Despite my interest in seeing Elizabeth May included in the Leader's debates, I have to say that I agree with this comment today by David Suzuki, made directly to Green Party leader Elizabeth May:

I can't wait until there is no Green party David Suzuki, September 2008

Sorry Greens, but my interest is more aligned with Suzuki - the issue is too important to remain in partisan silos. We are on the same side, I just happen to believe the issue is far to important to be dealt with politics as usual. That might seem like I'm in agreement with May, but I'm not, as I don't believe May or any individual political leader can wrestle the political status quo to the ground in a manner that is anywhere near timely enough. A coalition needs to be built.

Clearly when the governing party continues to oppose, and while in opposition always has opposed meaningful action on climate change, its going to take a strong effort to change that agenda. Either the government can change, or the government's priorities can change. With Harper (and Lund and Baird and Ambrose and ...) at the helm, its very clear that the CPC has no intent on attacking climate change seriously, and that in my view is going to put Canada at a very significant disadvantage in this world going forward.

Suzuki dreams of Greens' demise (Sept. 10 2008, The Star)

Just days into the election campaign, the climate change debate is veering onto the wrong track with suggestions that taking care of the environment could hurt the economy, says David Suzuki.

"Let's hope that the economy versus the environment (debate) will not continue, it's not either/or – without the environment there is no economy," Canada's most prominent environmentalist said.

But Suzuki also said he'd like to see the end of the one party that does put the environment at the centre of all its policies.

"As long as there's a Green party, the implication is that the Greens somehow have a stranglehold on this issue; they're the ones that worry about the environment so the other parties can worry about other things. I don't think it's a ghetto subject."

What really matters is that national parties put the environment, and in particular climate change, at the top of the public agenda. We don't have time to wait for the Green Party to grow up, become broad based, and grab substantial power. What we need is a common voice on these issues to ensure that the environment gets top billing whatever the party of power is.

Harper has been trying to set the stage that the environment can't take precedence over the economy - playing on people's growing fears over the economy and price inflation. Its merely the latest gambit of his to deep-six all meaningful environmental / climate-change discussion and policy making.

I do hope Ms. May acquits herself well and that helps lead to a more fulsome discussion of climate change and other environmental issues in this campaign. But scoring partisan points and electing even a few Greens will do nothing towards changing the direction Canada is headed on this issue, and that would be a loss.