Catholic voters guide puts spotlight on B.C. party platforms

This guide was updated Oct. 19 with the latest party policies.

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Introduction to the B.C. Election Catholic Voters Guide

As Archbishop Miller writes in his election letter to Catholics this week, voters have an opportunity to help guide the direction of the province by prayerfully discerning and voting in the Oct. 24 provincial election.

Voters can help select leaders who have the good of all in mind – including the unborn, the elderly, the young, families, and those who are too often forgotten or ostracized by society – as well as workers, farmers, business owners, and future generations.

Catholics are called to participate in accordance with the full measure of talents entrusted to them by God. At a minimum, this means voting wisely after having considered all relevant issues, the positions of the candidates and parties, and relevant Church teachings; and after having prayed for guidance.

With the hard work of Catholic Conscience, who first helped us during the last federal election, The B.C. Catholic provides this summary of issues relevant to this year’s election, along with relevant Catholic teachings and party positions in their own words. The policy comparisons are based on official publications of the registered parties  and any communications provided by the parties directly to Catholic Conscience, as of Oct. 19, 2020.  We will update it as much as possible as parties announce additional policies. Voters are in all cases encouraged to review the websites, platforms, and other materials published by the parties, and to speak directly to the parties and their candidates.

Due to the large number of political parties on ballots this election, we are presenting the platforms of the six parties that received at least 0.1 per cent of the vote in the last election.

• Prefer a printable or big-screen version? A .pdf copy with columns for side-by-side consideration is here.
• Having trouble deciding? Look here for details of a Catholic approach to voting.

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Life & Human Dignity

The Sanctity of Life: from Conception to Natural Death

The right to life from conception to natural death is the foundation of all Catholic Social Teaching. It implies that every form of procured abortion and euthanasia is illicit.  – 155, Compendium of of the Social Doctrine of the Church

“This is not something subject to alleged reforms or ‘modernizations.’ It is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life.” – Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 214

The Dignity of Work

Work is an essential expression of the person. Any form of materialism or economic tenet that tries to reduce the worker to being a mere instrument of production, a simple labour force with an exclusively material value, would hopelessly distort the essence of work and strip it of its most noble and basic human quality.   – 271-274, Compendium of of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Catholic Teaching

Catholics care about the sanctity of life because the entire purpose of each soul God that endows with life is to find its way back to God. Terminating a life voluntarily at any time after its conception necessarily frustrates this purpose.

• The source of human dignity is the likeness to God that is bestowed on each of us at the moment we are conceived. We respond appropriately to this gift by using all the time, talent, and treasure that God has entrusted to us to seek and grow closer to God, by sharing in His continuing act of creation and caring for those around us. Our first purpose is to seek God, especially in one another. If we do that, everything else will be given to us. Anything that interferes with that is contrary to the Word of God. Genesis, Chapter 1; Matthew, Chapters 6, 22 & 25. “You shall not kill” the 5th Commandment. The right to life from conception to natural death is the foundation of all Catholic Social Teaching. “This is not something subject to alleged reforms or ‘modernizations.’ It is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life.” 155, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church; 214 Evangelii Gaudium 
• Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. Physical, moral and spiritual difference and complementarities are oriented towards the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. -224 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Men and women with homosexual tendencies must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. 2358 Catechism of the Catholic Church
• The solemn proclamation of human rights is contradicted by a painful reality of, including new forms of slavery such as trafficking in human beings, illegal drug trafficking, prostitution. “Even in countries with democratic forms of government, these rights are not always fully respected”. Some serious problems remain unsolved: trafficking in children, the phenomenon of “street children, and the use of children for commerce in pornographic material. 158, 245 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.
• The use of one’s gifts to seek and serve God necessarily includes work, by which humans cooperate with God in God’s continuing act of creation. Work is an essential expression of the person… Any form of materialism or economic tenet that tries to reduce the worker to a mere instrument of production, a simple labour force with an exclusively material value, would hopelessly distort the essence of work and strip it of its most noble and basic human quality. Work is an obligation to one’s family, neighbors, and nation. 271-274, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

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Abortion

The B.C. CHP believes that abortions (the killing of tiny human beings) do not qualify as health care, nor that B.C. taxpayers, many of whom conscientiously oppose abortion, should be forced to pay for them.

The party would

• Remove abortion from the list of taxpayer-funded surgeries (along with all other non-necessary surgeries)
• Restore access to statistical information on abortions performed in B.C.
• Repeal B.C.’s “bubble zone” legislation and restore freedom of speech

Assisted Suicide

The B.C. CHP commits to defending senior citizens and those with disabilities from attempts to institute euthanasia and assisted suicide in B.C.

The Christian Heritage Party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:

• Support for reluctant mothers and unwanted children
• Hospice or palliative care
• Gender identity
• Human Trafficking
• The dignity of work

The Sanctity of Life

As a matter of principle the B.C. Conservative party believes that every individual has value, that life and liberty are fundamental and inviolable rights, and that everyone is born equal to enjoy life in a tolerant society that respects their individuality and freedom of speech, religion, and assembly.

Palliative Care

The B.C. Conservative party:

• Recognizes that robust palliative care is key to ensuring meaningful choice in end-of-life decisions, and should be appropriately funded
• Believes that hospices should have the right to opt out of participating in Assisted suicide

The B.C. Conservative party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:

• Abortion or support for unwilling mothers and unwanted children
• Gender identity
• Human Trafficking
• The dignity of work

Abortion

The B.C. Green Party has released no official statement of its policies concerning abortion or support for unwilling mothers and unwanted children.

As core principles, the B.C. Green party:

• Respects the protection and valuing of all cultures and individuals while conserving variety in the world
• Acknowledges that all humans have a fundamental right to health, wellbeing, and freedom

Assisted Suicide

In order to reduce health care costs, the party proposes to develop a strategy for assisted suicide to train nurses and doctors who which to participate, and ensure services are available to patients. 

The Dignity of Work

The B.C. Green party believes that governments should be focused on the wellbeing of citizens rather than maximizing returns to private corporations, and that the social determinants of health include employment/working conditions.

The B.C. Green party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:

• Gender identity
• Human trafficking

The B.C. Libertarian party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:

• Abortion or support for unwilling mothers and unwanted children
• Assisted suicide
• Hospice or palliative care
• Gender identity
• Human Trafficking
• The dignity of work

Abortion

The B.C. NDP has released no official statement concerning its policies on abortion or support for unwilling mothers and unwanted children.

Contraception

The party has pledged free prescription contraception, in order to continue its efforts to provide free menstrual products in bathrooms of all public schools, and in order to advance reproductive rights and gender equality.

Assisted Suicide

The B.C. NDP has released no official statement concerning its policies assisted suicide, palliative care, hospice care, or other options for the terminally ill.

Gender Identity

The B.C. NDP reports that it introduced an “X” gender option for those who do not wish to identify as male or female on provincial documents.

Human Trafficking

The B.C. NDP has released no official statement concerning its policies on human trafficking.

Dignity of Work

The B.C. NDP reports that it:

• has implemented a $15/hr minimum wage, to be in place by June 2021
• Increased minimum wage for farm workers, caregivers, and support workers
• Updated provincial employment standards and Labour Code

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Points to Ponder: Life & Human Dignity

Consider asking your district’s candidates the following questions, and discussing their answers with your family, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:

• What limits should be placed on voluntary termination of human life, either prior to birth or at any time before death?
• What alternatives to abortion are possible?  Which should be offered?  What should be done to assist reluctant or unwilling mothers?
• What alternatives to assisted suicide are possible?  Which should be offered?
• Is current provincial investment in palliative care (care which neither hastens nor postpones natural death) for terminally ill individuals adequate? Are sufficient spaces for such care available to meet the needs of the province?
• What can or should be done to ensure that jobs which encourage and enable the spiritual as well as material growth of all workers are available to all who seek them?

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Stewardship of Creation

There is urgency to this issue. Every Pope since at least Paul VI has written of our need to shift to a more responsible use of the earth and its abundant resources. The Church accepts that that need is now urgent.

“A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system… Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat… at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it. It is true that there are other factors, yet a number of scientific studies indicate that most global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases released mainly as a result of human activity.”

“Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue: it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” – 23, 217, Laudato Si’

Catholic Teaching

God gave us dominion over the earth, thereby making us stewards of creation as we work with him in his continuing act of creation. We must constantly consider how our actions protect or harm this glorious gift God has entrusted to us. This is a multi-faceted question, which must not be over-simplified. The good steward neither allows the resources entrusted to him to lie fallow or to fail to produce their proper fruit, nor does he waste or destroy them (Matthew 25:14-30). Rather, he uses them responsibly, for the Lord’s purposes, to realize their increase so that he may enjoy his livelihood and provide for the good of his family, his descendants, and his neighbors.

Humanity’s relationship with creation and the creatures of the earth “requires the exercise of responsibility, it is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation.”
– 115, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

“Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God’s infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment.” – 339, Catechism of the Catholic Church

Humanity’s relationship with creation and the creatures of the earth “requires the exercise of responsibility, it is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation.” – 115, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

“Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue: it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” – Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ 217

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Climate Change, Energy, Resources & Sustainability

The B.C. CHP states that:

• Carbon emissions are not the primary cause of climate change, and it will not waste taxpayers’ money on efforts to stabilize climate by carbon taxes or credits.
• Instead, the party would concentrate instead on fighting real pollution and encouraging the development of alternate, clean sources of energy in order to reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources.

The party supports:

• Appropriate environmental regulations for all phases of exploration, development, and extraction of natural resources
• Expansion of hydroelectric projects, especially environmentally-friendly run-of-river projects
• Encouragement of the mining industry and rejuvenation of the forest industry by reduction of regulation and move to a market-based system open to all operators, including small businesses
• Encouragement of the use of methanol in gasoline
• Ending release of chemicals to modify weather
• Major educational efforts to encourage energy conservation
• Construction of plants to convert wood fiber and other products to clean petroleum
• Use of pine-beetle infested trees as lumber, pulp, or bio-fuel
• Active promotion of wind, tidal, solar, and hydrogen power, including production of hydrogen from and bio-fuel from bio waste

Wildlife & Species Protection

The B.C. CHP supports:

• Requiring the federal government to honor its commitment in the B.C. Terms of Union to assume and defray costs for the protection and encouragement of fisheries
• Legislation recognizing and supporting the equal rights of all Canadians to fish regardless of race, heritage, or ethnicity
• Seeking compensation from the federal government for livelihoods of B.C. fishermen impacted by federal fisheries policies
• Operation of aquaculture in a manner not threatening to wild fish stocks, and a timetable for change to closed containment

Climate Change, Energy, Resources & Sustainability

The B.C. Conservative party:

• Recognizes that B.C.’s diverse environmental assets are the envy of much of the world and should be preserved and protected, and that environmental and fiscal sustainability and optimization should be the hallmark of a government’s policy. Our government will work with the public, landowners, involved business interests and other stakeholder groups
• Supports balancing development opportunities with environmental protection
• Commits to responsible stewardship of the environment, based on facts and best available scientific data
• Proposes elimination of the Carbon Tax and associated regulations
• Proposes a review of all subsidies for alternate energy production to ascertain which are most practical and minimize negative environmental impact
• Supports the Site C dam project
• Supports construction and upgrading of oil and gas pipelines
• Supports offshore oil and gas production
• Seeks to attract and retain investment in mining, with streamlined application processes and industry consultations on regulation

Resource Protection

As a matter of principle the B.C. Conservative party:

• Believes in protection and management of the environment and natural resources to optimize benefits now and in the future
• Supports Crown ownership of forest land, to ensure perpetual wealth and benefits for B.C. citizens

Wildlife & Species Protection

The B.C. Conservative party recognizes the importance of hunters and fishers to tourism and conservation, and undertakes to protect their rights, while ensuring sustainable management of fish and wildlife.

Climate Change, Energy, Resources & Sustainability

As core principles, the B.C. Green party:

• Advocates learning to live within the physical and biological limits of our Earth and to protect its life-giving nature
• Is committed to ensuring that natural resources are used wisely to protect the rights and needs of future generations

The party proposes to:

• Amend the Greenhouse Gas Reductions Target Act to reflect achievable interim reductions of 40 per cent by 2030
• Progressively increase the carbon tax
• Promote public education to reduce carbon footprint
• Increase requirements for equipment, vehicle, and building efficiency
• Promote design of efficient communities
• Promote transition to low-carbon fuels and materials
• Enhance carbon sinks, particularly forests
• Promote investment in green energy and transportation and clean/green jobs without increasing greenhouse emissions
• Invest $120 over four years to support R&D of climate friendly technologies
• Review environmental regulation to ensure promotion and adoption of green technologies and practices
• Promote use of clean technology to maximize economic recovery from waste streams
• Encourage green business and products through procurement policies; allocate $20 million per year to support adoption of green technologies

Climate Adaptation

The party proposes to:

• Provide $31 million to fund climate adaptation initiatives and coordinate approaches with other levels of government
• Invest in mapping and data gathering to facilitate risk planning and risk management
• Work with local entities to ensure that stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water infrastructure accounts for risks of a changing environment

Resource Management

The party proposes to:

• Rebuild and reform environment assessment processes
• Establish a compliance and enforcement unit to monitor all natural resource processes
• Create a Natural Resource Commissioner to establish sustainable harvest and extraction levels
• Address conflicts of interest within the Oil & Gas Commission

Forestry

The B.C. Green party states that its objective is to maximize the value of B.C.’s forests by recognizing the value of carbon sequestration, recreation, wildlife, biodiversity, soil and water quality and Indigenous interests as well as maximizing economic value.

The party proposes to:

• Enact a Forest and Range Ecology Act to protect and restore wildlife habitat, improve forest productivity and reforestation, address First Nations rights.
• Establish reserves and protect old-growth forests
• Add further restrictions of raw log exports
• Promote value-added enterprises in the forest industry
• Ensure that forest waste is used productively
• Identify opportunities for forestry innovation and value-added production
• Promote B.C. forest products in international markets and identify new markets

Water

The party proposes to:

• Review the Water Sustainability Act to ensure B.C.’s water quality and quantity are sustainable for future generations
• Gather data to enable science-based decision making with respect to water

Wildlife & Species Protection

As a core principle, the B.C. Green party:

• Respects the protection and valuing of all cultures and individuals while conserving variety in the world.

Climate Change, Energy, Resources & Sustainability

Climate Change, Energy, Resources & Sustainability

The B.C. Libertarian party advocates:

• Eliminating the carbon and fuel taxes.
• Liberating energy & resources by repealing the GreenBC plan to create a government monopoly in energy
• Allowing private energy providers to sell directly to consumers, rather than to B.C. Hydro
• Ending government legal opposition to pipelines and resource export projects
• Requesting that the federal government lift the tanker ban in Northern B.C.
• Requesting that the federal government lift the offshore drilling moratorium
• Ending corporate welfare and preferential treatment towards energy and resource companies

The B.C. Libertarian party has released no official statement concerning its policies on wildlife & species protection.

Climate Change, Energy, Resources & Sustainability

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It has invested $902 million in its climate plan
• It implemented a requirement that all new light-duty cars and trucks in B.C. be zero-emissions by 2040
• It has updated provincial environmental regulations to protect against diluted bitumen spills
• Begun retrofitting social housing units to make them safer and more energy efficient
• Increased the Climate Action Tax Credit by 14 per cent to benefit low and middle income families
• Is investing more than $111 million to combat and prevent forest fires
• Has taken steps to support and expand the forestry industry, including requirements for new projects to include B.C. wood allowing taller wood-framed buildings
• It established a new LNG framework to attract $40 billion in investment from the Federal government

Wildlife & Species Protection

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It has enacted rigorous new rules for salmon farms; created a Wild Salmon Advisory Council; and funded a B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation fund
• It is working with First Nations to phase out fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago
• It has banned trophy hunting for grizzly bears

Points to Ponder: Stewardship of Creation

Consider asking your district’s candidates the following questions, and discussing their answers with your family, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:

• How can British Columbia achieve a sustainable, adaptable, and resilient economy and life style, in order to protect future generations and those who live in other parts of the world, while enabling British Columbians to work at spiritually fulfilling and materially-sustaining jobs?
• What, if anything, should be done with respect to the Site C Dam project, in view of unexpected obstacles and rising costs; proposed loss of agricultural land; damage to the local environment; concerns expressed by Indigenous and other affected populations; and possible effects on short- and long-term employment?
• Should the elimination of single-use plastics, packaging, and implements be made a provincial priority?

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Community & the Common Good

Development of the Family; Health Care, Support for the Elderly and the Young; Education; Culture, Arts & Tourism

The family is the primary unit in society. It is where education begins and the Word of God is first nurtured. The priority of the family over society and the State must be affirmed. – 209-214, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

The Church teaches that the proper role of government and other human institutions is to foster human life and dignity by maintaining social conditions that enable and encourage us to serve God in one another, and thereby to promote that which is truly in the common interest. This includes nurturing and enabling families, as well as supporting the elderly and other marginalized members of society.

Catholic Teaching

“Honour your father and your mother.” – the 4th Commandment

The priority of the family over society and over the State must be affirmed. 214, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. The family is the primary unit in society. It is where education begins and the Word of God is first nurtured.  – 209-214, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

The Church teaches that the proper role of government and other human institutions is to foster human life and dignity by maintaining social conditions that enable and encourage us to serve God in one another, and thereby to promote that which is truly in the common interest. This includes nurturing and enabling families, as well as supporting the elderly and other marginalized members of society.

• Among the causes that greatly contribute to underdevelopment and poverty, mention must be made of illiteracy, lack of food security, the absence of structures and services, inadequate measures for guaranteeing basic health care, and the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation
• If the elderly are in situations where they experience suffering and dependence, not only do they need health-care services and appropriate assistance, but — and above all — they need to be treated with love.– 222, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
• Authentic democracy requires that the necessary conditions be present for the advancement both of the individual through education and formation in true ideals, and of the ‘subjectivity’ of society through the creation of structures of participation and shared responsibility.  Faced with rapid technological and economic progress, and with the equally rapid transformation of the processes of production and consumption, the Magisterium senses the need to propose a great deal of educational and cultural formation.  406, 376 – Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

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Development of the Family

The B.C. CHP believes that:

• The family unit is essential to the well-being of individuals and society, because that is where children learn values and develop responsibility
• Parents are primarily responsible for training their own children in matters of morality. The party opposes use of tax-supported schools for social engineering regarding human sexuality, sexual orientation, etc.
• The Corren Agreement of 2005 should be reversed.
• No person, government or agency has a right to interfere in the duty of parents except through due process of law and where children have been neglected or abused.
• All students should be protected from all forms of bullying, including pressure from teachers and peers to conform to new standards of sexual labelling and attitudes.
• Schools should provide positive references to abstinence, chastity and marriage.
• The institution of marriage should be restricted to one man and one woman.

Health Care

The B.C. CHP supports:

• Payment of health care providers on a ‘performance’ basis
• Reliance by the province on private health care providers who can perform more efficiently or more timely
• Sharing of invoices paid by the province with patients, to increase awareness of costs
• Creating an office of Provincial Surgeon General to oversee the entire health care system
• Fast-tracking accreditation of foreign-trained health professionals
• Increased capacity for health care education
• Increased long-term care capacity, to free hospital beds
• Increased capacity for home-care support
• Encouraging establishment of walk-in clinics
• Adding emphasis to preventative medicine and promotion of fitness and nutrition
• Expanding health and fitness programs in schools, including mandatory physical education in K-12

Education

The B.C. CHP supports:

• Parental freedom to send children to any schools financed through government revenues, any schools that emphasize teaching traditional methods, or charter schools
• Parental freedom to send children to independent schools which emphasize religion, sports, or arts in addition to other topics, with equal per-child taxpayer support to public schools
• Use of volunteers and non-licensed paid employees to assist with non-academic services for independent schools
• End of promotion of social engineering regarding sexuality, sexual orientation, etc., at tax-supported schools.
• Publicly-funded education of all residents through grade 12
• Responsible increases in loans to support education at technical and vocational institutes, colleges and universities
• Forgiveness of student loans for graduates who continue to live, work, and pay taxes in B.C.

The B.C. CHP has released no official statement concerning its policies on:

• Physical or spiritual care for the elderly
• Culture, the arts, or tourism

Development of the Family

The Conservative party believes:

• That families are the most important building blocks for our society, and must be supported.
• That parents should be the child’s first and most important teachers.

Health Care

As a matter of principle the B.C. Conservative party believes in sustainable patient-centered health care.

The party supports:

• A comprehensive review of the health care system to ensure efficiency and effectiveness
• Comprehensive review of all alternatives to ensure better and more effective care, and reduction of chronic illnesses
• Promotion of a preventative health care and wellness program

Support for the Elderly

The B.C. Conservative party:

• Commits to work toward improved lives for seniors
• Seeks to establish services to enable seniors to remain at home as long as possible
• Supports housing assistance for seniors in need

Education

The B.C. Conservative party:

• Believes that parents should be entitled to apply tax dollars to provincially approved educational options in accordance with their values and the students’ needs, and the Act should be so amended.
• Believes in student-focused education that also promotes academic excellence
• Supports priority for B.C. students in B.C. post-secondary education.
• Supports increased training for trades and tech jobs

Culture & Arts; Tourism

The B.C. Conservative party supports:

• Appropriate measures and incentives to encourage expansion of tourism
• Provincial assistance in tourism marketing

Development of the Family

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Invest in early childhood education (ECE) and care, including:
  – 25 hrs free ECE/week for 3&4 year olds
  – Free daycare for working parents with children under 3
   – Up to $500/month support for families with children under 3 and a stay-home parent
• Provide $35 into student nutritional and activity programs to promote health and learning readiness
• Develop strategies to address all aspects of child poverty throughout the province

Health Care

COVID recovery

The B.C. Green party’s plan for supporting British Columbians goes beyond the provincial and federal government programs already in place, and focuses on the longer term security provided by having the education and skills to be part of the post-pandemic economy. It provides a strong start for our children’s education and assists women, especially, get back into the workplace through the provision of quality early childhood education and care.

The party recognizes that investing in education is the single most important investment we can make in our society and starts to fund our K-12 system to the levels it needs to support children, teachers, and learning outcomes. It envisions a less frenzied work culture that allows for a higher quality of life and more time with loved ones, and it recognises the importance of a home that people can afford and that meets their needs. It also envisions an inclusive society where no-one is left behind, where everyone has income security and is free from the fear of not being able to afford basic necessities.

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Restore $10 million/year funding for adult secondary education and language training
• Create a ministry for health promotion, disease prevention, and healthy lifestyles
• Invest $35 million in nutrition and physical activity programs
• Emphasize preventative care
• Invest $100 million to expand primary care delivered by nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, midwives, and dieticians, etc.
• Consider reducing costs of prescription drugs
• Invest $40 million in long-term care facilities, to free up acute care beds
• Promote best practices innovation

General Health Care

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Create a ministry for health promotion, disease prevention, and healthy lifestyles
• Invest $35 million in nutrition and physical activity programs
• Emphasize preventative care
• Invest $100 million to expand primary care delivered by nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, midwives, and dieticians, etc.
• Consider reducing costs of prescription drugs
• Invest $40 million in long-term care facilities, to free up acute care beds
• Promote best practices innovation

Support for the Elderly

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Invest $35 million over four years in assistance to allow seniors to stay in their own homes
• Enforce provincial guidelines for private care homes and provide $200 million over four years to increase staffing levels

Education

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Increase funding for schools, to prepare students for a 21^st-century economy
• Invest $140 million over three years to train teachers in a new curriculum
• Promote teaching among Indigenous leaders, teachers, and universities
• Offer grants and tax forgiveness for post-2ndary students
• Invest $65 million over 4 years for high-school and undergraduate co-op and work experience programs

Culture, Arts & Tourism

As a core principle, the B.C. Green party respects the protection and valuing of all cultures and individuals while conserving variety in the world. The party proposes to invest up to $28 million over four years for recreation and tourism facilities on B.C. parks and public land.

Development of the Family

The B.C. Liberal party advocates:

• Expanding the Baby’s Best Chance program to support healthier outcomes for children
• Streamlined adoption approval processes
• Investing $1.1 billion in subsidized child care for low-and middle-income families, including $10/day child care for families with incomes up to $65,000, and $30/day care for families up to $125,000.
• Adding 10,000 new child care spaces across BC
• Implementation of an online childcare application process
• Encouraging both non-profit and market-based child care providers
• Expanded training and support for child care workers
• Expanded access to before-and after-school care and incentives for employers to support child care options
• Family counselling and law centres, based on Australian model

Health Care

COVID Recovery

The party advocates:

• establishment of an all-party emergency Pandemic Response Committee for collaboration on a plan to manage the current and all future pandemics, including aid and supports for individuals and small businesses impacted by COVID-19
• in order to ensure student and teacher safety, establishing a province-wide framework for hybrid and online learning options, including distance and distributed learning programs
• a comprehensive, independent review of the province’s response to COVID-19 in seniors’ long-term care and assisted living homes

 General Health Care

The party advocates:

• A provincial prescription-drug monitoring program to prevent addictions
• Doubling the number of midwives qualified each year
• Providing free flu vaccines for all British Columbians
• Establishing more primary care networks and community health centres
• Expanding opportunities for international graduates in health professions
• Encouraging more health professionals in under-served areas
• Encouraging practice networks and innovative practice modules
• Improving response times for the B.C. Ambulance Service, particularly in rural communities
• Increased capability for online booking of appointments & renewal of prescriptions
• Reducing wait times for surgical procedures

Support for the Elderly

In order to provide better, more dignified seniors’ care, the party advocates:

• investing $1 billion over 5 years in new long-term care facilities, including and ensuring that every senior in long-term care who wants one has a private room
• implementing a new tax credit of up to $7000 a year for home care, for seniors living in their homes
• expanding programs to assist seniors and the disabled with home renovation programs
• working with care home operators to increase staffing and care quality
• covering costs of drivers’ tests for those above the age of 80

Education

The party advocates:

• earlier assessments to identify learning needs in children
• consistent options for full-time hybrid and online regular school in a safe setting during the pandemic, for public and independent and independent distributed learning
• implementation of consistent unified portals for student parents
• upgrading K-12 facilities

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party advocates:

• Doubling campgrounds in popular campsites
• A loan guarantee program for more than 19,000 tourist and hospitality businesses hit by COVID
• Development of tourism hubs across B.C. 
• Support for Community Gaming programs, to prevent COVID interruptions

Development of the Family

The Libertarian party proposes to:

• Reduce family tax burdens by repealing regressive tax structure
• Raise base tax exemption levels to relieve more workers from tax burden

Health Care

COVID-19 recovery

The B.C. Libertarian party believes that management of the COVID crisis has been disproportionate to the harms caused by the virus and causes more damage than it helps to cure; that the climate of fear is causing irreparable harm.

The party advocates:

• Ending the provincial state of emergency
• Removing case totals as a primary policy driver
• Ending all orders of the Public Health Officer except those relating to long term care homes
• Continuing to carefully protect the elderly and vulnerable
• Replacing mask mandates with recommendations

General Health Care

The party believes that:

• Responsible governance and economic reality dictates that only a certain portion of government revenue can be used on the medical system. However, medical advances over the decades have made it possible for British Columbians to positively affect their quality of life with more spending on preventative care and risk reduction.
• Our wealth as a society would be better served if our excess income was able to be directed toward our own health – far better than credit fuelled consumerism or asset speculation.
• The ruling in Chaoulli v Quebec should be applied in B.C. to open private health care

The party advocates:

• Reducing health care expenses by increasing administrative efficiency and delivering more appropriate patient-centered care
• Maintaining the existing multi-payer system for total health care costs
• Legalizing private health care services
• Promoting preventative, long-term, and primary care
• Attracting and retaining more doctors

Education

The B.C. Libertarian party proposes to:

• Shift authority from the province to regional school boards where possible
• Empower parent choice in education
• Allow tax funding to follow the student

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The B.C. Libertarian party proposes to eliminate the $600 million film industry tax credit.

Development of the Family   

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It created the B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit by investing more than $400 million a year by offering monetary support ranging from $1600-3400 per year to families having up to three children
• It is building a universal child care system, by reducing and capping child care fees and investing in early childhood educators
• It is boosting support payments for foster parents, family members, and other caregivers

Health Care

COVID-19 Recovery

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It will provide free COVID vaccines when they are ready
• During the provincial state of emergency it has invested more than $8 billion in responding to the COVID pandemic
• It is investing $1.6 billion for 7000 new frontline health care workers and new homecare programs
• To fund long-term recovery, it will maintain rates for long-term recovery
• It provided a $1000 emergency benefit to more than 600,000 workers
• It provided temporary rent relief for more than 86,000 renters
• It provided crisis supplements for more than 200,000 people on disability and income assistance
• It implemented multiple tax cuts and benefits to keep businesses going
• It is preparing an action plan for future pandemics

General Health Care

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It is eliminating premium payments for the Medical Service Plan (MSP) in 2020
• It has invested $4.4 billion to expand and upgrade hospitals to improve patient care
• It hired hundreds of new primary care practitioners and opened centers for urgent and community care across B.C. 
• It “dramatically increased” the number of diagnostic procedures and elective surgeries
• It expanded Pharmacare and increased staffing in residential care homes

Support for the Elderly

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• Built affordable seniors housing across B.C.
• Funded more than a million additional hours of direct care for seniors
• Helped residential care homes purchase 1000 new pieces of equipment

Education

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It has hired 4000 new teachers & 1000 assistants and invested $2.7 billion in school upgrades
• It has eliminated interest on all current, future, and outstanding B.C. student loans, saving affected families approximately $230 per year
• It is helping fund new student housing at three colleges and universities

Culture & Arts; Tourism

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It has established a new music fund to support people working in a diverse music industry
• It increased funding for the B.C. Arts Council and Creative B.C.
• It has supported the B.C. tourism industry by moving Family day to the third week of February, created new campsites in B.C. parks; added 107 hectares to existing parks; invested in resort municipalities

Points to Ponder: Community & the Common Good

Consider asking your district’s candidates the following questions, and discussing their answers with your family, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:

• When, if ever, is it appropriate to place limits on the right of parents to make decisions pertaining to care or education of their children?
• What measures, if any, should be implemented by the new government to combat COVID-19, particularly in schools, and to ease the resumption of a sustainable economy?
• Is current provincial investment in palliative care (care which neither hastens nor postpones natural death) for terminally ill individuals adequate? Are sufficient spaces for such care available to meet the needs of the province?
• What, if anything, needs to be done to address child poverty as a problem within British Columbia?
• What should be done to ensure the physical and spiritual well-being of seniors in British Columbia?
• What should be done to secure access to the right to clean drinking water in rural communities, or to improve other aspects of life & health conditions in such communities?
• What should be done to ensure the continued right of Catholic education in British Columbia, for Catholics and/or for others?

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Option for the Poor & Vulnerable

Poverty Reduction, Support for the Marginalized and Vulnerable, an Economy at the Service of the People

‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’  – Matthew 25:45. The poor, the marginalized and those whose living conditions interfere with their proper growth should be the focus of particular concern. – 182, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

“Money must serve, not rule!”  – Pope Francis, Joy of the Gospel – 58

Catholic Teaching

The poor, the marginalized and those whose living conditions interfere with their proper development as human beings should be the focus of particular concern. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 182

• Catholics are called to remember Jesus’ own words: What we do to the least among us, we do to Him.  – Matthew 25:31-46
• Catholic Social Teaching holds that it is wrong for a person or group to be excluded unfairly from participation in society.
• For many people, a living wage and dignified housing are beyond reach. The Church teaches that the opportunity for a dignified life and housing are fundamental human rights.

“I encourage financial experts and political leaders to ponder the words of one of the sages of antiquity: ‘Not to share one’s wealth with the poor is to steal from them and to take away their livelihood. It is not our own goods which we hold, but theirs…”

“Money must serve, not rule!”  Pope Francis, Joy of the Gospel, 57-58

In order to balance the principle of solidarity with the rights and obligations of the individual, the State’s intervention in the economic environment must be neither invasive nor absent, but commensurate with society’s real needs. “The State has a duty to sustain business activities by creating conditions which will ensure job opportunities, by stimulating those activities where they are lacking or by supporting them in moments of crisis. The State has the further right to intervene when particular monopolies create delays or obstacles to development. 351, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

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Poverty Relief and an Economy to Serve People

The B.C. CHP promotes job creation through:

• Removal of unnecessary regulation of small and large businesses
• Freer trade in goods and services between provinces and territories
• Amendment of the Fair Wage Policy to include both union and non-union entities in bidding for public contracts
• Use of tax incentives to encourage new businesses and industries in B.C.
• Implementation of essential services dispute mechanism to resolve issues between province and government employees
• Expansion and improvement of mass transit
• New export duty for raw logs, to be used to re-train those in the logging industry, in order to promote manufacturing of wood products
• Building of a new bridge to Vancouver Island, incorporating tidal power generators

Transportation

To achieve long-term objectives for rural and urban travel, the B.C. CHP supports:

• Improvement of existing road systems
• Development of additional light rail lines
• Increased car-pooling and other forms of HOV use
• Increased use of bicycles and pedestrian ways

Agriculture

The B.C. CHP:

• Will work to keep B.C. agriculture competitive by removing red tape and control
• Supports incentives to encourage growth of secondary product preparation such as slaughterhouses
• Supports working with industry to advertise B.C. farm products
• Supports guaranteed funding for agricultural programs
• Supports a sustainable crop insurance program
• Supports establishment of a modern conservation system to replace the Agriculture Land Commission
• Supports an interest-free regional loan program to fund water supply and purification projects through local governments

The B.C. CHP has released no official statement concerning its policies on support for the marginalized or vulnerable, mental health, or addictions.

 Support for the Poor & Vulnerable

As a matter of principle the B.C. Conservative party believes in a strong social safety net that cares for the vulnerable in our society while encouraging individual self-sufficiency.

Poverty Relief and an Economy to Serve People

The B.C. Conservative party:

• Supports implementation of a timely and effective program tying social assistance to the performance of work
• Encourages delivery of social services by community-based organizations rather than directly by government
• Supports making all charitable giving tax deductible at the provincial level
• Supports social responsibility within the framework of a free enterprise system and promoting compassionate service, volunteerism, individual responsibility, and care for those unable to care for themselves

As matters of principle the B.C. Conservative party believes in:

• A free-enterprise system as the basis for prosperity and growth.
• Inter-provincial free trade across Canada

And supports:

• Introduction of competitive individual, personal, and corporate tax rates to encourage growth and job creation
• A comprehensive review of all provincial business regulations, to encourage growth
• Enhancement of production and shipping of finished products from B.C.

Agriculture

• Effective retention of farmland in the Agricultural Land Reserve, competitive crop insurance and safety net programs for livestock and crops, and competitive and sustainable dairy and poultry supply management
• Improved start-up opportunities for new agricultural producers

Transportation

The B.C. Conservative party supports:

• Development of a strategic transportation plan for the future, addressing rehabilitation and new construction for new and existing transportation systems
• Working to establish Via rail passenger service on former B.C. Rail line now leased to CNR
• Seeks to reform ridesharing laws to allow class 5 licensed drivers to participate
• Converting the Insurance Company of British Columbia into a co-op and allowing competition in auto insurance

Support for the Marginalized & Vulnerable

The B.C. Green party believes proposes to:

• Increase funding for disabilities allowances, income assistance, and shelter allowances
• Introduce basic income support for youth aged 18-24 transitioning out of foster care
• Establish a ministry for mental health & addictions
• Develop a strategy for early detection of mental health illness in youth
• Allocate $80 million to fund early intervention and youth initiatives, supervised injection sites, and community centres
• Implement fentanyl responses based on successful European models

COVID Recovery

The B.C. Green party’s plan for supporting British Columbians goes beyond the provincial and federal government programs already in place, and focuses on the longer term security provided by having the education and skills to be part of the post-pandemic economy. It provides a strong start for our children’s education and assists women, especially, get back into the workplace through the provision of quality early childhood education and care.

It recognizes that investing in education is the single most important investment we can make in our society and starts to fund our K-12 system to the levels it needs to support children, teachers, and learning outcomes. It envisions a less frenzied work culture that allows for a higher quality of life and more time with loved ones, and it recognises the importance of a home that people can afford and that meets their needs. It also envisions an inclusive society where no-one is left behind, where everyone has income security and is free from the fear of not being able to afford basic necessities.

General Economy

The B.C. Green party

• Believes that governments should be focused on the wellbeing of citizens rather than maximizing returns to private corporations.
• Supports development of a basic income pilot
• Supports abolition of regressive MSP payments

Innovation and Training

The party proposes to:

• Allocate up to $10 million per year for in-service training for small and medium-sized businesses
• Encourage Crown corporations to promote innovation through procurement
• Streamline business and consumption taxes to promote risk-taking and innovation
• Invest up to $20 million/year to support innovation, mentorship, and networking at post-2ndary schools
• Provide up to $70 over 4 years leverage seed and angel funding
• Invest up to $50 million in business incubators and accelerators
• Modernize labour codes to increase fairness and competitiveness

Agriculture

The Green Party proposes to:

• Invest $30 million to enhance long-term viability of B.C. agriculture
• Introduce legislation to enhance protection of agricultural land
• Provide $40 million for research and establish regional bureaus to help farmers adapt to climate change
• Promote alternative land access models for farming, such as co-operatives and agricultural land trusts
• Work with farm operators to attract laborers, including improvements in remuneration

Transportation

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Provide an additional $35 million per year to improve frequency of service and affordable rates
• Invest $152 million to match federal public transit infrastructure contributions
• Work with local governments to improve community and regional transportation infrastructure
• Promote investment in clean transportation initiatives
• Develop a 10-year integrated transportation plan
• Establish B.C. Ferries as a Crown corporation

Support for the Marginalized & Vulnerable

The B.C. Libertarian Party has released no official statement of its policies on support for the marginalized and vulnerable, or mental health and addictions.

Poverty Reduction and an Economy to Serve People

The B.C. Libertarian party believes that our wealth as a society would be better served if our excess income was able to be directed toward our own health – far better than credit-fueled consumerism or asset speculation.

The party proposes to:

• Introduce lifetime limits of 5 years for training and jobs assistance, and of 3 years for cash income assistance
• For recipients of more than three years assistance history, and for those who have additional children while on assistance, shift to cashless use of debit cards useable only for specific purposes such as rent, energy and groceries
• Reform tax rules so that 100 per cent clawback does not start immediately upon employment

Economy to Serve People

• Reduce family tax burdens by repealing regressive tax structure
• Raise base tax exemption levels to relieve more workers from tax burden
• Eliminate corporate tax subsidies
• Eliminate fuel taxes and regressive carbon taxes
• Eliminate the employer health tax
• Eliminate taxes on alcohol and tobacco
• Replace charitable tax credit with tax refund
• proposes to convert ICBC into a member-owned co-op and open auto insurance to competition
• return licensing and vehicle registration to the province
• Modernize provincial wrongful death law

Transportation

The party proposes to:

• Repeal the Passenger Transportation Act;
• defund enforcement
• foster quality-driven market competition for ridesharing, taxis, buses, and other for-hire transportation modes.
• Remove legal and regulatory barriers to ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft and end corporate welfare to the taxi industry.
• End the TransLink monopoly on bus service in the Lower Mainland; refocus their business around integrated rapid transit services such as the SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express.
• Eliminate PST on private vehicle sales.
• Ban photo radar in British Columbia.
• Reinstate tolls on bridges and express highways.
• End the NDP union-only “community benefits agreement” infrastructure contracts.

Agriculture

The party proposes to legalize sale of raw, unpasteurized milk

Support for the Marginalized & Vulnerable

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It created a new Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions to combat overdose crisis
• It has invested $332 million to combat the overdose crises, and sued opioid companies for misleading practices
• Began construction of a new mental health and addiction centre at Riverview

Poverty Reduction

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It has introduced a strategy to reduce poverty in B.C. by 25 per cent.
• To do so, it has increased income and disability assistance rates by $150 per month, and introduced a disability supplement for use on B.C. buses.
• It has increased earnings exemptions for people on income and disability assistance by $200 per month
• It is increasing the minimum wage to $15/hour by June 2021
• It has restored free basic English language courses

Economy to Serve People

The B.C. NDP reports that:

• It has cut the small business tax rate by 20 per cent
• Is committed to achieving the lowest unemployment rate and highest wage growth seen in 10 years
• It is creating thousands of new trades and technology seats at post-secondary institutions
• It has frozen provincial ferry and bridge fares
• It has invested $20 billion in construction projects, creating tens of thousands of jobs, including bridges, hospitals, highways, and seismic retrofits, including $1.8 billion for Vancouver subway projects
• Invested ‘millions of dollars’ in B.C.’s tech industry, to attract talent, prioritize skills training, and create opportunities for local businesses
• Recognizing the importance of B.C.’s mining industry, it has invested $20 million in an independent industry oversight body, working with communities and the mining industry to do so
• It has increased B.C. North bus services, and restored 10 discontinued ferry routes

Points to Ponder: Option for the Poor & Vulnerable

Consider asking your district’s candidates the following questions, and discussing their answers with your family, friends, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:

• What strategies should be adopted in the treatment of those who suffer harmful addictions? Is it consistent with principles of solidarity and good stewardship to simply feed and enable addictive behaviors, rather than working toward true rehabilitation?
• Who is best positioned to provide care for those suffering addictions? Government, or community/charitable organizations, or some combination?
• What, if anything, should be done to ensure that a minimum or living wage is available to workers, or those willing to work, or to reduce poverty in British Columbia? Should a basic income policy be considered?
• What can be done to ensure that all British Columbians are encouraged and enabled to use the full range of their talents and gifts to care for their families, to lift themselves out of poverty, and in so doing to give praise to God through meaningful work?
• What else can or should be done to ensure that British Columbia’s economy serves the people, rather than the other way around?
• What, if anything, should be done to mitigate the effects of speculative foreign investment in B.C. real estate on local housing markets, and its consequent impacts on families and on quality of life, particularly for younger families and younger workers?
• What, if anything, should be done to address provincial suicide rates?

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Rights & Responsibilities; Subsidiarity

Human Rights; Freedom of Religion, Speech & Conscience; Gender Equity; Rights to Housing, Food & Clean Water

Conscience Rights

With euthanasia and medically-assisted death and abortion legalized, it is critical that health care providers whose deepest moral convictions tell them that such procedures are wrong, not be forced to participate.

Housing

Many British Columbians live in substandard housing, or have no homes at all. Choices of decent housing must be offered, and the people directly involved must be part of the process.

Food & Water

Access to nutritious food and drinkable water are among the fundamental human rights recognized by the Church.  Lack of proper food and water have been linked to long-term poverty and ill health.

Catholic Teaching

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul.” – the 1^st Commandment

Every member of society is imbued with a number of rights. With them come responsibilities.

• The Catholic Church emphasizes, among other rights, the right to religious freedom. With euthanasia and medically-assisted death and abortion legalized, it is critical that health care providers whose deepest moral convictions tell them that such procedures are wrong, not be forced to participate. Catholic teaching says workers should be safeguarded from suffering any affront to conscience or personal dignity.  It is a grave duty of conscience to avoid cooperating, even formally, with practices contrary to the Law of God.
• The feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of society.  The first indispensable step in this direction is the concrete possibility of access to professional formation.  The persistence of many forms of discrimination offensive to the dignity and vocation of women is due to a long series of conditioning that penalizes women, who have seen themselves relegated to the margins of society and even reduced to servitude…  An urgent need to recognize effectively the rights of women in the workplace is seen especially under the aspects of pay, insurance and social security.  -295, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
• The Church also emphases rights to adequate housing, clean water, and secure, nutritious food.

Subsidiarity is the principle that each individual, and smaller groups of people, should be allowed to make for themselves all the decisions that can responsibly be left to them, rather than to larger groups or greater authorities.  This is one of the fundamental social teachings of the Church, since it helps to ensure that each individual is empowered to find his or her own way to God, and to avoid large group errors.

“Higher” orders of government or society should never make decisions that can responsibly be left to “lower” levels.  -185, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

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Rights & Freedoms

The B.C. CHP:

• Believes that all Canadians should have the freedom to travel freely, and to move to any location in the Country, to work, to vacation or to retire wherever they desire in Canada.
• Believes that all Canadians should be fully entitled to all the benefits offered by the Government of any province where they choose to, live and that that those benefits will be similar, and will fight for the standardization of benefits.
• Believes that the Federal constitution should be amended to include property rights, with a guarantee that they will not be violated without due process of law and just compensation
• Supports elimination of the Human Rights Tribunal, which is being used by special interests to harass B.C. citizens and coerce silence on important issues

Gender Equity

The B.C. CHP has released no official statement concerning its policies on gender equity.

Housing

The B.C. CHP proposes:

• To eliminate the B.C. property transfer tax
• To require a referendum prior to any tax increase

Water

The B.C. CHP supports an interest-free regional loan program to fund water supply and purification projects through local governments

Subsidiarity

The B.C. CHP:

• Opposes divestment of Crown corporations without public referendums
• Proposes to attract private companies to B.C. by providing infrastructure and competitive tax rates

Rights & Freedoms

As matters of principle the B.C. Conservative party believes:

• That every individual has value, that life and liberty are fundamental and inviolable rights, and that everyone is born equal to enjoy life in a tolerant society that respects their individuality and freedom of speech, religion, and assembly.
• In a principle of equality for all B.C. citizens, with special privileges for none. This includes protection of private property.
• That compelled speech in any form is a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms.
• That it is unethical and wrong to require applicants for government-funded programs to sign a values test attestation endorsing government ideologies
• Supports a review of the mandate of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal to ensure that rights, privileges, and freedom of speech of all are protected; and to require rules of evidence and procedure before the tribunal
• Stronger legislation to protect property rights for British Columbians
• Public consultation with strata owners before amending the Strata Property Act

Gender Equity

The B.C. Conservative party has released no official statement concerning its policies on gender equity.

Housing

The B.C. Conservative party supports:

• Allocation of 1 per cent of existing Crown land for development to promote affordable housing
• Increasing the threshold for qualification for property transfer tax exemptions for first-time buyers

Subsidiarity

The B.C. Conservative party supports:

• A review of all government entities to assess their suitability for replacement by private entities
• Ensuring that any transfer of services from provinces to municipalities is fair and appropriately funded
• Encourages delivery of social services by community-based organizations rather than directly by government
• Supports social responsibility within the framework of a free enterprise system and promoting compassionate service, volunteerism, individual responsibility, and care for those unable to care for themselves

Rights & Freedoms

As a core principle, the B.C. Green party acknowledges that all humans have a fundamental right to health, wellbeing, and freedom.

Gender Equity

The B.C. Green party has released no official statement concerning its policies on gender equity.

Housing

To make housing more affordable, the B.C. Green party proposes to:

Cooling the Real Estate Market

• Work with the federal government to eliminate money laundering and international property speculation
• Discourage speculation by enhancing progressive property transfer taxes
• Introduce a speculation PTT to discourage flipping of property
• Tax lifetime capital gains in excess of $750,000
• Introduce progressive property taxes

Increasing Affordable Housing

• Invest $750 million / year to support construction of 4000 new units per year
• Make federal and local government land available for affordable housing
• Comprehensively review zoning to promote affordable housing

Rental Housing

• Revise the Residential Tenancy Act to control rent increases
• Include private rental properties in housing managed by B.C. Housing

Access to Water

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Review the Water Sustainability Act to ensure B.C.’s water quality and quantity are sustainable for future generations
• Gather data to enable science-based decision making with respect to water

Subsidiarity

The B.C. Green party has released no official statement concerning its policies on subsidiarity.

Rights & Freedoms

The B.C. Liberal party has released no official statement concerning its policies on freedom of religion, speech, or conscience.

Gender Equity

The B.C. Liberal party reports that it:

• Proposed a law to ensure transparency in pay scales for men and women
• Will fight to make sure women and men get equal pay for equal work

Housing

The B.C. Liberal party states that it:

• Will, in order to make housing more affordable, support the building of additional housing by reducing increases in taxes on new housing
• Will replace the real estate speculation tax with a presale condo flipping tax
• Will make generational investments in transit, roads, and bridges to reduce congestion, ensuring the private sector builds the right mix of housing to create affordable options and making real progress on safe, affordable healthcare

Subsidiarity

The B.C. Liberal Party has released no official statement concerning its policies on subsidiarity.

Rights & Freedoms

 The B.C. Libertarian party believes that:

• All individuals are entitled to equal treatment under the law, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, or religious belief.
• The foundations of our society – the rule of law, protection of private property and the person – can and must be applied to every person.
• Freedom of expression is the foundation of all freedoms

And supports:

• Fostering an environment and culture in all government institutions of respect for diverse viewpoints and free expression
• Ensuring robust free-speech policies, with tangible enforcement mechanisms, for universities;
• Elimination of government hiring policies based on race, gender, sexuality, ‘critical race theory,’ and so forth
• Reform of provincial law regarding wrongful death, to cover people who aren’t breadwinners with dependents

Housing

The B.C. Libertarian party proposes to eliminate provincial affordable housing subsidies for both buyers and renters to reduce the cost of housing and save the province an estimated $500 million annually.

Subsidiarity

The B.C. Libertarian party proposes to:

• Raise $10 billion through sale of provincial assets, including hospitals, B.C. Place, the Vancouver convention centre, B.C. lottery, and provincial lands
• Repeal the Liquor Distribution Act to privatize provincial alcohol sales

Rights & Freedoms

The B.C. NDP reports that it:

• has appointed an independent commissioner to educate British Columbians on human rights, examine and addressing issues of discrimination, and develop tools, policies and guidelines to combat inequality and discrimination.
• has introduced legislation to block strategic lawsuits intended to censor or intimidate critics

Gender Equity

The B.C. NDP reports that it appointed a Parliamentary Secretary to coordinate governmental action on gender equity

Housing

The B.C. NDP reports that it:

• has implemented a tax of up to 20 per cent on speculation in real estate
• has ‘updated’ rules for landlords and renters to ease the process of finding a safe, secure, and affordable home
• is building 114,000 affordable rental, non-profit, and co-op housing units through partnerships over a ten year period
• is funding 4,900 new affordable rentals for seniors, families, and low and middle-income earners
• is funding 280 units of transition housing to help women and children fleeing violence

Food

The B.C. NDP reports that it introduced a new program to support B.C. food, beer, and wine producers, and to provide healthy, nutritious produce to patients in care of Interior Health.

Subsidiarity

The B.C. NDP has released no official statement concerning its policies on subsidiarity.

Points to Ponder: Rights and Responsibilities, Subsidiarity

Consider asking your district’s candidates the following questions, and discussing their answers with your family, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:

• Under what conditions, if any, is it just to require private health care providers to participate in abortion or assisted suicide, particularly when it is contrary to their religious beliefs?
• What, if anything, should be done with proposals for a combined health care system comprising both public (provincial) and private health care providers? To what extent is it appropriate to leave all health care services in the hands of a government?
• What, if anything, should be done to ensure that all British Columbians have access to safe, clean water, and nutritious food?
• What, if anything, should be done to address tent encampments that have sprung up within some of our cities? Which of the following concerns are relevant to the answers?
• The fears and safety of nearby resident
• Fairness in taxation and the availability of good jobs
• To what extent, if any, should powers or responsibilities of provincial and/or municipal governments be expanded, reduced, or redistributed in order to ensure that individuals, public interest groups, and service organizations are empowered to employ their lives and talents in the service of the common good, and to have an appropriate voice in provincial society?

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Solidarity

Indigenous Peoples & Reconciliation; Rural Communities; Refugees & Newcomers

Solidarity is acceptance of the truth that because all peoples are part of the same human family – part of the one body of Christ – what happens to others affects us as well, regardless of differences in location or life circumstances.

Solidarity is found in a commitment to the good of one’s neighbour.  The good of one is the good of all, and the other is as important as the self.  Injustice done to another is an injustice that affects everyone.  Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 193

Catholic Teaching

Solidarity is the principle that the good of one is the good of all, and the other is as important as the self.

Injustice done to another is an injustice that affects everyone. – 193, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Indigenous Relations

• The relationship of indigenous peoples to their lands and resources deserves particular attention, since it is a fundamental expression of their identity. These peoples offer an example of a life lived in harmony with the environment that they have come to know well and to preserve. Their extraordinary experience, which is an irreplaceable resource for all humanity, runs the risk of being lost together with the environment from which they originate. – 471, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
• The Catholic Church in Canada supports the work of the Truth and Reconciliation commission. We are called to support thriving Indigenous communities in Canada, rooted in their unique cultures and traditions.

Rural Communities

Too often, social services and infrastructure development suffer from neglect in rural areas. Cf. 300, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Refugees & Newcomers

We are called to welcome immigrants and refugees with generosity and good will, as if they were Jesus Christ himself. Matthew, Chapter 25

Racism

The unity of the human family is not yet becoming a reality. This is due to obstacles originating in materialistic and nationalistic ideologies that contradict the values of the person integrally considered in all his various dimensions, material and spiritual, individual and community. In particular, any theory or form whatsoever of racism and racial discrimination is morally unacceptable. 433 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

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Indigenous Relations

The B.C. CHP:

• Believes that outstanding Indigenous treaty claims should be settled equitably and quickly, in order to facilitate orderly growth and development within the province
• Will work with the federal government to honor existing Constitutional obligations and insist on compliance by the federal government with any negotiated settlements
• Advocates development of interior and north through use of Crown land and development of infrastructure, to offset economic loss due to mining, forestry, and government cutbacks
• Advocates replacement of the Indian Act with more appropriate legislation, including private ownership of all existing housing on reserve lands
• Believes that all residents of B.C. should be treated with equal respect under the law, and have equal access to services and to employment, education and advancement opportunities

Rural communities

The B.C. CHP:

• Believes that all residents of B.C. should be treated with equal respect under the law, and have equal access to services and to employment, education and advancement opportunities
• Opposes further development of the Lower Mainland and encouragement of development of interior and north through use of Crown land and development of infrastructure, to offset economic loss due to mining, forestry, and government cutbacks
• Supports opening and re-opening hospitals in smaller communities in rural areas
• Supports opening more community-care facilities in rural areas

Refugees & Newcomers, Racism

The B.C. CHP has released no official statement concerning its policies on refugees and newcomers or racism.

Indigenous Relations

The B.C. Conservative party believes in working in collaboration with all stake-holders to address Aboriginal issues within the Province of B.C.

Rural Communities

The B.C. Conservative party has released no official statement concerning its policies on rural communities.

Refugees & Newcomers

The B.C. Conservative party will strive to achieve an independent immigration industry based on the Quebec model, with revisions to meet the unique requirements of B.C. and its economy.

Indigenous Relations

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Recognize First Nations as equals in land management
• Collaborate with First Nations to renew and reinvigorate the treaty process
• Engage with Indigenous People to create a positive and collaborative relationship
• Develop a plan for full implementation of relevant recommendations of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission

Rural Communities

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Invest $100 million to hire additional social workers for child protection services in rural areas
• Support small, resource-dependent communities by building skills and capacity for a future forest industry

Refugees & Newcomers, Racism

The B.C. Green party has released no official statement concerning its policies on refugees & newcomers or racism.

The B.C. Libertarian party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:

• Indigenous relations
• Rural communities
• Refugees & newcomers
• Racism

The party believes that all individuals are entitled to equal treatment under the law, regardless of gender, sexual  orientation, race, ethnicity, or religious belief.

Indigenous Relations

The B.C. NDP reports that it:

• is making reconciliation a priority, and mandating all ministries to fully adopt and implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Human Peoples and the Calls to Action of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. This includes partnering with Aboriginal Justice Council to reduce over-representation of Indigenous peoples in the criminal justice system
• granted $50 million to the First People’s Cultural Council, to revitalize Indigenous languages
• is expanding the Aboriginal Head Start program for First Nations children
• is making an historic investment in housing for Indigenous peoples

Rural Communities

The B.C. NDP reports that it:

• has implemented projects to bring expanded wireless and high-speed internet to 443 communities, including 75 Indigenous communities
• supports access to affordable farmland for young farmers through a Land Matching Program
• is taking measures to support BuyBC and promote B.C. food products
• is protecting B.C. farmland by “addressing” mega-mansions and speculation on land reserved for agriculture.

Refugees & Newcomers

The B.C. NDP reports that it passed legislation to establish a registry for temporary foreign workers, to prevent exploitation and abuse.

Racism

The B.C. NDP has released no official statement concerning its policies on racism.

Points to Ponder: Solidarity

Consider asking your district’s candidates the following questions, and discussing their answers with your family, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:

• How can relationships with Indigenous and other peoples best be reconciled with one another?
• What, if anything, should be done to ensure vibrant, healthy rural life in British Columbia?
• What, if anything, should be done to ensure the safety and well-being of refugee and newcomers in British Columbia?
• What can or should be done to combat racism in British Columbia?

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Justice & Peace

The Role of Government; Stewardship of Public Office; Democracy; Justice & Safety

The Church teaches that the proper role of government is to provide a legal and economic framework in which the common good can flourish, in order that the people may accomplish their mission; that is, so that the people may use the freedom God has given them to find their way back to Him. Public administration at any level — national, regional, community — must be oriented towards the service of citizens, serving as steward of the people’s resources, which it must administer with a view to the common good. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 406-412

The province has the twofold responsibility of discouraging behaviour that is harmful to human rights and the fundamental norms of civil life, and of repairing, through the penal system, the disorder created by criminal activity.  Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 402

Catholic Teaching

The Church teaches that:

The Proper Role of Government

• The proper role of government is to provide a legal and economic framework in which the common good can flourish, in order that the people may accomplish their mission, that is, so that the people may use the freedom God has given them to seek the truth.

Stewardship of Public Office

• Public administration at any level — national, regional, community — is oriented towards the service of citizens, serving as steward of the people’s resources, which it must administer with a view to the common good.

Democracy

• If there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political action, then ideas and convictions can easily be manipulated for reasons of power. A democracy without values easily turns into totalitarianism.

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

• In order to protect the common good, the lawful public authority must exercise its right and duty to inflict punishments according to the seriousness of the crimes committed.
• The State has the twofold responsibility to discouraging behaviour that is harmful to human rights and the fundamental norms of civil life, and of repairing, through the penal system, the disorder created by criminal activity.    Punishment does not serve merely the purpose of defending the public order and guaranteeing the safety of persons; it becomes as well an instrument for the correction of the offender, encouraging the re-insertion of the condemned person into society while fostering a justice that reconciles, a justice capable of restoring harmony in social relationships disrupted by the criminal act committed. 402, 406-412 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

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The Role of Government

The B.C. CHP has released no official statement concerning its policies on the proper role of government.

Stewardship of Office

The B.C. CHP advocates:

• Comprehensive review of provincial taxation & expenditures
• Either (a) single rate income tax or (b) single rate tax on spending, to be chosen by referendum of voters
• Continued collection of royalties tied to natural resources
• Balanced budget legislation, with exception for declared emergencies
• Application of any surpluses to payment of provincial debt
• Payment of market-rate compensation to all B.C. citizens for natural resources harvested within the province
• Implementation of zero-based budgets for all provincial offices
• Requiring adherence to generally-accepted accounting principles for all government offices
• Progressive elimination of provincial dependence on lotteries
• Negotiations with federal government for control over and royalties for offshore resources

Democratic Reform

The B.C. CHP has called for:

• Direct election of the Premier by voters & separation of legislature and Premier’s office
• Preferential balloting requiring a majority of votes for election of MLAs and Premier
• MLAs should be free to vote their consciences, regardless of party lines
• Recall upon petition of 20 per cent of eligible voters
• Fixed terms for elections, to eliminate early elections & votes of no confidence
• A $5ooo cap on contributions by individuals, and a bar on contributions by corporations, unions, and special interest groups
• Enactment of legislation to allow citizens to override government by referendums
• Election of federal senators

Justice & Safety

The B.C. CHP supports:

• Reform of the provincial legal system to ensure protection of the public, timely justice, and restoration of punishment as a deterrent
• Mandatory restitution for non-violent property crime
• Publication of records of individual judges showing cases handled and sentences imposed, and create a recall process for judges soft on crime
• Establishment of a commission of judges and lay people to review sentencing guidelines and propose reforms
• Forfeiture of vehicles for second convictions in impaired driving
• Deportation of convicted violent criminals

The Role of Government

It is a matter of principle to the B.C. Conservative party that:

• Government should be ethical, accountable, fiscally responsible, and enforce the rule of law to provide for the peace and security of society.
• The party believes in smaller, less intrusive, and more efficient government.

Stewardship of Office

The B.C. Conservative party advocates:

• Review of all government entities to assess their necessity and efficiency
• Zero-based budgeting program to include all government departments and Crown corporations.
• Introduction, where appropriate, of multi-year budgeting to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness
• Except in emergencies, mandating budget surpluses to pay government debts and reduce taxes
• A comprehensive review of Federal Equalization formulas to ensure fairness of equalization payments
• An independent review of the all compensation for elected and appointed government officials
• Establishment of an independent provincial ethics commissioner
• Establish a comprehensive freedom of information act
• Publishing salaries and expenses of all elected and senior government officials
• Requiring municipalities to conduct referenda for capital borrowing projects

Democratic Reform

The B.C. Conservative party:

• Supports banning political donations by corporations, unions and other entities, or foreigners
• Supports reform of the Recall and Initiative Act
• Believes that MLAs should be empowered to best represent the interests of their constituents
• Believes in restructuring the tax system to maximize benefits for the greatest number of B.C. citizens

Justice & Safety

As a matter of principle the B.C. Conservative party:

• Believes in a rigorous system of law and order that also focuses on the rights of victims.
• Seeks to ensure sufficient funding for effective policing and protection of citizens.

The Role of Government

The B.C. Green party believes that:

• Governments should be focused on the wellbeing of citizens rather than maximizing returns to private corporations
• The purpose of government is to facilitate the highest and best outcomes for the health and wellbeing of current and future B.C. citizens.
• The social determinants of health are:
  – Income
  – Early childhood development
  – Disability
  – Education
  – Social safety net
  – Gender
  – Employment/working conditions
  – Race
  – Aboriginal status
  – Safe and nutritious food
  – Housing homelessness
  – Access to health care
  – Health Care wait times
  – Biology & genetics
  – Air quality
  – Civic infrastructure
• The purpose of government is to:
  – Sustainably manage the province for all B.C. citizens
   – Be the steward of public resources and manage delivery of public services as assets owned by all

Stewardship of Office

The B.C. Green party proposes to:

• Establish a public watchdog for government advertising and communications
• Help Auditor General to develop a performance scorecard for government
• Establish independent advisor for Legislative Assembly on state of finances and budgets
• Develop a genuine progress indicator for B.C. based on the social determinants of health