“Do you support a Green New Deal which addresses the current crises today, together (climate; racism; social, environmental, economic-financial, indigenous injustices)? Why, or Why Not?”
That’s a question The Discourse heard after we asked what questions you have for provincial election candidates.
We sent the question to candidates in the Nanaimo-North Cowichan riding. BC Liberal candidate Duck Paterson did not respond to the request by the deadline. We will update this story if we receive a response.
The Discourse is offering pop-up election coverage in Nanaimo based on feedback from residents. Sign up to get our stories straight to your inbox. If enough people want us to continue in-depth coverage in Nanaimo, we’ll stick around.
Chris Istace, BC Green Party
One of the reasons I’m running as a Green candidate is because our party is built on a foundation of equality. We can only do our important work when everyone is given equal opportunity to contribute regardless of gender, income, or background. The overlapping crises of climate, gender, social, environmental, economic, and indigenous injustices cannot be viewed independently. The climate crisis isn’t just about protecting the environment – it’s about protecting our health, safety, and economic stability. All of these factors play a part in creating healthy communities. The BC Greens have a strong history of environmental advocacy and support policies and practices that will slow the effects of climate change. I base my advocacy work on the close relationships I have with local Indigenous communities, and value their time, knowledge, and willingness to help me learn. They are the original keepers of our land and so many of their teachings touch on each of these crises. We must approach these crises with one heart, one mind, one thought.
Doug Routley, BC NDP
Working alongside the Green Party, our government was able to develop and implement CleanBC which is the most ambitious climate action plan in North America. Having sat in opposition for a number of years, where I watched the previous Liberal government ignore the realities of climate change, I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made in only 3 years- but there is so much more that needs to be done to transition industries, people and businesses to a cleaner economy. Some of the measures we are proposing if elected are: Expanding CleanBC and our zero-emissions vehicle program to include industrial vehicles, banning single use plastics and making it easier for people of all incomes to transition to cleaner transportation with the removal of PST on e-bikes and providing a new income-tested incentive on new and used zero-emission vehicles. CleanBC currently sets a target of reducing emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and to complete the task, we will pass legislation requiring B.C. to reach net-zero by 2050.
