Improved Health, Vibrant Communities, Educated Society
Greens’ respect for life includes striving toward higher social quality. We plan to build a new society where improved personal health, strong social structures, support for families, inclusive communities, a clean environment and economic strength are of equal priority in planning, focus and financial attention. By building a stronger financial future for British Columbia based on new, clean industries, we will procure needed investment capital for the programs and services that will improve the lives of all British Columbians. Our healthcare plan involves improving people’s overall health by transitioning priorities in services and financing to preventative strategies. We will ensure there are adequate dollars for acute and hospital care and then make wellness, not the perpetuation of disease, the focus of our healthcare system.
BC Greens believe caring for one another starts with our children. This means providing appropriate supports for at risk children and families, wellbeing guarantees, improving access to quality childcare based in early education principles and supporting education designed for the new century. BC Greens will repair the social foundation from which to re-build a stronger, more resilient and adaptive society.
Improve Our Health
We spend proportionally far too much on disease management as opposed to undertaking broad, integrated preventive measures that improve our health. BC will become healthier through massive green initiatives that reduce environmental pollutants such as pesticides, carbon emissions and domestic chemicals. BC Greens will support programs to promote healthier lifestyles through better nutrition and increased physical activity. By cleaning and greening our environment, we reduce cancer, asthma and other illnesses. Investing in home and locally grown organic agriculture will provide BC with essential provincial food security, while increasing nutritional quality and creating new jobs in agriculture.
Nurture Social Wellbeing
Greens are committed to providing all citizens with a guaranteed liveable income. We will improve social services to exceed basic human needs by extending the availability of affordable housing; adequately-funding public education; providing timely, comprehensive healthcare in the community and sponsoring a plan to eliminate child poverty.
Our commitment is to establish local trusts built on provincial standards to implement programs that improve access to housing, education and tackle problems like substance abuse.
Introduce a Guaranteed Liveable Income
Greens will introduce a guaranteed liveable wage for all people in BC. We will eliminate the training wage and increase minimum wages.
Invest in Education
Our schools will build a sense of community by engaging students in neighbourhood activities an becoming multi-use facilities at the hub of local communities. Programs will be expanded with more physical education and new teaching methods based on how children learn. Our commitment is to re-invest in a skilled workforce trained for the new economy and developing emerging green technologies that will create those new jobs BC Greens propose expanding industry’s role in training our workforce and offering incentives and tuition support to students for training or re-training. We propose to reduce tuition fees by 20% over four years and to increase government grants to the institutions to compensate for reduced tuition fee income.
A Society that Cares Will:
– End homelessness and poverty
– Create local support systems that promote health, child welfare and accessibility for people with disabilities and the aging
– Decriminalize and regulate marijuana use
– Expand Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language programs
