Friends and colleagues … fellow Greens … Thank You!

Thank you for your show of faith in the Green Party of Ontario – and in me today, both by being here in the Forest City and for your support in the leadership vote.

It is truly an honour to be standing here as your new party Leader.

If you’ll permit me just a few minutes, I want to begin this evening by saying a special thank you to those who made this all possible.

The truth is, I couldn’t have done any of this – from my time as policy coordinator to the by-election campaign last spring, to the nearly full-time leadership campaign since – without the incredible support of my wife Sandy and our wonderful daughters Isabelle and Beata.

Since day one, my family has been a bedrock of support and inspiration.

To them, I simply say thank you. Your love and endless patience means everything to me.

I want to thank my mom who is here tonight. As a small town school teacher for almost 40 years, she taught me the importance of service to community, a value that motivates my efforts in the Green Party and beyond.

I also want to thank Sara McMillan, who has guided my leadership campaign and continues to push me and the party to reach ever higher, each and every day.

And I wouldn’t be standing here at all – or more accurately, I might be standing here in an empty room – if it weren’t for the tireless efforts of our Executive Director Becky Smit and her team of exceptional volunteers.

I want to thank the Provincial Executive, Leadership Contest Committee, CA Executives, candidates, and our members and volunteers who make this party work. The Green Party of Ontario is in good hands and I am excited to join an incredibly talented, focused and inspiring team as Leader.

And of course, the night’s thank you’s wouldn’t be complete without one very special mention.

To my friend Frank de Jong, who has led this party so capably for the last 16 years; who has taken us from a loosely organized, but well-meaning group of activists who earned point four [0.4] per cent of the vote in 1995 to a fully-functioning party that fielded candidates in every riding and earned over 350,000 votes in 2007 – thank you!

Frank – we are here tonight largely because of your efforts over the last decade and a half.

As the new leader of the party, I stand on very broad shoulders – from my vantage point, exceptionally tall shoulders.

Frank, you should be justifiably proud of all that you achieved in your time as leader. I know everyone in this room is proud of what we have accomplished together.

Thank you again.

My friends, 89 years ago this Fall, right here in London, Ontario, Dr. Frederick Banting had an idea.

He believed a pancreatic extract – insulin – could be used to fight diabetes – a disease that meant certain death for patients.

He worked hard to purify insulin. But it wasn’t easy getting there. He persevered when others doubted him. He overcame the naysayers, proving them wrong at every turn, because Dr. Banting never lost sight of his vision.

It is those same principles – belief in a vision, overcoming doubt with hope and working hard for what we hold to be true – that inspire me every day.

I’m a proud father and husband, entrepreneur and Green advocate.

I believe in the potential of engaged citizens, independent businesses and family farms to lead us toward a sustainable green economy that protects our natural heritage.

I believe in strong and sustainable communities – where people and civic groups have the power and resources they need to create vibrant neighbourhoods and keep Main Street Ontario alive.

And I believe that governments should do everything in their power to promote the health and well being of all people.

These beliefs are firmly rooted in my childhood experience of growing up on a farm and in my later experiences of building small businesses and non-profits.

I have learned that greater accountability comes when people are connected to local decision-making, and that economic prosperity and our individual and community well being are absolutely rooted in a healthy environment.

And like Dr. Banting all those years ago, I learned the value of having a vision and relentlessly fighting for it.

So here I stand today, in London, as your new leader – of Ontario’s fastest-growing political party.

I was inspired to run for this position by the people in this room. People from all walks of life and from across the political spectrum who are joining our party, inspired by our hopeful vision that we can build a better, more sustainable world for ourselves, our children and for future generations.

I believe It’s Time. It’s Time for our vision. It is time for Ontario to go Green!

Now more than ever, Ontario needs a strong, united Green Party.

It is time for all of us to renew our energy and commitment to the cause.

We will run with conviction, with purpose and will be guided by a vision that there can be a better tomorrow, starting today. It’s Time.

As Greens, we never forget that our past is inextricably linked to our future.

The steps we take today here in London will echo for generations.

Grounded in that knowledge, Ontario’s Greens will address head-on the challenges of our time: climate change and rising energy prices, crippling deficits that place a heavy burden on our children, and the social injustice of standing idle while one in eight children in Ontario go to bed hungry every night.

It’s Time to have a strong Green voice at Queen’s Park to tackle these challenges.

And I don’t need to tell you that as a movement, going Green has reached everybody: from eating locally-grown food, to reducing the energy we use, even the simple act of using reusable shopping bags – it’s becoming a way of life in Ontario.

Everywhere it seems, but at Queen’s Park.

My friends, we are ahead of the politicians. The old-line parties are simply out of touch with you and me. Instead, they represent big government, big labour and big business.

It’s time for a new kind of politics in Ontario. It’s time for a party rooted in community and the realities of the 21st century. It’s time for a party with a compelling and comprehensive vision to turn our challenges into opportunities for a better, more sustainable world.

As I have traveled around the province to engage party members, to listen, learn and share ideas, people tell me it’s time for the Green Party to have a voice at Queen’s Park and I can’t agree more! I will work every day between now and October 6th, 2011 to make that a reality!

I believe the path to the Legislature starts with a commitment I made to you when I announced my intention to run for leader.

I promised I’d be a full-time leader and devote my entire energy to this party and our efforts to ensure we’re ready for 2011.

Unlike most politicians, I’m committed to keeping my promise – tomorrow will be my first official day on the job.

But don’t worry, I won’t put in for weekend overtime!

Beginning this week, I intend to be at Queen’s Park regularly to hold not just the government to account, but each of the old parties that sit in the Legislature.

As the representative of hundreds of thousands of Ontarians who have voted for us, who are interested in a better way forward – I will make sure our voice is heard in the halls of power.

I also plan to travel across the province working with each and every CA to insure that the Green message is heard in every corner of this great province.

By working together, our voice will be heard. It needs to be heard. Our time has come!

For me, that means a focus on three key priorities.

First, we will advocate for a prosperous, green economy – not only as the way out of today’s tough economic climate, but also as the most sensible way forward.

Despite what the media might say about the current recession being caused by bad bankers, it is clear that the foundations of the economy were shaken much more severely by 150-dollar-per-barrel oil.

Our economy is currently structured to run on cheap energy, and high energy prices have made the cost of doing business in Ontario unsustainable.

Since the McGuinty Liberals were elected in 2003, Ontario has lost over 300,000 traditional manufacturing jobs.

Many of Ontario’s cities and towns have double-digit unemployment rates as a result.

Our old grey economy is fading fast.

The Green Party is the only political party with a clear and comprehensive vision for building a prosperous green economy that reflects the realities of the 21st century.

And I believe the foundation of that plan begins with a Green Tax Cut.

It’s a simple idea: If you’re someone who lives green, as many already do, you’ll be rewarded with lower taxes.

The Green Tax Cut will be a permanent incentive to go green – it is sustainable stimulus that will spur a wave of job creation in green technologies, products and services, finally placing them on a level playing field.

But the Green Tax Cut is only a start.

We will fight for policies that create jobs today and save money tomorrow.

Imagine a Green Building Program that trains and employs thousands of construction and trades people to make our buildings energy efficient, saving millions of dollars by reducing our dependence on gas, electricity and oil.

We need a capital fund to help everyone in Ontario become energy entrepreneurs by producing clean, green energy to power our homes and businesses.

We need a strong Green voice that says no to tax breaks and corporate bailouts for big businesses producing grey products, but says absolutely yes to creating a level playing field for small businesses and family farms.

These local businesses are the backbone of our economy and create more than two-thirds of all new jobs in Ontario.

We need a government committed to putting in place the supports to help these businesses thrive.

And in so doing my friends, it is clear to me that we’ll also strengthen the bonds that hold our communities together.

Which leads me to my second priority.

By creating a prosperous green economy, rooted in local job-creating businesses and family farms, we can focus on fostering strong, sustainable communities across Ontario.

This means giving our cities and towns the power to control their own economic and planning futures so they can keep our main streets alive.

It means actively promoting buy local campaigns to support local business.

And it means building communities where we can live, work and play.

Far too many Ontarians spend far too much time and money stuck in gridlock, while wishing they had more time for family, friends and community. It’s no wonder frustration boils over on our streets and highways.

It’s time for a strong Green voice to demand better. We need to reinvent our communities so that more of us can work close to home.

We need a government that will invest in green infrastructure, complete streets and public transit. We need to link our urban and rural communities efficiently.

It’s time to empower local communities and citizens to solve their own problems.

Let’s start by once again giving local school boards, parents and teachers the power to shape education in our communities.

In the process, we need to engage and empower our youth by giving them a seat at the table to make the decisions that shape their future.

Let’s provide communities with the support to fully use their diverse cultural assets and natural heritage to attract investment, tourism and jobs.

Communities should expect a partner at the provincial level who will advocate for them.

It is time for the Green Party to be that voice.

Finally, I intend to be steadfast in my commitment to promoting the health and well being of all Ontarians. .

It’s time to focus on preventing illness – not just treating poor health.

The Green Party is the only political party calling for an increase in funding for health promotion.

We will fight to expand the scope of practice for registered nurses, end the privatization of our home care system and invest more in public health.

Even before the eHealth scandal grabbed headlines, the Green Party was calling for transparency and accountability in the management of our health budget.

Because health care represents almost half the provincial budget, we have to get a grip on spending if we have any hope of getting Ontario’s massive deficit under control.

Only the Green Party understands that a penny spent today on illness prevention, means a dollar saved tomorrow in health care costs.

And it doesn’t stop there.

We need to stand up for non-bureaucratic solutions to poverty elimination by providing a basic living allowance for all Ontarians, eliminating the current patchwork of programs that demeans those facing tough times.

Like the Green Party itself, this idea has support on the right and the left, transcending the political divide as it speaks to our higher purpose as responsible citizens.

We need provincial policies that promote healthy water, clean air and safe food. It’s shocking that 1 in 4 children in Ontario now have asthma, and that childhood obesity is reaching epidemic proportions.

It’s time for a strong Green voice to reverse these trends.

We are the only political party advancing sensible solutions like paying farmers for producing ecological goods and services like clean air, soil and water in addition to healthy food.

David Orr probably put it best when he said: “when we heal the earth, we heal ourselves.”

No doubt this is a big policy basket, but it’s crying out for Green leadership.

It’s going to take political will and public engagement, but what it doesn’t require is big government with its bureaucratic approach.

If we make the right choices today, by creating vibrant communities based on a prosperous green economic base that includes all Ontarians, there is no doubt in my mind that healthier lifestyles will result.

This vision – informed by the thousands of GPO members across our great province – is one that I will share at every opportunity.

And it will burn a path straight to the front doors of Queen’s Park!

My friends, it’s time for a truly Green Ontario!

You can rest assured, I will work day and night – with our executive, with our CAs and with you to make this vision a reality.

As we prepare for the next election, together we will set bold fundraising, membership and organization targets to allow us to run the strongest campaign ever.

We are going to run a 1-million dollar campaign in 2011.

We are going to have 107 functioning CAs with credible, enthusiastic and resourced organizations.

That means CAs will receive assistance to ensure we’re united in our message to Ontarians.

In short, we will take a disciplined and fully transparent approach to building our party together.

I’ve committed to being a full-time leader. I’ve committed to putting into place a professional organization that will enable us to efficiently and effectively take our vision to Ontarians.

But I need your help.

I’m asking you today to do three things:

First, tell your family, friends and neighbours why you’re a member of the Green Party and sign them up.

Second, because our party’s message is more relevant than ever and because our voice is needed at Queen’s Park, I’d ask that you donate to the party. I’d ask that you actively approach your contacts and ask them to consider making a donation to help make our vision a reality.

And third, I ask that each of you commit to being fully engaged in your local constituency association. I want each and everyone of us to fully commit to implementing a Community Engagement Program that reaches out to people and makes a positive contribution to our communities so that the Green voice will be heard in every riding in Ontario.

Whether its working with the local BIA, running a buy-local campaign or cleaning up a local park, it is an opportunity for our message to be heard and for new members to join us.

If everyone in this room commits to doing these three things, and takes this challenge back to our ridings across Ontario, I guarantee you that we will be in a position to mount a province-wide campaign like we’ve never seen before.

I look around tonight and see a core group of Green members who are the leaders of our party.

I am privileged and humbled to lead such an incredible group of activists who at the core, believe in a better tomorrow.

Our vision has never been more timely.

Our voice has never been louder.

Being Green has never been so good.

My friends – it’s time for our message to be heard in every corner of our province.

It’s time for us to finally have a voice inside Queen’s Park.

It’s time for the Green Party of Ontario!

Thank you very much!