Undeclared MP from BC, Peter Julian has four MPs -
Isabelle Morin, Kennedy Stewart, Brian Masse and Rathika Sitsabaiesan
Thomas Mulcair now has eight MPs supporting him -
Robert Aubin, Francois Lapointe, Jamie Nicholls, Marie-Claude Morin, Alexandrine Latendresse, Pierre Nantel, Claude Patry and Marc-Andre Morin
And Brian Topp has MP Francoise Boivin Alain Giguere and Yvon Godin
Romeo Saganesh has neighbouring MP, Christine Moore
It appears that some Quebec MPs see that a leader from outside Quebec would not be a problem in maintaining support of Quebec voters.
Updated September 23... Brian Topp adds two more MPs to his list of supporters
9.22.2011
Demand Accountability in LGBT Toronto Center
Gay voters in Toronto Center and for that matter in Ontario should be having a hard look at the results of seven years of Liberal government and the future. In particular, voters should look at very powerful queer MPP's that have run McGuinty's government for those years.
Its rare that openly queer elected officials have the power that George Smitherman and Katherine Wynne have enjoyed over the last seven years. They have been in the in Premier McGuinty's inner circle. They have enjoyed power never realised in the history of Canada. Yet here we are after seven years waiting for significant changes well within the means of these two people to help us.
In Toronto Center we elected in a by-election a good man in Glen Murray. I like Glen. I have no doubt that Mr. Murray supports GSAs, sex education changes that reflect reality, ie that LGBT youth exist and personally supports decriminalisation of HIV. Despite my observations, Mr. Murray as our MPP has failed to advocate on our behalf, becoming another cog in the machinery of McGuinty's government.
Here are some of the issues that Murray, Smitherman and Wynne have failed the LGBT community on, Gay Straight Alliances in our schools, sex education and criminalisation of HIV. Wynne was Minister of Education and made some good changes. They included the responsibility of schools supporting and assisting the creation of GSAs. While in the non-catholic school system this has proceeded well, the publicly funded Catholic system refuses to accept this government direction and has banned GSAs and the use of the word gay. The McGuinty Liberal Government refuses to enforse their own rules on the Catholic schools.
What makes the lack of support and use of political capital to enforce the rules, the news of another teen committing suicide in near by Buffalo New York amplifies the wrong committed by our three friends failure to act. Will it take a young persons suicide in Toronto or North Bay or Sudbury for the McGuinty Liberal Government to take notice? Will one suicide do it or will it take two or three young people?
On sex education, the government came forward with a very progressive new program this year, only to throw it in the garbage after a few hundred religious fanatics started banging their drums. The changes would have taught kids that homosexuality and Trans people are part of the population and deserve respect and have rights to be who they are. It would have benefited LGBT youth in knowing that they are okay as they are. They do not need to feel they are perverts or alone. Not a word to defend these changes to the education system came from Smitherman, Wynne or Murray.
Finally there is the criminalisation of HIV. The McGuinty government promised more consultation with our community. So we learn now that the Attorney General has made application to the courts to further entrench the criminalisation of HIV. Not a hint was given to the community. No phone calls to say we've thought about this and decided to go back on our word.
In Toronto Centre we like having our "gay" MPP. The rich folks in Rosedale get the novelty of a living in an area so progressive, they elect fags to government. The gay community gets the feeling of accomplishment and a feeling of pride, having one of our own in Government. Sadly that is where it ends. Our gay reps have simply become cogs in the wheel of a bigger machine with other jobs to do. Our voice on the big issues of the day are muted by the silence of our own MPP and the whims of the Premier who talks well, but fails to deliver.
The time for talk is over. Murray is still the one to beat in Toronto Center. We can demand he publicly step up and demand he support our community and or we could vote for someone who will like Cathy Crowe, who unlike Murray has been working for the disadvantaged, including the LGBT communities for over twenty years in Toronto Center.
We won't even come close to electing a Hudak conservative in Toronto Center. We have two choices, Cathy Crowe and Glen Murray. Both are personally progressive. Who will it be. Tonight there is a debate at the 519 Center. Demand the candidates support and vow to publicly and privately advocate for our issues. Demand accountability.
Info on debate at the 519 Located at 519 Church Street Toronto, Ontario
Thursday, September 22, 7 - 9pm
Its rare that openly queer elected officials have the power that George Smitherman and Katherine Wynne have enjoyed over the last seven years. They have been in the in Premier McGuinty's inner circle. They have enjoyed power never realised in the history of Canada. Yet here we are after seven years waiting for significant changes well within the means of these two people to help us.
In Toronto Center we elected in a by-election a good man in Glen Murray. I like Glen. I have no doubt that Mr. Murray supports GSAs, sex education changes that reflect reality, ie that LGBT youth exist and personally supports decriminalisation of HIV. Despite my observations, Mr. Murray as our MPP has failed to advocate on our behalf, becoming another cog in the machinery of McGuinty's government.
Here are some of the issues that Murray, Smitherman and Wynne have failed the LGBT community on, Gay Straight Alliances in our schools, sex education and criminalisation of HIV. Wynne was Minister of Education and made some good changes. They included the responsibility of schools supporting and assisting the creation of GSAs. While in the non-catholic school system this has proceeded well, the publicly funded Catholic system refuses to accept this government direction and has banned GSAs and the use of the word gay. The McGuinty Liberal Government refuses to enforse their own rules on the Catholic schools.
What makes the lack of support and use of political capital to enforce the rules, the news of another teen committing suicide in near by Buffalo New York amplifies the wrong committed by our three friends failure to act. Will it take a young persons suicide in Toronto or North Bay or Sudbury for the McGuinty Liberal Government to take notice? Will one suicide do it or will it take two or three young people?
On sex education, the government came forward with a very progressive new program this year, only to throw it in the garbage after a few hundred religious fanatics started banging their drums. The changes would have taught kids that homosexuality and Trans people are part of the population and deserve respect and have rights to be who they are. It would have benefited LGBT youth in knowing that they are okay as they are. They do not need to feel they are perverts or alone. Not a word to defend these changes to the education system came from Smitherman, Wynne or Murray.
Finally there is the criminalisation of HIV. The McGuinty government promised more consultation with our community. So we learn now that the Attorney General has made application to the courts to further entrench the criminalisation of HIV. Not a hint was given to the community. No phone calls to say we've thought about this and decided to go back on our word.
 |
| Glen Murray |
 |
| Cathy Crowe |
We won't even come close to electing a Hudak conservative in Toronto Center. We have two choices, Cathy Crowe and Glen Murray. Both are personally progressive. Who will it be. Tonight there is a debate at the 519 Center. Demand the candidates support and vow to publicly and privately advocate for our issues. Demand accountability.
Info on debate at the 519 Located at 519 Church Street Toronto, Ontario
Thursday, September 22, 7 - 9pm
The 519 and Xtra! are proud to host an All Candidates Debate for the upcoming provincial election in Toronto Centre.
The All Candidates Meeting is your opportunity to:
• find out more about provincial issues that a ffect you, your friends and your neighbours• meet the candidates• learn more about where candidates and their parties stand on your issues• get the information you need to make an informed choice on voting day
Canadian Writer, Broadcaster and Community Organizer Jane Farrow has kindly agreed to moderate this debate. Jane has moderated several debates at The 519 over the past few years and the nature of debate and discussion has been vibrant and dynamic.
Cathy Crowe (NDP), Glen Murray (Liberal) and Mark Daye (Green) have confirmed their attendance.
9.20.2011
Wild thought on NDP leadership
The NDP leadership will soon get very interesting. Brian Topp has been out there now for awhile. He has two big and i mean BIG endorsements. Thomas Mulcair is still playing the field. Looking for a constituency other than Quebec. Quebec MP Romeo Saganash has jumped in. I had intelligence that led me to believe he was going to endorse Brian Topp. The egg on my blog is big! Saganash will be one of the "king" or "queen" makers in the end.
It is interesting that Topp has only one MP (albeit a Quebec MP) come out to endorse his effort to be leader.
I see two or three others entering soon. Paul Dewar is trying to drum up more speculation he is about to enter the race, and likely to get as many sitting MPs as he can to come out early in support. Megan Leslie should be in the race soon. Robert Chisholm and Peter Julian and perhaps Libby Davies will jump in. That ought to round it out.
These other folks will have to enter soon. The effort to get sitting MPs to support you will get tougher the longer they wait.
I do see Topp and Mulcair as the ones to beat. It could however be very interesting if Mulcair entered the race, saw he did not have enough votes and before the vote, endorsed someone other than Topp, ie very bilingual and Quebec educated Peter Julien or the brilliant and new bright star Megan Leslie. Such an endorsement could also bring along many Quebec MPs support.
That's my wild thought of the day...
It is interesting that Topp has only one MP (albeit a Quebec MP) come out to endorse his effort to be leader.
I see two or three others entering soon. Paul Dewar is trying to drum up more speculation he is about to enter the race, and likely to get as many sitting MPs as he can to come out early in support. Megan Leslie should be in the race soon. Robert Chisholm and Peter Julian and perhaps Libby Davies will jump in. That ought to round it out.
These other folks will have to enter soon. The effort to get sitting MPs to support you will get tougher the longer they wait.
I do see Topp and Mulcair as the ones to beat. It could however be very interesting if Mulcair entered the race, saw he did not have enough votes and before the vote, endorsed someone other than Topp, ie very bilingual and Quebec educated Peter Julien or the brilliant and new bright star Megan Leslie. Such an endorsement could also bring along many Quebec MPs support.
That's my wild thought of the day...
Liberals lose Toronto because...
Toronto Politics can get pretty messy. That is the case today with Rob Ford and his right wing gang attempting to remake the city. Remake maybe too generous, he is destroying much of what has taken decades to achieve, one of the world's most livable cities!
Ford has quite a few fellow conservatives there to help him. He does need outside help though. Where is he getting that outside help you might ask. He is getting it from Liberals. He is destroying our city with the help of Liberals.
First we have Michelle Berardinetti elected City Councillor for Ward 35, Scarborough Southwest on October 25, 2010, she is married to Ontario Liberal MPP, Lorenzo Berardinetti.
Norm Kelly is a former Liberal MP in the Trudeau government, which makes his contributions to Rob Ford's executive committee something near treasonous.
Finally we have Peter Milczyn. Former Liberal riding president endorses right wing Liberals. He's very much fiscal conservative, maybe to the right of Ford on that!
If the George Smitherman and back room boys of the Ontario Liberals want to know why they are losing Toronto, its partly due to having card carrying current and former Liberals and Liberal hacks supporting folks like those I have listed above.
Maybe, just maybe Dalton McGuinty and Bob Rae could pull out their blackberry and speed dial these folks and help save our city. Hell, I bet the Ontario Liberal Party might even save a few seats if they did it.
First we have Michelle Berardinetti elected City Councillor for Ward 35, Scarborough Southwest on October 25, 2010, she is married to Ontario Liberal MPP, Lorenzo Berardinetti.
Norm Kelly is a former Liberal MP in the Trudeau government, which makes his contributions to Rob Ford's executive committee something near treasonous.
Finally we have Peter Milczyn. Former Liberal riding president endorses right wing Liberals. He's very much fiscal conservative, maybe to the right of Ford on that!
If the George Smitherman and back room boys of the Ontario Liberals want to know why they are losing Toronto, its partly due to having card carrying current and former Liberals and Liberal hacks supporting folks like those I have listed above.
Maybe, just maybe Dalton McGuinty and Bob Rae could pull out their blackberry and speed dial these folks and help save our city. Hell, I bet the Ontario Liberal Party might even save a few seats if they did it.
9.19.2011
More proof the NDP will take Toronto
The Ontario Election is getting tighter. A new poll shows Hudak's party at 36%, McGuinty's group at 33% and the Horwath NDP at surprising 29%. These numbers indicate the election is up for grabs. At 29% provincially I suggest the NDP have strong numbers in Canada's biggest city. In fact the NDP are poised to take Toronto.
The Toronto Star backs my suggestion of a few days ago that the NDP can take Toronto. Here is the Star's report of a new poll this weekend placing the NDP at 35% in the city followed by the Libs at 34%. We all know about margins of error, it could be a point or two either way. That said, the poll, no matter how you read it, show the NDP is a much greater threat to the Libs and McGuinty than the Liberal war room ever thought they would be.
Liberals losing Toronto and most of the North to the NDP will ensure a minority government in this province. The best thing for progressives and people that want to vote NDP, but are sacred of splitting the vote, thus electing a Hudak conservative, is that in north and in Toronto there is no chance of that!
New Ontario NDP ad. It's pretty clear! You have a choice....
The NDP are also poised to take Ottawa Centre.
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The Toronto Star backs my suggestion of a few days ago that the NDP can take Toronto. Here is the Star's report of a new poll this weekend placing the NDP at 35% in the city followed by the Libs at 34%. We all know about margins of error, it could be a point or two either way. That said, the poll, no matter how you read it, show the NDP is a much greater threat to the Libs and McGuinty than the Liberal war room ever thought they would be.
Liberals losing Toronto and most of the North to the NDP will ensure a minority government in this province. The best thing for progressives and people that want to vote NDP, but are sacred of splitting the vote, thus electing a Hudak conservative, is that in north and in Toronto there is no chance of that!
New Ontario NDP ad. It's pretty clear! You have a choice....
The NDP are also poised to take Ottawa Centre.
/>
9.15.2011
Romeo Saganash to support Brian Topp
Romeo Saganash, the MP for Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou is expected to announce on Friday, He will not run for the leadership of the NDP. The big news is that he will be endorsing Brian Topp for leader. That according to the lactualite.com today.
Romeo Saganash has been very active politically and in advocacy groups for almost 30 years. In 1985, he founded the Cree Nation Youth Council. His interest in regional economic development got him involved in many Aboriginal businesses such as Creeco Inc. and the Eeyou Society of James Bay.
His commitment and his studies in law have led him to hold important position within the Grand Council of Crees, first as Deputy Grand Chief, and then as Director of Quebec relations and international affairs. Mr. Saganash was vice-chairman of the Cree Regional Authority he also chaired the James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment between 1997 and 2000. His duties have allowed him to develop a strong political network in Quebec and Canada. - NDP.ca
Mulcair can still be Deputy Leader
The media frenzy over the Federal NDP leadership is getting a little silly. First it would be good if they actually understood the NDP. They have experience covering the Conservatives and Liberals leaderships and somehow expect that our leadership race will be the same.
The NDP caucus will stay united. If there is one thing that New Democrats understand, its solidarity. Look at the hullabaloo the media tried to spin around Mulcair being able to keep his title as Deputy Leader should (when) he enter the leadership race. "It's unfair," they shouted. They even played up comments from some NDP MPs that said they were surprised. What they didn't do was point to the fact that the NDP caucus has accepted this decision of leader Nycole Turmel.
The NDP is big in Quebec and they want to remain so. Stripping Mulcair of the largely ceremonial role of Deputy Leader would do more harm than good. It shows Quebecers that they do in fact have voice in Parliament, that one of their own is a significant part of the NDP leadership. To think otherwise is to expose yourself as uniformed.
Update: An example of Media trying to make something out of nothing
The NDP caucus will stay united. If there is one thing that New Democrats understand, its solidarity. Look at the hullabaloo the media tried to spin around Mulcair being able to keep his title as Deputy Leader should (when) he enter the leadership race. "It's unfair," they shouted. They even played up comments from some NDP MPs that said they were surprised. What they didn't do was point to the fact that the NDP caucus has accepted this decision of leader Nycole Turmel.
The NDP is big in Quebec and they want to remain so. Stripping Mulcair of the largely ceremonial role of Deputy Leader would do more harm than good. It shows Quebecers that they do in fact have voice in Parliament, that one of their own is a significant part of the NDP leadership. To think otherwise is to expose yourself as uniformed.
Update: An example of Media trying to make something out of nothing
Is the NDP tearing itself apart yet? How bout now?
9.14.2011
The NDP bang on in Opposition
The role of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons seems to be misunderstood by some media and others.
From the House of Commons website has the following definition of the Official Opposition...
What makes The NDP different is that most opposition over the last 30 plus years have simply offered opposition and little in alternative solutions. This has cemented in many people's minds that to be effective as the Official Opposition, one must vehemently oppose and the more excited you are to oppose the better.
The NDP have been focusing attention on the fact that little gets done, largely because the opposition and government just butt heads. The NDP have decided to focus on getting things done, ie working with government to propose alternatives and or improvements to legislation and budgets rather than simply oppose.
Of course the NDP are not simply going to let the Government use its majority without making their objections known. They will in fact be very diligent in this aspect of their role. The ending of the postal lockout was an example of the NDP doing what it could to oppose the Government's agenda.
This fall will be the big test as will the budget debate in the spring. We will have to wait and see how it all plays out, whether the NDP's approach to opposition is more effective than that of the Liberals and or the Conservatives over the last 30 plus years.
From the House of Commons website has the following definition of the Official Opposition...
Leader of the Opposition and Critics
The role of the Official Opposition is to challenge government policies, hold the government accountable for its actions and give voters an alternative in the next election. Generally, the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the party with the second largest membership in the Commons. This person leads opposition debates and suggests changes to government legislation or alternative proposals. Each opposition party in the Commons has its own leader and appoints critics from among its members. Each critic handles a certain subject, such as health or defence. They present their party’s policies on the subject and comment on government policies.The NDP said in the last election they wanted to make Parliament work. They stated during the campaign they would not only oppose the government and hold them to account, they would also make alternative proposals to the government ie make Parliament work.
What makes The NDP different is that most opposition over the last 30 plus years have simply offered opposition and little in alternative solutions. This has cemented in many people's minds that to be effective as the Official Opposition, one must vehemently oppose and the more excited you are to oppose the better.
The NDP have been focusing attention on the fact that little gets done, largely because the opposition and government just butt heads. The NDP have decided to focus on getting things done, ie working with government to propose alternatives and or improvements to legislation and budgets rather than simply oppose.
Of course the NDP are not simply going to let the Government use its majority without making their objections known. They will in fact be very diligent in this aspect of their role. The ending of the postal lockout was an example of the NDP doing what it could to oppose the Government's agenda.
This fall will be the big test as will the budget debate in the spring. We will have to wait and see how it all plays out, whether the NDP's approach to opposition is more effective than that of the Liberals and or the Conservatives over the last 30 plus years.
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