Signatures for Petition e-4802

Thank-you so very much to everyone who has signed my restore UNWRA Funding Petition!

Imagine: 3,051 signatures in only 5 days!

Sign Petition e-4802

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled

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Whereas:

•  In 1949 the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was established to carry out direct relief and works programs for Palestinian refugees.

•  UNRWA is the primary provider of humanitarian aid: food, social services, healthcare, schools, refugee camps, and microfinance, sustaining the lives of millions of civilians, more than half of them children, in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, blockaded by Israel since 2007.

A Lake Huron Nuclear Deep Geological Repository?

[Guest Post by Louisette Lanteigne]

OK. So there is this project to bury nuclear waste beside Lake Huron called the Lake Huron Deep Gelological Repository project, or DGR for short.

Over 92,000 people signed petitions against it. Read the Globe and Mail article Petition opposing Ontario nuclear waste plan garners 92,000 signatures.

Here is a list of Ontario Members of Parliament who have passed resolutions against it.

Over 180 municipal resolutions passed, representing 22 million people in Canada & US demanding stop of Lake Huron nuclear repository

And now Ontario Power Generation just released a new study saying there is NO PUBLIC INTEREST in this plan:
Public not concerned about moving nuclear waste bunker from Lake Huron according to Ontario report

What did they use to say that? They based their info on Twitter and Google searches while completely negating the resolutions, the petitions and MPs.

OPG’s Deep Geologic Repository Project

For Low & Intermediate Level Waste
Study of Alternate Locations Main Submission [PDF]
00216-REP-07701-00013

excerpt: pages 72 and 73

7.2.2 DGR Not a Concern
Research shows that there is little interest among the general public regarding the DGR Project at the Bruce Nuclear site. OPG had a social media analysis prepared in the fall of 2016. The analysis began with a detailed query in Sysomos MAP – a media analysis platform that provides news, blogs, forums, tweets and many other media results. A year’s worth of data was passed through IBM Watson’s Alchemy – a language analysis platform to identify key themes identified from OPG DGR related media activity and conversations in the past year. In addition to media analysis, the Google Keyword Planning Tool as well as Google Trends was used to understand how Ontarians are seeking information about nuclear waste disposal. In particular, the analysis focused on the keywords being used, and the frequency with which Ontarians are looking for this information.

The analysis showed that Ontarians are not looking for information on nuclear waste disposal in large volumes. This topic is not a popular one, nor is it generating large volumes of curiosity.

• Compared to other energy related keywords (wind turbines, solar power) there is very
  little curiosity about nuclear waste disposal, or deep geologic repositories.
• DGR related searches are at a frequency of virtually zero, and nuclear waste as a topic
  shows less interest amongst Canadians than other energy topics.
• Looking at how Ontarians search, there is an even greater discrepancy. Energy and
  power are more important (or generate more curiosity) than disposal and waste related
  searches.
• Currently, interest in DGR in Ontario has flat-lined; outside of a spike in May 2015
  attributed to the release of the Joint Review Panel report, there has been very little
  search frequency for ‘deep geologic repository’.

Download the PDF of the full study here.

Email Justin.Trudeau@parl.gc.ca and Catherine.McKenna@parl.gc.ca and let them know what you think.

Find out more — and what you can do to help at Stop The Great Lakes Nuclear Dump

Masse: Storing Nuclear Waste Close to the Great Lakes is an Unnecessary Risk

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The Federal Government has extended the deadline to make a decision on this twice has been extended twice; I believe the current deadline is August 12, 2017 ~ Laurel

An Open Letter to Canada’s Industry Minister James Moore

“Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s child? I don’t think so.” That from Federal Minister of Industry James Moore who is also the Member of Parliament for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam. He says it’s the responsibility of the provinces to deal with child poverty, and Ottawa has no plans to step in.

— Federal minister says child poverty not Ottawa’s problem

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Dear Minister Moore:

Uncivilized societies expel the aged, the infirm and the poor, leaving them to their fate. Civilized societies are supposed to care for all their members, including the poor and the weak.

In the days before Income Tax, Canadians made donations and contributed to charitable organizations; many paid tithes to our churches with the expectation they would look out for the poor. Many more simply fed the unemployed folks who showed up at our doors looking for food.

Over time, as we spread out and diversified, it seemed like a good idea for the government to take on this work.  Canadians pay a great deal of money to the Government of Canada in the form of Income Tax, which was supposed to be a temporary War Measure.  This money is supposed to pay for infrastructure as well as social programs,  because we want a civil society.    We pay our taxes with the expectation the government will ensure all Canadians, children and adults, will have the necessities of life.

As Corporate Tax rates have declined, Canadian Income Tax rates have risen. But even with the high proportion of taxes we pay, our governments at all levels are letting the most vulnerable Canadian citizens down.

Food banks, once thought to be a temporary emergency measure, have become a staple. Instead of our government making adequate provisions for the welfare of all Canadians, working Canadians must increase our support of Food Banks — in addition to our high levels of Income Tax — because the government is NOT doing its part.

What does our high rate of Income Tax support if Canadian Children are still going hungry?

The argument that child poverty is exclusively a provincial concern doesn’t wash. If Provincial Governments lack the wherewithal to deal with child poverty, it is because the Federal Government has failed to provide sufficient funding. The reality is that all levels of government are funded by the very same taxpayers.

Canadians are rapidly learning all Federal Government control is centralized in the PMO and Cabinet under our current political system.   You enjoy the privilege of being a Cabinet Minister, but that job  carries with it a responsibility to your constituency.  While your MP constituency may be limited to citizens of the Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam electoral district, your Ministerial constituency encompasses all Canadians.   Even me.

Tell you what, Mr. Moore, if the Harper Government stops collecting Income Tax, Canadians will step up and reclaim the task of caring for our poor.  Then we can decide for ourselves if our money would be better spent on corporate welfare — like giving banks bail-outs and paying for Tar Sands advertising —  or on human welfare — like feeding needy Canadians – most of whom are children.

Until that happens, though, it *is* your job, as a Federal Minister, as a Member of Parliament, as a Canadian PUBLIC SERVANT, to make sure that Canadian children have the necessities of life.

Regards,
Laurel L. Russwurm

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The real question is why do the citizens of James Moore‘s electoral district, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam keep feeding James Moore?

This petition calling for James Moore’s resignation suggests I am not the only Canadian offended by this powerful Harper Government Minister’s cavalier dismissal of the needs of Canadian children.

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Update

Today James Moore issued an apology on his website for “an insensitive comment.” He regrets making such a comment.

It almost sounds as though he might have read my letter, as he talks about how all levels of government and society need to care for those in need.

But then he goes on to talk about the great work that has been done to tackle poverty and its associated challenges. That’s where he lost me. In November of this year, CBC reported that the province which sent James Moore to Parliament, B.C. has highest child poverty rate in Canada: report

Yes, many hardworking selfless individuals have struggled mightily to battle the poverty that engulfs so many Canadians, most of them children. But it will not improve so long as the Federal Government fails to provide real funding.

First Call BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition noted [in a July, 2013] press release that when you delve deeper into family types the numbers get worse. For lone-parent mothers the poverty rate soared moving from 16.4% to 24.6%, representing 27,000 children. For two-parent families with children the numbers experiencing poverty grew as well by 10,000 to a total of 61,000 children. This is shocking for a one-year time period.

While the BC government is reticent to implement a provincial poverty plan, they did attempt to work with seven cities across BC to establish local poverty strategies. No funding was given to the cities and regions were left to develop their own initiative based on local services. Since this announcement in April 2012, there has been no update from the BC government on the status of these ‘plans’ or poverty in these communities. Looking at the recent numbers, the patchwork anti-poverty programs and focus on jobs is not enough to address poverty.

— Canada Without Poverty: Updated Numbers Released

Clearly, there will be no meaningful improvement until all levels of government — starting at the Federal Level — do more than mouth meaningless platitudes. That a Federal Cabinet Minister could even think such a thing, let alone say it aloud to a reporter demonstrates insensitivity and a shocking disconnect from the real world where the rest of Canada lives.

Mr. Moore has apologized for his personal insensitivity, but has he reversed his position? When Ebenezer Scrooge had his eyes opened, he demonstrated his change in attitude with concrete actions. James Moore offers only hollow words instead of any concrete actions.

I am sorry such a man is a Canadian Cabinet Minister. That’s why I urge every Canadian to sign the petition:

change.org: James Moore, MP, Minister of Industry: Resign as MP

Image Credit:

James Moore by Heather/Kashmera released inder a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License

Conservative MP presents Proportional Representation petition

The Fair Vote Canada Waterloo Region Chapter presented the Proportional Representation Petition to Kitchener Centre MP Stephen Woodworth last month.

Yesterday, on December 9th, 2013, the Conservative MP raised eyebrows on Parliament Hill when he presented the Proportional Representation petition to Parliament.

Fair Electoral Representation: Petition to the House of Commons

A petition to ensure Canadians have a fair electoral system

Whereas:

• Our winner-take-all voting system results in a House of Commons where the number of MPs a party’s supporters elect does not reflect the number of voters who cast ballots for that party;
• Fair voting systems better reflect the will of voters, let them vote for the candidate or party they prefer, and give each community fair and accountable representation.

We, the undersigned residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to immediately undertake public onsultations across Canada to amend the
Canada Elections Act to ensure voters:

• Can cast an equal and effective vote to be represented fairly in parliament, regardless of political belief or place of residence;
• Are governed by a fairly elected parliament where the share of seats held by each political party closely reflects the popular vote;
• Live under legitimate laws approved by a majority of elected parliamentarians, representing a majority of voters;

And to introduce a suitable form of proportional representation after these public consultations.

— Fair Vote Canada printable petition PDF

Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth

When the Fair Vote chapter presented the petition to the Conservative MP, Stephen Woodworth spent the better part of an hour discussing the issue with them. During that conversation, he made a commitment to look into it further and to present it to Parliament. And so he did.

YouTube: Proportional Representation
MP Stephen Woodworth meets FVC Waterloo #1 ”

YouTube: Proportional Representation
MP Stephen Woodworth meets FVC Waterloo #2

If you believe the votes of all Canadians should count, you can find out more about meaningful electoral reform from your local Fair Vote Canada chapter or action group. If there isn’t one nearby, you can start your own, or simply print your own petition to present to your own MP.

If you do, don’t forget to let me know so I can blog about it 🙂

Canadians say “No” to the Cruel Crime Bill

The draft legislation is called Bill C-10 An Act to enact the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act and to amend the State Immunity Act, the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and other Acts

It is unnecessary and it goes way too far.

Instead of spending $100,000 per year ~ each ~ to incarcerate each petty criminals, wouldn’t it be better to direct some of the money that the government wants to spend on jails to addressing underlying problems like child poverty?

One of the biggest problems is the quantity of very different legislation that is being lumped together in this Omnibus Bill. It’s one thing to collect several books together and repackage them as an “Omnibus” but the idea of bundling several bills together means that they don’t get the attention that they should. Making law in haste is never in the public interest.

You don’t have to take my word for it, do a web search and fast tracking it see what they’re saying online:

• ixQuick Cruel Crime Bill
• DuckDuckGo Cruel Crime Bill
• Scroogle Cruel Crime Bill
• Seeks Cruel Crime Bill
• Ask Cruel Crime Bill
• Google Cruel Crime Bill
• Yahoo Cruel Crime Bill
• Bing Cruel Crime Bill

Leadnow has taken the lead in the fight against the Omnibus Crime Bill:

National Days of Action:
Thu 24 & Fri 25th November, 2011

The Leadnow website provides information on:

• how to find your local protest events,
• guidance on starting your own,
• Keep Canada Safe Petition
• as well as offering solid information as to why this bill will be harmful if passed.

You can also sign the AZAZ petition Stop Harper’s cruel crime bill directed to the Premiers.

And last but not least, you can listen to what Rick Mercer has to say:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWwEwUz45_I