Paul Martin wants Elizabeth May in debates

The Toronto Star:

Ottawa — Former prime minister Paul Martin is lending his support to Green Party leader Elizabeth May’s bid to be part of the televised leaders’ debates.

“She should not be cut out,” Martin said in a phone interview with the Star on Friday.

“This is an election campaign and the debates form an important part of that,” Martin said. “Canadians are entitled to points of view of all of the valid players and Elizabeth May and the Green Party are certainly valid participants.”

May was excluded from this year’s debates after an agreement was hammered out earlier this week between the broadcast consortium and the four political parties who were represented in the Commons during the last Parliament. They will be held on April 12 and April 14 in Ottawa.

Though May was part of the 2008 debates, it appears she was kept out this time largely because the Greens won no seats in the last election.

Martin says this isn’t a good enough reason, noting that the party did gather nearly a million ballots and 6.8 per cent of the popular vote in the 2008 election.

“In terms of the popular vote, the Green Party has demonstrated that there is a strong group of Canadians who are prepared to support that party,” Martin said.

Continue reading here.