To Kevin,
First, I would like to
say I am sorry about the appearance of the nature of our exchanges on Twitter
yesterday.
Twitter can at times
be a very inadequate tool for communication when the subject is complex and a
full response requires much more than the 100 or so characters left after
including Twitter addresses. Worse a
disagreement in this limited format can seem like a confrontation when this is
not the case. Regretfully, both of these
factors were at play during our exchanges regarding Québec Solidaire (QS). Accordingly, I am offering you this more complete
picture.
Second, I think we are
on the same page for a prosperous, inclusive and green economy. However, when I apply these criteria to QS as
well as the other parties, no party responds to what I am looking for as well
as excludes that which I definitely don't want.
To begin on QS
deficiencies, the QS policy on the environment is a complete departure of from
green economy paths elsewhere in the world in that QS calls for financing of
the green economy mostly from a redistribution of the wealth over to green
causes along with government being the principal financier of such initiatives. This puts the green economy in the same
category as social programs and as a result it's a recipe for failure rather
than one for economic development.
Moreover, as Françoise
David has repeatedly said, under the QS model, QS would heavily invest in public
transportation for all as its principal solution. Nowhere else in the world does the
"solution" depend primarily on a single measure.
Add to this, the QS proposal
to nationalize the wind sector when there are very few Quebec indigenous wind technologies
-- an absurd formula that would result in an international green private sector
boycott of Quebec.
The Chinese, European,
Brazilian Indian and US governments provide combinations of legislation, policies,
fiscal measures, programs, incentives/disincentives and financial leveraging
measures to foster a change in economic paradigms that favour private sector
investment in the green economy. These countries have recognized that one requires an over-arching
approach to engender transformative change.
There are 3.5M jobs in the EU green sectors and
1.2M in their renewable sector. In
Germany, the green sectors are collectively larger than the auto industry.
http://commonsensecanadian.ca/germany-shows-thriving-green-economy-possible/
Indeed, the green sectors have become one of
the highest job creation sectors of our times and this has been achieved by promoting
the migration to a green economy as economic development, as well as sustainable
development, solutions. The green
economy is in fact a good news win-win story.
In this regard, a Canadian BlueGreen Alliance report has indicated that
there are six to eight times more jobs per subsidy investment unit associated with
green investments when compared with similar investments in the fossil fuel
sectors.
http://bluegreencanada.ca/node/175
Yet,there is nothing
in their platform about creating new wealth - nothing for a prosperous green
economy.
QS for me lives down
to the stereotype image to the effect that a green economy and economic
development are at odds with one another.
Harper conveys the same message.
Rated against what I want -- a prosperous inclusive green economy -- QS fails on 2 counts.
Then there is what I
definitely cannot support 1) a party with no plan for economic development and
2) a party that advocates Quebec sovereignty.
These are two of the three themes of QS.
This of course leaves
me with no party to support. For the
first time in my life, I will vote for an independent candidate as a protest
vote in that each of the four parties has
baggage that I cannot accept under any circumstances. I hope this is the last time I feel compelled
to do so and that the next time around there will be an NDP provincial party.
In closing, it is incredible how many people
have written letters and articles published in newspapers to the effect that
they feel like orphans in this election.
The following is just one example of this phenomenon.
http://www.lapresse.ca/debats/votre-opinion/201403/31/01-4752917-les-orphelins-de-centre-gauche.php
Your way of compromise
may be better than mine. Indeed, that
kind of formula has worked for me 99.9% of the time - Quebec 2014 is the first
and I hope last exception for me.
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