Greens a 'young and sexy party'

TREVOR HAGAN/ WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Enlarge Image

Green party Leader James Beddome

If optimism translated into ballot-box success, then the Green Party of Manitoba has a lot to look forward to three weeks from today.

On Oct. 4, the environmentally minded provincial party plans to field the largest slate of candidates in its 13-year history -- 30 to 35, depending on how many Greens succeed in filing nomination papers by today's deadline.

Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May, the first party member to become an MP, swung through Winnipeg last week to lend a publicity boost to the party's Manitoba wing, led by 27-year-old law student James Beddome.

Events such as southern Manitoba's flood, continued turmoil in the agricultural sector and U.S. protests over Alberta's oilsands have kept sustainabilty issues in the public eye all summer, theoretically providing the Green party with ideological leverage at election time. But Manitoba's Greens appear to be no closer to achieving a breakthrough at the polls today than they were in 1999, when the fledgling provincial party fielded six candidates and won less than one per cent of the popular vote.

While the party has increased its voter base, the growth has been modest -- only 1.3 per cent of the popular vote in the 2007 Manitoba election.

And in the bellwether riding of Wolseley, the Winnipeg seat perceived to be one of the most environmentally conscious, the Greens lost ground in 2007, collecting 12.1 per cent of the popular vote compared with 19.5 per cent in 2003, when former party leader Markus Buchart, a lawyer, captured 19.5 per cent of the riding's vote.

Current leader Beddome said he's not daunted by these statistics. He challenges the notion the Greens are destined to remain a distant fourth in a Manitoba political scene dominated by the perennial struggle between New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives, with a distant-third-place Liberal party struggling to remain relevant.

"I think we've made a lot of inroads," said Beddome, who grew up on a farm near the western Manitoba town of Rapid City before he studied politics at the University of Manitoba, worked for an investment firm, ran a marketing company and entered law school.

By fielding enough candidates to theoretically win a majority, the Greens are demonstrating they are a viable alternative to three other parties, insisted Beddome.

"Every so often, there comes a time when the voters decide, if I may be a tad juvenile, all of these parties suck," he said. "In comparison, we are the young and sexy party."

Beddome concedes the provincial wing must capture at least one seat as a beach head. He hopes Wolseley, held by the NDP for 28 of the past 30 years, will be that beach head.

Beddome complains about being left out of leaders debates. On Monday, he walked on stage at a Manitoba Chambers of Commerce-sponsored debate in Brandon and demanded to participate.

Moderator Richard Cloutier, the CJOB radio host, provided Beddome with some air time.

Beddome acknowledged the Greens lack the money to compete in a mass-media sphere, though his side has a full-time campaign manager and fundraiser.

"Every Green party candidate that puts its name on the ballot is running to win," he said.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Green Party of Manitoba

Provincial electoral success since the party was founded in 1998:

1999: No seats. Six candidates garnered 0.2 per cent of the popular vote.

2003: No seats. Fourteen candidates garnered 1.0 per cent of the vote.

2007: No seats. Fifteen candidates garnered 1.3 per cent of the vote.

2011: Party expects to field 30 to 35 candidates.

Green Party success in Wolseley riding

1999: Phyllis Abbé finished third with 4.7 per cent of the popular vote.

2003: Party leader Markus Buchart finished second with 19.5 per cent of the vote.

2007: Ardythe Basham finished second with 12.1 per cent of the vote.

2011: Party has nominated leader James Beddome.

Green Party of Canada

Federal success in most recent four elections:

2004: No seats, 308 candidates and 4.3 per cent of the popular vote.

2006: No seats, 308 candidates and 4.5 per cent of the vote.

2008: No seats, 303 candidates and 6.8 per cent of the vote.

2011: One seat, 304 candidates and 3.9 per cent of the vote.

-- Source: Green Party of Manitoba, Green Party of Canada

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 13, 2011 A4