In an effort to help its members understand more about the candidates vying for the Deputy Leader positions, four questions were posed to the candidates by the GPO. Below are Adrian's responses to these questions.
What, or who, inspired you to join the Green Party?
AW: I can't say that it was a single person or event that encouraged me to join - rather, like many of my fellow members, it has been the plight of people around me that brought me to the GPO. The differing problems faced by people all over the province, be they rural or urban, are so obvious in their solutions - not just in the category of the environment, but in poverty, education and health care - and the seeming ignorance or reluctance of the other major parties to address them sensibly made the choice clear: I had to join the Green Party.
What unique characteristic, or life skill, do you possess that prepares you to be the GPO Deputy Leader?
AW: I wish that there was something unique about me that I could point to, but the truth is that I'm just like any Green Party member or citizen of Ontario. I'm passionate about politics, and while that drives me in this field, it isn't a distinguishing feature. Instead I tend to point to my average qualities as one of my biggest strengths. It makes it easy to associate with others and connect on a very real and personal level.
Why have you chosen to be involved in a political party rather than an NGO or community organization, to achieve your goals?
AW: NGO and community organizations have terrific strengths that have made them paragons of political responsibility, but they also operate without the responsibility to the rest of a society. Freedom to focus on a single issue separates such grassroots action from the challenges of government, and my goals have been not simply to advocate for change, but to take responsibility to make change happen for everyone. That, for me, has always meant working in the field of politics over other options.
What would be the first thing you would do as Deputy Leader?
AW: There is an obvious need to build our "base" - but achieving that goal has a vague feel about it - and putting a concrete plan in place would be my first action. Beginning with contacting our permanent CAs and building a current picture of our support province wide, we could then help our ridings put together a 3 year plan to set a series of goals and strategies that each riding could use to raise our profile, membership and financial reserves.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Education? Ask a Teacher…
Sometimes you wonder whether politicians do live in a bubble. After all, how else could the Tory party have come to the mind-boggling policy that they should take half a billion dollars out of the public education system and transfer it to faith based schools? Critics have called this position a cheap vote buying tactic, and I’m inclined to agree.
We often forget how revolutionary public education is. Growing up in a world where it is your right to get a proper education often means that its status seems less than extraordinary, and yet a little over a century ago there was no expectation that you should ever need to learn much at all, except that which was best suited to where you were born in life. My Grandfather, for example, stopped attending school when he was 12 or 13 and then immediately began work in a factory – he never expected any better. In contrast, only two generations away, I have received a basic schooling in every subject; have attended university; and the option of pursuing further education remains open to me.
My Grandfather grew up in an England that was firmly entrenched with the idea of class, whereas I have grown up with the belief that I accomplish almost anything if I work hard enough at it. More importantly Ontario’s education system has been an inclusive one, and I have had the opportunity while growing up to meet people from all manner of cultures and religious backgrounds. It has given me an opportunity to question others and myself about my beliefs and is responsible for creating the most tolerant and diverse community I believe we have ever seen. (I am always reluctant to use the word “ever” to describe something, but I challenge anyone to find a culture in history where so many people come together and mix as freely as Toronto does in the 21st century)
The Conservative plan to divide Ontarian’s children up along religious lines is so appallingly bad it truly makes one wonder how the Tories came up with it. Most Ontarians don’t want it either. In fact, there is a growing feeling that the separate Catholic School Board should also be brought to an end – a view that the Green Party and I subscribe to. Because no matter what the challenges our education system faces – and they certainly were not along religious lines – tackling them means actually engaging those who work within the education system, not thrusting bad policies on them for the purposes of a few votes.
Our schools need funding, and they need a government that wants to listen to what teachers have to say. We have had over a decade and a half of governments tampering with the schools without ever once really asking what works. In the last Conservative government, our teachers were vilified; while under the current Liberal government, we have yet to see the kind of leadership needed to appropriately prepare our children for the future. Though not everyone knows it yet, the Green Party is fighting to make Ontario’s education system better for everyone, for the students, for the teachers, and for Ontario. Because our public education system is our blueprint for the future – building a better future means building a better education system.
We often forget how revolutionary public education is. Growing up in a world where it is your right to get a proper education often means that its status seems less than extraordinary, and yet a little over a century ago there was no expectation that you should ever need to learn much at all, except that which was best suited to where you were born in life. My Grandfather, for example, stopped attending school when he was 12 or 13 and then immediately began work in a factory – he never expected any better. In contrast, only two generations away, I have received a basic schooling in every subject; have attended university; and the option of pursuing further education remains open to me.
My Grandfather grew up in an England that was firmly entrenched with the idea of class, whereas I have grown up with the belief that I accomplish almost anything if I work hard enough at it. More importantly Ontario’s education system has been an inclusive one, and I have had the opportunity while growing up to meet people from all manner of cultures and religious backgrounds. It has given me an opportunity to question others and myself about my beliefs and is responsible for creating the most tolerant and diverse community I believe we have ever seen. (I am always reluctant to use the word “ever” to describe something, but I challenge anyone to find a culture in history where so many people come together and mix as freely as Toronto does in the 21st century)
The Conservative plan to divide Ontarian’s children up along religious lines is so appallingly bad it truly makes one wonder how the Tories came up with it. Most Ontarians don’t want it either. In fact, there is a growing feeling that the separate Catholic School Board should also be brought to an end – a view that the Green Party and I subscribe to. Because no matter what the challenges our education system faces – and they certainly were not along religious lines – tackling them means actually engaging those who work within the education system, not thrusting bad policies on them for the purposes of a few votes.
Our schools need funding, and they need a government that wants to listen to what teachers have to say. We have had over a decade and a half of governments tampering with the schools without ever once really asking what works. In the last Conservative government, our teachers were vilified; while under the current Liberal government, we have yet to see the kind of leadership needed to appropriately prepare our children for the future. Though not everyone knows it yet, the Green Party is fighting to make Ontario’s education system better for everyone, for the students, for the teachers, and for Ontario. Because our public education system is our blueprint for the future – building a better future means building a better education system.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Anticipation Builds
The Election is now less than a month away, and soon all four major parties will be engaged in verbal fisticuffs over policy and the future of Ontario. Having just spent the weekend discussing our platform and the future with other Green Party candidates, I can tell you that I am really charged! This year, the Green Party is going to shake everything up.
If you think my enthusiasm isn't warranted, you only need to check the news that came out on Monday: the Green Party of Ontario was polling at around 8% – capturing disillusioned Liberal voters – and the reason is because we are on the right side of all the issues; because we can create a strong, prosperous and sustainable future for Ontario. It may be a hard fight, but its still within our grasp.
Take, for instance, the poorly conceived Liberal plan to invest $40 billion of taxpayers money into the nuclear white elephant. To build a new nuclear plant, the province is expected to invest another $40 billion in infrastructure – now we're up to $80 billion… out of a total Provincial budget of only $90 billion. We've never had a nuclear power plant built on budget, and it would still take 12 years for it to even be completed, well past the date we are expected to need more power in Ontario. In contrast, the State of California managed to eliminate the need for three power plants simply by regulating the amount of energy that electronics used while off! With the stroke of a pen, neither business nor taxpayers felt the sting of creating a cleaner, more efficient environmental policy. This is Green Leadership.
I will grant one thing to John Tory: Leadership does matter. I'm just not sure that either the Liberal Party nor the Conservatives knows what that means.
If you think my enthusiasm isn't warranted, you only need to check the news that came out on Monday: the Green Party of Ontario was polling at around 8% – capturing disillusioned Liberal voters – and the reason is because we are on the right side of all the issues; because we can create a strong, prosperous and sustainable future for Ontario. It may be a hard fight, but its still within our grasp.
Take, for instance, the poorly conceived Liberal plan to invest $40 billion of taxpayers money into the nuclear white elephant. To build a new nuclear plant, the province is expected to invest another $40 billion in infrastructure – now we're up to $80 billion… out of a total Provincial budget of only $90 billion. We've never had a nuclear power plant built on budget, and it would still take 12 years for it to even be completed, well past the date we are expected to need more power in Ontario. In contrast, the State of California managed to eliminate the need for three power plants simply by regulating the amount of energy that electronics used while off! With the stroke of a pen, neither business nor taxpayers felt the sting of creating a cleaner, more efficient environmental policy. This is Green Leadership.
I will grant one thing to John Tory: Leadership does matter. I'm just not sure that either the Liberal Party nor the Conservatives knows what that means.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Flemingdon Park Needs a Clean Ravine!
I grew up next to a ravine in North York and it was frequently a place that I could be found, either with my father or friends, meandering along routes that led to various parks and golf courses in the city. When I was approached by Louis Fliss, a concerned citizen from Flemingdon Park, and asked to sit in on his community event to discuss the poor state of the ravine, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I can honestly say it broke my heart to see some of Toronto's natural areas in such poor condition.
A number of community members were upset with the state of their ravine. They were upset with the lack of attention that they have received from the two major political parties, and they were upset that Flemingdon Park seems to be on the bottom of everyone's list of priorities. They were right to be upset. Coming into Louis' event, I didn't quite know what to expect. How bad was the pollution? How much work might need to be done? But over the course of the presentation, it was made clear just how badly neglected the ravine has been. Furthermore, danger presented itself everywhere with discarded junk, open manholes and exposed sewers, and the half-hearted efforts to fix or cordon off these areas were disrespectful to the community and only reinforced the feeling of neglect for Flemingdon Park.
What the residents want is not unreasonable. But it would take years to do. It requires more than just money: it requires a committed representative that will work with the community and within government to help start a real change within the ravine. For all the diversity within the area, it was clear that the focus was the same, and opening up a natural area for the community and cleaning it up would be a great step towards helping a general urban revival.
What the community wants and needs is the kind of representation in public office that views Flemingdon Park as more than a series of statistics. Last night, it was made clear to me that this diverse community has the will and desire to see their green spaces, their streets, their public areas rejuvenated to reflect their strong spirit. It's not just about money. It's about representation. Toronto is known for its ravines, it's a feature that turns what would otherwise be dull urban landscape into a vibrant green city. It defines us. To see one of these green spaces in such poor condition is a stinging indictment of how governments ignore some communities. It's not who we are; it is a failing of multiple governments that this should have been allowed to happen. I have pledged to return to the Flemingdon Park ravine, and encourage all of you to join me for a tour of the area.
If you would like to know more, Louis -- the organizer and community champion behind the Greenbelt Gateway campaign -- would be happy to tell you about all it. He can be contacted at lfliss@gmail.com
A number of community members were upset with the state of their ravine. They were upset with the lack of attention that they have received from the two major political parties, and they were upset that Flemingdon Park seems to be on the bottom of everyone's list of priorities. They were right to be upset. Coming into Louis' event, I didn't quite know what to expect. How bad was the pollution? How much work might need to be done? But over the course of the presentation, it was made clear just how badly neglected the ravine has been. Furthermore, danger presented itself everywhere with discarded junk, open manholes and exposed sewers, and the half-hearted efforts to fix or cordon off these areas were disrespectful to the community and only reinforced the feeling of neglect for Flemingdon Park.
What the residents want is not unreasonable. But it would take years to do. It requires more than just money: it requires a committed representative that will work with the community and within government to help start a real change within the ravine. For all the diversity within the area, it was clear that the focus was the same, and opening up a natural area for the community and cleaning it up would be a great step towards helping a general urban revival.
What the community wants and needs is the kind of representation in public office that views Flemingdon Park as more than a series of statistics. Last night, it was made clear to me that this diverse community has the will and desire to see their green spaces, their streets, their public areas rejuvenated to reflect their strong spirit. It's not just about money. It's about representation. Toronto is known for its ravines, it's a feature that turns what would otherwise be dull urban landscape into a vibrant green city. It defines us. To see one of these green spaces in such poor condition is a stinging indictment of how governments ignore some communities. It's not who we are; it is a failing of multiple governments that this should have been allowed to happen. I have pledged to return to the Flemingdon Park ravine, and encourage all of you to join me for a tour of the area.
If you would like to know more, Louis -- the organizer and community champion behind the Greenbelt Gateway campaign -- would be happy to tell you about all it. He can be contacted at lfliss@gmail.com
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The Campaign Begins...
Since gaining the nomination last week we (my team and I) have been working tirelessly to prepare for what promises to be an interesting and challenging fight for the Green Party.
Friends and well wishers have puzzled over my choice to run in a riding that is home both to the current Minister of Education and the Leader of the Opposition, and I tell them that aside from living here, my decision to run is precisely because this is such a high profile riding. Where better to hold some of the province's top politicians to account for letting Ontario down with regards to both the environment and the economy?
Some have also suggested that it is impossible to win this riding, which I am quick to correct. Nothing is certain in Don Valley West and I aim to make the Conservatives and the Liberals sweat this out, but in order to get the word out, we will need your help. If you would like to volunteer or make a contribution please drop me a line at votegreendonvalley@gmail.com
I look forward to seeing everyone on the road!
Friends and well wishers have puzzled over my choice to run in a riding that is home both to the current Minister of Education and the Leader of the Opposition, and I tell them that aside from living here, my decision to run is precisely because this is such a high profile riding. Where better to hold some of the province's top politicians to account for letting Ontario down with regards to both the environment and the economy?
Some have also suggested that it is impossible to win this riding, which I am quick to correct. Nothing is certain in Don Valley West and I aim to make the Conservatives and the Liberals sweat this out, but in order to get the word out, we will need your help. If you would like to volunteer or make a contribution please drop me a line at votegreendonvalley@gmail.com
I look forward to seeing everyone on the road!
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