Comments on: Stuart Hertzog

By: The Silent Majority

The Silent Majority — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:21:48 +0000

Is Mary Griffin employed or assoiated with the GPC in any way?

By: Camille Labchuk

Camille Labchuk — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:47:06 +0000

Mary, check out my latest post for the low down on the nomination meeting! A resounding victory for May.

By: mary griffin

mary griffin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:17:02 +0000

how did the vote go at the Saanich-Gulf islands nominating meeting?? Did hertzog win? come close? the word on the street is that at a meeting of more than 100 grass roots members he got just 2 repeat 2 votes!!

By: Sebastian Ronin

Sebastian Ronin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:56:51 +0000

Re “This is why the only comments I’ve heard from fellow Greens regarding Stuart Hertzog have been along the lines of.”

Blinders on? Selective hearing?

By: Ken Summers

Ken Summers — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:29:11 +0000

“No credible evidence of lack of transperency.”

Thats interesting. How many conversations have I seen where people who really pay attention have no idea whats going on [and I'm not talking about the sort of things that are expected to be in camera].

And the fact that some staffers are very satisfied and stay that way says nothing about the GPC revolving door. How many campaign directors have there been in 2 years?

I’m not even sure the NDP even has an active nominating committee any more. If it does, not for Council. If you want a Council or Exec seat, you have to hustle and press the flesh at Convention. And no one could have beat Peggy Nash for President.

In pratice, the amount of substantive democracy in the running of a party is limited in all of them. I was quibbling with the self congratulation here.

By: Old Hat

Old Hat — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:08:52 +0000

in the ndp, they hav a nomination committee that cooks up deal about who gets to be their federal council. the leader always has a finger in the backroom deal. so peggy nash becomes prez – cuz that’s how the leader wants it. behind closed doors – fer sure. libs and cons too

By: Ken Summers

Ken Summers — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:54:33 +0000

The NDP doesn’t have any RULES that the Leader cannot endorse candidates for Council. And presumably no other party does either.

Its just [I would think] common sense about fair play, level playing fields, and whats appropriate for the Leader to be so intimately involved with.

I would characterise it not as “the rules were changed partway through the game”, but as the rules had to be made because the crew around May doesn’t have the sense to know what is substantively non-democratic.

By: Camille Labchuk

Camille Labchuk — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:16:56 +0000

Ken, the council election rules gave the leader, deputy leader and any other councilor the right to comment on the ongoing council elections and endorse candidates as desired. The rules were changed partway through the game and I opposed that move.

As for staffers, I’m former party staff and certainly don’t fall into the disgruntled category. Most other staff have been in position for years because they enjoy their work and are proud to contribute to the growth of the Greens.

I’ve yet to see any credible evidence of a lack of transparency from “grumblers”, and it’s difficult to take these allegations seriously given the sources.

By: Roger Benham

Roger Benham — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:38:37 +0000

Stuart Hertzog is probably the member of our party whom I have come to respect the most (of all other members) through all the years I have communicated with him. I’d only quibble with that statement in including Loren Duncan and Doug Woodard as being close contenders; oh, and Catharine Johannson.

By: Ken Summers

Ken Summers — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:13:18 +0000

And can you imagine in any other party than the GPC, the Leader endorsing people running for Council? Or a party that for the whole tenure of a Leader churns out disgruntled staff?

But go ahead and congratulate yourself.

A very big reason why the NDP party brass can get away with bringing down the hammer on Dana Larsen is because it is so exceptional. IE, many that don’t like it just flinch and grumble. If things like that happened all the time it would be very different.

The internal processes of the GPC have become so rife with lack of transperency and self dealing, that there is plenty of grumbling, but it all stays out on the margins in blogs.

With all that seething on the margins it was inevitable someone would take a windmill tilt run at the Leader. If thats your idea of healthy democracy, you are welcome to it.