About Elizabeth

68 years old

Hometown: Margaree Harbour, Cape Breton Island

Elizabeth May is an environmentalist, writer, activist and lawyer. May became the founding Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada in 1989 and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005 for her environmental leadership. In 2006, she was elected the leader of the Green Party of Canada. Elizabeth's family operated a restaurant and gift shop out of a restored land-locked fishing schooner in her hometown of Margaree Harbour on Cape Breton Island.

Economy

If elected, a Green government would focus on shifting from a carbon-based economy to a "green economy". They would create jobs by promoting the retrofit of homes and businesses to make them more energy efficient. They would work to create jobs in manufacturing, installing, operating, and maintaining wind turbines, solar panels, public transit vehicles and infrastructure, insulation, rail stock, and other elements of a clean and efficient economy.^[1]

A Green government would implement a “Carbon Fee and Dividend” which sees the government collecting a fee on carbon pollution at the source and gives producers and consumers the incentive to change the technologies and habits that promote pollution. The money collected would be returned to Canadians as a dividend.^[2]

A Green government would immediately focus on leading world climate negotiations and developing "concrete plans" to reduce Canada's carbon emissions.^[6]

If elected, a Green government would commit Canada at COP21 in Paris this December, to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 2005 levels by 2025. To accomplish these reductions, they would establish a revenue-neutral Carbon Fee and Dividend system to phase out carbon emissions and promote renewable energy. They would also realize "significant" emissions reductions by increasing the efficiency of existing housing and building stock.^[7]

If elected, a Green government would transform Canada's relationship with Indigenous peoples to a "true nation-to-nation dialogue" and honour the rights of Aboriginal peoples, including treaty rights and the inherent right to self-government.^[9]

A Green government would implement all the “Calls to Action” of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission within federal jurisdiction and "swiftly" implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.^[10]

If elected, a Green government would continue to oppose all existing pipeline proposals to including Kinder Morgan, Northern Gateway, and Energy East^[11]

A Green government would oppose making further investments in the oil sands that are predicated on expansion. They would also place a moratorium on oil sands expansion and ensure that all refining takes place near the source, where less volatile substances can be transported with greater safety.^[12]

Justice

If elected, a Green government would immediately repeal Bill C-51 and introduce "legislation that would make Canadians safer, not less safe". They would repeal all laws establishing mandatory minimum sentences, ensure resources are available for communities that wish to use restorative justice programs, and provide guidance for judges making bail determinations to avoid release for violent crimes when there is a risk of re-offending.^[13][14]

A Green government would work to find a "better balance" to ensure that Canadians are as safe as possible, without imposing ineffective restrictions on law-abiding gun owners. They would crack down on illegal gun smuggling and review the registry for restricted firearms in consultation with First Nations and sport shooting organizations.^[15][16]

A Green government would oppose any privatized, for-profit healthcare and work to further strengthen a universal, publicly funded healthcare system.

A Green government would establish a universal pharmacare program that ensures all Canadians can access the medication they need and allows the government to negotiate purchases in bulk, in order to save on costs.^[17]

A Green government would re-orient the Canadian military towards peacekeeping and disaster response. They would work to end the lump sum payment for injuries and bring back lifetime pensions for veterans.^[20]

A Green government would take a position of “engaged neutrality” in the Israel-Palestine conflict and endorse the recognition of a Palestinian right to statehood within the internationally recognized borders as described in United Nations Security Council Resolution 242. They support a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict that adheres to the pre-1967 borders.^[21]

If elected, a Green government would eliminate the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and offer foreign workers pathways to citizenship. They would explore avenues for the 200,000 people living in Canada without official status to achieve full landed immigrant status.^[38]

A Green government would strengthen human rights protections for prospective immigrants, repeal recent changes that encourage rapid deportation, and reverse policies that place barriers on family reunification.^[39]

If elected, a Green government would make the elimination of student debt a national goal by moving to institute a grant system instead of a loan system.^[36]

The Greens would advocate for the removal of the 2% funding cap on First Nations education. If elected, a Green government would increase federal transfers to provincial and territorial governments tied to postsecondary education to address rising tuition costs, and support apprenticeships and incentivized on-the-job training.^[37]

If elected, a Green government will work to create a national housing strategy to ensure every Canadian has access to affordable, safe, and secure housing.^[35]

A Green government will increase social housing transfers to provincial, territorial, and municipal governments through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). They would also call for the appointment of a Minister of Housing to oversee the development and implementation of the the affordable housing strategy, which would see 20,000 new and 10,000 rehabilitated affordable housing units built each year for the next decade.

If elected, a Green government would repeal Bill C-51, and the portions of Bills C-13 and S-4 that allow law enforcement to request the disclosure of personal information without a warrant and without notifying those whose personal information has been accessed.^[31][32]

A Green government would end the Canadian government's online surveillance program and introduce legislation to "defend an internet that is open and free, where Canadians have a right to privacy."^[33][34]

Government & Transparency

If elected, a Green government would legislate the end of first-past-the-post voting and establish an all-party Democratic Voting Commission to conduct a public consultation on the style of proportional representation best suited to Canada. They would also move to reduce financial barriers to running for political office and lower the voter age to 16 to encourage greater youth participation.^[27][28]

A Green government would cut the funding of the Prime Minister's Office by 50% and take steps to ensure that public funds are not used for partisan purposes. They would reform the appointments system to discourage patronage, strengthen the independence of those who monitor government, and tighten restrictions on lobbying.^[29]

If elected, a Green government would introduce a Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI). A GLI would provide a regular payment to every Canadian, at a subsistence level above the poverty line, to meet basic needs while encouraging additional income generation.^[25]

A Green government would reverse the $117 million cut to CBC/Radio-Canada. It would also invest an additional $168 million, and $315 million every year after, to rebuild the CBC and Radio-Canada's local coverage and capacity.^[26]