gdp's Comments

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Tumblr Photo

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:19:48 +0000

greenhouse gases went up by over 30% under the Liberal watch (under Chrétien, Martin and Dion...). why on Mother Earth would you still recommend to undecided/Canadians that they trust you when you recommend Liberal Party members to deliver or stand up to anything on our behalf, let alone environmentally sustainable policies or human rights, esp. re. their record before and since Harper got elected? Please understand that the Liberals gave Harper a working majority in the House of Commons, helped him pass 43 confidence motions in Parliament since 2006. that is the dangerous coalition that we should also be watchful for. both of these parties are on the right and both foster "free" market ideologies and push for pro-corporate policies. ie. SPP. Instead, I would strongly encourage citizens to get informed about individual candidates and especially their political parties. and to listen to their innner voice when they are at the polls. and re. ecological compass, please visit Greenpeace. http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/cli... peace out

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Tumblr Photo

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:19:44 +0000

Respectfully, your project may not be the best way to go. At best, you may lead to even more confusion based on fear and misinformation re. political party lines. let's please try to keep a cool head on our shoulders during this challenging time. It is actually still very important that every citizen research various political parties and their record, prior to voting their values. and Please note: the NDP, the Liberals and the Greens are not interchangeable pol. parties (their respective records says volumes about each party) and it is dangerous to our democracy that you are continuing to put forward this notion, which by the by is encouraged by the corporate media.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : This Liberal bait should be dismissed

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:44:04 +0000

Canadians have not given credit where credit is due. Canada needs a reexamination of historical facts. more accurate information is needed. Canadians have had a wonky look at the past 30 years or so of politics in this country. which translates to back and forth between libs and cons, who kept rewriting history by minimizing, denying or simply ignoring essential facts at the House of Commons and on the ground. i don't blame canadians for their distrust of most politicians. they know who to thank for that. Readers: Know your values. Know your history. Know Canada's true history. and I would recommend that Canadians stand by the party of progressive principles and values the NDP, the real left-wing party at the House of Commons and traditionally, the Parliamentary wing of our labour movement and civil society.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : This Liberal bait should be dismissed

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:43:53 +0000

finally, remember Trudeau's moment re. Charter in 1982. if i am correct in my assessment, wasn't it Bill Blaikie with his NDP colleagues that actually made Trudeau include stronger language re. equality of women and recognition of rights of Aboriginal Peoples in the Charter? yes it was. (i guess trudeau doesn't know how to share spotlight) Liberals at the time also credit Blaikie for his part in shaping the Canada Health Act of 1984. a quote from Blaikie: "Indeed a constitutional charter of rights was a continuing demand of the CCF and the NDP in the decades leading up to the adoption of the charter." credit is due to Ed Broadbent, Blaikie and NDP team at the time. http://www.billblaikie.ca/node/106

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : This Liberal bait should be dismissed

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:43:49 +0000

and back in december 2005, Jack was actually working to make a deal with a not so trustworthy fellow by the name of paul martin re. protecting Canada's public healthcare system. but what the libs did with much success, thks to help from shameless corporate media and to some progressives, is to create this make-belief reality that the NDP helped Harper get elected, when in fact, the right wing canadians (the ones at least that are not liberals) helped the cons get in. let's face it, they are organized and do get their vote out. the truth is: over the past few decades, the NDP has had to have its sights on both Conservatives and Liberals.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : This Liberal bait should be dismissed

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:43:25 +0000

"Even in opposition, the Liberals deserted the left again and again": that is absolutely true. it is on record. and let's pls remember the Liberals' so-called: Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), NAFTA, Paul Martin's cuts to transfer payments to provinces..etc on the side, the green party, via E.May, "say" (true, without a teleprompter, but frankly:so what?) that they are not like "old line" parties, then May goes around and behaves just like the Liberals. exhibit A: May's deal with Dion; B: first green MP: it is pure fiction. by the by, an NDP bill, which got voted down by guess who, would require MPs who cross the floor to resign, seek the nomination for their new party, and then go back to the voters to seek re-election. for me, Elizabeth May and the Greens are just as slippery as the libs are with the truth and with principles. and corporate media helps stir up more confusions re. who is the true left in Canada. (also, i heard that the "debate" is not even a debate but more like a QnA, which is very dissapointing after all of that chatter, isn't it?)

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Re-electing NAFTA?

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:42:07 +0000

NEWS: Martin Sells Canada's Sovereignty, Buys In To Fortress George Bush Thu 24 Mar 2005. "The Liberals' hidden agenda of deeper integration threatens Canada": Layton

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Re-electing NAFTA?

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:40:57 +0000

the facts speak for themselves. Please give credit where credit is due. and yes, Canadians must continue to help put the issue of renegotiating NAFTA to foster fair and ethical trade on the airwaves, on the streets, they can organize their own public forums, their own all-candidates' debates, put spp on the electoral trail and be ready for E-day Oct.14, and make their voices heard on the ballot . peace out.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Re-electing NAFTA?

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:40:21 +0000

NDP has been pushing for the development and implementation of a Human Rights Impact Assessment in any trade agreement and ensure that there are binding and enforceable protections for labour and human rights, within the framework of Fair Trade.(ie. re. fta Canada-Colombia), submitting many many many access to information requests seeking answers re. several SPP meetings, etc., tabling questions on the order paper, tabling motions in trade cttee, launching national tour of public forums to expose SPP and to help canadians get informed, drafting petitions which has garnered thousands of canadians' support, and the list of political actions goes on and on.....

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Re-electing NAFTA?

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:36:20 +0000

and since 2005, much can be said for what the NDP has actually done to bring the SPP from behind closed-boardroom doors and into the public eye : NDP got the first parliamentary hearings on SPP, hosted a forum to talk about replacing NAFTA with a People-Centered Approach to Trade (http://www.peterjulian.ca/page/524 ), has been working alongside Congresswoman Kaptur and Congressman Michaud, of the Democrats of the US Congress and with Mexican legislators from the PRD, like Senator Polvensky and Deputy Quintana, tabled joint motions in their respective legislatures re. renegotiating NAFTA, joining forces with them to launch Taskforce to push for the renegotiation of NAFTA in order to achieve a fair trade policy, ...

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Re-electing NAFTA?

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:19:19 +0000

and the only reason that Obama and Clinton made it part of their tour stops was because they know full well that the revitalized anti-free trade movement, born in Mexico, Canada and U.S. via hard work and collaboration of progressive legislators in all three countries with the labour movement and civil society actors, and its peoples, is back and stronger than ever. time has come for fair trade. un point c'est tout. please read below to learn about who really is at the forefront of this issue in Parliament.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Re-electing NAFTA?

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:18:59 +0000

I simply must take issue with statements made by Stuart Trew: "While Elizabeth May can take some credit for trying to get the renegotiation ball rolling in mid-2006, the pressure only heated up after both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton suggested on a Democratic tour stop in Ohio that they would seek changes to NAFTA to protect labour`..." That is simply untrue. we all really need to do our homework when it comes to this issue, regardless of our political or non-political-charitable status stripes. it is too important of an issue to treat this in a cavalier, irresponsible manner. E.May cannot take any credit on this issue except to say that she agreed with the concrete hard work of others, before her, on this critical issue (plus she supports dion, whose party signed Canada on the spp in the first place, without a mandate from the people... the party that has tried fooling canadians, and perhaps in some ways succeeded in the past, by consistently putting free and fair in same breath when talking about trade).

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Leaving Elizabeth May Out of the Debates is Outrageous

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:20:56 +0000

Like anything in life, the greens will have to learn to develop their on the ground campaign and work just as hard as all other political parties ("big" and "small") that seek to attain and maintain political power within government, no matter if your party will or will not be seen in televised debates. A party must work. hard. to present their vision-policies and get it out there and work to earn people’s trust and support, just like everybody else has done before them.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Leaving Elizabeth May Out of the Debates is Outrageous

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:18:27 +0000

-And contrary to what May has called an "old boy" campaign to keep her out, she will not succeed in Canada in trying to use these “old school: sexism real and perceived” tactics when things are not going her-party's way. This idea is morally wrong, insulting to other women (and men), immature and reminds me of that sense of entitlement to power that comes from, oh ya, the Liberal Party. this type of manipulation is no good especially when some of us are working hard to move equality agenda forward. -"This is about letting people have the right to make a choice of their own. How are they going to know what the Green Party stands for if the most important televised event of the election ... we are being excluded from?" Palliser candidate Larissa Shasko said (The Leader-Post, Regina, Sept.10, 2008) in response to that quote, let me just say that televised debates line-up does not take away Canadians' right to voice their vote on E-day.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Leaving Elizabeth May Out of the Debates is Outrageous

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:06:31 +0000

-Jack’s position is consistent with his party's egalitarian and democratic sense of fair play. I don’t believe that anyone can argue that with the NDP you can be sure that there will be a real discussion on the issue of climate change during the televised debates. This message comes from a Canadian (a woman, a mother, a social democrat, of African origin).

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Leaving Elizabeth May Out of the Debates is Outrageous

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:06:25 +0000

A couple of points: -So a Liberal MP crossed the floor on Aug.30 and is now a “Green MP” - and all of a sudden they cry foul when they can't get into the leader's debate? That is the pot calling the kettle black - it is just as much of an anti-democratic ploy as the (perceived) lack of attention to PR by the NDP and others across our country. -"The networks have made a decision now. They've decided to use the rules that were used the last time," Jack told reporters. "There's been no material change in the House of Commons, no party has elected any new members and we have the situation of one participant wanting to come in who supports another participant in the debate so we're ready to work with the decision that's been made," said Layton, making note of May's support of Liberal Leader Stephane Dion.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Leaving Elizabeth May Out of the Debates is Outrageous

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 09:15:39 +0000

4--if you've ripped up your membership over these manipulative old-line politics from E.May and the green party, then with all due respect, you were never a hard-core critical social democrat to begin with. 5-re. proportional representation: NDP leads the call for fairer voting system. peace out.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Leaving Elizabeth May Out of the Debates is Outrageous

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 09:15:03 +0000

"In 1999, NDP MP, Peter Stoffer introduced a private members bill (C-208) regarding floor crossing. Stoffer’s bill would require MPs who cross the floor to resign, seek the nomination for their new party, and then go back to the voters to seek re-election. The private members bill was unfortunately defeated in the House of Commons in 2005. Stoffer has since reintroduced it in the House of Commons and the NDP attempted to include anti-floor crossing in the Federal Accountability Act." Anti-floor crossing legislation in this country can help end the rightful cynicism felt by Canadians of voting age in this country and bring political accountability and respect back to Parliament and to MP's constituents.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Leaving Elizabeth May Out of the Debates is Outrageous

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 09:14:56 +0000

3-the Green party do not actually have their first mp. .E.May is playing the same old-line political games just like the liberals and the cons before her. E.May purports that intentions of her party are altruistic and talks outloud about our nation's democratic deficit, but she seems to consistently leave out an important piece of this narrative: their so-called first mp has not even gone back to the People in his constituency to actually get re-elected under his new banner. the democratic, ethical thing to do would be to resign his seat and seek nomination under his new banner for a by-election or the next general election.

rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog : Leaving Elizabeth May Out of the Debates is Outrageous

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 09:14:19 +0000

Hi, 5 points: 1-the NDP is correct in their position re. leaders' debate. they are simply stating the facts. 2-re. Dion and May, she is supporting him as prime minister in full knowledge of the fact that it was the Liberals who signed Canada onto the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). "it is interesting to note the relatively seamless transition from Liberals to Conservatives on this issue." (of the SPP) - Jessica Johnston, THIS Magazine