Green Action Centre has made a wish list for 2014 and checked it twice. We hope that Santa’s listening, since we’re working to save the North Pole!
Here’s our Top 10:
- Please let growth pay for growth. Have the Province allow the City to implement development charges.
- Cut the car subsidy. Demand the Province and City of Winnipeg pay for roads and bridges from a PST on fuels, road tolls, parking space levies, and vehicle registration fees – not from property taxes or a higher PST on toothpaste.
- Make it easier to get around by bus, walking and cycling with Complete Streets. The Province, City of Winnipeg and every municipality in Manitoba need to pitch in on this one.
- Make School Travel Planning mandatory. The Province and the Government of Canada both need to contribute to fund this international best practice that resolves barriers to walking and biking to school.
- Set up a SKIP (Safe Kids Infrastructure Program) fund. Get the Government of Canada, Province and municipalities around Manitoba working together to implement infrastructure improvements around schools. It’s the other half of School Travel Planning.
- Introduce pay as you drive insurance. MPI should introduce distance-based insurance as an incentive for Manitobans to drive less.
- Ensure that landfill levies promote increased waste diversion. Please ask the Province to work with the City of Winnipeg to reduce commercial and construction waste through increased recycling opportunities supported by landfill bans and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Support (WRARS) levy and rebate.
- Incentivize composting at all schools. Have the Province provide incentives to schools across Manitoba to compost on-site to reduce waste and provide learning opportunities for students.
- Ban the use of cosmetic lawn pesticides. Manitobans deserve the same protection as more than half the population of Canada already receives.
- Bring us a carbon tax. Ensure the Province makes those who add GHG emissions pay to reduce them through a carbon tax.
