* The Green Party of Ontario advocates fiscal policies that
foster ecologically sustainable businesses, green jobs, preserve
ecosystems and biodiversity, conserve resources for other species
and future generations, shorten the work week, and ensures a high
quality of life and basic economic equity for all;
* The GPO proposes a natural resource levy so that those who
use, monopolize or despoil our common wealth and reducing everyone
else's access to and benefit from our common heritage, are obliged
to reimburse society for this privilege;
* The GPO would reduce taxes on labour, business and production
and instead generate government revenue through fees and levies on
the use and abuse of the global commons and on access to community
assets;
* The GPO proposes a green tax cut that distinguishes between
earned and unearned income, and moves the tax burden from the
former onto the latter. This shift will unburden the productive
economy and instead finance government programs by collecting
unearned income;
* That institutions and businesses that enjoy access to
community-built and tax-supported amenities and infrastructure be
required to remit fees in the amount of the economic rent to
government as compensation for the privileges granted;
* The GPO further proposes that those who contribute back to the
commons could be financially compensated by government. Companies
and individuals who forgo income to conserve, protect or restore
ecosystems could be partially reimbursed for expenses.
2. The following "Green Tax Reform", resolution will be
considered at the Green Party of Canada convention in August.
* WHEREAS land, minerals, aggregates, trees, fish, fossil fuels,
wind, and clean air, water and soil... are gifts of nature, the
benefits of which should accrue equitable to all Canadians;
* WHEREAS taxing income, business, and consumption has the
effect of reducing employment, burdening businesses and investors,
and arbitrarily raising the prices of products;
* WHEREAS title to land and monopoly control of natural
resources often generate significant revenue without a
corresponding cost of production (economic rent) which rightfully
belongs to the community;
* WHEREAS polluting is not a right but a privilege for which the
community should be adequately compensated;
* WHEREAS access to community-built and tax-funded amenities and
infrastructure such as roads, stock markets, airspace, the
internet..., is not a right but a privilege for which the
community should be adequately compensated.
* THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Green Party of Canada levy
land, natural resource use, and pollution so that those who use
the commons or restrict access to them for unearned income fairly
reimburse society;
* BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT there be a revenue-neutral shift
of taxes from earned income to unearned income, unburdening the
productive economy and recovering a portion of the economic rent
that is generated by the commons;
* BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT those who enjoy access to
community-built and tax-supported amenities and infrastructure be
required to remit to government a percentage of the economic rent
collected as compensation for the access granted;
* BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT those granted permits to emit
pollutants remit to government Pigouvian taxes as deemed
appropriate by legislators;
* BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT those who contribute back to the
commons -- the businesses and individuals who forgo opportunistic
income to conserve, protect or restore ecosystems -- be
financially compensated by the Canadian government. <<
