File Under: Politics Is Weird And Scuzzy

Did Liberals hijack the federal Green Party in Mississauga?

This is, I suppose, pretty "inside baseball" type stuff, and no names are given so everything remains a bit cryptic. The money passage:

In 2007 the Green Party of Canada in Mississauga Streetsville (MS GPC) was infiltrated by a group of people who not only were not Green but had one stated objective – to embarrass Wajid Khan. With sufficient numbers and the same old sleazy back room crap that the liberal party is always doing (check out their current leadership “issues”) they managed to get elected. Their agenda was to take over the electoral district association, and highjack the money the GPC Ottawa sent to the local EDA.

Apparently, the Lib infiltrators have been cleaned out and Mississauga's Green Party is back to being purely green. I guess that coalition didn't turn out too well either.

A good example of why I avoid riding-level politics.

Stephen Harper Steps Down!

The Pundits Guide mentioned this first, and Mr. Harper confirmed it to me via email earlier this morning. His explanation:

Moving to the UK for work.

Oh yeah, this is Stephen Harper, Green Party candidate for Burnaby-Douglas.

A Marriage Made In Nova

I wasn't going to write about this, but it has stirred up far more anguish among progressives than I would have imagined, so what the hell? Since I'm in a hurry I'm stealing my comment back from Ted.

I don't understand the gnashing of teeth over the deal between the Liberals and Green Party, as it can work to the benefit in both. For the Greens, May gets a realistic shot at knocking off MacKay. For the Libs, they will be become the second choice of a presumably substantial portion of Green Party voters. In ridings where the Greens have no hope (probably most of them), this may be worth a percentage point or three, and that might translate into a fistful of closely contested seats. Take a look at SES pollster Nik Nanos here for the skinny on how this works out. (Ignore the hacks writing before and after him)

The only downside for Dion, other than the media panic at the thought he might actually represent a new and different kind of politics, is if May gets into the debates and make an impression. But I hope that's a risk he's willing to take; I hope some other part of this quid pro quo means supporting her inclusion.