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MAJORITY OF CANADIANS VOTED FOR BOLD CLIMATE ACTION

MEDIA STATEMENT:

Majority of Canadians voted for bold climate action

Sixty-three per cent of voters cast ballots for a party that committed to reaching emissions targets in line with what science tells us is necessary

Tuesday, October 22, 2019 (Canada) – Yesterday, a strong majority of Canadians voted for bold climate action, with 63% of voters choosing parties with firm climate commitments.

Liberals, who suffered a loss of 20 seats, released a climate platform late in the campaign calling for a legislated framework to reach emissions targets in line with what science says is necessary in order to avert the worst of catastrophic climate change.

This put them in close alignment with the NDP, Greens and the Bloc who all proposed reductions in line with science and the Greens and Bloc on the legally binding nature of targets.

Meanwhile, Canada elected its first ever female elected as an independent in the re-election of Jody-Wilson Raybould, who campaigned strongly on working across party lines for climate.

What we are left with is quite possibly the most democratic outcome we could hope for under our current broken electoral system: a Liberal-led minority compelled to cooperate with other progressive parties, thereby representing a majority of voters.

Leadnow’s Cooperate for Climate campaign grew from  frustration with the failure of governing parties – driven as they are by short-term political and partisan interests – to adequately address the climate emergency. The campaign sought to make the best of an adversarial electoral system by asking candidates to support shared commitments to climate and justice, and pledge to work in an all-party caucus to get it done.

27 of Leadnow’s “climate champions” – candidates that agreed to cooperate in support of those policies – won their seat last night, including 5 Liberals, 18 New Democrats, 3 Greens and 1 Independent.

It is up to the 338 Members of Parliament that Canadians elected to decide whether they have confidence in Prime Minister Trudeau to lead a stable government. Given that there is much alignment among the centre-left parties on key issues like climate, housing, UNDRIP and pharmacare, and little alignment with the Conservatives’ vision for Canada, it is clear that the centre-left parties have a mandate to work together on tackling climate and inequality.

We expect that Trudeau will work with these parties to stay focused on the most pressing issues of our time. 

Cooperate for Climate by the numbers:

Leadnow helped to elect 5 of the 8 recommended climate champions they campaigned for by mobilizing 2100 volunteers across the country motivated by the climate crisis. Together, from coast to coast, they contacted 200,000 voters to ensure that people concerned about our climate future got out to vote for these candidates.

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For interviews with Leadnow Co-Executive Directors or volunteers, contact: 

Max Mosher, Leadnow Communications

Email: max@leadnow.ca

(Note: Logan McIntosh is in Toronto; Sonia Theroux is in Victoria)

Leadnow’s “battleground champions” from west to east were:

  • ELECTED Jody Wilson-Raybould – Independent – Vancouver Granville, BC

  • ELECTED Taylor Bachrach – NDP – Skeena Bulkley Valley, BC

  • ELECTED Daniel Blaikie – NDP – Elmwood Transcona, MB

  • ELECTED Matthew Green – NDP – Hamilton Centre, ON

  • Paul Taylor – NDP – Parkdale High Park, ON

  • ELECTED Lenore Zann – Liberal Party – Cumberland Colchester, NS

  • Anna Keenan – Green Party – Malpeque, PEI

  • Darcie Lanthier – Green Party – Charlottetown, PEI