What is

Online citizens campaign started by two youth environmental activists

Started in March 2011 asking Canadians to identify important issues in federal election

National Campaigns: Bill C-10, Election Fraud, Reimagine CBC, Budget 2012, Cooperate for Canada

Now up to 140,000 members

How Did Start?

Nathan Cullen, NDP leadership candidate, running on platform of party cooperation

February 2102: Leadnow asked their community what they thought: 10,000 responded, 95% in favour

What's the Plan?The Liberal, NDP and Green Parties cooperate,

one time, in the next federal election

Run a single candidate against the Conservative incumbent in about 15% of ridings: Ridings where the Conservative won with less than 50% of the vote

Form a progressive majority with a commitment to electoral reform

How to Get There

Ask Canadians to join a political party to vote at key time

Get issue into the mainstream media to generate a conversation and put pressure on the parties

Form cooperation groups on the ground in key ridings

Party Memberships1-2% of Canadians belong to a political party

Those 1-2% make the crucial decisions

Leadnow asked Canadians who are not party members to join the Liberals, NDP or Greens – to elect a pro-cooperation leader, vote on pro-cooperation policy, and push the issue forward in the next three years

Join a Political Party?

Canadians, by a margin of 3-1, think joining a special interest group is a more effective way to work for political change than joining a political party. (Cross, 2004)

Political parties are seen as elitist and corrupt

Advocacy Groups

Advocacy and charitablegroups are seen as more respectable

The admirable, sociallyacceptable way to participate

Tipping the Balance

If only a small number of the Canadians who want cooperation join a political party, we can tip the balance in favour

Cost to Join?

$10

$10

$25 NDP($5 student)

Age to join: 14 years

Result of First Call to Join?

In less than two weeks, 10,000 Canadians joined one of the parties to push cooperation

5000 joined the NDP in time to vote in the NDP leadership race

Nathan Cullen, who started as the darkhorse candidate, finished 3rd. He had the most individual donations, after Tom Mulcair.

Do Voters Really Want the Parties to Cooperate?

YESForum Research March 2012: 60% of Liberals

and NDP in favour of running a single candidate

Harris Decima poll March 2012: 75% of Liberal voters in favour, 58% of NDP voters

Grassroots groups are forming...

Cooperate for Canada KW Event

John Deverell (Liberal) Katherine Acheson (Green), Jamey Heath (NDP) Matthew Carroll (Campaigns Director, Leadnow.ca)

Our local survey in K-WLiberal, NDP and Green voters in KW

Local Activities

Www.citizensforcrosspartycooperation.webs.com

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/We_Want_the_Liberal_NDP_and_Green_Parties_in_KW_to_Cooperate_in_2015/

CBC The National June 13, 2012

Unity candidates against Tories urged by local groups

Three Scenarios to Achieve a Progressive Majority in 2015

1) Parties compete against each other again, each hoping for “The Big Win”

2) Merger

3) One time cooperation to form progressive majority and enact electoral reform

Can Cooperation Actually Work?

If you run a unity candidate, won't voters, especially Liberals, move to the Conservatives?

EKOS poll on second choice preferences:

only 13% of NDP, 12% of Liberals, and 11% of Green voters ranked Conservatives as their second choice.

Liberal, NDP and Green voters have much more in common with each other than they do with the Harper Conservatives

Cooperation in 50-60 Ridings = Different Results

Possibilities....

Ridings need to be picked based on data specific to that riding, including history and local second choice preferences

Run off nomination to elect a candidate to run under:

a) Banner of his/her own party

b) Unity banner (ex. “Liberal-NDP-Green”)

“Short of a good old nuclear scandal, neither the NDP or the Liberals are likely to displace the Conservatives unless they join forces.”

Pollster Frank Graves

“Stephen Harper will be Prime Minister until he feels like retiring unless we cooperate.”

Pat Martin, NDP MP

“Finally, the Liberal party will cement its reputation as the party of denial if it does not have at least one candidate advocating formal cooperation or merger with the NDP.

Paul Wells, Macleans

“I feel like we're on a rescue mission and we have to rescue democracy before it's too late.”

Katherine Acheson, Campaign Manager Green Party of CanadaSpeaking at Cooperate for Canada KW

Let's Make it Happen Together

Www.leadnow.ca/cooperation

www.citizensforcrosspartycooperation.webs.com