Welcome to my election web page. Here you will find my personal views on candidates and issues as well as links to various websites , articles and reports relevant to them. I should say at the outset that I am a Democratic Socialist and member of the New Democratic Party (NDP). This does not mean that I agree with every policy or position taken by the NDP. I do believe however that it is the only political party in Canada and British Columbia that isn't dominated and/or controlled national and international corporate interest. Interest that want to privatize our health care system, our water, and eventually all public services.
I am also an environmentalist who does not believe that we are on the right path to stop further climate change, or save our planet and humankind from a looming environmental crisis. A crisis that will make the current global economic crisis pale by comparison. I believe the current global economic crisis was foreseeable and preventable. I also believe it is highly likely that if we rely solely upon market driven solutions, rather than taking immediate steps to impose real limits on green house gas emissions, and other unsustainable practices; such as overharvesting forest, uncontrolled resource extraction, and uncontrolled marketing and consumerism, a global economic melt down will be the least of the next generation's worries.
Unfortunately we are being driven by immediate concerns about the state of economy by the media, corporations, the provincial liberals, and even some in my own party. While I agree that the economy can't be ignored, and governments must act to keep the recession from becoming a full blown depression, I believe we can't afford to put the environment on the back burner, or put our faith in market driven solutions. In fact many of the solutions put forward by the liberals will simply hasten the day of environmental reckoning.
So, why am I not supporting the Green Party of BC? Firstly they have no chance of forming government. Secondly even if they did, their stated policy is "To slow the rate of climate change we need to price the cost of pollution into the economy...". Thirdly They have chosen to focus exclusively on market driven solutions to climate change with no cap or roll back of current emission levels.
On the other hand, Carole James and the NDP are committed to capping emissions and developing a plan to roll them back. They also have environment policy that is based on the needs of communities rather than corporations. The NDP while advocating a shift to green technology and using some market tools, recognizes that regulations and enforcement are critical to halting and then reversing the environmental damage that largely unfettered market forces have visited upon our planet.
Based on the foregoing and his commitment to our community, on May 12, I am voting for Spencer Herbert, the NDP candidate for Vancouver-West End.
Spencer Herbert -
Elected to represent Vancouver – Burrard in the by-election last fall, Spencer is a strong community activist with a background is in the arts and culture industry. He was the associate producer of the United Nations World Urban Festival and has been a facilitator and lecturer with Better Environmentally Sound Transportation, the GLBT Centre and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. Born and raised in Vancouver, Spencer enjoys baseball and is a keen community gardener. Spencer lives in the West End with partner Romi, a community developer
CUPE BC Election Website - www.cupe.bc.ca/provincial_election_2009
