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Contacts for the attached press release are at end of message. ------------------------------- Green Party of Canada For Immediate Release November 5, 2000 GREEN CANDIDATE PUSHING FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK IN HALIFAX Local members of the Green Party are running a candidate in Halifax, the riding currently held by the national leader of the NDP. Michael Oddy, 42, a teacher at Sir John A. MacDonald high school, will push for a four-day work week, changes to the electoral system, ecologically-sound job creation, and shifting taxes off of hard-working people and onto hard-polluting industry. Oddy said he's alarmed at the tired, old debate going on between the big mainstream parties. "There were more than 20,000 eligible voters in the Halifax riding alone who did not vote in the last federal election. There is something wrong with that. We need to fix it," said Oddy. Oddy said young people are disillusioned with an electoral system dominated by corporate funding, and saddled with an obsolete 18th century voting method of first-past-the-post. "You can see it in the classrooms. The kids' eyes glaze over when you start talking about politics and how our country makes laws," said Oddy, who teaches social studies, law, and woodworking. "I'm fed up with big parties, big money and big campaigns. And I'm not alone. Part of this campaign is to try to do what Ralph Nader is doing -- rejuvenate democracy. Politics needs to be meaningful and purposeful." This is Oddy's first time running for political office. Between 1993 and 1996 he was a political action officer for the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, helping coordinate strikes opposing the Harris government. He and his partner Linda and their two goats -- Vlada and Nellie Bly -- have lived in the Hubbards area for the last three years. At work he is a volunteer union rep with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union. For the last year he and his colleagues have been studying how a four-day school week could enhance quality- of-life, save the environment and cut costs -- all in one shot. "A three-day weekend every week is not only good for you, it is good for the environment. It means less commuting, less energy consumption, less greenhouse gas emissions." Oddy fully supports the national platform of the Green Party of Canada (www.green.ca). More than 100 candidates are running nationally this year for the Greens. Internationally Greens hold government posts in Germany, Mexico, France, New Zealand and Norway. -30- For more information please call: Michael Oddy, Green candidate for Halifax 857-2058 (h.) 876-7203 during school hours (leave a message with secretary and he will return your call) Stephen Myrden, campaign manager 431-7636 -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- The preceding message was posted on the Sustainable Maritimes mailing list (sust-mar). http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/lists/sust-mar -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Volunteer moderator: Paul Falvo mailto:sust-mar-owner@chebucto.ns.ca To submit a message to sust-mar, please send it to: mailto:sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca PLEASE SEND MESSAGES TO SUST-MAR IN PLAIN TEXT ONLY MESSAGES CONTAINING HTML (MIME) CANNOT BE POSTED
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