Greens in Canada; NOW is the time for strategic voting

ALL aboard the NDP Express

The surge in popularity of Jack Layton and the NDP party in Quebec and across Canada is a sign of hope in a beleaguered nation. Certainly we don't have troubles on the scale of our American friends and countries far worse off than us, however the "relative strength" excuse masks real pain and suffering in Canada and shortchanges the potential of the nation with the greatest per capita wealth of any country on Earth.

You don't agree that Canada is wealthiest, overall? I'm not just talking about money, but everything that is important to humanity. Starting with material wealth and moving further into complex areas of freedoms and rights, what other nation can match Canada's net total for:

- land per capita
- energy resources per capita
- gold per capita
- wood products per capita
- autos / roads / bridges per capita
- telephones per capita
- computers per capita
- televisions per capita
- doctors / hospitals per capita
- food production per capita
- schools per capita
- fresh air per capita
- free press per capita
- freedom of religion per capita
- rule of law / equality before the law, per capita

Our rights and freedoms stretch from sea to shining sea, and our deep, profound responsibilities wrap themselves completely around the globe, encircling this spinning ball of blue, green and brown fun with hope and inspiration, a yearning for what could be, if only there were an opportunity.

Greens in Canada must examine their local race closely, and if the NDP has a shot and the Greens don't, this will be the election to partner with our Quebecois friends and vote for change. It is a FACT that the NDP has greener policies than the Conservatives or Liberals, by a wide margin, so voting NDP is not choosing a lesser evil, but rather a greater good.

If your Green candidate has any chance of being elected, by all means stay on board, however if that is not the case, then voting NDP still provides a vote for for social change, with the bonus kicker that this time, in the revolutionary year of 2011, Canadian progressives may play a significant role in governing the nation for the next few years, or more.

We'll be fully investigating the benefits of a merger of the NDP and the Green Party after the election, yet for now our best option is to roll with the train that is leaving the station.

All aboard!

New Democratic Party and Green Party Economic Policy

Principles guiding the Green Party of Canada Economic Plan

Reducing waste: Improving our lives

Greens are committed to improving our collective well-being. Greens recognize that we need new measurements of our societal health and well-being. Greens know that the notion of unending economic growth is a dangerous illusion. We can do far more with far less. The central driving principle of Green Economic Policy is to improve well-being by eliminating waste. Our society has embedded wasteful practices at every turn. We waste raw materials, waste water and waste energy. In fact of all the energy used by Canadians, more than half is wasted. Green economic policies aim to improve the efficiency of resource and energy use by a factor of four.

In their seminal book, Factor Four, Ernst von Weizacker, Amory B. Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins concluded: “The amount of wealth extracted from one unit of natural resources
can quadruple. Thus we can live twice as well – yet use half as much.”

There is abundant evidence to support this contention. Improvements in labour productivity drove economic growth after World War II. We must now repeat the exercise as we improve the productivity of resource and energy use.

Get the prices right

To get there from here, market distortions created by a failure to internalize externalities must be removed. In other words, we must get the prices right. The single most significant government policy tool to advance or retard economic sustainability resides in the fiscal framework.

Our fiscal plan is straightforward: Use the tax system to help meet societal and ecological goals. Get the prices right. Allow business to pursue profit, with clear signals of environmental and societal objectives.

The Green commitment to Green tax relief will:

Reduce income taxes, including a stop to the practice of over-taxing married couples.
Reduce payroll taxes.
Introduce a carbon tax, sending a clear economic signal that wasting energy and resources implies real costs.
According to an editorial in The Economist, September 9, 2006:

“Ideally, politicians would choose the more efficient carbon tax, which implies
a relatively stable price that producers can build into their investment plans.”

The Greens will also eliminate large corporate subsidies and grants programs.

It makes no sense to subsidize the wealthiest companies on Earth to make the world’s most profitable product -- a barrel of oil. These perverse subsidies must be removed. It makes sense to reduce taxes on things we want – income and employment – while increasing taxes on things we do not want, like greenhouse gases and pollution that causes smog.

Canadian businesses want two things from their government: predictability and policy coherence. The Green Government will ensure that the rules are clear, the playing field is level and decision-making is transparent.

Key societal goals:

Ensure Canadians have more time for friends, family and community engagement.
Send the right price signals to the economy. The days of cheap, abundant energy are over. A carbon tax will send that signal and generate the revenue to cut income taxes, allow “income splitting” and reduce the tax burden on small business.
Eliminate perverse corporate subsidies. No more “corporate welfare bums.” No more unpaid “loans” to government granting agencies.

Part 1: The Green Economy - Applying Green principles to economic decision-making

Français - Fondements du plan économique vert



New Democratic Party - Our Vision for Canada

The New Democratic Party believes in economic prosperity and social equality for all Canadians.

Our commitment is reflected in a vision for Canada that emphasizes strong and sustainable economic growth, strong environmental stewardship, equal rights for all, and effective social programs – including universal Medicare – that ensure no Canadian is left behind. New Democrats believe that Canada must be a leading global voice for peace and human rights on the world stage.

The statements below comprise official policy of New Democratic Party of Canada that has been drafted and endorsed by the members of the Party, everyday Canadians like you who support building a greener and more just Canada.

SECTION 1: Economy

Innovating and Prospering in the New Energy Economy



SECTION 2: Environment

NDP Canada: Building a Clean and Sustainable Economy



SECTION 3: Social Policy

NDP: Investing in a Canada Where no one is Left Behind



SECTION 4: Foreign Affairs

NDP Policy: Redefining Canada’s Place in the World



SECTION 5: Governance

NDP Canada Governing in an Inclusive and Fair Canada



SECTION 6: Rights and Heritage

NDP Canada Strengthening Human Rights and the Canadian Identity