Vote for Climate
Choose your future.
Why have we targeted these ridings?
We targeted 80 ridings across Canada which were the closest races in the 2006 general election. Many of these races were won by by a few hundred votes or less. By working together we can shift close Conservative seats to the other parties and build a climate-friendly government.
Click on the map to see the targeted ridings
If we don't work together, if we each go our own way and vote on principle, the unintended result may be the election of a Conservative majority because of vote splitting in close ridings – a worst case scenario for action on climate change. To avoid this outcome we will need to work together and vote strategically in close ridings. The climate crisis demands nothing less.
Canada needs a voting system that better reflects our choices.
We don't think that strategic voting is a long term solution to this problem. There is a fundamental flaw in our electoral system if a majority of people vote for parties pledging to act on climate change, but the result is the election of a government unprepared to act on the problem. Ultimately, we think Canada needs to adopt some form of proportional representation to solve this problem and renew citizen confidence and interest in the electoral process.
Why not recommend the Green Party in more ridings?
The Green Party has among the best climate policies of any of the federal parties. The Green Party candidates we've met are among the most passionate and concerned people we know when it comes to action on global warming.
We are encouraging voters to go Green in Central Nova. Unfortunately, given our current electoral system, voting for the Green Party in other close ridings may have the perverse outcome of helping elect a Conservative majority government. Like many people, we're not happy with this situation, and would prefer to vote on principle. However, we think that we simply can't afford another four years of government indifference to the climate crisis. Our situation demands strategic voting.
The New Economic Foundation in the UK argues that we have 100 months to get the pollution that causes global warming under control, or we may well face runaway changes to the earth's climate. 100 months equals two majority governments in Canada. Two Conservative majorities would take us off line and out of action until it was too late to make a difference. We simply don't have the time it would take for the slow build to a Green Party breakthrough under our current voting system. We think the debate over voting strategically or voting Green boils down to the following.
If you want to elect a government that will start working hard to fight global warming:
- help to defeat the Conservatives by voting strategically.
If you care about the Green Party, support their policies and want to see them in government:
- Work hard to bring proportional representation to Canada - go to Fair Vote Canada to find out more
- Support the Green Party financially. Every party receives $1.75 per vote cast in their favour under Canada's election financing laws -- if you are voting strategically for another party, why not donate your share directly to the Green Party.
- If you are voting strategically but would rather vote Green, consider leveraging your compromise by swapping your vote with someone willing to vote Green in another riding. The Anything But Conservatives web site offers some good links to groups running vote swapping campaigns this election.