Marc Emery: Looking for Your Opinion on An Alliance Proposal to the BC Green Party

Today I met with Green Party of BC leader Jane Sterk. The purpose was to propose an idea of an alliance, the BC Marijuana Party would endorse and support the Green Party of BC, encouraging all our supporters and candidates to get involved in supporting the Green Party in the May provincial election.

The reason for this is that the NDP has been an appalling opposition, never criticizing the Liberal BC gov't over the RCMP, taser use, police malfeasance and brutality, Olympic over-spending, the 'safety inspections' that violate our fundamental privacy, the cameras on Vancouver streets now, the 13,000 military and police in Vancouver for the Olympics, and of course, nary a single criticism of the drug prohibition that fuels gangs, killings and expanding police budgets.

The BC NDP are virtually identical to the governing Liberals.

The BC Greens are still nervous about commenting about marijuana policy, including their own. My good friend Phillippe Lucas wrote up the Green Party platform on cannabis, but whether Jane Sterk as Green leader is interested in our issue is questionable. Despite a recent poll that showed 63% of British Columbians want legal marijuana, Sterk still sees the issue as a liability, despite the Greens polling around 8%-10%, compared to 63% of BC'ers who want change from the Liberal/NDP paradigm.

Ms. Sterk has a bit of the stern school marm about her, she doesn't seemed to enjoy politics and certainly not the prospect of the May election. She said she would think about my offer not to run BCMP candidates in the May election in favour of an election alliance if Jodie or I were a Green Party candidate. I figure our 2-3% would be valuable for the Green Party, in addition to their expected 8% - 12%.

It didn't hurt Elizabeth May to speak positively about me or marijuana legalization in the federal election of 2008, but Sterk is more reticent and cautious, I'd say actually fearful of the election campaign ahead for the Greens. She wanted to know if I was a "team" player, I said ask with anyone I've ever worked with, Green Party and NDP candidates and city councilors. She wanted to not have the Green Party pigeonholed as a marijuana party, or environment-only party.

I said I could go a whole campaign without even mentioning marijuana, zeroing in on RCMP and police lack of civilian oversight, Olympic spending malfeasance, the 'safety inspection' teams, gang crime, asset forfeiture of homes in BC, an opposition to bailouts of business, which I told her.

She didn't seem impressed, but I thought the opportunity to consolidate progressive voices in the May election is a good strategy when fighting the status quo parties of the NDP and Liberals. I didn't ask for a formal alliance. I said the BCMP was willing to endorse the BC Greens in the May election, and have Jodie or I run as a Green candidate, and not to run any candidates against the Greens (except in two ridings we have to run as that is the requirement to maintain our party registration.) In exchange, Jane would welcome Jodie and/or I as a candidate and reiterate the stated position of the Greens on medical marijuana and prohibition.

Jane Sterk is qualified in many areas and she's a smart lady, I respect her intelligence, she is of stronger character and integrity than either Gordon Campbell or Carole James. However, I can't see Ms Sterk ever bringing up the evils of prohibition without prodding, so thats what she's facing. Our BCMP votes and support for a little bit more of a profile on the bad effects of prohibition. From my perspective, the Greens gain from a rival bowing out in exchange for a stronger position on something virtually every Green Party member agrees on. However, I'll let you know if I hear back on my proposal.

I'd like anyone's input on the merit of my proposal to Green Party of BC leader Jane Sterk.

Sincerely,
Marc Emery
Leader
BC Marijuana Party