Thursday, December 31, 2009
The rantings of a former Councilor
For someone who’s no longer an elected official, Mr. Evans has an awful lot of grousing to do about how city council does its job. This may come as a shock to him, but Burnaby runs its elections in a democratic fashion, and in this case, the people (you know, those people YOU were supposed to represent) decided that they wanted a BCA mayor and BCA councilors. It‘s an amazing thought to be sure, allowing citizens to vote for who they want to, even if it doesn’t produce a governing system that Mr. Evans approves of, which would likely require him to be sitting as a member. Perhaps if he and his party spent more time presenting a positive set of ideas to the citizens of Burnaby instead of continually complaining about the election results, there would be members of his party on Council. But, they did not, and the voters decided not to have such people represent them at the municipal level. This should be a lesson to Mr. Evans and those like him, but I suspect that instead, he and others like him will simply continue to criticize a government duly elected by the people, the same people who rejected his style of politics and his lack of solutions to the problems at hand.
Prorogation and the death of a bill
To anyone who wasn't hiding under a rock or living in a cave last year, these words will ring familiar; Prime Minister Stephen Harper has prorogued Parliament. Yes, he's done it again, and once again he prorogues in order to prevent the destruction of his party in the face of his own arrogance and plain stupidity. This time it is due to his party's insistance at lying over the events of Afghanistan, for which the Government SHOULD be held accountable. That's how we were all taught a Parliamentary system worked, that all things became accountable to Parliament. This lesson was apparently missed by Mr. Harper, who seems to think that he can prorogue Parliament whenever the media narrative turns against him.
Let's set aside for the moment the fact that this was a blatant attempt to evade the political fallout of the ongoing torture investigations, which are likely to resume once Parliament resumes anyways, and look at what the Prime Minister has wrought. At this time, there were dozens of government bills and several private member's bills that are now going to have to be re-introduced. Many of these, such as C-311 and C-304, were nearing the end of the legislative process and could soon be accepted as law. This is especially damning for Bill C-311, which has now TWICE been passed at third reading and will be denied royal assent by Harper's proroging of Parliament. This is an absolute waste of our time and money, that we have to debate bills multiple times to satisfy the petty urges of a man who claims to be our leader.
Of course, there is always an ironic side to what Mr. Harper and company do, and this is no exception. Just as recently as six years ago, when Mr. Harper sat on the Opposition benches, he decried the Liberals for doing exactly what he's doing here. Funny how these things are forgotten with a short memory, or perhaps a trip to the other side of the aisle? The hypocrisy would normally be enough to bring caution to a politician, but such things are not for Prime Minister Harper, who seems to believe that such things are beneath him. Speaking of beneath him, apparently living up to his own campaign promises is too much of a challenge for the Prime Minister as well. Many of us will remember that the Prime Minister ran his first two campaigns on the idea of bringing transparancy and accountability to the Federal Government. Hollow words from a man who cares for nothing but power, since he's jettisoned that part of his platform just as readily as he's jettisoned everything else he claimed to believe in.
Perhaps this year, voters will look at what they have brought to themselves; a man with no beliefs he won't eliminate in order to prevent his own short term defeat. This has been the face of Canada for five years now, isn't it about time we return to a Canadian government that reflects Canadian values and a Canadian sense of loyalty to its beliefs?
Let's set aside for the moment the fact that this was a blatant attempt to evade the political fallout of the ongoing torture investigations, which are likely to resume once Parliament resumes anyways, and look at what the Prime Minister has wrought. At this time, there were dozens of government bills and several private member's bills that are now going to have to be re-introduced. Many of these, such as C-311 and C-304, were nearing the end of the legislative process and could soon be accepted as law. This is especially damning for Bill C-311, which has now TWICE been passed at third reading and will be denied royal assent by Harper's proroging of Parliament. This is an absolute waste of our time and money, that we have to debate bills multiple times to satisfy the petty urges of a man who claims to be our leader.
Of course, there is always an ironic side to what Mr. Harper and company do, and this is no exception. Just as recently as six years ago, when Mr. Harper sat on the Opposition benches, he decried the Liberals for doing exactly what he's doing here. Funny how these things are forgotten with a short memory, or perhaps a trip to the other side of the aisle? The hypocrisy would normally be enough to bring caution to a politician, but such things are not for Prime Minister Harper, who seems to believe that such things are beneath him. Speaking of beneath him, apparently living up to his own campaign promises is too much of a challenge for the Prime Minister as well. Many of us will remember that the Prime Minister ran his first two campaigns on the idea of bringing transparancy and accountability to the Federal Government. Hollow words from a man who cares for nothing but power, since he's jettisoned that part of his platform just as readily as he's jettisoned everything else he claimed to believe in.
Perhaps this year, voters will look at what they have brought to themselves; a man with no beliefs he won't eliminate in order to prevent his own short term defeat. This has been the face of Canada for five years now, isn't it about time we return to a Canadian government that reflects Canadian values and a Canadian sense of loyalty to its beliefs?
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas updates!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and have a productive, happy New Year everyone!
This is likely to be my last blog until the new year arrives, so I apologize for my recent inactivity and my week off. Its been busy the past few days, I've been putting together a group based out of facebook that will be working year round to end poverty by hosting fundraising drives and demonstrations to obtain greater public and government awareness to the problem. Its my hope that we can start making a difference in the lives of the people who have to live in poverty, because in a nation as rich and powerful as our own, no one should have to worry about where their next meal comes from, and no one should worry about survival.
Down in America, the United States Senate has finally passed a bill that would insure an additiona thirty million citizens and would prevent insurance companies from ending coverage if you actually need to use it. This is a monumental bill, one that does what all politics should do, and that is to help the people that we are supposed to represent. It is not a perfect bill, but what it does is help the least fortunate and give them the safety net they need in order to survive and get back on their feet, the same kind of big, sweeping proposal that Canadians need to fulfill to bring our poor, huddled masses back into society and have them live in dignity.
Merry Christmas everyone, enjoy this special time of year and may glad tidings follow you on your journey throughl life.
This is likely to be my last blog until the new year arrives, so I apologize for my recent inactivity and my week off. Its been busy the past few days, I've been putting together a group based out of facebook that will be working year round to end poverty by hosting fundraising drives and demonstrations to obtain greater public and government awareness to the problem. Its my hope that we can start making a difference in the lives of the people who have to live in poverty, because in a nation as rich and powerful as our own, no one should have to worry about where their next meal comes from, and no one should worry about survival.
Down in America, the United States Senate has finally passed a bill that would insure an additiona thirty million citizens and would prevent insurance companies from ending coverage if you actually need to use it. This is a monumental bill, one that does what all politics should do, and that is to help the people that we are supposed to represent. It is not a perfect bill, but what it does is help the least fortunate and give them the safety net they need in order to survive and get back on their feet, the same kind of big, sweeping proposal that Canadians need to fulfill to bring our poor, huddled masses back into society and have them live in dignity.
Merry Christmas everyone, enjoy this special time of year and may glad tidings follow you on your journey throughl life.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Copenhagen's end
The Copenhagen summit has finally ended, and the world powers are touting the new agreement they have created, a so-called breakthrough in world diplomacy that will herald a new beginning in environmental protection in both the developed and developing world. Except that it isn't. All that we have received for our years of negotiations and pleading and bargaining is a committment with no penalties to reduce greenhouse gases by an insufficient amount for a time when the politicians who created the goals will long since have retired from public life. This is insufficient and should not be tolerated, and Canada has only itself to blame. We have known since before the Kyoto Accords that something had to be done in regards to how we produce energy and how we treat the planet we live on. That didn't stop Canadian negotiators from doing their very best to cut off debate and to take a hard line position on targets that would do absolutely nothing for the environment, and it didn't do a single thing to stop Prime Minister Harper and Environment Minister Prentice from threatening to give generous exemptions to the Alberta Oil Sands. Canadians can do better, and ordinary citizens have been doing better in spite of their Federal Government, which has failed to represent the will of the majority. Now more than ever is it important to make a statement on the world stage saying that Canada takes its committments seriously, and that we will not be laggards in any way, shape or form in doing what we know is right for our nation and our world. Recently I said that Bill C-311 has been voted out of committee and into Third Reading, we need to do everything in our power as citizens to pass this bill; lobby your elected officials and Senators to pass a bill that says makes sure Canada does what is necessary to do. No more obstruction, no more pnadering to Oil and Gas, its time for all four parties in Parliament to stand together and get it done. Pass the bill and make it law before its too late.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Urban farming evaporating
There's been a lot of use of the word 'sustainability' in the past, but its mostly been in the abstract in terms of policies that could be enacted by a government once in power. There are sustainable things we can be doing right now, but are actually cutting back on. I'm talking about urban farms, which have been slowly disappearing in the lower mainland. This year the Vancouver Parks Board voted to close down the Stanley Park Farm, which was one of two sustainable farms in Vancouver. The other farm, the UBC farm, is undergoing the process of being certified organic and sustainable, and has been reduced in size. These farms and others like them give British Columbians a chance to enjoy locally grown food that isn't filled with chemicals and other additives.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Liberal Accountability going right off the rails
So the B.C. Supreme Court has ordered the BC Liberals to hand over e-mails regarding their sale of BC Rail and the alleged improprieties of the sale.
It seems clear now that the courts, at least, think there is something to be gained from a more thorough investigation into the Campbell government, and its improperly deleted e-mails. We were told during the May election campaign that there was nothing improper done by the BC Liberals in the sale of BC Rail, yet the judge found there was enough probable cause to ask for these records.
So where are they?
Why is it that Premier Campbell and his codefendants are having such troubles giving the court the documents asked for?
What we’re seeing here is a pattern of events showing the Liberals and their allies do not believe they are constrained by the law.
What does it say about a government that only forces its members to resign when they’re apprehended for their wrongdoings, instead of resigning prior to the arrest and avoiding conflicts of interest?
If our government doesn’t have belief in their good faith on a sale bid, how can we trust them to follow through for British Columbia’s interests at any other time? How can we trust them if they continue to act in a manner that flouts the law and the public trust?
The people of British Columbia deserve full disclosure about the BC Rail sale
It seems clear now that the courts, at least, think there is something to be gained from a more thorough investigation into the Campbell government, and its improperly deleted e-mails. We were told during the May election campaign that there was nothing improper done by the BC Liberals in the sale of BC Rail, yet the judge found there was enough probable cause to ask for these records.
So where are they?
Why is it that Premier Campbell and his codefendants are having such troubles giving the court the documents asked for?
What we’re seeing here is a pattern of events showing the Liberals and their allies do not believe they are constrained by the law.
What does it say about a government that only forces its members to resign when they’re apprehended for their wrongdoings, instead of resigning prior to the arrest and avoiding conflicts of interest?
If our government doesn’t have belief in their good faith on a sale bid, how can we trust them to follow through for British Columbia’s interests at any other time? How can we trust them if they continue to act in a manner that flouts the law and the public trust?
The people of British Columbia deserve full disclosure about the BC Rail sale
No more taxes!
The new harmonized sales tax proposed by the BC Liberals, to be put in place for July 1, 2010 is easily the best way to destroy our recovering economy.
On paper, the harmonized tax looks as though it won’t change the cost of any goods as you currently purchase them.
This is untrue.
The harmonized sales tax forces consumers to pay what was previously the goods and service tax on goods that was not previously taxed, thus increasing the price of things such as “non-essential” groceries, as determined by the government.
First and foremost, how do the BC Liberals intend on paying for the tax rebates promised by switching to the harmonized sales tax? The BC Liberal website claims that there will be yet another low income tax credit, just as there is with the carbon tax. It claims that there will be rebates on all new housing projects, as well as rebates for municipalities, churches and other qualifying non-profit organizations. The Liberals state the harmonized sales tax will remove over $2 billion in costs from B.C. businesses. With the Canadian government only giving the province
$1.6 billion to cover the transition to the new harmonized tax, where will the money be found to cover the costs of the rebates, as there is no new government income being created, if you ask the BC Liberals.
So how does the government propose that the taxpayers pay for their own rebates? It seems that there is no answer provided. Make no mistake, this inability to answer where the money to pay for the tax shift is problematic, and could undermine the economic recovery we currently have in place.
Why do we suddenly need to switch to this new harmonized sales tax?
Ever since Premier Gordon Campbell won his first term in government, the BC Liberals have been trumpeting how British Columbia is the best place on earth. There’s no disputing that from me, but if British Columbia is such an attractive place to live and set up businesses, why is the government so interested in suddenly fiddling with the tax system that made us the best place on earth, especially at such a critical moment when the economy is beginning to experience positive growth again.
What do they hope to gain by changing how we pay taxes?
This is just another choice made by the BC Liberals. A choice to protect and help their friends in big business instead of helping the middle class of British Columbia.
No help for B.C. families, just B.C. CEOs.
Say no to the harmonized sales tax.
On paper, the harmonized tax looks as though it won’t change the cost of any goods as you currently purchase them.
This is untrue.
The harmonized sales tax forces consumers to pay what was previously the goods and service tax on goods that was not previously taxed, thus increasing the price of things such as “non-essential” groceries, as determined by the government.
First and foremost, how do the BC Liberals intend on paying for the tax rebates promised by switching to the harmonized sales tax? The BC Liberal website claims that there will be yet another low income tax credit, just as there is with the carbon tax. It claims that there will be rebates on all new housing projects, as well as rebates for municipalities, churches and other qualifying non-profit organizations. The Liberals state the harmonized sales tax will remove over $2 billion in costs from B.C. businesses. With the Canadian government only giving the province
$1.6 billion to cover the transition to the new harmonized tax, where will the money be found to cover the costs of the rebates, as there is no new government income being created, if you ask the BC Liberals.
So how does the government propose that the taxpayers pay for their own rebates? It seems that there is no answer provided. Make no mistake, this inability to answer where the money to pay for the tax shift is problematic, and could undermine the economic recovery we currently have in place.
Why do we suddenly need to switch to this new harmonized sales tax?
Ever since Premier Gordon Campbell won his first term in government, the BC Liberals have been trumpeting how British Columbia is the best place on earth. There’s no disputing that from me, but if British Columbia is such an attractive place to live and set up businesses, why is the government so interested in suddenly fiddling with the tax system that made us the best place on earth, especially at such a critical moment when the economy is beginning to experience positive growth again.
What do they hope to gain by changing how we pay taxes?
This is just another choice made by the BC Liberals. A choice to protect and help their friends in big business instead of helping the middle class of British Columbia.
No help for B.C. families, just B.C. CEOs.
Say no to the harmonized sales tax.
September Budget Panned
Sorry, I know, its not even close to September anymore, I forgot to add it here.
The British Columbia budget has been unveiled, hoping to spread enough love to citizens and to distract from the furor of the Harmonized Sales Tax.
It’s unfortunate events are not unfolding as the BC Liberals would have preferred they turn out. The budget is a disaster for hardworking, everyday British Columbians; too many benefits for big businesses, not enough help for the working families that make up so much of our province.
We have a budget that cuts payments to our health care system and to our culture and arts, but has money available to give prisoners flatscreen televisions. We have been told income taxes will be cut again to make certain that the HST is revenue neutral, so why is it a family of four will actually pay more in taxes, before factoring in the increased costs of goods and services.
Even for those who are getting a tax ‘reduction’ thanks to the HST will end up paying more; a retired couple making $30,000 a year will actually pay $238 dollars less in taxes, but that will be a small comfort to them when the goods they purchase eat up those savings and more.
The HST will condemn working families and lower income British Columbians to a lower standard of living, just so the BC Liberals can kickback more money to their corporate owners.
This budget will sound the death knell of the middle class, with increased taxes and no new services to show for it. It makes one wonder just what our tax money is being used for, if not for the services that the BC Liberals slashed repeatedly.
The British Columbia budget has been unveiled, hoping to spread enough love to citizens and to distract from the furor of the Harmonized Sales Tax.
It’s unfortunate events are not unfolding as the BC Liberals would have preferred they turn out. The budget is a disaster for hardworking, everyday British Columbians; too many benefits for big businesses, not enough help for the working families that make up so much of our province.
We have a budget that cuts payments to our health care system and to our culture and arts, but has money available to give prisoners flatscreen televisions. We have been told income taxes will be cut again to make certain that the HST is revenue neutral, so why is it a family of four will actually pay more in taxes, before factoring in the increased costs of goods and services.
Even for those who are getting a tax ‘reduction’ thanks to the HST will end up paying more; a retired couple making $30,000 a year will actually pay $238 dollars less in taxes, but that will be a small comfort to them when the goods they purchase eat up those savings and more.
The HST will condemn working families and lower income British Columbians to a lower standard of living, just so the BC Liberals can kickback more money to their corporate owners.
This budget will sound the death knell of the middle class, with increased taxes and no new services to show for it. It makes one wonder just what our tax money is being used for, if not for the services that the BC Liberals slashed repeatedly.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
US Senate CLEAR Act
Full Text here: http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/copenhagen2009/climate_cantwell_bill.pdf
The bill in question is the newest attempt to provide a hard cap on carbon reductions, culminating in what is being called a 'cap and dividend' system, as opposed to the already know and understood 'cap and trade' scheme of carbon emission reduction.
The main difference between cap and trade and cap and dividend is that three quarters of all government revenue from carbon share auctions would be returned to the citizens in the form of a monthly dividend cheque. Independant analysis indicates that these dividends could reach as high as twelve hundred dollars a month per qualifying individual. The remaining twenty-five percent of the proceeds would be held in a government trust which could be used to finance targetted infrastructure upgrades meant to decrease carbon dioxide emissions and act as a form of economic stimulus.
This is the kind of proposal that we should be getting behind and focusing on for ourselves in the NDP. It most assuredly accomplishes our progressive aims to lower carbon emissions in a safe, economically viable method, and its almost impossible to tar this as a cap and tax regime, considering that the vast majority of people will receive some kind of rebate without having to pay any initial fee. Furthermore, this type of policy, with its reinvestments in the community, gives the party a chance to put some actions to our rhetoric on standing up for middle and working class British Columbians.
The most important part of this bill would be what is done with the money from the carbon share auctions; if the NDP were to champion such a bill it would be necessary to focus on the rebates that would be given to individuals, which could be far higher than rebates from the carbon tax.
The bill in question is the newest attempt to provide a hard cap on carbon reductions, culminating in what is being called a 'cap and dividend' system, as opposed to the already know and understood 'cap and trade' scheme of carbon emission reduction.
The main difference between cap and trade and cap and dividend is that three quarters of all government revenue from carbon share auctions would be returned to the citizens in the form of a monthly dividend cheque. Independant analysis indicates that these dividends could reach as high as twelve hundred dollars a month per qualifying individual. The remaining twenty-five percent of the proceeds would be held in a government trust which could be used to finance targetted infrastructure upgrades meant to decrease carbon dioxide emissions and act as a form of economic stimulus.
This is the kind of proposal that we should be getting behind and focusing on for ourselves in the NDP. It most assuredly accomplishes our progressive aims to lower carbon emissions in a safe, economically viable method, and its almost impossible to tar this as a cap and tax regime, considering that the vast majority of people will receive some kind of rebate without having to pay any initial fee. Furthermore, this type of policy, with its reinvestments in the community, gives the party a chance to put some actions to our rhetoric on standing up for middle and working class British Columbians.
The most important part of this bill would be what is done with the money from the carbon share auctions; if the NDP were to champion such a bill it would be necessary to focus on the rebates that would be given to individuals, which could be far higher than rebates from the carbon tax.
Child Labour, far from slavery?
The newest reports on child labour have been released this week, and the information is truly startling.
Questions have to be asked of our BC Liberal government as to why they’ve allowed things to become as bad as they are for today’s youth.
Child labour has become more accepted, as youths require more money to do the things they enjoy, and to support their families in these tough economic times.
So why is it that the government refuses to enact means to protect our most vulnerable workers.
I would like to ask Mary Polak, the Minister of Children and Family Development, and Murray Coell, the Minister of Labour a few questions, since this relates to their cabinet portfolios.
First:
Why do you support a law that allows youths from 12 to 14 to work if they have written parental consent, when more than 58 per cent of those youth report that they have not obtained that consent or given it to their employer?
Where is the accountability in creating a law and then doing nothing to ensure it is upheld?
Second:
For the sixth year in a row, British Columbia has stood as the province with the worst child poverty rate in Canada.
How are you working to end child poverty in B.C.?
Finally:
Why does the government not create legislation outlining what kinds of jobs young people can work in?
British Columbia is the only province that does not have any laws or regulations regarding the occupations or tasks that a youth can work.
How can this government claim to care about youth and put them first when there are no restrictions on the kinds of jobs they perform, including dangerous jobs not suited to younger people?
Questions have to be asked of our BC Liberal government as to why they’ve allowed things to become as bad as they are for today’s youth.
Child labour has become more accepted, as youths require more money to do the things they enjoy, and to support their families in these tough economic times.
So why is it that the government refuses to enact means to protect our most vulnerable workers.
I would like to ask Mary Polak, the Minister of Children and Family Development, and Murray Coell, the Minister of Labour a few questions, since this relates to their cabinet portfolios.
First:
Why do you support a law that allows youths from 12 to 14 to work if they have written parental consent, when more than 58 per cent of those youth report that they have not obtained that consent or given it to their employer?
Where is the accountability in creating a law and then doing nothing to ensure it is upheld?
Second:
For the sixth year in a row, British Columbia has stood as the province with the worst child poverty rate in Canada.
How are you working to end child poverty in B.C.?
Finally:
Why does the government not create legislation outlining what kinds of jobs young people can work in?
British Columbia is the only province that does not have any laws or regulations regarding the occupations or tasks that a youth can work.
How can this government claim to care about youth and put them first when there are no restrictions on the kinds of jobs they perform, including dangerous jobs not suited to younger people?
Friday, December 11, 2009
Federal NDP bills move forward
There's a reason why New Democratic Party polling numbers have been climbing higher and higher in recent weeks and months; its because the NDP is getting things done in Parliament instead of playing partisan games with our country. Just this week, two NDP private members' bills have move through Parliament. Bill C-304, a housing act sponsored by Libby Davies (Vancouver East) passed through committee. Once again, the bill proceeded through the House without support from the governing Conservative Party. Ensuring affordable housing for Canadians wasn't the only goal the NDP got closer to accomplishing this week; bill C-311, the party's bill that would cap greenhouse gases and reduce emissions by 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 and an astonishing 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, goals that are backed by leading scientists around the world. Bill C-311 also made it through committee this week, with absolutely no amendments attached to it, leaving the bill ready for Third Reading, where it should pass and become Canadian law.
Congratulations to Jack Layton and the Federal NDP team for fighting for Canadians and Canadian values!
Congratulations to Jack Layton and the Federal NDP team for fighting for Canadians and Canadian values!
Provincial Split Personalities
Recently in the BC Provincial NDP, there has been a spirited backroom debate about where the party should be headed, between moderates who currently hold most of the power and believe we need to chart a more centrist course, and the progressive activists who believe the party has departed too far from its roots to properly engage the masses. Much ink from far more well known bloggers and journalists has already been spilled on the topic, so I shall be brief in my own dissertation.
I would count myself among the progressives. The fact is that if we in the NDP pursue Liberal-lite policies, the electorate is simply going to vote for a real Liberal instead of one of us pretending to be one of them. We need to stick back to our roots and support those who have always been part of the bedrock of our party. Furthermore, our attempt to shift rightward hasn't been entirely matched by our policies; we're now stuck in a situation in which we say one thing, but our policy priorities don't reflect it, and it makes the party look confused. We cannot be the party of balanced budgets AND the party of all the social security programs we champion AND be the party that lowers taxes, the three are simply incompatible with each other, short of manufacturing money and causing inflation catastrophes. The party should focus instead on being the party of zero unemployment. We can solve so many of the provinces problems if we simply sit back and end unemployment, both our province's fiscal fortunes and our citizens' well-being can be improved in this manner.
Specifically, through public works projects, perhaps capital works designed to construct low income housing in major urban and rural areas, unemployed and underemployed persons can be given paying jobs that not only would take them off the employment insurance rolls, but would also cause them to be taxpaying citizens again, doubly helping the financial statements of the BC Government. Furthermore, by focusing this kind of stimulus on infrastructure and programs devoted to the worse off in society, we give these people a chance to climb out of poverty.
Such a program would, after an initial infusion of government dollars, begin to pay for itself through the taxes paid by the newly employed and the savings that would be created from employment insurance, and other government programs that would no longer be needed to support these persons. This kind of program that thinks big and has long term benefits has been sorely lacking from the NDP policy platform, and is completely consistant with the tenets of the party to support the average British Columbian. The fact that such a program would cost less over time due to the benefits of having people work is simply a side effect that our party's centrists can latch onto as a basis for funding such a building program.
I would count myself among the progressives. The fact is that if we in the NDP pursue Liberal-lite policies, the electorate is simply going to vote for a real Liberal instead of one of us pretending to be one of them. We need to stick back to our roots and support those who have always been part of the bedrock of our party. Furthermore, our attempt to shift rightward hasn't been entirely matched by our policies; we're now stuck in a situation in which we say one thing, but our policy priorities don't reflect it, and it makes the party look confused. We cannot be the party of balanced budgets AND the party of all the social security programs we champion AND be the party that lowers taxes, the three are simply incompatible with each other, short of manufacturing money and causing inflation catastrophes. The party should focus instead on being the party of zero unemployment. We can solve so many of the provinces problems if we simply sit back and end unemployment, both our province's fiscal fortunes and our citizens' well-being can be improved in this manner.
Specifically, through public works projects, perhaps capital works designed to construct low income housing in major urban and rural areas, unemployed and underemployed persons can be given paying jobs that not only would take them off the employment insurance rolls, but would also cause them to be taxpaying citizens again, doubly helping the financial statements of the BC Government. Furthermore, by focusing this kind of stimulus on infrastructure and programs devoted to the worse off in society, we give these people a chance to climb out of poverty.
Such a program would, after an initial infusion of government dollars, begin to pay for itself through the taxes paid by the newly employed and the savings that would be created from employment insurance, and other government programs that would no longer be needed to support these persons. This kind of program that thinks big and has long term benefits has been sorely lacking from the NDP policy platform, and is completely consistant with the tenets of the party to support the average British Columbian. The fact that such a program would cost less over time due to the benefits of having people work is simply a side effect that our party's centrists can latch onto as a basis for funding such a building program.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Revolving door health care facilities
Fraser Valley residents must be shaking their heads. Not even a year after the new adolescent psychiatric facility opened its doors to new patients, the BC government was closing its doors, citing a lack of qualified staff and faulty equipment as the reason for the closure. This is disappointing, since it was only months ago before the provincial election that this same government was touting the facility as a means of reducing the demand for the Surrey location that provides similar care functions. The government spent a long time explaining how this facility was absolutely necessary to ensure timely treatment of adolescents and children who require psychiatric care. I would love for this government to tell me that in the intervening half year, children and teenagers with debilitating mental diseases had miraculously been remedied of things that have no cure, but that is not a feasible conclusion. What is a feasible conclusion is that this was more showboating and out of touch legislating from the BC Liberals, who clearly don’t understand the issues.
The Honourable Kevin Falcon, our Minister of Health, claims that there simply wasn’t enough money or staff to fund the building, even though the Ministry itself obtained a twenty percent increase in funding since the last budget year. Perhaps the Minister can explain to the public why a specialized care unit in such high demand did not get the funding and personnel required to fulfill its mandate; it seems only logical to me, a simple voter, that if the Abbotsford location meant so much to the health of the people there and it meant so much to the BC Liberals, that they would do what it took to keep the location open. Obviously, they have not, and they will not, because for the BC Liberals, this isn’t about who’s going to go without needed care, its about saving money without regards to the consequences of their actions.
When the health of our fellow citizens, especially youths, is in danger, I would expect that our government would do its job and make sure that things are done to provide the absolute best care possible. Minister Falcon and the rest of the BC Liberal caucus, stop playing politics with the health of Fraser Valley youths and reopen this facility.
The Honourable Kevin Falcon, our Minister of Health, claims that there simply wasn’t enough money or staff to fund the building, even though the Ministry itself obtained a twenty percent increase in funding since the last budget year. Perhaps the Minister can explain to the public why a specialized care unit in such high demand did not get the funding and personnel required to fulfill its mandate; it seems only logical to me, a simple voter, that if the Abbotsford location meant so much to the health of the people there and it meant so much to the BC Liberals, that they would do what it took to keep the location open. Obviously, they have not, and they will not, because for the BC Liberals, this isn’t about who’s going to go without needed care, its about saving money without regards to the consequences of their actions.
When the health of our fellow citizens, especially youths, is in danger, I would expect that our government would do its job and make sure that things are done to provide the absolute best care possible. Minister Falcon and the rest of the BC Liberal caucus, stop playing politics with the health of Fraser Valley youths and reopen this facility.
Passing grades for failing our children
Forty-nine percent, not usually a number to extol as a record achievement. Someone should inform BC Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development Moira Stilwell that a forty-nine percent graduation rate of our aboriginal students is not acceptable, particularly since this is being lauded as a record high completion rate. In our school system, forty-nine percent would receive an "F" grade. Why does Minister Stilwell believe that the forty-nine percent success rate would be anything other than a failure of her government to significantly improve the education system and its ability to help aboriginal students succeed.
Of course, a caveat must be added that the report considers completion to be the graduation of a student from high school within six years, which is still longer than should be necessary to graduate.
The reality here is that in the two years prior to this 'record high' of aboriginal scholastic achievement, the rates of completion were at forty-seven and forty-eight percent; this is hardly the big improvement that the BC Government would have you believe it is.
How can this government come to the people and express pride that for fifty-one percent of aboriginal students, high school will take more than six years to complete? What kind of reality do we live in, where such dismal numbers are considered good news?
All that we have here is another gross example of how far removed from society this Government is, and how unprepared the BC Liberals are to actually do something in the interests of the people they claim to represent in the Legislature.
The education system is supposed to be a right, to give youths the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in an increasingly knowledge based economy. Instead, its becoming a prison sentence, forcing aboriginal students to spend years longer to learn the same material of their peers, and it should not be accepted as pleasing information to anyone, least of all the Government, who has an opportunity to end this travesty.
Of course, a caveat must be added that the report considers completion to be the graduation of a student from high school within six years, which is still longer than should be necessary to graduate.
The reality here is that in the two years prior to this 'record high' of aboriginal scholastic achievement, the rates of completion were at forty-seven and forty-eight percent; this is hardly the big improvement that the BC Government would have you believe it is.
How can this government come to the people and express pride that for fifty-one percent of aboriginal students, high school will take more than six years to complete? What kind of reality do we live in, where such dismal numbers are considered good news?
All that we have here is another gross example of how far removed from society this Government is, and how unprepared the BC Liberals are to actually do something in the interests of the people they claim to represent in the Legislature.
The education system is supposed to be a right, to give youths the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in an increasingly knowledge based economy. Instead, its becoming a prison sentence, forcing aboriginal students to spend years longer to learn the same material of their peers, and it should not be accepted as pleasing information to anyone, least of all the Government, who has an opportunity to end this travesty.
A lament for no affordable housing
As the laws currently stand, there is no national plan for affordable housing in Canada.
Every other first-world country in the world has a strategy of some manner to reduce homelessness and poverty, except for Canada.
Bill C-304, an act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians, would provide Canadians with the housing they need to start building up from poverty and the social safety nets they have had to rely on.
This private member’s bill has passed second reading and is now in committee. We have a bill here that would ensure that every last man, woman and child has a chance to live with a roof over their head and four walls to keep them warm.
Now that it is in committee, every single MP will be needed to pull their weight to pass the bill, since out of the 145 Conservative Members of Parliament, only one voted in favour of ensuring that Canadians could have homes to live in as a right.
I urge everyone to read the bill—it’s easily googled or searched for on the official government web site.
And please, urge your Member of Parliament, no matter what party they are from, to pass this bill and give a chance for our least fortunate to have at least some small measure of dignity, the dignity of a home.
Every other first-world country in the world has a strategy of some manner to reduce homelessness and poverty, except for Canada.
Bill C-304, an act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians, would provide Canadians with the housing they need to start building up from poverty and the social safety nets they have had to rely on.
This private member’s bill has passed second reading and is now in committee. We have a bill here that would ensure that every last man, woman and child has a chance to live with a roof over their head and four walls to keep them warm.
Now that it is in committee, every single MP will be needed to pull their weight to pass the bill, since out of the 145 Conservative Members of Parliament, only one voted in favour of ensuring that Canadians could have homes to live in as a right.
I urge everyone to read the bill—it’s easily googled or searched for on the official government web site.
And please, urge your Member of Parliament, no matter what party they are from, to pass this bill and give a chance for our least fortunate to have at least some small measure of dignity, the dignity of a home.
Bill C-311 and the Copenhagen Summit
The global stage is coming, will Canada be prepared? December is the month in which the nations of the world gather to discuss and debate the changes needed to combat climate change. Right now, Canada has no plan. Nothing. Not a single idea in the country on what to do, because of successive Conservative and Liberal governments who don’t care or who pay lip service to this increasingly global issue. There is one bill trying to pass its way through the halls of Parliament though, and its the private member’s bill C-311, sponsored by Jack Layton and the NDP. Bill C-311, otherwise known as the Climate Accountability Act, has already been through the Parliamentary system, save for Royal assent that was withheld before the last election, forcing it back to first reading. Now that there’s a need for the bill and for Canada to show leadership on the world stage, the Liberals and Conservatives are doing everything in their power to stall the bill and prevent Canada from having a chance to act in a responsible, coherant manner in Copenhagen. This is unacceptable. The two supposedly national parties are using the earth and environment as a political tool to try and boost their poll numbers, while Canadians from across the political spectrum are calling for action. Call your MP and your party leaders, its time for Canadians to come together and show that when it comes to protecting the world we live in, political games aren’t acceptable, and to expedite the passage of C-311.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Polls show NDP gains everywhere
Its a good time to be a member of the New Democratic Party. Good news for the party has been coming from unexpected quarters, and literally everywhere in Canada. Right here in British Columbia, there are new polls showing the BC NDP in a dominant position against the incumbent BC Liberals. Its a shame that these numbers weren't in time for the election last May, but hopefully they'll hold for the next provincial election in 2013. Once again, this is just more proof that Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals are out of touch with BC citizens and that its time for new leadership in the province. In terms of federal politics, the NDP is trailing the Conservatives, but this was taken from a poll before the last by-elections, and NDP fortunes have improved since then.
Further out in Ontario, the New Democrats there have risen to twenty percent in the polls for the provincial election to be held in 2011, once again representing an improvement on their numbers from the last election.
Prince Edward Island has never been a particularly welcoming place for the NDP, but even there polls are starting to show upward movement, the party now polls at nine percent, a fifty percent increase from their last polling information.
Nova Scotia brings us the greatest news, with provincial polling showing a staggering fifty-three percent of voters supporting the new provincial government led by Darrell Dexter.
Federally in Quebec, the New Democrats are absolutely surging, polling at seventeen percent in the province and in a statistical tie with both the Conservatives and the Liberals in the province. More importantly, the numbers suggest that Quebec voters are warming to Jack Layton and the party, as voters rated Mr. Layton the most honest and most trusted of the Federalist leaders. Nearly thirty percent of Quebec voters also believe that Mr. Layton would be the best Prime Minister, so it looks as though gains in Quebec are on the horizon for the next federal election, at least in Quebec.
All of this says that being right on the major issues of the day is starting to pay off for the NDP; voters are starting to realize that New Democrats at every level of government are not only competant, but that they have the right answers to guide Canada into the future.
Further out in Ontario, the New Democrats there have risen to twenty percent in the polls for the provincial election to be held in 2011, once again representing an improvement on their numbers from the last election.
Prince Edward Island has never been a particularly welcoming place for the NDP, but even there polls are starting to show upward movement, the party now polls at nine percent, a fifty percent increase from their last polling information.
Nova Scotia brings us the greatest news, with provincial polling showing a staggering fifty-three percent of voters supporting the new provincial government led by Darrell Dexter.
Federally in Quebec, the New Democrats are absolutely surging, polling at seventeen percent in the province and in a statistical tie with both the Conservatives and the Liberals in the province. More importantly, the numbers suggest that Quebec voters are warming to Jack Layton and the party, as voters rated Mr. Layton the most honest and most trusted of the Federalist leaders. Nearly thirty percent of Quebec voters also believe that Mr. Layton would be the best Prime Minister, so it looks as though gains in Quebec are on the horizon for the next federal election, at least in Quebec.
All of this says that being right on the major issues of the day is starting to pay off for the NDP; voters are starting to realize that New Democrats at every level of government are not only competant, but that they have the right answers to guide Canada into the future.
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