The Green Wave?

As we wait for Stéphane to put his toe in the water one more time, ensuring that before he jumps in he has Bob Rae and Martha Hall Findlay by his side, I thought I might relate my experience on campus this weekend.

I attended parts of two events, both organized by students for students, the stuff of which democracy is made. The first was the visit of Madam Justice Marie Deschamps, organized by the Students’ Council. The second was an undergraduate conference, Women in Power, organized by the APSA, an undergrad club, to recognize International Women’s Day.

The conference featured presentations by the Honourable Constance Glube (Q.C., O.C., O.N.S.), Elizabeth May (Leader of the National Green Party), Dr. Janine Krieber (an expert in security and terrorism and Stéphane Dion’s marriage partner), and Alexa McDonough, who joined students for a reportedly very engaging lunch hour.

The autonomous leadership that Acadia’s politics students showed in organizing this conference on a shoestring budget illustrates yet again why Acadia enjoys the reputation of housing leaders of tomorrow.

I have heard May speak once before, but on issues of the environment, not the more revealing and frankly more compelling topic of her experience as a woman in Canadian politics.

Nodding in agreement

I tend to bring a critical perspective to all of my political opportunities, but there I was nodding in agreement more often than I have for some time.

Yup, basing one’s political values in the early experience of life with ordinary Canadians (for Elizabeth, as a waitress in Cape Breton) is one of the ways of developing the charm and understanding of the best political leaders.

Yup, the NDP were indeed responsible for bringing down the Martin government just before it was ready to act on the environmental progress that Dion had made as minister. And yup, it was indeed for strategic reasons that will likely yet cause them grief.

Elizabeth went on to indicate her party’s view that the best way to address poverty in Canada is with a guaranteed annual income, a policy that would save millions in administration and take away some of the self-defeating, imposed shame associated with welfare and unemployment. Right again.

And on it went, me nodding like I had just had an epiphany. Luckily, perhaps, I also encountered this weekend … well, let’s just say the fervor of some local environmentalists, and I realized that while I think Elizabeth May is terrific: subtle, thoughtful, very bright and politically skilled; I just didn’t quite belong with her sorts of folks.

Still, this conference was a fine success and to those who would like a totally cool T-shirt with “Women Belong in the House…of Commons” on the front (pink on black), there may be a few left via acdiapsa@gmail.com.

Access to justice

The presentation by Marie Deschamps was every bit as bright, charming and compelling as that of Ms. May. Initially, I was just a tad freaked as there were more lawyers in attendance than perhaps one should be with at any one time. But let the record show I think we have some fine, publicly-minded lawyers and judges in the Valley.

Deschamps argued that while we still have some way to go to enhance access of the poor to the courts, our courts are generally not suffering from too little access, but from too little justice.

She argued we should do much more to settle contestation outside the courts, in well-governed processes of mediation. (Good to know that on this score, local lawyers are leading.)

She also argued that lawyers should do more to engage the local community of public servants, politicians, academics, and citizens in discussions about doing justice better.

Overall, a worthwhile weekend! Thanks to the young women and men who restored yet again my belief in the democratic promise of the future.