Vision of a sustainable society

by Joyce Murray

• What drives me is a vision of a sustainable society that lives in harmony with and protects the living world on which it depends. This vision emerged from my years tree planting, developing a regeneration business, working to change legislation to make forests more sustainable, creating total product stewardship legislation in British Columbia and seeking the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Politics is a place for making change – providing opportunities for success for those who have less; creating economic conditions that provide meaningful jobs and careers for young people, and support the independence and health of their parents and grandparents. Governments can shrink freedoms, transparency, the role of civil society, and environmental protection regulations – as Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have done. Or they can restore our democratic institutions, rights and protections – as the Liberal Party commits to doing.

Joyce and husband Dirk

As Vancouver Quadra’s MP I toured B.C. in 2010 with my Tanker Ban Bill C-606 to raise awareness of the risk of spills from crude oil tanker traffic on our vulnerable north coast; and fought for the Kitsilano Coast Guard Base – which the Liberals have pledged to re-open. Politicians must cooperate to address the major challenges of our times like climate change, aboriginal opportunity, and international peace; this compels me to campaign for electoral reform to create a fairer and more proportional voting system. Outdated 2001-era laws that fail to reflect the internet-based communications of today undermine Canadians’ security and the protection of our privacy and democratic rights. This gap compelled me in the spring 2014 to write Bill C-622 – updating the law to protect citizens’ metadata, require a judge warrant system, and limit the sharing of information amongst security and intelligence agencies. It has been exciting to represent your priorities.

The federal election takes place October 19th and you have a chance to be part of real change in this country. When I first ran in Vancouver Quadra in the 2008 federal by-election, the Conservative candidate came just 151 votes from winning. Last election was also too close for comfort with the Conservatives a close second-place finish – a stark reminder of how much your vote counts!
I ask you to go to www.RealChange.ca, read the details of our Liberal Party of Canada platform, and commit to vote. Let’s create a sustainable society together!

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Joyce Murray is the Member of Parliament, and current Liberal candidate, for Vancouver Quadra

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