Economy

The Green Party of Quebec is committed to an ecosocialist vision, which involves protecting the environment while providing quality public services to the population. We are deeply concerned about social inequalities and the need to build a fairer, more equitable society.

Economic justice 

For the Green Party of Quebec, it is imperative to ensure good conditions for workers in Quebec. Quebec is lagging behind when it comes to defending workers' rights, and an upgrade is needed to ensure working conditions. 

The Green Party of Quebec is proposing a series of measures to ensure that various workers' rights are respected: 

• Strengthen penalties regarding the employer's duty to ensure a harassment-free workplace.

• Introduce paid family leave in cases of domestic violence.

• Introduce an early retirement scheme for workers in physically demanding jobs. 

• Improving access to pension plans for people with disabilities 
• Ensuring the right to disconnect
• Offer 4 weeks of vacation
• Give workers the right to choose part-time work, without penalty. Part-time (includes vulnerable, minimum-wage jobs). 
• Offer more protection to vulnerable employees. These are the people most at risk from employer abuse. 
• In addition to sick leave, launch a campaign to raise awareness of the growing need for mental health leave. 

Raising taxes on the richest

The Green Party of Quebec is proposing to increase the number of tax brackets, in increments of 10,000$ rather than 20,000$, in order to further tax people who earn more than 120,000$ per year. This higher number of brackets will enable the government to tax the wealthiest according to the size of their income. The total tax rate (including federal taxes) will not exceed 75%. Those earning less than 100,000$ a year are already sufficiently taxed (up to a combined rate of 50%) and will see no tax increase.

Raising taxes on large corporations

The Green Party of Quebec proposes tripling provincial taxes for large corporations . On the other hand, the Green Party will not raise taxes on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), will encourage their development, and is committed to encouraging the development through economic incentives (tax cuts, subsidies, etc.) of cooperatives that follow an innovative model favoring the redistribution and sharing of wealth within their communities.

Capital tax on financial institutions

The Green Party of Quebec supports a tax of 1.5% per year on the capital of financial institutions. This tax would generate more than $500 million a year and will be used to finance free education, from daycare to university.

Tax equality and limits on executive salaries 

The wealth gap between the poorest and the rich is widening every year. The Green Party of Quebec firmly believes that this growing inequity must stop. The PVQ proposes to cap the salaries of corporate executives at 20 times the average salary within the company. 

Single tax return

To reduce the bureaucratic burden on Quebecers and the state, the Green Party of Quebec is proposing the introduction of a single tax return managed by the Quebec state. This would generate savings of nearly $400 million for the state, and even more for citizens.

Labour shortage 

The pandemic has exacerbated Quebec's existing labor shortage, combined with an aging population and improving economic situation. The Green Party of Quebec proposes to : 

•  Focus on worker training. Training must be easily accessible and of high quality to guarantee workers' employability. 
•  Upgrading sectors in crisis. Some employment sectors are suffering from labor shortages due to the working conditions attached to the job: the health and social services sectors are a case in point. By improving working conditions, we encourage a renewal of the workforce.
•  Facilitate the transition to working from home when employment conditions allow. 
•  Recognize more foreign diplomas to fill more jobs.

Minimum wage - 20$/H

The Green Party of Quebec supports a rapid increase in the minimum wage to reach 20$/h by spring 2023. This minimum wage increase will be combined with changes to the Labor Code, which will prohibit employers from cutting benefits (coffee breaks, insurance, etc.) to counter the rise in the minimum wage. The minimum wage will also be indexed to inflation.

Guaranteed minimum income - lifting all of Quebec out of poverty

The Green Party of Quebec proposes to introduce a guaranteed minimum income of $1200 per month to lift all Quebecers out of poverty. This amount will be increased for people with illnesses or physical or mental disabilities. This program will eventually replace the social assistance program. All residents will be unconditionally eligible. There will also be a work exemption of $600 per month to enable people to work part-time without compromising their access to the program.

Modulating fines according to offenders' income 

In several countries, such as Finland, fines for offences are determined according to the income of those charged with the offence. This has the effect of bringing a degree of fairness to the issuing of fines, which currently have a much harsher impact on low-income earners than on the middle and wealthier classes. Under this system, fines awarded to offenders are calculated on the basis of the number of days of private income they have earned. The aim of this policy is to establish more equitable justice and counter the current imbalance in the justice and fines system, which is heavily biased in favor of the wealthiest.

Technological advances and shorter working hours 

The Green Party of Quebec is proposing to gradually reduce the length of the workweek to 32 hours per week by the year 2024.

To comply with this law, companies will be required to maintain weekly pay at the same level (or higher) as they pay employees for 40 hours a week. The Green Party of Quebec is committed to reducing the time spent on work and redirecting it towards the well-being and fulfillment of the population.

Fighting for the renegotiation of trade agreements

The Green Party of Quebec supports the renegotiation of many of these agreements to protect local businesses, the circular economy, local food and the environmental realities of our time. We also support measures to encourage ethical trade; we believe that trade and political relations cannot be treated separately. Government must respect its own principles when doing business.

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