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Learning from our opponents

By MARK TAYLOR, former member of the Green Party's Federal Council and Shadow Cabinet

Green politicians and volunteers are well versed in environmentalism, which would serve them very well if they were competing with activist groups or environmental NGO’s for support. The party, however, is registered federally, and in most provinces, as a political party, which involves bringing in completely different skill sets – especially if the party is to be successful at winning electoral contests.

Until recently, learning the ropes of the political process has involved a lot of trial and error for the Green Party. While some good lessons can be learned this way, it is time for Greens to recognize that there is a wealth of available political knowledge and we can all benefit from it.

If asked what is the biggest difference between the Greens and the Conservatives, Liberals or NDP, most Green party members would draw attention to differences in policy. I would challenge, however, that the biggest difference between the Green party and our federal and provincial opponents is the fact that the others have been elected to office. It is from these other political parties that we can learn how to be successful in politics yet still remain true to the Green principles and policies.

One avenue worth considering is to engage the wealth of literature produced by political partisans about their political experiences. While some competing partisans may scour these works for something “controversial” to cast doubt on their adversaries, the Greens should seize the opportunity to learn more about the political system in which we operate. A case in point is Tom Flanagan’s Harper’s Team: Behind the Scenes in the Conservative Rise to Power.

The first instinct for many Greens to invalidate the book because Flanagan was Harper’s campaign manager and the book is about the Conservatives. However, seeing that Flanagan was successful in helping Harper get elected as Conservative Leader, there may be some good lessons here. In fact, Flanagan writes about ten lessons in the back of the book and they all are applicable to the Greens.

#1 Unity – While Conservatives have to learn to incorporate the varying types of small-c conservatives, Greens need to learn to accept members with varying levels of environmental awareness and political savvy. This isn’t a watering down of the green message but a better indication of where Canada is going as a nation.

#2 Moderation – While the Conservatives have to be concerned about veering too far to the Right, Greens need to be concerned about becoming too militant in their environmentalism. Not everyone in Canada is going to become an environmental superhero overnight and their political choices are reflecting that.

#3 Inclusion - The Conservative base is predominately Anglophone Protestant and they need to expand beyond that to form a majority government. Similarly, the Green base is predominately environmentalists and they need to expand beyond that to elect MPs if they ever want a hope to eventually form government.

#4 Incrementalism – Like the Conservatives, Greens “have to be willing to make progress in small, practical steps.  Sweeping visions have a place in intellectual discussion, but they are toxic in practical politics.”

#5 Policy – Similar to conservatism, Green policies are not the dominant public philosophy.  Effectively communicating those policies to Canadians so they understand what they are voting for.

#6 Self-discipline – With increased media attention, there is an increased need for media and messaging discipline. Greens and Conservatives both need to ensure that there is a campaign plan so there is no improvising by the Leader. Further, both parties need to ensure candidates stick to the platform, avoid talking about their personal beliefs and focus on local media.

#7 Toughness – While the Conservatives need to work on getting tougher and be willing to “go negative”, Greens don’t need to go down that route. However, the Green Party does have to toughen up a little and accept that politics is a tough (and sometimes unfair) competition. We may believe a million Canadians are lacking representation but ultimately we need pick ourselves up, dust off defeat, and start to focus on improving for the next election.

#8 Grassroots Politics – It is one thing to say you are a grassroots party. It’s quite another to do the work to be one. Greens do not do enough door knocking, membership development, voter identification or Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) efforts on Election day. While the Conservatives see these components as the key to winning close ridings, this is the Greens’ key to winning it’s first.

#9 Technology – The Conservatives see technology as a tool that they need to keep current in order to succeed. While Greens are very adept with technology, there is a tendency to use technology as a crutch instead of a tool. We need to learn that chat rooms and VOIP can’t hold up to speaking to people directly.

#10 Persistence – Flanagan says it best, “Campaigning is tough business, and mistakes are frequent.  We have to correct our errors, learn from experience and keep pushing ahead.” It is a universal message for all parties.

This is just one book by one party partisan about how to get ahead in electoral politics in Canada. While Flanagan says we need to learn from experience, that doesn’t mean we have to learn only from our own experiences. If our opponents are going to chronicle their choices, their mistakes and their plans, we should take the opportunity to learn from them and improve our own chances for electoral success.

Mark Taylor is a former member of the Green Party's Federal Council and Shadow Cabinet and is in the process of forming his second Green Electoral District Association (EDA).