A new chapter in the evolution of the Green Party of Ontario opens today, July 1st. With this leadership contest, the party gives a big hug of thanks to leader Frank de Jong, and announces the opening of the contest that will decide the next leader at the conference in London, November 13-15.
Please read the message from Bill Hewitt, President of the GPO.
Greetings to all GPO members!
It is with great excitement that I am contacting you today. Today, I am announcing that the Green Party of Ontario Leadership Contest is open for nominations as of Canada Day, July 1st! The GPO will accept nominations until September 1st. All those interested are invited to visit www.gpo.ca for a copy of the rules and how to get involved.
A leadership race is an exciting time for a political party. Policy will be debated! Ideas will come forward! Energy will be renewed into the grassroots! Memberships will be sold! The party will grow and become more relevant to all voters across Ontario. We will show the other political parties that we are the party that has the best ideas and will have the best Leader to govern the Province.
We know that Ontario will have a provincial election in the fall of 2011. There will be two years of preparation by the new leader before we fully expect to elect members to the legislature. Your involvement as a contestant, as a campaign worker, or as a volunteer for the party will help ensure that victory. Yes this means YOU! Go to the job opportunities section of www.gpo.ca and check out the positions available. There are plenty of great ways for all to help the GPO gain electoral success.
However, if you think being the Leader of the GPO is the way to make your green contribution effective, please consider being a contestant yourself and help make this contest an exciting and productive time for the party. The nomination package from the Leadership Contest Committee (LCC) is now available on the web site, or can be received by email request to lcc@gpo.ca. The LCC can also help potential applicants with the various forms that need to be filled out from Elections Ontario.
Prospective leaders should be aware that the job is not easy: you should be prepared to invest a large amount of your time to being the leader. But as outgoing leader Frank de Jong will attest, the rewards of leading the party to bigger and better things are invaluable.
With every new beginning, comes another beginning's end. It has been 16 years that Frank de Jong has been leader of the Green Party of Ontario. Frank was the GPO's first leader, bringing relevance and life to a fledgling party. He shepherded the GPO from the political wilderness directly into the spotlight, culminating in the 2007 provincial election. Frank will be honoured at our Leadership Convention and I encourage all members to consider attending the convention in London this November.
The Annual Policy Conference/ Leadership Convention will take place the weekend of November 13 - 15 in London at the Delta Armouries and London Convention Centre. It will be the biggest and best conference that the GPO has ever held and will highlight all Leadership Candidates the way they deserve to be, on centre stage. Our new leader will be chosen on Saturday November 14 at the London Convention Centre. Conference details and registration will be available on our web site later this summer.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the LCC for their commitment to the GPO and the task of setting and enforcing the rules for this contest. Their dedication to the Green movement is much appreciated and will help bring the GPO to a new place in Ontario politics.
On behalf of the Provincial Executive and LCC we look forward to a great contest and the growth of our party and the path to the 2011 Provincial Election. The GPO is YOUR party get involved and make this race exciting!
Bill Hewitt,
GPO President
