Green party announces its first member of Parliament

CBC Aug 30:

The Green party has gained its first ever member of Parliament — Blair Wilson — a Vancouver-area Independent who quit the Liberal party last year. Green party Leader Elizabeth May introduced Wilson at a news conference Saturday morning in Ottawa. The MP for the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding was turfed from the Liberal caucus last year after allegations of spending irregularities in his 2006 campaign. Wilson reminded reporters that he was cleared of any wrongdoing after an eight-month investigation by Elections Canada. May said her party welcomes the MP because he gives the Greens a voice in parliamentary debates. She also said having Wilson on her team means she should be allowed to take part in the televised leaders debate in the next federal election campaign. Wilson said environment issues and the Green party have strong support in his riding. "The environment has always been the biggest issue in my riding and I think that in the [next] election, the environment will be the top issue nationally as well," he said. Whether Wilson ever enters the Commons as a Green party MP will likely be determined by voters in his riding later in the fall. Political observers speculate that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will move to dissolve Parliament next week before the fall sitting resumes, sending Canadians to the polls for a vote in mid-October.