The Green Party of Canada's local riding association held its annual general meeting at the Orangeville Library on December 1. Party Members came together to review the progress of the local electoral district association board, elect the new board for 2008, and discuss plans for the future.

The Dufferin-Caledon Federal Green Party Association board elected for 2008 are as follows: Ian McGugan, CEO; Mike Braun, Financial Agent; Wendy Morley, Communications Chair; Allison Rees-Middleton, Membership Chair; Robert Sevigny, Fundraising Chair; and Ted Alexander as Web Master. Positions of Organizing Chair and Youth Chair remain open.

The board will fill all open positions as soon as possible.

The 2008 board will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, January 23 at 7:00 pm at 78 Centennial Road, Unit 11 in Orangeville.

Plans for the next federal Green campaign are under way. Local Green candidate Ard Van Leeuwen is a business owner in the software industry and resides in Caledon. He has been busy since his nomination last spring building his profile and speaking at local events.

Mr. Van Leeuwen described for the members in some detail his approach to the campaign and asked for input. He also covered the current status of signage and other campaign materials.

Ian McGugan, CEO, addressed the success of the Green campaign in the October provincial election and the excellent welcome that party canvassers encountered at the door.

He indicated the need for a campaign manager for the next election.

The Green Party is polling in third place nationally, recently passing the NDP. With the party's ever-expanding numbers and membership trend, Canadian public pressure is mounting on the television owners' consortium to open the debate to federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May. The party is working hard to get May into the next federal leaders' TV debate, and has a petition under way.

All key federal issues for the party are addressed in the newly released Vision Green program - a plan for "Parliamentary Climate Change." Vision Green presents leadingedge thinking and rational, realistic solutions for all concerns facing Canadians. It was developed by a 31-member Green shadow cabinet and is informed by experts, activists and citizens who participated in policy workshops held across Canada. All the proposals are based on policies approved by the membership of the Green Party. More information can be found at www. greenparty. ca and ardv.ca.