本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Greens head to court to land slot in TV debate
May shut out of leaders' debate
Janice Tibbetts , Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, September 08, 2008
OTTAWA - Elizabeth May said her party will pursue legal action against a consortium of TV networks, which decided Monday to exclude the Green leader from the televised leaders' debates on grounds that three other leaders said they would boycott the show if she were allowed to share the stage.
A defiant May accused the party leaders of preserving a tight "old-boys club" and the networks of turning their backs on democracy instead of calling the leaders' bluff on their warnings of being no-shows.
"Day 2 of the Canadian election and democracy has taken a nosedive," the May told a news conference on Parliament Hill.
A defiant Green party Leader Elizabeth May accused the other party leaders of preserving a tight 'old-boys club,' and the networks of turning their backs on democracy instead of calling the leaders' bluff on their warnings of being no-shows.View Larger Image View Larger Image
A defiant Green party Leader Elizabeth May accused the other party leaders of preserving a tight 'old-boys club,' and the networks of turning their backs on democracy instead of calling the leaders' bluff on their warnings of being no-shows.
The decision was made following a meeting of the TV networks that organizes the French and English leaders' debates, a central element of the election campaign. They are scheduled to be held in Ottawa on Oct. 1-2, two weeks before the Oct. 14 election.
May said the Greens intend to go to court, likely Tuesday, to challenge the networks for shutting her out of the debates when her party is running candidates in all federal ridings but one, had one MP at dissolution and secured 4.5 per cent of the vote in the 2006 federal election.
"This is anti-democratic, closed-door decision making . . . to keep out the one woman of a political party," said May.
She chastised the consortium for failing to give good reasons for its decision, saying only that she is being excluded because of threats from three parties - the Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois and New Democrats - that they would not participate if May were included.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said that while he supports her inclusion, he would not attend if the prime minister does not.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said it would be unfair to allow May to join the other leaders on the national stage because she is too closely tied to the Liberals.
"Ms. May is basically presenting the same positions as Mr. Dion and she supports Mr. Dion as Liberal leader," Harper said while campaigning in Richmond, B.C. "I don't think that's fair to the other parties."
Harper added he suspects May will officially endorse Dion by the end of the campaign.
May has drawn criticism, even within the Greens, of being too cosy with Dion. The two leaders have agreed not to run candidates in each other's ridings and May has said previously that she thinks Dion would make the best prime minister.
In a news release Monday, the group of TV networks said that it would be better to have a debate without May than to have no debate at all.
"The consortium approached the parties to explore the possibility of including the Green party in all or part of the leaders' debates," the networks said in a news release.
"However, three parties opposed its inclusion and it became clear that if the Green party were included, there would be no leaders' debates. In the interest of Canadians, the consortium has determined that it is better to broadcast the debates with the four major party leaders, rather than not at all."
May accused the consortium, which allowed former Reform leader Preston Manning in the televised debates when he had only one MP in the Commons, of making rules on the fly.
She challenged the party leaders to go on the public record with their assertions that they would boycott the debates if she was permitted to participate.
Earlier in the day, May distanced herself from her past endorsements of Dion, telling reporters at a campaign stop at an Ottawa soup kitchen that Harper's assertions that she will endorse the Liberal leader are "ludicrous.
"We are separate political parties, our views on most issues are quite different," said May. "There is absolutely no way I would turn my back on the 306 Green party candidates across this country running against Liberals."
The Green party has hired a lawyer and May said she expects it will fight the decision in the Federal Court.
The TV networks in the consortium are CBC, Radio-Canada, CTV, Global Television and TVA, a Quebec-based French-language network.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
May shut out of leaders' debate
Janice Tibbetts , Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, September 08, 2008
OTTAWA - Elizabeth May said her party will pursue legal action against a consortium of TV networks, which decided Monday to exclude the Green leader from the televised leaders' debates on grounds that three other leaders said they would boycott the show if she were allowed to share the stage.
A defiant May accused the party leaders of preserving a tight "old-boys club" and the networks of turning their backs on democracy instead of calling the leaders' bluff on their warnings of being no-shows.
"Day 2 of the Canadian election and democracy has taken a nosedive," the May told a news conference on Parliament Hill.
A defiant Green party Leader Elizabeth May accused the other party leaders of preserving a tight 'old-boys club,' and the networks of turning their backs on democracy instead of calling the leaders' bluff on their warnings of being no-shows.View Larger Image View Larger Image
A defiant Green party Leader Elizabeth May accused the other party leaders of preserving a tight 'old-boys club,' and the networks of turning their backs on democracy instead of calling the leaders' bluff on their warnings of being no-shows.
The decision was made following a meeting of the TV networks that organizes the French and English leaders' debates, a central element of the election campaign. They are scheduled to be held in Ottawa on Oct. 1-2, two weeks before the Oct. 14 election.
May said the Greens intend to go to court, likely Tuesday, to challenge the networks for shutting her out of the debates when her party is running candidates in all federal ridings but one, had one MP at dissolution and secured 4.5 per cent of the vote in the 2006 federal election.
"This is anti-democratic, closed-door decision making . . . to keep out the one woman of a political party," said May.
She chastised the consortium for failing to give good reasons for its decision, saying only that she is being excluded because of threats from three parties - the Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois and New Democrats - that they would not participate if May were included.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said that while he supports her inclusion, he would not attend if the prime minister does not.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said it would be unfair to allow May to join the other leaders on the national stage because she is too closely tied to the Liberals.
"Ms. May is basically presenting the same positions as Mr. Dion and she supports Mr. Dion as Liberal leader," Harper said while campaigning in Richmond, B.C. "I don't think that's fair to the other parties."
Harper added he suspects May will officially endorse Dion by the end of the campaign.
May has drawn criticism, even within the Greens, of being too cosy with Dion. The two leaders have agreed not to run candidates in each other's ridings and May has said previously that she thinks Dion would make the best prime minister.
In a news release Monday, the group of TV networks said that it would be better to have a debate without May than to have no debate at all.
"The consortium approached the parties to explore the possibility of including the Green party in all or part of the leaders' debates," the networks said in a news release.
"However, three parties opposed its inclusion and it became clear that if the Green party were included, there would be no leaders' debates. In the interest of Canadians, the consortium has determined that it is better to broadcast the debates with the four major party leaders, rather than not at all."
May accused the consortium, which allowed former Reform leader Preston Manning in the televised debates when he had only one MP in the Commons, of making rules on the fly.
She challenged the party leaders to go on the public record with their assertions that they would boycott the debates if she was permitted to participate.
Earlier in the day, May distanced herself from her past endorsements of Dion, telling reporters at a campaign stop at an Ottawa soup kitchen that Harper's assertions that she will endorse the Liberal leader are "ludicrous.
"We are separate political parties, our views on most issues are quite different," said May. "There is absolutely no way I would turn my back on the 306 Green party candidates across this country running against Liberals."
The Green party has hired a lawyer and May said she expects it will fight the decision in the Federal Court.
The TV networks in the consortium are CBC, Radio-Canada, CTV, Global Television and TVA, a Quebec-based French-language network.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net