YOUR POLITICAL PARTY OF BC'S PLATFORM:
YOUR POLITICAL PARTY OF BC is commited to doing what the people of BC would like with their province.
For this reason, YOUR POLITICAL PARTY OF BC's platform is a fluid document.
It is designed to be open to change and accepting of criticism.
Please have a read through it, and let us know if there is anything that you think could be done more effectively.
E-mail YPP-of-BC at:
GOVERNMENT REFORM:
The government is taking advantage of YOU! It uses a shroud of secrecy to keep you in the dark about what they are doing. We need to change this so we can truly hold the government accountable for everything it does.
- Make the budget completely public down to the last tax dollar so that every taxpayer can see exactly where every dollar is being spent.
- Make all government actions and contracts completely public so that every British Columbian can see what the government is doing with their province.
- Set up a website where all British Columbians can vote in non-binding referendums, provide input to the government, and ask questions that will be addressed in online and televised townhall meetings.
- Only hold free votes in the legislature so that MLA’s are able to represent their constituencies and the best interests of British Columbians without worrying about party discipline.
- Make all campaign promises legally binding, so that MLA’s who break campaign promises will lose their seats.
- Make it mandatory for all MLA’s to hold a public townhall style meeting at least once every 4 months in their constituency
THE SUSTAINABILITY TEST:
All legislation and government actions need to be economically, environmentally and socially sustainable in order to ensure they are cost effective, will not degrade the environment and will encourage behaviours that promote a healthy society.
THE ECONOMY:
You drive BC’s economy. BC’s economy will thrive when you are able to keep more of your tax dollars.
- Every dollar you spend generates the economy far more than a dollar the government spends because of bureaucratic waste.
- Encouraging green technology business now will give BC an economic advantage as their products become more sought after around the world in the near future.
- Investment and development will be encouraged by: a favourable tax climate, inexpensive energy, necessary transportation infrastructure, low transportation costs, a high quality of life for BC residents, access to resources for sustainable business, recreational opportunities for BC residents, and BC’s beautiful natural surroundings.
- Traditional staples of BC’s economy, like forestry, fishing, agriculture and aquaculture need to be redeveloped in a sustainable and profitable way.
THE ENVIRONMENT:
BC’s environment is being destroyed. The environment is what makes BC great, providing necessary recreational opportunities, a sanctuary for BC’s wildlife and natural resources for sustainable business development.
- Transportation accounts for 40% of BC’s greenhouse gasses. Encouraging electric vehicles, and rapid transportation use would improve BC’s greenhouse gas output far better than the Carbon Tax.
- BC’s energy should be provided in the most cost effective way that causes the least environmental impact. Instead of “Run of River” projects with large environmental impacts, add generating capacity to existing dams. Recreational access will be opened to existing “Run of River” projects so British Columbians can monitor their impact.
- Products sold in BC will be labeled with an environmental letter grade so consumers can easily decide what they will pay for better environmental standards.
- All garbage cans and garbage collection will be split into four: garbage, compost, plastic and paper recycling.
HEALTHCARE:
British Columbians are dying waiting for access to healthcare. The current method of providing healthcare is not working. There are long wait lines, poor service levels, high healthcare costs and no access for some British Columbians.
- The Healthcare system will shift focus to prevention. Incentives to live a healthy lifestyle and manage your own health will be created.
- BC needs cost effective treatment that ensures every British Columbian gets the level of care they deserve while tracking the true cost of healthcare.
- Everyone using the system will be given a statement detailing the cost of their visit, allowing government to track healthcare costs, while encouraging people not really needing medical attention to stop tying up the system. This will ensure whoever needs medical attention will have shorter wait times and better care.
- To reduce healthcare costs and improve service, the front line in health care will be nurse practitioners. These highly trained professionals can meet the needs of 90% of health care patients while reducing costs and ensuring people who need to see a doctor have access to one.
- BC will remove all restrictions on the number of health care professionals that are allowed to be trained in BC each year. This will improve access to healthcare professionals by increasing the supply of nurses and doctors, and will ultimately decrease the cost of health care.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION:
BC children are not prepared for their future. Schools need to prepare children for the future outside of educational facilities and not just try to prepare them for university.
- Focus less on teaching specific facts, instead teach children to be lifelong learners.
- Each day provide independent learning time. Ensure children are inspired to learn every day in school by giving children and parents more choice in what they learn and which classes they take.
- Provide opportunities for children to take more field trips and participate in extra-curricular activities like swimming lessons.
- School days will be extended voluntarily, so parents can to drop off their children before work and pick their children up after work without worrying about finding childcare facilities. Schools will also be open throughout the summer as another opportunity for children to voluntarily continue their learning.
- Teach children how to budget, manage finances and develop a healthy diet.
- Ensure teachers have appropriate support for the class composition and size.
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION:
British Columbians do not know enough. All British Columbians benefit from an educated population as educated citizen’s make better choices, and elect better governments.
- Forgivable loans for British Columbians who work in BC after obtaining degrees for a predetermined amount of time. This will encourage British Columbians to pursue a postsecondary education without having to worry about the financial burden.
- Student loans will be better catered to students’ needs; if a student would only like to borrow the cost of their tuition they will be able to do so.
- Increase the amount of number of educational opportunities in BC. This can be done by removing the regulations limiting the number of private post-secondary institutions allowed within BC.
TRANSPORTATION:
BC’s transportation infrastructure is outdated. To keep the economy functioning, people and goods need to move throughout the province easily. In urban areas people should be encouraged to find alternatives to gas automobiles.
- BC needs a rapid transportation system in Lower Mainland and Lower Fraser Valley that makes taking public transit quicker, less expensive, and more convenient than driving. This will decrease private automobile traffic, making all transportation easier.
- Investing in long-term transportation infrastructure so private automobiles can travel without unnecessary delays is important. This will ensure that low pollution and zero emission vehicles, like electric cars, will have the necessary infrastructure when they are widely adopted.
- Zero emission vehicles will be encouraged by allowing HOV access and transferable insurance between ZEV’s and gas automobiles for ZEV owners.
- Outside of the lower mainland gasoline powered automobiles will continue to be necessary for transportation. It is important to invest in the maintenance and expansion of the rural province’s network of roads.
DEALING WITH CRIME:
Crime is killing our neighbourhoods. It is time for the government to take a stand against criminals, and a realistic perspective about what laws British Columbians need to see enforced.
- Time served in remand pre-trial will no longer be counted for twice time served in prison.
- All people serving time in jail will have to work to support the costs of their incarceration and the costs of their crime to society.
- A graduated sentencing system will be implemented. Punishments will increase severely each time you are caught doing a crime.
- The pre-approval process that currently keeps many criminals from ever standing before a judge will be removed.
- Marijuana will be legalized and sold by licenced retailers in a way similar to alcohol so that gangs will lose a large source of revenue as well as a major gateway into mainstream society.
HOMELESSNESS AND HOME AFFORDABILITY:
Homelessness is rampant in BC. The cost and availability of homes in BC is directly affected by government regulation. Regulation needs to be minimized in to allow a greater number of homes to be available to live in.
- Remove the property transfer tax that consistently drives up the price of a home every time it transfers ownership.
- Remove restrictions on secondary suites and minimum home sizes so that higher density homes can be available at a lower cost.
- Remove caps on the maximum damage deposit and pet deposit amounts that can be held by landlords. If landlords are able to recuperate the cost of damage caused to their property more potential landlords will purchase homes to rent, and the supply of rental homes will increase, dropping the cost of renting.
- Work with developers to ensure that big box retail and large industrial developments also include high density residential.
- Sell all land and buildings owned by the provincial government in the City of Vancouver and relocate these to outside the city making more land available and the land outside the city centre more desirable.
BUREAUCRACY:
Bureaucratic waste is eating your tax dollars. This needs to stop now.
- Making the budget completely public down to the last tax dollar will go along ways towards eliminating waste.
- Departmental budgets will no longer be based upon the dollar amount spent the previous year. This will end the race at the end of the year to spend all remaining money in the budget in order to get the same amount the following year.
SENIOR CARE:
BC’s parents and grandparents aren’t being given the respect they deserve.
- Ensure all elderly people receive adequate care.
- Focus on home-based care in order to keep costs down, and allow seniors to be as independent as possible
- Encourage the development of small group care facilities where seniors can live together helping each other leed a fulfilling life.
- Provide tax incentives for families who care for their parents.
FORESTRY:
BC’s forests are being destroyed. Improper management of the forests and lack of respect for natural forest cycles have led to disasters like the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation and the catastrophic forest fires of 2003.
- Harvest all Pine Beetle affected timber immediately and reforest the area with mixed tree species.
- Provide pine beetle lumber to BC home builders and other businesses at lowest possible cost.
- Allow small scale sustainable forest companies better access to BC’s forest resources.
- Focus forestry industry on providing low cost, high quality, value added timber products.
- Shift remaining industry into producing sustainable inexpensive pulp and paper from agricultural hemp.
FISHING:
BC’s salmon are being killed. BC’s world class salmon runs and streams are in steep decline. We need to ensure this great resource is around for future generations.
- The provincial fishing industry needs to be revamped in order to increase the safety and profitability of the industry.
- Switching from the current method, of limiting catch by restraining the length of the fishing season, to limiting the total allowable yearly catch, will increase the safety of the industry while ensuring some fish from each genetic run are allowed to reproduce.
- This will also increase the profitability of the industry since removing succeeding will not be about who has invested the most in the fastest boat and the most expensive equipment.
- Fishing will also be able to continue throughout the year decreasing the reliance that the fishing industry has on Employment Insurance.
- Ensuring farmed fish are responsible for the total cost associated with producing farmed fish will also make fishing using sustainable methods more profitable.
FIRST NATIONS:
First Nations members in BC are living in third world conditions. We need to allow individual members of First Nations Communities a chance to escape from the continuous cycle of dependency and poverty.
- Allow First Nations members and governments to be self-sustaining by working towards ending all transfer payments from any level of government.
- Shift transfer payments initially into funding for training and development, and eventually remove transfer payments all together.
- Settle all land claims once and for all allowing First Nations a chance to develop self-supporting communities and industries.
- Ensure land claims provide adequate land and resources to allow remaining First Nations communities the ability to develop, without negatively impacting the rest of the Province’s population.
- Once First Nations develop their communities, they must become a true part of British Columbia, by contributing tax revenue to the province like all British Columbians.
WELFARE AND WORKFARE:
BC’s welfare system discourages British Columbians from working. The welfare system should focus on providing education and work experience to create self-sufficient British Columbians who can appreciate their self worth.
- Make weekly educational programs a requirement for anyone receiving welfare payments.
- Create a Workfare program to ensure people who are able to work are required to do some work to receive welfare payments.
- Provide necessary support, like transit passes, childcare, and housing for recipients who work.
- Provide relevant educational opportunities for people on welfare in order to ensure they have the necessary skills to become self-sufficient.
- Hire single mothers, currently receiving welfare, to provide childcare before and after school in order to allow other single parents the opportunity to work.
- Make educational classes about raising children a requirement for pregnant mothers on welfare.
- Encourage potential mothers to fully appreciate the costs associated with becoming a parent and remove incentives to have additional children.
- Ensure that all money provided for housing welfare recipients goes to providing housing for that welfare recipient.
AGRICULTURE:
British Columbians are not eating healthy food. British Columbians deserve food that is healthy, affordable, and produced using sustainable methods.
- The BC agricultural industry needs to use sustainable farming practices in order to produce low cost, high quality organic and natural food locally for British Columbians.
- Provide incentives encouraging British Columbians to grow their own food.
- Allow greater access to land where local community gardens can locate.
- Allow greater access to the local marketplace for locally produced agricultural products.
- Allow greater access to unused provincially controlled non-sensitive land and non-sensitive potential irrigation streams.
AQUACULTURE:
Fish farms are destroying BC’s wild fish. Fish farms need to be managed in a sustainable way that doesn’t negatively impact wild fish runs.
- Ensure fish farms are responsible for the total cost associated with producing farmed fish.
- Encourage fish farms to operate on land instead of in open pens.
- Farmed salmon sold in BC will be labeled with which farm it was produced at.
- BC Fish farms infected with sea lice will have to disclose levels of sea lice in their populations and this information will be easily available online for all consumers.
- Fish farms operating in the path of wild runs must be removed during the wild run to decrease the likelihood of contamination with sea lice.
- Encourage fish farms to farm local varieties of fish, not Atlantic salmon.
- Encourage fish farms to contribute to improving wild fish stocks.
CHILDCARE:
BC’s children are not being provided with the early education, supervision and nutrition they need. BC’s children need proper education and nutrition in order to grow up to be healthy, smart, productive members of society.
- Ensure parents are free to work without worrying about finding childcare for their children.
- Provide childcare in conjunction with school so parents can to drop off their children before work and pick their children up after work. Schools will be open for childcare, from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.
- Schools will be open voluntarily throughout the summer to provide children an opportunity to continue their learning and receive childcare.
- Children will be provided with 3 nutritional meals a day.
- Before school and after school care will focus on providing extra-curricular activities, going on field trips, encouraging community involvement, and allowing for other unique educational opportunities.
TOURISM:
BC’s tourism industry is not reaching its potential. Tourism has the potential to be a sustainable industry at the heart of BC’s economy.
- Allow access for sustainable BC ecotourism businesses to BC’s wilderness which will encourage visitors to cherish and protect the environment.
- Encourage First Nations and other ethnic groups to provide tourism opportunities which promote traditional cultural activities in the beautiful natural surroundings of BC.
- Encourage tourism businesses to work together to provide experience packages which promote multiple tourism experiences throughout BC.
- Provide necessary transportation infrastructure in order to allow visitors to experience tourism opportunities in all areas of BC.
ICBC:
ICBC is forcing British Columbians to pay more than necessary for their car insurance.
- Open up the insurance market to private insurance companies.
- Keep ICBC around to ensure competitive rates can not rise higher than those established by ICBC.
- Allow transferable insurance for people who own zero emissions vehicles, like electric cars and compressed air cars, so that they can commute during the week with their ZEV and drive a gas powered automobile for longer trips.