Please note that weekend passes do not include accommodation. To book accommodation at the conference hotel please contact Holiday Inn Barrie Hotel and Conference, book online or call 705-722-0555
If you are looking to share a room contact samanthabird@gpo.ca and we will try and connect you with another delegate.
Greens are honest about the challenges we face. Our goal is to deliver real solutions that put people first – solutions that address your concerns.
It’s time to do politics differently. We can change the political status quo in Ontario.
Like elected Greens across Canada, I’m on a mission to bring honesty, integrity and policies that put people first to Queen’s Park.
It’s time to leap into the future now with confidence, compassion and a bold new vision for Ontario. We need to skate where the puck is going, not where it’s been.
Together, we can show the world what Ontario can do. Vote Green on June 7.
Our vision is about making choices that generate and sustain us in a way that benefits everyone. We can take advantage of the opportunities around us to transition our economy to one that is efficient and sustainable, based on principles of fairness and resilience, with respect for people, communities and the climate.
The economy is not a stand alone system. We depend on the world around us to create the wealth, goods and services that provide us with our standard of living. We must take into consideration not only what we create, but what we leave behind.
Our Green vision for Ontario points us in the direction of a sustainable, renewable and equitable Ontario economy.
STRATEGYA
Build and Support a Strong Green Workforce
Ontario desperately needs a bold plan to create jobs for the 21st century. We need to replace the 300,000 manufacturing jobs lost in the last decade.
Ontario must embrace the clean tech and low carbon economy to create the next generation of green middle class jobs – just as so many industrialized countries, states and provinces are already doing. Already in Canada more people work in renewable energy than in the oilsands. In fact, 274,000 Canadians have cleantech jobs with an average salary of $92,000 per year.
Investing in the clean economy is essential to remain competitive and to create a vibrant green middle class.
We can kick start these industries by building on our robust system of skills development and apprenticeships, and by supporting a new generation of entrepreneurs and makers from all parts of society who will power the new green economy.
Support for a Green Building Program to create jobs while helping homeowners, renters and businesses save money by reducing their energy use.
Implement the most efficient and effective carbon pricing mechanism to create market incentives for low carbon products, services and businesses.
Provide incentives for businesses investing in energy efficient and low carbon equipment, buildings and vehicle fleets.
Implement incentives for businesses that participate in training and certification programs in job growth areas such as green building, biomedical technology, renewable energy and sustainable transportation.
Redirect existing business support programs to target the scale up of cleantech companies and innovation. Change criteria of business development programs to eliminate supports for proposals that contribute to an increase in Ontario’s greenhouse gas pollution.
Invest in the most cost effective, flexible, modern renewable energy sources.
Review government regulations to ensure the regulatory environment does not create barriers to the adoption of green technologies, practices and businesses.
Establish government procurement rules with criteria to purchase low carbon products and services.
Support businesses focusing on the triple bottom line (people, planet, profits) by amending the Ontario Business Corporations Act to add provisions authorizing incorporation of benefit corporations.
Modernize the Co-operative Corporations Act to reflect current business conditions and to help co-op businesses thrive.
Set up a social enterprise foundation to foster the development of triple bottom line businesses. The fund will provide grants and loans for young people in post-secondary education settings and in the workforce to develop their innovative ideas and bring socially impactful products and services to market.
Create a non-profit sector workforce development strategy and modernized, stable funding model for the non-profit sector to make operations more efficient.
Help new businesses scale up and sustain their growth by supporting the development of new programs that help foster ‘intra-preneurial’ skills encouraging and developing new ideas from within, in a low-risk/high-reward environment.
Support small business development opportunities for ‘senior-preneurs’ both online and through existing Regional Innovation Centres across the province.
Provide an option for employers to receive up-front subsidies when hiring co-op students as an alternative to the Co-operative Education Tax Credits.
Modernize the apprenticeship application process by leveraging the Ontario College Application Service to provide candidates with an electronic, single-entry access to the apprenticeship application and registration process.
Expand and invest in apprenticeship and training programs, including incentives for businesses to participate in apprenticeship, mentoring and co-op programs.
Reduce the ratio of journey people to apprentices to one to one in order to open more jobs and training opportunities for our youth and workers seeking new career options.
Establish a progressive fee schedule based on the earnings opportunities for each trade.
Work with manufacturers to support re-tooling the Ontario manufacturing cluster and adapt to powerful new advances, in robotics, 3D materials printing and laser cutting.
Use incentives to support the rapid prototyping of new products that will enhance the competitiveness of Ontario manufacturers and attract new business opportunities.
Support workers through the implementation of the Basic Income Guarantee (see below), to help people adjust to a fast-changing work environment by upgrading their knowledge.
Require Community Benefits Agreements for major infrastructure projects to ensure that public investment brings extensive social and economic benefits, including fair wage jobs, to local communities and businesses.
Conduct a census of vulnerable jobs and economic sectors in the transition to a low carbon, clean economy in order to develop strategies to help those workers and businesses successfully transition to the new economy.
Develop a strategy to ensure that the transition to a low carbon, clean economy benefits workers through retraining, living wages, benefits plans and career opportunities.
Implement border adjustments for carbon pricing to create an even playing field for energy-intensive, trade-exposed industries and their workers.
Establish an Ontario Youth Green Corps to provide summer job experience and foster a culture of stewardship and enterprise in the next generation of young Ontarians, helping young people learn job skills, introducing them to rewarding careers in trades, and fostering leadership.
Offer meaningful incentives for businesses involved with green retrofit, reforestation, and other forms of green economic activity to provide Ontario youth with valuable job experience.
Provide support for young entrepreneurs to start green businesses through online entrepreneurial courses, business modelling workshops and start up capital.
Implement a Well-being Measurements Act to identify indicators of the economic, social and environmental well-being of people, communities and ecosystems in Ontario.
Develop a provincial inventory of mining resources to measure the availability of our natural wealth and track the depletion of our natural assets.
Continuously update the provincial soil database to better track and protect the province’s prime farmland, a critical economic resource.
“This Budget has nothing for climate – nothing at all. It’s as if we’re not in a climate emergency.”
– Elizabeth May, MP
The Liberal government released its budget this week, outlining the government’s priorities for 2018. Where it’s putting your money – and where it’s not.
Green Party members and supporters will recognize some of the government’s new budget initiatives such as increased funding for protected areas, pharmacare, and international development. These issues have been part of the Green Party platform for years and we are encouraged to see the Liberals are catching up. However, overall this budget fails to deliver in the best interests of Canadians on the country’s most pressing problems: Growing Inequality, Green Economy and most importantly: Climate Change.
See our analysis below for more information on where the Liberals got it right and where they fell short.
Green Party members have affirmed our commitment to healthy communities, bold action on climate change, and fair fiscal policy. With that framework in mind we’ve provided a short analysis of the budget from a Green perspective. After reviewing our analysis we’d love to hear what you think. Send us your thoughts on Budget 2018.
***
Climate Change
While the Liberal government talks a good game on climate change, its lack of action (and critical funding) speaks louder than those empty words.
The Liberals campaigned on a promise to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, but over two years into their mandate, they are still giving the industry hundreds of millions a year in taxpayer-funded handouts. Budget 2018 should have signalled the beginning of the end for these harmful subsidies.
Health Care
Green Party members have been championing a universal pharmacare program for more than a decade. So we are thrilled to see the Liberal government’s commitment to implementing national pharmacare. We fully expect the results of their commission to conclude what we have been saying for years. Pharmacare for all is great policy that will make Canadians healthier and save billions of dollars. We will continue to push for early implementation.
Green Economy
We are deeply disappointed that Budget 2018 fails to provide any funding to restore the EcoENERGY retrofit program, nor to expand our east-west electricity grid.
EcoENERGY was a hugely successful program cut short. It allowed Canadians to invest in their most important asset — their home —while helping to reduce emissions across the country. We need to make sure that every Canadian home is retrofitted for energy efficiency to meet our emissions targets.
International Development
Despite commitments from successive Canadian governments to increase Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.7% of GDP, we have come nowhere near this target.
Canada must meet its modest responsibilities to help eliminate hunger and suffering among the world’s most impoverished. We applaud Budget 2018 for providing the first ODA increase since 2015, and encourage the Liberals to work towards the goal of 0.7% of GDP in the next decade.
Fighting Growing Inequality
Canada’s top earners are not paying their fair share of taxes. Canada is losing out on billions of dollars in revenue from offshore tax havens. The Liberal government did not commit to taking adequate action to recover this untaxed money hidden abroad.
We must close loopholes on offshore tax havens and immediately introduce a tax on estates worth more than $5 million.
Indigenous Reconciliation
Budget 2018 finally commits the necessary funds to put an end to the dark legacy of discrimination carried out by 150 years of Liberal and Conservative governments against Indigenous peoples. It took four compliance orders from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, which ruled that Canada was racially discriminating against First Nations children by refusing to provide equal funding for First Nations social services, but the government is finally moving on this important issue. This is an important step on the path to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Environment
We welcome the promise of funding to protect biodiversity and complete Canada’s network of protected areas. Elizabeth May, Green Party staff, members and supporters will be watching closely to hold the government to its commitment.
Gender Issues
The Liberal government should be commended for promising legislation guaranteeing women equal pay for work of equal value. However, we must point out that the gender impacts of climate change threaten to undermine other progress on gender equity. If climate change is not checked, women in Canada and around the world will bear the brunt of the ensuing economic and environmental upheaval.
***
Green Party members and supporters can be proud of their impact on national policy. Without your voices calling for healthier communities and stronger environmental protections, Budget 2018 may have reflected a much less Green outlook. Your support for our Green vision is what gives us hope in bringing forward bold, progressive policies to benefit all Canadians. Thanks for all that you do.
Though my job constantly requires me to look to the challenges and dangers on the horizon, I know that Canadians working together can solve any problem, overcome any hurdle. I think that is what makes us Canadian – a profound faith that together, through hard work, compassion and cooperation, we can build a better future.
This platform is about Canada. Our democracy, our economy, our communities – our future. This platform is about people, each and every one of us, and the role we play in our country and the essential services we all need to live safe, happy, fulfilled, and enriched lives.
I know many may think of the Green Party as a single issue party – yet, nothing could be further from the truth. Granted, you know me as someone who for the past forty years has stood firm to protect the air we all breathe, the water we drink, and the land that sustains us. But you also know me as a staunch defender of democracy, of economic policies that make sense, of fairness and openness, of justice and equity.
Have a look at what we are proposing to build a Canada that works together, but don’t stop there. Ask the tough questions of how we will work in the next parliament in collaboration with all parties to do what’s best for Canadians and our country. Then ask the other leaders those same tough questions. You deserve answers – promises are just not good enough.
Our platform is organized around four key issue areas: economy, communities, government, and climate. The policies within have been developed democratically, by people from all walks of Canadian life, from every province, territory, and traditional land.
Canadians inspire me. As Leader of the Green Party, I want to work for citizens to be heard. I want to work to help people who need help, and support small business and local communities as we grow stronger. Canadians in this election, more than ever, can vote from hope and from conviction, not from fear. In this platform you will find optimism, confidence, and sensible Canadian-made plans for a better future.
Recent Comments