Damian Kettlewell: A Green vision for B.C. and Vancouver-False Creek
By Damian Kettlewell
The time has come for British Columbia to live up to its promise of the being the greatest place on Earth. We can achieve this goal with holistic legislation that prepares us for the challenges of the next generation in our rapidly changing world.
The downturn in global markets and a lack of government foresight has resulted in British Columbia losing 73,000 jobs over the last year. B.C. needs to transition to new “knowledge-based” sectors of job creation, and accept that the continued mechanization of industry will result in less low-skilled jobs over time. The greatest job opportunities for the current and next generation of British Columbians will come from localized markets that are based less on foreign-made goods, less on assuming large debt, and less about commuting.
These locally-based jobs will be increasingly based upon local communities, local food, and the genuine needs of local people. B.C.’s education system needs to be more affordable and it will play a key role in training a new generation of locally-oriented professionals, whose jobs and professions will improve our quality of life and help minimize our economy’s over-reliance on unnecessary consumption.
The amount of carbon in our atmosphere has increased by 22 percent over the last 50 years. B.C.’s new jobs must work within a new economic paradigm of job creation with reduced carbon pollution. Metro Vancouver deserves $3.1 billion invested in 200 kilometres of light rail that will deliver well-paying and “green” engineering and construction jobs. The lungs of the Fraser Valley, our remaining farm and bog lands, and our collective carbon threshold would be devastated by the pending Gateway transportation plan, which completely ignores the looming reality of “peak oil”.
Spending $3.1 billion on a new Port Mann Bridge, rather than investing in a more systemic transportation network based increasingly upon public transit, will cause greater suburban sprawl and will negate all of the positive benefits from the government’s new carbon tax. If our province is serious about preventing climate change, then our government needs to illustrate genuine leadership in encouraging individual people to change their behaviour for the betterment of society. Asking people to cut their carbon consumption, while at the same time building new “super bridges” that are void of any new public transit spending, shows that our current government is not serious about giving commuters in Metro Vancouver a viable alternative to their private automobile. The new Canada, Evergreen, and UBC SkyTrain lines show some promise, but the high cost of SkyTrain infrastructure could instead be used to build light rail lines across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Across the province we need district-level solar, geothermal, wind, and run of river projects that are managed by a new Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change. This new ministry would promote cooperative and municipally-owned utilities and provide mega projects like the Site C dam and diesel-powered generation in rural First Nation communities with new clean, green options. With a renewed “seven-generation environmental assessment process”, local communities will proceed with energy projects that meet their local needs and create local jobs. Clean tech renewable energy industries will enable us to protect our wild salmon, preserve our old-growth forests, and preserve critical habitat for endangered species and local agriculture.
Homelessness rates and economic growth rates have been going in the opposite direction for the past two years. The gross domestic product (GDP) is an antiquated system that merely measures the quantity of market activity. B.C. requires a new index, such as the Genuine Progress Index (GPI), to establish a measurable bottom line for social, environmental, and economic progress. The GPI encompasses unpaid labour, such as parenting and volunteer work, and subtracts the costs of pollution, crime, and the depletion of non-renewable resources.
Mixed-use social housing developments that embrace the role of arts and culture will help provide for a generation of homeless citizens. Vancouver’s new mayor, Gregor Robertson, is on the right track to end homelessness. With continued compassionate efforts in the short term (e.g., opening up churches, unused government buildings for temporary shelter), combined with a new social housing developments that have measurable “end homelessness” goals, we can do just that.
For B.C. to achieve this bold green vision, we require electoral reform now. Implementing the single transferable vote (BC-STV) will result in fairer election results, more voter choice, and better representation. Electoral reform, including electoral finance reform on a provincial and municipal level, will make our elected officials more transparent and help stop a hemorrhaging democratic system that is struggling with the lowest level of voter turnout rates in modern history.
Across B.C., I ask that you speak to your neighbours, friends, and family regarding how important it is that you vote Green on May 12 to bring green-job and end-homelessness legislation to Victoria.
A unique “two-way race” has evolved in the new provincial riding of Vancouver-False Creek. With no incumbent MLA and with your help we can elect B.C.’s first Green MLA. We need your help to get new, past, and present Green votes to the polls.
My name is Damian Kettlewell, and I want to recruit you to vote Green and vote yes for BC-STV on May 12. Vancouver-False Creek is ripe for change and ready for a Green MLA.
Damian Kettlewell is the deputy leader of the Green Party of B.C. and its candidate in Vancouver-False Creek.
Comments
10 Comments
montyvan
Apr 30, 2009 at 1:32pm
I heard Damian speak at a recent candidates forum along with an NDP candidate (the Liberal candidate was a no-show), and he was by far the most compelling and likable candidate there. Jenny Kwan came across as an angry, bitter candidate with an axe to grind, while Damian provided calm, clear answers to every question he was asked. Whoever decided that Jenny Kwan would be a good substitute for the NDP candidate who couldn't make it made a huge mistake by inviting Jenny, and it was an insult to those of us there to hear from the Liberal and NDP candidates as well.
I was prepared to endorse the Liberal candidate, but, Damian addressed the issues of people in this riding far better than any of the other candidates, in my opinion. As a result, I've decided to change my vote from Liberal to Green for my riding.
Damian Kettlewelll
Apr 30, 2009 at 3:26pm
Hi MontyVan,
Thank you for attending the local debate and for your kind words of support.
We have momentum, it is a two way race and we can win in Vancouver False Creek.
cheers ~ Damian
Eric C.
May 1, 2009 at 12:48pm
Damian is smart, articulate and charismatic. He really is the best candidate, partisan politics aside. I’m about as Green as they get, cycle to work 99.9% of the time, have an engineering degree and a masters degree in environmental management, but I’m not going to support the Green Party this time for pandering to druggie misfits who can’t deal with reality and have to smoke pot obsessively to get through life. Where would we all be if everyone was high all the time? Society would either fall apart or we’d turn into third world country.
seth
May 1, 2009 at 2:26pm
More regurgitated predigested boilerplate from Greenie international.
What local Greenie's never talk about since they are too busy trying to get the Liberals elected are the two most obvious and cheapest alternatives to gateway, carbon taxes, and transit builds, alternatives that actually save instead of costing money - telecommuting and 3 day work weeks. Unfortunately until government/corporate execs are forced out their dinosaur butts in a seat mentality little will change.
We need to force our government organizations to institute mandatory telecommuting plans then add corporate carrot/stick incentives later. To illustrate the effect on energy/traffic/. US GTA has marked 40% of US federal civilian employee jobs are telecommutable that includes US forest and postal services I would assume the BC government is more or less the same. A Carlton university survey found 60% of those surveyed would telecommute if they could. Stats Can has it that that institutions under the control/purview of the BC Government ie hydro ferries municipals control more than 350,000 employees. Gordo could have ended rush hour almost overnight, but that would have emptied the big downtown office buildings of his real estate campaign donators.
Greenies unfortunately do not understand preferring to recant boilerplate to actually addressing the issues.
The party simply exists to siphon votes form the NDP in a misguided effort to elect the BCLliberals. What discontented Gordo voter would support Greenie policies like legalizing drugs, replacing the RCMP with some kind of mall cop "service", closing fish farms, shutting down IPP's, reducing oil and gas revenues, and moving us all to a living wage etc If needs be they have the BC Conservatives to register their protest vote.
One of the BC's few peer reviewed published active working environmentalists Alexandre Morton recently stated
"I personally don't think the salmon are going to survive another Liberal term"
Please don't vote for this misguided man and give the BCLiberals their chance to once and for all to kill off the salmon.
seth
mooks
May 1, 2009 at 4:43pm
Seth: You talk about the Green's being out there with crazy ideas regarding drug policy, policing, etc., and then criticize them for not proposing and enforcing a 3 day work week? Instead, why don`t you focus your efforts on convincing the NDP and Carole James not to support a 3 billion dollar bridge and highway expansion? I know, it really is a lot to ask.
Eric: I never thought of the Netherlands as a third world country that's fallen apart. The irony is that someone from the Netherlands might view British Columbia in much the same light when walking around the DTES or reading about 20 year olds shooting each other over control of the multi billion dollar drug trade.
NDP boosters like Seth like to ridicule the Green`s for their position on drug policy and enforcement, and instead champion Carole James promise of more cops, more judges and more jails. That might be a winning (right wing) platform today, but it`s only a matter of time until the people of this province wake up to the real problems and issues that we`re facing. We have a 12 billion dollar unregulated industry that`s currently hiring entrepreneurial kids attracted to fast cars, expensive clothes, and beautiful women - no experience or education necessary.
Eric C.
May 1, 2009 at 7:31pm
Mooks, Damian is a good guy, vote for him. I'll pass this time even if the Netherlands isn't a third world country, yet.
john shavluk
May 1, 2009 at 10:40pm
Greetings:
As some one who has fought to end Canada's ridiculous drug war against its own children for 18 years and been at times actually in harms way with hardened criminals because of it ......I bristled with repulsion reading this Eric C.
Fascist states with the militarizing of police is not my goal and only the ignorant beckon.
Eric the conservative is the dumbest educated man I have met all day.
If ever there was a greater example of a waste of tax payer dollars over some ones subsidizes education I have never seen it.
This holier than thou attitude at the expense of your fellow citizens and their lives is an example of the pompous sanctimonious attitude that through out history has resulted in needless pain suffering and death.
I know many many well educated or professional people who still use cannabis.
All three of the last USA presidents admitted smoking pot.
The greatest most medal winning Olympic athlete in history smokes a bong apparently and Eric C. with all his educated so called discriminating views he fails to see the obvious ....that the drugs will be there whether we take charge of them or not....that more gun fights will be on the streets if we continue the status quo and that no one disputes the real problem ...which is to say we do not have a crime problem...we actually have a drug problem.
Not one penitentiary or prison has ever been built where illegal drugs have not been found ...so how then and how many million dollars will we need to come up with to keep drugs out of high schools?
Yes Eric C you and your like probably argued against ending slavery or gay marriage as well so I know its pointless with some old DNA (obsolete) to argue.
But I for one will stand and yes and salute Mr. Damian Kettlewell and the BC Green team just for having the guts , honesty and compassion to overlook the fear in this issue ....as all other parties have .....and speak for a very large percentage of harmless.... otherwise law abiding citizens.....citizens yes with rights .....as many as Eric C .....and deserving of a voice just like all others.
Your distorted morals have no place in my natural rights to freedom especially while I know of doctors practicing quite profitably while themselves abusing legal drugs for up to 20 years. An addict is only a problem with out a supply after all.
It's a good thing Eric C. doesn't have to risk jail for the obvious alcohol he probably consumes as he calls for more abuse of his neighbours.
The problems associated with drug use ...crime ...guns ....violence ...are all totally just because of the futile attempts with prohibition itself.
To try to stop debatably poor decisions with any substance ...tobacco...alcohol ...fatty food ....sugar.... with potential violence and life changing criminal records is completely stupid and poorly thought out.
No one benefits from poor or sick neighbours.
I say this to close ....... any child can beat an addiction...he can not beat a conviction !
No drugs are sold at gun point....there are no drive-by shooting at liquor stores...
Don't make me think Eric C. that we do have Neanderthals among us still or that I cant educate the educated!
Please grow a pair Sir!
Or take your head out of the sand or that other place I really think its buried!
Ryan Conroy
May 6, 2009 at 12:43pm
An interesting but not directly related snippet of conversation that may shed some light on this matter.
I had breakfast a few weeks ago with Damian and Marc Emery among others at Damian's green pub the Great Bear in Burnaby.
Damian was asking Marc about how many fights he had at the rooms he runs where people can go to smoke or vaporise there own marijuana on Hastings street. It has been Damian's experience that he has fights related almost exclusively to his sale of alcohol despite taking appropriate security measures.
Marc's answer was that he never has had one. And his businesses are open past midnight. Any one who has ever walked down Granville Street or any other busy bar strip knows what happens when people drink excessively.
And a recent Angus Reid poll shows 65% of British Columbians support an end to prohibition and regulation of narcotics as the best solution to gang violence.
At this point portraying our position on this as 'crazy ideas' flies in the face of science and popular opinion, not to mention common sense. Addiction is a medical, not a criminal issue, and the crime associated with addiction is a direct product of the war on drugs.
Damien Shamian
May 8, 2009 at 5:30pm
Ketterwell is a self-righteous twit who flitters around the city looking for glory, but is never pragmatic enough to achieve it.
Eric C.
May 9, 2009 at 12:42am
I voted early. After looking at the candidates, I couldn't let my contempt for drugs, after witnessing a family member lose her fight with drugs, sway my underlying support for most of the things that the Green Party supports (excluding druggies who ruin their lives taking drugs as a crutch to numb whatever is ailing them) and voted Green.
I'll just have to work to make sure that the Green Party doesn't end up becoming a pawn of misguided individuals who think taking drugs is going to help them deal with life in a constructive and positive manner. Good luck Damian!