EDITOR:
The manifesto placed in The Guardian by Partnership for Growth, followed by a guest opinion from the current premier, were both narrow in scope and potentially ruinous in their implications.
This half-page of free pre-election copy was nothing more than a self-serving call and response exercise for those on a quest for unlimited economic growth. In both these pieces, the word "environment" was used a total of one time. "Climate change" was not even hinted at. Our trickle-down economy has led us to where we are today. A province where most estuaries are mired in anoxia every summer.
A province that watches passively as countless tons of precious topsoil blow away each winter. A province that supports the idea of fewer farmers on larger farms. A province facing crises in health care, education and housing, to mention a few examples.
To use economic growth as a prerequisite for effective governance may buttress the margins of those entrenched in the status quo. However, boosted profit in selected sectors or an uptick in the GDP are by no means a measure of the wellness of the Island and its people.
The social and environmental costs of this outdated model can no longer be ignored. We cannot delude ourselves through yet another election cycle. We must realign our priorities and do so quickly.
If we don't live within our ecological means most other problems will pale in comparison.
Boyd Allen,
Pownal
