Earth Equity News

Nader Stirs Controversy by Weighing in on Canadian Elections, in Support of Carbon Tax. By Bill Curry, Toronto Globe and Mail, October 13, 2008. "U.S. presidential candidate Ralph Nader is weighing in on Tuesday's Canadian federal election, urging voters to support either of the two parties advocating carbon taxes... praising the central plank of the Canadian Liberal and Green parties... Canadian Green Party Leader Elizabeth May... [said,] 'I think it's extraordinary that Ralph Nader would comment on our election. I won't comment on the U.S. election'... Throughout the Canadian campaign, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has made several references to Mr. Nader, particularly when defending her position that Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion would make a better Prime Minister than Conservative Leader Stephen Harper. Ms. May has said she does not want to repeat what Mr. Nader did in the 2000 election, when he argued there was no difference between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore. Because the final results of that election were so close, many in the United States believe Mr. Nader's candidacy cost the Democrats the 2000 election. Ms. May has said international action on climate change has slowed in large part due to the resistance of Washington and Ottawa under Mr. Bush and Mr. Harper. Earlier in the campaign, Liberal candidate Bob Rae used the Nader analogy to criticize Ms. May and NDP Leader Jack Layton. 'We've got the Nader twins at work here. Elizabeth May and Jack, they're both urging people to vote for them,' Mr. Rae said during a television interview. 'The net effect of that is going to be to end up electing Mr. Harper.' The statement from Mr. Nader comes as Ms. May's campaign struggles with its message in the final hours of the campaign. The Green Leader has said she does not want her campaign to have the effect of making a Conservative victory more likely."