While he has not been invited to the next leaders’ debate, which will take place tomorrow, September 22, the leader of the Green Party of Quebec, Alex Tyrrell, will be sitting outside on the street in front of the Radio Canada studios. He will watch the debate and answer questions live on Facebook. The party leader will then hold a press conference after the debate. The DMP hopes that some of the journalists present will come to hear the party’s views as the sixth largest party in Quebec and for the sake of Quebec democracy.
Despite the fact that the Green Party of Quebec received more votes than the Conservative Party in the last election, and the fact that it is the public broadcaster, the Green Party is once again excluded from the debate. In fact, in 37 years of existence and 10 election campaigns, the Green Party of Quebec has never been invited to the debates. However, right-wing leaders like Duhaime and Dumont have been invited. In addition, Green Party leaders are often excluded from the debates. Jill Stein, leader of the Green Party of the United States, was arrested after crossing a police line as she tried to make her way onto the presidential debate stage. Other leaders, including Alex Tyrrell, held protests outside the studios, wrote letters, petitioned, tweeted, but the Green Party still ruled out.
Following the last debate aired on TVA, the party leader spoke publicly on his social networks: “The debate was hostile and lacked content. All leaders exchanged insults. Nadeau-Dubois told Duhaime to move to Texas; The candidates frequently cut each other off and were rarely able to finish a sentence; It was hard to watch. Watching them battle it out made me think of all the people I met during the door-to-door campaign who told me they hated politics. Many of them have no interest, no confidence and no optimism in Quebec politics. It also made me think how much better this debate could have been if TVA had invited the Green Party and myself to participate. We could have had a real debate on important issues, with the bold policies of the Green Party of Quebec on the table. Instead, we were treated to a disrespectful debate focused more on insults, tension, yelling and confrontation.”
The environment and social justice are more important than ever. The Green Party of Quebec is here to offer a bold alternative to the status quo and to bring much needed positive energy to our democracy. The mainstream media should take note and give fair coverage. The Green Party of Quebec is committed to transforming Quebec into a more inclusive, equitable, just, and green society to provide future generations a truly sustainable future, with a vision in which no one is left behind and respect for the environment is at the forefront of government policy. The party is more ready than ever to take more space in the public debate and to contribute to building the Quebec of tomorrow. Although we are not represented in the National Assembly, we are the only political party not represented in the Assembly that presents a significant number of candidates, with more than 73 announced candidates. We are also the party with the most visible minority candidates.
