Frank

It actually originated in the U.S. about 1911 and was in direct response to the sudden expansion of industrial manufacturing sectors whose careless build up was devouring resort and vacation properties favored by the spouses of several corporate executives. The execs were selling their own substantial property holdings to their own Corps. at very profitable rates. A heated argument between a Rockefeller and his wife at a Henry Ford dinner party is quoted as the birth of the term, she was heard to say " I should not have to give up my peaceful green space when you have so many other suitable lands." In support of her argument, another execs. wife arranged a "Tea" and invited other women to join them in forming a coallition to lobby their husbands to "Keep it Green." Just one version of history, several other countries also claim to be the birth place of the "Green Movement" but all are credited between 1935-1940. The German group you refer to were dissatisfied students(is there another type?)and they just used the "Green theme" to garner the support of other students who were actually afraid to directly support an anti-Govt. movement for fear of reprisals in the form of proposed cost increases in education.

OK....do YOU realize that most of our political institutions(including GG) were set up to serve the country and NOT the occupants of said institutions?

Are you serious??? Open your eyes and ears to reality. I would like nothing more than to live in a democratic country, but voting them into office is just about the last say we get in anything unless we threaten to vote 'em out. If our politicians spent as much energy DOING their jobs, as they do on spinning the truth, we might actually have a system that does work effectively. Instead we are inundated with voter friendly sound bites and politicians who masterfully avoid saying anything that they may be held accountable for. I would prefer a government full of skirt chasing, booze hounds that tell it like it is, rather than our current crop of pretenders who talk about what the people want only to prove time and again that they have no idea what we want or need.

If you believe the GG is a "non partisan" representation of anything, then you have bought into the lie. As for being represented by the members of any house, it is obvious to most Canadians, that we only get actual representation during or leading into an election, and by all means, someone prove me wrong.

The GG has never been taken seriously as a political power by anyone on the inside, it is and has always been a media friendly deflection for the PM's office. No matter how our senators are appointed, they really serve no useful purpose except to support their patrons agendas. Our link to the Britsh crown has been nothing more than symbolic for a very long time and maybe its time to do away with much of our symbolism in favor of effective actual powers in the house. Maybe I'm a little jaded after 39yrs of watching our system fail us time and time again, but I still believe effective, responsible government is possible. I just don't see it happening as long as we keep electing politicians who spend more time avoiding work and spewing the party line rather than supporting their communities,provinces and country. Back channel deals and patronage are the norm because we allow our politicians to get away with it. The whole system is a JOKE, and I don't like the punch line.

Well I guess I picked a good time to join this forum... As we can see, too many people in this great country of ours are more concerned with their own slice of the pie. Our Senate is a joke thru and thru, they offer no sober second thought as mentioned earlier, they only do as they are told by the patron that put them there. Any notion to the contrary is simply naive. While I find the notion of Canada breaking up, thoroughly disgusting, I do understand the frustration behind such exclamations. Bottom line here is we need to find a way to make our politicians do as they are told. Too often, we see idealist young politicos enter the arena with the best intentions only to be stonewalled or crushed at every turn by the "old-boy" network of "what's in it for me" veterans who have lost their way. Is it possible to find a balance between Corporate politics and Social politics? ABSOLUTLEY!!! At every opportunity, we as Canadians must remind OUR elected officials that we voted for them in order to further the growth of our communities,provinces AND the country as a whole. While I am a born and raised Ontarian, I am first and foremost a CANADIAN. If anyone thinks that a true Canuck would stand by and see Canada broken up or become a collection of northern U.S. states...then they are talking to nobody I know or want to know. Get on the phone,emails or just write an old-fashioned letter to your town council, MPP and MP. Let them know that you love your country,warts and all. If they are not willing to stand up to this "politi-coup" BS, then let them know you are willing to go to great lengths to end their political careers, after all, it takes nothing more than time and dedication to visit your neighbours ahead of or right behind a campaign worker. All that aside, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A CHANGE, THAN NEXT TIME WE DO HAVE AN ELECTION... GET OFF YOUR LAZY TV WATCHING ASSES AND VOTE!!!! I am truly amazed at the number of Canadians who offer opinions on government and yet fail to show up at the polls. SHAME ON YOU!