Bonnie North wants disenfranchised voters to know they have options. The Green Party of Ontario is ready to serve, ready to represent and ready to advocate on behalf of constituents, she said during a visit to Sudbury this week.

North, the deputy leader of the Green Party of Ontario, made a brief stop in Sudbury Thursday for the party’s nomination meeting and to meet with supporters on Friday.

She said travelling around the province is a pleasure these days, in large part because Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario, is “doing such a good job in the legislature.”

“The biggest voting block in Canada are the people who don’t vote,” North said.

That represents an opportunity for the Green Party. Many people who feel disenfranchised can find a home in Green politics, North said Thursday.

“We have a wide breadth of policy to offer people and on top of that, we’re a party that believes in civility in politics, we believe in representing the people to the legislature; we don’t represent the party to people. There’s no whipping votes in the Green Party.”

She said she feels despair when looking at what is happening in Ontario and Alberta. Fear politics has won in recent months with the elections of Doug Ford and Jason Kenney, but the strides the Greens have made recently in Prince Edward Island and British Columbia make North feel hopeful.

“We are on the cusp of something very special because now people are looking to a reasonable alternative,” she said.

Recent successes have bolstered the party’s momentum, including the election of eight Green Party of PEI members to provincial parliament and the breakthrough success of Green Party of Canada candidate Paul Manly in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith riding earlier this week.

“It says primarily that politics in the old way, the status quo way, is not cutting it anymore – for working families, for the environment or any metric you can think of,” North said.

North said one of her big concerns is electoral reform. She wants to see a new way in Canada of electing representatives. Electoral reform would likely be good for the Greens.

“We have a multi-party system, but the electoral system we use is only meant for two parties,” she said. “It doesn’t work.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised that 2015 would be the last time Canadians would use the first-past-the-post system, but Canada is months away from another federal election and nothing has changed, North said.

“He promised that 1,800 times, yet when push came to shove, he reneged on that deal,” she said.

The Green Party in Sudbury also elected their candidate for the fall election on Thursday. Bill Crumplin, a professor of environmental studies at Laurentian University, will carry the party banner for the Sudbury riding in the upcoming federal election. Local Green Party members elected Crumplin at a nomination meeting, which was held Thursday at the Parkside Centre.

“I’m honoured that Greens have entrusted me to represent the party in the next election,” Crumplin said. “I know that Sudbury has green roots. Just look at how far we’ve come with our reforestation efforts. And I also look to where we’re going with our robust mining supply sector and the desire to create sustainable mining operations. That’s innovation that Sudbury can export to the rest of the world.”

In his victory speech, Crumplin laid out his desire to be a champion for helping to make Sudbury a global leader for 21st century mining supply initiatives, including electric and remote mining.

“To some, it might seem odd that Greens would support mining,” Crumplin added. “But the truth is, the mining and mining supply sectors in Canada are out in front of other economic sectors when it comes to electrification, innovation and long-term sustainability. Greens understand there’s a lot of work to be done, but with mining and mining supply already moving in the right direction, we have to help facilitate that, rather than stand in its way. Sudbury stands to benefit significantly if we can emerge as a global leader over the next decade.”

With national polling continuing to show rising support for the Green Party, Sudbury Greens are eager to offer the community a viable alternative to the old-line parties.

“I’ve had the chance to meet and interact with a lot of community members over the past year,” Crumplin said. “My entry into politics in last year’s provincial election was a bit of baptism by fire. And running for mayor really exposed me to the concerns, hopes and dreams of citizens in my community. Connecting with people has been fantastic, and I know there’s going to be much more willingness on the part of voters in Sudbury to take a close look at the Green Party. I’m ready and excited for that.”

mkkeown@postmedia.com

Twitter: @marykkeown

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