We’re thinking about the environment but what about our candidates?

The Federal election is well underway…Former Prime Minister, Kim Campbell, famously said “The election is not a time to discuss serious issues”.  Politicians and pundits agree with her when it comes to the environment.Listening to the election announcement from the Governor General’s front step, I heard “… and the environment”, but only in the French statement. It was not repeated in the English version. Once again, the environment is shaping up to be a low priority issue in the election campaign.The problem Ms. Campbell identified is the “ball game” approach of the traditional media. Content takes a backseat to the play by play and colour commentary. It is all about how well the parties are doing, not the issues. The parties don’t help much with tightly crafted messaging and canned speeches.The good news is we can still make an impact. Our job at SCCF, election or not, is to draw attention to the issues: climate change, tar sands, pipelines, pesticides, wildlife, parks and more.So over the coming weeks, we will examine the environmental issues that should be a big part of the election dialogue and urge you to raise them at local debates or when canvassers come knocking on your door.We also encourage you to follow our blogs, facebook posts, tweets, and e-mails to learn more about the issues and how you can join us to turn the environment into a high priority issue in this year’s election.John Bennett National SpokespersonSierra Club Canada Foundation jb@sierraclub.ca(link sends e-mail)(link sends e-mail) • (613) 241-4611One Earth • One Chance Like us on Facebook(link is external)(link is external) / Find us on Twitter(link is external)(link is external) @sierraclubcan.