Elizabeth May: She joins the debates or I don't pay for this election.

Greens can't participate in leaders' debates, networks rule - CBC

Networks exclude Elizabeth May from TV debates - CTV

May excluded from TV debates - Canoe.ca

Greens out of leaders debate - National Post

You get the point. The "consortium" that televises the Canadian election debates decided not to allow Elizabeth May to participate in those debates - mainly because at least one, possibly three, of the other parties said they would not participate if she was included. They say she's not a "real leader". They say she's representative of a "single issue party", that she's an "environment minister" and not a leader. They say she's a "second Liberal candidate" and doesn't deserve to be there.

Hmm.

Is Gilles Duceppe a "real leader" of a national party, or is he simply a "foreign affairs minister" of a single issue party?

Was Preston Manning a "second Conservative candidate" or was he the leader of a separate party on the same side of the political spectrum as the Conservatives?

Funny how they shut up when you show them their hypocrisy. Tell me this:

Since when do the leaders of the other parties get to decide who is a party leader worthy of debate?

Since when do the leaders of the other parties get to whine that if the game isn't played their way, then they won't play at all?

Since when do our broadcasting companies bow to the whims of our political parties instead of what the people want to see?

Ugh. I know, I know. All of those questions are rhetorical. I know exactly why this happened and who decided to whine and pander.

And I'm tired of it. And you should be too.

For too long we've allowed our political parties to take their free trips to Ottawa just to play their games and snipe at each other across the floor. We've watched as government after government did whatever they wanted and the Canadian people went, "Hey! You shouldn't do that!" and then went back to watching Hockey Night in Canada. For too long we've allowed our politicians to make their arrogant statements about "what the Canadian people want" when we truly don't want what they're offering at all.

And I'm sick of it.

I am a Canadian. I am footing the bill for this election. Therefore, as the one paying for this show, I am turning the tables.

I demand that Elizabeth May participate in this debate and that Stephen Harper, Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe quit whining, put their glad rags on, slap a smile on their faces and show up to show Canadians how they'll handle the running of our country and discuss important issues with all of our party leaders. Should these party "leaders" refuse to participate? I REFUSE TO PAY. I will deduct my share of the costs of this election off my tax payments.

I guess I'm just playing your game, boys. If I can't have an election that's run transparently, freely and fairly, without partisan bullshit and pressure tactics, then I don't want to play. And since this election is technically illegal, who knows? Maybe no taxpayers are going to have to pay for it at all. Maybe Stephen Harper will be arrested for breaking his own law and forced to pay restitution to the Canadian people.

Sigh. A girl can dream.