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You asked, he answered: Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner tackles your comments

If you watched the televised leadership debates ahead of the June 7 Ontario election, you’ve likely missed out on hearing about a fourth party’s platform – the provincial Green Party.

Before the deadline for Ontarians to head to the polls and cast their vote for the province’s next premier, Yahoo Canada News spoke to Green Party leader Mike Schreiner and asked him your questions about his party, his platform and his competitors.

The Green Party of Ontario, which receives public funding, has heavily criticized the media consortium for excluding the party from televised debates. At the provincial leaders’ debates, Green Party supporters arrived with green tape over their mouths, calling for “fair debates” that give the Green Party an equal opportunity to participate.

Green Party supporters arrived and had green tape on their mouths suggesting they are voiceless at the debate/Getty Images
Green Party supporters arrived and had green tape on their mouths suggesting they are voiceless at the debate/Getty Images

“I think it’s a slap in the face of the people of Ontario and it’s a slap in the face of our democracy,” Schreiner told Yahoo Canada News.

Despite their exclusion in these public forums, Schreiner has used social media to answer questions live as they are asked to his Liberal, NDP and Progressive Conservative competitors on television.

The provincial Green Party’s platform outlines their commitment to creating jobs in the clean economy and its plans to cancel the current Liberal government’s “unFair” Hydro plan for low cost water power. Schreiner also promises to invest $4.1 million in mental health services and will lower payroll taxes for local businesses and nonprofits.

With party leader Schreiner at the helm, poll projections currently have the Ontario Green Party sitting around five per cent support.

“The only way we’re going to change the political status quo at Queen’s Park is to vote for a new party, with a new vision and a new way of doing politics,” Schreiner said.