A New Policy Focus for 2012 Convention

The purpose of this policy focus document is to improve the policy resolution process at the Green Party of Canada’s Convention and better engage Green Party members and supporters in identifying the policy priorities they want the Green Party to improve, change or expand.

The Green Party members and supporters will also have the opportunity to add other areas into their personal priority list.

The policy issues outlined below are classified under the three main themes of our current platform and public messaging: Smart Economy, Strong Communities, True Democracy and Global Leadership. We are asking each member and supporter to identify between 3 and 5 priorities for each area.

When the priorities of our individual members and supporters are tabulated to reveal overall priorities, we will ask our members to form working groups where they can draft concrete motions (see examples of specific policies that could form the basis for such motions) for the August 2012 Convention in Sidney, BC.

Smart Economy

Our party’s national Campaign Committee and Shadow Cabinet have identified the following 7 priorities in the area of Smart Economy. Which 3 to 5 of these are your priorities?

1. Smart Taxes: Taxation should be fair, tax revenues should support our society’s priorities equitably, and taxation policies should be used to promote the common good. At present, corporations are taxed at almost half the rate they were in 2000 and subsidies and tax-breaks to fossil fuel companies distort their value to our economy. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing faster in Canada than it is in the U.S. The GST cuts have led to deficits and reductions in services previously funded by that revenue. Tax-based subsidies support the high-carbon economy, and make a more sustainable economy financially untenable.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Smart Taxes might focus on ensuring we get value for our taxes, that our taxes are used to address income inequality and social inequity, that tax revenues are used to promote the common good, or that taxation policy is used to support the growth of a sustainable economy.

2. Smart Employment for Young People: The youth unemployment rate in Canada is more than double the rate for older people. The present economic conditions, in which hiring freezes are common, will make it harder than ever for young people to find quality jobs. A smart economy sustains itself through work-force renewal which encourages innovation and entrepreneurship. Skyrocketing education costs, fewer employment opportunities, and youth poverty are powerful forces that can prevent us from achieving the smart economy we need.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Smart Employment for Young People might focus on identifying growth areas for training, encouraging investment in mentorship and apprenticeship programs, or job-sharing strategies.

3. Smart Eco-Energy: According to the International Energy Agency, changes to the way we produce and consume energy must happen immediately if we are to have any chance of averting catastrophic increases in average global temperatures. The IEA cautions that the “high-carbon infrastructure” we have already built will increase consumption and emissions even without increasing yields from existing sources, such as the tar sands. We need policies that encourage significant, rapid, and lasting changes in our energy use.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Smart Eco-Energy might focus on mandatory conservation and efficiency standards, the reduction of subsidies to fossil fuel producers and heavily dependent industries, or the development of feedback mechanisms supporting ecologically-intelligent energy choices.

4. Smart National Transportation Plan: To avert a recession, the Harper government committed billions of dollars to the Economic Action Plan and investments in infrastructure, beginning in 2009. Much of that money went to repairing roads and highways – roughly 10 times as much as was spent on improving passenger and freight rail services in Canada. Public transit systems are impoverished and decaying. We need a long-term strategic plan for low-carbon, people-friendly, affordable transportation in Canada.
   
   Examples: resolutions about a Smart National Transportation Plan might focus on the development of an electric car recharging network, the elimination of unnecessary freight mileage, or investment in urban infrastructure encouraging transit use, cycling, and walking.

5. Smart Consumer Protection: Our food, toys, and household goods increasingly come from diverse global sources, making it harder to control for dangerous or toxic substances in them. The complexity and ethereality of internet-based transactions make people vulnerable to fraud and deception. Monopolies in service provision mean that people can not choose a different source if they are unsatisfied with their present provider. Consumer protection needs to keep up with the times.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Smart Consumer Protection might focus on transparency and the chain of supply in products; protection from usurious practices by “payday” lenders, or education in toxic substances and their effects on health and the environment.

6. Smart Local Economies: Local energy sources, local food production, and local small business growth are popular means to enhance security and strengthen security. By-and-large, Canadians rely on individual initiatives, sometimes supported by municipalities, to “go local.” We need to introduce mechanisms that will enable the multiplication and strengthening of community-based, local economies.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Smart Local Economies might focus on information management, zoning and regulation for local food production, or support for local energy production initiatives.

7. Smart Waste Management: Reductions in government staff and weakening of regulation for environmental protection and increased production and consumption of goods containing toxic substances (such as cellphones and computers) make waste management a pressing environmental and health concern. Landfills account for more greenhouse gas emissions than do mining, construction and domestic aviation combined. Canada needs to establish better systems to reduce, manage, and monitor waste.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Smart Waste Management might focus on cradle-to-cradle responsibilities; the collection and reuse of resources; quality, endurance, and recyclability requirements; transparency and accountability in manufacturing and retail.

Strong Communities

Our party’s national Campaign Committee and Shadow Cabinet have identified the following 7 priorities in the area of Strong Communities. Which 3 to 5 of these are your priorities? 

1. Stronger Healthcare: We can save billions of dollars in the healthcare system and raise the quality of life for Canadians by renovating our healthcare to provide good health. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, physical activity could avert the equivalent of 646,000 cases of obesity in women and 405,000 cases in men. Improving poor-quality diets could result in 362,000 fewer cases. Pressures on access to and quality of healthcare can be relieved by investments in prevention and amelioration of obesity, cigarette-dependence, drug abuse, mental health problems, and environmental toxins; streamlining and modernizing regulations about qualifications and training; and improving delivery of services to remote regions.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Stronger Healthcare will focus on public education and nutrition programs, food quality and safety, toxin reduction, poverty reduction, removal of barriers for professionals with foreign qualifications, or information technology.

2. Poverty Elimination: November 2011 marked 22 years since the House of Commons adopted an all-party resolution to end child poverty in Canada, a resolution distinguished by its profound failure. In 2009 there were about 1.3 million poor adults in Ontario alone. The recession of 2009-2010 and rising unemployment rates in 2011 have only made things worse, and income disparity is growing. Poverty undermines family and community stability, the security and safety of individuals, access to education and employment choices, and the physical and mental health of millions of people. And poverty isn’t cheap: a 2008 report on Ontario stated that poverty in Ontario cost the provincial and federal governments up to $13.1 billion annually.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Poverty Elimination might focus on income redistribution, a guaranteed livable income, a commitment to equal opportunities (in health, education, and employment) for all children, or protection for the vulnerable poor.

3. Affordable Housing: Homelessness began to escalate during the 1990s with federal government cuts to social housing programs and cuts in income support programs by both the federal and provincial governments. In 2009, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing concluded that Canada is failing to meet its international housing rights obligations and that housing rights are being eroded in Canada. In a 2010 the Wellsley Institute reported that approximately 10 million Canadians live in substandard, over-crowded, or unaffordable homes. The present economic circumstances will make affordable, adequate housing even more of a challenge for Canadians.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Affordable Housing might focus on the development of a new national housing strategy and funding commitment; the reinstatement of tax benefits for investors who build, maintain, and upgrade rental housing; or research into low-cost, efficient, durable domestic engineering and architecture.

4. Sustainable Cities: Most human beings live in cities, and governments around the world have recognized the importance of city life to people’s health, welfare, and happiness. Canada lags behind in the development of effective policies to mitigate the problems of cities (crowding, pollution, disease, crime) and in building the infrastructure and policy options that capitalize on the special advantages of cities (density, creativity, wealth). Only 8 cents of every tax dollar goes to Canadian cities, but cities increasingly bear costs as other levels of government offload responsibility for services on to them.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Sustainable Cities might focus on infrastructure repair and development, equitable distribution of tax revenue, ecological and environmental improvement, or local generation of energy, food, and ideas.

5. Supporting the Family Farm: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada forecasts the average income from farming for a farming family in 2011 will be $20,928. Floods in the Prairies devastated crops in 2010. The strong Canadian dollar has affected livestock markets and depressed sales for Canadian cattle and hog farmers; the net operating income for the average cattle farm is expected to be $5,639 in 2011. In addition, large agri-businesses exerts pressure on small farms by controlling patented seeds, and by their power within the marketplace. But the family farm is a lynchpin of our landscape, our communities, and our food supply and support for it is key to a sustainable economy and strong communities.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Supporting the Family Farm might focus on restoring the Wheat Board; reforming regulations to make farming less costly for small producers, and encourage local food production; supporting organic farming; or protecting the rights of farmers to save their own seed.

6. Strong Families: The family unit, in all its variety, is the foundation of Canadian life and the backbone of Canadian communities. According to the Vanier Institute of the Family’s annual report for 2010, we take the resiliency of the family for granted. Rising rates of poverty, growing levels of household debt, and stresses from multiple responsibilities put pressure on the family and the well-being of its members. Our aging population, changes in immigration, and economic factors require innovative and agile policy initiatives so that the family continues to be a strong and positive force in Canadian life.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Strong Families might focus on homecare; support for people with disabilities; multicultural and heritage language programs; accessible and high-quality childcare; or support for women in the workplace, the home, and the community.

7. Vibrant Arts and Culture: Arts and culture bind us together and express who we are and who we want to be. Historically, robust artistic communities have led social and economic innovation. Economically, arts and culture industries are worth $46 billion a year and employ 4% of all Canadians. Policies that support community-based artistic and cultural work have the potential to make our lives happier, more productive, and more meaningful.
   
   Examples: resolutions about Vibrant Arts and Culture might focus on national cultural institutions such as the CBC, the Canada Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; support for cultural diversity and understanding; the use of new media and networked systems to connect individuals and create communities; the benefits of arts and culture in educational, economic, or social contexts; or regulations and subsidies that prevent the best use of artistic and cultural resources.

True Democracy / Global Leadership

Our party’s national Campaign Committee and Shadow Cabinet have identified the following 6 priorities in the area of True Democracy and Global Leadership. Which 3 to 5 of these are your priorities? 

1. Restoring Democracy to the Federal Government: The present government seems determined to abuse the public’s trust in the institutions of Parliament. According to Chantal Hébert, “the last three Parliaments set new highs for toxicity” (Toronto Star, Nov. 18, 2011). The result of the cavalier attitude of the Harper Conservatives to democracy is a loss of faith by Canadians in democracy itself; election turnouts continue to decline, and many people believe their vote doesn’t make a difference. In fact, under the first-past-the-post system, they are right: 61% of Canadians did not vote for the Conservatives in 2011, but the government disregards their interests.
   
   Examples: Resolutions about Restoring Democracy to the Federal Government might focus on a fair voting system; election finances and public financing of political parties; political advertising; or support for programs cultivating public service and community commitment.

2. Canada as a World Leader in Tackling Climate Change: Canada has received more Fossil of the Day Awards at the COP meetings than any other country. The government’s long-term, deliberate, and destructive sabotage of international negotiations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the effects of anthropogenic climate change has resulted in international derision and contempt. The government misrepresents Canadians, who strongly support signing on to a new international climate agreement, according to a poll by Environics Research conducted for The Globe and Mail in November 2011. While it’s late in the game, Canada has a chance to regain a reputation for world leadership on climate change by taking concerted, large-scale actions at home and in negotiations with the international community.
   
   Examples: Resolutions about Canada as a World Leader in Tackling Climate Change might focus on mechanisms to represent more fully Canadian opinion on issues of global importance, such as climate change; elimination of subsidies to companies that lobby governments to prevent action on climate change; ensuring the free speech of scientists employed by the government; or demanding transparency and accountability from fossil fuel producers and high-carbon consumers.

3. Canada as a Global Peacekeeper: In recent years Canada’s military has been engaged in two theatres of operation (Libya and Afghanistan), both of which were combat missions that belie Canada’s reputation and experience as global peacekeepers. A 2009 Ipsos-Reid poll found that fully 93% of Canadians want the Canadian military to provide humanitarian services in conflict areas, and a clear majority supports peacekeeping over combat roles. According to the Peace Operations Working Group, Canada was number one in the world in peacekeeping in 1992, but by 2009 had fallen to 56th place. In October of 2009, Canada contributed just 55 of the 84,924 military personnel on UN missions, and just 179 of the combined total of 97,569 police and military personnel on UN missions. Restoring Canada’s peacekeeping capacity would be responsive to the wishes of most Canadians, and help us toward true democracy in Canada.
   
   Examples: Resolutions about Canada as a Global Peacekeeper might focus on the distribution of Canada’s military budget; the priorities for the use of military personnel in global conflicts; or the need for pro-active planning for conflict in areas worst hit by climate change.

4. An Independent Civil Service: The Kairos affair of 2011, the direction of money for security and infrastructure around the G20/G8 summit to Tony Clement’s riding in 2010, the vilification of whistleblower Richard Colvin in the Afghan detainee scandal of 2009 – all of these point to the fact that the present government does not respect the independence of the civil service, including the diplomatic corps. The firing of Linda Keen reveal, too, the disregard for the independent advice of scientific experts. The autonomy and integrity of these services is a hallmark of modern democracy, in which decisions should be made by transparent, fair criteria that are not open to political influence and manipulation.
   
   Examples: Resolutions about An Independent Civil Service might focus on strengthening whistleblowing legislation; improving freedom of information; reinforcing arm’s-length provisions; or preventing lobbyists from influencing government decisions.

5. Reduce Concentration of Media Ownership: A very small number of companies own most of the media in Canada. In 1990, 17.3% of daily newspapers were independently owned, but by 2005, only 1% were. Parliamentary commissions in 1970, 1981, and 2006 have repeated the same concerns: lack of news diversity, the ineffectiveness of regulation, and the diminishment of the quality and conditions of journalism in Canada. Concentration of media ownership is a direct threat to the quality of democracy, and a cause of apathy and cynicism, as voters fail to find their point-of-view reflected in the media they turn to for information. Policies supporting the diversity, openness, and quality of the media available to Canadians are essential to the quality of our democracy.
   
   Examples: Resolutions about the need to Reduce Concentration of Media Ownership might focus on the function of the CRTC; empowering ICA with regard to media conglomeration; or, more generally, the citizen’s right to accurate, substantiated, and complete information on topics of national and regional interest.

6. Citizen Privacy: By the beginning of December 2011, nearly 80,000 Canadians had signed a petition opposing the government’s “Lawful Access” bills, which would allows warrantless surveillance by a range of government authorities, including access to financial and personal information, through internet and mobile devices. According to the legislation, internet and service providers will be required to provide the information to authorities; their costs will be passed on to the purchaser of the internet and mobile services, rather than borne by the authorities requesting the information. Ann Cavoukian, Ontario’s Privacy Commissioner, opposes the legislation, and asks, “In a free and democratic society, why does the state have the ability to order the citizen to reveal personal information?” (National Post Nov. 29, 2011). Canadians need privacy protection that reflects the present state of communication technology and the rights and freedoms they enjoy under the Constitution.
   
   Examples: Resolutions about Citizen Privacy might focus on strengthening the privacy and security of personal information in digital media; revising copyright legislations so as to balance the rights of producers with the needs of the public to access to information; or scrutinizing degree to and manner in which retail and service providers routinely collect data from Canadian citizens.