How will you balance economic growth with environmental stewardship?
The idea that you have to choose one or the other is false. Our priority is to work to grow the economy and protect our environment. It's a model we've proven can work, from B.C.'S revenueneutral carbon tax, which has reduced emissions while the economy has grown, to the historic Great Bear Rainforest Agreement.
Economic growth without environmental stewardship is simply robbing from the future. We have the knowledge and the technology to build our economy without undue harm to our environment, and I expect companies to utilize that. So much of our economy depends on a healthy environment; we have to protect it.
We will not only look at short-term management but long-term perspectives in policy decisions and governance. True sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This core value will guide our decision-making on economic, fiscal, social and environmental issues.