Green Party Candidate

Dear Friends

Welcome to the 2011 federal election. Like many other Canadians, I was hoping this election wouldn't come this spring. I'm in the middle of one of my busiest seasons as a greenhouse operator... and that's aside from my full time job as a locomotive engineer... but such is democracy. This election comes as a result of the disgraceful conduct not only of the Conservative party but the selfish interests of the other traditional parties in Canada as well. This last parliament just didn't seem to understand its role is to govern for all Canadians... and not act in the narrow self interest of a few.

This Canadian has had enough. Although I'm crazy busy... I hope I'll never be too busy to engage in Canadian democracy... and that includes the very distinct honour of running as a candidate for a party whose values I have pretty much adopted (though the Greens are tolerant of me for not agreeing with everything... all the time).

Other Canadians are waking up to the reality that a big change is needed in this country to ensure our democracy remains something to be proud of and... something that works for all Canadians.

I will be campaigning in this election on a platform of:

· Sustainable rural Alberta communities getting a fairer financial share.

· Responsible and honest government, working with anyone with good ideas.

· Putting the environment on a par with the economy.

· Ensuring the needs of hard-working Canadian families come first.


It's time for real accountability and integrity, where Canadians feel their political parties are working for the good of Canadians, rather than simply the good of their own partisan interests. In this election I want to engage other Canadians on:

What a sustainable rural Alberta community would mean. There is no greater force for change than a community that decides for itself how it wants to move forward... and has the resources to make it's dreams reality. We need to begin rebuilding our infrastructure to meet our unique needs, for local jobs, for the well-being of rural Alberta families.

We need to re-interpret what responsible government means to us. Above all, ethics and integrity and accountability must have a standard real Canadians agree with... and not some gobbledee-gook political hybrid that allows politicians to twist and turn. It means respect for democracy and fellow Canadians. It means cooperation, compromise, courtesy and collaboration. It means building an economy that has a long-term future that will guarantee Canada is still prosperous long after we are gone.

I was hesitant about being a candidate this election. I'm just an old berry farmer and railroader. My wife tells me I'm not a politician until I actually get paid for my efforts. I think she's right. No one can accuse the Green Party candidate for Vegreville-Wainwright of being an opportunist. This will be an uphill campaign. I have a long way to go to catch the Conservative incumbent. Still, to be able to play this role in this great democracy of ours still brings a lump to my throat.

My goal over the next month is to listen to... but also engage my neighbours... in the streets... in cafes... in schools with tough questions and issues. I'll be on Facebook... this blog and I'll even try to figure out Twitter... but I'll also have to go to work and take care of my greenhouse. I don't have the luxury of time off to campaign... or big money behind me.

Although most of Canadians (me included) are tired of so many elections, I ask everyone to recognise how important our democratic rights are. Many of us did not want this election at this time... but we've got it. Now... let's honour it with our best efforts to understand the issues... dispense the partisan crap... hold our chosen parties and candidates to the highest of our own standards... and vote for the best person to represent us in Ottawa.

Will Munsey

Political Bowling.

Edmonton Journal columnist Todd Babiuk wrote a piece a few weeks ago about his "bowling date" with representatives of the Liberal Party of Alberta and the new Alberta Party. The gist of his effort was to find out why the two parties don't just merge... since they seem to stand for many of the same things... at least in Babiuk's perspective. The piece ends without any real reason why the two parties don't get together. I responded to Babiuk's piece with the following letter to the editor that appeared in the "Letters" section of the Journal on February 17th.

Since coming onto the public radar, the media has portrayed the Alberta Party as dissatisfied Liberals. Although that's an easy angle for journalists to try and understand the roots and reasons behind the Alberta Party, it misses the point of the new Party, and why it's gaining traction so quickly.

What excites many of us is the diversity of those involved in the new Party... and it isn't made up of any one traditional political group. There are ex-Progressive Conservatives... ex-Greens... ex-Liberals... ex-New Democrats... and a whole lot of people who never wanted to self-identify as a member of any political party. Even with it's name, the party has shunned an old way of partisan thinking and opens the possibilities that there is a political entity that is prepared to look beyond traditional party labels and partisan thinking

As a rural Albertan, I see in this new party a chance to break away from the narrow classification as a "conservative farmer" which puts me at odds with "urban liberals... and allows me to be simply an Albertan looking for better ways to move forward.

I see in the new party a chance to re-build rural Alberta into vibrant communities, where families live, and work and play... where municipalities are allowed greater decision-making power and won't have policy imposed by the province. I see a party committed to subscribing to good ideas, whether they come from the right or the left. I see a party that puts less importance on political identity than it does on good policy.

I see a party that is willing to give Alberta's environment equal status to our economic well-being... and that understands the two are inextricably linked. I see a party that will attempt to balance the province's need to organise land-use and plan for the future, with landowners' rights to steward their own land, and to a fair appeal process and fair compensation when a landowner's rights are compromised.

I see a party that does not carry the baggage of an outdated political label (fairly or unfairly burdened) foisted upon it from far-removed circumstances... and a party that would rather spend time and energy on policy than explaining why a toxic name doesn't matter.

At 50, I'm no "babe in the woods" willing to believe everything with the new Alberta Party will be smooth sailing or problem free. However, its commitment to open and democratic process, and no allegiance to old ways of thinking, this party stirs me with excitement for what might be. As a member of the new party, I'm not interested in mergers with the Alberta Liberal Party, The Progressive Conservative Party... or any other party, for that matter. I am, however, interested in working constructively with all Albertans (of any political stripe) to make Alberta the best place it can be for all Albertans... for Canada... and even the world.

If I'd been invited to bowl with Todd Babiuk, that's what I would have told him.

The Alberta Party

I was reading a blog the other day by a young guy named Justin who just couldn’t see the Alberta Party as something worth supporting… was holding onto the idea that the Alberta Liberal Party is the natural home to the progressive vote in Alberta. He described himself as “the kind of person you’d expect to be in the Alberta Party.” He continued on to describe himself as a young person who lives in a downtown condo with a job in the ‘creative economy’ and a strong supporter of human rights and a proponent of a mostly free market economy. Young Justin’s blog was good, but I think he’s missing something.

See, I don’t live in a downtown condo (I'd probably jump out the window if I did). I’m not young. Grey hair has replaced my dark brown locks. I don’t have a cool job in the “creative economy” nor am I ever likely to. I live in a drafty old farmhouse. We grow flowers and saskatoon berries, which bring in little money but require lots of physical work. I spend most of my days in dirty coveralls. We don’t have extra money to go to the theatre or take vacations. In fact, the only theatre I attend offers two girls fighting over one bathroom in the morning. Now that's drama.

I can’t afford either the time or money to sit in Starbucks. I make my coffee at home and carry it to work in a thermos, where I hope someone else bought a newspaper so I can catch up on the day’s happenings. I have to budget just to buy new socks and long underwear for the coming cold. The other night, while most people were snug in bed, I was working the job that supports my farm…. lying in the snow, between the rails, under a freight train, strapping up dragging equipment. Two days ago I was up to my elbows butchering a deer that will help keep us through the winter.

If Justin’s analysis was correct, I’m hardly the sort of guy you would expect to have any interest in the Alberta Party. My world is so distant from the condo dwelling urbanites Justin describes as likely candidates to support the Alberta Party, I sometimes think there’s a time warp between us and I suspect if Justin met me… filthy from head to toe, deer blood on my coat, he might dismiss me completely for someone so foreign to his values we couldn’t even communicate.

But Justin (and a ton of other urban progressives) would be surprised by what we rural rubes know about our province… and for the worry we are saddled with for the future of our Alberta. Dismissing the Alberta Party as a party for urban Albertans is a mistake. It’s a mistake the Liberal Party of Alberta and the New Democrats traditionally make (even though they say they don’t). The truth is, there is as much dissatisfaction in rural Alberta these days as there is anywhere else in this province, and considerably more common ground than people like Justin can imagine.

My rural neighbours may never think of themselves as progressives. In fact, I would say a majority of rural Albertans strongly self-identify as small ‘c’ conservatives. We might never see ourselves as strong supporters of human rights, but you will never get a fairer shake than in the hundreds of little communities dotted around this province. We might not be able to tell the difference between modern Twitter and a old-fashioned twit, but we know first-hand the tenuous nature of landowners’ rights in this province. We may eat wild meat occasionally, but we also understand the vital importance of fresh water, the value of healthy food, the nature of true conservation and the value of our natural heritage. And even more (I suspect) than urban Albertans, we can see by the crumbling infrastructure in our small towns that life in rural Alberta is not thriving and our way of life is at risk.

Rural Albertans are looking for a change in government. To date, the only party who seems to be courting us is the Wildrose Alliance. I’ve been to their meetings and almost without exception I am the youngest person in the room (at 49). I have heard the cozy words about “taking back the province” and “bringing accountability back to government.” Yet there is something stale in the Wildrose Alliance. They just don’t strike me as an option for a better future for this province… and their cozy relationship with the petrochemical industry frightens me.

So what do we have? The PCs? Nope… unless they bring back Peter Lougheed and his band of young origninal thinkers. The WRA? Not unless I see some distance from the monied old interests, and a lot more youth at local gatherings. The Liberals? You’re kidding right? I want a chance to be on the winning side of an election and the ALP hasn’t had that in nearly a hundred years. The NDP? (see Liberal… only way more so).

People talk about a party that can capture the imagination of Albertans. That’s the problem. Albertans’ imagination and dreams were captured 40 years ago… and they are still being held captive. I’m looking for a party that sets those dreams and aspirations free again… a party that encourages dreaming and imagination… that will reward and support new ideas that diversify our economy without devaluing our environment… or dismissing elements of our society. What I am looking for is a party that takes good ideas from wherever they come… the left… the right… the centre… the north… the south… wherever. I’m looking for a party that offers Albertans the chance to dream again.

I want to counter the perception that the Alberta Party is for young, progressive urbanites only. What attracted me was the coming together of people from diverse backgrounds. We may not always speak the same language. We may not always see the world in the same light. We may sometimes differ about the best options for Alberta. That’s all ahead for us. However, it is the spirit of working together, being respectful of good ideas wherever they come from… and above all the chance to build an Alberta we can be proud of again.

I’d like to tell young Justin, “we can all meet in the Alberta Party.” If he brings the latte and laptops… I’ll bring the jerky and saskatoon wine.

The truth is the truth

I had an interesting exchange yesterday with a few guys in the local cafe. Everyone in my little hamlet knows me as the "Green-Liberal"guy. I'm often confronted with questions and comments when people know I am going to have a opposing point of view. It's like they enjoy baiting me with low-hanging fruit. It's become somewhat of a sport around here watching me jump at it.

When I walked into the cafe yesterday, I heard murmurs of, "let's ask the greenie what he thinks." I readied myself for something.

Four people having coffee at "their table" wanted to know what I thought of Bill O'Reilly on "The View." Oddly enough I'd just watched the clips of the controversy where Whoopi Goldberg and Jo Behar walked off their own set after Bill O'Reilly claimed of 9-11, "Muslims killed us."

Of course Goldberg and Behar (famous TV liberals in America) took offense and wanted O'Reilly (TV's arch conservative) to amend his statement to something like, "radical Muslims killed us" on 9-11. When he wouldn't, they walked off. They came back later, but that was the crux of the matter.

The guys in the New Sarepta Market Cafe felt O'Reilly's claim was perfectly coherent and it was true that... since the 19 men who carried out the 9-11 attacks were Muslim... the statement "Muslims killed us" was true.

One actually said, "truth is truth. They were Muslims. We're North Americans... so it's true... they killed us."

I responded that truth is often more complex, and involves a deeper understanding and of circumstance and surrounding facts. The New Sarepta boys guffawed and started again to taunt me with, "the truth is the truth, don't try and play it down."

"Okay," I said. "I'll give you another truth then. Christians killed 168 people in the Oklahoma Bombings."

That got them bubbling over: "Being Christian wasn't the prime motive behind the bombing.... Those guys weren't real Christians.... They didn't come from a different county.... The two incidents are totally different...."

"Yeah," I conceded, "but the truth is the truth. Tim McVeigh and Terry Nichol were Christians. They blew up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. They killed 168 men, women and children. What happened to [the truth is the truth], guys?"

The coffee-drinkin' boys didn't like that. They continued to explain why the two examples are totally different. I just sat there shaking my head. "I agree, they're different, guys. I'm not claiming their the same... but the truth is the truth."

Then... at some point in the back and forth, one guy claimed, "but you're trying to paint all Christians as whacko militia members."

"No. I'm not," I countered. "I'm not saying anything of the sort. I'm only using one [absolutely true] statement. You're the ones taking what I'm saying out of context because my [truth] is quite incomplete and misleading... isn't it? That's exactly what O'Reilly intended by his use of the word Muslims... rather than extremist Muslims."

They kept on with their arguments. I just kept mumbling, "but what happened to [the truth is the truth]?"

As always, when we parted they had no idea I'd won the argument. I think they actually pity my demented view of the world... but they buy me coffee now and again, so I can't complain.

Today's Seven Deadlies

I was in Banff last week, sitting beside the hotel pool while my kids played, and I picked up a copy of the Calgary Sun... something I never get to do... and probably wouldn't do very often, if I had the chance. At any rate, I read Michael Coren's column and liked it. In it, he addressed a new book: "The Misogynist," by Piers Paul Read which describes “the Seven Sins of the Secular State.”

Those sins are racism, misogyny, homophobia, elitism, smoking, obesity and religious belief.

Using some of Coren's ideas... subtracting others... and adding my own to replace those, I'd like to--more or less--reproduce the column (without permission [yikes] but with gratitude and credit to Coren).

RACISM. It's awful to really hate someone because of their race... no question about that, but when people cry, "racism" to counter any argument they don't have an answer to, the term loses it's credibility. Ours is a multi-cultural community, and I would have it no other way. Yet multiculturalism means we have to live together, and we have to address differences and negotiate a society we all need to build together. That's going to result in some pretty difficult discussions that we'd all better be prepared to engage.

MISOGENY. Only a nut could hate half the population of the planet because they are women. Yet there are still large pockets of society that cannot fathom women taking an equal role. Our society will never realise it's full potential until gender does not prevent someone from realising their full potential.

HOMOPHOBIA. If someone genuinely hates homosexuals simply because they are homosexual, he/she is a sad example of a human being. I do, however, accept that some folks feel uncomfortable talking about homosexuality and special rights for groups because of sexuality. That discussion has to happen without those who question special rights and protections based on sexuality, otherwise those people will never get past their pre-judgement of a large portion of our society.

ELITISM. I hate that this term is used by people who have simply run out of arguments against a more prepared or knowledgeable person. It is now used by many in this country to call down those with a more complex formula for government. Rather than open their minds to the possibility they may be wrong, those who hold onto dogmatic arguments simply flee to name-calling. Especially in Alberta, to be seen as an academic snob (elitist) is almost as bad as being called a child molester. There is nothing wrong with complex ideas to address complex problems and we'd better get on board with that idea or we will never get beyond our one-trick pony economy.

SMOKING. I hate smoking and I hate tobacco companies for making billions on death. Yet it is equally stupid to hate people who smoke... most of whom know they are killing themselves... and would like to stop... but have not yet found the power to do it. As long as they don't blow smoke in my face... and butt out on the street, it's still a free country.

OBESITY. I gotta lose 30 pounds... so what can I say? I’d rather spend time with an obese person who was kind, witty and intelligent than a skinny person who was nasty, boring and stupid.

RELIGION. Unless religion tells you to be unkind to others... or not accept that a faith in something different is okay, too, I'm fine with people who need to believe in an external reward for being a better human being. Life is complicated and often brutal. For those of us who don't want to think it's completely random, God helps.

A Poll of My Own

I have been doing an informal poll of my own. I have been asking front-line RCMP officers here in rural Alberta what they think of the gun registry. To my surprise an overwhelming majority of them support a continuation of the registry in one form or another.

They comment that while they do not depend on the registry's information for their safety, when answering a call, it is one more piece of information... and that if they find that a person has weapons registered, they can begin to build a mindset of who they are dealing with.

However, they also tell me that a rural gun owner will still kill his wife with a long gun, regardless of whether it is registered or not... so the idea that it saves lives on the farm when domestic violence begins is bogus (in their eyes), but they claim the registry helps them trace weapons that have been found at crime scenes... or even in the ditch... and helps them build a history of the weapon.

I was hesitant to ask law enforcement officers about the registry because I was sure (from all the media reports) that front-line officers are opposed to a continuation of the registry. I was surprised to find the opposite.

The officers I spoke with (Tim Hortons has been a great place to find them when I come home late from working), believe the media have gotten hold of a few front-line police officers who have other issues and wish to use their opposition to the registry as a lever to further those issues.

As far as law enforcement goes, the majority of officers I have spoken with over the last two weeks are supportive of continuing the registry in one form or another.

Personally, this is good news because the "front-line officers-oppose-the-registry" position is the one most of my conservative neighbours use to oppose the registry. Now, I simply tell them to go ask ten police officers themselves. I am confident that, while they may find a few that oppose it, the majority will support it... and perhaps get them to question where their own position comes from.

However, this is Alberta... so getting folks to question Conservatives might is a bit like bailing out the Athabasca River Basin....

The End of Summer...almost

It's August 22nd today... and I sold what I believe is our last pail of berries today.... The greenhouse is closed and there will be no more pickers coming for berries. For the first time since the first week of May, we won't be expecting customers. I know a good businessman should never look forward to having no customers, but there is a big part of me that has begun to smile. Since I started planting tomatoes in the greenhouse at the end of February, every day has been an open-for-business day.

I'm worn out. We still have to harvest the garden. and put away the vegetables. Mika has to can and make jams and pie fillings... and then her orders of salsa, but for the most part, life begins to slow down just a bit. I can do a bit of work around the place without having to stop every few minutes to talk with customers or explain flowers or berries or whatever.

When I was a kid, summer was a time to lay on the grass and look up at the clouds. As a greenhouse owner and berry farmer, summer means endless work and worry. I don't know if it's worth it. I love the berries and I love growing things, but I would also like to take my kids canoeing or fishing or other things that people who do not work 16 hours a day do.

I told Mika tonight that next year, we shouldn't work so hard. We shouldn't plant so many flowers. We shouldn't worry so much whether people come to pick or not. We shouldn't spend so much on advertising. We shouldn't try to grow the business. We should... rather... enjoy life a little bit more. Being able to grow our own food and flowers is a grea...t and wonderful way to live life. But maybe, just maybe... we don't have to work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Still, I don't think I'd want to head into September without my own tomatoes ripening on the vines I planted last February or the saskatoon schnapps I make... or the potatoes in the basement that will last until spring.

Still, I don't know anyone who looks forward to summer as much as I do... and then is so incredibly happy when it's over.