BC GREEN PARTY:
GO GREEN:
FAIR VOTING:
Building a Stronger Economy
More Jobs, Sustainable Growth, Green Investment
A Green economy will thrive by directing investment and shifting taxes to promote desirable results such as job creation in clean industry and discouraging pollution and environmental impact. There are major opportunities in energy conservation, transit expansion, renewable energy generation, retro-fitting homes and buildings, organic agriculture and local manufacturing. We will create longterm “green collar” jobs in a time of financial crisis, and help lower emissions to contain climate change at the same time.
To support entrepreneurs and small businesses, we will introduce Green Business, a program to ensure business people have the tools they need to adopt clean-tech practices and succeed in tomorrow’s green economy. This includes initiatives to remove the provincial sales tax from made-in-BC goods, to harmonize the administration of the GST and PST to lower costs, and to provide solid information to new businesses on economic opportunities and resources, among other strategies to support small businesses in recognition that small and mid-sized businesses are BC’s primary job creators.
Require Corporate Accountability
BC Greens will introduce and enforce amendments to the Business Corporations Act to ensure that businesses operate in a manner that positively contributes to social, environmental and economic prosperity. We plan to eliminate conflicts where corporate activity such as fishfarms compromise the ability of other business sectors such as eco-tourism to operate optimmally.
Generate Clean and Green Energy
BC Greens will foster the building of green and clean, renewable energy facilities with an emphasis on cooperative and municipally-owned utilities, while providing the opportunity for private producers and transmission operators to participate in a mixed public / private energy system.
The Green Party favours generating power where there is demand and does not advocate for improving transmission systems or creating new transmission infrastructure for large scale projects, favouring many smaller district-scale energy production systems. These systems build in resiliency in the case of failure and create many more longer term jobs than large scale projects. A new Ministry, combining environment, energy and climate change portfolios will oversee a new BC Energy Authority responsible for all aspects of energy regulation and planning for the province. Regional Energy Boards will establish a diversified portfolio of projects to meet regional requirements in as local a manner possible.
Plan Liveable Cities & Transportation
BC Greens focus on improving the quality of life in communities with a variety of clean, affordable and efficient transportation options. These include walkable neighbourhoods; bi-cycling networks and infrastructure; promoting zero-emission electric vehicles; more buses of varying size and increased frequency and affordability; and rail of all forms (light rail, commuter and distance passenger rail and freight). We propose balanced and planned infrastructure investment --- not expensive mega-projects. Evidence shows we cannot build our way out of traffic grid-lock. New roads and bridges simply lead to urban sprawl and increase long-term overcrowding.
A Strong Green Economy Will:
- Expand small business grants and introduce employment incentive programs for green industry
- Increase basic personal income tax deductions to protect low-income British Columbians
- End homelessness and poverty
- Move to a genuine wealth accounting system
- Reduce our carbon footprint
- Shift tax loads to individual practices and industries that pollute
- Advance fair trade over free trade
- Eliminate corporate welfare
- Invest in alternative, local energy generation
- Reduce our dependence on gambling and oil and gas revenues
- Expand small business grants and introduce employment incentive programs for green industry
- Increase basic personal income tax deductions to protect low-income British Columbians