Trust me, the numbers pointed elsewhere, as did my initial advice. But you can’t argue with heart, and perhaps, nor should we. Elizabeth May will run in Central Nova, that much is certain. Less understood is why.
Buried within the answer lies the reason Nova Scotians should feel proud, very proud.
Elizabeth May will run in Central Nova for no other reason than that’s where she really wants to run. It seems counterintuitive, I know. But the reason Canada should want Elizabeth May in Parliament has less to do with her credentials vis-à-vis the environment, and more to do with who she is and what she represents in terms of her honesty and integrity. The woman simply can’t lie and she won’t say anything she doesn’t completely mean. Not the qualities most people observe in a politician.
“A different kind of political party” would have made for a great campaign slogan had Saturn not proven there is sometimes a disconnect between slogans and reality. Consider instead, “that in Canada, nowhere is the need for climate change more important, than in Parliament.” That is what Elizabeth May brings to Canadian politics.
On par with my pal in Halton, Elizabeth represents just the kind of change Parliament urgently needs. What Elizabeth May brings to the environment discussion is, in my opinion, merely a bonus. The real value, and at this stage it’s still somewhat of an intangible, is what many more will come to learn in the weeks and months ahead, if given the chance. It’s a sense of parliamentary professionalism and decorum the type of which Canada is currently completely devoid, and it’s the promise of an intelligent and policy-rich discussion of issues that are real and that matter. Shrewd, but high-road.
Three weeks ago Martin Scorsese was finally rewarded following eight previous Oscar nominations which, by all accounts, the man was only cheated by a faulty voting system. The similarities are eerily similar. But like Mr. Scorsese, Ms. May has not chosen the easier or surer thing by playing the system. Instead, Elizabeth May is following her heart and her conscience. Some will see boldness where others see naivety. Those really watching will see conviction, possibly to a fault.
Will Canada and Central Nova equate perception with reality and usher in a new political era? Conventional tea leaves suggest not. But these are anything but conventional times, and if I have my seasons straight, Spring is imminent and a new set of leaves is about to bud.
May the climate, in all of its meanings, be the beneficiary.