Compare Us to Other Parties

Economy

Growth-based – consumption-based economy, expand trade with India and China

Green, sustainable, entrepreneurial economy, strong regional self sufficient, value-added economies

Growth-based – consumption-based economy, expand trade with India and China

Measuring Economic Health

GDP, single bottom line accounting

GDP, Genuine Progress Indicator, Triple Bottom Line accounting

GDP, single bottom line accounting

Economic recovery

Use deficit and debt to stimulate economy, back to balanced budget in 3 years, spend on big infrastructure projects (roads, bridges, ports), keep debt within accepted debt to GDP ratio

Live within our means financially – avoid deficit and debt, pay down debt, subsidy shifting to end perverse subsidies and corporate welfare, if deficit required it must used to transition to green economy (retrofits, renewable energy, biking, pedestrian and transit infrastructure, rail), use economic downturn as a time to transition to local/regional self sufficient economies

Run a bigger deficit for a longer period, provide more money to retain grants, increase spending for social programs, health and education, keep debt within accepted debt to GDP ratio

Carbon Tax

Introduced at $10/tonne, accelerates $5/year to $30 by 2012, not universal – gives a partial exemption for industrial emissions from oil and gas, metals and cement because they will be subject to cap and trade, tax shifting – revenue neutral by income tax reduction, low income rebates

$50/tonne accelerating quickly to a level that reduces consumption, fairly applied all individuals & industries, tax shifting, investment in transit infrastructure, protection for low income, would use cap and trade as a secondary alternative

Currently support carbon tax - Would not make it revenue neutral. Would use some revenue to invest in transportation

Consumption Taxes

Introduced the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) after saying they wouldn’t, no consultation or debate, basic food and some basic items continue to be exempt, oil and gas exemptions undermine carbon tax, low income rebate; promoted as tax relief for major resource industries

Policy has supported HST since 2005, exempt the “goods” – bikes, fitness memberships, wellness services, tax the “bads” – fossil fuels, junk foods; promoted as a support for small business

Oppose consumption taxes

Taxation Policy

Reduce corporate tax to lowest levels in Canada, reduce income tax to lowest levels in Canada, increase service fees – tolls, MSP premiums, Property Transfer Tax, gambling revenue, carbon tax

Use consumption, carbon and pollution taxes to tax the bads, lower taxes on the goods – income, investment and employment, tax shifting, make taxes visible to discourage unnecessary consumption, halt dependence on gambling

Graduated income tax – tax the rich; confused rhetoric on corporate taxes, opposed to consumption and carbon taxes

Energy

Self sufficiency – really means over production for export, privatization, big grid mentality

Conserve, get off oil and gas, end subsidies, diversify to geothermal, solar, wind, ocean and methane capture, regional self sufficiency through distributed network

Build on Hydro, support oil and gas industry

Oil and Gas

Increase production, support off-shore drilling, support tanker traffic, support pipeline from Tar Sands to Kitimat

End subsidies, no to off-shore drilling – make moratorium permanent, no to pipeline from the Tar Sands, no to tankers, wean ourselves from oil and gas and convert to alternatives

No offshore drilling, continue subsidies to oil and gas industry, end flaring, support expansion of gas production in NE

Run of River (RofR)

Supports – part of self sufficiency strategy, Clean Energy Act is about expansion of this form of energy for the purpose of selling energy

No new hydro – no to RofR, diversify into other energy, buy back licenses, supports some micro hydro that help First Nations get off diesel

Place a moratorium, honour all contracts

Independent Power Projects (IPP)

Prefers IPPs, all projects except Site C must be private, overrode the power of the BC Utilities Commission when they called BC Hydro’s call for clean energy not in the public interest

Supports a mix of public and independent power, prefers IPPs that are small scale, co-ops, utilities; carbon tax at reasonable level makes investment in renewables more likely, feed in tariffs proposed to level the playing field and favour renewables by size and greenness

Introduced IPPs when they were in power, equate IPPs to RoR, now supports only public generation and transmission

Site C

Supports and is pushing for Site C, reduced need for consultation under the Clean Energy Act

No to Site C – no new hydro, conserve and diversify to real renewables, make existing heritage dams more efficient

Wait for results of BC Hydro study, some in caucus oppose, some say Site C if demand is proven

Issue

BC Liberals

BC Greens

BC NDP

Policing

Continue as now, tweak with regional coordination, supports continuation of RCMP, announced support for an independent civilian police investigation unit in response to the Braidwood Inquiry Report which will apply to municipal forces and RCMP

Change to BC Provincial Police Service, transition off unaccountable RCMP, strengthen police complaints, eliminate Tasers, independent civilian agency to investigate police misconduct

Continue with the current mix of RCMP and municipal forces

Crime

More police, more prosecutors, more prisons – tough on crime rhetoric

Deal with root causes, end prohibition, make harm reduction a reality, end poverty, support at risk families

More police, more prosecutors, more prisons

Health

In rhetoric supports Canada Health Act but all indications are toward privatized health care, maintain existing Health Authority model, measure using key indicators established at the national level

Transition to prevention and health promotion, local health provision in multi-disciplinary teams, just in time service, public system, transition from 5 Health Authorities to 14 Health Trust based on geographic and demographic factors, over time transition doctors from fee for service model to salaries

Put more money into existing model, keep it public

Health Governance

Consolidate additional power to Health Authorities, potentially reduce the number of Health Authorities based on the Alberta experience, let Health Authorities continue to function as quasi-private, unaccountable entities; privatize services as much as possible through mandated P3s

Increase to 14 regional health trusts based on geographic and demographic criteria, shift from cost containment to patient service

Make current authorities more accountable

Training

Greater roles for industry, relevant to green economy, assess programs for relevance, locate programs where real and potential employment exists

Issue

BC Liberals

BC Greens

BC NDP

Poverty

Claim they are doing lots and have increased budget for poverty reduction, refuse to set targets, increased shelter beds, purchased SRO hotels for hard to house, provide income and shelter assistance

Implement a Guaranteed Income supplement, 1% of budget to housing, buy unsold units in existing projects to increase government owned and operated rental units

Increase minimum wage to $10, build social housing using $250 million fund, set targets for poverty reduction

Child Welfare

Maintain the current system, undermine the work of Child and Youth Advocate

Support families at risk, keep families together or reunite quickly, put resources into assisting families at risk so we reduce the number of children taken into care and multigenerational family dysfunction, work closely with the Child and Youth Advocate to change from a punitive to a supportive attitude toward families at risk, special attention to Aboriginal issues

Put more money into the current system, support the work of the Child and Youth advocate

Advanced Education

Tuition increases at cost of inflation, under funded programs, privatize

20% reduction in tuition, 5 year forgiveness of tuition for those who work & pay taxes, increased grants to institutions

Freeze tuition, more grants, look at tuition when economy improves

K-12 Education

Download costs without adequate revenue, undermine School Boards, full-day kindergarten for all 5 year olds by 2011, test for skills achievement

Find alternate to per student funding model, provide choice in schooling, challenge status quo that diminishes educational opportunities for learning disabled, gifted learners, older teens and BC First Nations, use new insights into optimal learning and best practices from science, knowledge to adapt to the impact of global ecological, social and economic shifts,

Provide extra funding to public school boards, reduce class sizes

Issue

BC Liberals

BC Greens

BC NDP

Wood Product Industry

Continue with industrial forestry model, support the large multinational forestry companies, renege on the Tree Farm License Agreements, expand to Asia to make up for loss of US markets, support industry consolidation, industry controls oversight

Switch to a sustainable model based in restoration, biodiversity and selective logging, tenure reform – ½ of all forests controlled locally and by First Nations, regional competitive log markets, value add to wood locally, regional oversight boards

Continue industrial forestry model, require forestry companies to live up to their obligations under the Tree Farm License Agreements, expand to Asian markets

Raw Log
Exports

Supports

Ban

Curtail – reduce by a percentage

Gateway

Supports

Stop

Supports – change route of road supposedly to protect farm land

Corporate Responsibility

Existing Act – make money, accepts large amounts of money from corporations

Amend Business Corporations Act to include a Social Contract based on Global Green Charter

No policy