Saturday, May 11, 2013
A Mother's Day Weekend Response to Candidate Visit
Dear Damian,
I am writing this email because I was so pleased that you visited my children’s school (Kerrisdale) the other day. It was a great opportunity for my son and his classmates (Gr. 4) to meet you and the NDP candidate and I think they learned the general idea about Green and NDP.
I am a Japanese citizen and I cannot vote in Canada because Japanese government does not allow dual citizenship. I raise three Canadian children and I have been feeling so neglected because there’s no opportunity for me to vote and I have been worried about my children’s future especially since Harper took over the office. My Canadian husband and I support Green party and I am glad that my children believe the environment is one of their priorities. I am very impressed with the Student Vote and I think this is a great step for the future of Canada. It would be interesting to see the results of the Student Vote. My son says most his classmates will vote for either Green or NDP. I felt maybe there is hope in our future!
I am on the Green Party’s newsletter list already and I hope you will continue your good work.
Good luck with the election!
Best wishes,
Masako
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Make History & Vote Green May 14
The BC Green Party has been knocking on doors of the legislature in Victoria for 30 years.
In this, our eighth campaign to elect MLA's, the prospect of electoral success has never looked so promising.
Federal Green leader Elizabeth May set the wheels in motion in when she was elected in 2011, Canada's first Green MP, to represent the residents Saanich - Gulf Islands in Ottawa.
Elizabeth was subsequently voted by her 304 MP peers as Canada's 2012 Parliamentarian of the Year for her performance in the House of Commons.
Elizabeth’s success in BC and Ottawa and a strong local campaign resulted in the Greens also making huge gains in last November’s federal by-election in Victoria losing by less than 3%.
Now the electoral battle lines are drawn for May 14 across BC and we are cautiously optimistic that BC Green candidates in and around Victoria will break through.
The BC Green policy is evidenced based, supported by peer reviews and is thus resonating with voters across BC.
Our persistent campaigning and innovate ideas have resulted in a number of our early policies (e.g. carbon tax, junk food out of schools, stopping pipelines) being implemented by other parties.
Our long term focus on ending cannabis prohibition and moving to a regulated and tax environment resulted in heckling through the 80's and 90's but now public support is on our side in this arena.
When you vote for and elect Green candidates they will help build better communities by decreasing taxes on individuals and industries that promote health and increase taxes on pollution, waste and unhealthy living.
A number of our candidates are world class experts on the climate crisis and will bring the right ideas to the legislature that will make BC safer for our children.
We acknowledge our expertise in environmental matters but the BC Greens have evolved to a multidisciplinary party that promotes new, transformative policy that will improve the health, education and welfare for all British Columbians.
The tax payers of today can be confident that Greens can dissect financial statements and prepare budgets when provided with all the facts.
We promote a new generation of green jobs in fields of energy efficiency, local organic agriculture, technology and the creative industries. We will work to become true stewards of our abundant natural resources and plan more transit resilient communities so we can attract more high tech jobs. One high tech job creates 4.3 other local jobs in the community thus we need to our provincial taxation system is attractive to technology companies and their employees.
We support bold goals like Vancouver being the Greenest City by 2020 as it will make us an attractive destination for foreign firms to set up research and development offices and create jobs.
The BC Greens will champion the safety of wild salmon and lobby for new endangered species legislation without delay.
We will stop the practice of putting antifreeze and other toxic chemicals into our water tables in the gas fracking process. We will conserve what remains of our old growth forests.
Welfare reform and Guaranteed Livable Income is something BC needs to debate in Victoria.
BC's post-secondary students should not have the highest student loan interest rates in the country.
British Columbians need more access to preventative, complementary and alternative medical treatments through funding models that promote wellness and focus on improving our quality of life.
Greens MLA's in Victoria will signal to the world that British Columbians are serious about preserving our resources for future generations and building strong local economies not reliant on mega projects, long term accumulation of debt and the exporting of raw logs.
BC Greens are attracting voters from all backgrounds and now we need you support. We ask voters to be bold on May 14 and vote with their heart for a party that they know will make policy decisions with our provinces’ next seven generations in mind.
Please vote Green locally and let your friends and family in south Vancouver Island that we need their support more than ever to make history and build a better BC.
Damian Kettlewell, BA, MBA
Vancouver Quilchena candidate 2013
Vancouver False Creek candidate 2009
BC Green Deputy Leader, 2009 - 2008
Vancouver Point Grey candidate 2005
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A green vision for B.C. in the two way Vancouver False Creek race"
“A green vision for B.C. in the two way Vancouver False Creek’s race”
The time has come for British Columbia to live up to its promise of the being the greatest place on earth. We can achieve this goal with holistic legislation that prepares us for the challenges of the next generation in our rapidly changing world.
The downturn in global markets and a lack of government foresight has resulted in British Columbia losing 73,000 jobs over the last year. B.C. needs to transition to new “knowledge-based” sectors of job creation, and accept that the continued mechanization of industry will result in less low-skilled jobs over time. The greatest job opportunities for the current and next generation of British Columbians will come from localized markets that are based less on foreign-made goods, less on assuming large debt, and less about commuting. These locally-based jobs will be increasingly based upon local communities, local food, and the genuine needs of local people. B.C.’s education system needs to be more affordable and it will play a key role in training a new generation of locally-oriented professionals, whose jobs and professions will improve our quality of life and help minimize our economy’s over-reliance on unnecessary consumption.
The amount of carbon in our atmosphere has increased by 22% over the last 50 years. BC’s new jobs must work within a new economic paradigm of job creation with reduced carbon pollution. Metro Vancouver deserves $3.1 billion invested in 200 kilometres of light rail that will deliver well-paying and “green” engineering and construction jobs. The lungs of the Fraser Valley, our remaining farm and bog lands, and our collective carbon threshold would be devastated by the pending Gateway transportation plan, which completely ignores the looming reality of “peak oil”.
Spending $3.1 billion on a new Port Mann Bridge, rather than investing in a more systemic transportation network based increasingly upon public transit, will cause greater suburban sprawl and will negate all of the positive benefits from the government’s new carbon tax. If our province is serious about preventing climate change, then our government needs to illustrate genuine leadership in encouraging individual people to change their behaviour for the betterment of society. Asking people to cut their carbon consumption, while at the same time building new “super bridges” that are void of any new public transit spending, shows that our current government is not serious about giving commuters in Metro Vancouver a viable alternative to their private automobile. The new Canada Line, Evergreen and UBC SkyTrain lines show some promise, but the high cost of SkyTrain infrastructure could instead be used to build light rail lines across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Across the province we need district-level solar, geothermal, wind and run of river projects that are managed by a new Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change. This new ministry would promote cooperative and municipally-owned utilities and provide mega projects like the Site C dam and diesel-powered generation in rural First Nation communities with new clean, green options. With a renewed “seven-generation environmental assessment process”, local communities will proceed with energy projects that meet their local needs and create local jobs. Clean tech renewable energy industries will enable us to protect our wild salmon, preserve our old-growth forests and preserve critical habitat for endangered species and local agriculture.
Homelessness rates and economic growth rates have been going in the opposite direction for the past two years. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an antiquated system that merely measures the quantity of market activity. B.C. requires a new index, such as the Genuine Progress Index (GPI), to establish a measurable bottom line for social, environmental and economic progress. The GPI encompasses unpaid labour, such as parenting and volunteer work, and subtracts the costs of pollution, crime and the depletion of non-renewable resources. Mixed-use social housing developments that embrace the role of arts and culture will help provide for a generation of homeless citizens. Vancouver’s new mayor, Gregor Robertson, is on the right track to end homelessness. With continued compassionate efforts in the short term (e.g. opening up churches, unused government buildings for temporary shelter), combined with a new social housing developments that have measurable “end homelessness” goals, we can do just that.
For B.C. to achieve this bold green vision, we require electoral reform now. Implementing the Single Transferable Vote (BC-STV) will result in fairer election results, more voter choice and better representation. Electoral reform, including electoral finance reform on a provincial and municipal level, will make our elected officials more transparent and help stop a hemorrhaging democratic system that is struggling with the lowest level of voter turnout rates in modern history.
Across B.C., I ask that you speak to your neighbours, friends and family regarding how important it is that you vote Green on May 12, to bring green job and end homelessness legislation to Victoria.
A unique “two-way race” has evolved in the new provincial riding of Vancouver-False Creek. With no incumbent MLA and with your help we can elect BC’s first Green MLA. Join our team now and green your community by visiting www.damiankettlewell.com or engaging with us on Facebook. We need your help to get new, past and present Green votes to the polls.
My name is Damian Kettlewell, and I want to recruit you to vote Green and vote Yes for BC STV on May 12, 2009. Vancouver False Creek is ripe for change and ready for a Green MLA.
Damian Kettlewell
MLA candidate, Vancouver-False Creek
Deputy Leader, BC Green Party
www.damiankettlewell.com, Facebook, Twitter: dkettlewell
The time has come for British Columbia to live up to its promise of the being the greatest place on earth. We can achieve this goal with holistic legislation that prepares us for the challenges of the next generation in our rapidly changing world.
The downturn in global markets and a lack of government foresight has resulted in British Columbia losing 73,000 jobs over the last year. B.C. needs to transition to new “knowledge-based” sectors of job creation, and accept that the continued mechanization of industry will result in less low-skilled jobs over time. The greatest job opportunities for the current and next generation of British Columbians will come from localized markets that are based less on foreign-made goods, less on assuming large debt, and less about commuting. These locally-based jobs will be increasingly based upon local communities, local food, and the genuine needs of local people. B.C.’s education system needs to be more affordable and it will play a key role in training a new generation of locally-oriented professionals, whose jobs and professions will improve our quality of life and help minimize our economy’s over-reliance on unnecessary consumption.
The amount of carbon in our atmosphere has increased by 22% over the last 50 years. BC’s new jobs must work within a new economic paradigm of job creation with reduced carbon pollution. Metro Vancouver deserves $3.1 billion invested in 200 kilometres of light rail that will deliver well-paying and “green” engineering and construction jobs. The lungs of the Fraser Valley, our remaining farm and bog lands, and our collective carbon threshold would be devastated by the pending Gateway transportation plan, which completely ignores the looming reality of “peak oil”.
Spending $3.1 billion on a new Port Mann Bridge, rather than investing in a more systemic transportation network based increasingly upon public transit, will cause greater suburban sprawl and will negate all of the positive benefits from the government’s new carbon tax. If our province is serious about preventing climate change, then our government needs to illustrate genuine leadership in encouraging individual people to change their behaviour for the betterment of society. Asking people to cut their carbon consumption, while at the same time building new “super bridges” that are void of any new public transit spending, shows that our current government is not serious about giving commuters in Metro Vancouver a viable alternative to their private automobile. The new Canada Line, Evergreen and UBC SkyTrain lines show some promise, but the high cost of SkyTrain infrastructure could instead be used to build light rail lines across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Across the province we need district-level solar, geothermal, wind and run of river projects that are managed by a new Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change. This new ministry would promote cooperative and municipally-owned utilities and provide mega projects like the Site C dam and diesel-powered generation in rural First Nation communities with new clean, green options. With a renewed “seven-generation environmental assessment process”, local communities will proceed with energy projects that meet their local needs and create local jobs. Clean tech renewable energy industries will enable us to protect our wild salmon, preserve our old-growth forests and preserve critical habitat for endangered species and local agriculture.
Homelessness rates and economic growth rates have been going in the opposite direction for the past two years. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an antiquated system that merely measures the quantity of market activity. B.C. requires a new index, such as the Genuine Progress Index (GPI), to establish a measurable bottom line for social, environmental and economic progress. The GPI encompasses unpaid labour, such as parenting and volunteer work, and subtracts the costs of pollution, crime and the depletion of non-renewable resources. Mixed-use social housing developments that embrace the role of arts and culture will help provide for a generation of homeless citizens. Vancouver’s new mayor, Gregor Robertson, is on the right track to end homelessness. With continued compassionate efforts in the short term (e.g. opening up churches, unused government buildings for temporary shelter), combined with a new social housing developments that have measurable “end homelessness” goals, we can do just that.
For B.C. to achieve this bold green vision, we require electoral reform now. Implementing the Single Transferable Vote (BC-STV) will result in fairer election results, more voter choice and better representation. Electoral reform, including electoral finance reform on a provincial and municipal level, will make our elected officials more transparent and help stop a hemorrhaging democratic system that is struggling with the lowest level of voter turnout rates in modern history.
Across B.C., I ask that you speak to your neighbours, friends and family regarding how important it is that you vote Green on May 12, to bring green job and end homelessness legislation to Victoria.
A unique “two-way race” has evolved in the new provincial riding of Vancouver-False Creek. With no incumbent MLA and with your help we can elect BC’s first Green MLA. Join our team now and green your community by visiting www.damiankettlewell.com or engaging with us on Facebook. We need your help to get new, past and present Green votes to the polls.
My name is Damian Kettlewell, and I want to recruit you to vote Green and vote Yes for BC STV on May 12, 2009. Vancouver False Creek is ripe for change and ready for a Green MLA.
Damian Kettlewell
MLA candidate, Vancouver-False Creek
Deputy Leader, BC Green Party
www.damiankettlewell.com, Facebook, Twitter: dkettlewell
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Vancouver Point Grey ~ BC Green update ~ 73 days until provincial election & electoral reform referendum
The below note was sent out to the 500+ BC Green supporters in Vancouver Point Grey.
Good afternoon,
I hope my note finds you well this 25th anniversary year of the BC Greens.
The Green Party of BC is well prepared to run a full slate of candidates again for the upcoming provincial election and 2nd referendum
on electoral reform.
With our campaign budget confirmed and election material to be published shortly we are at a historically high level of election preparedness.
1. BC Green candidates
We've announced candidates in eight of Vancouver's eleven ridings for the May 12, 2009 provincial election.
http://www.greenparty.bc.ca/candidates
2. BC STV ~ electoral reform with proportional representation ~ get involved
In 93% of the members of the Citizens Assembly, who were non-political and from all walks of life, recommended BC STV as a new electoral system. According to the Citizens Assembly BC STV provides for fairer and more local oriented provincial democracy.
British Columbians voted 58% in favour of BC STV in 2005 failing to meet the 60% threshold. Premier Campbell has enabled Elections BC to provide more detailed mapping information on BC STV and the question is being put to the electorate again on May 12th. The BC Greens are supporting BC STV in this election. There is a low level of awareness regarding this referrendum and the BC Liberals have decided not to send the Citizens Assembly report out to all homes in BC. Thus, your involvement in spreading a message for change and getting involved in the BC STV "get out the vote" campaign is very important. Political pundits are not expecting BC STV to pass thus we need your help to exceed 60% support.
Stay abreast of developments at Facebook Group "Yes for BC STV - City of Vancouver"
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=37133867369
There is a Point Grey Wine & Cheese occurring on Sunday hosted by BC STV Vancouver Point Grey
St. Helen's Anglican Church ~ 4405 W 8th Ave. ~ Sunday, March 1, 7:00PM
Phone: 778-235-7477
Please RSVP to antony.hodgson@gmail.com
Please consider attending.
Georgia Straight Op Ed ~ http://www.straight.com/article-201581/single-transferable-vote-would-break-down-political-barriers-bc
3. Green Jobs
President Obama and begrudgingly Prime Minister Harper are speaking increasingly about Green Jobs.
See the report below and watch for the new Green Book which outlines BC Green Party's plan for green economic growth and job creation.
http://www.unep.org/labour_environment/features/greenjobs-report.asp
4. Vancouver Point Grey ~ Overview
We are currently interviewing Green candidates in Vancouver Point Grey.
The BC Liberals have alienated voters in Vancouver Point Grey with their UBC lands dealings and their Gateway program that inspires another generation of single occupancy vehicle cars. The BC NDP will struggle in Point Grey because they oppose the carbon tax for political reasons (e.g. "axe the tax"). Point Grey's well educated residents understand that peer reviewed studies support the carbon tax as it has worked in other jurisdictions around the world to reduce carbon footprints.
The BC Greens in Vancouver Point Grey are poised to build on the 15% support we gained in 2005.
I was the candidate in Vancouver Point Grey in 2005 but have decided to run in the new riding of Vancouver False Creek.
Mary McNeil is the Liberal candidate and the BC NDP have not announced a candidate in Vancouver False Creek. We are building our team and please reply if you can help in the Vancouver False Creek / Yaletown riding.
Thank you for supporting your local Green campaign and thank you for encouraging all your family and friends to participate in our provincal democracy by voting on May 12, 2009.
Sincerely,
--
Damian Ketttlewell
MLA Candidate Vancouver False Creek
BC Greens ~ Deputy Leader, mba
www.bcgreens.ca
facebook: join my supporters page
twitter: dkettlewell
Vancouver False Creek Goals
1. Reform Government ~ Vote Yes to BC STV ~ http://tinyurl.com/cubmwy
2. Build a New Economy ~ Make Downtown’s Economy the Greenest in North America
3. Care for Each Other ~ End Homelessness by 2017
Blog ~ http://greenpoliticsinbc.blogspot.com
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sing Tao Daily
2009-02-21
綠黨8人省選逐鹿溫哥華
Sing Tao Daily The BC Green Party is placing eight candidates to contest several ridings in the Greater Vancouver area for the upcoming provincial election. The leader of the BC Green Party, Jane Sterk, spoke with the media last Thursday along with the eight candidates and other party members. Sterk indicated that aside from focusing on the province's environmental issues, the BC Green Party also places high regard on economic development and law and order problems, such as the recent gang killings. As well, she believes that the 2010 Winter Olympics will bring business opportunities to the province. The eight candidates who will run in the Greater Vancouver region for the BC Green Party are: Vanessa Violini for Vancouver-Fairview, Damian Kettlewell for Vancouver-False Creek, Jody Emery for Vancouver-Fraserview, Ryan Conroy for Vancouver-Hastings, Doug Warkentin for Vancouver-Kensington, Revel Warkentin for Vancouver-Kingsway, Laura-Leah Shaw for Vancouver-Quilchena, and Drina Read for Vancouver-West End. More than half of these candidates will be running for the first time, and most of them have resided in BC for over ten years. They are all active members of the community.
綠黨8人省選逐鹿溫哥華
Sing Tao Daily The BC Green Party is placing eight candidates to contest several ridings in the Greater Vancouver area for the upcoming provincial election. The leader of the BC Green Party, Jane Sterk, spoke with the media last Thursday along with the eight candidates and other party members. Sterk indicated that aside from focusing on the province's environmental issues, the BC Green Party also places high regard on economic development and law and order problems, such as the recent gang killings. As well, she believes that the 2010 Winter Olympics will bring business opportunities to the province. The eight candidates who will run in the Greater Vancouver region for the BC Green Party are: Vanessa Violini for Vancouver-Fairview, Damian Kettlewell for Vancouver-False Creek, Jody Emery for Vancouver-Fraserview, Ryan Conroy for Vancouver-Hastings, Doug Warkentin for Vancouver-Kensington, Revel Warkentin for Vancouver-Kingsway, Laura-Leah Shaw for Vancouver-Quilchena, and Drina Read for Vancouver-West End. More than half of these candidates will be running for the first time, and most of them have resided in BC for over ten years. They are all active members of the community.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Jane Sterk: It is time for a responsible government in B.C.
Georgia Straight ~ February 20, 2009
By Jane Sterk
The meltdown in the financial sector has sparked a dramatic shift in public policy. Deregulation and market reliance has given way to a significant increase in economic interventionism. Government spending is now all the rage. It hardly seems to matter how it is being spent, as long as it is being spent. Even deficit spending is now kindly referred to as “a stimulus package”.
The Gordon Campbell Liberals have also caught the spending fever. The party that previously called for prudent fiscal management and opposed deficit spending has changed its tune.
But why this shift? Why these panicked pendulum politics? And, more importantly, isn’t there a better way forward? Do we have another option?
The first thing to remember is that this budget is an election budget. What this means, to put it bluntly, is that it has been engineered from top to bottom in order to bring in more votes for the Liberal party come election-time this May. A couple things follow from this.
First, Finance Minister Colin Hansen has been putting forward a rosy outlook for British Columbia’s economy. This optimism seems to be somewhat unwarranted. It has been estimated that 2009/2010 income-tax revenue will be $650 million less than predicted and social-service revenue $350 million less. That alone takes the deficit to $1.2 billion.
There are some real concerns regarding our economy, and it is safe to say that, after the election, the government will be telling a very different story. Not long ago we saw this same political move at the federal level when the Conservative government rapidly shifted from a position of wild optimism to one of modest realism after the election.
Second, this budget is more rooted in reactionary partisan politics than in measures that will address the deep structural concerns within our economy. This Liberal government has jumped on the deficit bandwagon with little attention to where it is headed. There is little in this budget to indicate that the Liberals are serious about taking the steps needed to move us into a 21st-century economy that is sustainable and prosperous.
There is a better way.
There is a better way of doing politics and the Green party is offering a better plan for B.C. This plan offers us a new and better approach to deal with our economic downturn—one that moves beyond the “either/or” choice of either big-government centralized control or radically privatized decentralization. We Greens believe that both government and the nongovernmental sector have important roles to play in ensuring long-term prosperity in B.C. The challenge is to find the appropriate balance between the two.
I believe the core principles in this balance may with summed up with three R’s—responsible, respectful, and representative government actions.
Responsible: Government spending needs to be part of a long-term plan that is designed to ensure lasting prosperity. We need a budget that will make investments in programs that expand future technologies and jobs within B.C. This includes district-level solar, wind, and geothermal energy farms and well as education and technological research. These innovations will stimulate the economy, bring high paying jobs to the province, and keep intellectual capital in B.C.
Respectful: A respectful provincial government works in close cooperation with municipalities to facilitate healthy and robust economic development at the local level. This means ensuring predictable revenue flows are available to municipal governments through fewer restrictions on municipal taxation, not more. It means providing more grants to local governments with appropriate oversight mechanisms that ensure fiscal prudence across the board.
Representative: We need to move to the BC-STV electoral system of proportional representation. One of the best ways to get past the reactionary and divisive swings in B.C. politics is to ensure the political views of the population are accurately represented in the legislature.
The Green party’s plan for B.C. offers us an opportunity to find a more efficient, equitable, and stable balance. By choosing a steady path forward in this time of economic downturn—by electing Greens to the legislature—we can ensure a better future for B.C.
Jane Sterk is the leader of the Green Party of B.C.
By Jane Sterk
The meltdown in the financial sector has sparked a dramatic shift in public policy. Deregulation and market reliance has given way to a significant increase in economic interventionism. Government spending is now all the rage. It hardly seems to matter how it is being spent, as long as it is being spent. Even deficit spending is now kindly referred to as “a stimulus package”.
The Gordon Campbell Liberals have also caught the spending fever. The party that previously called for prudent fiscal management and opposed deficit spending has changed its tune.
But why this shift? Why these panicked pendulum politics? And, more importantly, isn’t there a better way forward? Do we have another option?
The first thing to remember is that this budget is an election budget. What this means, to put it bluntly, is that it has been engineered from top to bottom in order to bring in more votes for the Liberal party come election-time this May. A couple things follow from this.
First, Finance Minister Colin Hansen has been putting forward a rosy outlook for British Columbia’s economy. This optimism seems to be somewhat unwarranted. It has been estimated that 2009/2010 income-tax revenue will be $650 million less than predicted and social-service revenue $350 million less. That alone takes the deficit to $1.2 billion.
There are some real concerns regarding our economy, and it is safe to say that, after the election, the government will be telling a very different story. Not long ago we saw this same political move at the federal level when the Conservative government rapidly shifted from a position of wild optimism to one of modest realism after the election.
Second, this budget is more rooted in reactionary partisan politics than in measures that will address the deep structural concerns within our economy. This Liberal government has jumped on the deficit bandwagon with little attention to where it is headed. There is little in this budget to indicate that the Liberals are serious about taking the steps needed to move us into a 21st-century economy that is sustainable and prosperous.
There is a better way.
There is a better way of doing politics and the Green party is offering a better plan for B.C. This plan offers us a new and better approach to deal with our economic downturn—one that moves beyond the “either/or” choice of either big-government centralized control or radically privatized decentralization. We Greens believe that both government and the nongovernmental sector have important roles to play in ensuring long-term prosperity in B.C. The challenge is to find the appropriate balance between the two.
I believe the core principles in this balance may with summed up with three R’s—responsible, respectful, and representative government actions.
Responsible: Government spending needs to be part of a long-term plan that is designed to ensure lasting prosperity. We need a budget that will make investments in programs that expand future technologies and jobs within B.C. This includes district-level solar, wind, and geothermal energy farms and well as education and technological research. These innovations will stimulate the economy, bring high paying jobs to the province, and keep intellectual capital in B.C.
Respectful: A respectful provincial government works in close cooperation with municipalities to facilitate healthy and robust economic development at the local level. This means ensuring predictable revenue flows are available to municipal governments through fewer restrictions on municipal taxation, not more. It means providing more grants to local governments with appropriate oversight mechanisms that ensure fiscal prudence across the board.
Representative: We need to move to the BC-STV electoral system of proportional representation. One of the best ways to get past the reactionary and divisive swings in B.C. politics is to ensure the political views of the population are accurately represented in the legislature.
The Green party’s plan for B.C. offers us an opportunity to find a more efficient, equitable, and stable balance. By choosing a steady path forward in this time of economic downturn—by electing Greens to the legislature—we can ensure a better future for B.C.
Jane Sterk is the leader of the Green Party of B.C.
BC Greens announce 8 Vancouver candidates
B.C. Green party names Vancouver candidates
By Matthew Burrows
The Green Party of B.C. will unveil tomorrow morning (February 19) its candidates for nine of the 11 provincial ridings in Vancouver.
The party’s candidates for the May election are as follows:
Vancouver-Fairview: Vanessa Violini
Vancouver-False Creek: Damian Kettlewell
Vancouver-Fraserview: Jodie Emery
Vancouver-Hastings: Ryan Conroy
Vancouver-Kensington: Doug Warkentin
Vancouver-Kingsway: Rev Warkentin
Vancouver-Quilchena: Laura-Leah Shaw
Vancouver-West End: Drina Read
B.C. Green leader Jane Sterk will attend the announcement outside the Coal Harbour Community Centre at 11 a.m.
By Matthew Burrows
The Green Party of B.C. will unveil tomorrow morning (February 19) its candidates for nine of the 11 provincial ridings in Vancouver.
The party’s candidates for the May election are as follows:
Vancouver-Fairview: Vanessa Violini
Vancouver-False Creek: Damian Kettlewell
Vancouver-Fraserview: Jodie Emery
Vancouver-Hastings: Ryan Conroy
Vancouver-Kensington: Doug Warkentin
Vancouver-Kingsway: Rev Warkentin
Vancouver-Quilchena: Laura-Leah Shaw
Vancouver-West End: Drina Read
B.C. Green leader Jane Sterk will attend the announcement outside the Coal Harbour Community Centre at 11 a.m.
Georgia Straight ~ News Story on BC Green Vancouver candidates
http://www.straight.com/article-201902/green-siren-targets-oppal-prohibitionist
Letter to the editor response
February 20, 2009
B.C. Greens offer the full package
The Green Party of B.C. announced eight additional election candidates last week. Our Vancouver candidates include engineers, transit operators, business people, arts specialists and community activists.
While we appreciate you announcing our Vancouver candidates, we take exception to your primary focus on cannabis prohibtion. The Green Party of B.C. introduced the concept of the carbon tax in 1996, introduced the concept of tax shifting to B.C. politics, and we continue to offer cutting-edge policy solutions that the Liberals and NDP often choose to adopt themselves.
In these times of economic uncertainty, we realize that B.C. voters will support the most economically-savvy candidates. Those with the best economic plans that preserve and create jobs will be elected. The B.C. Greens will present a better economic plan for B.C. that will create more green-collar jobs in renewable energy production, energy efficiency, and locally-focused markets. Ending homelessness, realigning our health care system to focus on prevention, and increasing the efficiency of education spending are other policy areas that the B.C. Greens specialize in.
The Green Party will field a full slate of B.C. candidates for the third election in a row, and we are poised for electoral success. At the request of our membership base, we are a strong advocate for electoral reform and BC-STV, as the Citizens' Assembly has indicated that it is fairer than the current system and offers more local representation.
While the B.C. Greens do indeed support drug reform and the end of prohibition of certain substances in order to reduce gang activity and create new tax revenues for our province, we are by no means alone in favouring such a policy stance, and this issue hardly defines the B.C. Greens, as your recent article suggests. The 2009 Green Book, to be released shortly, will provide details about the wide range of innovative policies that the Green Party will offer to British Columbian voters.
--
Damian Ketttlewell
MLA Candidate Vancouver False Creek
BC Greens ~ Deputy Leader, mba
www.bcgreens.ca
facebook: join my supporters page
twitter: dkettlewell
Vancouver False Creek Goals
1. Reform Government ~ Vote Yes to BC STV ~ http://tinyurl.com/cubmwy
2. Build a New Economy ~ Make Downtown's Economy the Greenest in North America
3. Care for Each Other ~ End Homelessness by 2017
http://www.straight.com/article-201902/green-siren-targets-oppal-prohibitionist
Letter to the editor response
February 20, 2009
B.C. Greens offer the full package
The Green Party of B.C. announced eight additional election candidates last week. Our Vancouver candidates include engineers, transit operators, business people, arts specialists and community activists.
While we appreciate you announcing our Vancouver candidates, we take exception to your primary focus on cannabis prohibtion. The Green Party of B.C. introduced the concept of the carbon tax in 1996, introduced the concept of tax shifting to B.C. politics, and we continue to offer cutting-edge policy solutions that the Liberals and NDP often choose to adopt themselves.
In these times of economic uncertainty, we realize that B.C. voters will support the most economically-savvy candidates. Those with the best economic plans that preserve and create jobs will be elected. The B.C. Greens will present a better economic plan for B.C. that will create more green-collar jobs in renewable energy production, energy efficiency, and locally-focused markets. Ending homelessness, realigning our health care system to focus on prevention, and increasing the efficiency of education spending are other policy areas that the B.C. Greens specialize in.
The Green Party will field a full slate of B.C. candidates for the third election in a row, and we are poised for electoral success. At the request of our membership base, we are a strong advocate for electoral reform and BC-STV, as the Citizens' Assembly has indicated that it is fairer than the current system and offers more local representation.
While the B.C. Greens do indeed support drug reform and the end of prohibition of certain substances in order to reduce gang activity and create new tax revenues for our province, we are by no means alone in favouring such a policy stance, and this issue hardly defines the B.C. Greens, as your recent article suggests. The 2009 Green Book, to be released shortly, will provide details about the wide range of innovative policies that the Green Party will offer to British Columbian voters.
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Damian Ketttlewell
MLA Candidate Vancouver False Creek
BC Greens ~ Deputy Leader, mba
www.bcgreens.ca
facebook: join my supporters page
twitter: dkettlewell
Vancouver False Creek Goals
1. Reform Government ~ Vote Yes to BC STV ~ http://tinyurl.com/cubmwy
2. Build a New Economy ~ Make Downtown's Economy the Greenest in North America
3. Care for Each Other ~ End Homelessness by 2017
Sunday, February 01, 2009
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