AMHERST - Jason Blanch is hoping to give the voters of northern Nova Scotia another option when they go to the polls sometime later this year to elect a replacement for longtime MP Bill Casey.
"I sort of subscribe to what Michael Moore has said. If you don't like the options that are available to you, create your own option," the 39-year-old Blanch said, confirming he will be the Green Party candidate in Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley.
This will be the first time since 2006 that the party will have a candidate after party leader Elizabeth May elected last year not to run a candidate against Casey since she considered him an honourary member of her party.
Blanch ran as an Independent in the 2006 provincial election in Cumberland North and also ran for a seat on Amherst town council in 2004. He recently completed his masters degree at St. Francis Xavier and is hoping to do work in the environmental protection field.
He joins other candidates Scott Armstrong of the Conservatives, Jim Burrows of the Liberals, Mark Austin for the New Democrats and Jim Hnatiuk of the Christian Heritage Party.
Blanch feels electing a Green Party candidate in Nova Scotia would send a strong message to Ottawa.
"If we can get a Green Party candidate elected in a riding in Nova Scotia that's traditionally a Conservative riding, it would send a strong message that Canadians are concerned about climate change and want government to take a different approach," Blanch said.
Rising sea levels and concerns about dykes around the Bay of Fundy will be something Blanch will address during the campaign. He believes an open discussion on the issue will change attitudes and hopefully bring about action.
"Voting Green provides people with an opportunity to have someone in government to address the issues other parties will address. We're not a one-issue party, but we will address the global crisis we are facing," he said. "They will all talk about the environment but no one will admit that we're in a state of crisis."
Blanch wants to see government take steps to protect what we already have. As much as there are numerous environmental concerns, Blanch said there's still a lot to appreciate and to protect. However, he added, time is running out to take the steps necessary to prevent the further degradation of the environment.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
