Despite the short deadline of the early 2021 elections, local organizers in eight Canadian provinces managed to host 70 debates on environmental issues, involving 56 candidates finally elected to Parliament, and now that the results have been obtained, they plan hold parliamentarians accountable.
“Each of our organizers who had a participating candidate who was later elected will receive a summary of the commitments that the parliamentarian made and we will encourage them to follow up with parliamentarians,” said Sarah Van Exan, executive director of GreenPAC, an environmental organization. lucrative that facilitated discussions.
GreenPAC first organized 100 Debates for the Environment in 2019 in partnership with Équiterre, with the aim of facilitating as many non-partisan debates as possible by all candidates to draw attention to environmental issues. This year, more than 6,000 people watched in real time and more than 10,000 viewed recordings of debates before Election Day, September 20.
A total of 222 candidates participated: 66 from the NDP, 60 Greens, 59 Liberals, 18 Conservatives, 3 members of the Bloc Québécois and 11 candidates from the Popular Party. Some organizers also invited independent candidates.
Van Exan said organizers worked tirelessly to organize debates in just 36 days, and until the bitter end, people were still trying to organize debates in their districts to bring climate change to the forefront of the elections.
Newly elected Kitchener Center MP Mike Morrice of the Green Party said the GreenPAC debate he attended was “critical.”
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“It was always one of the few opportunities for people in my community to see candidates debate or even just have a conversation about things that matter to them,” he said. “I am really impressed that the folks at GreenPAC were able to put it together again as quickly as they did.
“It will be a priority for me to continue advocating for actions that follow the science on the climate crisis,” Morrice said.
A debate for Port Moody-Coquitlam and Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam had to be canceled when the two Liberal candidates, Will Davis and Ron McKinnon withdrew, citing “unforeseen circumstances.” Despite this, the organizers of the Force of Nature Alliance, a volunteer-led environmental group that spearheaded the organization of the Tri-City debate, took matters into their own hands and sent climate action questionnaires to all candidates. Only liberal and NDP candidates responded to the questionnaire.
Benjamin Perry, the Tri-Cities Force of Nature senior volunteer, said the group plans to follow up with Port Moody-Coquitlam NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo and Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam Liberal MP Ron McKinnon about your climate commitments.
Van Exan said organizers will also be encouraged to ask their MPs to join the all-party climate caucus.
Of the 222 candidates who participated in 100 Debates on the Environment, 56 were elected to the position. This fall, local organizers will hold these MPs accountable for their climate and environmental commitments. #cdnpoli #ClimateCrisis
Morrice called the initiative “fantastic.”
“It aligns with an aspiration that I and many others hold in terms of working across party lines. I would certainly support it, ”he said.
Addressing the House of Commons, Morrice says she doesn’t consider Elizabeth May her only colleague, saying there are “337 more colleagues I’m looking forward to working with.”
Heather McPherson, an NDP MP for Edmonton-Strathcona, said she would also join the all-party climate caucus.
“When I was knocking on doors, it was very clear that the top priority for the people of Edmonton-Strathcona was the weather and how we were going to effectively deal with the climate emergency,” McPherson said. “It is important to my constituents … And my job is to represent my constituents.”
In his tenure, McPherson said he will “fight tooth and nail” to ensure there is no coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, focus on biodiversity issues such as protecting fragile caribou habitat and Wood National Park. Buffalo, and will drive a strong network. zero legislation.
One of Morrice’s goals during her tenure is to be a “respectful voice” in Ottawa.
“I think it is very important that we reject partisanship and have more people go to Ottawa as parliamentarians first and foremost, not as supporters,” he said. “I am open to a variety of ideas and policies. But the key for me is wanting to be honest about what scientists tell us is required at a fairly existential time when it comes to taking action on the climate crisis. “
Achieve a 60 percent emission reduction by 2030, seek energy efficiency improvements in homes and businesses, facilitate a just transition, end fossil fuel subsidies, consider transportation such as high-speed rail, bicycle infrastructure, and incentives for electric vehicles they are all policies Morrice wants to push.
“My interest is to meet other parliamentarians, hear what they have heard from members of their community and neighbors, and seek common ground where we can move forward,” Morrice said.
He said people on his trip were eager to see actions that align with science on the climate crisis, including high school students who volunteered for his campaign.
“High school students who are not yet eligible to vote told me they were going to join because for them, what good is it if there is no future with a safe climate for them?” he said.
These feelings held strong in the nursing homes. Morrice tells of asking older people what is most important to them.
“I often hear that they want to make sure their grandchildren have a healthy environment in which to grow up,” he said.
“It was so consistent in every neighborhood in my community and that gives me more encouragement to continue to be a voice, to be a champion of the climate for my community and to work with respect and across party lines just to progress because that’s what we need. now more than ever “.
Natasha Bulowski / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada National Observer
Reference-www.nationalobserver.com