NOTE: This will be the last post in this section of the Blog. It will be reserved as a campaign Blog while the Newfoundland and Labrador Green Party main Blog will be located at http://NLGreenParty.blogspot.com
Well, it's all over and personally, I'm physically exhausted, emotionally frustrated and mentally worn down. 2 months of campaigning came down to one night of watchin' CBC unfold it all... almost all anyway. I'm still a little miffed over the fact that they didn't show any Green results the whole night. I can understand their reasoning behind keeping the results to the top candidates but, they could have had the top 4 candidates and not just 3. Plus, I remember the election last time around posting results for all the candidates. What happened this time?
Anyway, here's the results for Greens in Newfoundland and Labrador:
Avalon
Shannon Hillier / 296 votes / 0.8%
Bonavista--Gander--Grand Falls--Windsor
Judy Davis / 275 votes / 0.7%
Humber--St. Barbe--Baie Verte
Martin Hanzalek / 339 votes / 1.0%
Labrador
Gail Zwicker / 82 votes / 0.7%
Random--Burin--St. George's
Mark Brennan / 426 votes / 1.4%
St. John's East
Stephen Eli Harris / 437 votes / 1.1%
St. John's South--Mount Pearl
Barry Crozier / 235 votes / 0.6%
That's a total of 2090 votes in Newfoundland and Labrador which, unfortunately, is a drop of over a 1000 votes from last election. It's not really surprising but, it certainly is a little disappointing. I guess there was no way to stop the conservative momentum this time around, especially not in Newfoundland and Labrador who has seen great things come out of Danny Williams. Plus, with so many people strategically voting Liberal to stop the conservative momentum, there was really no chance. Of course, we can't forget the seal hunt issue. This almost single handedly brought us down in the province.
All in all, this was an incredibly wonderful experience for me. I've found something within myself that I probably always knew I had but wasn't willing to flesh it out. Now that I have found it though, I will never give up. It wont be long before we have another election and this time, I'll be ready.
I can't help to think however, that because the Greens didn't elect any seats this time around, the next time will be much the same. We'll have no media. We'll not be permitted to debate with the other leaders on television and we'll not be respected as a party. But, who knows? I certainly don't. I would never have thought we'd have a Conservative government in place either so, things defiantly surprise you.
I'd like to take this time to thank all those who indeed voted for real change. All those who volunteered their time throughout the province, I thank you as well. Without the support of you few, there would be no Green movement in Newfoundland and Labrador and to me, that's a scary thought.
So. We push ahead. We ready ourselves for the next election and be sure that the Green voice isn't muted. We have a place in Government and we'll achieve this spot in time with true dedication and hard work. Don't give up. Never give up.
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you win.
Remember that. Thanks again for your support.
Now, go to NLGreenParty.blogspot.com and follow the progress from here.
EDIT: I added Mark Brennans final remarks to this post.
Random Burin St Georges Green Candidate, Mark Brennan - Election Reaction
At home in Whitehill Nova Scotia, Green Candidate Mark Brennan laments over the recent election results. Brennan, who stepped forward to run for the Green Party in this Newfoundland riding said, "I did not expect to come anywhere close to winning in this election, the results are an indication that the public is not getting the message when it comes to true sustainability and the environment. What I do see though, is that despite the generally poor showing, there is still a core group of voters who truly put the well being of the earth first."
After the early Green Party public stand on ending the Seal hunt, the initial candidate decided not to run. Brennan feels this was a major factor in Greens doing poorly across the Province. "Overall it has been a good experience and I certainly wish the elected member well in the coming years and hope that some of the issues I was questioned about during the election are dealt with for the people of this riding. On the seal issue, we are seeing marine mammals wiped out the world over for human consumption. Newfoundland has experienced a devastating loss of it's main fishery, we need to make rebuilding these marine eco-systems a priority and that would also mean putting an end to the seal hunt as well banning the use of industrial draggers. Without these and other measures the five hundred year old Newfoundland fishery will never come back."
The 37 year old Landscape Artist and healthcare worker, vows to run again, saying that, "All of us need to wake up to the fact that there are limits to growth on a finite planet, we need to stop consuming the world, stop forcing other species into extinction, we also need to redefine our relationship to the earth. There really is no other choice, but I really don't think people are ready to hear this message yet, we are still in denial."
Mark A. Brennan
Canadian Landscape Painter/Photographer
Whitehill, Nova Sotia, Canada
http://www.markbrennanfineart.ca/
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