The time has come for the Trudeau government to prove that its great, green ambition is not just empty words. The 2021 federal budget is expected next month and we will learn whether the big promises of the Speech from the Throne last fall will be translated into concrete investments.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland herself said that “the 2021 budget will be the most significant one of our lifetimes.”
In anticipation, the Liberals have launched an online pre-budget consultation… A perfect opportunity to have your voice heard! With an election likely to be called this year, it could be a make or break political moment. As stated on the federal government’s Let’s talk Budget 2021 website “Your feedback will be shared with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance, the Parliamentary Secretary and departmental officials. They will consider your input alongside the research economists at the Department of Finance have been doing to help inform decisions on the next Budget.”
It’s up to you now: you can share your feedback with the Trudeau government to help protect nature and create resilient communities in two easy steps:
1. You can participate in the consultation (5min)
2. You can answer the Liberals directly on Twitter and tell them what you want to fund with #YourBudget (30 sec)
Option 1: Fill out the pre-budget consultation survey for the good of communities and our planet
In 2020, Greenpeace campaigned for a green and just recovery from Covid-19. When the pandemic struck, we issued a roadmap to build a strong, sustainable and fair economy. We reiterated these recommendations when the Trudeau government returned to Parliament last September.
We’ve summarized our recommendations below to help you complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire has sections for comments, as well as options for selecting “Other” among the options given, where you can cut and paste your favourite recommendations and other personal comments.
Budget 2021: our recommendations
· Strategy to decarbonize the economy by 2040.
· Plans to protect 30% of lands, oceans and freshwaters by 2030.
· Expand electric transit, cycling and walking infrastructure.
· Help transition automakers to electric vehicles by 2030.
· Jobs in emergency efficiency and low-carbon housing for vulnerable communities. Nature-based jobs that rebuild vital, degraded ecosystems.
· Jobs in community-based farming and regenerative agriculture.
· Take steps to build a circular economy by supporting zero-waste innovation and implementing the ban on single-use plastics.
· Living wage and universal basic income.
· National childcare program.
· National pharmacare program.
· National sick leave.
· Safe employment conditions for care workers.
· Address the “she-cession” and ensure equal pay and safe employment conditions for all women.
· Respect Indigenous rights, act on reconciliation, ensure justice for MMIW and guarantee clean water and good housing.
· Defund the RCMP and invest in mental health for racialized people.
· Citizenship and fair employment conditions for migrant workers.
· Implement a wealth tax.
· Ban the use of tax havens.
· End fossil fuel subsidies.
· Cancel construction of the TMX pipeline.
· Make big polluters pay their fair share to stop climate change.
Option 2: Use Twitter to tell the Liberals what you want to fund with #YourBudget
The government is also inviting you to join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #YourBudget. Why not join the conversation by adding your contributions? You can use one of these tweets or create your own using the #YourBudget hashtag and tell the Trudeau government to keep its promises for a green and just recovery from COVID-19.
You can also start a conversation directly with @FinancesCanada or with Ms. Chrystia Freeland, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
Discussion
The people of Canada and the world deserve a low Carbon economy , the restoration of clean water , discontinuation of the Deforestation and an end to the use of Single use plastics. The Planet is spiraling to a point of no return at an extremely fast rate and we the people of of this great Country are counting on your leadership to insure the future of our Land and Oceans and send a message to the world that we desire a green future
At minimum, the above. End the erroneous perceptions that businessmen make good leaders and that the profit-motive is a good basis for decision making. Acknowledge that ecosystems are fundamentally more important than "economy", stop taxing any sort of income at a lower rate than employees who work for pay are taxed at, and start aggressively prosecuting blatant corporate and white-collar crime.
We must build back Green. Nothing less will do.
The main concern is get rid of the stupid Carbon tax it is hurting the ecomony. We have to drive here as we don't have transit in our little town and no other way to go to the big city.
All good, except that you make no mention of "Soil Regeneration", the single most promising method for carbon sequestration.
We need to start investing in start up mushroom growing operations at the local level so we have gourmet, medicinal mushrooms for mental and physical health, for land regeneration, for run off clean up, compost and oil spill response. i.e. lions mane, shitake, blue oyster, magic, turkey tail. We must finance education/ research and decriminalize "magic" mushrooms so we can help those with addictions, PTSD, and dementia. This could employ so many.