In a surprise announcement Sept. 23, Stormont County organic processor Tom Manley revealed he has severed ties with the Green Party of Canada and is turning to the Liberal Party.
Manley's ties to the Green Party ran deep. Not only was he the party's deputy leader and agricultural critic, he has run under the Green banner in both federal and provincial elections.
In 2004, Manley took on Jim Harris, who remains Green leader, for the party's top job.
Flanked by stalwarts of the Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Liberal Party, Manley said he'll seek the Liberal nomination in the next federal election.
....
Over the past few years, Manley said several attempts were made to bring him back to the Liberal fold.
Lately, however, he started to listen, determined to forge ahead with his agenda for agricultural and environmental sustainability.
"There's a sense of urgency here and, within the Green Party, it'll take too long to achieve results. Besides, people make political parties, parties don't make people."
The lust for power will make a man sell his principles to the highest bidder. The Liberals never let themselves be outbid for a defector, whether it's with promises of a seat in cabinet or an unopposed parliamentary nomination.
Whether the Liberals actually come through with their promises is irrelevant to the party. Manley's desire for a platform plank about a sustainable agriculture policy will likely be met, but nothing will actually be done about it. Who actually reads the Red Book after the election?
Nonetheless, the Green Party will be shaken up with the loss of its number two man heading into an election. It might have been poised to overtake the NDP as the new party of the left in Canada, once enough NDPers upset with the radicals and Jack Layton's sellout to the Liberals crossed over. It also had an attraction for some Red Tories who couldn't bring themselves to support either of the three parties, as well as many independent-minded protest voters. It could have split off more left votes to allow Tories to come up the middle in close ridings.
Now the Greens face the prospect of being bled dry by the Liberals, all to satisfy one man's ambitions.
Source: Ottawa Sun
1 comment:
You know, the last I heard of this guy, he made total sense. I agree with you entirely that the Green Party has the momentum partly due to the increased energy costs and MUST be taken seriously.
The book Twilight in the Desert details the energy production of Saudi Arabia and we are very likely at the peak oil production at least for the world and likely for Saudi Arabia as well. Who cares about oil company collusion? The price of gasoline needs to be high to promote the new green economy and Layton wants to have lower oil prices. Tom Manley, how could a man who apparently gets it show such a lack of principles to jump ship to the Fiberals?
Brian C.
blueandgreen.blogspot.com
(Ottawa, 24 August 2005) - NDP leader Jack Layton refuses to face the reality of an imminent energy crisis as he sidesteps the underlying causes of the increase in fuel prices for political headlines, said Green Party of Canada Deputy Leader Tom Manley today.
Manley was reacting to Layton's call for a government inquiry to determine whether multinational oil companies are colluding on gas prices. Layton also proposed that a commission be established to deal with energy prices.
"Despite his green speeches, Layton still manages to miss the mark," said Manley. "The world has reached the peak of oil production. Reserves are finite while our consumption continues to increase, pushed by Chinese and Indian demand for oil."
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