“A recognized party under review” – that’s the official view of the Green Party of Nova Scotia from the only organization whose official view really matters – Elections Nova Scotia. Party leader Ryan Watson and Official Agent Kathryn Herbert met today with the province’s Chief Electoral Officer Christine McCulloch regarding the potential deregistration of the party. You may recall that the party failed in its obligation to meet certain deadlines for the submission of important financial information to Elections Nova Scotia. The Green Party of Nova Scotia was given thirty days in which to comply with the law before a decision was made regarding the official status of the party. I was under the impression that the party had complied with the law, that the meeting today was a mere formality – the wagging of a finger by the CEO at the Green Party, with a minor scolding to ensure the party never acted in such a way again.
Christine McCulloch was obviously of a different impression, as she came away from the meeting – according to ENS spokesman Dana Philip Doiron – believing the Greens “didn’t demonstrate that they had taken all of the steps to become an organized party yet.” And so the party’s status remains in limbo, “a recognized party under review”, a new deadline for individual candidate expense forms to be submitted. These must be delivered to ENS by the 18th of this month. That’s just 13 days from now – tick tock tick tock.
Will the party get the job done? The Province’s Chief Electoral Officer “didn’t get that sense of confidence.”
The Green Party of Nova Scotia has dealt itself one successive blow after another – from a botched election to a botched executive. From its failure to comply with its own constitution to its failure to comply with the province’s laws – if there has been a way to screw it up, the Green Party of Nova Scotia has found a way to do it at every conceivable turn.
And yet, here I sit. A paid up member who believes in it still. I am even a brand new member of the executive (interim, pending the result of a postponed constitutional debate) because I believe in the ability of the party to break out of its chronic pattern of self abuse and public humiliation.
And then GPNS can grow to its full potential, where it is the voice for sustainability and self-sufficiency in Nova Scotia. Where it is the advocate for major political reform in Nova Scotia. Where the disenfranchised (and the newly disenfranchised – the coming large demographic of alienated Dippers) turn to GPNS to express and have expressed their own political voices.
GPNS can make an enormous impact in the future, but only by first gaining the confidence of both the Chief Electoral Officer, and the taxpayers of the province of Nova Scotia.
Posted by arcadian on August 5, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Since August 1, the party has been without an Official Agent and hence is automatically de-registered all over again.
(It knew the last OA was quitting in July —back in April — but it has a Zen-like sense of urgency…)
why not simply re-register under the names of KEYSTONE COPS ???
Posted by David Croft on August 5, 2009 at 8:10 pm
In fact, the former OA has agreed to stay on as acting OA until a replacement can be found. GPNS is again legal on that score.
Posted by Sebastian Ronin on August 6, 2009 at 4:54 am
It is an organizational, structural, managerial, marketinging, financial and political dog’s breadfast, no doubt.
Re “I believe in the ability of the party to break out of its chronic pattern of self abuse and public humiliation.”
This will depend on, and be a reflection of, the “talent” that the party consists of. Ditto re “And then GPNS can grow to its full potential, where it is the voice for sustainability and self-sufficiency in Nova Scotia.” Any organization is no more than the sum of its components, i.e. human beings.
Does the GPNS have the requisite wisdom, courage, perception, humility, integrity and adulthood to blow through to the next and necessary level of re-invention? That’s a long shot for which only the bravest of gamblers might possibly see an opening.
Posted by bluegreenblogger on August 19, 2009 at 10:26 am
Sebastian, shame on you:
“Any organisation is no more than the sum of it’s components”.
If that were true, then human beings would be organised as family units, not Nation’s, Corporations, etc. etc. etc.
The fact is that organisations are much more than the sum of the components. That’s why we group together to make them happen. Because they are more effective at so many things.
Posted by Sebastian Ronin on August 20, 2009 at 9:35 am
bluegreen:
You fall back on the gestalt of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Fair enough. But, IMO, that applies to the ability and potential to do work…and at certain outer limits of scale they start to backfire, breakdown.
FYI, human beings are organized as family units…it is the primary building block, branching out to neighbourhood, community, tribe, clan, region, etc. The larger the “unit” becomes, in direct proportion must the fabric of indentity be manufactured, i.e. become false. But being somewhat familiar with where I come from, this should come as no great shock. =;-D
BTW, just because the family unit is under attack by the state in “industrially-advanced” societies does not make it any less real.
My original point was simple: an organization is its people. The philosophy, outlook, etc. of any organization/collective does not drop from the sky. It is created by the people whom the organization represents. It is for a similar reason, though somewhat removed, that collectives do not have rights; only individuals have rights.