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Leader: Name
not available.
Web
Site: http://www.geocities.com/graypartycanada/index
Platform: Not
posted on party web site.
Candidates: None
listed on party web site.
Party
Description: The
Grey Party was founded by 78 year old Jim Webb
of New Brunswick. The Grey Party web site states
that the Grey Party is not a one-issue (health
care) party. However, the web site lists no
issues other than health care. It states:
"Grey
Party members across Canada are united on
the Health Care issue and will not stand
for American style health care.
Seniors
who are retiring from the work place, now are
feeling the full effect of the loss of their
work place health benefit plans.
The
high cost of drugs and other required needs are
now being paid fully out of their pockets and
when it come to making a decision between food
or medication, food wins out. Thus placing their
health condition on the back burner and compounding
their health problem."
On May 13,
2003, the
CBC described the Grey Party's New Brunswick
provincial election campaign as "a one-man
campaign to bring seniors' issues to the political
mainstream." It reported that Jim Webb was "...a
former organizer of New Brunswick's short-lived
Confederation of Regions Party, which was elected
to the Opposition during the mid 1990s for one
term on the basis of its populist, anti-bilingual
sentiment." In the New Brunswick election
of 2003, the Grey Party platform included proposals
to cut provincial taxes in half for seniors, and
to provide free medication for couples whose income
is $30,000 or less annually.
Given the total
lack of information concerning members, candidates,
and policies other than anti-"American-style" health
care, it seems reasonably safe to conclude that,
at least federally, the Grey Party is a one-issue
party: it wants a government monopoly on health
care and free or subsidized medicine. In the 2003
New Brunswick provincial election, the party nominated
11 candidates in the province's 58 ridings. So
far, it does not appear that the party will be
fielding a slate of candidates in this federal
election.
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