Digital Copyright Canada

I have obtained permission to publish the full version of the Green Party of Canada candidate briefing on Copyright (PDF, OpenDocument). It is not intended to convey official party policy or a component of the platform, but inform candidates on an election issue.

(Also posted on p2pnet) A close friend of mine was hired to be part of the team at the National Office of the Green Party of Canada (204-396 Cooper St. in downtown Ottawa). He offered to give me a tour of the office as I was already going to be downtown.

By an interesting coincidence one of those new-media 'oops' events happened relating to a threat being sent from John Bennett, Director of Communications, to a blogger.

The by-elections are now being extended into a general election. As of the dissolving of this parliament the seat standing was as follows:

Conservatives 127
Liberal 95
Bloc 48
NDP 30
Green 1
Independent 3
Vacant 4.

I posted to p2pnet some thoughts of my email interview with Dan Grice, the Green Party of Canada candidate for the riding of Vancouver Quadra.

Update: Dan Grice seems to have added additional comments to that article, which are worth a read.

Last Saturday, independent MP Blair Wilson announced that he will be sitting as a member of the Green Party of Canada. This is historic as it is the first Green Party member in a federal legislature in one of those few countries still using the First Past the Post voting system.

The Green Party will be taken more seriously because they have as many seats as the Reform party did prior to the 1993 election. Prior to that election their only sitting member was Deborah Grey who won in a 1989 by-election. During this election the Reform party won 52 seats.

With this in mind, people have been asking to hear more about their positions on copyright and related issues.

Read the rest of this entry on IT World Canada's blog »

Blair Wilson of B.C.'s West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding crosses the floor to join the Green Party. Green Party press release

"Today we make history," said Ms. May. "I am grateful for Mr. Wilson's principled belief that the Green Party deserves a voice in Parliament and for his firm commitment to democracy. With a Green MP sitting in the House of Commons, it will now be impossible to exclude the Green Party from the televised leaders' debates in the next election."

Other reports: CTV, CBC

Julien Lamarche is a candidate to nominations for the Green Party of Canada in Ottawa-Vanier, and posted some information on his candidacy.

I have known Julien for many years. He's someone that has a technical background, and has spent time thinking about how governments regulate technology as well as how technology regulates our lives. Techies in this riding should help him get these issues onto the agenda during the upcoming federal election.

The consensus seems to be that an election will be happening soon, with three confidence issues soon: crime (c-2 ultimatum to Senate), budget, and Afghanistan (motion to yet again extend combat mission).

A linux.com article by Bruce Byfield discusses the inclusion of FLOSS and Net Neutrality in the platform of the Green Party of Canada.

Rafael Ruffolo writes an article for ComputerWorld Canada discussing the recent support for Network Neutrality in the Green Party of Canada's Vision Green policy document.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May unveiled the party's Vision Green policy document.

There is a section on Open source computer software. Network Neutrality is mentioned under Supporting the free flow of information. The excessively long term of patent protection for drugs is mentioned under Healthier people – healthier health care. While they did not mention the PCT implications, they did discuss the Security and Prosperity Partnership for North America.