From the New Brunswick Green Party
First of all I have a confession to make. I submitted a draft copy instead of the final copy of the previous article to the paper. I guess it shows what a computer luddite I am. The only glaring difference is the definition of “peak oil”. It should have read “We have already passed the peak in global conventional crude oil production, otherwise known as “peak oil”, instead of “We have already passed the point where supply meets demand, otherwise known as “peak oil”.
Most people associate the Green Party with the ecological movement. Although that is true, we are far from a one issue party. If one word were to describe the party’s philosophy it would be “sustainability’. We believe in using the assets at our disposal in such a way that future generations can have fulfilling lives within communities where the economy works with, not against, the environment that sustains life on this planet. In order to achieve this goal we must rebuild our democracy by putting it in the hands of the citizens of this Province.
Politics has become a dirty word primarily because history has shown that (1) after an election the politicians forget those who elected them and only listen to the moneyed interests who financed their campaigns, (2) MLA’s must follow the party line or be expelled from caucus, (3)with the current first past the post electoral system only those who voted for the winning candidate may have their voice heard in the legislature and if that candidate is not of the party which formed the Government then no one in that riding has an effective voice. Would it not make sense to have a proportional electoral system whereby every voter would have a chance for their voice to be heard? Would this system not provide a format for politicians of every stripe to work toward what is best for the citizens of this Province? Most democratic countries have some form of proportional representation. Canada is one of the few who don’t.
To rebuild our democracy a Green Government would (1) prohibit “floor crossing” by MLA’s between elections, requiring the disgruntled MLA to sit as an independent until an election is held. (2) Create an office of democratic renewal reporting to the legislative assembly with a mandate to encourage civic participation and make sure government is accountable to citizens. (3) Reform the Right to Information Act to empower the Ombudsman to order rather than just recommend the release of information and to limit the criteria by which the documents can be redacted. (4) Protect whistle blowers. (5) Protect citizens against malicious lawsuits intended to discourage public activism. (5) Legislate a cap on the concentration of corporate media ownership within each news medium. (6) Require a three-year waiting period before a retired MLA or civil servant can work as a lobbyist. (7) Establish a lobbyist registry and require lobbyists to divulge any contribution to anyone connected to Government or a political party. (8) Create a forum whereby both aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples of NB can explore how the Peace and Friendship Treaties can be respected in our Province. (9) Reform political financing rules to gradually reduce the maximum allowable donation from private sources while increasing public financing, in order to reduce the influence of private interests on the political process.
If we are going to change the status quo in this Province we must forget which party we were born into. We must take the responsibility as voters to study the rhetoric of the various parties and candidates and compare it to their history. Do they practise what they preach or are they just feeding the public a line so they can be elected? How does their vision for tomorrow compare with what we want for our children and grand-children?
Wayne Sabine President, Victoria-Tobique Riding Association of the NB Green Party
