Check Out Elizabeth May's Vision Green

Canadians Need governments to create high-paying jobs and meet targets to reduce greenhouse gas

By William Doyle-Marshall   

“The Green Party’s down-to-earth solutions will work in Canada because they have worked around the world. Many have been successfully applied in Europe, where Greens are elected at all political levels, including the European Union and national parliaments.” This definite statement from the Green Party of Canada is a part of its vision for the country known as Vision Green”.

   When Elizabeth May, Leader of the party opened the western Canada campaign office recently  she spoke eloquently about electing a whole lot of Green MPs in the 2015 federal election.  It was a Saturday afternoon and an overflowing crowd of supporters jammed the Fort Street office and unto the street.

   “This campaign is all about making sure when the election is over in 2015 in what will likely be a minority parliament, there are enough Green Members of Parliament to ensure that Canadians get the kind of government they want which means that Harper is gone by the end of this year which will be great. That will be wonderful for everyone involved,” May predicted to party faithful. “We have the most astonishing candidates,” she assured the gathering.

                               Prof Lynne Quarmby, Green Party candidate

  According to the party’s ‘Vision Green’ document, countries where Greens have served in government are creating new high-paying jobs while simultaneously meeting targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They are the countries where the gap between rich and poor is small and the standard of living is high. “These countries don’t trade off the environment for the economy. Their economies and environmental laws are both strong,” the party affirms.

   Lynne Quarmby, a professor of science, is among party candidates facing the electorate later this year. “I am and have been for decades a dedicated scientist; I am passionate about science, I study cells and the molecules and the molecular machines that distinguish life from non-life,” she disclosed. But like many Canadians, over the past few years, its penetrated deep into her consciousness that “our governments are not doing the job that we elected them to do. They are no longer looking after the best interest of the people of the country”.

   According to the Green Party’s manifesto “Vision Green”, the function of governments is to foster fairness and equality in social aspects like nutrition, education, and justice. As a result the Green Party wants to serve in a government that encourages the creative, the industrious, the generous, and the sustainable, protects the weak, and regulates corporate behavior to achieve these ends. “In our green vision, Canadians enjoy a higher quality of life, experiencing health and wellness, education and meaningful work, prosperity and economic success supported by ecological health. In our vision of Canada, ability or disability, economic, racial, or cultural backgrounds do not preclude individuals from contributing to and benefiting from a prosperous Canada,” the document continues.

   Vision Green presents a well-researched analysis of critical economic, environmental, and social challenges facing Canadians from coast to coast to coast. In this document, the party promises practical solutions that can be achieved if there is the political will and leadership to take forward-looking action. “It was developed by our Green Cabinet and was informed by experts, activists and citizens who participated in policy workshops held across Canada. Our vision is based on policies approved by the membership of the Green Party,” the paper says.

   “Our solutions are realistic because they follow ‘best practices’ already in place in parts of Canada and around the world. These practices are cost-effective, deliver results, and benefit people, the economy, and the environment,” Green Party of Canada insists.

     Green Party solutions are rational because, unlike other parties, understands the scientific reality of limits to growth set by the carrying capacity of our planet. We must work within these limits. Otherwise, we will exhaust resources, degrade our environment and put our economy, health, and children’s future at risk, it warns.

  “Many people find it hard to position the Green Party on the old political spectrum. We believe in sound fiscal management, fostering small business, and strengthening our economy while ensuring that it is sustainable. Does that mean we are ‘right wing’? We believe that government must provide needed social services while protecting our environment and the rights of women, minorities, and disadvantaged people. Does that make us ‘left wing’? We don’t think so. More and more people are simply thinking of the Green Party as the party of the future,” Vision Green exhorts.