“What happened to the car?” quipped Austin, eyes affixed on May 5, 2009, the day he turns 16 and thinks car ownerships magically change name.

Okay, so my car (an SUV I hope she didn’t notice) and a bottle of Windex had an encounter. And maybe, for once, a 13 year old and friends hockey equipment didn’t have passengers and driver alike reaching for the window-down button. After all it’s not everyday the leader of a National party rides in my car for a couple of hours as we drove to London. No worries son, your hockey gear is safe and sound, even if, a bottle of Windex later, it’s not just through a windshield I am seeing things a little more clearly.

 

Forget that I was standing outside Terminal 2 shooing away pesky security people who think mine, the only car in sight, might be the one they need to worry about. And forget too that Elizabeth May was standing outside waiting at Terminal 1, needing to borrow a cell phone so we could, in a matter of moments, bridge the terminal gap.

It doesn’t take long to feel comfortable meeting Ms. May for the first time, alone, confined to quarters for two hours, and with only our own stories about ourselves to tell. But man what a story, and talk about unpretentious – well Elizabeth anyway.

Garth and Esther arrived at the London campaign office not long after, which according to Esther, it is in fact physically possible to reach London from Milton in less than an hour without flying, in a plane. The rest of the afternoon progressed with me doing one of the things I like to do best, observe.

What is it about this Connecticut-born Cape-Breton Canadian woman that has Halton’s maverick proclaiming Ms. May the candidate he supports in the upcoming London by-election on November 27? ‘She’s the best candidate! And as an Independent this is just one of the things I am allowed to say now that the PMO understands I don’t report to it’  is the gist of what’s here and here on Garth’s blog.

Garth doesn’t say anything without meaning it. And while I trust him enough to know it’s probably true, the strategist in me still had to find out for sure and on my own.

I have, and she is.

But how I found out, why it’s true, and what London has the chance to do about it has little if anything to do with the media junket day on Wednesday. It all happened the next day, yesterday, when sheer curiosity and that unsettling feeling I hadn’t completely figured it out yet, saw me and my Windex-on-wheels squirting back to London for the all-candidates debate. Wow!

I urge you to forget everything else and pay close attention. I think Elizabeth May, who according to the 20 point pundits is a long-shot and hasn’t a chance of winning, may very well rewrite the political polling history books. Search as I did, there is no evidence of a candidate that has ever overcome 20+ points in 10 days. Wanna bet it’s going to happen? Wanna bet further that after last night it’s not 20 points?

I’ve watched a lot of debates. I’ve successfully coached a few candidates too. Ask the guy from Halton. But last night’s debate at Huron University College was an eye-opener of untold proportions. I was not so much impressed that Elizabeth won the debate hands-down or that she has the gift of combining substance with a little [sarcastic] humour; but if I was one of the other candidates I’d be thankful last night’s format did not actually feature the candidates debating each other. Scalpers selling tickets will do well when that night comes.

Indeed, the targets in the form of Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, and a yet to be named Liberal had better watch their flanks, for on the horizon is a woman who is above party politics, navigates the highroad, optimistically and positively has her sights set forward, but ain’t afraid to dish-it-out, if provoked.

If you think a leader of a Green party has to be an environmental zealot on steroids, do yourself a favour, go see the next debate. Sure the environment weaves its way into lots of answers, but Elizabeth May is anything but a one-trick-pony. There wasn’t a question she did not field with near perfection. There wasn’t an issue she couldn’t speak to; and not just intelligibly, but with real substance and with an audience captivated and thinking. And I mean really thinking!

Could this be why Garth Turner and others are supporting Elizabeth May? Well, now count me in too – firmly – as a May supporter.

The NDP candidate tried boasting that only her party “strives to have its caucus comprised of 50% women.”  Without skipping a beat, Elizabeth retorted “I’ll go you one better Megan, elect me as a caucus of 100% women” and when the laughter subsided, Elizabeth furthered “and you can’t beat Garth when we are 50/50.”  [audio clip]

Finally though, let me in turn strive toward the end of this post by suggesting the reasons above, as valid as they are, is not the main reason I think London North Centre should elect the Leader of the Green party. Rather, I believe voters have a moral opportunity to do so. Consider this…

For months, even years, we’ve been hearing about fiscal imbalances between regions, and yes, this is an important matter that needs addressing. But ahead of fiscal imbalance, there is another imbalance of far greater urgency that needs rebalancing. I am speaking, of course, about the parliamentary imbalance. Convinced I am, that if we first properly address and resolve the parliamentary imbalance, nearly all other issues fall into place. I promise.

The latest Decima poll has the Green Party tied with the Bloc at 10% support and the NDP at 15%. The Bloc and NDP numbers are not wildly off the results from the last election, just ten months ago. In the same ten month period, however, support for the Green party has doubled, confirming that Canadian’s concern about the environment is for real, if not overdue.

But this being the case, why then, if popular support figures are not completely out of range of each other, does the NDP have 29 seats and the Bloc has 51 seats, but the Green Party has ZERO seats?

I know the answer. It was a rhetorical question and I fully understand how the current system yields its crop. My question was more about why, until the opportunity facing London, have we been content to stand by and let the system prevail when the solution was long ago staring and daring us to engage. In 10 days, London North Centre has a chance to effect real change. Garth started it, but in my view, Elizabeth May is of similar seed and that is a good thing.

If with 10%-15% support the NDP and Bloc can have 29 and 51 seats respectively, then surely to goodness Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, and Bill Graham could have afforded 1 seat to the leader of the Green party. Seriously, if Stephen Harper can make a mockery of the electoral system by having Michael Fortier and David Emerson in Cabinet, was is not possible to make it easier for a full 10% of Canadians to have their voices heard in the House of Commons? Or, are traditional party leaders and the “old boys’ club” really that worried? Good – they should be!

The environment has never been more important in the hearts and minds of Canadians and we have the polling data to prove it. The environment is now the top concern cited in nearly all national surveys. Why then, would London not elect the leader of the party that clearly is most concerned and most qualified to speak to environmental concerns? At a bare minimum, Rona could use the help of a qualified mentor, no?

As I watched the London all-candidates debate last night, all but one of the candidates seemed to me sufficiently competent. The Conservative candidate seemed sorrowfully out-of-step if not even a little frightened. I would be too, right now, campaigning under a Stephen Harper dictatorship and having to defend his mistakes to date.

This by-election, in my view, shouldn’t be about electing a set of competences that are, well, barely sufficient. Elizabeth May, based on my first 24 hours of examining the candidates is, by far, the most competent candidate. For those concerned Elizabeth may be a parachuted candidate unfamiliar or uncommitted to local issues, I urge you to attend the next debate, or call her, and ask her yourself. The audience last night seemed as impressed with her command of local issues important to Londoners as they were when Ms. May spoke about the environment or national and international issues. No wonder Garth thinks she’s the best candidate in this race, as now, do I.

Finally, if I was a Londoner with a chance to vote in the upcoming by-election, here would be my thinking:

1. Generally speaking, by-elections don’t get much attention compared to general elections so maybe voting isn’t important. Wrong! If last night’s turnout is any indication, Londoners get it. They really do. They seemingly understand the importance of fulfilling their privileged and civic duty. They are becoming informed, they will cast their vote and, yes, it does matter.

2. At a time when the environment (as a Local, Regional, Provincial, National, International, and Global issue) has never been more important or on the minds of more concerned Canadians, Londoners are in a most enviable position. They can help shape a significant voice and catalyst in Canada’s and the world’s environmental future. Sure, the Liberal or NDP candidates are decent enough folk with better ideas about the environment than say, Rona Ambrose-Harper. But tell me, why would you choose Todd Bertuzzi, when you have Sidney Crosby itching for a seat on the bench, and better yet, out on the ice [what's left of it] really wanting to make honest and positive change? Sounds a lot like somebody else I know.

3. I understand, better than most, why people are cynical about politics and politicians. But knowing the fastest growing proportion of the population currently at 10% has no seat in the house of commons, is not reason to be more cynical. On the contrary. It’s a reason to act.

I truly envy Londoners. According to the predictions of traditional polling methodologies and campaign strategies, electing Elizabeth May on November 27 isn’t likely to happen. Yet London North Centre has the opportunity to be uniquely and forever remembered as the riding that first joined in significantly shifting the Canadian political landscape – something I further believe “May” very well be in progress.

Carpe Diem London … don’t blow it … the rest of us are keenly watching and counting on you!

 

Elizabeth May’s Campaign Website: [ click here ]