It has been a week of carnage for the poor people of Ukraine. Hospitals bombed, a theatre destroyed where hundreds of people had been sheltering – Russian bombs repeatedly hit civilian targets.

On Tuesday, for the first time in history, a foreign leader addressed our parliament by zoom. I have never been more nervous about any speech than the one I had the opportunity to deliver following President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address. In advance, the only thing I was sure I would say was to share the letter from Ukrainian Green president, Vitaliy Kononov.

I had no more then 3-4 minutes and there was so much I wanted to say. But being the last speaker, after our prime minister, the Speakers from the House and Senate, and leaders of Conservative, Bloc Quebecois and NDP, I wanted to hear them first, absorb President Zelensky’s speech and not repeat what others had said. I never deliver a prepared text in any event, but this crisis and knowing I would be speaking directly to a man I admire so much – in a shelter and targeted for assassination by Vladimir Putin – increased my nervousness. More than usual, it felt like stepping out on a high wire without a net.

Many of you will have already seen the speech as it received a higher than usual amount of media coverage, but here are the links for the video of the speech, and thanks to Policy magazine, the text:

https://elizabethmaymp.ca/elizabeth-may-responds-to-president-zelenskyys-address-to-the-canadian-parliament/

https://www.policymagazine.ca/truth-and-the-courage-of-the-ukrainian-people-will-prevail/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=truth-and-the-courage-of-the-ukrainian-people-will-prevail

We must do more to support Ukraine and defend it against this brutal Russian aggression. But, as I wrote last week, we cannot respond with a NATO “no fly zone.” The risk of an expanded war and of a nuclear exchange is simply unacceptably high. I wanted to be sure to keep separate the Russian people from Putin. Mine was the only speech to thank the enormously brave peace protesters within Russia.

One other point I wanted to make as the world increasingly paints this conflict as a morality play in which Putin is a bad man and war criminal (which assuredly he is) was that his conduct was not out of keeping for super-powers – East or West. I remember the 1964 escalation of the war in Vietnam authorized by the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, by-passing the Constitutionally required ¾ vote in the U.S. Senate. The resolution was named for an event that never happened. Famously, the Iraq War under George W Bush and Tony Blair was based on a pile of lies about “weapons of mass destruction” in Saddam Hussein’s arsenal. Wars are fought based on lies and war crimes are committed. No wonder the U.S. government has fought so hard against the establishment of the International Criminal Court. While we join the cries to bring Putin to justice, we must not forget that other leaders, from the US, UK, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Israel, have done much the same.

I gravely fear that this current conflict could affect our next federal budget – expected some time in April. The calls to spend 2 percent of our budget on war and preparations for war, the NATO members’ target, must be rejected. Let’s demand that we spend 2 percent on peace and preparations for peace. That increased spending could go immediately to helping Ukraine.

In the media coverage after the speech, I learned I had been noticed by none other than Vladimir Putin himself. I am now banned from ever travelling to Russia. I regard this as an enormous honour.

In non-war news this week, the science reports on global warming are deeply alarming and almost unnoticed. There are simultaneous heat waves in the Arctic and the Antarctic. This from the Washington Post: “Antarctic climatology has been rewritten,” tweeted Stefano Di Battista, a researcher who has published studies on Antarctic temperatures. He added that such temperature anomalies would have been considered “impossible” and “unthinkable” before they actually occurred. https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/03/18/antarctica-heat-wave-climate-change/

And this headline from the Physics journal, Phys.org: Hot poles: Antarctica, Arctic 40 and 30 degrees Celsius above normal.

An atmospheric river in Antarctica is accompanying these unprecedented temperatures. To say this is all unprecedented is to state the obvious. To say the world is distracted by war, is equally redundant. To say we need to be able to focus on war, pandemic and the dangers of a deteriorating life-support system is a call to all humanity to rally for democracy, peace and survival all at once.

Not easy, but essential.

I try. But I totally sympathize with leaders who cannot. We need unrelenting public pressure.

As COVID restrictions ease, I am finally able to announce actual events!

We have a fundraiser for the Green Party on Thursday in Ottawa with Amita and Mike and me. Please join us. It will be the kick-off for phase 2 of the Green Virtual General meeting (see details in the P.S.)

And I have a slew of meetings coming up in person in Saanich-Gulf Islands. Details are listed below. Please mark them down in your calendar!

Thanks again for all the lovely emails this last week. I will be back in Ottawa from today until April 7th.

With love and prayers for peace,

Elizabeth

P.S.

Join us this March 25-27 for the 18th General Meeting of the Green Party of Canada.

Upcoming SGI Community Meetings (non-partisan!)

Details may be changed, watch for confirmations!

BRENTWOOD BAY COMMUNITY MEETING: Friday, April 8 – 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm PST – Central Saanich Cultural Centre – 1209 Clarke Rd, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1P8

GORDON HEAD COMMUNITY MEETING: Saturday, April 9 – 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm PST – Mt Doug Auditorium – 4100 Lambrick Way, Victoria, BC V8N 5R3

SALT SPRING ISLAND COMMUNITY MEETING: Sunday, April 10 – 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm PST – Fulford Hall – 2591 Fulford-Ganges Rd, Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 1Z4

CORDOVA BAY COMMUNITY MEETING: Tuesday, April 12 – 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm PST – CB55+ Association Facility- 5238 Cordova Bay Road Victoria, BC V8Y 2L2

PENDER ISLANDS COMMUNITY MEETING: Wednesday, April 13 – 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm PST – Pender Islands Community Hall – 4418 Bedwell Harbour Road Pender Island BC V0N 2M1

SIDNEY COMMUNITY MEETING: Thursday, April 14 – 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm PST – Mary Winspear Centre – 2243 Beacon Ave, Sidney, BC V8L 1W9

JOINT COMMUNITY MEETING WITH MP MAY AND MLA OLSEN: Wednesday, April 20 – 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm PST – St. Elizabeth’s Church – 10030 Third Street Sidney, BC V8L 3B3

MAYNE ISLAND COMMUNITY MEETING: Thursday, April 21 – 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm PST – Mayne Island Community Centre – 493 Felix Jack Rd, Mayne Island, BC V0N 2J2

SATURNA ISLAND COMMUNITY MEETING: Saturday, April 23 – 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm PST – Saturna Recreation and Culture Centre – 104 Harris Rd, Saturna, BC V0N 2Y0

GALIANO ISLAND COMMUNITY MEETING: UNCONFIRMED: TO BE DETERMINED – Galiano Community Hall – 141 Sturdies Bay Rd Galiano Island, BC V0N 1P0

The post Good Sunday Morning – March 20 appeared first on Elizabeth May.

Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2022-03-21 20:06

Thank you, President Zelenskyy. I am honoured to rise and speak to this extraordinary and historic moment. I also want all my esteemed colleagues here in the House to know that we stand united.

The Green Party of Canada is part of a big Green family spread out around the world, in 80 countries. A few days ago I received the following letter from the president of the Green Party of Ukraine, Vitaliy Kononov:

He writes, “Dear Green Friends! We are writing to you from bomb shelters, from our home Ukraine, which is mercilessly attacked and bombarded by Russian forces since the fateful day—February 24, 2022. Ukrainians are indiscriminately hit, collateral damage amounts to total destruction of cities, many civil and social infrastructures that have no relevance to the military are destroyed, thousands of civilians dead and injured. Millions are fleeing their homes. Ukrainian army and civil defense volunteers have taken up arms and are fighting for the survival of Ukraine. And they are successful to a great extent. But, missile and bomb attacks by air are causing greatest damage. We are helpless. We have no weapons to counter air attacks. We appeal to you for support. Please urge your governments to help protect our sky by having a no-fly zone. For the sake of world peace and security, for democracy and resolution of conflicts through peaceful means and for a rule based world order, please help Ukraine!”

It broke my heart to write our dear colleague in Ukraine that all elected Greens around the world have come to the same conclusion, that a no-fly zone would risk a wider war and even a nuclear war. We know these reasons are solid, even though they ring hollow, but we must use every tool and I fear the tools we have in front of us are inadequate to the task. President Zelenskyy, we do not want to let you down. We fear that we may inevitably let you down, but we will find every tool we can find, and where there are not adequate tools, by God, let us invent them.

In 1956, during the Suez crisis, not yet prime minister, Lester B. Pearson, a Canadian, invented UN peacekeepers. We love ourselves here in Canada and although we are an insignificant country in the massive geopolitics of superpowers we sometimes get good ideas. We need to invent something now that is effective to stop the war, to stop Putin, to save Ukraine. We have to use every single idea, every single sinew, every muscle. We must not relent for one single second.

We have seen illegal wars. I have lived long enough to see many illegal wars based on lies, in Vietnam, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, with too many innocent lives lost, and now, never again, not one more Ukrainian child. Please, God, stop the bombs. Please let us have a ceasefire. Please leave a pathway for Vladimir Putin to make it to a negotiating table and find a peace.

How do we stop lies? We stop them with the truth, and the truth is the courage of the Ukrainian people. The truth is the courage and the unexpected reality of you, President Zelenskyy, an honest-to-god democrat, a human being, a mensch, a man of such moral courage that the world is inspired.

We must not let you down because God knows you will not let us down. We must do more. We know this. You are, as our Prime Minister just said, a champion of democracy. May we be worthy to stand by you. May we find the ways that make it meaningful that we stand with you.

Not one more lost life, please, God. Not one more mother in Russia who weeps for a lost son in an immoral and illegal war. I thank the brave Russians who have faced jail just to go out on the streets and say, “Stop the bombing. No more war.”

I close with this. President Zelenskyy, what I want and what I pray for, and I pray for you constantly and for Ukraine, is that you come here in person, that we invite you and we see you here as the president of a country at peace, of a free, democratic and victorious Ukraine.

Please come here so that we can hope that, in your eyes, we remain worthy to be called your friend.

The post Elizabeth May responds to President Zelenskyy’s address to the Canadian Parliament appeared first on Elizabeth May.

OTTAWA – Today, Green Party of Canada interim Leader Amita Kuttner released the following statement:

“The Green Party of Canada calls for accelerated diplomatic and economic efforts to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and an end to this illegal invasion of this democratic, sovereign nation. Greens understand people’s right to self determination as essential to peace and security. Few people have fought as hard, or at such great cost, as Ukrainians have for their sovereignty, for democracy, and for their independence from foreign interference.

“We are deeply concerned for the safety and wellbeing of all Ukrainian citizens caught up in this humanitarian crisis. We stand in solidarity with Ukrainians and join our fellow Canadians and the citizens of the world in calling on Putin to end this atrocity. We support the majority of the world’s countries in their determination to consolidate Russia’s status as a pariah state, unfit to trade or otherwise interact with the global community of nations. Putin and his collaborators must face prosecution in the International Criminal Court for their crimes and for triggering a humanitarian and refugee crisis.

“We must also recognise the role played by the US and Western powers in breaking their promise not to expand NATO after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The resulting tension between world powers has led to war with the potential for heavy loss of life, massive destruction, and environmental damage. We must also recognize the Budapest Memorandum which ensured the security of Ukraine when it dismantled its nuclear arsenal.

“We call on Canada to move quickly and decisively to help resettle as many of the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who have fled the violence in their country as possible. Canada has a special relationship with Ukraine, with over 1.3 million Ukrainians calling Canada home. They have helped build this country and we must do everything in our power to help those affected by this invasion and humanitarian crisis.

“We need to be clear that this is also a war over wealth and the control of fossil fuel resources and markets. As the climate emergency worsens, conflicts over resources will occur more frequently unless we move rapidly to locally based, distributed, renewable energy production models that are independent of the geo-political maneuvering of the world’s superpowers.

“The Green Party does not support the deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine or the unilateral creation of a no-fly-zone. This can only be done through agreement at the United Nations. NATO is a defensive alliance and its direct involvement would only lead to an expansion of this war. The threat of nuclear war hangs over the whole world.

“We stand in solidarity with peace activists in Russia, Ukraine, and around the world in demanding an immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of all Russian forces, and the use of diplomatic efforts to solve this crisis. The Canadian government should advocate for and support the renewal of the Minsk Peace Agreement.”

####

For more information or to arrange an interview:

John Chenery
media@greenparty.ca
1-613-562-4916 ext. 215

The post Green Party statement on the worsening crisis in Ukraine appeared first on Elizabeth May.

Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2022-02-28 23:23

Madam Chair, I echo the comments of the hon. member for Kildonan—St. Paul. It is certainly a wonderful thing when we can come together and unify around a common cause, which is to defend the people of Ukraine against an aggressor, which I do not think is the nation of Russia, but increasingly seems to be its leader. He is unconcerned with the fate of his own people as well as the people of Ukraine.

I ask our hon. colleague if he has any thoughts on how we can reach out to the people of Russia who are bravely standing up in peace marches to encourage them to fight against Putin.

Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands)
2022-02-28 23:24

Madam Chair, it certainly is encouraging to see people who are standing up and protesting in a country where we know things can happen to those who are very loud and vocal about their opinions. They are still doing it, so that is all the more inspirational.

What can we be doing? We can be giving them the tools to make sure their voices are heard. We can be communicating through various technologies we have today to make sure the right information is coming forward.

When President Zelensky specifically spoke to the Russian people in Russian, that was incredible, but we know that is not going to be played on RT, Russia Today. We need to make sure we are doing our part to get messages like that in front of the Russian people, because they are being oppressed. The manner in which they are being pushed down is the exact same thing Putin wants to do to Ukrainians. Whatever we can do to make sure that message gets through is something we should be doing.

The post Ukraine’s enemy is Russia’s leader, not the Russian nation appeared first on Elizabeth May.

Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2022-02-28 22:43

Madam Chair, a lot of proposals have been put forward on top of the very good actions the government has already taken. One that I think came up earlier today relates to Canadian pension funds that are invested in Russian operations. We would have to amend the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act.

Would the hon. member agree with me that we should do so, and quickly, to divest of Russian investments?

Julie Dzerowicz (Davenport)
2022-02-28 22:44

Madam Chair, I am reluctant to provide advice on our pension fund about what to divest or not divest. However, I will say that I am very proud not only of how the government has taken action, but also of Canadians across this country and businesses, small, medium and large. Everybody has stepped up to ask what they can do, and I would encourage everybody to continue to do so. What more can we do? How can we further support Ukraine and Ukrainians? That is something we all should be doing in the coming days and weeks.

The post Divest Canada Pension Plan from Russian investments appeared first on Elizabeth May.

Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2022-02-28 19:24

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. leader of the Bloc Québécois. I completely agree with him and I appreciate him having the courage to clearly say that we have no reason to support fossil fuels.

Today, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC, published a new report stating quite clearly how close we are to the tipping point of a major planetary disaster. We are facing security threats and planetary threats.

I found a quote by Svitlana Krakovska, head of the Ukrainian delegation at the IPCC negotiations. She said:

She said, “Human-induced climate change and the war on Ukraine have the same roots—fossil fuels—and our dependence on them,” and “We will not surrender in Ukraine, and we hope the world will not surrender in building a climate resilient future”.

I would like my colleague’s comments on that, please.

Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly)
2022-02-28 19:26

Mr. Speaker, I do not want to derail this debate entirely, but that report is alarming. It really made me question whether the people who hold the political and economic power are prepared to deal with or mitigate the fallout of climate change. Are they just insulating themselves from the impact of climate change by accumulating more wealth and selling more oil? Climate change will hurt many other people who are far less wealthy.

That is horribly cynical. I do not think that producing and exporting more oil helps Ukraine or anyone. I think that we need to be looking at other solutions all around.

Obviously, since we need to transition much more quickly, western Canada will not be a supplier for Europe.

The post To help Ukraine we do not have to surrender building a climate resilient future appeared first on Elizabeth May.

Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2022-02-28 19:06

Mr. Speaker, would the hon. Leader of the Opposition and her party consider adding to the list of actions we should take? Looking across Canada, we see the assets in this country bought by Russian oligarchs, the millions of dollars in real estate. Could we move fast to seize those assets to send a message to Putin and his cronies?

Hon. Candice Bergen (Portage—Lisgar)
2022-02-28 19:07

Mr. Speaker, that is definitely something we could support. It is very disturbing to see Putin’s assets being protected and hidden. Money laundering is a big problem in Canada, not just with Russian oligarchs, but also with the Chinese.

This is a prime opportunity to deal with some of these major problems that we have seen occurring in the country. Canada should not be a safe haven for gangsters, thugs and dictators to protect their money. That has to stop. This is the best time and we are all in agreement. Let us get it done. Let us punish some of these dictators.

The post Does the Leader of the Opposition support seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs? appeared first on Elizabeth May.

OTTAWA – Expressing alarm over escalating tensions in Ukraine, the Green Party of Canada is calling on the Canadian government to take a more active role in an expanded diplomatic effort towards a permanent ceasefire in the conflict zones of eastern Ukraine.

“We must explore all possible avenues to ensure that Russian aggression does not trigger a NATO military response,” said Green Party interim Leader Amita Kuttner. “There is no winning with an armed conflict. Any military action by Russia must be met with a suite of punitive sanctions and other economic measures.”

The Green Party supports strong non-violent responses to military aggression and human rights violations. It strongly opposes any Canadian military involvement in the Ukraine and the export of weapons to this conflict zone.

Dr. Kuttner said that Canada should continue to support the strengthening of Ukraine’s civil society and democratic institutions and training for its civilian police forces. “Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and its citizens must be allowed to determine their future without foriegn interference,” they said.

“The US played a key role during the Revolution of Dignity or Maiden revolution in 2014, effectively supporting the removal of the democratically elected president Viktor Yanukovych. Since then Russia has annexed Crimea and fomented violent insurrection in the Russian speaking regions of the Ukraine.”

The Green Party is calling for a different approach to ensuring peace and security for all European states. The German unification negotiations between the US and the Soviet Union produced a promise that NATO forces and missiles would not be stationed in eastern Germany and that NATO would not expand “one inch further”. While that pledge was specific to Germany, the spirit and intent was that NATO would not expand eastward.

When the Warsaw Pact was disbanded, NATO should have followed suit, making way for a new model for peace and security in Europe that excludes the two superpowers. Instead, NATO now includes 10 former Warsaw Pact countries and four former Yugoslav republics, effectively encircling Russia on its western border.

This expansion, coupled with NATO interventions in the Middle East, have strengthened President Valdimir Putin’s contention that Russia needs to take strong counter measures to protect its security and sovereignty.

Faced with the growing threat of the climate crisis, the global community must not waste time and effort on neo-imperial ambitions and military expansionism. It’s time to set aside these conflicts, create diplomatic solutions and work collectively to deal with the existential crisis we all share in common.

####

For more information or to arrange an interview:
John Chenery
media@greenparty.ca
1-613-562-4916 ext.215

The post Green Party calls for stronger diplomatic effort to resolve crisis in Ukraine appeared first on Elizabeth May.

We all join the Prime Minister in condemning Putin’s aggression, but the extent of Canada’s involvement with Ukraine does not appear on the DFATD website. We learned through the media of RADARSAT-2 data being provided to Ukraine, initially over the objections of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defence.

I hear that there may be memorandum of understanding between Canada and Ukraine. I would like the Prime Minister to confirm that and let the House know when it will be tabled with Parliament.

Rob Nicholson: Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear throughout this that Canada is standing with the people of Ukraine in the face of Vladimir Putin’s military aggression and we have made significant contributions directly to Ukraine. We have been part of the NATO assurance package.

Whether it takes five months or 50 years, we will stand with the people of Ukraine for their independence and their freedom.

The post Elizabeth May Question on Ukraine appeared first on Elizabeth May.

I will add just one question. In Canada, we have a democracy that is very dear to us. Democracy is sometimes a rather delicate thing for Canadians, but it is more stable than it is for our friends, brothers and sisters in Ukraine.

What does she think we, as Canadians, can do to clearly show our solidarity with their efforts and their cause for democracy and peace?

Alexandrine Latendresse: Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague, the leader of the Green Party and member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, for her question. She touched on a very important point, which is what Canadians can do.

Something that has been brought up frequently tonight is that there is a large number of people in this country of Ukrainian descent. Every time I visited Ukraine I could see that Ukrainians were aware of that. When you tell them that you are Canadian, it is special, because almost all Ukrainians have an uncle or aunt or another family member who lives in Canada. Many Ukrainians have very strong ties to Canada.

Earlier I heard members talking about social media. What we can do is very simple. We can send them messages of support, to show them that Canadians are behind them. That will give them hope and the strength to continue in their fight for democracy and freedom.

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