By Thomas Lepper
At 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 24 there was a meet and greet hosted by UNB’s very own Young Greens student organization. The meet took place at the Harriet Irving Library in Milliam room 100. The Young Greens were founded by Sociology student Arnab Taranga, who also co-founded Heart to Heart – a Partnership program between @isaounb & @unbmwc to educate & bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students – here on campus. The meet and greet was an opportunity for students, and the public, to meet the co-leader of the Green Party of Canada, Jonathan Pedneault. Also at the meeting was Green Party candidate for Fredericton North, Anthea Plummer, as well as the Green Party Candidate for the Federal election, Pam Allen Leblanc.
During the meet and greet there one topic became the focus of the conversation: the current political landscape of the United States of America. This was a topic so prevalent Anthea Plummer noted that even children are discussing it on the playground. “My own daughter and other students at her school actively talk about Trump’s actions and [his] threats,” she stated.
When I asked if the children appeared scared, she responded, “yes and it is our job as parents to talk to them about these concerns.”
Later, Pam Allen Leblanc talked about the job situation in America. She stated, “many Amerians have now lost their jobs, and it is unfortunate that people are losing their jobs. It is what they voted for.” Leblanc continued to discuss how many people, even the ones who voted for Donald Trump, have lost their jobs to cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or more colloquially known as DOGE.
The conversation continued to stay on the topic of the USA, shifting to Donald Trump’s promises to annex both Canada and Greenland. I asked Jonathan Pedneault, “do you believe America will try and take over Canada by force?” To which Pedneault responded, “yes, I do believe America will try and take over Canada. It is hard though to hold a nation against their own will, we have seen with Vietnam, Iraq and many examples over the world and history.”
He then continued, “in every instance of conflict and especially during the pandemic, while we saw the worst in humanity we also saw the best in it. People checking up on their neighbors, giving food to the elderly, that is what I know will last.”
While I originally wanted to see the party platform of the Green Party and discuss the use of Green energy in the Province, I found it interesting that they all wanted to talk about the USA. Typically, political parties do not typically focus on their neighbors, however the circumstances of our neighbour to the south certainly warranted some discussion. So while the topic was certainly a surprise, I was relieved by the frank discussion I had with the Green Party members. I believe it showed they are in touch with the issues the people of New Brunswick, and by extension, Canada, are concerned about.
