Green Party platform promises to expand rail, eliminate tuit

[Oscar]

Green Party platform promises to expand rail, eliminate tuition

[ http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada- ... -1.3220976 ]

Elizabeth May wants to grow green jobs, tackle climate change and wean Canada's economy off oilsands

By Kathleen Harris, CBC News Posted: Sep 09, 2015 12:58 PM ET| Last Updated: Sep 09, 2015 8:00 PM ET

The Green Party wants to wipe out university and college tuition fees, expand Canada's rail and urban transit systems and halt the use of fossil fuels by mid-century.

The party's 44-page election platform, [ http://www.greenparty.ca/en/platform ] released by party leader Elizabeth May in Vancouver today, makes big — and expensive — promises to help students, seniors and small business. It focuses heavily on planks to tackle climate change and wean the national economy off the oilsands.

Accusing the Conservative government of "serial vandalism" of Canada's public policy, May said she would work to clean up the environment, reform criminal justice and overhaul immigration and refugee practices.

May predicted a minority government after the Oct. 19 election, but said she does not want to join any formal coalition. She said the best way for Canadians to effect positive public policy change is to elect more Green MPs.

"Someone with a strong corps of Greens encourages the Liberals and New Democrats to form a coalition — I think that would be very healthy," she said. "We would like to sit in opposition in a responsible Parliament, which means our job is to hold government accountable."

May said she would not bring down a government if it pursued key policies, from democratic reform and refugee policy to repealing anti-terror legislation.

MORE:

[ http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada- ... -1.3220976 ]