Ontario’s longtime environmental watchdog, Gord Miller, will run for the Green Party in Guelph in the next federal election, in the hope of taking his record as a staunch ecological critic to the House of Commons.

Miller, who this week ended his 15-year run as Ontario Environment Commissioner, told the Star he’s running to be a voice of conscience in Parliament, which has become too accustomed to limited debates, omnibus bills and a bitumen-fuelled economy.

“We have to have the voices in Parliament that speak for a different kind of Canada and a different agenda that will not only improve the environmental situation, but also put Canada back on the right footing to become a prosperous nation,” he said.

Miller will formally announce his run in Guelph on Wednesday.

“He’s just absolutely the ideal Green Party candidate,” said Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

“Gord Miller has been the solid, credible voice for environmental credibility and holding various governments to account provincially, whether Progressive Conservative or Liberal. He’s shown no partiality and had tremendous integrity through his whole career.”

As environment commissioner, Miller issued strongly-worded reports annually, calling the province to account on its environmental commitments. Starting in 2008, he added special reports on greenhouse gas emissions and energy conservation.

This won’t be Miller’s first attempt to win elected office; in 1995, he ran provincially in Cochrane South as part of Mike Harris’ Common Sense Revolution. Two years later, he ran in Nipissing for Jean Charest’s federal PCs as they faced a surging Reform Party.

“That was in the days when we spoke about uniting the right,” said Miller.

“We didn’t realize we were uniting the wrong.”

Miller now sees the Conservatives as having abandoned not only the environment, but also the basics of democracy.

“What’s happening in Parliament is a worn-out party with a majority is fundamentally changing the way this country is run and I’m not pleased with it,” he said. “The Green Party very much stands for the kind of ‘small c’ conservative values that the former PC party captured at one time.”

Miller says the Green Party has a sensible approach to climate change: restructuring the economy and bringing in a regulatory structure to improve the environment, “rather than putting ourselves in hands of the corporations that are unbridled by rules.

“As environment commissioner, I was the voice of the environment,” Miller said. “It’s important to have that voice expressed in the debate.”

His record of public service, however, is not without a misstep. Last year, he resigned from the board for a green technology company amid allegations of potential conflict of interest. Miller said he did nothing wrong.

Miller is still considered a star candidate who has the Green Party “very excited” about their chances in Guelph — which is one of the most sustainable cities in Ontario, said Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner.

“He’s highly respected by people across the political spectrum, both inside and outside government,” Schreiner said. “He has pushed and pushed for action on climate change and he recognizes both the economic opportunities that exist as well as the threats to our quality of life.”

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Guelph, where Schreiner won 19 per cent of the vote in the provincial election last year, is considered a winnable riding by the Greens. Federally, Green candidate Mike Nagy won 21 per cent of the vote there in 2008.

“We’re polling interestingly in certain areas of Ontario and Guelph looks good,” said Julian Morelli, spokesperson for the Green Party of Canada. “We’re confident.”

The Green Party recently won seats in P.E.I., where provincial leader Peter Bevan-Baker knocked off Liberal cabinet minister Valerie Docherty, and in New Brunswick, where David Coon became their first MLA in the province.

When looked at alongside the NDP’s surprise victory in Alberta, these victories show that Canadians are ready for change, says Miller, who thinks a Conservative strategy based on fear and security won’t work.

“The things they’re trying to sell: the war agenda, the bombing in Syria . . . that just redefines Canada as an international intervener,” said Miller.

“We’ve now become an aggressor.

“I don’t think people are in tune with that.”

Miller notes that Canada is being mocked internationally for its “pitiful” greenhouse-gas emission-reduction targets and thinks Canadians are embarrassed by this.

“An economy based on one thing — shipping bitumen out of Alberta — is a failed economy,” he said.

“We should be worrying about young people and their jobs.”