Thanks to one of our members for alerting us to the opportunity to participate in a survey on the upcoming federal budget.

Below are some ideas for responses.

• a question regarding a “strong économy” : 

Promote peace, not militarization. Create a trust fund for the defence portion of taxpayers who are conscientious objectors, as Conscience Canada has been advocating for decades. Taxes for peace, not war.

A question on security & defence: 

• implement a genuine plan to fight climate disruption, which is causing such harms as out of control wildfires, floods, etc. This disruption undermines the health and security of citizens, of course.

1) Building a stronger economyInvest in the Nation’s physical and social infrastructures such as: affordable and accessible housing; affordable, accessible and universal public transit and transportation; increase the universality and the extent of public health (e.g. mental health, preventive health, including addressing all the determinants of health); Increase and the universal availability of free education from child care to post-secondary; improve the remuneration of all the people serving in the service sectors of education, health and communication; expand the role of the postal service by assigning it banking responsibility.  All of these and other such initiatives will create good employments and use resources readily available in Canada. They will also provide much more security than the profligate military expenditure presently contemplated that should be severely scaled back to provide these most essential services. Money will be available and the budget not overstrained if military spending was dramatically reduced and if fair taxation of income and wealth (including taxing estate transfers) above an agreed upon level was promptly enacted.   2) Highest priority for defenceExperience has well demonstrated that violence, militarism and wars are the worst responses to strife, whether at the interpersonal or international levels. Invest in soft power such as extensive, universal training in mediation skills and nonviolent processes.  From their extraction to their production to their use of armaments create environmental disasters, most distressing mental health problem, often irreparable divisions.  They also deplete the monetary and human richness of countries and citizens while creating great richness for a few. Violence and weapons are easy to access in the absence of creativity and imagination.  Invest in the creativity of all Canadians to access their ability to mediate and moderate conflicts at all levels.   3) One suggestion to improve life for me and the community

Provide universal, decent, affordable, accessible housing with clean water and renewable heating and cooling, in all parts of the country.  

Regarding a “strong economy”:

Currently, with weapons purchases or approval of the PGRT gas pipeline in BC, for example, we are putting resources towards kleptocrats  and systems that reinforce authoritarianism in our society. We need to invest in tools for a healthy future. For example, invest in developing our ability to use nonviolent civilian-based defence. Our society is weighed down by an assumption that protection means preparing for war. But if we want to protect life and a livable world, also rights and freedoms essential for democracy we need to free ourselves of military spending and invest in training and tools for nonviolence. Studies such as this one show the value of this: https://www.ericachenoweth.com/research/wcrw .

A good starting point for healthier policies would be to fully respect people’s right to freedom of conscience, as Conscience Canada has been promoting for decades, with support from various parliamentarians.

• A question regarding how the government can help  individuals:

Improve the level of respect for Indigenous worldview and for groupes which are marginalized because of racism, homophobia, etc. Offering financial incentives to First Nations in exchange for their acquiescence to ecologically and socially damaging projects is not true “reconciliation”. We need to support a Happiness Economy: https://www.helenanorberghodge.com/  and sustainability:   https://www.sustainwellbeing.net/


A question on security & defence: 

• the more we transition to localized, nonviolent economies which respect ecological limits and allow life on earth to continue, the more we contribute to a more secure, less dangerous world. On the other hand, the more we build an economy that relies on exploitation of nature and the most vulnerable people, the more we reinforce systems that threaten our security.

• on How to support my community  [255 characters]: Invest in popular education to improve our capabilities in nonviolent defence and to build a healthy, less destructive economy. This requires funding for public broadcasting and creating and improving programs.