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A winning election platform for Christy Clark or Adrian Dix

Below are some election platform ideas for Christy Clark and Adrian Dix.  I have listed all the government ministries and at-least one policy under each ministry that I would like to see implemented.  I would love to find out what the Vancouver Observer readers wish list is for our provincial leaders? 

Let the citizens create the next winning election platform.  

Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation

  • Establish an aboriginal portal on the internet where British Columbia First Nations can sell, market, and promote their goods and services to the world.

Advanced Education

  • Introduce a “merit-based” student loan program.  For example, if you graduate with an A+ average then 90 per cent of your student loan would be forgiven and 10 per cent would need to be repaid.  If you graduate with an A average then 80 per cent of your loan would be forgiven and 20 per cent would need to be repaid.  If you graduate with an A- then 70 per cent of your loan would be forgiven and 30 per cent would need to be repaid, and so forth.   

Agriculture

  • Develop a food and water security plan for British Columbia.  This includes expanding the Agriculture Land Reserve in the Lower Mainland and giving tax breaks to farmers to develop their land and providing assistance to food industry marketing boards.

Attorney General

  • Have criminals pay a percentage of their net income for life to a Victim Assistance Fund if they injure or harm someone for life.  The victims should receive compensation for pain and suffering as well. 

Children and Family Development

  • Allow foster children to stay at home with their foster parents until the age of 25 if they are attending post-secondary education.  Many foster children are not ready to take on the responsibilities of the world as adults at age 19.

Community, Sport and Cultural Development

  • Introduce a tax on fast food and use the revenue to subsidize family gym memberships and the cost of joining sports teams. 

Education

  • Introduce a university preparation course for high school students which teaches them how to successfully complete college and university admissions applications with top notch personal statements for top schools throughout Canada and the world and apply for scholarships and bursaries.  

Energy and Mines

  • Develop alternative energy sources such as wind and solar.

Environment

  • All government decisions should have to pass a “three-part” economic, social, and environmental benefit and impact assessment.  If a policy or project fails in anyone of these three areas then it should not be approved.

Finance

  • Encourage billionaires and the rich to make tax deductible donations to wipe out the debt. 

Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations

  • For every tree cut down plant two and abolish clear cutting practices.

Health

  • Introduce a comprehensive prescription drug, dental, and vision health care program funded in part by increased MSP premiums and cost savings due to increased preventative care in these three areas. 

Jobs, Tourism, and Innovation

  • Remove taxes on small business during the first five years of their operations.

Labour, Citizen’s Services, and Open Government

  • Increase investor, labour and economic immigration to fill labour shortages in British Columbia and beef up the working age population.  Also provide a significant baby bonus to encourage British Columbia families to have more children. 

Public Safety and Solicitor General

  • Introduce a Metro Vancouver Police Force so convicts can’t skip to different police jurisdictions to avoid being caught. 

Housing and Social Development

  • Have the provincial government buy up properties throughout the province and rent them to low income tenants.  This will generate revenue and provide stable long term housing for the homeless.   
  • Abolish welfare offices throughout the province and simply issue centrally administered cheques to anyone in the province who falls below the poverty line similar to how the HST is administered.

Transportation and Infrastructure

  • Make it affordable to take public transit and introduce light rail throughout the Lower Mainland connecting communities and stimulating new investment in emerging town centers.

Alex Sangha is a Registered Social Worker with a private counselling practice in North Delta.  He is the author of The Modern Thinker.

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