Who we are

The following text is cribbed from the updated Green Party of Canada website:

Who We Are

The Green Party of Canada is a committed group of individuals – representing a diverse demographic of Canadians – who passionately believe in creating a better future for local communities, our nation, and indeed, the world. The Green Party believes that political integrity is imperative for a sustainable and just society. We are committed to democracy, social justice, and fostering respect and compassion for the natural world and its inhabitants by way of open and honest discourse, public participation, and balanced decision making.

The Green Party respects the need for equilibrium between competition and co-operation in a mixed economy; we value the gifts and flexibility that this dynamic tension offers to society. Accordingly, we recognize the strengths and weaknesses of business and organized labour and will work to continuously improve the functioning of both for the public good.

We believe in social justice while encouraging self-reliance, respecting the principle of reward for effort and risk. We believe that these principles must exist in a system where environmental issues are at the forefront of decision making.

Important environmental issues include: climate change, air quality, water and soil degradation, loss of bio-diversity, depletion of critical energy and food supplies, expanding global population, build up of toxic substances, and urban sprawl. These issues affect us all (locally, nationally, globally) and are particularly harmful in combination; their negative consequences are already felt by the world’s most vulnerable: children, the poor, resident’s of developing countries, and other species.

The Green Party seeks to directly address the structural causes of poverty. High poverty rates are not inevitable; other nations have demonstrated that creative policy and focused leadership can dramatically reduce poverty rates. A serious national anti-poverty program is a wise economic investment that pays for itself many times over in avoided social and health costs.

The Green party promotes qualitative economic well-being: we recognize limits to material and energy consumption and believe there is a better course to chart – one which sustains ecosystems and resources. We will influence public policy through a Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) rather than relying solely on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By failing to subtract negative economic and social repercussions from its total calculations of economic activity, the GDP distorts the national evaluation of wealth, prosperity and quality-of-life.

We believe in good government and the collective voice of Canadians. Green Party policies will make Parliament more democratic and diverse through reforms such as moves towards election by proportional representation. Government must be more accountable and more transparent.

Multinational corporations – operating under international trade agreements that limit national democratic oversight – exert exceptional power. We will work with partners around the world (including Green parties internationally) to introduce mandatory global environmental and social standards for multi-national corporations. This will help (re)establish democratic accountability, human rights and the protection of the global environmental commons.

While independent, Green parties of many countries share common values as expressed in the Global Greens Charter. These principles are: ecological wisdom, sustainability, respect for diversity, social justice, non-violence, and participatory democracy. Canada must play a more significant role in the world, building peace, advancing human rights, and protecting vulnerable eco-systems. Canada has the capacity to assist in these roles – and our leadership must be offered, with integrity, at crucial moments.

We can – and indeed must if we hope to survive – replace the fear and mistrust which misdirects immense human and financial resources with an emerging global vision of social responsibility, peace and environmental sustainability.

We hope that you will join us in our quest for a brighter future!