Rally for Democracy

Is it time for Canadians to push for a motion of non-confidence and fire Mr. Harper for contempt of Parliament, election fraud of 2006, and mismanagement of our tax payer’s money? Women’s Alliance Party says YES!

Contempt of Parliament is described in the House of Commons Procedure and Practice manual as "any conduct which offends the authority or dignity of the House, even though no breach of any specific privilege may have been committed." This offense of obstructing the Parliament and Parliamentary Committees from the carrying out of their functions is what we hope Canadians can clearly see. They failed to see this in 2006, when, in order to avoid an election, they allowed an unethical government engaged in fraudulent practices, evasive techniques, and unscrupulous actions, to continue to govern, by dissolving Parliament and allowing an election.

We have ourselves to blame too.

We should have taken the former Governor General Rt HON Michaelle Jean to task when she seriously erred and caused the dissolution of the Parliament Committee on Ethics and Access to Information that was investigating the fraudulent funding scheme used by 65 Conservatives in the 2006 election.

Look where our complicity and error has got us now?

How much longer will a compliant Governor General support such practices, techniques and actions?

How many Conservatives will fall on their own swords or take hemlock to protect their leader’s and party’s reputation, before they understand where their leader has taken them?

(The completion of this article will appear on our website at www.womensallianceparty.com)

Join us tomorrow from 1:00 pm to 4:00 p.m. on Parliament Hill

Take the outrage, right to the source.

Stephen Harper -- the only Prime Minister in Canadian history to be accused of election fraud -- has spent the last five years attacking our democracy. His government has lied to and obstructed Parliament more than any other in history, and he thinks that being attacked for it is just a distraction.

Enough is enough.

Rally for Democracy in Canada -- Unseat Stephen Harper

Hope for Japan

KIBOU (Hope)

The Women's Alliance Party expresses its heartfelt sorrow and anguish at what the Japanese people are going through as a result of the earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.

We are not rich to send millions, but we can send our thoughts of empathy and solidarity to all the women who have lost loved ones, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, all who survived the earthquake and tsunami and who now grieve alone in fear and despair, unable to bury their lost ones and unable to protect the living from what could be a very precarious future.

We invite all our members to remember those who are caught up in this upheaval and the others taking place in the Middle East, especially Libya and Bahrain, in solidarity with courageous women who care and who dare.

Sincerely,
Esther and Shannon

Fair Vote Responds

Dear Fair Vote:

It was with great pleasure that we came across your movement to bring reform to the electoral system in Canada. This is the first and foremost activity that all citizens should be actively working towards. Everything else hinges on this issue. It is great to see that we have an organization that is doing just that.

A few of us are starting a new federal political party called the Women's Alliance Party. Because this issue is our major ‘platform’, we would like to get in touch with you so that we can learn about your activities, join your campaigns and become actively involved in awareness building.

Please do contact us.

Best regards
Esther Matharu

Esther:

Thank you for your interest in Fair Vote Canada!

You have come to the right place. As you may know, every country that elects at least 30% women to its legislature uses a proportional voting system. Removing systemic barriers to the election of women is one of the founding core principles of Fair Vote Canada.

I am copying this to June Macdonald, who is Chair of the Women's Caucus of Fair Vote Canada.

I would encourage you and your members to do two things right away—sign the Declaration of Voters' Rights and join Fair Vote Canada. Both of these things can be done at http://FairVote.Ca. Note that those who join before March 31 will be eligible to vote in this year's national election of officers.

I look forward to meeting you and discussing your plans.

Wayne Smith

Executive Director

Fair Vote Canada

Impeachment Process at Queen's U. Not Ethical

Dear Principal of Queen's University,

That the question of impeachment should even come up shows how far we as Canadians have fallen off the path of democracy and freedom of speech. Nick Day should not be impeached for writing a bold letter, expressing what is long overdue, and putting Mr. Ignatieff in his place. He spoke the truth about Israel’s apartheid policies and Mr.Ignatieff’s unethical and self serving support for Israel. Mr. Ignatieff's hypocrisy, as a former academic himself, is absolutely astounding.

Amartya Sen wrote in the 'Argumentative Indian' that "The point [rather] is that democracy is intimately connected with public discussion and interactive reasoning".

What critics of Mr. Day are trying to do here, out of a deep seated fear that comes from the knowledge that there is grave injustice being acknowledged publicly, is to pick on the fact that Mr. Day signed his letter as the Rector. However, what Mr. Day has done - and it is his responsibility to do - is simply to defend 'public discussion and interactive reasoning'.

The argument that he might have signed in his name is ridiculous. What would that have changed? Did Mr. Ignatieff not sign his letter as party leader?

I have attended these IAW meetings and can say that only those who feel guilty take any notice.

We are very disappointed in Queen's University's even considering an impeachment of its highly respected Rector, and will continue to write letters to you in defence of Mr. Day.

Sincerely

Esther Matharu
Women's Alliance Party

York University Seeks Answers

A request came over the transom today from a women's studies group at York University who are doing a small research project for a presentation for a women's studies seminar on activist groups.

The questionnaire wasn't necessarily directed at us but we thought that this group of students/scholars would no doubt like to know about the grass roots activism on a federal level that started a little more than two months ago here in Ottawa. The course focuses on the connections between gender, militarization, and globalization and the students will be presenting a brief overview during the seminar.

Here is the response which Esther and I worked on together:

The newly-formed grass-roots Women's Alliance Party is interested in offering you a brief overview of our ideals and principals.

We are a new federal political party particularly concerned that the top-down, hierarchical model of our current government is not serving Canada well and certainly, is not a model the most women (and many men) take well. Please see our website, www.womensallianceparty.com for more details.

Your questions and our answers below:

What would you say the uniting ideal and/or value of the WOMEN'S ALLIANCE PARTY would be?

We are a movement that seeks to engage more women and men to recognize the limitations and failure of the current paradigm and adopt a model that is synergistic, inclusive and post-heroic. Women will not wish to get involved in politics so long as we do not have electoral reforms, without which marginalized groups, smaller parties and majority groups such as the 51% of female Canadians will never have a representative voice.

Is the WOMEN'S ALLIANCE PARTY concerned with trying to attain a diverse membership that is representative of all women and reflective of all their identities?

Absolutely. We are inclusive and men are welcome to join.

While women are united under one title there are benefits to working independently versus organizing transnationally is there a particular reason why the initiatives have remained separate rather than becoming part of a broader collective?

We are keen on expressing the tenets of the Women's Alliance Party around the world and will seek to establish connections everywhere. Our vision is a Women's Alliance Party in every country where women need more political representation.

What are some of the challenges you encounter in your initiative?

Not enough hours in the day to do everything we must to ensure registration of WAP/PAF within the next two months. We want to be on the ballot in the upcoming federal election.

The name we have chosen gives rise to discussions and starts conversations. It is mostly some female academics and some men, especially from ethnic backgrounds, who object to the name. Interesting.


From Esther Matharu, Leader, Women's Alliance Party
Shannon Lee Mannion, Secretary, Women's Alliance Party
www.womensallianceparty.com




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WAP/PAF's Response to Jason Kenney and Israeli Apartheid Week

Dear Mr. Kenney,

It is good to have you come out against the Israeli Apartheid Week. The reasons you give remind us why it is so important for people to understand the purpose of this movement, and why so many Canadians should be concerned.

What you clearly demonstrate is the reverse of anti-Semitism. By using the word anti-Semitism you are proving how distanced you are from the reality that you refuse to acknowledge. Anti-Semitism is not what this is about. Maybe you do not remember what the apartheid ideology is. The crime of apartheid is defined by the 2002 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as inhumane acts of a character similar to other crimes against humanity "committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_of_apartheid)

Further to the failure of your arguments to take into consideration the real problems of apartheid, you minimize the issues to the point of appearing ridiculous in your ignorance.

At the core of the problem are the issues of justice and people's rights to be scandalized by apartheid. Hence the voices of the people will not be silenced, now or in the future.

Sorry that you are unable to think for yourself and demonstrate integrity on this issue. As a consequence, your credibility suffers great loss.

Respectfully,

Esther Matharu

Partisanship is Killing Canada

Dear Ms. May, Mr. Layton, Mr. Duceppe and Mr. Ignatieff,

Partisanship is killing Canada.

If you were approachable, if we the majority of citizens could simply give you a message, this is what it would be.

Now is the time to move beyond party politics that have ruined our country and join forces to defeat Mr. Harper's regime. I can't begin to tell you how disgusted the citizens are with the bickering and pettiness which abases and demeans our political space.

The electorate expects you to do nothing less than unite our country, not under party differences but under service to our country in safe guarding its resources, human and other. This is your civic responsibility.

The divide and rule methodology has been working well. If you truly care about Canadians, then refuse to be divided, get on with your job of serving the people, and show us that men and women of good will are able to put the interests of Canadians in first place.

If not, new people will come and take over and the old discourses and their authors will be relegated to the pile of disgraced relics of the 20th century!

We make this humble request that you agree on the common denominators under which you can work towards positive change in our country. For example, both Mr. Dewar and Mr. Naqvi have joined Fair Vote. This is a very positive and timely signal and shows that the fundamental question of fair representation of our marginalised and minority groups and people, and even the majority of Canadians, will be addressed for the betterment of all.

With hope and expectation

Esther Matharu
Women's Alliance Party