Amanda Huxted - Green Party Candidate - Swift Current Constituency
We extended an opportunity to all candidates in the five constituencies in the Southwest Booster readership circulation area to respond to a questionnaire in advance of the November 7 election.
QUESTION #1 Why would you be the best choice to represent your constituency?
I am a very honest, compassionate, trustworthy person. A true polictician is one who works hard for everyone and achieves a common goal for all people in all aspects of society! I would say that i would be that!! We need fresh outlooks at the way polictics run! The Green Party has fresh ideas that look out for not just now but also for future generations!
QUESTION #2 What is the strength of your party's platform?
Focus on producing Saskatchewan food for Saskatchewan and reduce our dependence on foreign, long-haul produce by developing and investing in new energy efficient greenhouses.
Increase research grants given for the study of organic and low input farming practices, to make Saskatchewan a global leader in the field.
Help lobby for changes within the Canadian Wheat Board to allow for the development of rural value-added processing plants.
Climate Change - Be it resolved that the green party calls for a moratorium to be put on all future oil development until a cumulative impact statement has been done that will put some kind of parameters on future developments that take place. This would include tar sands, conventional oil, methane field development and whatever else is going on out there
Community Development - Leave more tax revenue in communities to help with:
- maintenance and expansion of local infrastructure
- the ability to provide increased social services
- investment into local arts and cultural events that showcase the community
- Work with urban and rural child care providers to develop a "made-in-Saskatchewan" solution to the current child care crisis that meets the needs of all of Saskatchewan's diverse communities.
- Increase support for community arts programs and facilities across Saskatchewan by establishing stable base-funding at a set percentag of the provincial budget.
Health - A Green Party of Saskatchewan Government will officially recognize that an effective health system requires that healthy air, water and food is available to all Saskatchewan citizens.
In accordance with Tommy Douglas’s vision for health care, the Green Party would move to put doctors on salary and remove the pay per service system currently in place.
One of the major social determinates of health is poverty. As such, Green MLAs will push to create a Guaranteed Liveable Income to ensure poverty in Saskatchewan is eliminated, leading to better health for all citizens.
Green MLAs would eliminate ambulance fees currently in place across the province
Environment - Implement groundwater monitoring to provide reliable information on water quality and levels in aquifers and their variability.
Start monitoring water withdrawls from industry and irrigation.
Begin to collect and analyze regional health care data looking for abnormal health trends so as to identify any environmental causes within the region.
Ban the cosmetic use of pesticides.
Create new provincial parks to aid in conservation efforts.
Increase the provinces recycling capacity by investing in new recycling centers and developing an efficient rural recycling collection program.
Begin a cumulative impact assessment of all oil and gas activity in the province to understand the impact this industry has on our wildlife, vegetation and residents.
Require that before a permit for a new oil or gas well is granted, the company has decommissioned and reclaimed an inactive oil or gas well.
Nuclear and uranium policy from the 2007 "Green Book":
The Green Party of Saskatchewan is opposed to nuclear power for the following reasons:
Nuclear power is fiscally unsound. The last nuclear power plant in Canada came in seven times over budget, costing $14 billion dollars. This does not include the high cost involved in decommissioning old power plants.
Nuclear waste cannot be stored, treated, or disposed of safely.
A large amount of radioactive tailings accumulate as a result of uranium mining. These tailings can leak into groundwater and affect the surrounding area, leading to increased cancer rates.
Depleted uranium ends up in weapons such as missiles and anti-tank bullets.
Nuclear power is NOT emmisions free. Large quantities of greenhouse gases are produced in the mining and refining of uranium as well as during the long construction period of the power plant.
We will phase out uranium mining in Saskatchewan, compensating those affected during transition.
Taxation - Taxation policy from the 2007 "Green Book":
Reintroduce a progressive income tax system based upon the ability to pay.
Create a Saskatchewan Prosperity Fund to ensure that future generations benefit from today's wealth. Revenue from increased resource royalties would be saved to produce interest, providing long term, sustainable funding for the budgets of today and tomorrow.
Cut propery taxes in rural areas, creating parity with urban centers.
Increase the number of essential items that are exempt from PST. These will include sporting equipment and school supplies to reduce the burden on those with lower incomes.
Provide additional gas tax revenue to municipal governments to allow for upgrades and investment in their public transit and bike infrastructure.
Implement tax shifting in the forestry industry to reduce labour cost and make Saskatchewan businesses more competitive.
QUESTION #3 What policy platform are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about all policies. If I was elected for your MLA the taxpayers are my boss I would have to listen and help out every concern that comes my way! I feel that all issues tie together! If we dont have a healthy, clean environment then our people are not going to be healthy! Poverty also ties into this, with the cost of living and inflation going up on everything! Its hard for modest income people to make it! It then becomes burden to our whole system! We would make sure that there was enforcement of all policies and laws!
