Written by Genevieve MacRae

I truly believe that any candidate running for public office should ground their campaign in the question ‘why are you running?’. So here’s mine.

I’m running as the Green candidate for the Miramichi West by-election because I believe in participatory democracy, grassroots government, and preserving a healthy environment for future generations. I believe these things will benefit all New Brunswickers; all we have to do is vote for them.

Participatory democracy is one of the six core principles of the Green Party of New Brunswick. Greens believe that democracy is stronger when more people engage in the decision-making process, bringing their fresh perspectives and new ideas to the table. New Brunswick is a diverse province and our government should reflect that diversity. That is the ideal, but in reality, our electoral system crowds out competition with strategic voting, resulting in governments that do not accurately represent what people really want. 

It’s hard to ask people to be enthusiastic about democracy when our system encourages voters to vote against parties and candidates rather than for the policies that most reflect their preferences. A proportional representation electoral system would fix this problem. I’m running Green because I don’t trust the Liberals or Conservatives to have the courage to enact electoral reform. I believe that electing more Green MLAs like David Coon and Megan Mitton to hold the government accountable is far more important than voting strategically against the party you don’t want to win. 

Proportional representation is used successfully in nearly every other modern democracy in the world. If we implement it in New Brunswick, and then the rest of Canada, we could have a truly grassroots democracy that is more representative and inclusive of people from all walks of life. A proportional electoral system would also encourage voters to dig deeper into what parties and candidates stand for, rather than just casting their vote to whomever they think has the best shot at winning. I believe elections should be a friendly competition of ideas, rather than a game of odds. 

I believe the government should be run by and for the people it serves. I’m proud of the fact that the Green Party of New Brunswick is a people-powered organization. Our donors and volunteers support us because they want the best for everyone, not just the interests of large corporations and industries. This gives us the freedom to advocate for things that people actually want because we are not beholden to big business. 

Finally, I’m Green because I care deeply about protecting our environment and our collective wellbeing which go hand-in-hand. Our economy, culture, and society are all rooted in nature. We depend on ecosystems to provide the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Greens are the only party who seem to recognize not only the importance of our environment but its connection to everything else. I’m very concerned about the unfolding crisis of climate change and the Greens are the only party treating it with the seriousness and urgency it deserves. 

Living within our ecological means - another Green Party principle - must be part of our government’s decision-making process. Both Liberal and Conservative Governments have failed to act fast enough (or even at all), to reduce our emissions and protect New Brunswickers from the impacts of a changing climate. Because of their inaction, I worry about the world my nieces will inherit, as well as their children - should they choose to have them. I want to do something to give future generations hope and a future, and I want to help other people to do the same. I want to empower voters with a choice to do something better than what we’ve been doing, and to make more responsible decisions than the ones that got us into this mess.

Overall, I chose the Green Party because their values are based in empathy and respect for others. That is something I think we need a whole lot more of if we want to continue living in a peaceful society where everyone belongs.