This year, you made sure that the environment was indeed an election issue. Restoration of wetlands, the placement of bi-pole hydro-electric lines and climate change were just a few of the major issues that were debated in the 2011 provincial election. At the all-party environment forum, 200 people packed Winnipeg’s First Unitarian-Universalist Church to hear the candidates debate environmental issues. Now the at the election is over, lets hold our elected representatives to account, by continuing to pressure them to consider the environment as they pass legislation and especially in next year’s budget.
Myth
Pundits have been saying for months that the environment does not figure as an important issue for the electorate anymore. The Winnipeg Free Press said that “green is out of fashion,” while the Globe and Mail cites a poll conducted by advertising agency, Bensimon Byrne, to ask “Is the environmental movement dying?”
What do you think? Are environmental issues like wetlands loss, flooding, Lake Winnipeg protection, climate change or hydro-electric development options important issues for you this election? What about some of the issues that don’t make the news as often like pesticides or nuclear waste? What other environmental issues do you hope to hear parties address in this election?
