Hard for a P.E.I. social democrat

I welcome the debate from Jordan Bober who criticized my opinion piece. First of all, let me congratulate Hannah Bell on her winning a seat in the house. She is a deserving candidate and I was happy to hear her speak of social issues.

As Jordan wrote, the Green Party voted with all the parties to endorse a Basic Income Guarantee if the federal government would run it. This isn’t going to eradicate poverty since it’s never going to be forced onto the federal government’s agenda.

I hope to see the Greens support publicly-funded infrastructure versus the P3 models that labour unions abhor, and public school funding, rather than funding for private schools.

I hope to see plans to eliminate food insecurity rather than the charity model. I hope to see democratic boards in place of tribunals that force ideology onto local schools and hospitals. I hope to see extra funds go where they are intended such as federal funding for mental health going to direct services versus pay for public nurses in schools. I’d like to see more questions about where money is going when it obviously isn’t going to find beds for long term care patients. So much is lost in schemes or sent to the wealthy and connected, as in the PNP program.

I believe Hannah is sincere in her desire for change. I know it ain’t easy being green, but it is really hard to be a social democrat on the Island.

Lynne Thiele,

Stratford