Members of the Ontario Green Party, including leader Mike Schreiner, were in Kingston this weekend for the party’s annual convention.
Upwards of 100 Green Party supporters from around the province packed into the conference room of downtown Kingston’s Waterfront Inn on Saturday afternoon to hear an address from Guelph MPP and party leader Mike Schreiner as part of a 3 day convention within the city.
The party leader was introduced by Deputy Leader Aislinn Clancy, who just under a year ago became the second sitting Green Party MPP in Ontario.
Schreiner took aim at the Ontario Conservative government’s “utter lack of policy” and failure to address the housing affordability crisis while speaking to party supporters, saying the Green Party has a plan to build the “missing middle” by making it easier to build things like fourplexes in municipalities throughout the province.
While the environment and climate crisis remains top of mind for the Green Party, Schreiner says there is a deeper crisis in the province that needs to be addressed.
“We have a government that has abandoned so many people because it just doesn’t care,” Schreiner said.
“We will not solve the climate crisis if we don’t solve the caring crisis, because how can we care for the planet if we don’t care for each other?”
Schreiner said that while recent US election results have left many with anxiety for the future, there is no time to rue the results and instead it’s time to organize.
Much of what the Green leader spoke about to supporters revolved around the housing crisis, touching on Green Party ideas like a comprehensive tenant protection bill, fourplexes and being relentless in driving speculation out of the housing market.
But the environment remains a key issue for the Green Party, as Schreiner says making innovations like heat pumps and electric vehicles affordable to all Canadians is a priority in order to both make inroads towards a greener society and to save people in Ontario money in the long run.
Schreiner says he believes the Green Party is different because representatives truly fight for what is best for their constituents, and will put their community ahead of their party.
He says that’s something members of the Liberal and Conservative parties can’t wrap their heads around in today’s political scene.
“Last spring, every question a member of the Conservative Party asked the government was about the carbon tax, no questions about a local hospital or, you know, maybe affordable housing in their community,” Schreiner said.
“I think people are sick and tired of feeling abandoned by a government that is putting their own political agenda ahead of what people need in their communities… when you vote Green, you’re voting for a local champion.”
The Green Party’s local candidate in Kingston in 2022, Zachary Typhair, is hopeful to once again represent the party in the riding whenever a provincial election is announced.
Typhair says the party would prioritize reducing barriers for developers to create new builds, and policy ideas coming from himself and other Kingston Green party members include establishing a crown corporation to build and manage affordable housing, and a loan program for first time homeowners willing to rent out space at an affordable rate.
He says the other parties in the province are presenting the people of Ontario with a “watered down” version of the Green Party’s housing policies.
“Qe feel that usually when the other parties do they take only advice from one side,” Typhair said.
“Where we’re trying to find the middle ground to be able to build off that.”
Typhair says he thinks a priority for Kingston should be increasing urban density, rather than urban sprawl.
The Annual Green Convention travels around the province, and this year was Eastern Ontario’s turn to host the convention.
While Kingston playing host was mostly just due to scheduling, Schreiner also says he sees opportunity for the party to increase its footing in the city and area.
He says Kingston’s concerns over the housing affordability crisis can be addressed by the Green Party platform.
“Greens do well in communities Kingston, Kingston and Guelph are very similar, Kingston and Kitchener are very similar,” Schreiner said.
“We’re going to continue to put forward solutions to legalize gentle density and missing middle housing to protect renters and to build deeply affordable non-profit co-op and supportive housing.And that’s what it’s going to take to solve this crisis.”
The Kingston Greens have not set a date for naming a local candidate, but expect to well in advance of an election.
