The environment is a very important issue in this election campaign. People rely on the environment for their homes, jobs and most importantly life. Without a government that puts the environment on their priority list, we will see a drop in our quality of life as people get sick from polluted air and our water gets dirtier.

The economy is also an important part of people’s lives. We depend on it so that we can afford to have our necessities met and our luxuries fulfilled. However, without a healthy environment our economy is in jeopardy. We can create a prosperous province, while protecting our environment.

That’s why the NDP is proposing that we use the increased royalty rates to research and develop alternative energy such as wind, solar and geo-thermal. The NDP will ensure that “green” collar jobs are created with this initiative, allowing our economy to be strong and our air and water to be clean.

Also, we must live up to our international obligations. We must have stronger greenhouse gas emissions regulations and enforcement in the oil-patch. The Conservative’s intensity based targets will not cut it as they allow pollution levels to rise. We must implement hard emission caps, that allows us to get pollution under control and reduced.

It’s time to get more out of your government. I promise I will work hard as an MLA to ensure that the government is working on your side.