To the Editor, Interior News
These comments are from someone looking for a political party to
vote for! Although I have voted for all major parties, I have
favoured the Green Party in recent years. I believe in economic and
social justice as displayed by party policy, local candidate and the
leader in that order.
The quality of life and life itself ultimately depends on how humans
share the free gifts of Nature. Of course, Nature is no longer free,
as the presence and activity of people make increasing demands on what
Nature can provide!
We sadly add to those pressures with negative actions like climate
change (floods, wildfires), resource speculation (urban sprawl,
inflation), product waste (ocean plastics) and reduced wildlife and
plant habitats. Political parties still do not recognize and quantify
the true value of Nature so waste, pollution, speculation and hoarding
of Nature is the result!
A case in point in this election is that all parties talk about more
housing for the homeless, First Nations, renters and others. They
identify many culprits like foreign buyers but they never mention that
Canadians also get unearned income and damage the environment (see
above) because greed takes advantage of the undervalued and under
taxed resource base like building sites.
The parties and ‘experts’ ignore the fact that housing sites in
major cities may have site values of 75% or more of total property
value according to a former BC Assessment Commissioner (2017). Any
positive housing program by any party will only inflate limited site
values. Until governments capture the true site value of Nature many
social problems will continue or worsen!
The Conservatives gave us the GST in 1991 and the other parties
accepted it. The Conservatives, in this election are admitting the
harm the GST can do to the economy and promise to cancel it for
December. I am still looking for the party that actively promotes the
capture of the community created value of Nature and reduces the tax
penalty on the production of the things society needs all year round!
John Fisher
Box 103, Smithers, BC Phone: 250 877 0230
