That’s the message Green Party candidate Amy Collard is trying to get across, saying when it comes to the environment, the economy, and the leader of Canada, change is the only way to go and can be a positive, comfortable experience.

“We need to make people see change is not necessarily bad. You make change to make their lives better,” Collard said in an interview with the Champion.

Collard, a Burlington resident and full-time volunteer with numerous environmental and community groups, said she decided to step up to the plate and run for the first time in this election when former Green candidate Kyle Grice wasn’t able to.

“I’m a stepping up kind of person. I step up whenever needed,” she said.

Forefront on her platform is the economy. It’s a topic that needs to be addressed with fresh thinking and innovative solutions, Collard said.

“It’s not sustainable in its current form,” she said, adding, “Without a strong economy, everything else suffers.”

A “green economy” that’s not based on fossil fuels is a change that needs to be made, she said.

With the recently-announced job cuts at Ford’s Oakville plant, Collard said it’s clear the federal government needs to invest money to research more efficient vehicles, or ones that run on alternative fuels; people can’t afford the current price of gas and are no longer buying the big gas guzzlers, she said.

There should also be subsidies for people buying more fuel-efficient vehicles.

She added a green economy would have a trickle-down effect, also improving health care and, obviously, the environment.

People are often resistant to changing their ways when it comes to living a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle because they think it’s all or nothing, Collard said.

But, she said, that’s not the way it has to be.

“We know how hard it is to live green. We’re just asking people to make small changes,” she said, suggesting walking instead of driving and turning down the thermostat a few degrees. “We’re not asking people to live in shacks in the woods.”

Collard said the Liberals’ Green Shift plan is “from the pages of the Green Party’s green plan,” which came out first.

“I’m happy to see the Liberals are following our lead,” she said.

She said she believes in preventative care to improve the health-care system, and of promoting healthier lifestyles.

She said she also thinks there should be more funding to train doctors and nurses and to upgrade diagnostic equipment.

As for the Conservatives’ Universal Child Care Benefit, which currently gives parents $100 each month per child, Collard said it’s not enough.

What’s needed is uniform standards of childcare across the board in addition to expanded child tax credits and benefits for families, and subsidies for childcare spaces, she said.

As a married mother of two, children and families are a topic that’s important to Collard, who said it’s important to take pro-active — not reactive — steps to make sure they’re well taken care of.

“To me, children and families are the backbone of our society,” she said. “We need to make sure (kids) don’t fall through the cracks.”

Preventing people from slipping through the cracks will help address homelessness. If people get the help they need — whether it’s mental care or financial assistance — they’ll be less likely to end up on the streets, Collard said. Affordable housing and job training will also help.

When it comes to the Afghan mission, Collard said Canadian troops should start withdrawing from Afghanistan by February 2009. After that, they could offer to work with the Afghan military outside of NATO for a maximum of two years.

With Milton being Canada’s fastest-growing community, it’s obvious municipalities don’t have sufficient federal funding to deal with their growing pains, Collard said.

She’d help ensure municipalities are treated fairly and receive their fair share of resources, she said.

Stephanie Hounsell can be reached at sthiessen@miltoncanadianchampion.com .