Deputy Leadership

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.