Jim Harris

Green Party of Canada Leader Jim Harris may take as little as 2% or as much as 6% of the vote in this election, depending on how effectively he is marginalized. If he gets into the TV leaders debate the numbers could go even higher and could seriously cut into NDP seat count. This must not happen! It should be a priority to ensure that a high fixed standard is set for participation in that debate (such as 5% of the popular vote, since the Greens got only 4.3% in the last election), without looking too undemocratic.

Harris is not popular in his own party. Various opponents of his in the GPC itself will be glad to share anti-Harris stories to use against him. Exploiting the Green Party of Canada because leaders don't matter campaign and making sure to characterize Harris as a Pointy Haired Boss using arguments revealed by his own party at openpolitics.ca and on newgreencanada yahoogroup, is an effective way to marginalize him wherever he appears.

In 2004 Harris ran against Jack Layton in Toronto-Danforth and lost miserably.

In 2006 Harris is running against Marilyn Churley in Beaches-East York and should again lose miserably, if he is cut out from his own party and marginalized using his poor image in his own party. Being friendly and subversive to his campaign staff will help, as many of them are former NDPers who feel guilty about Jim's failed run against Jack Layton (one reason Harris shifted to the Beaches, he couldn't get help to run again against Layton).