Green Party candidate here...

[CamTheCat]

The Green Party of Canada (GPC) is going to do well in the upcoming election. We received about 600,000 votes last election, and could get 1,000,000 in the upcoming election.

People are realizing that the old left/center/right model is not solving our issues. We need a forward thinking government, and I believe that the GPC is the one that will bring our country back on track.

Thoughts?

Cameron W

[tml12]

The Green Party of Canada (GPC) is going to do well in the upcoming election. We received about 600,000 votes last election, and could get 1,000,000 in the upcoming election.

People are realizing that the old left/center/right model is not solving our issues. We need a forward thinking government, and I believe that the GPC is the one that will bring our country back on track.

Thoughts?

Cameron W

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would be happy to see the GPC get 1,000,000 votes, however I think your biggest enemy right now is the NDP.

[cybercoma]

tell us about the tax your party plans to implement on gasoline, I'm interested in hearing how much it's going to be and what it would be used for....

[kimmy]

I voted Green last time out. In my riding, the Conservative candidate was guaranteed to win by around 20,000 votes, so I decided that rather than waste my vote either fighting or adding to a landslide I would vote to help the Green Party reach that 4% figure they supposedly needed to reach some sort of funding milestone.

-k

[Gord S.]

tell us about the tax your party plans to implement on gasoline, I'm interested in hearing how much it's going to be and what it would be used for....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Beat me to it - well done...

I am sort of curious how many windmills we need to provide Toronto's electrical needs. Seriously - give us an accurate number + the scientific data to justify that number.

Then tell us where these 100's of thousands of windmills will be placed.

Then tell us the impact these windmills will have on the birds.

Thank you in advance for this information...

[Slavik44]

tell us about the tax your party plans to implement on gasoline, I'm interested in hearing how much it's going to be and what it would be used for....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Beat me to it - well done...

I am sort of curious how many windmills we need to provide Toronto's electrical needs. Seriously - give us an accurate number + the scientific data to justify that number.

Then tell us where these 100's of thousands of windmills will be placed.

Then tell us the impact these windmills will have on the birds.

Thank you in advance for this information...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

clearly we can just place them in alberta with the rest of the windbags.

[speaker]

The Green Party of Canada (GPC) is going to do well in the upcoming election. We received about 600,000 votes last election, and could get 1,000,000 in the upcoming election.

People are realizing that the old left/center/right model is not solving our issues. We need a forward thinking government, and I believe that the GPC is the one that will bring our country back on track.

Thoughts?

Cameron W

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I hope you'll give us some idea of how the greens will be looking forward that will differentiate them from the other parties. that looks like one of those meaningless comments to me.

[speaker]

Beat me to it - well done...

I am sort of curious how many windmills we need to provide Toronto's electrical needs. Seriously - give us an accurate number + the scientific data to justify that number.

Then tell us where these 100's of thousands of windmills will be placed.

Then tell us the impact these windmills will have on the birds.

Thank you in advance for this information... 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The only really sensible thing that can be done with a city like TO is to build the mix of energy resources that best fit within the city. The only way people are going to accept that their energy requirements are sustainable is to look them in the face each day. So you tell us, how many windmills could we place in and around Toronto.

[speaker]

tell us about the tax your party plans to implement on gasoline, I'm interested in hearing how much it's going to be and what it would be used for....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes indeed, and how would you arrive at the figure?

[CamTheCat]

Great to see some interest.

In that the Greens are fiscally conservative, they are very different that the NDP. In fact the GPC is different from all of the major parties, as we have given serious consideration to Ecological Fiscal Reform, a concept which is opposed to consumption for the sake of an ever-growing economy based on materialism and a skewed measurement of success, the GDP. The Greens support the idea of a Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) that would factor in the environmental costs an more accurately reflect true costs of energy and material goods. Feel free to research these concept on the internet - there's a lot of literature on them.

The biggest issue for the Green Party is ecological sustainability. To achieve this, we Canadians will have to review how we consume our natural resources. hudreds of thousands of windmills to replace existing energy systems isn't what we want, but instead a gradual shift over to sustainable practices through tax incentives and realistic taxing on resources that factors in the environmental costs.

It strikes me as odd that the government provides subsidies to the oil and gas industry, and then taxes consumers at the pump, with little of that money going towards funding research or implementation on renewable resources.

The Green Party has this in their platform...

Increase 10 cents a litre tax on fuel- phased in over 3 years. Implement a carbon tax on gasoline, diesel, and coal. Exclude ethanol blends and biodiesels from fuel tax.

Use carbon taxes to pay for incentive programs incentive to speed transition to low-impact renewables, and reduce demand with conservation programs and infrastructure changes.

I know there's discussion regarding the idea to shift taxes on fossil fuels to earlier points in the production cycle to encourage competition among companies to lower operating costs while reducing emissions. This would allow for the reduction of taxes on the little guy, in keeping with the Greens strategy of reducing income tax. This can be accomplished if we all reduce, reuse, and recycle. Simple concepts, but I'm refering to 'deep' recycling as opposed to 'shallow' recycling.

A forward thinking government is one that isn't ony concerned with the next four years. The Green Party has considered in their platform the effects on our children and our childrens' children. Far from a meaningless comment, this states that the Green Party will take proper care of our country and it's citizens.

Just under 600,000 people are on board with us, so we must be doing something right. In fact, our platform is very well thought out, with a strong focus on how to implement our fiscally conservative budget, while maintaining our support of social justice and ecological sustainability.

I hope this answers the above questions.

Cam

[cybercoma]

In a time where everyone is trying to get the government to reduce the cost of fuel, you propose gouging the consumer for another $0.10 at the pump? Why can't the money that both the federal and provincial governments make at the pumps be shifted into these programs that you're proposing? Why do the working class people who drive into work everyday have to watch their bank accounts shrink, so the government can hand more money over to the oil companies for research?

[Dan]

Your 10 cent/litre additional Fuel tax is profoundly anti-rural where public transit is non-existant and people must travel distances to obtain many goods and services.

Why do you cater to the cities and ignore the realities of Canadian geography?

Or are we all supposed to move to the already overburdened cities??

Your policy would be a death blow to many many rural communities.

[speaker]

In a time where everyone is trying to get the government to reduce the cost of fuel, you propose gouging the consumer for another $0.10 at the pump?  Why can't the money that both the federal and provincial governments make at the pumps be shifted into these programs that you're proposing?  Why do the working class people who drive into work everyday have to watch their bank accounts shrink, so the government can hand more money over to the oil companies for research?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As CamtheCat pointed out some of the taxes that are paid at the pump go to the oil compamies, talk about subsidizing one energy source at the expense of others. that being the case why not reduce taxes at the pump and cut subsidies to the oilfield? Who would do the research into other energies? surely you wouldn't give money to existing energy companies?

Your 10 cent/litre additional Fuel tax is profoundly anti-rural where public transit is non-existant and  people must travel distances to obtain many goods and services.

Why do you cater to the cities and ignore the realities of Canadian geography?

Or are we all supposed to move to the already overburdened cities??

Your policy would be a death blow to many many rural communities.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good post, I'm looking forward to a reply on this one.

[Argus]

The Green Party has this in their platform...

Increase 10 cents a litre tax on fuel- phased in over 3 years. Implement a carbon tax on gasoline, diesel, and coal. Exclude ethanol blends and biodiesels from fuel tax.

Use carbon taxes to pay for incentive programs incentive to speed transition to low-impact renewables, and reduce demand with conservation programs and infrastructure changes.

While I'm conservative and don't generally approve of tax increases, I don't really mind if they're for a good reason. What kind of incentives are you talking about? Ten cents a litre is a helluva lot of money. What is it going to be spent on? And what kind of impact is such an increase going to have on the economy? This is a very large country. Transportation costs are high. Will this tax also be on heating oil? Natural gas? If so, how do you keep poor people from freezing in the dark in winter? Why are you taxing coal? It's used only for electricity plants, isn't it? Are you going to raise the cost of electricity across the country, as well? So old folks on fixed incomes are going to see their hydro and heating oil costs shoot up to provide tax incentives for research? That's not acceptable.

[Rovik]

Actually I considered the Green Party fairly highly until today.

They come out with a press release against the seal hunt. Now, if you are from Newfoundland, you will realize that the seal hunt is an an important way to supplement many people's income especially those in the outports. The seal hunt has been ongoing for hundreds of years and is done in the most part humanely, other than by the rare individual. Of course, organizations like Greenpeace and PETA will tell you about the one person who might be breaking the rules and not tell you about the 100 who are doing it right. They gather millions in donations from people around the world that don't know the situation here in Newfoundland but are manipulated by these group's propaganda and skewering of the truth.

If the seal hunt was ever completely banned, than I suggest that the killing of chickens and cows should be banned as well. And in actually fact, chickens and cows are treated much more inhumanely than seals...just ask a chicken who is force fed with tubes...of course, chickens don't look as cute as adorable little baby seals so people don't care. And by the way, sealers are not allowed to kill baby seals, only the adults, though if you looked at a Greenpeace propaganda film you would think that the baby seals are what the sealers go after first.

So for those who are against the seal hunt but are perfectly happy to enjoy their chicken or steak suppers, in my opinion, those people are hypocrites.

[CamTheCat]

I stated...

"The Green Party has this in their platform...

Increase 10 cents a litre tax on fuel- phased in over 3 years. Implement a carbon tax on gasoline, diesel, and coal. Exclude ethanol blends and biodiesels from fuel tax.

Use carbon taxes to pay for incentive programs incentive to speed transition to low-impact renewables, and reduce demand with conservation programs and infrastructure changes.

I know there's discussion regarding the idea to shift taxes on fossil fuels to earlier points in the production cycle to encourage competition among companies to lower operating costs while reducing emissions. This would allow for the reduction of taxes on the little guy, in keeping with the Greens strategy of reducing income tax. "

If we are to reach ecological sustainability, we have to reduce our dependance on and cunsumption levels of fossil fuels. Whether this is through a fuel tax or a well head tax, we need to properly cost our resources, including the environmental costs.

I live in rural Alberta, and I know all too well how we depend on fuel for our lives. I believe that heating oil and fuel for farm vehicles may be exempt from the proposed tax, but I have to look into that.

Of course no one wants to pay more taxes, and the Green Party doesn't want to see the average Canadian having to bear a larger chunk of the tax burden than the rich, or the big businesses. The Green Party wants to see Cnada have a healthy economy, and is supportive of 'Fair Trade', basically a free market with some government controll so that the smaller, weaker countries don't get exploited by the bigger powers. This is in keeping with the Green value of social justice & equality.

As I stated, the new platform will be released soon, and we'll know exactly where the GPC stands on the issues of tax shifting and taxing non-renewable resources to provide incentives for cleaner energies. There has been a lot of thought going into the GPC platform, and I hope you all get a chance to look it over. For now, the current platform is available at greenparty.ca

Regarding seal hunting, this is a provincial issue, and as such the federal Green Party has chosen it's position. Provincially, you may find a different point of view.

If every person in the world used as much energy and consumed and wasted as much as we do in north america, we'd need three earths to sustain it. Now we can't just suddenly force huge changes, and the GPC will be gradually bringing their policies into action if elected.

Thanks for all the replies.

Cameron

[Dan]

I live in rural Alberta, and I know all too well how we depend on fuel for our lives. I believe that heating oil and fuel for farm vehicles may be exempt from the proposed tax, but I have to look into that.

This still ignores the average non-farmer that lives in rural-Canada (check a map, there are alot of us) who has to travel to obtain essential goods and services.

I am astonished at how "city-centric" this idea is and find the anti-rural bias to be short sighted, poorly considered and offensive.

[CamTheCat]

Ethanol blends and bio-deisel fuels would not be taxed. We know fossil fuels will run out, and that the oil & gas industry is desperate for more fossil based fuels leading to drilling for Coal Bed Methane and extraction of oil from the Alberta tar sands, a process that costs two barrels of oil worth of energy for every three barrels produced.

Here are two concepts currently being worked on in our new platform...

- Enforce a mandatory target of 25 per cent better fuel efficiency for

the automobile industry and increase standards over the next 5 years.

- Employ incentives to increase the percentage of ethanol content in gasoline and the availability of other biofuels.

Why buy into the story that we have to use fossil fuels? There are alternative energies that are cleaner, sustainable, and CHEAPER.

The Green Party will end all federal susidies to the fossil fuel sector.

In 1900, at the World Exhibition in Paris, Rudolph Diesel unveiled his new engine that ran on peanut oil. In 2006, the fossil fuels that run our vehicle engines in Canada are responsible for nearly 25 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

After 100 years of combustion engines, many people still believe that it costs less to fuel a vehicle with fossil fuels than by other methods. But the Green Party looks at the full cost of using fossil fuels and makes a parallel to cigarette smoking. When an individual smokes a cigarette they are placing a future cost on society. When we add the health and environmental costs of driving a vehicle that runs on fossil fuels – the smog alerts, the asthma, the cancer rates, the oil spills – they quickly pile up. Add the cost of instability in the oil industry and it’s a wonder why we have pursued oil for so long.

Fossil fuels are creating an ecological and an economic shock. Canadians felt that shock last summer when gas prices rose astronomically. With oil reaching peak production, prices will continue to rise – creating fertile ground for inflation and recessions.

The federal government’s solution is to subsidize exploration and production with upwards of $2 billion every year. However, subsidies should be used when governments believe that an investment is worthwhile. It's why we subsidize daycares, education and health services. So, why are we subsidizing industries that are pulling in multi-billion dollar profits while they continue to pollute Canada?

We can shift gears. Shift to clean renewable fuels, expand public transport and build healthy communities using “smart growth” strategies that won’t leave us breathless.

Dan wrote... "This still ignores the average non-farmer that lives in rural-Canada (check a map, there are alot of us) who has to travel to obtain essential goods and services.

I am astonished at how "city-centric" this idea is and find the anti-rural bias to be short sighted, poorly considered and offensive...."

Dan, the Green Party is not city focussed. In fact it is exactly the opposite. The Green party is all about grassroots democracy; putting power back into the voter's hands. Empowering municipal governments to make decisions directly related to the issues affecting their towns or cities.

Cameron

[speaker]

There are a couple of concerns Cameron with bio gas, and biodiesel. One is similar to your mention of the expense of oilsands fuel. I understand that there is still pretty good debate going on about how much energy it takes to produce a given amount of ethanol for example. I expect the same is true for bio diesel.

the grain or oilseeds used for production of fuel come from farmers that are under pressure to sell below their cost of production, in short dumping their produce on the market to the extent that their land ends up subsidizing industries profitable production of feedstock and food. In short it is not cheap, or at least I haven't seen any gasahol companies offering to pay what this diversion away from human and livestock food would be worth if all costs are included.

[CamTheCat]

A very good point speaker. I thank you for your insight, and will look into this further.

Cameron

[Rovik]

This is a followup to what i mentioned earlier about the Greens and their stance on the seal hunt.

The Greens have seen their highest profile organizer Lori-Ann Martino resign and their candidate in labrador quit the race because of their ill-advised stance on the seal hunt.

Here are a couple of links detailing the above.

Sealing stance prompts Green organizer to quit

and

Green candidate quits over party's anti-seal hunt stance

They haven't historically got many votes in NL but with this stance, they will get virtually none now. And I'll be surprised if they will run a full slate in NL unless they bring in candidates from outside NL.

[Chronic]

As I hope you all know a Federal Election is coming up on Jan 23.

There is one more Leaders Debate scheduled on Monday.

There is a petition collecting signatures to stop the TV executives from being the ones who decide who is allowed in the debates. Right now for a party to be recognized as an official federal party, they must get at least 2% of the popular vote. Once this happens they recieve funding from taxes and are regarded as an offical party.

At this point in time they should be being included in all Federal Political Events. That isnt the way it works though when it comes to the televised debates. Regardless of the criteria already set out for federal parties, the television executives arbritarily decide who can be invloved. Which means that they are subverting the federal election process if they follow any guidelines except the established governmental regulations.

For a brief refresher (or maybe new knowledge) there are 308 ridings across canada. In the last election only four parties ran a candidate in every riding. To me this is important, because if you wish to be a federal party that represents the whole country, shouldn't you have represenatives across the whole country? The four parties were; the Liberals, Conservatives, N.D.P. and The Green Party.

The following link is to a petetion at the Green Parties website. This has nothing to do with any poll or survey, and it is not about supporting the Green Party. It is about allowing the democratic principles that our country is about to work as they were meant to.

Nowhere does it say that televion executives should have the power to decide who has access to the leaders debates.

By monday's scheduled debate, we need to collect another 10,000 canadian signatures.

Just ask yourself this, wouldnt you at least like to see the leader of the Green Party have a chance to say his peace, especially considering a couple of million tax dollars went to them since the last election?

Here's the link

http://www.info-greenparty.ca/petition/

Let's let the democratic process work without hinderance from the television executives.

Tom Adshead