
Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue:
it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience.
Pope Francis, Laudato si’, 217
God gave humans dominion over the earth, thereby making us stewards of creation as we work with Him in His continuing act of creation.
We must constantly consider how our actions glorify or harm this wonderous gift God has entrusted to us. This is a multi-faceted question, which must not be over-simplified.
With a vocation to glorify all life which includes respect for the inviolability and integrity of life, humans find themselves in the presence of all God’s other creatures. We can and are obliged to put them at our own service and to enjoy them, but our dominion over the world requires the exercise of responsibility. It is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation. All of creation has value and is “good” in the sight of God. This is a marvelous challenge to human intellect. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 112, 113
The Book of Genesis provides us with certain foundations of Christian anthropology, including the meaning of human activity in the world, which is linked to the discovery and respect of the laws of nature that God has inscribed in the created universe, so that humanity may live in it and care for it in accordance with God’s will. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 37.
Climate Change
There is urgency to this issue. Every Pope since at least Paul VI has written of our need to shift to a more responsible use of the earth and its abundant resources. The Church accepts that that need is now urgent.
“A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system… Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat… at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it. It is true that there are other factors, yet a number of scientific studies indicate that most global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases released mainly as a result of human activity. Pope Francis, Laudato si’, 23
Energy & Resources
The good steward neither allows the resources entrusted to him to lie fallow or to fail to produce their proper fruit, nor does he waste or destroy them (Matthew 25:14-30). Rather, he uses them responsibly, for the Lord’s purposes, to realize their increase so that he may enjoy his livelihood and provide for the good of his family, his descendants, and his neighbors.
Humanity’s relationship with creation and the creatures of the earth “requires the exercise of responsibility, it is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation.” Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 115
One of the higher priority issues in economics is the utilization of resources, that is, of all those goods and services to which economic subjects — producers and consumers in the private and public spheres — attribute value because of their inherent usefulness in the areas of production and consumption… Resources in nature are quantitatively scarce, which means that each individual economic subject, as well as each individual society, must necessarily come up with a plan for their utilization in the most rational way possible, following the logic dictated by the “principle of economizing.” Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 346
Because of the powerful means of transformation offered by technological civilization, it seems that the balance between man and the environment has reached a critical point… A reductionistic conception quickly spread, starting from the presupposition — which was seen to be erroneous — that an infinite quantity of energy and resources are available, that it is possible to renew them quickly, and that the negative effects of the exploitation of the natural order can be easily absorbed… Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 461, 462
Conservation & Sustainable Development
Care for the environment represents a challenge for all of humanity. It is a matter of a common and universal duty, that of respecting a common good, destined for all, by preventing anyone from using “with impunity the different categories of beings, whether living or inanimate — animals, plants, the natural elements — simply as one wishes, according to one’s own economic needs.”
Responsibility for the environment, the common heritage of mankind, extends not only to present needs but also to those of the future… This is a responsibility that present generations have towards those of the future… A correct understanding of the environment… at the same time…must not absolutize nature and place it above the dignity of the human person himself. In this latter case, one can go so far as to divinize nature or the earth, as can readily be seen in certain ecological movements that seek to gain an internationally guaranteed institutional status for their beliefs. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 361, 461-463
Species Diversity & Wildlife
Man and woman find themselves also in the presence of all the other creatures. They can and are obliged to put them at their own service and to enjoy them, but their dominion over the world requires the exercise of responsibility, it is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation. All of creation has value and is “good” in the sight of God, who is its author. Man must discover and respect its value. This is a marvellous challenge to his intellect, which should lift him up as on wings towards the contemplation of the truth of all God’s creatures, that is, the contemplation of what God sees as good in them. Man must recognize all of God’s creatures for what they are and establish with each of them a relationship of responsibility. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 113.
“Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God’s infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 399
It is a responsibility that must mature on the basis of the global dimension of the present ecological crisis… This perspective takes on a particular importance when one considers, in the context of the close relationships that bind the various parts of the ecosystem, the environmental value of biodiversity, which must be handled with a sense of responsibility and adequately protected… Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 466

Climate Change
The party states that:
– climate is subject to change due to many factors, including natural causes
– it does not believe that CO2 is the primary cause of climate change nor does it subscribe to climate alarmism with frantic and expensive efforts to eliminate the use of carbon-based fuels
– it advocates responsible and cost-effective research into potential alternative energy sources while allowing the ongoing use, development and transportation of reliable and time-tested energy sources such as— but not limited to—oil, wood, natural gas and coal
– it is concerned about the release of man-made chemical emissions into BC’s beautiful blue skies under Weather Modification efforts. A Christian Heritage Party of BC Government will defend the right of BC residents to have no chemical additives deliberately released into BC skies by any government agency or private corporation. It will renew environmental monitoring and protection of BC’s air and skies from unwanted deliberate emissions.
Energy & Resources; Sustainable Development
The party advocates:
– expanding hydroelectric power, especially environmentally-friendly run-of-river projects, opening up the mining industry and rejuvenating the forest industry by reducing bureaucratic red tape and moving to a market based system that is open to all operators including small businesses
– encouraging the use of methanol in gasoline sold within the province
– encouraging construction of plants to convert wood fibre and other products to clean petroleum
– encouraging the Forest Industry to harvest pine beetle infested trees and reseed the harvested area as soon as possible. This will salvage the trees that would otherwise go to waste and will create jobs in the Forest Industry. Timber that cannot be used for lumber or pulp will be turned into liquid bio-fuel
– active promotion of the creation of energy via alternate methods, including wind power, tidal power, solar power and hydrogen power, including the production of hydrogen and bio-fuel from bio-waste such as effluents, junk fish, dead trees and agricultural waste materials
– actively encouraging the building of a bridge from the Mainland to Vancouver Island that incorporates tidal power generators into the structure and generates enough tidal power to pay the capital construction cost and maintenance cost of the bridge over a reasonable time
– amending the Mineral Tenure Act to prohibit unauthorized access to private property for mineral exploration
– reducing the regulation and red tape that prevents more resource-based industries from opening in British Columbia
– promoting the long term generation of electricity by using;
1 – existing hydro electric generating facilities
2 – in-stream turbines
3 – wind generators where practical and deemed to be safe
4 – bio-generation methods to make use of our wastes and effluents
5 – off shore wave generation (using the likes of Pelamis machines)
6 – direct hydrogen generation (using standing, contained effluents)
7 – solar energy
8 – thermal energy
9 – nuclear energy but not until viable waste-disposal solutions have been found; promoting research into the promising Thorium Reactor which appears to be cleaner, safer and to have a more readily-available supply of mineral fuel
10 – geothermal power generation and heat exchange technology; and in addition, any new technology that is developed will be investigated and assessed
In the interim, the party advocates:
1- expanding and improving mass transit facilities where economically feasible
2- facilitating commercial traffic flow and possibly rewarding its use during off-peak hours
3- providing tax credits for research in clean burning fuels for commercial transportation
4- encouraging the use of electric / hydrogen powered vehicles
5- encouraging hydrogen containment and generation technology development in BC
6 – embarking on a major education program aimed at conserving energy

Climate Change
The party states:
– scrap the carbon tax. The regressive, job-killing carbon tax drives up the cost of living and has no impact on global emissions. It is unfair to rural and northern communities and leads to the offshoring of jobs overseas.
– expand liquid natural gas (LNG). It advocates dramatically expanding B.C.’s natural gas production and LNG export facilities and reduce global emissions through the displacement of coal-fired electricity in countries like China.
– get pipelines built. Pipelines are the safest and most economical means of transporting oil and natural gas and are essential in getting our resources to market. Their construction, including TMX, Coastal GasLink and Northern Gateway, deserve our complete support.
Energy & Resources; Sustainable Development
The party states that:
– British Columbians are being taxed into poverty. With the highest gas prices in North America, it’s time to axe the Carbon Tax, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and ensure more refined product reaches the B.C. market.
– it supports B.C. Forestry. B.C.’s forest industry is the envy of the world. It is 100% sustainable and renewable and supports tens of thousands of high-paying jobs across the province.
– it advocates holding activists responsible. Activists who impede the activity of resource development through illegal blockades, harassment and violence must be held legally, and financially, responsible for their actions – as must the groups that support them.
– it supports the encouragement of mining, hydro-electricity, fishing, and more. British Columbia is a resource superpower. Encourage and promote the development of these resources in a way that is sustainable, and that delivers maximum value to the taxpayers of our province.

Climate Change
Carbon Neutrality
The party states that:
– the science is clear: without massive intervention to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases, we are heading toward a catastrophe.
– the first step is setting clear goals. The party is committed to making BC carbon neutral by 2045, 5 years ahead of the federal government commitment and in line with California, a leading jurisdiction on climate action
The party advocates:
– interim targets to keep the province on track, as well as sectoral targets for industry
– development of a robust strategy to meet the 2030 target, and development of an accountability framework to ensure we get there. We will take immediate steps to send a signal of our intent by ending government support for the fossil fuel industry
– ending oil and gas subsidies and a moratorium on fracking
– prioritizing natural climate solutions, protecting and restoring forests and wetlands to maximize their potential as carbon sinks
– developing an accountability framework to ensure targets are met.
Species, Diversity & Wildlife
The party states that:
– the beauty and wonder of BC’s wilderness are not only a source of pride for all who call this province home, but the stunning biodiversity that live within provincial ecosystems are central to the health of British Columbia – our physical, mental, social, and cultural wellbeing are inextricably linked to the survival of the natural world around us.
– humans, of course, are part of nature, not isolated from it. While it is something we instinctively understand, our policies need to get better at recognizing this interdependence – an appreciation that the wellbeing of people is connected to the well-being of the river, the forest, the ocean, even future generations.
– we need to embed in our management practices an understanding and acceptance that what we do to the world, we do to ourselves.
– BC’s native ecosystems are reaching a crisis point. Many fish and wildlife populations have been in decline for decades and are currently at record lows. Foundational species like mountain caribou, moose, Interior Fraser Steelhead, Fraser River salmon, and sturgeon are at serious risk.
– lack of funding over many years for wildlife and habitat conservation, and a lack of commitment to science, vague objectives, and a tendency to side with industry instead of threatened species has meant that some of B.C.’s fish and wildlife populations are being managed to zero.
– the fundamentals of responsible fish and wildlife stewardship are funding, science, and social support. We need increased and dedicated funding, science-based objectives for habitat and populations, establishing healthy hunting and fishing limits, and accountability for the ministries that are managing fish and wildlife.
– if we work urgently, with inspiration and vision, we can heal and restore BC’s incredible biodiversity.
The party advocates prioritizing protection of wildlife and their habitat across government, including:
– establishing a strategy to manage our wetlands;
– protecting coastal ecosystems with a Coastal Law and Strategy;
– ensuring appropriate legislative oversight through legislated objectives for fish and wildlife;
– moving the fish and wildlife branch from FLNRO and the Ministry of Environment;
– urgently matching and exceeding historic provincial funding levels for the fish and wildlife branch to match the unprecedented challenges we now face.
– ensuring that science about the status of our wildlife and environment is independent from political interference and made freely available to the public.
– enhanced funding for wildlife conservation, habitat protection and habitat acquisition and dedication of all fishing, hunting, guide-outfitting, and trapping license fees for this purpose.
– creating an endangered species law that establishes legal protection of species and their habitat to ensure their recovery and survival.
– taking action on fish farms to protect wild salmon, including (1) supporting the full implementation of the Wild Salmon Advisory Council recommendations and Cohen Commission recommendations, working urgently to enforce all measures within provincial jurisdiction; (2) negotiate strongly with DFO to complete the recommendations under federal jurisdiction; and (3) working with DFO, First Nations, local communities, and industry, providing stimulus and incentives to create a close containment land based fish farming industry and canceling open-pen fish farm tenures.
– establishing a made-in-BC Environmental Charter that lays out: (1) substantive rights to clean air, clean water, and healthy ecosystems; (2) procedural rights that allow everyone to participate in decisions that affect the environment; (3) information rights that ensure we all have access to all the information relevant to decisions that affect the environment; and (4) application of the precautionary principle to decisions that affect the environment.
– enhance funding for B.C. Parks and the Conservation Officer Service, to a level that will improve infrastructure and ensure that our natural ecosystems are not being degraded, including creation of more campgrounds to meet demand, ensuring that the creation of more sites is commensurate with expanding overall park land and does not cut into existing protected areas.
Energy & Resources
Water
The party states that:
– water is fundamental to many aspects of our lives: to agriculture, energy production, transportation, freshwater fisheries, recreation and industrial processes, not to mention drinking and personal use.
– the forecast impacts of climate change on water supply vary across the province from extreme rainfall events to extended periods of drought. Each end of the spectrum presents different challenges for communities from storm and wastewater management to water contamination, turbidity and salination of groundwater in coastal areas.
– climate-related risks to drinking water are many and are often exacerbated by poor management decisions. Forestry management and water quality are also inextricably linked. As the timber supply has become more constrained, logging has moved closer to communities and into community drinking watersheds, causing painful divisions in the community and threats to drinking water.
– we must recognize that access to clean water is a human right, and we have a duty to ensure the B.C. communities have long-term, reliable, and equitable access to clean water.
To that end, the party advocates:
– allocation of $50 million to create a dedicated Watershed Security Fund that will create sustainable jobs in communities across BC in watershed restoration,
monitoring, technology, training, and education.
– expanding the model of the Cowichan Watershed Board across the province and establishing shared decision-making authority with watershed boards, with watershed sustainability as a core mandate.
– conducting comprehensive watershed planning in conjunction with First Nations, communities, government agencies, stewardship organizations and industry and including watersheds as part of a landscape-level ecosystem-based management approach to development.
– implementing the Water Sustainability Act to secure the environmental flows needed to sustain healthy and functioning rivers, lakes and watersheds.
– working with local governments, school districts and other stakeholders to upgrade municipal infrastructure and replace household pipes through grants and incentives.
– exploring science-based solutions to reduce water acidity.
– a ban on fracking, a chemical-intensive process that has been shown to contaminate freshwater, trigger earthquakes, leak methane, and pose an unacceptable risk to human health.
Sustainable Development
Among its six core principles, the party advocates:
– using natural resources wisely to protect the rights and needs of future generations
– learning to live within the physical and biological limits of our Earth and to protect its life-giving nature.
Community and Habitat Resilience
The party states that:
– communities need to be aware of the risks they face from a changing climate and to have plans to address them. Communities need to build capacity in to respond safely and effectively to extreme weather and natural disasters – and so they can recover quickly when the threat has passed.
– communities must be protected from wildfires and flooding through landscape level, ecologically-centred, forest management and fuel treatment projects.
– the province must also increase the resilience of regional ecosystems by restoring habitats and protecting biodiversity.
The party advocates:
– allocating $100 million over 4 years to fund climate adaptation initiatives for communities, including the development of a coordinated approach with First Nations and other levels of government to disaster risk reduction.
– building capacity in communities so they can respond safely and effectively to extreme weather and natural disasters – and so they can recover quickly when the threat has passed.
– protecting communities from wildfires and flooding through landscape level, ecologically-centred, forest management and fuel treatment projects.
– increasing the resilience of regional ecosystems by restoring habitats and protecting biodiversity.
Agriculture & Food Security
The party states that:
– the COVID pandemic raised awareness of the importance of food security; and in California and other places have reinforced the message: the food security of British Columbians is threatened by the changing climate in major supply regions such as California, Florida and Mexico. We need to be prepared. We must do more to protect agricultural land in our communities, expand the area of land under food production, and establish a long-term food sustainability strategy for the province. This can decrease reliance on increasingly unreliable import supply chains and diversify our farming in BC.
– you can’t have real food without farmers. We need to urgently identify and implement options to make farming a more attractive and lucrative endeavour, especially for younger farmers
– in recent years, agricultural land has become tied to the escalating housing market in many parts of BC, and it’s become untenable for young farmers to get on the land. There are tools at government’s disposal to remedy this. Just as government stepped in to create the agricultural land reserve many decades ago, it is possible to ensure that farming has a future in B.C.
– one option is to create a publicly owned agricultural land bank available to lease by new farmers.
– it’s also important to recognize that all of these decisions are connected. The decisions that we make about our forests, and about development, all impact our food security. We need to get smarter about how we make decisions and recognize this interconnection. Operating in silos won’t solve these challenges.
The party advocates creation of a Food Secure B.C. strategy to make B.C. agriculture more climate resilient, improve local food security and support local agricultural producers, including:
– establishment of a long-term food sustainability strategy for the province to decrease reliance on import supply chains and diversify farming in BC.
– making food production and food security part of the Agricultural Land Commission’s mandate.
– expanding the area of land under food production and creating a publicly owned agricultural land bank available to lease by new farmers.
– recognizing income and regional disparities in food insecurity across BC and working to enhance access to high quality, healthy food for low-income British Columbians, including developing systems for First Nations that honour Indigenous knowledge and values.
– incentivizing agro-ecological farming practices and supporting small-scale farms to adopt new technologies to reduce carbon emissions.
– investigating options to make farming a more attractive and sustainable endeavour, including (1) ensuring that farmers have access to local processing facilities and that they share in the returns from processing; and (2) enabling the growing of high value crops, such as cannabis, to supplement farm income.
– providing $10 million per year to fund research and establish regional agricultural bureaus to provide expertise and support to local farmers to apply innovations on-farm and adapt to a changing climate.
– restriction and regulation of foreign ownership of ALR land.
Forestry
The party states that:
– we need to take back control of our forests from major corporations, ensuring forestry is meeting the needs of local communities, both economically and ecologically.
– the forests of BC are a public resource that belong to the people of BC, and the should be managed that way. This means reinstating government authority in decision-making, undertaking major tenure reform, and enhancing scientific capacity in FLNRO.
– despite promising to do things differently, the current government has not changed, in any substantial way, the status quo of forestry management in this province. Recently the cutting of old growth continued as fast as it did under the prior government, and no meaningful reforms to forest management have been made. Local job losses and unsustainable forestry practices have continued.
– forests should be managed holistically, for all the values they hold. Most fundamentally this means enacting legislation that establishes conservation of ecosystem health and biodiversity of BC’s forests as an overarching priority, with timber supply as just one benefit. Different planning processes and harvesting methods flow from this fundamental shift in forest management practice. We can’t continue to liquidate our natural resources for the benefit of shareholders of massive corporations, while continuing to shed local jobs in communities across BC as mills close. Instead we need to generate far more jobs and revenue from what we harvest, for example by ensuring that small producers have access to fibre, incentivizing value-added wood products and nontraditional uses of wood fibre, and revenue-sharing with First Nations, municipalities, and regional districts.
– the province needs to recognize crucial importance of forests to biodiversity and to protect our remaining old growth forests forever. This means fully implementing the recommendations of the old growth review panel in partnership with First Nations and an immediate end to the logging of old growth forests in high risk ecosystems across the province, with the funding needed to back this up and create new opportunities for communities, rather than continuing “consultations” with little action.
The party advocates move now to protect what the province has left, including:
– reforming forestry management in BC so that it serves the long-term needs of local communities and supports a truly sustainable industry, where community and ecosystem values are the primary focus of management.
– taking back control of forests from major corporations, ensuring forestry is meeting the needs of local communities.
– reinstating government authority in decision-making at provincial and local levels, including enhancing the authority of district managers to refuse or amend permits.
– tenure reform to redistribute tenures from a few major companies and grow the proportion of tenures held by First Nations and community forests.
– establish a legislative position of Forester General position, an officer of the legislature who is non-partisan and reports to the House annually.
– establishing a Chief Scientist as a counterpart to the Chief Forester to ensure multiple values are adequately incorporated into timber supply analysis.
– enhancing capacity in FLNRO and establishing more community based Ministry of Forests staff, to support the sustainable management of local forest resources and provide well-paying community jobs.
In order to manage provincial forests holistically, for all the values they hold, the party advocates:
– shifting the management framework through reforming legislation, away from an exclusive focus on timber supply to managing for all the values that our forests hold.
– adopting a wider variety of logging practices, including selective logging and longer stand rotations.
– undertaking landscape-level ecosystem-based planning, reforestation and restoration in partnership with local communities and First Nations.
– protecting communities from wildfires and flooding through landscape level, ecologically-centred, forest management and fuel treatment projects.
– restoring government capacity to ensure forest stewardship, monitoring and enforcement, and enhance funding for forest inventory research and primary research.
To protect remaining high value old growth forests forever, the party advocates:
– full and immediate implementation of the recommendations of the old growth review panel, in partnership with First Nations. This includes: (1) an immediate end to the logging of old growth forests in high risk ecosystems across the province; (2) legislation to establish conservation of ecosystem health and biodiversity of BC’s forests as an overarching priority.
– establishing funding mechanisms to support the preservation of old growth forests.
To generate more jobs and revenue from forest harvesting, the party advocates:
– ensuring that small producers have access to fibre and incentivize value-added product innovation, including non-traditional uses of wood fibre including bio fuels, and productive uses of residual fibre.
– applying the carbon tax to slash-pile burning to reduce carbon emissions from our forestry sector and ensuring the use of residual materials.
– ending raw log exports.
– ensuring that benefits of B.C. resource flow to local communities, by directly sharing more resource revenues with local First Nations, municipalities, and regional districts.
– improving support for forestry workers and communities, including through expanded investments into retraining and support for new job opportunities.
– investigating opportunities to diversify milling and secondary manufacturing to better use existing timber.
– promotion of more sustainable development of forest resources, including investing in tourism opportunities and low-carbon economies.
Transportation
The party states that:
– nearly 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions in BC are from the transportation sector. Establishing a world leading zero-emission transportation system from one side of the province to the other would not make a major dent in our emissions while supporting post-pandemic recovery
– is supports prioritizing investments in electrifying provincial transit systems, including partnering with the federal government to accelerate support for BC Transit and Translink’s efforts to electrify their bus fleets
– a clear vision is also needed for the provincial transportation sector. This means enhancing the ZEV mandate and undertaking a comprehensive build out of public charging infrastructure on all highways in the province, particularly in remote and rural BC, to enable EV drivers to travel across BC with ease. Government should lead the way by requiring all BC government agencies operating in urban centres to shift to 100% ZEV fleets by 2030.
– it is also necessary to lower the cost of electric vehicles so that ordinary British Columbians can afford them. As a first step, it proposes making ZEV ownership more accessible by removing PST on used electric cars and supporting electric vehicle charging in multi-unit buildings.
The party advocates:
– taking early action to enhance the ZEV mandate by accelerating the ZEV mandate to require 100% ZEV non-commercial vehicle sales by 2035; and making ZEV ownership more accessible by removing PST on used EVs
– working with industry to develop additional innovation incentive programs, and to set new ZEV targets for commercial vehicles and on and offroad medium and heavy duty vehicles;
– shifting to 100% ZEV passenger vehicle fleets for BC government agencies by 2030.
– prioritizing investments in electrifying of provincial transit systems, including partnering with the federal government to accelerate support for BC Transit and Translink’s efforts to electrify their bus fleets
– a comprehensive build out of public charging infrastructure on all highways in the province, particularly in remote and rural BC, to enable EV travel across BC with ease
– support for electric vehicle charging in multi-unit buildings through a variety of tools, including building code changes and establishing “right to charge” rules

Stewardship of Creation
Energy & Resources
The party states that:
– the radical “CleanBC” program is an elaborate scheme that, while doing little to help the environment or address the effects of climate change, will drive up energy costs, limit poverty-reducing opportunities in rural and First Nations communities, and generally make life miserable individuals and businesses across the entire province – hitting our world-class resource industries particularly hard
– banning nuclear and fossil fuels, fighting hydroelectric projects and pipelines in the courts, forcing the mining and energy industries to purchase expensive power from BC Hydro, and imposing punitive carbon, fuel, and health taxes while at the same time subsidising expensive, intermittent, and unreliable solar and wind projects that themselves rely on fossil fuels for their production is bad for the environment, bad for the economy, and bad for British Columbians. Good intentions aren’t the same thing as good results, and the CleanBC plan isn’t the same thing as a good idea
The party advocates:
– liberating the energy and resources sectors so that British Columbia may once again punch above its weight in providing the world with world-class, ethically-produced energy and resources that make our comfortable modern world possible, and empower us and millions of others around the world to enhance their environment, adapt to a changing climate, and improve their lives
– taking a smarter approach to energy and resource regulation, liberating core industries from many of the inefficient bureaucratic and regulatory burdens placed on them, while at the same time empowering landowners, municipalities, and First Nations with enshrined property rights protections, and saving taxpayers billions of dollars a year by eliminating corporate welfare in all of its forms, allowing the market to function without the government rewarding losers with bailouts and punishing the innovative upstarts and winners with excessive taxes and regulations that drive up operating costs, drive down competitiveness, limit job creation, and slow innovation
– it continues to invite stake-holder feedback on the critical issues of natural resources, oil & gasoline, logging & forestry, land use rights, fish farming, the Agricultural Land Reserve and more.
– repealing the GreenBC plan to create a government monopoly in energy
– allowing private energy providers to sell directly to consumers, not to BC Hydro
– ending government legal opposition to pipelines and resource export projects
– requesting that the federal government lift the tanker ban in Northern BC
– requesting that the federal government lift the offshore drilling moratorium
– ending corporate welfare and preferential treatment towards energy and resource companies
– eliminating the carbon tax

Stewardship of Creation
The party states that:
– British Columbia has a strong economy, a beautiful natural environment, abundant natural resources and a highly skilled and talented workforce who drive the economy forward. During its term in government it has continued to leverage B.C.’s strengths by making investments and implementing measures to support inclusive growth.
– its 2024 provincial budget provides new investments to protect British Columbians from the effects of climate change and build a stronger, cleaner economy that works for everyone. Over $1.3 billion in new funding measures will help:
(1) mitigate and better respond to the impacts of climate emergencies,
(2) invest in a cleaner and greener economy, and
(3) maintain and improve access to communities through road, transit and community infrastructure investments
– some of investments will begin in 2023/24 and are in addition to funding provided through Budget 2023.
Responding to Climate Emergencies
The party states that:
– B.C. has experienced the impacts of climate change through increasingly frequent and severe climate-related emergencies, from record flooding in November 2021 to unsurpassed drought and wildfires in 2023.
– B.C.’s response to emergency events has historically been led by Emergency Management BC, which has now transitioned to a dedicated Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.
– during its current term in office it has committed to investment of $252 million in new funding over four years to bolster the province’s capacity to prepare for and respond to future climate emergencies.
– the $252 million investment includes $18 million over the fiscal plan to support year-round delivery of government response and recovery programs, such as supporting provincial and regional operations centres and better coordinating vital communications that alert residents to imminent hazards and evacuation orders.
– its 2024 budget broadens support for evacuees by funding specially-trained Service BC call centre agents who provide virtual navigation for accessing information and emergency services. Other new Service BC staff can be deployed directly to impacted communities to facilitate critical emergency services, such as emergency funding distribution and on-site replacement of official documents.
– the remaining $234 million of new funding supports two years of priority infrastructure projects and programming to decrease flood risks in the Lower Mainland and improve the Province’s ability to manage water resources, especially during times of water scarcity. This includes:
• $77 million in 2023/24 to upgrade the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford, which was critical in responding to the November 2021 flooding in the Sumas Prairie.
• $83 million in 2023/24 to increase funding for the Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program. This program supports the agriculture industry and communities to effectively manage, collect, transport and store water for agriculture and irrigation purposes. Improved agricultural water management is critical during times of drought
to ensure human and livestock food sources are secure
• $50 million in 2024/25 for the purchase and installation of water metering in select communities to enable them to better conserve water by identifying leaks, establishing appropriate rates, and educating users on their actual water use;
• $14 million in 2023/24 to help replace the 50-year old Cowichan Lake weir. A higher weir will enable more water to be stored in Cowichan Lake, an important source of drinking water, and better manage water flows to support improved fish habitat in the Cowichan River. This project will be completed in partnership with the Cowichan
Tribes; and
• $10 million in 2024/25 to increase the water storage capacity and better sustain the required environmental water flow of Saint Mary Lake on Salt Spring Island by raising the dam height.
Wildfire Management
The party states that:
– following B.C.’s record wildfire season in 2023, it has committed to investing $154 million in new operating funding and $21 million in capital funding over the next three years to support additional wildfire response, recovery and infrastructure resources.
– while statutory funding to respond to wildfires remains available no matter the cost of a wildfire season, the party has committed to increasing the budget for year-round wildfire response and recovery activities. This approach recognizes the cost of fighting wildfires and rehabilitating the landscape is on the rise and should be planned for where possible.
– incremental capital and operating funding includes:
• $56 million for aviation preparedness and response through increased contract funding for helicopter and air tanker services;
• $60 million for the Forest Enhancement Society of BC to continue industry and community focused wildfire risk reduction and fuel management;
• $38 million to support stable, year-round resourcing including fire crew leaders and front-line staff that provide structure protection, prevention and risk reduction, and
wildfire land-based recovery; and
• $21 million in capital funding for a new Prince George equipment depot

(FOR REFERENCE ONLY. PARTY HAS ANNOUNCED ITS WITHDRAWAL FROM THE ELECTION. CHECK CANDIDATE LISTING AND CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES BEFORE GOING TO THE POLL.)
Stewardship of Creation
The party states that:
– at a time when families are stretched too thin, the current government has doubled the carbon tax. It advocates cancelling the current government’s plan to further triple the carbon tax, and fully canceling the carbon tax if the federal government does.
– not everyone can take a bus to work or to their kids’ soccer practice. Repealing the fuel tax can save families 15 cents a litre, or about $30 for a Ford pickup or Dodge minivan.
– to give British Columbians the same bread Atlantic Canadians get on the carbon tax for home heating, it advocates scrapping the carbon tax on all home heating.
Making Groceries Cheaper
– grocery prices are through the roof. Cutting the fuel tax and cancelling the carbon tax hikes will make groceries cheaper by reducing the cost of growing and transporting food
– families that can’t afford a basic car of their own shouldn’t have to pay for wealthy people to buy Teslas and other luxury EVs. BC United will scrap this unfair handout.
Energy & Resources
The party states that:
– B.C.’s natural resources are the economic lifeblood of the province, but the current government and activists want British Columbians to be ashamed of them. It’s time to stop saying sorry for provincial resources.
– under the current government, resource extraction and development projects are choked by high taxes, red tape, and uncertainty. It’s time to end the culture of “no,” simplify and expedite approvals, and start getting big things done again.
– it advocates going all-in on the development of liquid natural gas (LNG), displacing reliance on coal abroad and contributing to a cleaner planet, all while creating jobs and growing paycheques at home.
Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that:
– the current government’s “CleanBC Plan” will kill jobs, kill paycheques, and plunge the province into a recession, while doing nothing for the environment. It’s own economic model confirms this. It advocates scrapping the scheme.
– B.C. should be a clean energy powerhouse, but current government’s policies have cancelled clean power projects and made B.C. rely on imported power. It advocates massive investments in clean power projects to make B.C. energy independent again.
To protect the environment and the province’s natural resources, the party advocates:
– modernizing provincial firefighting services. The party states that B.C.’s firefighting fleets need help. It undertakes to establish a modern, full-time firefighting service with more front-line personnel, an expanded provincial aircraft fleet, and cutting-edge fire suppression technology to protect homes and infrastructure.
– leveraging local wildfire expertise and response teams. The party states that local expertise cannot continue to be ignored in response to wildfires. It undertakes to deploy local contractors for rapid fire suppression, and equipping local volunteer fire response teams, including First Nations and community members with supplies and resources.
– immediate support for wildfire evacuees. The party states that evacuees and communities impacted by wildfires are being left without support for too long under the current system. It undertakes to will provide automatic financial support for evacuees during the first 72 hours, alongside efficient aid through streamlined Emergency Social Services for people and communities.
– moving the Ministry of Forests and overhauling forest management. The party state that people who make decisions about provincial forestry should come from the communities impacted by those decisions. It undertakes to move the Ministry of Forests from Victoria to Prince George, to protect forestry jobs from bureaucrats. It advocates aggressive overhaul forestry management practices, and reducing wildfire risk through selective harvesting, expediting permits, regulatory changes, and financial incentives.
– protection of declining wildlife. The party states that provincial wildlife populations desperately need help. It undertakes to invest $200 million to revitalize declining populations of B.C.’s iconic species and their habitats, and develop a strategy with industry experts to sustainably manage natural resources used for hunting, fishing, and viewing.
– establishing an independent funding model, managed by a new agency that includes title holders and stakeholder to maximize provincial funds, by attracting support from NGOs, local governments, businesses, and through new means such as wildlife license plates and fines.
– restructuring oversight of natural resources, including centralized fish, wildlife, and habitat management within a dedicated Ministry, ensuring sustainable practices are at the forefront of provincial governance, and not undermined by other resource-based legislation.

Points to Ponder: Stewardship of Creation
The following data is very important for a properly formed conscience to consider in discerning its vote:
Many voices, including scientists, the Vatican, and the United Nations, agree that in order to avoid catastrophic global heating, with resulting unpredictable increases in the number and severity of extreme weather events, loss of agricultural land, particularly in the poorest countries, and collapse of ecosystems, the global average temperature increase must be limited to 1.5 degrees Centigrade; and that to achieve such a limit, emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide must be cut in half by 2030 and brought to zero net increase by 2050. Canada is currently committed is to a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, relative to 2005 levels, by 2030, but according to the auditor general may not meet that goal.
According to Environment Canada (https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/greenhouse-gas-emissions.html):
- In 2022, the top 5 emitters (Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia) together released 91% of Canada’s national total GHG emissions
- Of the top 5 emitters, GHG emissions were lower in 2022 than in 1990 for Ontario (-12%) and Quebec (-6%)
- GHG emissions in British Columbia increased.
– British Columbia can take pride in its efforts to control harmful emissions. Yet emissions continue to increase. What more, if anything, can or should be done to reduce emissions, and who should do it?