A recent column by Les Leyne took aim at the Green party climate plan, but his main point appeared to be that as leader, I will not be in a position to implement it.

The same might have been said of another small party a half century ago. In 1966, the NDP was in no position to hold enough seats to form government. But working with the minority Liberal government of Lester B. Pearson in a collaborative Parliament, our universal, single-payer health-care system was put in place.

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In fact, Pearson never had a majority as prime minister, yet his government updated or created most of what we now consider our social safety net — universal health care, the Canada Pension Plan, Canada Student Loans, a 40-hour work week, two weeks’ vacation, and improved unemployment insurance. All that and a new flag!

The NDP held a balance of power under leader Tommy Douglas in that parliament. It has been far too long since Canadians saw an era of parliamentary co-operation in the interest of the common good.

Green party goals are clear: We need to elect Green MPs to ensure a more co-operative approach to politics. We need Green MPs to ensure that the increasingly partisan NDP and Liberal parties do not allow the Harper Conservatives to form government in a minority parliament, as those parties did in 2006 and 2008. And we need Green MPs to have a detailed and realistic climate plan ready to implement immediately following the election.

There are many reasons for expeditious action on climate, but here is a pressing reality. On Oct. 19, Canadians will go to the polls; on Nov. 30, we must be prepared for the deadline negotiations for a new climate treaty at the international climate talks in Paris.

With fewer than 40 days to replace the non-action plan of the Harper Conservatives and to recruit a strong, science-based, experienced negotiating team to hit the ground running, whether it is a minority NDP or Liberal Parliament, those parties will need Green MPs.

That is why we unveiled our climate plank early. Far from proposing unrealistic goals and plans, we want to be ready for other parties who will need those details. Contrary to Leyne’s assumptions, the carbon fee and dividend approach to carbon pricing was not based on the B.C. carbon tax. The only similarity is that both are revenue-neutral.

Carbon fee and dividend has been widely supported internationally. In fact, it was proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2009 by both Democrats and Republicans. Sadly, it was not adopted.

It is straightforward and easily implemented. A fee is collected at the source of carbon pollution, and the funds are aggregated and redistributed as a dividend to every Canadian. Border adjustments on imports will also be implemented. It is economy-wide and predictable, and all funds are returned to Canadians. As such, it is not a tax.

The international movement Citizens Climate Lobby has been working at the grassroots level to promote fee and dividend. One of its most respected advocates is James Hansen, director of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. He says cap and trade “is a hidden tax” while fee and dividend is a “transparent, honest approach that benefits the public.”

The Green party recognizes that pricing carbon by itself will not be sufficient to make the significant transition away from fossil fuels required by the science. We need to diversify and strengthen our economy with more renewable energy sources — wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and small-scale hydro.

We need to make massive investments in energy productivity, creating tens of thousands of jobs across Canada in public transit, enhanced bicycle and pedestrian access, and the overhaul of our buildings to save Canadians money now wasted heating the outdoors in winter and cooling it in the summer.

We also need to plan to protect lives and property through adaptation to those levels of climate change we can no longer avoid. Preparations and fortifications for sea-level rise, increased flooding and periods of increased drought can no longer be avoided. Our universities are already doing research into determining which tree species are best able to cope with anticipated climate changes. We must be vigilant in protecting key salmon habitat as it, too, is threatened in a warming world.

Climate action has enormous potential in creating green jobs and enhancing economic health. Climate action requires that we set partisanship aside and be prepared to work together. Greens offer our climate work and experience in the vital negotiating process to ensure we are ready for Canada to, once again, play a leadership role in global climate action.

Elizabeth May is the MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands and leader of the Green Party of Canada. She has worked for climate action for more than three decades.