Each month when it comes time to prepare this newsletter I try to strike a balance between discussing the Green issues that bring all of us together vs. talking about the meat & potatoes (um: protein and potatoes?) topics that are directly related to building a political party. This month there is simply so much going on in the politics front that I need to ask for your indulgence: get ready!

First up – the municipal election. Our riding spans Capital, Somerset and Kitchissippi wards and this is a golden opportunity to see our Green values represented on Council.

• The City has a convenient “where do I vote” page if you need help figuring that out.
• Ecology Ottawa has done a great job summarizing the performance of incumbents when it comes to environmental issues.
• They have also published a survey of all current candidates.

Please vote on Monday – your vote means the most at the municipal level.

Next up – Green Soirée Verte. On November 12th the local Green Party ridings are getting together to host the first (of many) Green Soirée gala dinners. All of the federal leaders will be there (Elizabeth, Adriane and Georges) along with Richard Patten, Christopher Henderson and local entertainers. Come enjoy a three-course 100-mile dinner and celebrate our local achievements. Details and tickets can be purchased on ottawagreens.ca. After purchasing a ticket you can help advertise the event by RSVPing on the Facebook event.

Ramping for next year: GPO Platform Roundtable. When was the last time the leader of a political party asked you your opinion on an election platform? Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario is doing just that on November 8th at 7pm at our platform roundtable meeting. We will be covering policies on topics such as the Economy, Education and Health Care. Your input is invaluable. Don’t miss your turn to have your voice heard. Contact Kevin O’Donnell (kevin@kevino.ca) for information.

Almost done: Ottawa Centre GPC Annual General Meeting. The last order of business is for the federal members in Ottawa Centre to hold an annual general meeting of the Electoral District Association (EDA). The EDA is a very important component in party politics: it raises funds, organizes events (like Earth Hour on Parliament Hill) and is working hard to give Jen a big boost when the next campaign starts. Join us on November 17th, 7pm, at the Old Town Hall for the AGM. The meeting is open to the public but you need to be a member to vote.

Thank you so much for your indulgence and continuing support.
Kevin O’Donnell

Highlights

Do voters want a breath of fresh Green air?
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May’s unscientific view of her party’s recent climb in the opinion polls is that Canadians are “turned off by old style politics. I keep hearing the same phrase from people who stop me on the street or in airports to say they support us – ‘breath of fresh air’,” she told The Globe, reacting to a new Angus Reid poll. “I think that means they find the stale air of mainstream hyper-partisan politics unpleasant.”
Read more…

Green party picks Ottawa-Centre candidate
Kevin O’Donnell will be the Green party candidate for Ottawa-Centre in the next provincial election, after winning an uncontested ballot. Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner attended the packed nomination meeting at the Blue Nile restaurant and endorsed O’Donnell as a driver in the campaign against the Liberal proposal to cut the solar microFit program.
Read more…

Green Party of Ontario (GPO) Leader Mike Schreiner remains focused on three priorities for the coming fall session: building a prosperous green economy, promoting the health and well being of all Ontarians, and empowering our local communities to make decisions that are in the best interest of their citizens.

“Most Ontarians work hard to live green and I remain focused on policies that are important to them. Together we will work towards building a prosperous green economy that nourishes our communities and promotes the health and well being of all Ontarians.”
– Mike Schreiner, Leader, GPO

Building a Prosperous Green Economy:

Schreiner is calling on the government to make energy efficiency a priority to foster local job creation and help Ontarians offset rising energy bills with a Green Building Program to retrofit our homes, businesses and public facilities.

Schreiner will push the government to help local businesses create jobs by promoting smart regulations – regulations that make sense based on the size and scale of business operations, not a one-size-fits-all approach that hurts independent businesses and family farms.

Promoting the Health and Well being of all Ontarians:

Schreiner is pledging to push for more investment in preventative frontline care, instead of expensive health consultants, with a focus on home care and community health programs.

He is renewing the Green Party’s commitment to an Ontario Food Strategy that provides access to healthy food for Ontario’s most vulnerable citizens while supporting local farmers. Schreiner continues to criticize the Liberals elimination of the special diet allowance and is calling for the program to be reinstated. He is also pushing for the government to mandate the purchase of local food in provincial facilities, with a focus on school food programs, along with tax reforms to support local farmers and processors.

Empowering our Local Communities:

Schreiner continues to criticize the Liberal’s heavy handed dealings with municipalities on energy projects, especially proposed gas plants in King and Oakville. He remains committed to standing with King residents in their legal action against the government’s abuse of process and circumvention of legislation in ramming through a gas plant in the Holland Marsh. He is calling on the government to pass legislation to place buffer zones around gas plants to protect schools and residential communities.

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Party Contact:
Jaymini Bhikha
(416) 275-8573

Ottawa Contact:
Kevin O’Donnell
(613) 203-2620