One thing I'd like to do with this blog is to start to address ways that we can work to improve our internal culture. Like any political party we have our internal differences but I think we need to look for ways to conduct our internal communications in a way that builds respect for the work and opinions of others in the party. Over time I think a positive and welcoming internal culture will help us work effectively with other parties and will, at some level, come across in a way that resonates positively with voters.

About a year ago when there were some internal flare-ups I wrote an article addressing how concerns were being raised by some critics of council. I wanted councillors and members to consider taking a step back to try to analyze how successful we were, how we make decisions, how we interact with each other, etc. I think things are improving (elections help to bring us together) but I thought some of my earlier thoughts are still relevant and would be of interest to readers. I hope the questions and answers in this article help to raise awareness about how we can try to work effectively together - there is always room for improvement.

Click the "more" link for details ...
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Recently an article was written by Canadian Press reporter Dennis Bueckert about Elizabeth May's possible entry into the GPC leadership race. Although I don't know her, Ms. May has an impressive array of credentials and I think her entry into the race would further raise awareness about the party and solidify our standing as the fourth national party and a force to be reckoned with.

The point of this blog article isn't to discuss the leadership race but the reporting of Dennis Bueckert. During the January election Mr. Bueckert wrote a number of articles in the same style as the one about Ms. May. I feel his reporting is somewhat biased against the GPC. Consider the first paragraph in his article:
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Shortly after the current council was elected in August 2004 we had an in-person meeting in Toronto. At the start of the meeting each councillor was asked about why we were involved with the Green Party. Some of the stories were very interesting and inspiring and I think this discussion was a great way for councillors to get to know one another.

I wanted to do the same same thing with my blog and my story is below. If you are a member or volunteer with the GPC I'd like to hear the story about why you're involved. I think hearing these stories help us to realize that despite the differences of opinion that occur from time to time we are all working towards the same goal. I'll open up comments for this post so they will show up on the blog below this post after they are moderated. I don't necessarily go online to check emails every day so just a head's up - if you send something in it may take some time to show up in comments.

Click the "more" link for my story ...
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As part of my roadmap essay you will see I prepared a membership chart for the party. (It is called that instead of an "organization chart" since the lines don't necessary represent direct accountability or reporting as is typically the case in an organization chart.) I have made a motion to council to post this chart and explanatory text to the GPC members website. Click the "more" link or download the attached file for the details.
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The Green Party of Canada has been working on transitioning from an organization that has a "working" council to one that has a "governing" council. As part of this transition I believe council need to start thinking in terms of "roadmaps" for the party. For example, if we define how and where we should prioritize in the coming years then it will be easier to give direction to our Executive Director about how budget funding and resources should be allocated. I've recently completed the attached essay with some thoughts on this and other GPC matters.

Here is the introduction to the essay.

The Green Party of Canada has come through an incredible period of growth over the past three years. Two successful elections have raised public awareness about the party and have brought us over $1,000,000 per year in federal funding. Many of you are probably asking: What next? How do we continue to grow? This essay is an attempt to explore these questions and start to build agreement about the best way to proceed.

Click on the "more" link to view the entire article or click on the attachment to download the essay in a 2-column formatted PDF file.

I hope you find the essay thought-provoking and I look forward to your comments.
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UPDATE:  In August 2006 I ran for Green Party Chair in our internal election and finished second to Melanie Ransom.  Although I am no longer on council I remain active with the party and am currently CEO of the newly started EDA in Calgary Centre.  I'm continuing to use this blog to communicate my thoughts on where we have been and where we are going, as outlined in my first blog post below.

Being a GPC councillor since November 2003 has been a challenge - sometimes rewarding, sometimes frustrating, always interesting.

The party has undergone dramatic changes since the June 2004 election where we won 4.3% of the vote and earned the right to over $1 million per year in federal funding. The council elected in August 2004 has managed much of the transition from a party that had no staff and operated on an annual budget of only $25,000 per year just a few years ago to a party that currently has an annual budget of over $2 million.

This blog is an attempt to communicate with GPC members some of my thoughts on where we have been and where we are going. I believe that the party's principles and policies have the potential to transform how Canadians think and feel about government and I continue to be excited about our potential. I hope this blog makes you feel the same way.