To the Editor: Not again! A consortium of media executives has met behind closed doors and decided to exclude the leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May, from the televised debate. Who are they to decide? What are the criteria? Whatever they decide are the criteria - there are no rules.
Please consider these facts...
The Green Party received almost a million votes last election. It was the only party to increase its vote - and substantially. The Green Party runs candidates in all constituencies across Canada. The Green Party has new ideas. In general. the right wing parties want corporations to decide who gets a slice of the pie- the trickle down theory. Left wing parties want everyone to get a little slice of the pie. Greens say- wait a minute - it is the pie that is important. At the rate we are using it up, it does not matter who gets the last crumb when the pie is gone. There are solutions to maintaining the pie for this and future generations. A viewpoint worthy of consideration in the 21st century.
So our media poobahs have decided that the all important debate will include the leader of a separatist party that only runs candidates in one province and cannot form a government and a leader of a party whose government has been found in contempt of Parliament- the first time in the whole Commonwealth. A country has to hear new ideas to grow as a nation. This undemocratic decision cannot be allowed to stand. Large media corporations have been given a license by the people to operate. They have an obligation to provide full, unbiased information to the public. Canadians believe in fairness, regardless of party loyalties.
Why not an Act of Parliament requiring television media to run 3 well moderated leaders debates during the election period and monthly debates between elections? Any party receiving 250,000 votes would be allowed some participation. Allow networks to run non political ads to cover costs. This would arouse the interest of disaffected voters who are turned off-some say intentionally- by the present system and be healthy for democracy. Leaders could not hide behind attack ads and carefully staged events. We would get to know who they really are.
Please contact the media consortium and demand fair and full debates. Their emails are: [email protected], [email protected], viewercontact.globalnational@global tv.com, [email protected], [email protected]
Mike Bray, Indian Head, SK.
