by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Claude William Genest

Age: 42

Occupation: Green Party candidate

Bio: Once upon a time this jolly Green giant of the environmental scene and Old Montreal resident had one of the best jobs ever, travelling the globe in style as a host of TV’s Travel,Travel program. Now running for the Greens in the Jeanne-Le Ber riding, aka the Verdun/Pointe St-Charles beat, Claude says he was moved to throw his hat into the political arena after contemplating the global environmental mess we find ourselves in and wondering when he’d ever “see people stand up for these issues and speak out. And then one day it just occurred to me that maybe I’m one of those people. You know, the environment isn’t just about some nice little patch of woods someplace where we can go admire fuzzy woodland creatures and hug trees. It’s literally our life-support system. And it’s amazing to me personally, as educated as we all are, that this link isn’t made more often. It’s painfully obvious that the environment isn’t just some sub-sect of the economy, it’s, in fact, the opposite. The economy—and the entirety of our well-being—rests on the environment. It’s obvious.” He drives a spanking new Toyota Prius.

On a Green economy: “Our policy comes straight from the Greens in Germany. It’s this notion of eco-taxes. For example, lower income taxes but raise taxes for polluters, have them pay. By introducing these polluter-pays mechanisms, you’re making it simple for them to do the right thing because it becomes a bottom-line decision. If it’s more costly to pollute than not to, then you’ll choose the most profitable thing to do. Besides, if you look at the full ecological costs of production, it’s extremely lucrative to move towards green technologies and solutions.”

Economy? Whatever. One totally awesome reason to root for the Greens: Because they strongly support not just decriminalization, but the full legalization of reefer.

Another thing they’re pretty big on: Strengthening animal welfare legislation.

What he feels might be people’s main hesitation to voting Green: “Our polls tell us we’re the second choice of 40 per cent of Canadians, so their primary hesitation, I believe, is that they want to vote strategically.”

The official reason why the Greens, currently running at roughly seven per cent in the polls, weren’t invited to the leaders debates: Because they’ve yet to elect a member to Parliament.

Something they’re pushing: Proportional representation.

Instead of intruding onto NDP turf, why not move towards a united left? “Because people come to us from every political colour. And we don’t see ourselves as traditionally left.”

Why, if you’re so disposed, you shouldn’t worry about wasting your vote on them: Because every vote is worth $1.75 a year in federal funding, and enough $1.75s can equal a fair amount of money, and, just in case you haven’t heard, money is power, baby!

Where he hangs: Barmacie Baldwin on Laurier W.

Last book read: Natural Capitalism, by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins.

Musical preferences: Johnny Cash, the Strokes.

Words of wisdom: “The same thinking that created the problem could never find the solution.”

Comments? dimwit@hdot.net