The Election Platform which David Coon presented on behalf of the Green Party should be an eye-opener for those people who arent familiar with the Green Party of New Brunswick and its plan for economic and fiscal renewal. Anyone who believes that the Green Party is about ecological romance without a serious economic plan will need to look again and rethink their outlook. Even for those of us who are familiar with the policies of the Green Party of NB and the positions of our Leader David Coon, its a lift and a challenge from a tight-knit and positive outlook to move this province forward. On the economic front, there is a serious plan to generate work in the farming, forestry, smart grid, IT and energy sectors and thereby strengthen the regional economy. Among other things, it would include: -Delivering a food security act and food labelling act will make it possible for long-term fair-paid work in the farming sector by ensuring that New Brunswickers become more self-sufficient in supplying their own foods locally. These would also provide incentives for transitioning to organic food production and deregulating direct-to-consumer sales that are currently prohibited by quota restrictions. - Introducing an import substitution policy will encourage the more local production of goods and services to meet regional demand and encourage the growth of value-added exports. - dismantling and replacing the Alward Forestry Plan with a sustainable forest legislation, putting private woodlot owners and their employees at the front of the supply chain to the mills, creating community-based forest management where local decision-making creates local revenue, and redirecting a portion of stumpage fees to local communities. - In addition, with a Renewable Energy Act, the Green Government will transition the electrical grid to renewables on a specific timeline and at the sometime upgrade to a smart electrical grid that combines the best of micro-energy supply at the local level, innovative electrical engineering and IT management, with tremendous job growth potential in trades, engineering an IT sectors. This would be part of an overall commitment to reducing the provincial carbon footprint, with greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2020, 2030 and 2050; enforced by a ban on shale gas development, denying pipeline permit applications, and enacting a greenhouse gas levy of $10 per tonne of CO2 emitted on the import or extraction of fossil fuels, payable by the energy producer / importer. On the fiscal front, the Green Party is firmly committed to putting New Brunswick back on track to fiscal health. It would do this by establishing a NB Savings Bond to keep more investment dollars here at home; increase the corporate tax rate from 12% to 16% (in line with Nova Scotia and PEI); establish a new tax bracket for personal income over $150,000 at a tax rate of 21% while reducing provincial tax for personal income below $20,000 to 0%; increase royalty rates for all non-renewable resources to capture their full economic value; increase stumpage fees on Crown land resources; as well as end subsidies and tax credits to the resource sector. Furthermore, to make public finances more open and transparent, The Green Government will require the Department of Finance to publish tax expenditure account to track losses in provincial revenue associated with corporate tax cuts, tax exemptions, tax deferrals and tax credits. As required under current provincial legislation, the Green Party was required to establish the cost and revenue balance of its platform, should it be elected and its platform legislation. The Net Result was that a Green Government would be in the black and in a position in the first year of government to pay down $ 151.9 million on the provincial debt. These things are on my mind going to the Chamber of Commerce candidates meeting in St. Stephen tonight. Theres a lot more in the Election Platform, touching on healthcare, pensions, education, living wages, breaking the media monopoly and government reform. I look forward to the many discussions that follow from the Green Party vision. This is an energizing and smart platform. When we change, everything changes.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 12:45:36 +0000
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