Good Sunday Morning and Happy Mother’s Day!!
I am so happy to be able to spend the day with my daughter Cate on her first Mother’s Day with my now six month old granddaughter Lily. Mother’s Day is usually viewed as a Hallmark Card kind of fake holiday, but its origins were more political – and part of the early peace movement.
Initiated by abolitionist Julia Ward Howe, who had seen the horrors of war tending the wounded in the US Civil War, she knew that wars inflicted the greatest grief on mothers.
This is from her 1870 statement calling for the establishment of a Mother’s Day: “In the name of womanhood and humanity I earnestly ask that a general Congress of Women, without limit of nationality, promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace…”
“Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or of tears! Say firmly: “We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.”
“Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”
It seems most appropriate then that Cate and I are headed this afternoon to a Mother’s Day Fundraiser for Gaza at Unity of Vancouver, 5840 Oak Street, Vancouver.
Speaking of peace, although not a Catholic, and not at all keen on internal Vatican politics, I loved Pope Francis, who took his name from St Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis called on people of faith to protect the planet as well as individual human rights. He was a champion for climate and for social justice. Dual citizen of the US and Peru, Robert Prevost seems to be on the side of the church that wants to follow the path Pope Francis has laid out. Taking the name Leo XIV, he recently rebuked US Vice President JD Vance for the treatment of migrants by the Trump administration. He has, as did Pope Francis, identified Jesus as a migrant.
Here we are two weeks from the 2025 federal election, and still uncertain about final results. Four races are going through recounts – two in Ontario, one in Quebec and one in Newfoundland. With a total of 170 confirmed wins the Liberals remain two seats short of a majority government (343 total MPs with 172 seats being the magic number). While at quick glance it might seem the recounts could snatch the two seats the Liberals lack, they went into the recounts holding two of the seats being counted. So they could still be one short of a majority. So while details are unclear, we are heading for another minority Parliament. Only two of the party leaders returning when parliament opens May 26 will have been there before Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and me! Prime Minister Mark Carney will never before have stepped foot in the chamber, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be watching at a distance, without a seat until he can run in the safest conservative seat in Canada – Alberta’s Battle River–Crowfoot MP having resigned his seat to allow Pierre Poilievre the quickest return. Still, that will take time and Andrew Scheer will fill in until PP makes his return. Veteran and wonderful NDP MP Don Davies is now interim NDP leader, and then there is me. So I expect to have a larger role in opposition to the minority government, while simultaneously trying to make parliament less toxic in every way I possibly can.
In thinking about how we managed to win, even with Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh, and Mark Carney campaigning personally and repeatedly in my riding, we surprised the naysayers with a victory by a large margin. As I wrote last week, I am so grateful to the hundreds of volunteers who worked tirelessly through the 36 day campaign! Knocking on doors, working the phones, waving at commuters in traffic and and put up signs. And noting that a special feature of Saanich–Gulf Islands is high voter turn-out! In 2011 when I first won, national voter turn-out was 60% but here it was 75%! And in 2025 the national turn-out was 68% but in SGI it was even higher than in 2011, just shy of 78%. Thanks to everyone who voted!
Votes are still being counted in Australia, where, very sad to report, the inspiring Green leader there, Adam Bandt has lost his Melbourne seat. Green MPs may still win a few seats not yet finalized. Local elections in the UK were also not great for Greens. I am haunted by the bitter irony that as the climate crisis gallops apace and Green MPs and Green governments are needed more than ever, we are losing electoral ground.
Electoral reform would be a huge step forward for Australia, the UK and Canada. Although Australia’s voting system in their lower house is not First Past the Post (FPTP), as it is in the UK and Canada, it is not at all proportional or fair. It is still a preferential “winner take all” system.
I am more convinced than ever that we must purge our democracy of fear-based voting. Without FPTP, Paul Manly would be heading to Ottawa as MP for Nanaimo–Ladysmith as would Mike Morrice for Kitchener Centre, Anne Marie Zajdlik for Guelph and so many more.
I will keep you posted as Greens plan and launch a campaign to get rid of FPTP. before the next election. It is top of my list to discuss whenever I get my first meeting with Prime Minister Carney. Goodness knows, I understand he has been busy. Tuesday he will swear in his new Cabinet. I will be watching with keen interest. I have issues to discuss asap with those newly minted minsters!
Wish me luck and fortitude. I never imagined at 70 years old I would be rebuilding the Green Party. But at least I have meaningful work to leave my dear granddaughter a livable planet. I am grateful to know that my work makes a difference.
And speaking of work that makes a difference, the wonderful whale defenders of Saturna Island will have their virtual reality whale experience, Critical Distance, available in early June in Victoria. Try to experience it! Details in the P.S.
Much love and thanks1
Elizabeth
P.S.
Critical Distance in Victoria BC, June 6 – 8, 2025
Limited number of experience times — buy tickets in advance.
…………………………………………
Please send your feedback on this newsletter to [email protected].
Saanich-Gulf Island Greens publish two newsletters:
- The monthly SGI Greens Newsletter
- The weekly Good Sunday Morning — Elizabeth May’s perspective
To subscribe to one or both of these go to sgigreenparty.ca/signup_2020.
Click here to unsubscribe from one or both newsletters.
Our archive of past editions is at sgi.edagreens.ca/news-events.
Saanich-Gulf Islands Greens
https://www.sgigreenparty.ca/