Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May says she "wouldn't have ever said and didn't say" that "Canadians are stupid" during a Feb., 2007 appearance on the Agenda with Steve Paikin.
In an interview with Steve that will air tonight on TVO at 8 p.m., and is available online at the bottom of this blog post, she also blames both her tendency to talk too fast and a faulty microphone for the perception that she said she "fundamentally agrees with that assessment (that Canadians are stupid)." In fact, May tells Steve that her words were that she "fundamentally disagrees with that assessment".
She says she would "swear on a stack of bibles" those were her words and argues that if she had claimed Canadians were stupid, her fellow guests on the show and the live audience would have reacted negatively, but did not.
She also says she has a "lifetime record" of public statements and writings extolling the intelligence of the Canadian voting public.
The controversy surrounding her alleged remarks is summarized in this earlier blog posting.
In tonight's interview, May also says she does not intend to dismiss Green Party communications director John Bennett, who today apologized for threatening a blogger with a lawsuit for posting May's earlier comments online.
Here is Steve Paikin's interview with Elizabeth May, in its entirety:
Canadian politics? Press coverage of every snide remark over & over again? WHERE ARE THE ISSUES? How many more choices of Parties are we going to have to listen to their self serving babble? At the current clutter on the National scene we will never again have a majority government in power. Maybe that is good? Lets have MORE fringe Parties. Oh if we only had more VOTERS.
posted by opinions/dialogue on 12 September 2008 at 10:15 PM
I have listened to Ms. May's tape three times now, and watched the footage from the interview in question. All three times I heard Ms. May call Canadians stupid! Her explanation is ludicrous. 'The mike got moved', 'she turned just the wrong way', 'she spoke too quickly' and that's what made her say that Canadians are stupid!!! She must really believe it. Is the crew at TVO so incompetent that they can't accurately record the comments of their guests? I doubt it.
Why Mr. Paikin was so soft on Ms. May is beyond me. If this was any of the other national leaders theirs heads would be rolling. He could have at least defended the integrety of his film crew. Normally I am impressed by Mr. Paikin's work, but this time I'm really disappointed.
When Ms. May started disputing what was on the tape, why wasn't the tape rolled again? It would have then been obvious that she was trying to weasel out of an awkward situation. She should have been called on it.
Ms. May may have wished that she had said that she fundimentally disagreed with the idea that Canadians are stupid, but she didn't. She should stop trying to dodge and weave and take some responsibility for her comments. Canadians deserve better than this from their politicians.
posted by Mojoroad on 13 September 2008 at 12:20 AM
That's exactly how I heard it. I absolutely agree with you. I think it would be better for her to take responsibility for her comment, deal with the flack, and then move on.
posted by AndrewFromNH on 13 September 2008 at 1:46 PM
I too find it incredible, that TVO was duped by this woman. She says that she said "disagree", and that she talks fast and we just couldn't hear the "dis". All you have to do is watch the tape again, and the camera shot is close up to her face, and she does NOT say she Disagrees, she clearly says she "agrees" on the comment that Canadians are stupid. There is no hint of a "dis", no mouth movement that would say so - this woman has LIED flat out, and she should be called on it by the media. You can bet that if Harper was the person in question here, the main stream media would be all over that tape with a fine tooth comb.
I suppose we can now look forward to the media tip-toeing around Ms May, for fear of her having another hissy fit, like she did to get in the debate.
posted by Terry on 13 September 2008 at 6:45 PM
Is that that she is wearing around her neck? Last years Christmas decoration?
posted by flint on 13 September 2008 at 11:58 PM
(imho) i actually heard her chiding politicians who think Canadians are stupid; a very inconvenient reality of truth that is being trampled on by previous comments.
a lot of insecure opponents and their groupies? Harpies perhaps? or NotDPs? and cattiness; wow; she's definitely got them "freaked".
posted by LIVx...(imho) on 14 September 2008 at 4:43 AM
E May has her head in the clouds. The concept that AECL should be considered bad for the Environment is outrageous. Imagine for one moment all the Nuclear plants shutting down in the states and Canada. I need not explain the results on the CO2 Emissions of using any other fuel in such mass. -E May has her head in the clouds. The concept that the UN could have a reconstruction effort without fighting and killing is nieve. -E May has her head in the clouds. To think that a tax on oil would only be passed on to the Tax Payer US. No results. -Harpers simple plan to force industry to change is the simplist and most effective. Industry will raise their rates, but the work will be done to lower Polution, green house gases and fuel use.
posted by Scott. on 16 September 2008 at 1:41 PM
To those of you who can't hear May say, 'they' but instead hear, 'I', may I suggest you change your hearing aid batteries. May will rip Harper apart at the televised debate, which is why he didn't want her there. He is fearful of her and a big coward. Cheers!
posted by understands on 16 September 2008 at 11:46 PM
Rather than arguing over a few words, it is time to move on and listen to what else Elizabeth May; leader of the Green Party of Canada has to say.
Some of the discussion above addresses Green Party issues. Let's look at one important part of the Green Party platform, the environment. Elizabeth May is right on the ball with "now" is the time to change.
Setting vague deadlines in the future for reduction of green house gases is not good enough. Currently our environment is teetering on a balance beam. Our health system is already falling off the balance beam because of environmental and global neglect. Illness in all forms of life (human, animal, plant etc) is present. Each form of life require the essentials of survival; that being shelter, nutrition and water. Without any one of these, life on this earth is not sustainable. In Canada, our "shelter" (environment) has affected the air we breathe, causing varying degrees of illness in many speicies of plant and animal life.
For example, consider the ramifications of air pollution. When air quality is poor, smog advisories are issued, warning those with respiratory illnesses and weakened immune systems to stay indoors. These people cannot open windows and rely on air conditioning. Air conditioning contributes to energy consumption. This is chaotic. Each year adds another layer to our radiating spiral of toxins. How can we sit back and wait to change? Do we have to hit a brick wall head on and then find out we are too late to change?
Another ramification is our economy. Without sound, environmental change, our economy will not flourish. We cannot wait for others countries to catch up. We have to lead the way. There is technology available to eliminate nuclear power. There is technology to enable automobiles without using fossil fuels. Employing workers to meet these needs is far more productive than trying to promise employing the auto industry to create what is detrimental to sustainability. Creating infrastructure that works efficiently is far superior to building more highways.
Technology exists to make these changes. Our education system must be more affordable to enable these changes.
Please, let us be proactive rather than reactive. Listen to what Elizabeth May and the GPC's platform.
posted by liz_1 on 17 September 2008 at 11:55 PM
I couldn't agree more. Besides the obvious lack of reaction by both Paikin and guests to May's comments, the fact that the GPC's entire platform is entrusted to the winning of peoples minds based on they ability to RATIONALIZE the superiourity of Green Policies over others flies in the face of any other conclusion as to what her comments were. That is proof.
Now to really move on and (I hope) properly clarify the comments if liz_1. Eliminating Nuclear is not an option, however, a moretorium on building new large scale nuclear projects is clearly a healthy policy, favoring newer technology combined with less costly small scale projects that have a decentralized distribution system. Less money, less time, greater capcity and more robust given the increase in climate or should I say inclimate related disasters.
I look forward to this elections results, predicting there will be a major Shift in Canadian politics.
posted by Johnstein on 18 September 2008 at 2:55 PM
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Elizabeth May
what Elizabeth May says as all been said before, she is not bringing anything new to the discussion all she does is repeat old news , its like she doesn't know what to say so she usurps other people opinions and fakes them as her own ,except for her idiotic views about global warming wait wait i mean climate change (hahaha) if you believe in such rubbish she as nothing new to add, its the first time in my life that not only i find someones views stupid but i also find her kinda stupid too, how sad for Canadian politics that some one like that can waist our time with her made up unrealistic opinions and total falsehoods.
mike
posted by kjhj on 12 September 2008 at 8:33 PM