Avalon

In the news, interview with Jonathan Dean in today’s Halifax metro

http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/235211—pragmatic-libertarian-seeks-unified-east-coast

Leader Jonathan Dean was also interviewed by CBC TV on May 26th 2009.

Jonathan Dean to be interviewed on haligonia.ca on June 2 at 1pm.
http://live.haligonia.ca/index.php

See the previous interview here
http://live.haligonia.ca/halifax-ns/soundbites/645-jonathan-dean-atlantica-party.html

Find us now in Wikipedia

Find us in flickr (a photo website)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atlanticaparty/

Come and ask questions to Jonathan Dean under the Facebook group ‘CTV Atlantic NewsTalk’ – New Nova Scotia Election

Come and debate us in our Facebook group ‘Atlantica Party’

View a critical review of our policies and our upcoming response on our blog
http://atlanticaparty.ca/blog/?p=88

Visit us at

http://www.novascotiavision.com

Jonathan Dean is pleased to announce that he will be running as an independent in the riding of Halifax Clayton Park.

Jonathan Dean said, “I am looking forward to giving the citizens of Halifax Clayton Park the option of having a representative that will actually take into consideration their opinions and ideas before voting in the house. As we all know candidates running for the mainstream parties do not really have a vote to call their own; the party centre regardless of constituent preferences dictates their votes. My campaign will allow me to present the policies needed to bring citizens back into the political process.”

The Citizen’s Voice

• Start a process to free the legislature from government manipulation.
• Introduce Recall so that constituents may ‘fire’ their representative.
• Introduce Citizen’s Initiative allowing citizens to propose and vote on their own bills.
• Introduce true fixed election dates harmonized with municipal and school board elections.
• Start a process to propose a written Provincial Constitution.
• Advocate the elimination of hate speech laws and Human Rights Commissions to strengthen free speech.
• Make the legislature’s work transparent to allow easy citizen evaluation of it and their MLA including commissioning a ‘how they voted’ website.
• Investigate ways to increase debate and dialogue between MLAs and their constituents (more frequent town halls, polling and internet).
• Create a mandatory ‘how our democratic system works’  school credit.
• Expand the number of documents on Departmental websites.
• Waive the fee for Freedom of Information requests.

Fair Voting

• Have a referendum on replacing our First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) voting system with Single Transferable Vote (STV).
• Introduce 100% publicly funded election campaigns to level the playing field for all candidates.
• As part of our policy of political reform allow direct election of the Premier for a fixed term using a 50%+1 system.

Atlantic Union

• Create a commission to study the union of the four Atlantic Provinces.
• An Atlantica Party government will be a vocal advocate for proposing a multi-provincial referendum on unification of the four Atlantic Provinces.
• An Atlantica Party government will propose an Atlantic Canada free trade zone.
• Make the creation of more regional agencies such as the Atlantic Lottery Corporation a priority.
• Open discussions with stakeholders to create a plan for Atlantic Canada in the event of Quebec separation.

Smart Growth

• Create a provincial venture capital fund administered by professionals, not government. Run at arm’s length by professionals with large performance incentives.
• Create a new Ministry of Advanced Technology Industries.
• Focus on ICT and other knowledge industries as a potential limitless industry for growth.
• Refocus to encourage Nova Scotian entrepreneurs, ideas and companies through targeted incentives, free and easy incorporation and free entrepreneur programs.
• Make business entrepreneurship a mandatory credit in schools.
• Investigate with the Federal Government a special economic zone status for Atlantic Canada.
• Create an export development organization to develop export sales and managementing expertise.
• Offer daycare to low-income families in exchange for welfare benefits.
• Study allowing private power companies (solar, tidal, wind, water)  to sell directly to the public.

Taxes

• Reduce corporate and personal income taxes offset by higher HST.
• Investigate flat tax.
• Investigate a one page provincial income tax return.
• Investigate tax-haven status.
• Investigate very low business taxes.
• Use a professionally administered tax policy as incentive for growth.
• Start a process to end Federal transfers to Nova Scotia in exchange for greater provincial tax ‘room’ relative to Federal taxes.

Law and Order

• Over the next four years hire more police officers.
• Legalize and regulate cannabis.
• Commit new resources to dedicated squads for child pornography and organized crime.
• Create a ‘chronic offender’/'three strikes’ designation with much stiffer penalties.
• Implement Canada’s first program to electronically monitor offenders.
• Expand the province wide program for rewards leading to arrests and convictions in cases of unsolved crimes.
• Investigate the legalization and regulation of the sex trade.

Health

• Perform a comprehensive review of our health system investigating how private for-profit structures can help deal with the growing problems of the public system.

Fiscal

• The Atlantica Party affirms debt reduction is a priority.
• The Atlantica Party affirms no deficit spending.

Education

• A comprehensive review of our educational and apprenticeship system with the aim to make it world class.
• Create a student debt elimination/scholarship program on a sliding performance scale for young citizens that commit to staying.
• Substantive spending increases for K-12 and post-secondary education as an infrastructure investment.
• Alter school funding models to make them more competitive such as a voucher system.
• Investigate eliminating the school board system.
• Create a mandatory Atlantic Canadian history credit.
• Act upon the conclusions of the Black Learners Advisory Committee Report.

Government

• Substantially reduce government regulation to encourage private enterprise.
• Deregulate the price of motive fuels, such as gasoline and diesel.
• Deregulate NSLC retail and wholesale distribution.
• Eliminate provincial duplication of federal regulation, for example environment impact studies.
• Reduce spending by government by outsourcing non-core civil service functions.
• Reduce spending by unifying and rationalizing non-controversial bureaucracy with the other Atlantic provinces on.
• Perform a complete review of all government programs for opportunities to outsource to improve service and reduce cost.

Infrastructure

• Make investment in base infrastructure a priority (highways, rail & IT).
• Investigate expanding the toll road system.
• Create a province wide ‘Mac-Pass‘.
• Work with the Federal Government and private enterprise to build a world class Symphony Hall and Conservatory in Halifax.
• Work towards creation of an electrical corridor from Newfoundland to Cape Breton.
• Investigate the creation of research-parks at post-secondary institutions.
• Investigate an amalgamated container terminal for Halifax.

Environment

• Create a Green Urban Trail Initiative for Nova Scotia’s cities and towns.
• Create an Urban Forest Initiative.
• Create a province wide trail system linking our cities and towns.
• Designate ten new natural reserves.
• Acquire more environmentally significant coastal land, akin to Cape Split.
• Investigate tough anti-pesticide legislation.
• Investigate expanding Nova Scotia’s recycling industry.
• Expand Earth Day activities.
• Investigate additional benefits for veterans.

Nominations for Atlantica Party candidates for this provincial election are now open.

Consider being one of our candidates. All of our candidates are average citizens just like you, citizens who are dissatisfied with the status-quo and want to help Nova Scotians. Even if you cannot commit much time or energy to the campaign that is fine, just offering your name will give thousands of Nova Scotians an option to vote for the Atlantica Party.  We provide all the support. Of course if you want to run a more lively campaign, that is most welcome!

We are the start of a great movement and we would love you to be part of it.

If you have questions please respond. We would be happy to answer any and all questions about the party.

Have Vision!

www.novascotiavision.com

The Atlantica Party has released its first ever policy book called Vision for the upcoming Nova Scotia election on June 9.

A few of the Atlantica Party’s policies:
· A reformed voting system where every vote counts and every vote is equal.
· Allow direct election of the premier as part of a process to free the legislature from government manipulation.
· Investigate a union of the four Atlantic Provinces.
· Increased education funding as an investment in infrastructure.
· Create a professionally run provincial venture capital fund.
· Refocus on Nova Scotian entrepreneurs.
· Long term plans to substantively lower costs and taxes.
· Legalize and regulate cannabis.
· Investigate private for-profit structures in the health industry.
· Deregulate the NSLC.
· Create a student debt elimination program based on performance and a commitment to remain in the province.

A complete copy of Vision is available through the party’s new election web site www.novascotiavision.com (just click on the Nova Scotia flag).