Democratize the economy and the workplace:
SUPPORT FOR ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF PROPERTY AND FOR THE THIRD SECTOR

Several Problems

The federal government's economic strategies are almost exclusively centred on private enterprise, on traditional capitalist companies (particularly big business). There are no clear strategies at the federal level concerning the development of cooperatives and social economy organizations, or even of what is commonly called the "Third Sector".

Unemployment and social exclusion are still important social facts: many people are neither in the private sector nor in the public sector, and this raises the importance of creating new sources of employment. Cooperatives and "social economy" organizations make important contributions to the GDP, and research and interest in the development of the Third Sector is growing. What is often lacking is investment capital.

Some solutions

During a first mandate, we will substantially increase support for alternative forms of property (social economy, cooperatives) in order to create jobs and lay the foundations for a diversified and plural economy. In our view, this is an invaluable instrument for economic democratization.

We will adopt a strategy for developing cooperatives and social economy organizations, which will be overseen in large part by a new Ministry of Cooperative Development and of Community Economic Development. A new program for funding these initiatives will be introduced, and funding for existing programs will be increased.

We also propose that:

• A set percentage of the investments of the Cooperative Local Investment Funds should be earmarked for Third Sector organizations (minimum 20%);
• A set percentage of the Green Technologies Fund be earmarked for Third Sector organizations (minimum 20%).