Brian Gordon

Candidate Profile

Brian Gordon was a climate skeptic - until he did the research. Since then, he has been trained by Al Gore to deliver the Inconvenient Truth slideshow, he ran federally in the 2008 Canadian election, increasing the Green vote by over 50%, and is now running for the Green Party of British Columbia in May 2009. He continues to focus on non-partisan ways to influence leaders to create a sustainable economy and society.

Questions

1. Please identify what you believe to be the most important issue in your riding and your plan to address that issue.
   

   The economy and the environment are tied together in Saanich South as in every area. When the price of gas goes up again, suburban commuters and rural farmers will be hit hard. The other parties either think we can ignore the problem or subsidize our way out of it.
   
   The Green Party prefers to fix the root cause, and part of that is to shift taxes from income to carbon. This makes imports more expensive and local products - including food - cheaper in comparison. This is especially important given that we produce less than 10% of the food we need on the Island; it puts us in a very vulnerable position.
   
   Commuters will also need alternatives, and these include better transit (streetcars and/or light rail for example - it is ridiculous how difficult it is to get to the airport by any means except by car), and better-designed communities, where more people can walk to work. Shopping/office centres in Saanich, for example, should have apartments/condominiums on top and shoppers should be able to get from store to store without getting back into the car.
   
   Another important protection is upgrading of houses to use little or no energy for heat, hot water, and light, as England and France have both mandated. This protects people against energy price increases and keeps money in people's pockets to use as they choose.
   
   These sorts of changes protect people against global economic insecurity, make them - and BC - more independent, and do not require ongoing subsidies.