“My heart goes out to the Filipino community and to anyone participating at the Lapu Lapu Day festival,” said Elizabeth May. “This is a shocking tragedy. Such violence has no place in Canadian society.”

Living through such an event can be traumatic. Greens encourage those requiring mental health supports not to neglect the help they need. 

The Green Party of Canada awaits the results of the Vancouver Police’s investigation before providing further comments.

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For more information or to arrange an interview : 

Fabrice Lachance Nové

Press secretary

514-463-0021

media@greenparty.ca

Rod Leggett

Senior Advisor, Strategic Communications

613-203-1524

media@greenparty.ca

Today as the NDP federal leader campaigns against Saanich Gulf Island MP and co-leader of the Green Party of Canada with the NDP candidate running in her riding, the Green Party wants to remind voters that the NDP has never stood for climate action. “Jagmeet Singh has never been willing to risk angering the Alberta NDP by opposing pipelines nor the BC NDP by condemning fracking,” said co-Leader Elizabeth May. 

While Jagmeet Singh has voted with the Conservatives in Parliament against the carbon tax, David Eby returns to the NDP’s “Axe the Tax” roots, a slogan the BC NDP trumpeted long before Pierre Poilievre borrowed the three word jingle.  

British Columbia was once a leader in climate action, particularly under the leadership of former Premier Gordon Campbell. Campbell established the “Gold Standard” of climate pricing by introducing Canada’s first carbon tax. Campbell’s tax was revenue neutral – every dollar taken in by the government was used to reduce provincial income tax.

“Gordon Campbell recognized the urgency of the climate crisis,” said Green Party co-Leader Elizabeth May. “He saw the devastating pine beetle outbreak, which was caused by warming winters allowing the pine beetle population to explode. It cost the province billions. Typically, a deep winter freeze would have limited the growth of this destructive pest, but the absence of such conditions allowed it to devastate an area of lodgepole pine forest twice the size of Sweden and ultimately spread into the boreal forest.”

The NDP’s campaign to “Axe the Tax” lost them the 2008 provincial election. B.C. voters supported the carbon tax. When the NDP did become government, the province soon departed from progressive climate policies. Former Premier, the late John Horgan, decided to keep some carbon tax revenue, using only some of it to reduce income taxes. And then the B.C. NDP started subsidizing fracking and LNG, driving up Greenhouse gas emissions. 

The repealing of the carbon tax further exemplifies this concerning trend. It is a disappointing regression for a province that once led the charge in climate action, and it undermines the commitment needed to address the climate crisis effectively.

“We urge all British Columbians to voice their concerns regarding this critical decision that jeopardizes the province’s environmental future,” said co-leader Jonathan Pedneault. “It is essential for the government to prioritize effective climate policies and reinstate leadership in the fight against climate change all while building a prosperous economy.”

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For more information or to arrange an interview : 

Fabrice Lachance Nové

Press secretary

514-463-0021

media@greenparty.ca

Rod Legget

Senior Advisor, Strategic Communications

613-203-1524

media@greenparty.ca

“The arts are the heartbeat of our society,” said Green Party Co-Leader Jonathan Pedneault. “They enrich our lives, foster creativity, preserve cultural diversity, and provide a platform for activism. Yet, artists and arts organizations across Canada are struggling under the weight of inadequate funding and political attacks on public broadcasting, not to mention the oligarchic forces of American owned social media multinationals.”

Despite its vital role in telling Canadian stories, CBC/Radio-Canada is under threat. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed to “defund the CBC,” echoing past Conservative efforts to weaken public broadcasting. The CBC is the only media organization that serves Canadians in both official languages and eight Indigenous ones, reaching communities from coast to coast to coast. Defunding it would not only jeopardize the livelihoods of media professionals but also weaken Canada’s cultural identity, sovereignty and silence the voices of remote and rural populations.

“This is not just about one broadcaster,” said Green Party Co-Leader Elizabeth May. “It’s about protecting Canadian content from being drowned out by U.S. media giants. We need to stand up for Canadian voices, stories, and perspectives, not silence them.”

To ensure a thriving arts sector, the Green Party is calling for the restoration of the Canada Council for the Arts’ budget to its 2021 level of $500 million. This would help alleviate the growing funding shortfall that has left many artists and arts organizations struggling to survive. Investing in the arts is not just about supporting individual artists—it is about strengthening the cultural fabric of Canada and ensuring that Canadian voices continue to be heard on the national and international stage.

The Green Party also recognizes that arts funding has long been distributed unfairly, leaving many communities underfunded and overlooked. To address these regional disparities, Greens propose directing restored funds toward communities that have historically received less support. One way to achieve this would be by implementing the Regional Development Agency model for arts funding, ensuring resources are distributed equitably and proportionately across the country. This model has been successfully used for other federal funding programs and could help ensure that artists—no matter where they live—receive the support they need to thrive.

“Artists are the storytellers of our nation,” added Pedneault. “We need to invest in them, not abandon them. The Green Party is committed to ensuring a thriving, inclusive arts sector—one that represents all voices and reaches all communities.”

Green MP Mike Morrice echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the economic importance of the arts sector. “The arts are not just an essential part of our cultural identity—they are a key economic driver, employing hundreds of thousands of Canadians,” said Morrice. “Investing in the arts means investing in good, sustainable jobs. We need to recognize the value of our creative industries and ensure they have the support needed to thrive.”

As the Junos celebrate some of Canada’s best musical achievements, the Green Party of Canada urges all Canadians to stand up for public broadcasting, fair arts funding, and the protection of Canadian culture, with all of its diversity.

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For more information or to arrange an interview : 

Fabrice Lachance Nové

Press secretary

514-463-0021

media@greenparty.ca

Rod Legget

Senior Advisor, Strategic Communications

613-203-1524

media@greenparty.ca