Today’s Random Green Party Policy of the Day from Vision Green is page 31:

“The tourism sector in Canada is unique in that it makes a significant contribution to every region’s cultural and economic well-being. It goes beyond creating jobs and foreign exchange revenue. It enables Canadians to explore our land and helps knit our country together. With revenues of approximately $61 billion in 2005, tourism constituted over 2 per cent of Canada’s GDP. This is nearly as much as our forestry and agricultural industries combined. Within the federal government, the Ministry of Industry has the lead responsibility for tourism policy.

The Greens believe that we must foster a green, low-carbon tourism industry and market it responsibly throughout the world. We believe we must provide exceptional tourist experiences by having the finest National Park system, the best museums and cultural events and the most hospitable service. To do this, the Canadian government must play a bigger role in coordinating and guiding efforts across the entire country.

Green Party MPs will:

- Create a separate federal Department of Tourism to coordinate all aspects of tourism. This ministry will focus on helping the fastest-growing sector of global tourism, ecotourism, become stronger, and through special programs encourage Aboriginal Canadians to assume a bigger role in it. It will also take a major role in making sure our borders are open and security measures are reasonable.

- Reverse the Conservative government’s decision to eliminate the GST rebate for foreign visitors.

- Build a low-carbon tourism sector based on intermodal rail and bicycle touring.”

Quick Translation: Canada rocks and we want everyone in the world (and inside of Canada) to know it! And we want it done right with a coordinated strategy and as small a carbon footprint as possible.

Won’t it feel great to vote Green!

Today’s Random Green Party Policy of the Day from Vision Green is page 120:

“The Green Party recognizes the rich history of the Persian people, their culture, and the desire of Iranian citizens for peace. The highly educated Iranian civil society should be supported through active, cooperative engagement accompanied by public overtures of dialogue with the Iranian government. There can be no long term stability in the mIddle EAst if Iran is continually isolated. REal change must come from the Iranian people who in turn must receive a clear signal that nations like Canada not only understand this but are prepared to act in a peaceful, cooperative direction. It is imperative that the mistakes in recent decades not be repeated…

The Green Party of Canada condemns the development of, and possession of nuclear weapons by any nation. We believe the dependence on oil and nuclear energy contributes far too much to global military conflict. Global security can only be achieved through peace, democracy and real diplomacy.

the Green Party believes that the Canadian government should begin to develop a truly independent foreign policy toward Iran.

Green Party MPs will:

- Actively re-engage Iran in a new diplomacy, fully cognizant of the history of the region and internal policies of Iran.

- Separate Canadian dialogue from, and condemn, a false rhetoric that only serves to inflame and aggravate misunderstandings of the Iranian people and their culture.

- Support the Iranian people in their quest to strengthen, through peaceful means, the democratic process within Iran.

- Condemn all human rights violations and judicial trials in which torture or police brutality is suspected in obtaining false confessions.

- Call for full Iranian government cooperation with all IAEA inspections and requests concerning Iran’s nuclear program.

Quick translation: We need to engage with Iran, supporting the citizens and demanding their human rights be respected. Also, we think nuclear weapons are bad. Really bad. And we want them gone. All of them.

Won’t it feel great to vote Green?

Today’s Random Green Party Policy of the Day from Vision Green is page 27:

“Genetically engineered (GE) organisms pose a potentially serious threat to human health and the health of natural ecosystems. Many Canadians want to follow the example of the European Union and ban GE crops. At a minimum, GE products must be labelled, giving consumers the right to know, as well as to say no to GE foods.

Although polls show that 8 in 10 Canadians want mandatory labelling of GE foods and food ingredients, the federal government has not acted. In 2004, the Standards Council of Canada adopted a Standard for Voluntary Labelling but it has not been widely adopted…

Green MPs will:

Prohibit field testing, commerical use, sale and importation of ‘terminator’ (genetic use restriction) technologies.

Maintain the ban on GE wheat and oppose GE alfalfa.

Place a moratorium on field-testing genetically modified trees while an expert panel of the Royal Society of Canada examines the risks.”

Quick translation: Canadians want to know what is in their food and Canadian farmers want support for sustainable practices – but the government is not helping.

Won’t it feel good to vote Green?!

Today’s Random Green Party Policy of the Day from Vision Green is page 84:

“The Greens will vigorously defend every hard-won victory for women’s rights and for women to advance forward towards full equality in Canada. Women’s equality is fundamental to a just society. Among the best ways to break down barriers and advance opportunities for women are through poverty eradication, national affordable child care, programs to eliminate the financial barriers to post-secondary education, programs for affordable housing, and the adoption of a Genuine Progress Indicator that includes measures of unpaid and voluntary work by women.

Green Party MPs will:

Oppose any possible government move to diminish the right of a woman to a safe, legal abortion. We fully support a woman’s right to choose. We will also expand programs in reproductive rights and education to avoid unwanted pregnancies, and expand supports for low-income mothers.

Pass pay equity legislation, as recommended by the Pay Equity Task Force, immediately implement full pay equity for women employed in the federal sector and develop tax incentives for companies to meet the highest standard of gender and pay equity.

Establish specific job re-entry programs for women with children who want to restart their working lives either part-time or full-time.”

Quick translation: We do not have true democracy until all Canadians enjoy the full benefits of our economic abundance.

Won’t it feel good to vote Green?

Today’s Random Green Party Policy of the Day from Vision Green is page 29:

“Canada’s most conspicuous environmental and economic tragedy has been the collapse of our wild fisheries… Over the last few decades, the fishing industry has installed large, powerful gear on ships equipped with sophisticated navigation and fish-finding technology. This has caused serious depletion of cod, haddock, bluefin tuna and other species, leading to the collapse of local economies and loss of important biodiversity from coast to coast to coast…

Green MPs will:

Repeal the Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Act and the Canada Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Act and adjust regional agreements to give fisheries greater protection from petroleum exploration and development.

Extend permanent bans on oil and gas exploration and development in ecologically-sensitive areas, particularly the coast of British Columbia and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Encourage a greater role for fishermen and Aboriginal peoples in managing fisheries through co-management provisions in the Oceans Act.”

Quick translation: Short-sighted policies have devastated Canadian fisheries and we need to take action now to protect our abundant shorelines.

Won’t it feel good to vote Green?

Today’s Random Green Party Policy of the Day from Vision Green is page 13:

“The Green Party will reduce taxes on things we all want, like income and employment, and we will increase taxes on things we do not want – things that will harm people and our environment.

Our ‘green tax cuts’ will be progressive, with a schedule that gives industry time to gear up or down. And it will be revenue neutral because a tax shift is not a tax grab. Income and payroll taxes will decline and the changes will help not hurt, less fortunate members of our society.

To set the rights prices, we have to change to a ‘true’ or ‘full-cost’ accounting method that incorporates economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits in the national accounts. Using this method, products and services are taxed, and thus priced, according to the positive or negative impacts caused throughout their lifecycle…

There are other ways to put taxes to work improving our society. Our tax system must be designed to reduce poverty, encourage environmentally-beneficial activities, and generate more wealth for the 90% of Canadian families who are currently working harder without getting further ahead…

Green Party MPs will:

Institute a full range of ‘polluter pays’ taxes, including a carbon tax designed to reduce the use of fossil fuels by making them more expensive to produce and burn. All these taxes will be revenue neutral. The revenues generated will be offset by reduced taxes on personal income, payroll and on green products and technologies. The new taxes will also be non-regressive (eg, the carbon tax will include a rebate program for low-income Canadians living in rural areas).

Eliminate personal taxes on income levels below the low-income cut-off (no taxes on incomes of $20,000 or less).

Provide increased tax breaks for Canadians who donate to registered charities.”

Quick Translation: The Green Party will create a revenue-neutral tax shift where polluters pay and income taxes go down.”

Won’t it feel good to vote Green?

Today’s Random Green Party Policy of the Day from Vision Green is page 102:

“Changes were made to reduce the usefulness of the Employment Insurance scheme back in the 1990s. Prior to the changes, 82.9% of those who were unemployed could access benefits. By 1997, this fell to 43.8%, where it held steady through 2004. Workers had to log a longer employment period in order to qualify, and the benefits received also shrank.

Ironically, the current recession is an ideal time to expand and improve the EI benefits. Economists, such as Ian Lee, Director of the Sprott School of Business, have determined that spending on EI is especially effective in stimulating the economy. Those receiving benefits spend nearly every cent received in essential purchases (food, clothing, shelter). Expanding the EI system can be justified as a sensible economic measure, as well as a matter of equity. This is one measure that does not require finding new money…

Green Party MPs will:

-during this time of need (until the unemployment rate in Canada drops below 6%), provide EI benefits retroactively, without imposing additional premiums, to all those who have lost their jobs … and who have paid into EI for at least three months, and also urge that EI benefits last for 52 weeks to provide a safety net while waiting for the economy to recover and, if necessary, extend EI benefits beyond 52 weeks…”

Quick Translation: The Green Party will support a benefits system that Canadians are able to access and that will help them cope with growing economic instability.

Won’t it feel good to vote Green?

On Saturday, while I was canvassing door-to-door, I met a woman with acute macular degeneration – an eye disease that often leads to blindness.

She told me that it had been such a hassle to vote during the municipal elections that she wasn’t sure whether she would be bothered to vote this time. I offered to find out what the details were for federal voting and get back to her. Which I did.

And now I can pass them along to you.

Whichever option you choose, make sure you bring the correct identification.

While May 2, 2011 is the official voting day, there are lots of reasons why you might want to vote sooner than that. Perhaps you will be traveling, or volunteering as a scrutineer for your Party of choice (hey! let me know if you want to be a Green scrutineer!)…

In that case, you can vote at the Advance Polls on April 22nd, 23rd, or 24th. You may have noticed that these are the Easter weekend dates, and you may be busy on that weekend as well…

And you may think that leaves you out of luck and unable to vote.

AHA! There is a poorly kept Elections Canada secret that we all need to know.

You can vote any day during the writ period (for 36 days before the election) at your local Returning Office. Any. Day.

In Newmarket-Aurora the returning office is at 776 Davis Drive in Newmarket and the phone number is 1-866-249-5753.

If you would like to avoid line-ups and the rush of Election Day, which is also tax filing day, this is a completely viable option. And if you need assistance with your voting this is a great way to avoid feeling the pressure of May 2nd. This was my advice to the Newmarket resident – give them a call and then head in early.

In recent polls, only 56% of Canadians are planning to vote, which terrifies me. Not voting helps to ensure that we will have a government that does not represent Canadian values.

As one young voter put it, terrify the government, go vote.

Even better, vote Green.

Media Release
For Immediate Release
April 7, 2011

smart economy – strong communities – true democracy

NEWMARKET – The Green Party released its platform at a press conference in Toronto on Thursday, April 7, 2011. Vanessa Long, candidate for Newmarket-Aurora, joined Green Party candidates and Canadians across the country as Elizabeth May unveiled the platform by live-streaming video on the Internet.

The Green Book contains tax cuts for low income Canadians, tax splitting for Canadian families and real measures to clean up the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our platform makes it clear. The Green Party of Canada has a plan for a smart economy, strong communities and true democracy. We have spent our time developing solutions – not engaging in partisan name-calling. We have solutions to help families and young people, to combat climate change, to create a national transportation strategy, strengthen our communities and to fix our democracy. We call it smart economy, strong communities and true democracy,” said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

The platform contains a suite of measures designed to be economically viable, create jobs, address poverty, protect our health care system, increase support for youth and seniors, respond to the climate crisis and clean up the environment. Each measure has been fully costed.

“We will create thousands of jobs investing in renewable energy, expanding passenger rail, modernizing freight and retrofitting thousands of buildings,” added Ms. May. ”We are also the only party so far in this campaign speaking to international issues and raising trade deals as a concern.”

“I encourage all the voters of Newmarket-Aurora to have a close look at our platform. We are serious about ensuring every Canadian can live in dignity with a strong local economy, a healthy community and a true democracy,” said Vanessa Long.

The Green Party Green Book is available at www.greenparty.ca/platform2011

-30-

Thanks to Teresa Latchford at the Era-Banner for her article on how local political candidates would help families in Newmarket-Aurora.

Here’s what I said:

Thank you for asking me to comment on how the Green Party would help Ontario families. As the Social Services Critic for the Green Party, this issue is of particular importance to me.

The Green Party is committed to ensuring that every Canadian, regardless of their age or geography, can live with dignity. This means providing opportunities for youth to gain education and employment without crushing debt. It also means ensuring that our public pensions will be there when our aging population needs them.

On Thursday, April 7, 2011, Elizabeth May released the Green Party of Canada platform – the Green Book – in Toronto. It includes a fully costed budget to get Canada on the right track with a strong economy, healthy communities, and true democracy. We believe that all three of these areas need improvement to help Canadian families.

Specifically, for Ontario families, the Green Party of Canada would:

- eliminate personal income tax below the low income cut-off of $20,000 as the first step to eliminating poverty in Canada;

-reform the Divorce Act to reduce the adversarial environment of the Family Law courts with a default assumption of equal parenting as being in the best interests of the child;

- extend maternity/paternity leave for new parents;

- implement a national housing strategy to retrofit homes and businesses making them more energy efficient as well as creating affordable housing spaces for those in need;

- make it easier to telecommute or work from home to help people balance work and family life;

- ensure flexible child care with access for all including more workplace child care spaces;

- provide support for those who stay home to raise their children and support for those who need to get back to work while their kids are still young;

- support arts and physical education in schools, including national fitness testing;

- invest in First Nations education, safe drinking water, and improved housing to rectify the abhorrent conditions that currently exist for these communities;

- and, finally, the Green Party would lower income taxes and introduce full income splitting, immediately, to reduce the tax burden on married couples and families;

The Green Party recognizes that families depend on their municipal infrastructure and as part of our platform we are providing help for local governments through sustainable long-term funding to repair decades-old crumbling infrastructure. This fund will help Canadian towns and cities build for the future with more of the common amenities all communities need for recreation, transportation, water works, and arts and culture.

As the Green MP for Newmarket-Aurora I would dedicate myself to improving the quality of life of all Canadians by implementing Green thinking and policies. Instead of ’boutique’ tax cuts and credits, we would lower income tax rates for all Canadians so that they can invest their own money – in the arts, in active living, or in any one of a myriad of ways that can increase quality of life.

Won’t it feel good to vote Green?!