Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

BC Green leadership candidate Sonia Furstenau releases post-COVID-19 plan for livable communities, a green industrial strategy and infrastructure investment

Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley, today released her second platform plank as part of her campaign for the leadership of the B.C. Green Party. Furstenau’s plan is a strategy for renewal following COVID-19 that focuses on livable communities, a green industrial strategy, and infrastructure investments.

“We need to make smart investments that will make B.C. resilient in the long-term,” said Furstenau.

“This means addressing the unsustainable levels of inequality and environmental degradation of the past. In the past few weeks, we have seen a groundswell of support for addressing systemic racism. This means being willing to overhaul all of our systems.

“We need to re-imagine what we want our communities to look like - in my mind, that means making them safer, healthier and more connected for everyone. That is why, in my previous platform, I also called for expanding services like child care, housing, education, and mental health. While these investments alone aren't sufficient to address the reality of systemic racism and inequality, they are a vital component of building a more equitable society.

“The abundance of good ideas being generated on how to re-imagine how we do things is truly exciting. If we embrace the change people are calling for, we can make our communities and our economy stronger in the face of all the massive change happening throughout the world.”

Furstenau’s plan includes the following policies: 

 

  1. Consult with local governments and other stakeholders to explore how the province can support improved livability such as walkable neighbourhoods, complete communities, connected communities, and healthy community design. 
  2. Develop a green industrial strategy that engages industry, labour, and other stakeholders to create plans to fairly and efficiently manage carbon budgets while maximising our green industrial potential. 
  3. Engage with industry, labour and other stakeholders to develop green industries and direct provincial and leverage federal funding for a just, green economic renewal. Priority projects will include affordable rental and co-op housing, rapid transit projects, smaller scale distributed renewable energy projects, materials management facilities, and workforce and small business retraining, re-tooling and upskilling.
  4. Work with local and regional governments to establish an equitable, stable long-term funding model for transit. 

 

Sonia Furstenau ... is the Green Party MLA for Cowichan Valley. She is currently one of the candidates seeking to lead the BC Green Party

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH: Without a strong local presence, there is NO reason for anyone to tune in to local(?) radio

LOCAL HOMETOWN RADIO IS DYING … and without serious measures put in place, it will likely never see the light of day again. For well over four decades, the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) has presided over its’ demise, and for that I say, “Shame”. Without out a word to say enough was enough, the CRTC has allowed corporate Canada to buy up one radio station after the other, and then allowed them to slash staff to the point where some so-called local radio stations do nothing more than air programming that originates from communities well outside the region in which they are located. Case in point?   On CHNL* 610 in Kamloops, the morning show hosted by Vinnie and Randi, DOES NOT originate from Kamloops -- it doesn’t even originate here in BC. It’s a program that Stingray airs across multiple radio stations in Western Canada. It doesn’t end there. Not only are Vinnie and Rando doing mornings on CHNL, but they also show up on sister station Country 103 … and of course o...
5 comments
Read more

Conservative Economic Team Responds to Urgent Industry Concerns

 " For far too long, the BC NDP has ignored the economic challenges facing British Columbians. Manufacturing jobs are vanishing, forestry is in decline, and private sector employment growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, affordability has worsened for both families and businesses. British Columbians deserve better, and we’re here to deliver real solutions to rebuild our economy and create jobs that support everyday working people and their families ." – Gavin Dew, MLA and Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economy, Development, and Innovation.   December 3, 2024, Vancouver, BC – The Conservative economic team met today with business leaders and stakeholders to tackle critical issues impacting British Columbia’s economy. Attended by 9 critics from the Conservative Caucus, this meeting was convened by MLA Gavin Dew – Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation - as a direct response to an October 30th open letter from seven of the province’s largest industry associations. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- We need certainly in our markets, and certainly in our fibre supply, before we no longer have a forest industry in this province

Image Government of BC I think we all realize that the threat of Trump’s 25% tariff is like other provocative statements he’s made in the past. That said, we should have reason to be concerned. Tariffs don’t benefit anyone. A tariff of that magnitude – included on our own softwood lumber exports, will make things more expensive for Americans, and cause friction in the supply chain. If imposed, a twenty-five percent tariff will be equally detrimental to the citizens and economy of the United States, as well as the people of BC. There are two things, however, of equal concern to the threat of punitive tariffs by incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. One is our antiquated stumpage fees. It is a legacy from decades ago, and one incapable of responding to changing market conditions. We need to revamp our stumpage system to better reflect market conditions, and our economic costs. Instead, a value-added tax system will be instantly responsive to current market conditions and will encou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more