FOSS and the election

[Scott Elcomb]

On 12/22/05, Scott Elcomb <psema4-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> On 12/22/05, D. Hugh Redelmeier <hugh-pmF8o41NoarQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> > | From: Tony Abou-Assaleh <taa-HInyCGIudOg at public.gmane.org>
> >
> > | Is anyone here involved in some way with the Green Party?
> >
> > The Greens I know are Linux users and developers.  And active in the
> > party.  Or were, last time I talked to them about this (a while ago).
> > According to the media, there has been an internal conflict in the
> > party -- a number of members, including executive members have left.

I finally found a nutshell version of what happened at
http://nodice.ca/etalk/viewtopic.php?t=330

I had to respond to it - this is disturbing after seeing the hopeful
and empowered Green Party from last year.

--

Why the Greens Aren't Very Green

Obey your leader

But most disturbing to many inside the party, is Harris's
authoritarian style. Many people vote Green because they assume it is
more grass roots, more democratic, than the others. They would be
shocked to know that the party is the most top down of any of the
federal parties - and that Harris simply ignores decisions that he
doesn't agree with. The situation is so bad that half of the party's
governing council have resigned in protest or been forced out in the
past eight months. Harris has not moved to replace them because, argue
the dissidents, he is happy with the remaining council members who
tend to support him and he does not want to risk having more people
turn into troublesome dissidents.
At the 2004 AGM, members passed several constitutional amendments
which were supposed to be ratified by a party-wide vote within six
months. Fifteen months later, it hasn't happened and there are no
plans to hold a vote. The 2005 AGM voted to have a policy convention
this fall in anticipation of a federal election. Harris simply
declined to hold one, then rescheduled it for February. Now that
convention has been postponed.

Recently, a party-wide binding vote was taken on the sensitive issue
of revenue sharing. Members voted overwhelmingly for an option that
would divide up party revenue equally between local riding
associations, provincial Green Parties and the national party. Harris
was strongly opposed to this option, and recently announced that the
issue was more complicated than he thought and he was not going to
adhere to the members' wishes. None of this would be tolerated for a
minute in any of the other federal parties. And none would simply
allow half the seats on their governing council to go unfilled for
months.

--
Scott Elcomb
psema4.gotdns.com

'I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source
code' - Unknown
--
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