Earlier this week, the leaders of the Conservative Party, the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois shut out the Green Party of Canada from any televised leader debates for the upcoming elections.  They stated that if the current leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May, participated in the debate that they would withdraw from it. Only the Liberals endorsed May’s quest to participate in the televised debate.

I find this absolutely appalling. The Green Party has grown leaps and bounds over the last decade. In the 2006 elections, they received over 664,000 votes from Canadian voters. What are these leaders afraid of? The Green Party is no longer just a fringe party ran by pot smoking hippies. Their policies reflect the growing concerns that most people have regarding the environment. This topic has become a very important one to Canadians and boycotting a party that is deeply rooted in preserving our environment speaks volumes about these leaders.  When 664,000 of eligible voters believe in the party’s values and causes, shutting them out of an anticipated public debate makes little sense. Its not an issue of having too many people in on the debate. There were 5 leaders that participated in these debates before the PC party and Alliance merged. You have to wonder what these leaders’ agenda is.

(Note: I am not a supporter of the Green Party, but I do believe that they have the right to participate in the televised debate as this political party has moved from being a fringe party to a a popular one).