Tuesday, August 25th is a day I’ll remember for a long time. A whirlwind of meet the press, strategic training with deputy leader Adriane Carr and a corn roast to finish off. Three of the Green Party candidates attended, myself, Gail Bates from Oshawa, Rebecca Harrison from Whitby-Oshawa and Kevin Smith from Pickering-Scarborough. It was our first introduction to the local press and we were ready with our speeches about why we are running for the Green Party of Canada. Three people from very different backgrounds who have all come to the same conclusion. The Green Party holds some of the answers about what Canada needs. It goes without saying that the Green Party has a strong committment to the environment but we have an equally strong need to tell the public about our economic stance, our committment to education and student needs, our support of Canada’s health care system. We are no longer the “tree hugging” party of the 80’s but have evolved to meet the needs of Canadians now. So let’s spread the word, the Green Party can build a strong Canadian economy, create jobs, support communities, encourage families. We learned from Adriane Carr, one of the founding members, that the party platform is complete and will provide the answers Canadians need to their questions about the economy, job creation, even the war in Afghanistan. If the other parties think the Green Party doesn’t have a plan, they’re wrong. We did enjoy our training day but I enjoyed more knowing we are ready!