What does your Canada look like?

Let's Take the Election to the Politicians
If we are to be bought with our own money let's make our own spending choices...

Will Canada be green and clean or green and mean or some combination as is the case now.
The showdown is between the Alberta oil boom and the need to be able to breathe in Ontario.

When we speak with Elizabeth May - we need to know what the economics of green is all about. We need to find out if she can introduce environmental policy initiatives and change in a country used to being economically spoiled.

We still flush the toilet more that anybody else and we are just full of fresh water. Areas in Canada such as Newfoundland and Labrador still enjoy pristine regions where you can boil up at the side of a pond - gully - lake - or river.

Then there is the air of metro Ontario or Quebec - there are the congestive failures of traffic and lungs. We are polluted and we are polluting. Where's the cash and jobs in preserving the clean and renewing the brown zones?

What will Ms. May suggest for Alberta and what will she suggest for Quebec?

Following the election of both Elizabeth for the Greens and Stephane for the Grits - the environment and the color "green" are all the rage. Canadians are getting into this whole let's stop destroying ourselves theme. But how deep is that commitment? Is it the flavour of the day or are we determined to respond to the mess we make everyday in the name of money?

You see the government spends a fortune trying to get people to quit smoking. Yet despite the health warnings and apparent toxic nature of tobacco products - the government keeps the substance legal and collects tremendous tax on it. What other pharmaceutical product that has such dangers attached to it remains legal to purchase over the counter?

On the issue of of climate control - emissions - and clean air - all governments will encourage individuals to change their habits - car-pool - turn down the heat - use mass transit - but when it comes to industry - kid gloves are used.

Listen - parts of this country have undeveloped green renewable energy and industry should move to these areas and take advantage of clean alternatives. For Newfoundland and Labrador - Quebec - Manitoba - and BC - the potential is tremendous. Instead in the case of Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador - the federal encouragement comes to export the power to the "bigger" provinces. No - it's time to share the wealth!

Fiscal imbalance - yes there is enough of that to go around yet the biggest moans are from Quebec and Ontario - there is something wrong with this.
And on the issue of equalization and revenues from resources - more particularly hydro - Quebec has used a master plan to maximize equalization while maximizing revenues which would normally be counted - but when applied differently do not. So let's get with the program.

Immigration? What's the deal here? Pretty much the same as everything else in Canada - it primarily goes to Ontario and Quebec - what about the rest of the country?

Federal jobs and Crown agencies - time to spread the wealth and move a significant amount out to Western and Atlantic Canada. We brag about our IT advancement and we talk about the "global" community and free trade - but we do not have it in our own country.

Give me your thoughts - what works and what does not work for you in Canada?

Next post let's deal with geography and the equal delivery of health and education in Canada - and the issue of representational imbalance.

In order for Canadians to understand other Canadians we must speak freely and find solutions for the problems all politicians have failed to find.