As the federal election looms in the distance, the Green Party has made a number of platform promises including the elimination of post-secondary education tuition, the repeal of Bill C-51, and to halt the use of fossil fuels by mid-century.
On Wednesday, Green Party leader Elizabeth May was in Vancouver to announce the Party’s 2015 election platform. Focusing on four different factions, the Green Party platform is aiming to build a nation that works together.
Sustainable economy:
The Green Party made a number of commitments Wednesday morning, which include putting small businesses in the spotlight and slashing Canada’s student debt.
“We still start investing in Canada’s future by abolishing tuition fees for students without adequate financial means,” read the Party’s platform package. “Through consultation and collaboration with provincial governments and universities and colleges, by 2020 we will abolish tuition fees for post-secondary education and skills training for Canadians.”
“Our plan will eliminate any existing or future student federal debt about $10,000. We will abolish charging interest on new student loans and will increase available funding for bursaries.”
Strong communities:
Protecting Canada Post, re-investing in Canadian arts and culture, eliminating poverty and challenging inequality, and creating a national seniors strategy are some of the routes the Green Party is looking to take in order to strengthen Canadian communities.
“We will implement a National Housing Strategy based on Housing First principles. Housing First is a proven, recovery-oriented approach that centres on quickly moving people experiencing homelessness into independent, permanent housing, and then providing additional supports and services as needed.”
The Green Party is also working to expand the Canadian Pension Plan for seniors and address the lack of affordable housing available.
Good Government:
The Green Party is looking to repeal Bill C-51, and “reverse Harper’s legacy and get our country back.”
“Canada already has effective anti-terror laws that do not trample on our rights as egregiously as Bill C-51 does,” read the platform package.
The Green Party also slammed Prime Minister Harper for the use of understudied omnibus budget bills, stating that the bills have “severely damaged” our democracy, “devastates” environmental legislation, and cuts billions in funding from health care.
“We are not about politics, we are about democracy,” stated May during Wednesday’s press conference in Vancouver.
Bold Action on Climate:
Elizabeth May and the Green Party vow to defend Canada’s coast from pipelines and oil tankers, end thermal exports, create a climate and energy strategy, and halt oil sands expansion.
“We must also provide urgent support to First Nations living downstream from the oil sands, whose communities and traditional foods are being contaminated by oil sands pollution in the Athabasca water and air sheds, with devastating health consequences.”
The Green Party also announced on Wednesday that their budget is a balanced one. To read the more than 40-page platform package, click here.
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