Vote for the Green Party!

[ilovebacon]

The Green Party wants to wipe out university and college tuition fees, expand Canada's rail and urban transit systems and halt the use of fossil fuels by mid-century.

The party's 44-page election platform, released by party leader Elizabeth May in Vancouver today, makes big — and expensive — promises to help students, seniors and small business. It focuses heavily on planks to tackle climate change and wean the national economy off the oilsands.

Accusing the Conservative government of "serial vandalism" of Canada's public policy, May said she would work to clean up the environment, reform criminal justice and overhaul immigration and refugee practices.

May predicted a minority government after the Oct. 19 election, but said she does not want to join any formal coalition. She said the best way for Canadians to effect positive public policy change is to elect more Green MPs.

"Someone with a strong corps of Greens encourages the Liberals and New Democrats to form a coalition — I think that would be very healthy," she said. "We would like to sit in opposition in a responsible Parliament, which means our job is to hold government accountable."

May said she would not bring down a government if it pursued key policies, from democratic reform and refugee policy to repealing anti-terror legislation.

End subsidies to fossil fuel industry

New jobs in the petroleum industry should be created by refining product here rather than shipping it raw to other countries, according to the Green plan. Its climate and energy strategy would end subsidies to the fossil fuel industry to the tune of $1 billion, and introduce a fee-and-dividend system that would put a price on carbon and share the returns with every Canadian over the age of 18.

May also wants to overhaul Canada's tax system by increasing the corporate tax rate back to its 2009 level of 19 per cent, eliminating credits for the wealthy and penalizing pollution and waste.

A budget overview included in the document forecasts that Green initiatives would shift spending priorities and cuts, but come to roughly the same bottom line as current Conservative projections until 2019-20. The document does not included detailed accounting for major planks.

Costing predicts $13.1 billion surplus by 2019-20

The costing projects a $1.9 billion surplus this fiscal year, which would gradually climb to a $13.1-billion surplus in four years.

The Greens would spend $6.4 billion on municipal infrastructure, implement a national pharmacare program and cover dental costs for low-income youth.

To ease the financial student burden, the Green plan would have tuition-free education by 2020, beginning with lower-income Canadians. It would also eliminate any existing or future debt above $10,000, abolish interest on student loans and boost funding for bursaries.

On the democratic and governance front, the plan would slash the budget and "excessive powers" of the Prime Minister's Office and repeal the government's anti-terror laws.

May blasted the "low cunning and cheap tricks" playing out on the campaign, and said Canadians are sick of being "conned."

"This election reminds me of a seedy sideshow, a carnie sideshow," she said. "And what we want to offer Canadians is the real deal."

Other platform planks:

Create federally funded $1-billion-a-year green technology commercialization grants for entrepreneurs to accelerate emerging technologies.
Abolish tuition fees and implement a debt-forgiveness program for student debt above $10,000.
Invest $600 million in 2016-17 in Via Rail, rising to $764 million by 2020; strengthen rail safety rules; re-route tracks for freight and rail away from populated areas.
Create a Council of Canadian Governments to bring together federal, provincial-territorial, municipal and First Nations, Mé​tis and Inuit leader to develop policy.
The rapid phase-out of coal-fired generation plants in Canada.
Housing plan with affordable, predictable home care support.
A guaranteed livable income to ensure no Canadian lives in poverty.
Reverse decision to reduce home delivery of Canada Post.
Restore $117 million in funding to CBC/Radio-Canada, invest an extra $168 million and $315 million each year after.
Partner with First Nations for sustainable resource development.
Refocus Canada's defence policy on peacekeeping; border, northern, and coast guard patrols; rescue missions.
Reopen Veterans Affairs offices across Canada, reverse $200 million cut to services
Shift government-supported research away from biotechnology and energy intensive farming toward organic and sustainable food production.

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http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/politics/ca...form-1.3220976

[smoothie.]

they want to eliminate cars... you posted this on revscene

money also grows on trees and cutting funding from things never has an impact

[quasi]

Call me ignorant but I'll spoil my vote before I vote Green in any election this lifetime.

[murd0c]

Voting for Green would be spoiling your vote... All I know it I want Harper out of the government so I'm voting Liberal which will hopefully give us the best chance of getting that fucken idiot out of office!!

[Hondaracer]

95% of the people who "want Harper out" have never once been effected by his policies, nor do they even know any of them.

Change for the sake of change! I'm sure Trudeau will look very strong against the likes of Putin etc..lol

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

95% of the people who "want Harper out" have never once been effected by his policies, nor do they even know any of them.

Change for the sake of change! I'm sure Trudeau will look very strong against the likes of Putin etc..lol

Doesn't even have to be Putin........ Trudeau will happily be wagging his tail following what other countries wants him to do.

All I hear from NDP and Liberals is they are throwing money at the mass but no plan as to where is the money going to come from. Seems like they are operating like Translink. Just keep on building and wasting money but no plan as to how to make money or control spending to balance the books.

[westopher]

I like Elizabeth May.
She is far too optimistic about her campaign platforms, as many are not feasible in the short term, however, she is the only one who seems to be talking about what she plans to do instead of just sewering the other politicians. She is charismatic to people that see through the bullshit, which isn't the average voter. I wish she was leading a party that had more realistic platforms. My support for free post secondary is absolutely endless, even though at my age I'll likely not be taking advantage of it.

The most despicable things in this country are the conservatives environmental policies, and what people are stuck paying for tuition to better themselves, often being funnelled into courses with no hope of job prospects. When it becomes wasting the government's money for someones education instead of their own, only then will more responsibility be taken by education institutions to put people into courses/programs that will actually get them into the positions they want/need to fill.

[meme405]

I find it comical that the platform of the green party recognizes that refining fossil fuels is something that is better done here than shipping the raw resource elsewhere.

Yet tell any bandwagon "environmentalist" that you are gonna erect a dirty disgusting refinery, and they will kick and scream, and yell foul like a complete moron. Worse than that stupid "environmentalist" some bullshit fear mongering "news" outlet like Vancity buzz is going to print some crap story with retardedly skewed facts and then the whole population will go crazy over something which is actually nothing. (queue the example of that Nestle bottling station)

And this is why the elected parties fail so often, because when they try to do the right thing, you all get skewed the wrong direction by the news, and lobby them and protest about BS, and then in order to keep your vote, they end up reverting back to the same incorrect way we have been doing things for the last 10 years. This is all because you are all stupid, and you don't know jack shit about fuck all.

[westopher]

Originally Posted by meme405

I find it comical that the platform of the green party recognizes that refining fossil fuels is something that is better done here than shipping the raw resource elsewhere.

We are a resource based economy, and embracing that to an extent is important. What needs to be done is to make these resources work for us more than we are at the moment. Selling mass amounts of fossil fuels to the U.S. and buying it back after its been refined is wasteful. It could have provided so many jobs/so much more money if we were able to do these things ourselves. I don't know fuck all about oil admittedly, so I don't know what that would take, but I do know food. We have the same problem with our fishing industry. We sell mass amounts of shit to the U.S. and China, let them process it and buy it back. Meanwhile we are stuck paying 40+ dollars a kilo for pacific halibut. I'd love to see a manufacturing/processing industry resurgence in Canada, and with our low dollar maybe it will be possible?

[Manic!]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

95% of the people who "want Harper out" have never once been effected by his policies, nor do they even know any of them.

Change for the sake of change! I'm sure Trudeau will look very strong against the likes of Putin etc..lol

Just look at this RS thread.

http://www.revscene.net/forums/70063...ccess-vpn.html

Harper has been a pain in the ass for business not just for me but for other people I know.

Also looking tough? I donj't think anyone is going to be scared of this guy.



You should ask Patrick Brazeau how tough Trudeau is.




If you own a cell phone Harpers policies have affected you. So Hondaracer most Canadians have been affected by Harper.

[6o4__boi]

You are what you smoke.
The green party's definitely been havin' too much of themselves with this.

[Lomac]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

95% of the people who "want Harper out" have never once been effected by his policies, nor do they even know any of them.

Change for the sake of change! I'm sure Trudeau will look very strong against the likes of Putin etc..lol

I don't have to be directly affected by someone to want them out. The whole muzzling of scientists is enough for me to want the Cons out.

[jasonturbo]

Lol Green Party

"We believe in Science"

"We support homeopathy"

Mmmhhhmmmm....

[murd0c]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

95% of the people who "want Harper out" have never once been effected by his policies, nor do they even know any of them.

Change for the sake of change! I'm sure Trudeau will look very strong against the likes of Putin etc..lol

This alone makes me want him out of our government... It's sick he was able to get away with this so easily..

Waterways changes in budget bill seen as eroding protections - Politics - CBC News

Proposals for big pipelines and interprovincial power line projects will no longer have to prove they won't damage or destroy navigable waterways in Canada, under changes introduced by the government Thursday.

These big projects are exempt under the new navigation protection act proposed in the government's second omnibus budget bill. The new act would replace one of the country's oldest laws, the Navigable Waters Protection Act. It was established in 1882 and said that no one could block, alter or destroy any water deep enough to float a canoe without federal approval.

That act was amended in 2009 to leave the description of protected water largely up to the minister.

This new act focuses on providing federal protection only for Canada's busiest rivers, lakes and oceans. It's designed to do away with red tape created by the old act that said that even docks and culverts needed federal approval that often took years to get.

Federal Transport Minister Denis Lebel said the new act deals only with waterways used for navigation.

"We specially decide to show what is navigation — ditches or small, small rivers are not a place where we have navigation … this list of lakes and rivers has specific criteria for where we have navigation."

The act now provides a list of federally protected waters — three oceans, 97 lakes and 62 rivers. Any waterway not on the list that could be affected by a dam, pipeline, mine or bridge won't be protected by federal law. It will be up to provinces or municipalities to consider the projects.

Follows changes to environmental reviews

Green Party Leader Elizabeth says the proposed law is just continuing the destruction of environmental protections by the first omnibus budget bill, C-38.

"In C-38, Stephen Harper cancelled and gutted environmental laws brought in by [former prime minister] Brian Mulroney," said May. "He's now moved on to destroy environmental law brought in by Sir John A. Macdonald."

It appears these changes could also alter the level of scrutiny applied to future big projects, such as Shell Canada's proposed Jackpine oilsands mine expansion north of Fort McMurray, Alta.

That project would reroute 21 kilometres of the Muskeg River. As that project is heading into public hearings this month, Transport Canada is still asking tough questions how the project would affect navigation and use of the river.

If this project were proposed under the navigation protection act in the future, Transport Canada would not be asking those questions, because the Muskeg River is not on the list of protected waterways, says Keith Stewart from Greenpeace.

"What's going to happen to projects like that? It's not a minor change, it will have major effects on the ecosystem," said Stewart.

"There are a lot of rivers not on the list that are used by Canadians and need to be protected," he said.

Transport Canada officials say big projects on waterways will still be assessed by the National Energy Board and under Canada's Environmental Protection Act. And they point out that transport officials would still provide "advice" as these assessments are underway.

But the NEB only looks at technical feasibility of building a project, not its environmental effects.

And Keith Stewart adds that scrutiny of projects under Canada's Environmental Assessment Act has been largely watered down.

"I think we are going to be seeing environmental protections just fall through the gaps created by the federal government."

[Culverin]

Originally Posted by jasonturbo

Lol Green Party

"We believe in Science"

"We support homeopathy"

Mmmhhhmmmm....

Source?

[pastarocket]

The posts on this thread are turning from green party related discussion to "get Harper and the Tories out of office!"


Let's make sure our votes put the "Pee Party" out of office.

[Ronin]

LOL Green Party...

I might be convinced by free post secondary if I were still 18 myself but I've already graduated (twice!) so...nope.

I'd love to see where they think all this money will come from if they won't build pipelines or whatever.

[jasonturbo]

Originally Posted by Culverin

Source?

Elizabeth May: Green Party called out for endorsement of homeopathy | canada.com

and from the platform

4.7 Healthier people ? healthier health care | Green Party of Canada

"5. Provide funds to expand provincial health insurance to cover proven alternative therapies that are less expensive and invasive"

It's about half way down the page.

Yes, "proven" alternative therapies... I would love to see the approved therapy list.

Spoiler!

[Manic!]

Originally Posted by jasonturbo

Elizabeth May: Green Party called out for endorsement of homeopathy | canada.com

The Conservative in my Riding MP James Lunney believes the same thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lunney#Bill_C-420

On March 20, 2003, Lunney introduced Private Members’ Bill C-420, “An act to amend the Food and Drugs Act”, in the House of Commons. The bill would have re-classified all natural health products as foods and would have lifted restrictions on health claims that manufacturers can make about their products. [7]

Lunney said in the House of Commons: “Bill C-420 is about releasing the tremendous amount of information that supports the judicious use of natural health products, and it’s about greater freedom of choice in personal health care. With a minority government, we have the opportunity to advance effectiveness and cost effectiveness in health care”.[8]

[6o4__boi]

Bill C-420

In April 2009, Lunney made a statement in Parliament suggesting the theory of evolution was not proven, stating that "any scientist who declares that the theory of evolution is a fact has already abandoned the foundations of science." In March 2015, Lunney tweeted "Stop calling evolution fact!"

How the fuck do nut jobs like these get elected into office. Are people in your riding retarded or something?

[jasonturbo]

Originally Posted by Manic!

The Conservative in my Riding MP James Lunney believes the same thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lunney#Bill_C-420

I'm not quite sure that's the same thing... one is federal party financial support for things like Reike (Charging money to transfer "energy" to someone), and one is a proposed bill to reclassify natural health products as foods.

Regardless of whether or not the bill came from a dipper/con/etc. if it's from the Surrey-by-the-Sea riding you can assume some lefty wing nut hippie conjured it up...

After reading your posts I'm often left wondering exactly what grade you were in when you decided to hang up the gloves.

Edit: Just read about Dr. Lunney.. he's a full blown chiro kook, "subluxations" lol... if you've never read the basic theory for chiropractors, it's literally 50% science at best.

[Manic!]

Originally Posted by jasonturbo

I'm not quite sure that's the same thing... one is federal party financial support for things like Reike (Charging money to transfer "energy" to someone), and one is a proposed bill to reclassify natural health products as foods.

Regardless of whether or not the bill came from a dipper/con/etc. if it's from the Surrey-by-the-Sea riding you can assume some lefty wing nut hippie conjured it up...

After reading your posts I'm often left wondering exactly what grade you were in when you decided to hang up the gloves.

The guy is a right wing nut case. He also thinks schools should not teach Evolution. He quit the Cons about 6 months ago because the where not right wing enough. He also claims cyberbullied’ for his creationist views.

In rambling Commons address, B.C. MP James Lunney says he was ?cyberbullied? for his creationist views | National Post

[murd0c]

YouTube (Short URL)

[jasonturbo]

He's somewhere between I would say, clearly he is religiously aligned with the right sided morons of the Tea Party but then in terms of health and wellness full blown lefty.

Def. an idiot though.

We as a nation suck at vetting candidates.. imagine before the age of the internet how many retarded goons were elected that did tons of stupid shit.

I watched that boxing match years ago lol Also met Justin at the airport in Calgary, I wouldn't be crushed if the libs end up in power.

[ilovebacon]

I just wanted all students to feel confident about investing them self to school and having a light debt on their shoulders. I have never voted before, and by having almost 40k student debt by the next year. This is surely something I want.