Andrew Basham
Encyclopedia
Andrew Basham is an activist and politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He was the leader of the Green Party of Manitoba
from 2006 to 2008, and ran against premier
Gary Doer
in the 2007 provincial election
. He has also campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
as a candidate of the Green Party of Canada
.
, and finished fourth in the riding of Charleswood—St. James. He enrolled as an Environmental Studies
student at the University of Winnipeg
following the election, and became a coordinator for the group SUNSET (Sustainable University Now, Sustainable Earth Tomorrow). In the latter position, he sought resources to conduct a campus-wide survey on criteria such as land, energy, air and health, but the University refused to provide the funding, and instead offered to develop a "Sustainability Task Force". He served on the university's Sustainability Taskforce for the 2005-06 year.
for the party's August 2006 newsletter. He was chosen as GPM leader in November 2006, defeating rival candidate David Carey. He has identified Lake Winnipeg
, urban sprawl
and climate change
as his party's key priorities. His mother, Ardythe Basham, was party president prior to the 2006 convention.
Basham led his party into the 2007 provincial election
. He called for a provincial ban on cosmetic pesticides, and the introduction of a four-day work week. He also promised 1,500 subsidized housing units, and tax incentives for companies that sell organic foods. The Greens fielded fifteen candidates, none of whom were elected. Basham himself ran against New Democratic Party
leader and Premier of Manitoba
Gary Doer, and finished fourth.
He sought re-election to the party leadership in 2008, and was defeated by James Beddome
.
.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was the leader of the Green Party of Manitoba
Green Party of Manitoba
The Green Party of Manitoba is a provincial political party in Manitoba, Canada, founded on November 11, 1998. The party is legally autonomous from the Green Party of Canada, though for several years many of its members also belonged to the Green Party of Canada in Manitoba, a federal...
from 2006 to 2008, and ran against premier
Premier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
Gary Doer
Gary Doer
Gary Albert Doer, OM is a Canadian diplomat and politician from Manitoba, Canada. Since October 19, 2009, he has served as Canada's Ambassador to the United States...
in the 2007 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 2007
The Manitoba general election held on May 22, 2007 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 36 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with nineteen seats. The Liberal...
. He has also campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as a candidate of the Green Party of Canada
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
.
First campaign and university career
Basham ran for the Green Party in the 2004 federal electionCanadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, and finished fourth in the riding of Charleswood—St. James. He enrolled as an Environmental Studies
Environmental studies
Environmental studies is the academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. It is a broad interdisciplinary field of study that includes the natural environment, built environment, and the sets of relationships between them...
student at the University of Winnipeg
University of Winnipeg
The University of Winnipeg is a public university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and theology as well as graduate programs. The U of W's founding colleges were Manitoba College and Wesley College, which merged...
following the election, and became a coordinator for the group SUNSET (Sustainable University Now, Sustainable Earth Tomorrow). In the latter position, he sought resources to conduct a campus-wide survey on criteria such as land, energy, air and health, but the University refused to provide the funding, and instead offered to develop a "Sustainability Task Force". He served on the university's Sustainability Taskforce for the 2005-06 year.
Green Party leader
Basham was a member of the Green Party of Manitoba executive prior to his election as party leader, and wrote an essay in support of proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
for the party's August 2006 newsletter. He was chosen as GPM leader in November 2006, defeating rival candidate David Carey. He has identified Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
, urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
as his party's key priorities. His mother, Ardythe Basham, was party president prior to the 2006 convention.
Basham led his party into the 2007 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 2007
The Manitoba general election held on May 22, 2007 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 36 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with nineteen seats. The Liberal...
. He called for a provincial ban on cosmetic pesticides, and the introduction of a four-day work week. He also promised 1,500 subsidized housing units, and tax incentives for companies that sell organic foods. The Greens fielded fifteen candidates, none of whom were elected. Basham himself ran against New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
leader and Premier of Manitoba
Premier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
Gary Doer, and finished fourth.
He sought re-election to the party leadership in 2008, and was defeated by James Beddome
James Beddome
James Robert Beddome is a Canadian politician, and the current leader of the Green Party of Manitoba.-Early life and career:Beddome was born in Brandon, Manitoba, and was raised on a livestock farm north of Rapid City...
.
Electoral record
All electoral information is taken from Elections CanadaElections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
.