GreenerPolitics

by: Cameron Wigmore

For those who weren’t there, Jennifer did very well at the forum in Stettler tonight. I will upload her speech on YouTube with the other ones and you can view it by searching her name in YouTube or by going to my account at http://www.youtube.com/greencameron

In the Q&A Jen owned the subject of landowner surface rights, came across very credibly and informed on CBM issues, and set the pace with trade, integration, and the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) agreement. She also covered water transfer issues with Balzac and the Special Areas very well, and of course she brought up a number of popular policies from our platform. She didn’t miss a beat, while the other candidates did, and miraculously Jennifer has somehow gotten ‘in’ with the local farmers. It could have something to do with her knowledge of landowner rights and regulatory bodies failing us…

After the forum, I went to the Legion parking lot where we were parked and noticed a couple of tables full of happy people. I said surprised, “this legion has an outdoor patio in the shade?!? That’s awesome!” They all smiled and laughed, and asked if I was from out of town. I told them I was just on the other side of the Legion at the political forum and a couple of people remarked that they wanted to be there (but not as much as they wanted to enjoy the evening outside on the patio - I can’t blame them . I handed them a pamphlet and said “it’s a little light reading, if you want to check it out and pass it along.” One lady remarked, “Oh! The Green Party! That’s the one I want to see. I’ve told my friends I’m voting Green!”

I replied, “Excellent! I’m hearing that a LOT.”

:-)

Cheers,

Cameron

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See her bio here: http://www.albertagreens.ca/jennifer_wigmore

Here are two of our other upcoming events in Drumheller-Stettler:

June 4th - Hanna - Community Center 503 5th Ave West - 7pm-9:30pm - candidate forum.

June 6th - Drumheller - Drumheller Inn 100 South Railway Ave - 7pm - candidate forum.

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Letter to the editor regarding water and landowners rights.

Submitted by Jennifer Wigmore.

Drumheller-Stettler Candidate for the Green Party of Alberta.

A water transfer proposal for the Special Areas in Drumheller-Stettler sits on the shelf, while the Province fast tracks a plan to get water to a mega mall in Balzac. Their priorities do not lay with the people, the farmers or the small business persons; their priorities lay with the foreign and big business interests. Big business is being put ahead of our agricultural industry, and while this government tries to keep agriculture afloat with subsidies, they are avoiding any real solutions to our problems.

Rather than pursuing made in Alberta plan that will strengthen our economy an make it flourish in a sustainable fashion, they are looking to the United States through the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) Agreement for ways to complete the sale of our national independence.

In April of this year CanWest News reported that a series of closed-door conferences for the North American Future 2025 Project will include the discussion of “water transfers” and diversions, according to the outline for the project, a trilateral effort to draft a “blueprint” on economic integration for the governments of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

The project was launched to help guide the ongoing Security and Prosperity Partnership, a wide-ranging effort to further integrate the countries’ practices on everything from environmental rules to security protocols and border controls.

“It’s no secret that the U.S. is going to need water. It’s no secret that Canada is going to have an overabundance of water.” said Armand Peschard-Sverdrup, director of the project, which is spearheaded by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a powerful Washington think-tank.

An ‘overabundance of water’? Is this what they think we have here in Alberta? Why is our government allowing the US to discuss our water and resources as if they are something they own?

This is bigger that the proposed Balzac water transfer, which, in my informed opinion, will probably be coming from the WID (Western Irrigation District). This is about fast-tracking without public consultations.

A proposed 1,607-kilometre cross-country oil pipeline will run from Hardisty, southeast of Edmonton to Superior, Wisconsin. The pipeline is aimed at transporting Alberta tarsands crude to U.S. markets, and it will run right through our agricultural land.

David Core, President of the Canadian Alliance of Pipeline Landowners Associations, who is active with the Green Party, is saying, “pipeline landowners can no longer pretend that pipelines crossing their farms are out of sight and out of mind, and can no longer make excuses when dealing with pipeline companies and the boards that regulate them.”

Landowners must spread the word and stand up for their rights. Joining together with other landowners to form associations is a must, as Joe Anglin of the Lavesta Area Landowners Group, and declared Green Party of Alberta candidate in Lacombe -Ponoka, knows all too well.

The Lavesta Area Landowners Group represents more than 800 landowners in the area that are battling Alta Link, a controversial $495 million power line that would cut through Central Alberta to help provide power to the City of Calgary.

A high powered transmission line was considered and pursued by Alberta’s provincial government, before any real consultation with or approval from the landowners and farmers it will directly affect.

The public has been misled into believing this transmission line was only needed for Calgary’s growth. The EUB has utilized fear tactics of possible rolling blackouts in Calgary in 2009 if this line isn’t built but they have never addressed why there wouldn’t be rolling blackout when this line is used 100% for export in 2010.

To quote Mr. Anglin, “No one is allowed to say no to any type of oil and gas development and that is fundamentally wrong. The real question for the province is how do we get from where we are today, of an environment of unsustainable oil and gas development, to a sustainable development of energy resources? Our future will not lie in oil and gas development. Our future will rely on our ability to develop new technologies. Who best to help protect the environment than people who own the land and who work the land? People should have the right to say no to development on their land. You should have the right to protect your water and soil and that will protect the environment in your community.”

The Green Party has hit on something that is directly related to us in this riding, to Alberta, and the entire country. It’s the security of our energy and our resources. The Green Party recognizes that it is extremely important that we act now on this information.

On January 23rd 2006 the Harper minority government was elected to parliament. Shortly after, Harper made it very clear that he would not participate in the traditional media scrum in Parliament, but would instead enter and exit Parliament through a back door and then directed his entire Party to issue only prepared statements through his office.

Eight months later, some of North America’s most powerful political, business and military leaders gathered in Banff for three days in order to decide on how to create a North American super-state. No media was notified, invited or even allowed, except for one reporter from the Wall Street Journal.

The guest list included then US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Canadian chief of Defense staff General Rick Hillier, Canada’s public safety minister Stockwell Day, and Lockheed Martin executive Ron Covais.

In the last federal election Canadians voted out a government that had forgotten that it was there to represent it’s citizens. We recognized their self-serving pattern, and got rid of them.

Here we are today in this great province, with the same patterns from our provincial government. Their lack of real consultation or follow through on what Albertans have said shows that they are no longer representing us.

Jennifer Wigmore

Candidate, Drumheller-Stettler

Green Party of Alberta

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(Opening Speech)

First they ignore you,

then they laugh at you,

then they fight you,

and then you win.

Gandhi said this.

Ten years ago I moved to Drumheller from Edmonton. I am now married to Cameron Wigmore and we have a three year old son, Graham.

Thinking the truth was too big to understand, I remained blissfully unaware of many events here and around the world. Feeling that I wasn’t responsible for the political landscape I sometimes used to say “I am not responsible for the government because I didn’t vote”.

After years of dissatisfaction I found myself on a journey, learning about our issues, because my family and friends were experiencing them first hand. The more I learned, the more I felt the need to take action and make a difference.

My career in theatre Arts has led me across Canada. As a professional fundraiser my administrative career began as an intern with Rosebud Theatre. I have worked in the arts from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Chemainus B.C. Recently, I fulfilled a lifelong goal of working with the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival as their Development Manager.

I am a problem solver, a listener, and a fighter for the greater good. The simple fact is I am a normal person who wants to work for the people. My priority is the people. You may not know me or have seen me in the public eye. That is because I am the woman in the background who gets the job done.

I’m part of a generation that is disillusioned with the current state of politics. Many of us believe that our opinions are not being recognized or acted upon by the old-line parties in government, and this is the case not only for my generation but also for millions of Canadians.

The Green Party of Alberta’s policies are guided by principles. These principles are broad value statements that reflect the base values of the party.

The 10 key values are:

1. Sustainability
2. Decentralization
3. Gender Equity
4. Non-violence
5. Community Based Economics
6. Personal & Global Responsibility
7. Social Justice
8. Grassroots Democracy
9. Ecological Wisdom
10. Respect for Diversity

Albertans have embraced new political ideas before the rest of the country on many occasions and they are embracing the Green Party. Pick-up trucks and cowboy boots mean Green votes. I know this because three out of our four best ridings in the last provincial election were in rural areas.

In the last federal election support for the Green Party was higher in Alberta than in any other province in Canada, even higher than British Columbia.

Preston Manning recently said, “…the next government of Alberta could very well be formed not by traditional opposition parties such as the Liberals and the NDP, but by something new. What might be the central issue that will engender and motivate Alberta’s next government?”

He continued, “…there’s the dark horse — dark green, actually — which I’d bet on if I were a betting man. Recently, when pollsters ask Albertans to name their No. 1, top-of-mind concern, guess what finishes a very close second to health care? Environmental conservation.”

The Green Party is the only party working hard to ensure that grassroots democracy is building in Alberta. Thirty percent of the Green Party vote is coming from people whose second choice is not to vote. We are pulling people back into the democratic process. Another 30 percent of our vote is coming from the right wing.

The Green Party is still misunderstood by many people, but we will continue to see our support increase as Canadians continue to discover that we have straightforward strategies that will save people money, improve our quality of life and can easily be applied by us all.

I see the Alberta Greens playing an ever greater role in the decisions our government makes. My vision for Alberta is one of hope and faith.

This is a byelection, and we’ll all be going back to the polls again for the provincial election in the near future. The community that elects the first Green MLA in Canada is the constituency that will have the eyes and ears of not only this province but the entire country, and it is Drumheller-Stettler that needs it most. Why?

Landowner’s surface rights, water issues and resource management. These are the issues that will continue to be unaddressed if we choose to maintain the status quo. All of these gentlemen up here with me are wonderful civic minded people who have done many great things in their communities. I am asking you to consider the machines behind their parties and the difficulties they will encounter in getting media attention and action on the issues that concern us.

I know that a number of well meaning people have worked inside the other political parties and have been blocked from making real change because the traditional parties in Alberta are not ready to change.

Albertans ARE ready for a change.

We have the water, we have the energy, we have the wealth, we have the compassion, we have the will, and the integrity.

Let’s tell Canada that we are still the forward thinking, pioneering province that is reasserting that our provincial wealth needs to be managed, preserved and conserved for our well being and prosperity, and the well-being and prosperity of our children and our children’s children.

My name is Jennifer Wigmore, and I am your Green Party candidate.

Thank you.

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(closing statement)

I’m filled with excitement to be running here in Drumheller-Stettler as your Green Party candidate.

Through our grassroots movement we are sharing our message of hope for our Country. Our platform and policies cover all issues, and more Canadians every day are hearing about the solutions that the Green Party offers.

The Green Party is both idealistic and realistic; we know that to achieve our goals which include ecological sustainability, long-term well-being & democratic reform, we need to work with small & big businesses for a positive outcome.

Some people would say you have seven choices in front of you, but I say you have two. You can vote for any of these men standing before you and the message you will send to Mr. Stelmach and the provincial government is that their broken promises, lack of accountability, and inaction is OK with us.

I say if nothing changes… nothing changes.

Albert Einstein once said, “The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation.”

You can vote for change. For hope. You can elect the first Green MLA. Your voices will be heard through me as your representative. Electing me will put you, the riding of Drumheller-Stettler in national news.

My name is Jennifer Wigmore, and I am your Green Party candidate.

Thank you.