THIS IS THE WEBSITE OF THE PIERREFONDS-DOLLARD FEDERAL GREEN PARTY ASSOCIATION
-Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul-
-Edward Abbey–
This site is designed to help Green Party supporters keep track of our activities in the riding and to expose the uninitiated to our point of view and our plans for improving Canadian government.
We Greens have made steady gains in this riding over the last few years, garnering 3% of the vote in 2004 and then 6.9% in 2008. These figures are encouraging, but our goal is to win the riding. Our sincere belief is that having Green Party representatives in the Canadian Parliament is this country’s best hope for a liveable and prosperous future. While Canada is undeniably one of the best places anyone could be fortunate enough to live today, and while we are proud of the achievements our country has made, we believe the potential exists for us to do much better.
The opportunity exists for Canadians to live more comfortable, happier, and healthier lives, while at the same time living up to our obligations as members of the international community. There is the potential for fewer of our children to grow up below the poverty line and for our schools and hospitals to deliver services more effectively. There is the potential for Canada to live up to its international reputation – now under threat – as a leader in the field of human rights. And yes (you came to the right place), there is the potential to maintain a healthy economy while having a greater respect for the environment that sustains us.
At this point of course, it’s debatable whether merely “respecting” the environment will be enough. We’re facing a frightening array of challenges relative to environmental degradation that go far beyond global warming. It’s disheartening, to say the least, to have Canada being constantly cited as one of the worst offenders on this issue. One of our biggest problems in this regard, as is universally acknowledged, are the emissions associated with the Alberta tar sands. The leader of the opposition, Mr. Ignatieff, has shown himself to be an even more adamant supporter of this industry than Prime Minister Harper.
Mr. Ignatieff cites the jobs associated with the industry as reason enough for ignoring all of its negative impacts. Canadians need jobs, but can’t we invest in clean energy projects? Can’t we prepare ourselves to be leaders in the technologies of tomorrow, as opposed to this morbid insistence on clinging to technologies and a way of life that we understand to be undermining our future? The answer is yes, of course. We need only the political will to make the required changes and a mandate from the Canadian people to do so.
Let’s be clear – this isn’t just pie-in-the-sky fanciful thinking, so let’s all get back to business as usual. The Green Party of Canada offers concrete policy measures on all of the issues that most concern Canadians today. We are ready to immediately move forward with these policies and to fight for them when we are given that opportunity by the Canadian electorate. One of the greatest misconceptions hampering the Green Party’s progress is that the Green Party is a one issue party. Not so. You will find on this website, linked or summarized, the positions developed and adhered to by Canadian Greens on the Economy, Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Health Care, Education, Public Infrastructure Development, Electoral Reform, and many others.
What is true about the Green Party is that it offers something other Canadian Political Parties do not: a cohesive and coherent philosophy. The Green Party philosophy starts with the premise that human beings are a part of the natural world. Is that so strange? It is not, yet what we ask of voters is nothing less than a paradigm shift. Cease to think of the earth as belonging to people, and begin to think of people as belonging to the earth. Without a planet thriving with biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, there is no humanity. Merely stating this simple truth turns some people off, that is clear, but ignoring it leads to disaster, perhaps on a scale we cannot fully imagine.
You’ve heard of ocean “dead zones” and “tipping points” for Amazon deforestation and global climate but perhaps you are still not convinced of the need for you, personally, to react to these events. Some continue to believe technology will ultimately save us from ourselves. This kind of thinking is wrong and it is dangerous. We can and should use our technology wisely, promoting valuable research rather than making cuts in this area, but we can’t just posit future scientific miracles in order to brush aside today’s worrying realities. Our politicians should be willing to admit that without equivocation. The Green Party does. Other political parties are prepared to treat people like children as long as they can be returned to power with some regularity, apparently willing to sacrifice our futures in the process as well. We must stop rewarding this behaviour.
Environmental crises aren’t the only challenge facing Canadians today. We need a set of sound principles from which we can address every challenge we come up against. The Green party offers you that kind of foundation. From a respect for the planet that sustains us stems the Green Party’s respect for the people who inhabit this earth. This means staunch support for human rights and social justice within and without Canada’s borders. It is also the source of our commitment to long-term viability, to a term that has somehow become controversial – sustainability. Greens are influenced to reconsider how we ought to measure the health of our society, and our devotion to the GDP as the ultimate measure of that health.
Some Canadians are surprised to hear the Green Party described as economically conservative, but that is what we are. Our budget includes billions in spending cuts and reduced corporate subsidies. We believe in maximizing efficiency, taxing what produces social costs (like carbon), and encouraging activities that create social benefits. Take this quote from the Green Party website, “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.” It all comes back to looking out for people and the natural systems we depend upon.
Being grounded in this philosophy permits people to always have an understanding of what it means to be a member or supporter of the Green Party in a holistic sense. Try to do the same for Canada’s other leading political parties. What does it mean to be a Liberal Party supporter? What does it mean to support the Conservatives? You may know where they stand on a couple of hot-button issues, but can one say anything profound at all about these movements? Are they movements?
Please give the Green Party and new politics a chance by considering the different positions elaborated by the Green Party of Canada. Compare these with the positions taken by other Federal Political Parties and decide which ones make the most sense to you. Part of living in a participatory democracy is keeping oneself educated about one’s choices. We’re confident you’ll be attracted by the sensibility and pragmatism we’re bringing to the table. We also welcome your input and hope to hear from you soon.
We’ll see you around the neighbourhood,
Jonathan Lumer, CEO
