Provincial Political Party Deputy Leaders from Grey Bruce Owen Sound

Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, in my own mind, has always been a very important part of the Province of Ontario, I know other especially unique areas and regions, like Hamilton's Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, that allow us to figure out the rest of the puzzle, but I have always thought our Saugeen region is that key piece. So, as well, does Shane Jolley, who is now running to become the Male Deputy Leader for the Green Party of Ontario at the upcoming annual general meeting in June. I agree with his assessment of "bringing my experience as a candidate and as a consensus builder to the service of the membership and Ontarians in general", plus I know that his Green-Reform style has won over many up here, ones who formerly voted Liberal federally and Conservative provincially.

Interestingly, he states, that he believes "the thing that will move the provincial Green Party from being plan "B" in the mind of the voter to being plan "A" is simply relevance", a different kind of party that can rise to the challenge in the moment of need or crisis, no matter what the kind of crisis, able to empower people with hope, as well as pragmatic community based solutions. Very close to the idea of principled pragmatism or pragmatic principles, as I have called them, my extreme moderation or moderate extremity idea pushed for people to make change outside or without, without forcing difference inside or within. He continues by saying "we must never become a transactional party like the others, but rather a transformational party that focuses on hope for the future in place of partisan bickering" and "must break up the old camps and reconcile Ontarians around the greatest challenge of our time, which is nothing less than transformation of our society into an environmentally and economically sustainable, caring community of responsible citizens".

Lot of good stuff there, Green-Reform styled populist not partisan activist politics at work, just like his Owen Sound Sun Times op-ed "Democracy is a verb" before the past municipal elections warned us, instead of being the frog in the pot, left to boil, we must become reengaged as citizens once more, not just on election day, but every day in between. Shane is not the only local politican talking Green-Reform, Reform candidate Bill Cook, himself in the running as Deputy Leader for the Reform Party of Ontario, is speaking on the need for more democracy and reform locally and also across the province. As one of the first federal Reformers in the area, Bill speaks from experience about where the people have been, now where they are going too, with a possible rally point for opposition against the governmental insanity that is today being right here.

The electoral district riding is one that bucks trends, starting in 1935 federally, Agnes C. Macphail, a schoolteacher from the United Farmers-Independent Labour, knocked off Walter Hall, a physician for the Liberals, 7,210 to 5,727. Before she was defeated by Liberal Walter Harris, lawyer, Agnes represented the region as the radical Progressive Party of Canada member of the Ginger Group, becoming a strong voice for rural, northern and progressive issues of the United Reform Movement. From 1993 to 1997, Reform's Alan Aston and Murray Peer came in a close second to Liberal Ovid Jackson, with federal results being 25,693 to 12,939 and 17,896 to 16,161 respectfully. Before defeating itself through its demise as the Canadian Alliance, Reform had made huge economic changes governmentally, especially in areas such as debt, deficit and budgetary ways and means to remain economically responsible. Then in 2007 provincially our Green Jolley Giant came in a close second to Progressive Conservative Bill Murdoch, with provincial results being 21,156 to 15,039, after coming third to the Conservatives and Liberals federally the year before. The Other Bill for Reform had contested it, the local 2003 one before and the Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey byelection in 2006 against Progressive Conservative leader John Tory, proving change against the status quo sometimes comes slowly. The Greens continue to crusade for environmental responsibility, while it holds the whip of third party importance, until it too meets with its own defeat.

All in all, things are changing for the better in politics up here in the North Central Ontario between the Bay and the Lake, the citizens are getting better responsive governance from their members, both federally and provincially, because the competition from second place candidates of third parties is putting forth a good measure to make sure the region moves forward. Especially in light of the problems Ottawa has made for Ontario, areas like this will have to be the guiding light, showing others across the province that it really is possible to hope, start acting and begin changing the future positively away from the negative past. I hope areas like Hamilton's Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale note the difference made through political competition, as Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound has proven, which could eventually, if adopted wholesale across the province and nation, lead to a final solution on the move away from the problem of polarization, towards eventual realignment of this stagnant hegemonic system we currently have and begin making this nation truly number one or at least one of the top three in the world.