View source for Markus Buchart

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Update|inaccurate=y|date=July 2012}}
{{Infobox Politician
| image =
| name = Markus Buchart
| caption =
| birth_date = 
| birth_place = 
| residence = 
| office = Leader of the [[Green Party of Manitoba]]
| term_start = 1999
| term_end = 2005
| predecessor = first leader
| successor = [[Daniel Drimes]]
| party = [[Green Party of Manitoba]]
| religion = 
| occupation = 
}}

'''Markus Buchart''' is a lawyer and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was the first leader of the [[Green Party of Manitoba]], serving from 1999 until his resignation in March 2005.
==Early life and private career==

Buchart has a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree from the [[University of Manitoba]] and a [[Master's Degree]] from [[McGill University]], both in [[Economics]].  He was a provincial civil servant from 1986 to 1992, working for both [[Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba|Progressive Conservative]] and [[New Democratic Party of Manitoba|New Democratic Party]] governments on tax policy, federal-provincial relations and environmental policy.  He left in 1992, disappointed with the government's environmental direction.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/manitobavotes2003/parties/buchart.html Profile: Markus Buchart], Manitoba Votes 2003, ''Canadian Broadcasting Corporation'', accessed 10 November 2006.</ref>  He received a law degree from the University of Manitoba in 1995, and ran an independent law practice for several years before joining the downtown Winnipeg law firm of Tupper & Adams in 2004.<ref>[http://www.winnipeggreenparty.ca/stvital/index.html Markus Buchart: Biography page], Winnipeg Green Party, accessed 10 November 2006.</ref>  His practice consists mainly of civil litigation.<ref>[http://www.fcpp.org/main/publication_detail.php?PubID=1502 Markus Buchart, Former Leader, Green Party of Manitoba: On energy prices and the environment (interview), Frontier Centre for Public Policy, 21 September 2006, accessed 10 November 2006.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705140635/http://www.fcpp.org/main/publication_detail.php?PubID=1502 |date=5 July 2009 }}</ref>  In late 2006, he moved to the firm of Pullan Kammerloch Frohlinger.<ref>Geoff Kirbyson, "Historic law firm leaves downtown", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 22 May 2007, B7.</ref>

Buchart has been active with several environmental, peace and social justice groups, and was an editor and writer for the local environmental quarterly ''Links Magazine'' from 1989 to 1998.  In one 1995 article, he wrote that Manitoba civil servants had been instructed to write environmental laws and regulations so as to ensure that the government would not be held liable for lax enforcement.<ref>Frances Russell, "Tories must regulate hog farms", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 11 October 1995, A12.</ref>  He has repeatedly called for Manitoba to improve its water safety legislation, noting that the provincial Environment Act exempts farmland from its provisions.<ref>"Mba-Water-Legislation", ''Broadcast News'', 1 September 2000, 15:42 report.</ref>  Buchart criticized a water safety bill introduced by [[Steve Ashton]] in 2004, arguing that while it would provide for effective testing, it would not prevent waste-runoff from entering the water system in the first place.<ref>Markus Buchart, Letter to the Editor, 7 February 2004, A15.</ref>  He has also argued that the province ignored its own laws by allowing the City of Winnipeg to spray [[malathion]] against [[mosquito]]es.<ref>Patti Edgar, "City fogging trucks roll again", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 27 July 2004, A1.</ref>

Buchart opposed the True North Entertainment Centre's bid to construct an arena on the site of Winnipeg's old Eaton's building in 2002.  He spearheaded a court challenge against the [[Assiniboine Credit Union]]'s decision to fund the project, describing the initiative as a risky venture for members (including himself).<ref>"Credit union members win right to review loan", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 5 December 2002, A5.</ref>  He later drew attention to the initial transfer of ownership for the Eaton's building, which was permitted on a sworn value of $10 and resulted in the non-payment of a provincial land transfer tax.  Following criticism, the government imposed a transfer tax of $100,000.  The property was valued at five million dollars in a subsequent transfer of ownership.<ref name="William Neville 2003">William Neville, "Greens widen political discourse", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 23 May 2003, A15.</ref>

==Political career==

Buchart describes himself as a "blue-green", and is on the [[eco-capitalist]] wing of Canada's green movement.  He was chosen as the Manitoba Green Party's first leader in 1999, one year after the party's creation.  The Manitoba Greens fielded six candidates in the [[1999 Manitoba general election|1999 provincial election]], and Buchart ran against Progressive Conservative [[Premier of Manitoba|Premier]] [[Gary Filmon]] in the [[Tuxedo (electoral district)|Tuxedo]] constituency.  He declared his support for small business in this election, arguing that small enterprises provide jobs for local economies and cause less pollution than large companies.<ref>Ross Romaniuk, "Vote gives fringe parties platform for their causes", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 3 September 1999, A8.</ref>  He also drew attention to the fact that several municipalities in southeastern Manitoba were donating public tax revenues to political parties, a practice that he strongly criticized.<ref name="William Neville 2003"/>

The Green Party ran fourteen candidates in the [[2003 Manitoba general election|2003 election]], and ran a more visible campaign than in 1999.  Buchart criticized the governing New Democratic Party's stewardship of the environment, and said that his party would amend the provincial Parks Act to provide protection to all parks.<ref>Helen Fallding, "NDP record on wildlands disputed", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 4 May 2003, A2.</ref>  He campaigned in the [[Wolseley (Manitoba electoral district)|Wolseley]] constituency, and received 1,193 votes (19.5%) for a second-place finish against New Democrat [[Rob Altemeyer]].  No other GPM candidate received more than 7% support.  Buchart's leadership was challenged by Nelson Morrison in November 2004, but he handily retained his position.

Buchart resigned as party leader in March 2005, saying that Green Party meetings and committees were being disrupted by a small group of "unruly and ungovernable" radical members.  Six other members of the party executive resigned at the same time.  Buchart argued that his opponents were more interested in "placard-waving protests" than in building a serious political party.<ref>"Buchart resigns as leader of provincial Green Party", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 12 March 2005, A12.</ref>

Buchart announced the creation of the Winnipeg Green Party in May 2006, and campaigned under its banner in the [[2006 Winnipeg municipal election|2006 municipal election]].  The City of Winnipeg does not officially recognize parties, and all municipal Green candidates appeared on the ballot as independents.<ref>[[Bartley Kives]], "Civic Green party to field slate in this fall's vote", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 13 May 2006, B2.</ref>  In addition to promoting environmental goals, the Winnipeg Greens called for [[Video Lottery Terminal]]s to be removed from all bars, restaurants and city-owned casinos.<ref>Buchart compared provincial VLT operations to [[crack house]]s, and said that the government should not support their proliferation.  See {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120709110417/http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Lotteries/LotteryNews/2006/10/24/2115139-sun.html Ross Pomaniuk, "Greens promise they'll work to ban VLTs in 'Peg"]}} , ''Winnipeg Sun'', 24 October 2006, accessed 10 November 2006.</ref>

Buchart supported [[Jim Harris (politician)|Jim Harris]]'s tenure as leader of the federal [[Green Party of Canada|Green Party]], and campaigned for [[David Chernushenko]] to become Harris's successor in 2006.<ref>[http://www.fcpp.org/main/publication_detail.php?PubID=1502 Markus Buchart, Former Leader, Green Party of Manitoba: On energy prices and the environment (interview)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705140635/http://www.fcpp.org/main/publication_detail.php?PubID=1502 |date=2009-07-05 }}, Frontier Centre for Public Policy, 21 September 2006, accessed 10 November 2006.</ref> Buchart is the personal lawyer of ex-Mayor candidate Alex "Creampuff boy" Reid. 

==Electoral record==

{{2006 Winnipeg municipal election/City Councillor, St. Vital Ward}}

{{2003 Manitoba general election/Wolseley}}

{{1999 Manitoba general election/Tuxedo}}

All electoral information is taken from [[Elections Manitoba]] and the City of Winnipeg.  Expenditure entries refer to individual candidate expenses.

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{GPC}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchart, Markus}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Green Party of Manitoba]]
[[Category:Green Party of Manitoba candidates in Manitoba provincial elections]]