Understanding Democracy

“There are many ways of understanding democracy,” said the Federal Appeals Court judge this morning during the session about whether a ruling to force the CRTC to include Ms. May in the televised leaders' debate could take effect. Despite popular outcry and the many voices calling for a review of the guidelines that the CRTC cooked up at the onset of election period, the judge made clear that he would not be swayed from his peculiar understanding of democracy.

He simply, and with very few words, threw out the request to expedite a ruling on Monday 11^th April.

To be fair, the judge, however openly prejudiced he was, seemed to realise that he was in a very difficult position. If he allowed the ruling, the consortium could scream about interference by government. If he disallowed the ruling, he would have to face accusations of partiality with leanings towards undemocratic powers, which have been shown to be swaying Canada off its course of reason, common sense and democracy.

By the end of the day we are left wondering what has happened to a country we felt was able to safeguard and protect our institutions, our poor, our marginalised and our minorities. Any broadcasting corporation that excludes voices, especially during this time when they have a clear mandate - a duty in fact - to provide and ensure equal treatment of all political parties is biased when it refuses to include a party that represents 6% of the people.

The Women’s Alliance Party stands by the Green Party’s legitimate demands, even more so that this party is led by a courageous woman who cares for the Canada we want. She ought to be invited to debate with the other leaders without bias and prejudice, instead of having to beg and fight for this right on behalf of the electorate.

WAP continues to stress that until Canadians wake up to the fact that the current FPTP electoral system is deeply flawed and accepts to have reform that will allow all votes to count, we will continue to suffer the inevitable erosion of our democratic space.

What it boils down to is that we, the citizens, have the right to receive information delivered in a fair and neutral way, to make crucial decisions for our future and the future of the next generation.

No matter what, it was a great media opportunity for Ms. May and the Greens. That, in itself, was good strategy!

Students Have Voting Power

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL

Vote Harper out of government

The Editorial Board

Published on April 4, 2011

Stephen Harper has called the May election “unnecessary,” and claims he wants to get back to the job of governing. In the past year, Harper’s government has had four senior Conservatives charged by Elections Canada for intentionally exceeding campaign spending limits in the 2006 election, barred his ministers from speaking to the press, and acted with complete disregard for the principles of accountability. These events culminated in the Conservative government becoming the first in Canadian history to be found in contempt of parliament, as a result of the refusal to publicize the full cost of crime legislation and corporate tax cuts.

This style of government has given us five years of large-scale funding cuts to key social programs – such as arts funding, Aboriginal women’s programs, and programs to help immigrants – and the abandonment of any environmental responsibility, exemplified through the government’s continued support of the Tar Sands.

This election is crucial. If granted a majority, the Conservatives will take it as a mandate from Canadians that their style of governance, their lack of transparency, and their lack of social responsibility are acceptable. We have a duty as voters to tell them that this is not the case.

To prevent the Conservatives from winning a majority and unseat the Harper government, it is both a viable and legitimate option to cast your vote strategically. We, as students, have a unique opportunity because we can both choose where to vote – in our home ridings or here in Montreal – as well as which party to support.

http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2011/04/vote-harper-out-of-government/?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d9a5a194fdcab30%2C0

What the Conservatives Have Cut

This is a list compiled by Dennis Gruending, a former NDP Member of Parliament. Is it any wonder that we need to keep an eye on what's going on?

Originally, the Women's Alliance Party was going to be called the Women's Watch Party. We weren't far off the track with that name. S.

Stephen Harper's firing range: A list of 87 organizations and people attacked in five years

April 1, 2011

The Conservative government, or the Harper government as it insists upon being called, has either fallen or engineered its own defeat and the election is upon us. This is perhaps a good time to take stock of who the Harperites have spent their time attacking in the past several years. They have also lavished favour on their own, appointing them to be judges, to the Immigration Review Board, the CRTC, the Senate or other federal agencies.

The list of organizations that have been shut down and cut back, and the individuals bullied, is a long one and we can expect it to grow if, as seems likely, Harper is reelected.

I have written extensively about some of these actions, including the government's attack on the ecumenical group KAIROS and the shameful treatment of the Rights and Democracy organization, but I cannot claim that my list is comprehensive. The following list was compiled primarily by Judith Szabo and by Pearl Eliadis for "Voices," a coalition of organizations and individuals which describes itself as "united in defence of democracy, free speech and transparency in Canada."

Organizations/ watchdogs whose staff have been fired, forced out, publicly maligned, or who have resigned in protest:

• Canada Firearms Program (Chief Supt. Marty Cheliak, Director General)

• Canadian Wheat Board [1] (Adrian Measner, President and CEO)

• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (Linda Keen, chair)

• Foreign Affairs (Richard Colvin, diplomat)

• Military Police Complaints Commission (head, Peter Tinsley)

• Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces (Yves Coté)

• Parliamentary Budget Officer (Kevin Page) (funding cut)

• RCMP Police Complaints Commission (Paul Kennedy, chair)

• Rights & Democracy (International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development - Rémy Beauregard, President)

• Statistics Canada (Munir Sheikh, Deputy Minister)

• Veterans Ombudsman (Col. Pat Stogran)

• Victims of Crime, Ombudsman (Steve Sullivan)

Community organizations, NGOs and research bodies reported to have been cut or defunded.

"Defunding" is the term used by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. In many instances, it is about turning down grant applications rather than cutting off funding midstream, but for organizations who rely on renewed program funding to support their work, and have done so for many years, it amounts to the same thing.

• Action travail des femmes

• Afghan Association of Ontario, Canada Toronto

• Alberta Network of Immigrant Women

• Alternatives (Quebec)

• Association féminine d'éducation et d'action sociale (AFEAS)

• Bloor Information and Life Skills Centre: Citizenship and Immigration Canada Cut or significantly reduced their principal funding -- approximately $471,000. Source: Globe and Mail.

• Brampton Neighbourhood Services (Ontario): Cut in the last few years [2] by federal government because of alleged mismanagement.

• Canadian Arab Federation

• Canadian Child Care Federation

• Canadian Council for International Cooperation

• Canadian Council on Learning

• Canadian Council on Social Development

• Canadian Heritage Centre for Research and Information on Canada

• Canadian International Development Agency, Office of Democratic Governance

• The Office of Democratic Governance, which channeled much of Canada's democracy funding, has been disbanded by CIDA.

• Canadian Labour Business Centre

• Canada Policy Research Networks

• Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women

• Canada School of Public Service

• Canadian Teachers' Federation International program

• Canadian Volunteerism Initiative

• Centre de documentation sur l'éducation des adultes et la condition feminine

• Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA)

• Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples (Toronto)

• Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada

• Childcare Resource and Research Unit, Specialink

• Climate Action Network

• Community Access Program, internet access for communities at libraries, post offices, community centres

• Community Action Resource Centre (CARC)

• Conseil d'intervention pour l'accès des femmes au travail (CIAFT)

• Court Challenges Program (except language rights cases and legacy cases)

• Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Centre Toronto: (Funding cut by CIC in December 2010).

• Democracy Council: A forum for discussion and collaboration among Canadian democracy promotion agencies. It has reportedly disappeared despite stated earlier commitments and interest from both government and NGOs to see it continue and even expand.

• Department of Foreign Affairs, Democracy Unit

• Folded into the Francophonie and Commonwealth division.

• Elspeth Heyworth Centre for Women Toronto: (Funding cut by CIC in December 2010).

• Environment: Youth International Internship Program

• Eritrean Canadian Community Centre of Metropolitan Toronto (Funding cut by CIC in December 2010)

• Feminists for Just and Equitable Public Policy (FemJEPP) in Nova Scotia

• First Nations Child and Family Caring Society

• First Nations and Inuit Tobacco Control Program

• Forum of Federations

• Global Environmental Monitoring System

• HRD Adult Learning and Literacy programs

• HRD Youth Employment Programs

• Hamilton's Settlement and Integration Services Organization (Ontario)

Cut in the last few years by federal government because of alleged mismanagement: Source [2]

• Immigrant settlement programs

• Inter-Cultural Neighbourhood Social Services (Peel)

Cut in the last few years by federal government because of alleged mismanagement: Source [2]

• International Planned Parenthood Federation

• Kairos: Including Anglican Church of Canada, Christian Reformed Church in North America, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Mennonite Central Committee, Presbyterian Church in Canada, United Church of Canada, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Canadian Religious Conference, and the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund.

• Law Reform Commission of Canada

• Mada Al-Carmel Arab Centre

• Marie Stopes International, a maternal health agency -- has received only a promise of "conditional funding IF it avoids any and all connection with abortion.

• MATCH International

• National association of Women and the Law (NAWL)

• Native Women's Association of Canada

• New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity

• Northwood Neighbourhood Services (Toronto: Funding cut by CIC in December 2010).

• Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH)

• Ontario Association of Transitional Housing (OAITH)

• Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care

• Pride Toronto

• Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec

• Riverdale Women's Centre in Toronto

• Sierra Club of BC

• Sisters in Spirit

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

• South Asian Women's Centre: The Centre has lost $571,000 -- all of its federal funding -- which represents nearly 70 per cent of its overall budget. Source: Globe and Mail.

• Status of Women (mandate also changed to exclude "gender equality and political justice" and to ban all advocacy, policy research and lobbying)

• Tropicana Community Services

• Womanspace Resource Centre (Lethbridge, Alberta)

• Women's Innovative Justice Initiative -- Nova Scotia

• Workplace Equity/Employment Equity Program

• York-Weston Community Services Centre Toronto

Since this story was first published, several commentators have suggested adding the Aboriginal Healing Foundation [3] to the list.

WAP Congratulates Jack Layton

Thank you, Mr. Layton, for having the will to change your mind about debates that include Ms. May.

I think between the two of you, there is a chance that we will get the Canada we need.
We love the Greens for having the environment and electoral reform as their major platforms.
We admire the NDP because they stand to defend our fundamental needs.

The only way to save our people from the coming north American bankruptcy crisis is to form a partnership with those who have demonstrated that they care the most for what we stand for: a non-military, environmentally safe, socially responsible and democratic, sovereign nation, with transparent good governance as its core mandate.

Esther Matharu
Women's Alliance Party

Democracy in Canada Eroded

Canada watches its democracy erode

• Ramesh Thakur From:
  The Australian March 30, 2011 12:00AM 33 comments

ON Friday, the minority Stephen Harper government fell on a confidence motion by a 156-145 vote. Speaking to the motion, Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff attacked the government for disrespecting Canadian democracy and treating parliament with contempt.

The myth of Canada being dull is captured in the apocryphal story that in an international competition for the most boring news headline of the year, the winning entry was "Yet another worthy Canadian initiative".

Edmund Burke noted that all that was necessary for evil to triumph was for good men to do nothing. Canadians are certainly good and worthy folks, but they suffer an excess of civil obedience, politeness and lack of civic rage that could be harnessed to combat political atrophy. At a time when Arabs risk life and limb for political freedoms, Canadians seem largely apathetic about the erosion of their democracy.

Please read the rest of this important article here:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/canada-watches-its-democracy-erode/story-e6frg6ux-1226030310248

Response to Green Party Snub

Dear Party Leaders,

Thank you for helping us make up our minds on which party to vote for in the coming elections!

For the sake of long term democracy, you should be putting Canadians in front of your party politics and bring in electoral reform as a priority so that no votes are worthless. The present system is so flawed that it leaves millions of people with either their votes trashed or so disenfranchised that they have resigned themselves to watching in disgust at the circus dog fight.

The Green Party understands what democracy is as they have electoral reform as one of their main platforms. I don't see any of you fighting for our rights to have each vote count. You have collectively refused to have the Green party leader join the debates. What are you afraid of? So what if every little party has its say? Is that not democracy? Democracy is intimately connected with public discussion and interactive reasoning, writes Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen.

When will you understand this?

Without electoral reform, the Canada you want will never be the Canada we want. This last piece of evidence shows that, unfortunately, you still have a long way to go to attain the credibility that begets respect and trust.

Esther Matharu
Women's Alliance Party

Catch 22 Campaign Launched Today

The Catch 22 Harper Conservatives campaign is a grassroots effort to help defeat the Conservative government in the next election. The aim is to challenge people who don't normally vote to go and vote especially, the young and the older generation.

In Ottawa, the group is concentrating on two communities where Conservatives won the ridings: Ottawa-Orleans and Ottawa-West Nepean. The first meeting was held today to discuss how to engage those who do not vote to go and vote.




The question of endorsement was raised, as well as the necessity to do strategic voting. Not everyone agreed to this idea but one thing did unite everyone: the urgency of ensuring that Stephen Harper does not, in any way, win a majority in the next elections.

For those who are interested in doing their bit of civic engagement in a positive, non-partisan and grassroots manner, you can go to Catch 22 website and join: http://catch22campaign.ca/