Ontario Greens' DeJong Ran a Good Race

Nadine Stoner

[Reprinted from GroundSwell, September-October 2007]

Though unsuccessful in his candidacy, Greens Leader Frank de Jong publicized some planks in his campaign platform that Georgists will appreciate. According to Common Ground-USA Ontario/Quebec chapter chair John Fisher, the Greens would have picked up 11 Member of Parliament Provincial [MPP] seats if the second ballot question had passed -- whether future elections should adopt a form of proportional representation. As it was, the Provincial Liberals took 71 seats, the Conservatives took 26 seats, and the New Democratic Party took 10 seats. The Green Party Ontario [GPO] had candidates in all 107 ridings/ constituencies. The GPO got 8.2 % of the popular vote. They talked tax shifting off jobs and business and onto nature (resources, pollution, sprawl).

Only the three major parties were included in the televised leaders debate, but the Sept. 17, 2007 Toronto Star reported that "last week, CBC Radio's Metro Morning interviewed what it called the four main party leaders -- Hampton, McGuinty, Tory and de Jong."

Among the planks in the Green Party of Ontario platform on education, energy, health, agriculture, northern development, democratic renewal, and local communities, was "place a moratorium on increases in the assessed market value of all residential properties and replace the existing property tax system with a revenue-neutral Location Value Charge." Another plank was "apply an immediate 2% carbon tax on oil, natural gas and coal imported or extracted for use in the province."