A BETTER SCOTLAND A BOLDER HOLYROOD Scottish Green Party 2016 Spring Conference Paterson’s Land 5th - 6th March ELCOME to Edinburgh, delivering the jobs that a and welcome to our sustainable Scotland needs, Wbiggest ever Spring or providing the warm, Conference . This is a really affordable homes, or the caring exciting time to be involved in society underpinned by real politics in Scotland, and we have social security that we all a huge opportunity as a Party to deserve. Our young people make an important breakthrough are facing a future less in May this year. prosperous than their parents. This conference And our environment is facing is the springboard for our ongoing threats like fracking. Holyrood campaign. In two Only with strong green months we hope to have voices in Parliament will our largest ever group of we be able to transform MSPs in the Scottish our communities for the Parliament. And it better. A better is so important that Scotland needs a the bold, radical bolder Parliament. voice of Greens Together, we is heard. We face can make this unprecedented happen. cuts to public Enjoy your services and weekend, and our communities all the best for the are suffering campaign ahead. the terrible consequences Maggie Chapman, of austerity. The Patrick Harvie, economy is not Co-convenors Contents Holyrood 2016 4 Map 13 Meet our lead candidates 6 Fringe events & workshops 14 Conference information 10 Exhibitors 22 2 Programme SATURDAY SOCIAL SATURDAY 7.30-10.30pm Ceilidh 9:45am onwards Registration 10:00am SUNDAY Welcome to conference for first timers (Room G.42) 10:00am onwards 10:15am Registration Welcome to Conference 10:30am Maggie Chapman Welcome back followed 10:30pm by panel discussion: The future of the EU A Green Europe – The Philippe Lamberts, Green Referendum & Reform MEP for Belgium (Ecolo) hosted by Richard Walker 10:50am 11:15am Our six campaign aims How does SGP build With our lead candidates internally and reach out 12:10am widely for a better future? A Better Scotland, Open space session A Bolder Holyrood 12:45pm Patrick Harvie Lunch 12:30pm Plus branch and committee Lunch plus fringe meetings meetings 2:00pm 1:45pm Building the campaign: Getting our message across Internal meetings, 2:45pm workshops and fringes Getting our message across: 3:30pm workshops and canvassing Break experience 4:00pm 4:00pm Building the campaign (contd) Final speech and 5:15pm election rally Closing speech Alison Johnstone All main events take place in room G1, unless otherwise indicated. 3 Scotland can railways into social ownership. have a bolder We can give power to people both through renewable energy parliament and and through creating radical a better nation local democracy. Scotland can end the scourge of bad housing. E HAVE BEFORE us an We can stop runaway rent rises opportunity to make a and we can regulate letting Wgreat impact on future agents and dodgy landlords. generations by choosing a We can build thousands of Parliament that will face up to new houses. We can push for the challenges of our times. real change in who owns and The Holyrood election offers controls land; in community and us the chance to transform public ownership of energy; and Scotland and create the kind of giving people the same rights as society that people want to live in. developers in planning decisions. Scottish Greens can deliver a bold High quality public services and compelling vision that will are the bedrock of our society create a better Scotland for all. and are widely supported. We can create a future for Scotland can fund its public all our children. We can end services, reduce inequality and fracking now and forever. We raise more revenue with fair taxes can create 204,000 jobs in low on wealth, land, and property. carbon industries, to transform After eight years of the council our economy. We can harness tax freeze, it is time to be bold the power in our land. We can and tackle inequalities in wealth. create good homes for all. With progressive local taxation With a strong team of Green we will strengthen local MSPs transforming our politics democracy and provide local Scotland can flourish. With new communities with greater powers on the horizon we can freedom and choice over local focus on radical change. We can services. At the national level we make sure land, energy and will support progressive taxation development is owned for good, that better reflects people's for community good and for the incomes. good of the environment. Communities are up in arms We can keep our ferries in about fracking and Greens have public hands and bring our an impeccable track record of 4 opposing fracking and other dirty agricultural assets, nor anywhere fossil fuel developments. We are in Scotland. the only party calling for an all-out With a Parliament that is bold, ban, which can be achieved using that is prepared to be radical and the powers already devolved to that wants to transform Scotland Holyrood. The scientific evidence we can begin the much-needed is compelling that fracking and transition to industries that can unconventional gas extraction are thrive in the new economy. We too dangerous and that it’s can create a socially just nation. unnecessary and distracts from A nation fit for our children and renewables investment. grandchildren. Scotland can be We can ensure that Scotland better, but only with a bolder uses its existing powers in Parliament. planning to ensure that unconventional gas extraction To get involved in the Holyrood does not take place beside our 2016 election campaign, visit homes, our shores and vital greens.scot 5 Meet our lead Infrastructure and Climate candidates Change committee. He has been involved in a range of issues, KIRSTEN from asylum and civil liberties to ROBB sexual health and food policy. Central Scotland ZARA KITSON Youth and Glasgow Women’s Culture Employment Zara grew up in Kirsten is currently a an ex-mining Development Officer in village in community regeneration, heritage Central Scotland. She has a and landscape though previously passion for social justice and ran her own carbon management challenging structural inequality. business. She attended Zara has embraced a diverse universities in Aberdeen and range of jobs and volunteer roles Stirling, completing a Masters in throughout her life, working with Environmental Management. She young people and communities now works as the Grants Officer across the public, private and for sustainable development third sectors. charity, Forward Scotland. ISLA O’REILLY PATRICK Highlands and HARVIE Islands Glasgow Education Finance, Isla, a lifelong Constitution & Highlander, Economy cares deeply Patrick, Co-Convenor of the about the land and the people of Scottish Green Party, has been an her region. Along with her MSP since 2003. He is currently brother and sister, she has an standing to be an MSP in the Organic farm in Ardersier. She Kelvin contituency. Previously he currently lives in Inverness with has been a member of the her husband and three young Energy, Economy and Tourism children who attend Bun-sgoil Committee, the Communities Ghaidlig Inbhir Nis. Committee and the Transport, 6 JOHN FINNIE green space for residents, Highlands and irreplaceable by developments Islands for elite sports that exclude many. Justice John is a ANDY former police WIGHTMAN officer and has Lothian been a Highlands and Islands Communities, MSP since 2011. John Local successfully campaigned against Government & deploying armed police to Land Reform routine incidents, work for which Andy Wightman is a writer, and he was awarded ‘Community campaigner on land rights, Politician of the Year 2014’. He democracy and the economy. has also campaigned against cuts He is the author of Who Owns to local education and medical Scotland (1996), Scotland: Land services, police control rooms and Power (1999), Community and Citizen’s Advice Bureaus; Land Rights: A Citizen’s Guide and for public ownership of (2009) and The Poor Had No Calmac Ferries and the railways. Lawyers (2010). Andy has served as a Specialist Adviser to the ALISON House of Commons Scottish JOHNSTONE Affairs Committee and Lothian represented the Scottish Green Health Party on the Commission on & Sport Local Tax Reform. Alison Johnstone is the Scottish Green MARK Party MSP for Lothian region and RUSKELL a member of the Parliament’s Mid Scotland Devolution committee, as well as and Fife a substitute member of the Rural Affairs, Economy, Energy and Tourism Food & committee. A former East of Environment Scotland 800 metres and 1,500 Mark Ruskell is a councillor, metres title holder, Alison still having been elected as Stirling runs for fitness and has witnessed Council’s first SGP representative the ongoing loss of accessible in 2012. His second elected 7 office, Mark previously held the SARAH position of SGP MSP for Mid BEATTIEB Scotland and Fife between SMITH 2003-07. During this time South of he was Deputy Convenor of the Scotland Parliament’s Environment and Infrastructure, Rural Affairs Committee he Investment & Transport introduced legislative proposals Originally from just outside of on climate targets, liability for Biggar, Sarah is a SGP activist, GM crops, and successfully writer and artist. Sarah studied protected the Fife coastline from sculpture at the Edinburgh oil transfers. College of Art and went on to serve two terms as President of MAGGIE the Students Union before doing CHAPMAN another degree in economics, North East social policy and political Scotland philosophy. She has worked in Social Justice, the Party’s Policy Committee and Housing & is currently a contributor to the Welfare Bright Green website. Maggie Chapman is Co- convener of the Scottish Greens ROSS GREER and a trade unionist. She was a West of member of the Smith Scotland Commission and COSLA's Europe and Commission on Strengthening External Affairs Local Democracy.