How to Convince Your Parents to Vote Green
The Green Party is the only one that takes climate action seriously. We have a fully costed plan to meet Canada’s pollution targets. The plan is affordable and uses existing technology. But this usually isn’t enough to convince parents to vote Green.
Here are reasons that parents typically give for not voting Green, and what you can say in response.
Myth #1: Greens are a single issue party.
Reality: The Green Party’s platform covers a wide variety of issues. We support all businesses (including local ones), health care, indigenous rights, democracy, and keeping Ontario affordable. Our “Green Vision” document lays out our plan for jobs, people, and the planet.
Myth #2: The Greens are not financially responsible.
(This is code for spending too much money.)
Reality: The Green Party’s platform has a complete cost plan and it is affordable. The Conservatives, NDP, and Liberals are all making promises that either don’t have a cost plan and require a budget deficit in the billions. What we can’t afford is more of the same, both for the climate and Queen’s Park.
Myth #3: The Greens don’t support businesses.
Reality: The Green Party supports business in a variety of ways: providing incentives to be energy efficient, grow the clean tech sector, reducing environmental red tape, promoting development, and training for a skilled workforce.
Myth #4: The Greens won’t make a difference for low-income Ontarians.
Reality: Climate action is the foundation for improving affordability and inequality. People marginalized through social, economic, culture, geography, and other factors are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
As well, the Green Party is advocating for Basic Income Guarantee, increases to ODSP, and more flexibility in the ODSP. We have a plan to build 160,000 affordable rental homes, improved public transit, and and more affordable education beyond high school.
Myth #5: Voting Green won’t make a difference.
Reality: The other parties pay attention to the Green Party’s policies and ideas. The Liberals recently promised to lower transit fares; the Green Party has been advocating this for weeks. The NDP has included mental health in their election promises, something that’s already a Green Party priority. Also recently, the Conservatives want to bring back subsidies for electric vehicles, another Green Party priority.
Myth #6: I don’t want to throw away my vote.
Reality: It’s not necessary for our local candidate to win to move the needle. The other parties are paying attention to the number of Ontarians voting Green. If they see the electorate supporting Green issues, the policies will shift. This is already happening.
Myth #7: I’m not voting Green, because I don’t want a party I don’t like to get in.
Reality: This is called strategic voting and the goal is to avoid worst case scenarios. It hasn’t worked so far. Queen’s Park is still going back and forth between the Liberals, PCs, and NDP. It’s time to start voting for what you want, such as good jobs, people-powered change, and climate action.
The real worst case scenario is Canada not meeting our emissions targets and runaway global warming. Life will become even less affordable with rising prices for food and other basics, and increase costs for disaster preparedness and remediation.
Climate change is here. In Ontario last winter, we had the biggest snowfall in decades AND unusually warm weather right into December. Elsewhere in Canada we have record high temperatures, wildfires, and floods. We need action now.