Economy

The Green Party of Quebec is committed to an eco-socialist vision, which involves protecting the environment while providing quality public services to the population. We are very concerned about social inequalities and the need to build a more just and 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 in the defense of workers’ rights and an upgrade is needed to ensure working conditions.

The Green Party of Quebec is proposing a series of measures to enforce various workers’ rights:

• 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 plan for workers in physically demanding jobs.
• Improve access to pension plans for people with disabilities.
• Ensure the right to disconnect
• Provide 4 weeks of vacation
• Give workers the right to choose part-time work without penalty. Part-time (includes minimum wage, vulnerable jobs).
• Provide more protection for vulnerable employees. These are the people most at risk of employer abuse.
• In addition to sick leave, launch an awareness campaign about mental health leave which is increasingly needed.

Raising taxes on the wealthiest

The Green Party of Quebec is proposing to increase the number of tax brackets, from $20,000 to $10,000, in order to tax people earning more than $120,000 per year. This higher number of brackets will allow 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 taxed enough (up to a combined rate of 50%) and will not see any tax increase.

Increasing taxes on large corporations

The Green Party of Quebec proposes to triple provincial taxes on 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 of redistribution and wealth sharing within their communities.

Tax on the capital of 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 per year and will be used to fund free education, from daycare to university.

Tax equality and limits on executive salaries 

The wealth gap between the poorest and the richest is widening every year. The Green Party of Quebec believes strongly that this growing inequity must end. The DMP proposes to cap executive salaries at 20 times the average corporate salary.

Single tax return

In order to reduce the bureaucratic burden on Quebecers and the state, the Green Party of Quebec proposes the introduction of a single tax return managed by the Quebec state. This would result in savings of nearly $400 million for the government and even more for citizens.

Labour shortage 

The pandemic has increased the already existing labour shortage in Quebec, combined with an aging population and an 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 the employability of workers.
Revalorize sectors in crisis. Some employment sectors suffer from a labour shortage because of the working conditions that are attached to the job: the health and social services sectors are an example. By ensuring that working conditions are improved, we encourage a renewal of workers.
Facilitate the transition to work at home when employment conditions allow.
Recognize more foreign credentials to fill more positions.

Minimum Wage - $20/H

The Green Party of Quebec supports a rapid increase in the minimum wage to $20/hr by the spring of 2023. This increase in the minimum wage will be combined with changes to the Labour Code, which will prohibit employers from reducing benefits (coffee breaks, insurance, etc.) to counter the increase 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 eligible without condition. There will also be a work exemption of $600 per month to allow people to work part-time without compromising their access to the program.

Modulating fines based on offenders’ income 

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

Technological advances and shorter working hours 

The Green Party of Quebec proposes to gradually reduce the length of the work week to 32 hours per week by the year 2024.

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

Fight 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 relationships cannot be treated separately. Government must respect its own principles when doing business.

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