John Horgan (NDP)
1. BC has taken several important steps towards a lower carbon economy. What would you do to help the province achieve its targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020 and to position BC for the challenges and opportunities of a low-carbon economy?
I am committed to meeting BC's GHG emission reduction targets. I have committed to the creation of a real green energy plan that provides benefits to British Columbians first. We will increase energy conservation efforts, provide real transportation options and support energy efficiency improvements. I have made a commitment to present a more detailed plan once I become leader of the New Democratic Party and as the next provincial election approaches.
2. In 2012, the province will be generating 3% of its revenue from the carbon tax, which will be a $1.1 billion incentive annually for investments in clean energy solutions. Do you support increasing the effectiveness and fairness of that incentive over time with tools like the carbon tax and cap and trade?
My plan includes pricing carbon fairly, which means that we will expand the scope of the carbon tax to bring industrial emitters under the same umbrella as individuals and then review the application of the tax within the Fair Tax Commission. Regional and international cap-and-trade plans have stalled and it is time for carbon pricing to apply fairly to all sectors.
3. While BC is home to more than 1900 species at risk, it is one of only two provinces in Canada without legislated protection of those species or their habitat. What would you do to protect endangered species and their habitat in BC? Would you consider stand-alone legislation to achieve this?
B.C. has more unique species than any province in Canada. That we do not have an Endangered Species Act is appalling and I have committed to correcting this glaring omission in my environmental plan by introducing an Endangered Species Act. This legislation will help us meet our national and international obligations and help guide natural resource management in the province. British Columbia is now one of the few Canadian jurisdictions without endangered species legislation. More information is available on my website - www.horganforbc.ca
4. BC has nearly completed land use planning across the province, but almost none of those plans considered the impact of global warming on a host of environmental and resource values. Would you consider additional conservation measures to protect the carbon storage capacity of BC's forests while providing more chances for BC's fish and wildlife to adapt to their changing environment?
B.C.'s forested lands present a unique opportunity to mitigate the impacts of climate change. This includes significant increases in reforestation, managing the effects of the pine beetle epidemic, wisely planning for ecological protection/transition over time and other considerations. Taking steps to allow flora and fauna to adapt to changing climate conditions is best done by first identifying and conserving our existing ecological diversity, and then managing over time to accommodate any changing habitat and conditions that affect plants and animals.
5. Many communities in BC and elsewhere across Canada have banned the use of cosmetic pesticides. Three provinces have banned their sale as a result. Do you think BC should prohibit the sale and use of chemical pesticides for lawns, gardens, and non-agricultural landscaping?
Yes. It is time to take action to ban the unnecessary use of toxic and carcinogenic pesticides. I was proud to stand with my caucus colleagues in 2010 to support the ban of cosmetic pesticides in British Columbia.
6. BC is in the process of modernizing its outdated Water Act. Do you think protecting fish and wildlife should be a top priority in managing freshwater flows?
I will ensure that environmental protection is a legislated part of B.C.'s revised Water Act. While the BC Liberals are proposing changes to the Water Act, they are treating environmental protection as a guideline rather than as a requirement. The Water Act is important to all British Columbians and they must have the opportunity to review draft legislation before it is debated by the legislature.
7. BC's precious coast is at growing risk daily from more oil tankers in the south, new proposals in the north, and increasing shipping traffic of all kinds throughout the coast. How will you protect BC's fragile coastal ecosystems from oil spills, both large and small?
British Columbia's coastline is fragile and faces daily risk from the oil tankers that traverse coastal waters. The BC Liberals have plans to further threaten our coastline with offshore oil production and increased North Coast tanker traffic. Under my leadership an NDP government will maintain a ban on offshore oil exploration, support the federal ban on north coast tanker traffic, and increase accident readiness coordination among all levels of government and industry to reduce the risks posed by tanker traffic.
