage of coming together.

Interestingly, all leaders spoke of identical issues and the top three boil down to what I have been calling the 3M campaign: Membership, Money and Media. All three are symbiotic; if you have any one you get the other two. The trick is to discover which one to start with to get the best results in the shortest amount of time.

Most of us will pick Media every time. It is the most attractive and at the same time excruciatingly inaccessible, and for small organizations, difficult to control the message. Consequently the public message about us is repeatedly delivered by our opponents and we are characterized as commie-hippie-tree huggers trying to save some species of fruit fly nobody has ever heard about. The mainstream media (MSM) only call us when there is an environmental story. They do not print our press releases and they continually frame us as a single issue fringe party.

So for the most part we ignore the MSM and work the online social media circuit, with some varying degrees of success. The problem here is that we are most often preaching to the converted and not broadening our base of support.

So...how do we work around this quandary? We, as party leaders, have agreed to a national information and resource sharing network. It will start off slowly, as all things do, but hopefully will pick up momentum.

Here are some ideas that we threw around and will hopefully come to fruition with some effort on our part.
· Members to be seen as members of all levels of the Green Party within Canada (research legal privacy issues involved). This is done in most other jurisdictions.
· Share platforms, share press/communications for multi-level issues
· BGM - should be a joint statement from all Canadian Green Parties
· Share Grimes database provincially and municipally
· Share phone canvassers with all levels
· Mobilize members through website communications with multi-levels
· Build our lists, share our lists better - lists are everything
· Press release templates sent out by GPC for use by others, as in during the federal election
· Link all provincial and national websites and cross-post.

Most of this sounds like common sense stuff and should have been done for several years. Well, part of the maturing process is learning from one's mistakes. I will personally push for the implementation of these ideas and I will update on our success.

Our next conference call will be in mid-January and we will be making this a monthly meeting.

Nova Scotia's budget forecast update is pretty much a stay the course document.

2011-12-16T10:36:45-07:00

The Province of Nova Scotia is forecasting a deficit of $365.2 million for 2011-2012, a reduction of $24.3 million from the estimate at budget time. This is the result of lower-than-expected expenses offset by lower-than expected revenues.

Total revenues, including net income from Government Business Enterprises, are forecast to be $8.8 billion, a decrease of $80.1 million from budget. Total expenses including consolidation and accounting adjustments are forecast to be $9.2 billion, $104.4 million lower than budget.

There is not much to draw on here, pretty much "stay the course, aren't we doing a great job". Well, yes and no. About what one can expect from any government past the halfway point in its mandate.

Much of the "savings" here are in more favourable interest rates on our debt (which is a good thing), not on any specific program initiatives brought in by the government. Personal income taxes are up $29 million and corporate taxes are down $6.8 million, in part due to a smaller share of the national corporate tax revenue. We are still quite reliant on federal tax transfers in Nova Scotia and I will admit that it is difficult to project numbers based on what some other entity is potentially going to give.

GDP is being forecast at 1.7%, slightly higher than the 1.6% forecast by RBC Economics Research. Their report indicates that Nova Scotia's economy is in waiting mode. Economic growth has been slow in 2011, with ongoing declines in natural gas production and lower major project investment contributing to weak employment growth and consumer spending. Unemployment remains high compared to other parts of the country at 9%, although to be fair, it is the lowest in Atlantic Canada. This should trend downward because capital spending related to the $25 billion 30-year shipbuilding contract awarded by the federal government in October to Halifax's Irving Shipyard is also expected to begin in 2012, initially with work on new structures required for the contract that is expected to last until 2014.

Green Parties in Canada condemn government's sabotage of international climate agreement

2011-12-07T07:41:23-07:00

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
December 7, 2011

Green Parties in Canada condemn government's sabotage of international climate agreement

OTTAWA - Leaders and representatives of the Green Parties of Canada, Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador expressed their horror and shame today at the Harper's governments long-term, deliberate, and destructive sabotage of international negotiations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the effects of anthropogenic climate change.

Canadians strongly support signing on to a new international climate agreement, according to a poll by Environics Research conducted for The Globe and Mail in November of this year ("Support for climate action still strong in Canada, poll finds" November 30, 2011). But the Conservative government plans to pull out of the only agreement on the table, the Kyoto Accord, after years of reneging on Canada's commitments and undermining the negotiating process.

Scientists around the world are calling with increased urgency for an international agreement to curb carbon emissions and to begin meaningful reductions by 2015. In a recent article in The Guardian, Fatih Birol, chief economist at the International Energy Association, said "If we don't change direction now on how we use energy . . . the door will be closed forever" ("World headed for irreversible climate change in five years, IEA warns" The Guardian November 9, 2011).

Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands and Leader of the Green Party of Canada, met her provincial and territorial counterparts by teleconference as she began her trip to Durban to attend COP17 - where Canada will again be a frontrunner for Fossil of the Year award. "We ran out of time for politics of deny and delay over a decade ago. The scientific warnings are clear -- failure to move decisively now will leave our own children in an unliveable world. What kind of parents are we?" says May. "Canada used to be seen as a nation of peacekeepers and a model of solidarity in the world, especially toward Africa," said Claude Sabourin, Leader of the Parti Vert de Québec. "Now Canada is seen as a militarily-oriented country that chooses its own short-term financial gain over the welfare of others. The Harper government's wilful obstruction of international climate negotiations will fix Canada's reputation - for the worse - in the minds of the global community."

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Rebecca Harrison
media@greenparty.ca
613-614-4916

Provincial Auditor General stands up for Transparency

2011-11-18T09:49:43-07:00

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
November 18, 2011

Provincial Auditor General stands up for Transparency

The Green Party of Nova Scotia and the Green Party of Canada are applauding the Auditor General of Nova Scotia, Jacques Lapointe, for refusing to engage in a vetting agreement with the oil companies as part of an audit of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB). "Mr. Lapointe is standing up for accountability in Canada, something that we wish more of our leaders would do," said Green Leader Elizabeth May.

The CNSOPB is responsible for regulating the offshore oil industry and, as a joint federal-provincial agency, also has environmental assessment responsibilities under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA).

"We have already protested that the CNSOPB is not arms-length enough from the oil companies to properly regulate," said John Percy, Leader, Green Party of Nova Scotia. "Private corporations cannot and must not control information from federal-provincial agencies set up to monitor their activities."

"The same issues are happening in Newfoundland Labrador. Our question is why the federal government thinks it is okay to give the oil companies control over what is released to the Auditor General's office and to the public. Where is the transparency?"

The federal Auditor General has apparently agreed to the vetting process demanded by ExxonMobil and Encana, giving the oil companies the right to ban the publication of any documents they had filed with the CNSOPB that they viewed as confidential.

"The Auditor General of Nova Scotia is correct in asking for and receiving all relevant information and publishing the same in the public interest. This is the very foundation of government. To say otherwise is to compromise responsible governance in the interests of citizens," said Percy.

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A Message From The Leader

2011-11-02T10:25:08-07:00

Our fifth Annual General Meeting has come and gone and by all measures it was a success. It was held at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs, and what a fine venue it was, and very accommodating to our needs.

There were two amendments to our By-laws, both deemed to be important changes.

The first was to create an amending formula to the Leader's salary, thus removing the fixed amount from the by-law itself. This provides the Executive with greater flexibility to react to changes in our financial strength without the necessity of another by-law change.

The second change is in how our membership renewal process is structured. Membership will now follow the calendar year, much like other political parties. We have factored in a three month grace period so that new memberships (and for this year, renewals) that occur after October 1st, will carry over until the end of the following year. This will simplify the renewal process for members and the Membership Secretary, who thanks you very much.

Most of the AGM was taken up with ratifying policy initiatives and we had three overarching policy strategies and sixteen policy proposals ready for this meeting. I am proud to say that we got through all of them with vigourous discussion on many points. There are still several policy areas to cover and we hope to get to them at the next AGM in late Spring 2012. If you like policy talk, please contact the policy committee and make your views known. The ratified policies will be posted here in the near future when editing and formatting is complete. A big thank you to Mary Lou Harley, Sheila Richardson and Ellen Durkee for their service.

There was also an election. Several positions were up for re-election and here are the results:

Leader - John Percy (by vote of confidence)

1st Deputy Leader - Kris Maclellan

2nd Deputy Leader - Brynn Horley (by vote of Executive)

Co-President Male - Rob Pierce

Co-President Female - Mary Lou Harley

Policy Co-Convenor Female - Sheila Richardson

Ian Charles remains as our Official Agent and Shari-Lynn Hiltz has renewed as our Treasurer.

These are extremely capable and thoughtful people and they all hold the best interests of the party and the people of Nova Scotia close to their heart. This is a strong Executive with a wealth of experience and insight and it will be a pleasure to work with them throughout the coming term.

As I say after every AGM, a party is only as strong as its members. We need to hear from you. We need your input, your ideas, your time and your money. All politics is local and you are the ones who will make us aware of issues of local and regional concern. I am still a strong adherent of the 3M Policy: Membership, Money, and Media. These are the three dietary staples of every political party. These can only come from a strong sense of committment by all members to the principles and ideals that we as a party espouse.

We were also graced with the prescence of Elizabeth May, O.C. MP on Saturday night for a dinner and talk at the Atlantica Hotel. Elizabeth is one of my personal heroes and I wish I had a tenth of her strength. I had originally asked her to speak for about fifteen minutes and had made accomodations for her to speak sitting down, in deference to her hip replacement surgery four weeks ago. But no. She walked up and climbed the podium and spoke for at least thirty minutes without notes and most likely would have gone longer but the hotel staff were looking nervously at their watches. This country is most fortunate in having her voice in Parliament.

I would like to thank the Green Party of Canada for absorbing the costs of travel and accommodation for Elizabeth. It was appreciated.

We are two years or less from a provincial election. It is not too early to be thinking about the election or our platform. The policies that we passed and the ones for the Spring 2012 AGM will be important cornerstones for the election platform.

I was visited last Thursday by the PC candidate for my riding, Sackville-Cobequid. He is already doing door to door canvassing. We spent an hour and a half in my living room in deep discussion. Paul Russell is a thoughtful and caring man with great intelligence and we got along famously. He will be a formidable opponent. Your Executive has been in election preparation mode for several months now and the membership should start gearing up on the local front so you are not caught by surprise and lacking organization. Electoral District Associations are a big part of the election process. They can legally raise funds, and select local candidates and receive money from the party. They are essential components of democracy. Consider holding a meeting in your area to form an EDA, if you don't already have one, and get the ball rolling. Remember, the Leadership and Executive are here to help. We are willing to go everywhere in Nova Scotia to assist you in your endeavours. Strong organization is the key component to success and voter visibility. Like everything else in the Green Party, it comes from the grass roots.

"I always thought somebody should do something about things, but then I realized I was somebody" - Lily Tomlin

Reminder GPNS AGM

2011-10-17T08:59:56-07:00

Green Party Nova Scotia 5th Annual Convention/ Annual General Meeting

will be held October 29-30, 2011
at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs,
683 Francklyn St., Halifax, NS.

Register online at http://www.regonline.com/gpns2011annualgeneralmeeting for the AGM and/or the banquet on Saturday evening with Elizabeth May.

Register for the AGM before October 21st and save $10. GPNS members who register for both the AGM and the banquet receive a discount on the banquet. Registration for the banquet only will end on October 25th.

Proposed Changes to the Environment Act

2011-09-06T09:05:33-07:00

To the Government of Nova Scotia:

It has come to our attention that today, September 6th, 2011 is the deadline for public submissions to the Environment Act Review. The notification went up on the ns.gov.ca website on August 12th, a Friday afternoon and today being the deadline gives the public exactly three weeks to put together a comprehensive response to a review of an extremely important piece of legislation. It should be noted as well that the original date for submissions was August 22nd, barely one weeks notice at the height of the summer break.
If it is true that in politics perception is reality, then the perception here is twofold: either the environment is not a particularly important portfolio for this government or there is little interest in the public viewpoint. Such an important consideration as changes to the Environment Act should be given greater public consultation and widely advertised. That you did not do so creates the public perception of an apparent lack of consideration for transparency in government operations or accountability to the public.
We hasten to add that this is in no way a criticism per se of the proposed changes already published, but rather of the process and accessibility of public input. We did expect this government to do better. In this matter you are not living up to our expectations.

Jack will be missed.

2011-08-22T07:56:30-07:00

I first met Jack Layton when he was running for Toronto City Council for the first time. I was impressed with his drive and passion and it was apparent then that he would go far.

That drive and passion for social justice, fairness and equality of opportunity for all Canadians never wavered, and inspired others to follow and do great things themselves.

While Jack may now be gone, that passion remains in those that he inspired, and his legacy will be the work that is carried on.

2011 AGM

2011-08-19T08:07:54-07:00

Green Party Nova Scotia 5th Annual Convention/ Annual General Meeting

will be held October 29-30, 2011
at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs,
683 Francklyn St., Halifax, NS.

Registration
Registration details to follow.

Voting Rights
Individual members of the Green Party of Nova Scotia have voting rights for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) provided that they have taken or renewed membership at least 14 days prior to the start of the AGM.

For the Executive Officer positions and the First Deputy Leader, the voting method options are to vote in person at the AGM, or by mail-in ballots which must to be received at least one business day before in-person voting. Ballots for elected positions will be mailed to be received by members at least 30 days prior to the AGM. Voting on all other matters must be done in person at the AGM.

Membership
You can become a member, or renew your membership, of the Green party of Nova Scotia by providing the following information: Name, Street Address, City, Postal Code, Phone, Email and sending a minimum $10 donation, ($5 for student and unwaged) to P O Box 36044, 5665 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS B3J3S9

Or visit our website to become a member or renew your membership. www.greenparty.ns.ca

Additional donations are greatly appreciated and a tax receipt will be provided.

Election Notice
Any member is eligible to offer as a candidate for an elected position provided that this person is a resident of Nova Scotia, a Canadian citizen, and of provincial legal voting age by the first day of the AGM. Descriptions of the positions are available from the President at presidentm@greenparty.ns.ca
The Officer positions that are up for election are:
Co-President (male) 2 years term
Co-President (female) 1 year term
Policy Co-Convenor (female) 1 year term
Policy Co-Convenor (male) 1 year term

To formally declare their intent to run for one of the Officer positions, a member must submit the "Declaration of Intent to Run" documentation to Sheila Richardson at returning_officer@greenparty.ns.ca or PO Box 36044, 5665 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax NS B3J 3S9 to be received by Sept. 12, 2011.

The "Declaration of Intent to Run" must include:
• a 250-word letter stating reasons for seeking the executive position in the GPNS; this document will be given distribution among the membership
• a current resume or CV
• a current photograph; for electronically submissions, the photo should be in jpg format

Also, the membership will be voting on a First Deputy Leader as nominated by the Leader. The membership will receive information from the Declaration of Intent to Run documentation of the candidate for First Deputy Leader. Members interested in offering for First Deputy Leader should contact the Leader, John Percy at leader@greenparty.ns.ca or PO Box 36044, 5665 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax NS B3J 3S9

Policy Notice
The Policy committee will present a body of policy proposals at least 30 days prior to the AGM for the membership to consider for ratification at the 2011 Annual General Meeting.

Individual members can make policy proposal submissions for consideration by the Policy Committee or they can prepare policy proposals for presentation directly to the membership at the 2011 Annual Convention. Submissions or prepared policy proposals must be sent to policy@greenparty.ns.ca or PO Box 36044, 5665 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax NS B3J 3S9 and received by 11:59 pm, Sept. 11, 2011.

Submissions or prepared policy proposals from a member must be in the following format and order:
1. the name, full contact information, and signature of the member
2. subject/policy area title
3. brief opening section of relevant principles and key issues relevant to the proposed policy
4. numbered list of specific subject-based policy points
5. if applicable a concluding section including cost estimates
6. date of submission
7. citations for material in the opening section, if applicable
8. if the policy proposal is to go directly to membership, it must be endorsed by
2 members in addition to the member proposing the policy:
• name, address, phone number, e-mail address and signature with date for each member endorsing the proposal must appear at the end of the proposal
• the name of the member proposing or endorsing the proposal who will speak to the proposal if required at the AGM must be stated.

Proposals coming from the Policy Committee will be moved and seconded by members of the Policy Committee. Proposals from members that are submitted with endorsements and meet the requirements will be read as moved by the member submitting the proposal and seconded by the first of the endorsing members.

Statements Of Concern Pertaining To The Constitution And By-Laws
The membership is invited to submit specific statements of concern pertaining to the Constitution and By-laws, which the Executive will address as appropriate through proposals for presentation to the membership at a General Meeting.

Please note that urgent issues only will be brought to the 2011 AGM in order that time can be focused on policy proposals; all other submissions will be addressed for the 2012 AGM, tentatively scheduled for the last weekend in April.

Statements of concern are to be sent to presidentm@greenparty.ns.ca and must be received by 11:59 pm, Sept. 9, 2011. The statement of concern must include:
• the member's name and full contact information
• the relevant article number in the Constitution or the specific By-Law, and the original wording that is of concern
• the nature of the concern.

Formal Submissions Of Proposals For Amendments To The Constitution And By-Laws
A member who wishes to submit formal submissions of proposals for amendments to the Constitution and By-laws must send each submission, endorsed by three other Party members, to presidentm@greenparty.ns.ca to be received by 11:59 pm, Sept. 9, 2011.

Please note: in order that time can be focused on policy proposals, the Executive may contact the member making the formal submission to seek permission to hold the member's proposal for the 2012 AGM.

The submission of a proposal for amendment to the Constitution and By-laws must include:
• the date, the principal member's name and full contact information to appear at the top of the submission
• the name, address, phone number, signature with date for each member endorsing the proposal, to appear at the end of the proposal
• the name of the member endorsing the proposal who will speak to the proposal if required at the General Meeting
• the body of the proposal, which must contain:
1. if amendment of an article is being proposed, then
1.1 the number of the article of the Constitution, or the By-Law title
and article number of concern;
1.2 the reason for amendment;
1.3 the wording of the original article;
1.4 the exact wording of the proposed article
2. if the addition of a new article is being proposed, then
2.1 the reason why this addition is thought necessary;
2.2 where in the Constitution and By-laws the proposed addition is to be made and the suggested number of the proposed article; and
2.3 the exact wording of the proposed article
3. if rescinding an article is being proposed, then
3.1 the reason for this proposed removal;
3.2 the number of the article of the Constitution, or By-Law title and article number of concern; and
3.3 the exact wording of material for which removal is proposed.

AGM June 25th, 2011

2011-06-16T12:08:49-07:00

Hello All,

Originally we were planning to have an AGM on Saturday June 25th and Sunday June 26th to elect members of the executive and have some policy discussions. That did not work out too well. I do believe that being so close to a Federal election had something to do with that.
But we are forging ahead with the plan to have a meeting on Saturday June 25th at the same location, the Super 8 in Windsor, NS...but this will be an executive meeting. It will actually be an open meeting to the entire membership with the goal of accomplishing the following:
1) Filling any vacancies that exist in the Deputy Leadership role and some executive positions
2) Putting together an election readiness committee. There is a Provincial election coming in less than 2 years....we need to start brainstorming now
3) We also need to put together a real positive and productive AGM in the Fall so a committee will be formed to see that it happens
4) Talk about membership drives and fundraising so that our party is in a very strong position for 2012/2013

So please take the time to either come to Windsor to participate on that Saturday...we start at 10:00 am. Or if you want to be a part of a committee but cant make it too the meeting, just send us an email and we will make sure that you get put in touch with the right people.

Remember to renew your membership so you are current.

I look forward to seeing you all and to a very productive Saturday in Windsor.

Regards,

Ian Charles
Co-President of the Green Party of Nova Scotia