I was born and raised in downtown Toronto, and went to high school and university in Trinity-Spadina. As a student at the University of Toronto, I was a member of its Governing Council, and sponsored the motion which led to U of T divesting from apartheid South Africa. Later I got a PhD at Princeton, and taught at Ottawa, Harvard, and the University of Chicago. In 2003, I jumped at the chance to come home. I now live in Christie Pits and teach at the University of Toronto, as Canada Research Chair in Classical Philosophy (in the Departments of both Classics and Philosophy). I live, work, play, and ride my bike in our community; I care passionately about our neighbourhoods and the future of our urban environment.
In this campaign, we Greens will be emphasising the need for change – the big changes Canada needs for long-term economic health, environmental sustainability, and real democracy. We are the only Party that is serious on these issues – the only party, for instance, that recognises we cannot stop climate change without a carbon tax. As for the state of our democracy — the Liberals and NDP are talking about Tory abuses of power now, but they didn’t raise a peep of protest earlier this month when Stephen Harper sent Canadian forces to war in Libya with no public debate, no long term plan, and no prior consultation of Parliament.
The Greens are the only party that really cares about serious policies for Canada’s long-term future — just compare our 100-plus-page Vision Green to the vacuous soundbites you get on the other party websites. All the parties in Parliament have collaborated in the dumbing-down and hollowing out of Canadian democracy. Now Stephen Harper wants to buy your vote — and buy it cheap! — with his ‘boutique tax cuts’, while Jack Layton talks about home heating taxes and Michael Ignatieff tries to outbuy them both. If you actually care about Canada’s future, and want policies to keep our democracy healthy and our cities livable, the Greens are the only choice.
(You can read my official GPC biography as well.)
