(渥太华30日加新社电)历来首名绿党国会议员诞生，前温哥华独立议员威尔逊(Blair Wilson)原属自由党，他将代表绿党出战下届大选，绿党领袖称是历史性的行动，下届大选领袖电视辩论她不会缺席。
绿党领袖伊丽沙白梅(Elizabeth May)周六上午在渥太华举行记者会，向媒体介绍前独立国会议员威尔逊(Blair Wilson)已加入绿党。威尔逊于2006年首次代表自由党，当选温哥华西——阳光海岸——海天县(West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country)选区国会议员。
伊丽沙白梅形容这是一个历史性的行动，它能令羽翼未丰的绿党有机会，参与主流媒体的联邦大选辩论会。
她说：“绿党在众议院拥有一个席位，下届大选电视辩论会不可能再排除绿党。”
威尔逊说，他一周前联络绿党，讨论他代表该党的问题，“谈判非常顺利”，令他最终加入绿党。
可能的秋季大选迫近，威尔逊能否代表绿党进入众议院，将由选区的选民决定。这并非十拿九稳的事。
威尔逊去秋离开自由党议员团，因为他在2006年竞选中，疑有开支违规问题。
加拿大选举事务署经过8个月调查，今夏还威尔逊清白。伊丽沙白梅说，上周威尔逊已向绿党提供“深入而详细的”财务信息，证明他确实无辜。
Former Liberal becomes Green Party’s first MP
Mike De Souza, Canwest News Service
Published: Saturday, August 30, 2008
OTTAWA — The federal Green party has landed its first member of Parliament.
Blair Wilson, an embattled former Liberal MP who was expelled from his party’s caucus last year over allegations of improper spending, announced on Saturday that he was joining the Green team.
“Today we make history,” said Green party Leader Elizabeth May. “I am grateful for Mr. Wilson’s principled belief that the Green party deserves a voice in Parliament and for his firm commitment to democracy.”
Mr. Wilson, who will serve as the Greens’ shadow immigration critic, said he looked forward to representing the party in the House of Commons.
“I am extremely happy and proud to be able to join Elizabeth and the Green party and do something so positive for two core values that my family and Ideeply believe in,” said Mr. Wilson. “One of those obviously is protecting the environment and the other one is advancing the cause of democracy.”
Mr. Wilson, who has sat as an independent MP for the past year, has said that a recent Elections Canada investigation cleared him of any serious wrongdoing.
“Not only do I embrace the policies of my new party, I will feel that all my past difficulties are justified if, by my actions, I can make a real difference by ensuring Elizabeth May is included in the leaders’ debates,” said Mr. Wilson. “There is a democracy deficit in Canadian politics and this is one step in restoring effective democracy in Canada.”
Ms. May said the move would ensure that she could participate in the leaders’ debates in the next election campaign.
“It should not have been a question that required the kinds of efforts we have made to secure my participation in the debates,” said Ms. May. “We have established ourselves as a party that cannot be described as fringe. We are a party whose ideas and policies are now in the mainstream.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected over the next few days to ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and start a general election campaign that would see Canadians heading to the polls in mid-October.
Mr. Harper has argued that Parliament is deadlocked and cannot function properly unless the opposition parties make compromises and agree to work with the government.
He is scheduled to meet with NDP Leader Jack Layton to discuss the situation later on Saturday. But on Friday, following a meeting with Mr. Harper, Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe said he was convinced that the prime minister was intent on calling an election.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=758816
