Ontario Election Kit: Green Party Platform '07

by Apathy is Boring — September 14, 2007

THE GREEN PARTY OF ONTARIO   
[THE ONTARIO GREENS]   
President:    Ron Yurick
Leader:    Frank de Jong

Our Goals
The Green Party of Ontario demands ecological sustainability. Now more than ever, it is clear that humans must learn to live in balance with nature. This is the only world we have and if we destroy it our children and grandchildren will not know the pleasure of clean air, clean water and a planet worth inhabiting.  The Green Party Constitution eloquently states the goals of the provincial party:

*  The protection, preservation, and restoration of the natural world and its community of life.

*  The development of a sustainable and non-exploitive human society and economy, nested within the natural world, and functioning so as not to harm or degrade it.

Policies Based on Values
At a time when our politicians say they can't be bound by three-year plans and businesses manage affairs quarter by quarter, the Green Party's decisions are firmly grounded in Ten Key Values. These values give us consistency, permanence, vision and stability in a turbulent world. The Green Party of Ontario shares these values with Green parties around the world.

Sustainability
Our activities are sustainable only if they can be continued without diminishing the opportunities and resources available to future generations. We have only one planet to live on, and we must treat it as if we mean to stay here.

Social Justice
With justice comes liberty, stability and lasting progress. We must act locally and globally to secure basic human rights and build a just society.

Grassroots Democracy
True democracy exists when citizens meet as equals to resolve problems and make decisions that are important to their community and nation. Citizens must be encouraged to participate in the environmental, economic and political decisions that affect them.

Nonviolence
Every act of violence delays our progress toward a just society. Anger closes the open mind. Fear precludes constructive change.

Decentralization
The people most affected by a problem must have the authority to solve it. Distant administrations cannot be responsive. Individuals, cities and municipalities need more freedom to shape their destinies.

Community-Based Economics
Businesses must contribute to the communities and nations in which they operate. Our economy must build communities, rather than extract profits from them.

Gender Equality/Feminism
The Green Party supports the belief that a feminist perspective emphasizes cooperation instead of competition and nurturing instead of aggression.  This perspective must be applied to the governing of our society.

Diversity
We honour the diversity of life on our planet. Every plant and animal has intrinsic value and the right to exist, independent of human needs. All cultural, sexual and spiritual diversity of the Earth's people has intrinsic value.

Personal and Global Responsibility
We must learn to take responsibility for ourselves, our families, our communities and ultimately for our planet. As we learn to be responsible, we will give others the means and incentive to do the same.

Ecological Wisdom
Human beings are part of nature, not separate from it. We cannot recklessly endanger whole ecosystems and remain unaffected. When we damage the web of life, we damage ourselves.

toll free    1-888-6GREEN6
Internet:    http://www.gpo.ca
Email:    gpoadmin@magma.ca