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Cynical political manoeuvring? Frack that.

2018-02-12 By gpnsadmin Leave a Comment

Frack Free Future
Western Australia’s protest campaign against fracking is called Frack Free Future.

Last week, Stephen McNeil told the Halifax Chamber of Commerce that he is willing to consider lifting the ban on hydraulic fracturing if a community builds local support for it. His comments are strategic political manoeuvring.

The Liberal party, which introduced the ban on fracking, now wants to make it clear to everyone that maintaining the public will to support the ban is everyone’s responsibility, except perhaps its own.

Justin Trudeau used this approach to justify abandoning electoral reform: blaming the population for not miraculously developing a unified voice. McNeil wants to weaken the ban without taking responsibility.

Let’s not dwell on how cynical it is to propose downloading the costs of a referendum or appropriate public consultation to municipalities, especially as McNeil’s own government has already paid for the Wheeler Report. Or, how fracking can release uranium and other radioactive minerals currently in our bedrock, Into our water supply,  possibly contributing to our province’s already high bladder and kidney cancer rates.

Let’s instead consider why anyone might want to frack.

Fracking can contaminate groundwater and deplete our freshwater supply.  Like coal mining, it is an industry that is dangerous, removes valuable resources from our province and can adversely affect the health of our population. Like coal mining (along with pulp and paper and cod fishing, and briefly, in Halifax, attracting Amazon), it is being positioned as our Last Chance to Get Rich!™

The number “60 billion dollars”, which has been proposed as a value on the natural gas that is embedded in our ground, may sound like a very juicy amount indeed, but that number is extrapolated, and is suggested to be a high estimate. Assume we start by finding a partner through our usual process of offering low to no taxes, payroll rebates, low- to no-interest, often forgivable loans, other subsidies, very favourable locations, plus an offer that we’ll take care of any ‘externalities’ like pollution. That partner will likely be some giant conglomerate with shareholders far afield. The timespan of the project will necessarily be short, as the price of alternative energies drops and the gas gets harder to extract. By the end, the amount generated in revenue to the province dwindles to a much smaller number, if any.  

Frick and Frack
Frick and Frack were funny, but fracking is no laughing matter.

In 2014, the Globe & Mail reported that the number of green energy jobs surpassed jobs in the oilsands. We need to invest our province’s resources into building jobs that are long term and forward facing, instead of propping up dying industries.

 

Nova Scotia has tremendous natural resources and as we cultivate diverse new industries (like biomedical devices, ocean technology, video game development and nutriceuticals), our rich resources really only help us by staying here.

There are many Nova Scotians looking for natural resources labour jobs like those that fracking might supply. People want to stay in rural Nova Scotia and earn a living. If we assign ap

propriate value to sustainable forestry, organic and sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry, those jobs will be there for more than just a few years. If we build the right infrastructure, more opportunities will open up in these areas. We will find ourselves much better off in the long run. Nova Scotians will be healthier, and the odds are, both our health system and tourism operators will benefit.

As voters, every time you go to the polls, you can choose a same-old cynical party, or a hopeful, healthier future. Expect better of your elected officials. Tell Premier McNeil, frack that.  

 

Filed Under: General, Leader's Blog Tagged With: Carbon Economy, fracking, Green Jobs

On the Promise of Wealth and Selling our Environmental Riches

2018-02-05 By gpnsadmin Leave a Comment

By Thomas Trappenberg, PhD, Leader, Green Party of Nova Scotia

I listened to Premier Rachel Notley’s strong words yesterday on the radio, and I agree with her that we need a strong leadership. I also understand that the oil industry is currently a strong component of Alberta’s (and hence Canada’s) industry. Where I don’t agree is that this should be the status quo. I do believe it is now time to turn to our future industry in which our kids will thrive; I do believe we should stop making a quick buck on the future of our planet; I do believe that we should listen to the wisdom of our native elders; and I do believe that it is time to give our young entrepreneurs a chance instead of feeding the rich.

In Nova Scotia there is now a new campaign to imply the potential for carbon riches. The federal government approved new drilling off our coast, and we are told that there is lots of potential for fracking here. I do understand how people get excited by this dream of wealth; also, it is easy to be taken by the scare that losing this industry would kill our economy. It is difficult to argue against the powerful lobbies in our society. However, I believe that a government is there to watch out for all of us. I know know the other parties believe that they do their best by helping the big industry. However, and quite frankly, I question their abilities to see the bigger picture.

I believe we should not just think about the current jobs of a dying industry; instead, we need to think about the new jobs they prevent and the opportunities for people outside the lucky 1%. Other economies, specifically in the north of Europe which have climates and population densities similar to Canada, have been turning around their fortunes by moving away from the carbon economy and embracing a vision of a healthy society. Selling out our environmental riches for a bargain price to the pulp industry while poisoning our citizens is wrong. I came to Nova Scotia because I believe it is one of the best places to live, and I will not give up the fight for this to continue to be true for all.

Filed Under: General, Leader's Blog Tagged With: Carbon Economy, fracking, Green Jobs, vision

Statement on the passing of Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy

2017-12-01 By gpnsadmin Leave a Comment

Dr. Thomas Trappenberg, leader of the Green Party of Nova Scotia, would like to share this statement on the passing of Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy:

—
The Green Party of Nova Scotia would like to express our deepest condolences to family, friends and the Mi’kmaq nation on the passing of Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy. This is a loss for all Nova Scotians. As we heal from this loss, together, both indigenous and non-indigenous citizens must move forward with reconciliation and develop, with mutual goodwill, a value system that deeply respects our mother earth.

Filed Under: General, Leader's Blog

Thank you, Nova Scotia!

2017-06-07 By gpnsadmin Leave a Comment

Election day has passed, and the Green Party of Nova Scotia has a lot to be proud of at the moment! We may not have taken a seat, thanks to our first past the post system, but we’ve smashed some records this time around:

  • GPNS ran 32 candidates and received 11,128 votes. This is more than the number of votes we received with a full slate in 2009 (9,636) or 2006 (9,411).

  • For the first time, we received 5% of the vote in a riding.   And we did it thirteen times.  In a proportional electoral system, 5% is a common threshold for recognition as it prevents splinter groups from forming.

  • Our percentage of the vote across the 32 ridings in which we ran was 4.5%. Our previous high was 2.78%.

  • In a proportionally representative electoral system, we would have two seats to represent these 11,128 voters.  Of course, in a proportionally representative system, many more voters could have cast their ballots our way.

A major party focus of this past election was to forge a sustainable team of people willing to work or to train as organizers and campaigners for a positive future.  We intend to continue to build our capacity, and we will remain active between elections.

We have been building our reputation through personal contact, social media presence, and broadcast media.  We hope that one day, some of the leader debates will be open to the leaders of all officially registered  parties who already have seats in the house.  

Following are some inspiring words from Tyler Colbourne, our candidate for Dartmouth North. We couldn’t agree more.  

“11000 out of 396500 votes in this election were for Green candidates. That is 11,000 votes for a more sustainable and fair government. That is 11,000 votes for better representation towards justice, sustainability, and evidence-based approaches to policy. That is 11,000 votes for Green values.

A small village voted for Greens in this election and a small village can do a lot. Over the next four years we can do more and our small village can grow, because our small village is part of a larger international community of Greens who want fairer representation, action towards non-violent policies, sustainable action and planning, and justice.

A global movement of Greens is what separates us from other parties and ideologies in Canada. We are more than just a one party issue. We are a collection of people worldwide who believe in a better today and expect a better tomorrow. I look forward to doing more for our province, country, and international Green community.”   – Tyler Colbourne, Green Party of NS Candidate for Dartmouth North

Thank you, Nova Scotia.

Thomas Trappenberg, Leader
Jessica Alexander, Deputy Leader

Filed Under: General, Leader's Blog

Would the GPNS leader ever whip a vote?

2017-02-20 By gpnsadmin 2 Comments

I have been asked if I, as the GPNS party leader, would ever whip a vote, forcing other party representatives to vote as I decree. My answer is quite simple, and clearly illustrated by what I am witnessing with recent events in the province.

In every election, candidates make statements about how important it is to have local representation, and how their first allegiance is to their constituents. If this is true, how can the leader of the ruling party tell all party members how they must vote in the legislature, even when constituents are clearly stating this is not the action they wish their representatives to take? Is this really what should happen in a democracy?

Some people put forward the argument that voters are actually voting for a platform, and that the party leadership must make sure to obey this stated platform above all else. But if that were the case, how does this come into play with the current teacher’s dispute? I do not remember reading in the Liberal platform that a Liberal government would deny teachers the right of fair bargaining and order a contract. Perhaps our local MLAs could explain to us exactly why they would vote for Bill 75. Is there any reason other than “Premier McNeil told me so”?

One of our pillars of the Green Party of Nova Scotia, in agreement with the international green charter, is participatory democracy. We strongly believe in consensus based decision making, which means that one person, even if he is a Premier in a majority government, should not have the power to dictate the actions of other party members.

So, would I ever enforce a vote along party lines? No, because the practice defies my understanding of democracy.

Filed Under: Leader's Blog

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