Planet Laurel

Cambridge Greens: Vote Lux Burgess

“I’m running because my family’s future—and the future of all families—means everything to me. I want my loved ones to grow up in a world that’s safe, healthy, and full of opportunity. But with rising costs, and growing inequality, that future is at risk.

“I can’t just sit back and hope things get better—I want to be part of the solution. That’s why I’m fighting for real climate action, a fair economy, and stronger support for families.

“This isn’t just politics — it’s personal. It’s about protecting the people and places we love for generations to come.”
— Lux Burgess, 2025 Cambridge Green Party candidate

Even though time constraints prevented Lux from making it onto CKMS this time around, you can still catch his appearance in the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Debate below. I especially like the fact that we’re *still* talking about #Electoral Reform. And that the lack of it inspires excellent candidates like Lux Burgess to seriously challenge complacent incumbents like MP Bryan May. https://luxburgess.ca/campaign/index.php/blog/

Hey Kitchener Centre: don’t forget to ReElect Mike Morrice!

If you haven’t already voted at one of the Advance Polls, do not forget Monday, April 28th, 2025 is ELECTION DAY 2025.  Just because you know Mike Morrice is the best Member of Parliament Kitchener Centre has ever had, it is no reason to be complacent.  

Not so long ago, an incumbent city councillor in this very community lost an election by a single vote. It wasn’t even that people felt it was tie for a change. It was that everyone expected her to be re-elected by a landslide, that her voters felt no real sense of urgency to get out and vote.

One vote is really the difference between winning and losing representation in countries still using terrible winner-take-all voting systems like ours. Don’t let your opportunity to vote slip away!

It took a very long time to get a local Green MP elected locally. Help make sure he is re-elected!

Like any Green MP, Mike doesn’t just represent the constituents in his own riding, he provides a vouce to otherwise disfranchised Greens across the country. I’m in Kitchener—Conestoga, yet he supported and presented my Petition e-4802 in Parliament. So even if you’re not exactly in Mike’e riding, there is still time to help out by volunteering or donating. Mike’s team will keep working as hard to re-elect Mike as Mike works for us in Ottawa until the very last minute. If getting to the polling station is a problem, you can even call the office and they’ll arrange transportation for you… no matter who you ‘re planning on voting for. And if you haven’t already, you can listen to Mike on CKMS radio:

Kitchener—Conestoga Greens

Kitchener South—Hespeler: Vote Ethan Russell

Kitchener South—Hespeler candidate Ethan Russell will make another excellent Green MP for Waterloo Region. The photo above was taken just after Ethan’s CKMS “Meet The Candidate” spot, with show producer (and former Green Party candidate) Bob Jonkman. The air time time was made available to all Waterloo Region candidates, and it is interesting to see which did (or didn’t) show up.

Check out Ethan’s Green Party Page and, of course, listen to his CKMS broadcast here:

Waterloo Greens: Vote Simon Guthrie

We have yet another great Green Party candidate running in Waterloo.

And of course, check out Simon’s CKMS spot!

Find out more about Simon at https://www.simonguthrie.ca/

REMEMBER: Monday April 28th, 2025 is Election Day in Canada

While I would obviously like to see you cast your ballot for the Green Candidate in your riding, I sincerely hope you choose to vote for the candidate who will best represent you. Since my own riding is without a Green Candidate, after checking out the available candidates, I have decided my vote will go to for Bozorgzad, the excellent NDP candidate running in Kitchener—Conestoga.

Overall the opinion polls seem to indicate the Liberals are on track for another majority government. As far as I’m concerned, that would be an most unfortunate outcome. One of the many things wrong with what we call “strategic voting” these days (ie voting for a candidate you don’t want instead of the one you do), is that it helps prop up the First Past The Post two party Liberal/Conservative status quo.

We’re at a point where neither Liberal or Conservative governments can win a faux First Past The Post Majority Governments without all the vote suppression inspired by our Single Member Plurality voting system (which means a party doesn’t need to win a simple majority of the vote to win 100% of the power) and now also propped up by the pressure we unrepresented voters feel to vote “Strategically” for the least worst candidate. That’s not how representative democracy is supposed to work.

But it is the system Justin Trudeau chose over his own ERRE Committee’s recommendation to adopt a solidly Proportional Representation voting system. Because “fear voting” has made it possible for Liberal Governments to dominate our politics for so much of Canada’s history.

Strategic voting doesn’t do what they advertise. If it did, we only would have had to do it once. Giving one party a mandate it can’t earn from a majority of voters a majority of the power doesn’t result in a strong democratic government, the “strength” it produces is autocratic rule that polarizes us all. Even with our inadequate unrepresentative First Past The Post voting system, Canadians can get a lot closer to a representative Representative Democracy by voting for the independent candidates and small parties we actually want to vote for.

If we vote for what we want— regardless of the Opinion Polls, Op Eds and big money with which which defenders of the status quo successfully dominate our political discourse— the diverse Canadian electorate actually has the power to elect nothing but minority governments.

That means electing governments that will actually represent a majority of the voters. It will make governing a lot harder for our elected politicians because they will have to learn to work together instead of painting each other as the boogeyman, but it is the only way (short of Proportional Representation) we can achieve truly strong government supported by most Canadians.

I truly believe in democracy. I trust Canadians to do the right thing. And that starts with voting. And even better, voting for what we want.

Regards,
Laurel Russwurm
Kitchener—Conestoga Greens