Green Party economic policy

[artp]

At a time when there is some tension between short-term economic concerns and slightly longer-term environmental concerns the Green Party of Canada deserves great credit for the economic policy posted in its website. At least they have a policy and are providing something for debate.

The party's two main economic goals are efficiency and “get the prices right”. I believe these are excellent goals as their achievement would help deal with many environmental problems.

However, one must take issue with the greens over how to achieve these goals. The greens would use taxes and subsidies to change priorities in our economy. If all the policies proposed on their website were implemented there would have to be a massive increase in government involvement in the economy. But the Soviets, with their central planning, demonstrated it is difficult if not impossible for governments to get the prices right and without that you cannot have efficiency.

Here are some possible alternate policies which would help to achieve an efficient economy and get the prices right.

Subsidy money should be given to consumers rather than producers.

Taxation should be to finance government rather than to control economic activity.

Unilaterally declare genuine free trade – no tariffs or export taxes or subsidies.

Require producers to provide complete information about their products and services. (The greens' policy takes a step in this direction)

Repeal patent and copyright legislation or at least shorten the protection time.

Implementation of these policies would would increase economic efficiency, help top get the prices right and also transfer decision making from government to individuals.

The Green Party of Canada economic policy can be viewed at: http://www.greenparty.ca/en/policy/visiongreen/partone

artp

The Justice, Economics and Environment weblog

http://artp.typepad.com/jee/

[kengs333]

Nice try, but you've posted this in a forum anyone who doesn't vote Conservative and has theories on the economy that is progressive wears a "tinfoil hat". If you're expecting an intelligent, reasoned debate... you will not find it here.

[OddSox]

Require producers to provide complete information about their products and services. (The greens' policy takes a step in this direction)

I'm not sure what policy you're referring to here.

The Greens are very much against Bill C51, which is aimed at increasing information disclosure when it comes to the various "natural" herbs and supplements touted by the natural healing promoters and the health industry. Many of these products are sold with unproven claims of their potential benefits, without any disclosure of their ingredients or the strength of those ingredients, and without any oversight whatsoever.

"This enactment amends the Food and Drugs Act to modernize the regulatory system for foods and therapeutic products, to strengthen the oversight of the benefits and risks of therapeutic products throughout their life cycle, to support effective compliance and enforcement actions and to enable a greater transparency and openness of the regulatory system." from http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/P...126&File=19

(p.s. you would do well to ignore the guy in the tin foil hat)

[Slim MacSquinty]

Reading that post I was waiting for phrases like the means of production, and proletariat, who in their right mind is going to allow the government to fiddle with prices, that is up to the market to decide, jeez can't we accept that we are capitalists?

Oh and it is an oximoron to suggest government and efficiency in the same sentence.

[ReeferMadness]

I find in general that the Greens policies are more clearly stated than other parties - probably because they don't have a lot to lose by alienating some segment or other. It seems to me that the Green Party is usurping the traditional NDP role by coming up with different ideas.

I don't know the relevance of Soviet Central planning to Green policies but over the past 20 years, here are some events I've witnessed in the "efficient" free markets:

• Savings & Loan Scandal
  
• Japanese bubble of the early 90's
  
• Asian meltdown
  
• Bre-X
  
• Dot com boom (shortly followed by the dot com bust)
  
• Enron, World-Com and other crooked companies
  
• Now the current world-wide financial crisis
  

In some cases, the actions of the free market were criminally asinine - in others they were just plain criminal. It's time to stop slamming governments and reform them to make them work better for us.

[kimmy]

Going back a couple of years I have thought the Green party approach was fundamentally more sensible than the NDP approach. (I'm not sure what to say about the Liberal approach, as I wind up more and more confused each time I listen to Dion talk about it.)

I am once again considering voting Green. I once again live in a riding where a Conservative landslide is likely, so voting for any of the 3 major parties would be a waste. Voting for the Green candidate would help them reach the plateau to qualify for funding.

I'm of the view that they are relevant enough to have a place in Canadian politics.

(and my sinister twin Evil Kimmy also believes that the continued existence of the Green Party will keep votes on "the left" divided and help the Conservatives remain in office. )

-k

[kengs333]

Why do people persist in thinking that the Green Party is a "left-wing" party?

[Wild Bill]

Why do people persist in thinking that the Green Party is a "left-wing" party?

Because when you read their party literature it's really thin on workable economics and really long on the environment. Often their candidates economic views and/or history seem leftist.

They obviously are trying to present themselves as more of a broad perspective party but they're young. They have a LONG way to go!

[kengs333]

Because when you read their party literature it's really thin on workable economics and really long on the environment. Often their candidates economic views and/or history seem leftist.

They obviously are trying to present themselves as more of a broad perspective party but they're young. They have a LONG way to go!

Jim Harris was PC. Elizabeth May praised Mulroney for being the "greenist" PM. Some aspects of the platform is conservative. The party has drawn support from the right, people like me.

[Argus]

Jim Harris was PC. Elizabeth May praised Mulroney for being the "greenist" PM. Some aspects of the platform is conservative. The party has drawn support from the right, people like me.

Yeah, but you're kind of a kook.

[kimmy]

Why do people persist in thinking that the Green Party is a "left-wing" party?

One could plot their positions on a variety of issues as being here or their on the political spectrum, but the bottom line is that they remain viewed as a one-issue party focused on the environment, and in the popular perception that alone makes them "left wing".

And the bottom line is that we know where most of their votes are going to come from. The people who decide to change their vote to Green are more likely to be traditional NDP or Liberal supporters. Traditional Conservative voters, not so much.

-k

[Alta4ever]

Why do people persist in thinking that the Green Party is a "left-wing" party?

Its because all of their taxation and economic policies involve wealth redisrabution.

[betsy]

May and Dion will both funnel billions to the big Suzuki and Company Corporation!