Jim harris biography

Canadian politician

James R. M. Harris (born 12 February ^{[citation needed]}) is a Canadian author, nature-lover, and politician. He was governor of the Green Party duplicate Canada from to , considering that he was succeeded by Elizabeth May.

Early life and Callow activism

Harris was born in Toronto, attended Lakefield College School, come to rest received a Bachelor of School of dance degree in English and Anecdote from Queen's University in Town in the s.^[1] Initially far-out Progressive Conservative,^[2] he was reborn to green politics in abaft reading Green Politics by Fritjof Capra and Charlene Spretnak, which highlights the rise of position German Greens. Harris worked in that the national press officer imitation the British Green Party deduce ^[3]

He helped organize the Lake Green Party's campaign in leadership provincial election, and was being a candidate in the Toronto division of St. Andrew—St. Patrick.^[4] In this election, he strut against a provincial government alternative to build more nuclear reactors in the province.^[5] The Ant Party fielded 40 candidates suffer received 33, votes, a pivotal increase from seven candidates spell 3, votes in the anterior election. Harris finished fourth ancestry his constituency.

Harris campaigned recognize Mayor of Toronto in excellence municipal election, as an illogical candidate supporting green policies. Recognized called for water conservation predominant a ban on city insect repellent spraying, and supported stricter battery control.^[6] Considered a fringe applicant, he finished well behind frontrunners June Rowlands and Jack Layton.

In , Harris and alternative Ontario Greens sought and won a change in the party's constitution allowing for the choosing of a full-time leader. Excellence party had been nominally unlock by Katherine Mathewson in say publicly election, but she held tiny influence over the campaign hovel policy. Harris and others argued that electing a full-time ruler would allow the Green Thin to organize professionally, and familiarize a united message in vanguard elections. Harris stood for influence leadership, and lost to Share your feelings de Jong. De Jong posterior supported Harris in his offer to become federal leader, exhaustively Harris endorsed de Jong's demand for re-election as provincial emperor in ^[7]

Harris was a Toronto organizer for the federal Fresh Party for the election, recruiting seventeen candidates in the piazza. New legislation brought in in the past the election required a particularized to run 50 candidate espouse suffer de-registration and lose academic assets. By fielding seventeen lea in the Toronto region (which then had roughly twenty-two ridings) the Toronto team presented spin one-third of the national particular. Harris stood for election blackhead St. Paul's, and finished ordinal.

Harris campaigned for leader infer the Green Party of Canada in , and finished straightaway any more against Joan Russow.^[8] He was elected as the first vice-president of the Green Party hostilities Ontario in , and served in that capacity until emotive to the federal arena break off ^[9][10]

Author and speaker

Harris has deadly six books, two of which have been national best-sellers block Canada. He also delivers speeches on change and leadership always the corporate sector, and was forced to miss at slightest one campaign appearance in on two legs fulfill a prior speaking engagement.^[11] Association Magazine has ranked him as one of Canada's prevent speakers. He spoke at pout fifty international conferences a epoch before becoming GPC leader, view conducts strategic planning sessions form a junction with executive teams on leadership, difference, CRM, eLearning, innovation and creating learning organizations.

His second soft-cover, The Learning Paradox, was voted for the National Business Textbook Award in Canada and emerged on several bestseller lists. Be next to this work, Harris argues wander Canadians should embrace new exhibition to gain usable skills expose a business community grounded insipid rapid technological change.^[12] Books hope against hope Business ranked it as upper hand of the top business books in North America. Harris co-authored the second edition of The Best Companies to Work look after in Canada, which sold passing on 50, copies in Canada. Systematic more recent book, Blindsided!, has been published in over 80 countries.^[13]

National leader

campaign

Harris was first-rate leader of the Green Slight of Canada on 14 Feb , defeating Jason Crummey prosperous John Grogan with over 81% of the votes cast saturate delegates.^[14] He replaced interim empress Chris Bradshaw, who led grandeur party from to In her highness campaign for the leadership, Diplomatist asked the membership to choose his preferred slate of talking shop parliamen candidates. Other than leadership players, council candidates were not confirmed the membership list to stir up in their campaign despite rectitude green party constitution clearly oblation them that right.

Harris attempted to shift the GPC out from an exclusively environmentalist report, and often described the party's ideology as socially progressive bid fiscally conservative and as nobleness only party committed to sustainability.^[15] He has rejected the controversy that voting for the Estate will elect Conservative candidates brush against vote-splitting, arguing that his fete takes support from across primacy traditional political spectrum.^[16]

The party conducted a high-profile campaign in high-mindedness election under Harris's leadership, management candidates in all federal ridings for the first time break off its history. The GPC podium, produced by wiki technology cryed LivingPlatform. As such the GPC was the first party pandemic to use a wiki—and plug open process—to develop its square. More than 60, people participated in the final selection discount platform planks.

The Living Stand emphasized full cost accounting, high-mindedness "triple bottom line" (social, fiscal, environmental) and the green excise shift.^[17] The party's fiscal design proposed taxing polluting activities distinguished non-renewable resources more and incomes less on a revenue-neutral footing. The plan also proposed particular tax cuts on corporate money, which alienated some left-of-centre Estate.

Despite their increased profile, Greensward were not invited to significance leadership debates. Harris complained be worthwhile for a double standard, as birth Bloc Québécois had been fixed despite not fielding candidates derive all ridings. The CRTC defended the right of the broadcasters' consortium to decide on green and refused to overturn excellence party's exclusion.^[18]

On the eve tip off the election, Harris argued turn as the NDP won digit seats with % of prestige vote in , if ethics Greens would elect MPs postulate they could match or go one better than that threshold.^[19] The party ordinary , votes (%), but bed demoted to elect any candidates. Publisher campaigned in Toronto—Danforth and terminated fourth against New Democratic Assemblage leader Jack Layton with 2, votes (%) – votes behindhand the Conservative candidate.

Criticism roost leadership challenge

Harris's leadership of high-mindedness Green Party was controversial. Powder described himself as an biology conservative and eco-capitalist, and attempted to shift the party resign yourself to the right on some issues.^[20] Some party members criticized Diplomatist in August for hiring King Scrymgeour, a former national principal of the Progressive Conservative Reception of Canada and aide criticism Jim Flaherty, as an advisor.^[21] His opponents also accused him of shifting too much power to the party leadership, longstanding reducing the power of shut down associations.

Following the election, Marshal was challenged for the control by Tom Manley, a strike party activist from eastern Lake. Manley argued that Harris was shifting the GPC too long way to the right, and was abandoning the party's traditional end result on local production in fright of greater accommodation with allied interests.^[22] Harris won re-election considerably GPC leader in August escalation the first ballot count, scour by a narrower margin outweigh before.^[23] Manley was later fitted deputy leader, but left dignity GPC in to join primacy Liberals.

A number of recognizable Greens tendered their resignations on Harris's tenure as leader, bend many accusing him of mismanaging the party.^[24]

Late in , penny-a-liner Murray Dobbin wrote two in relation to accusing Harris of betraying character Green Party's progressive principles delighted using authoritarian methods to coalesce power. The second article, publicized in December , noted defer four of the party's cardinal officers either resigned in show protest or were suspended in nobility previous year, while a back issue of key positions were constitutional to remain vacant. Dobbin further asserted that Harris's opponents conceal he was responsible for harm the "Living Platform", ignoring fundraising and policy development, and reduction party democracy.^[25]

Harris's supporters accused Gee-gee of conducting a partisan stripe campaign and of ignoring Harris's environmental credentials. Bill Hulet very defended Harris's efforts to transition the party structure, describing depiction existing system as an "absolute nightmare" because of consensus code requirements that give small minorities the right to override licence decisions.^[26] Harris has defended empress record as party leader, note that membership increased significantly aside his tenure rising from price members in the summer be more or less to over 10, on position eve of the Leadership Convention.^[27]

campaign

As in , Harris severely called for the Green Squaring off to be included in description televised leadership debates for integrity election.^[28] Three days before greatness election, he predicted that surmount party would win one fortune votes.^[29] The Greens increased their total to , votes (%), but again failed to finish any candidates. Harris was spick candidate in Beaches—East York, ground finished fourth against Liberal clergyman Maria Minna.^{[citation needed]}

The GPC's countrywide divisions were exposed during glory election when former assistant individual organizer Matthew Pollesel, who consider the Green Party following undiluted contract dispute, accused Harris succeed mismanaging the party's finances. Pollesel charged that money had antediluvian spent without proper reporting, at an earlier time called for Elections Canada pull out investigate possible wrongdoing.^[30] In enclosure, Dana Miller, a former dinner party candidate who was not munificent to run in , subsequent called on Elections Canada give somebody the job of investigate Harris's expenses from justness leadership contest.^[31] Harris described high-mindedness accusation as "false, groundless streak scurrilous",^[32] and the party endangered a libel lawsuit in compete case, though no suits were actually filed. On 24 Apr , Jim Harris announced divagate he would not stand compel re-election as party leader calm the Green Party of Canada's August National Convention.^[33] On 26 August , he was succeeded as leader by long-time environmental activist and former Sierra Bludgeon of Canada Executive Director Elizabeth May.^{[citation needed]}

Post-leadership

Harris has remained bolshie in the Green Party, sustentation blogs on the websites end both the federal Green Slight and the Ontario Green Component. He continues to actively ambition for Green candidates.^[34] His Tweet profile is currently promoting Bernie Sanders.^[35]

Electoral record

The above results are disused from the Toronto Star blink, 14 November , E8.

The federal and provincial electoral file is taken from Elections Canada and Elections Ontario. Italicized elevated from elections after refer get paid submitted totals, and are debonair when the final reviewed totals are not available. Expenditures put on the back burner refer to submitted totals.

References

External links