The Proletariat Congress

Many of us at one time or another in our lives have thought of writing to our MP or Congressman or Senator.� We have likely had a topic that was of great concern to us and we wished to see this topic raised during parliamentary season.� So, in an attempt to be politically active, we write a letter and more often than not we get a reply, though that reply is generic and meaningless.� It is a rare treat to get a politician who will answer your question.

I wish to highlight a case example at this time of what a good response from a politician should look like.

A while back I wrote a letter expressing concern over Bill C-484 to the NDP, the party I vote for and a party I feel represents me as a Canadian, even if my local MP is a Liberal.� I explained how I felt about the bill and how it didn’t truly respect my rights as a woman.

I wrote it back in May.� Today I opened my inbox and I was greeted with a pleasant surprise; I had a response back from the NDP.� I was expecting it to be a generic response at the time but when I clicked on it, I found that it answers my question and provides me with more details about what the party is doing to ensure that the bill isn’t passed.

I have attached the email in question to this post because I want to share it with everyone who has ever felt that there is no one who will listen to your legitimate concerns.� There are politicians who will listen and will take the time to heed your concerns.

Thank you, Mr Layton.� It’s a shame that more Canadians don’t see you as a real leader.

Thank you for writing concerning Bill C-484, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (injuring or causing the death of an unborn child while committing an offence).

Please know that I am receiving many letters and emails from others who also agree that C-484 must be stopped. Let me assure you that my NDP caucus colleagues and I stand firm in support of women’s right to choose. We are united in our opposition to Bill C-484 and when it is returned to Parliament for a final vote, the NDP caucus will vote against it.

Speaking in opposition to Bill C-484 in the House of Commons, New Democrat Members of Parliament articulated that such a measure would open the door to restricting a women’s right to choose and therefore must not become law.� A “fetal homicide” law would completely sidestep the issue of domestic abuse and do nothing to protect pregnant women from violence before it happens. It would also do nothing to protect women who are abused shortly after giving birth. Foremost, the government has an obligation to make sure that women’s rights are protected by addressing the systemic problem of domestic violence.

NDP MPs also stressed that effective measures to stop violence against women, particularly pregnant women, and children must be undertaken. These include investments in: programmes to end violence against women, affordable housing, regulated child care, improvements to maternity and parental leave and the legislation for proactive pay equity.

As you may know, the NDP is the only federal party which has publicly declared support for a women’s right to choose. The NDP has consistently stood for universal access to abortion services for women and believe that reproductive freedoms must be guaranteed for all Canadian women, regardless of income or where they live.

Finally, we are proud of the efforts of Irene Mathyssen (NDP critic for the status of women) and Judy Wasylycia-Leis (NDP caucus chair) in launching our comprehensive action plan for equality in Canada. We have also challenged the leaders of all other parties to join us in addressing issues affecting women. Key issues addressed in our proposal include: equal pay for equal work, child care, workplace flexibility, affordable housing, women in politics, human trafficking, discrimination, violence, parental and maternity benefits, and much more. For complete details, we encourage you to visit: http://www.ndp.ca/fairnessforwomen.

Again, we appreciate the opportunity to explain our position on this important matter. Feel free to pass along this email to anyone who may be interested. All the best.

Sincerely,
Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth)
Leader, New Democratic Party of Canada

While I normally refrain from writing about personal matters in my blog, I’m going to take this opportunity to write about my newest decision.� As of today, I’m taking a more active approach to politics in my country.� I’ve become a member of the NDP (New Democratic Party of Canada).� For those of you who aren’t Canadian, the NDP are the socialist party, that exists at both the provincial and federal levels.

I was particularly interested in doing this for a while but only decided today because of the upcoming provincial elections that will be happening in October here in Ontario, in which two of the hot button issues is faith-based school funding and electorial reform, which would see the current FPTP (first-past-the-post) possibly replaced by the MMP (mixed member proportional), if it garners enough votes in the upcoming election, which is also serving as a referendum.

For those of you who are wondering, MMP would give each voter essentially two votes.� The first vote would be for the party of your choice; the party that you feel best represents you.� The second vote would be for the actual MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament) who represents the riding in the legislature.� This would defeat the old system of FPTP, where even if the elected MP (or MPP) didn’t have even 50% of the vote they still got the seat simply because they had the most votes overall.

The MMP system would give underdog parties a greater chance to represent a larger portion of their members and supporters in the legislature and it would give people a greater voice because the legislature would no longer be dominated by those who won their riding simply because they had more votes than their opponents, even if they took less than half of the votes in their riding.

This system would serve as a challenge to stagnant ideologies by allowing a greater range of input into a system that has for too long been dominated by those who hold wealth and power.

It’s easy to say, “oh I’d like to do that one day”, it’s another to actually make the move.� My next move will be to find out what I can actually do to be active.� I’ve been interested in this for a while, so I’m quite excited about this.� It’s a great chance to learn more about what works in this country.

One in five Canadians are uninsured for drug costs and 3.5 million Canadians have no coverage at all.

There are 33 million Canadians and counting according to the last census conducted. Even those who are covered, they are covered to various degrees under a variety of programmes; either through a private plan they have bought, a plan provided by their workplace or a provincial plan.

I take a plethora of medication but I am one of the lucky ones who has coverage. If my household didn’t have the generous prescription drug plan offered by my fiancé’s workplace we would be paying through the nose. We wouldn’t qualify for social assistance if we needed it. We would be like the many Canadians caught between a rock and a hard place.

Why should Canadians have to pick between putting food on the table and buying their medication? Why should it be a choice at all?

There’s a patchwork of coverage across the country. “When it comes to health care, every Canadian should have equal access, it doesn’t matter where you are in the country,” [Layton] told the Canadian Pharmacists Association’s annual meeting.

At least there are some politicians who know what Canadians really need.

We don’t need a Ballistic Missile Defence Shield; we don’t need our politicians debating about whether or not we should take away the right for gays to marry; we don’t need politicians who cut taxes and trash a childcare programme. We need politicians who look out for Canadian interests that actually matter to everyone.

Why get “tough” on crime when there are people are dying because they can’t afford their prescription drugs?

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And the Conservatives are the weakest link. They are out of tune with what Canadians really want. We want healthcare. We want strong cities. We want to see our environment last long enough for the next generation to enjoy.

Layton asks for support on drug plan

Or even Dion seems to know what Canadians want. He may be rejecting Mayor Miller’s call for a 1-cent of the GST but he knows what needs to be done to keep the heart of the country ticking. He knows tax cuts don’t achieve anything because it takes money out of the government coffers that could be used for the betterment of the nation.

“The Prime Minister is committed to decrease the GST by one additional point, that’s $5.5 billion. I will use it to fight poverty, and I will work with municipalities on that.”

Dion acknowledged “tremendous” needs to fix Canada’s infrastructure. “I want to deliver what I am able to deliver, and I want to be strong partners with (municipalities) for all the needs we mentioned today: Poverty, infrastructure, environment, immigration, aboriginal.”

Dion rejects cities’ call for 1-cent of GST

While he chooses to close a door, he leaves the window open and acknowledges that the cities have needs and knows what matters.� Provided that he does make good on it, it shouldn’t matter that he has a different plan than that the mayors of Canada have in mind as long as all roads lead to Rome.

Bears shit in the woods, the grass is green and the sky is blue.

Ontario MPPs have decided to give themselves a 25% raise.

Oh, the poor provincial politicians are starving because they cannot afford that new luxury trip now that the lobbyists are being forced to curb their briberies in light of the Federal Accountability Act, which only embraced 31 of the 52 recommendations originally proposed by the federal Tories in the last federal election. The other 21 recommendations were ditched because the Conservatives wanted loopholes so they could continue to govern with their heads shoved twenty leagues up their collective tight ass.

The humanity of it all! The provincial politicians are only earning 60% of their federal cousins, while the civil infrastructure crumbles around us, the TTC goes to hell and schools are forced to cut programs and not run deficits in order to give students a fighting chance.

McGuinty says it’s not fair that Ontario politicians make only 60 per cent of what their federal cousins, so he’s bumping that up to 75 per cent.

It’s just so unfair that the MPPs are earning about ~$88,000 per annum… that must be real hard on the families not being able to afford more than one vacation per year, what with inflation and all.

This is the same government, dominated by Conservatives under John Tory and Liberals under Dalton McQuinty that have refused to raise minimum wage to $10/h, instead of leaving it at the mere paltry, laughable sum of $8.15/h, which for a full time job doesn’t even put a person past the official line of poverty for Canada.

Of course, not all Ontario MPPs are self-serving bottom-scum suckers…

New Democrat Peter Kormos vows to donate his $22,000 raise to charity to remind voters what the Liberals and Tories gave themselves for Christmas 2006.

Raises ‘right thing to do,’ premier says

EDIT: Since I wrote this entry this morning, there is now a follow up, in which the Premier Dalton McQuintyof Ontario flaunts his disregard for the voters by saying he won’t apologise for the 25% pay raise that the Ontario MPPs gave themselves, and doesn’t appear to care that it looks like a Christmas present that the MPPs have given themselves.

McGuinty said it didn’t matter that the move looks like a Christmas present from politicians to themselves.

“There is never a right time to do this. That’s why we have this 40 per cent gap (with MPs).”

McGuinty delivered an impromptu five-minute defence of his latest about-face today, pointing to much higher salaries for MPs, like his brother David McGuinty, who represents the same Ottawa riding as the premier.

“My brother, God bless his soul, as a backbencher in Opposition, he’s making more than my cabinet ministers,” McGuinty said. “That difference is not sustainable.”

What’s the matter?� Suffering from irreversible small penis syndrome any?

Want further proof that Liberals are worthy of being labelled amoral bottom suckers?

“Right now as a cabinet minister, I’m making less than the mayor of Windsor,” said Energy Minister Dwight Duncan.

Or how about….

Democratic Renewal Minister Marie Bountrogianni also made no apologies.

“There are many that believe our work is more important on a day-to-day basis than our federal counterparts,” she said.

Well, what about all the people earning minimum wage?� How are you going to explain your pay raise to them?� Why do the politicians have the authority to give themselves such a pay raise, while creating mounds of bureaucratic paper work and red tape for those looking for a day’s fair pay.

The only financially moral party is the provincial NDP under Howard Hampton (at least for the province of Ontario).

The Conservatives support the 25 per cent pay hike, but the New Democrats were fuming today about a move they called repugnant and unjustifiable, and at least two members vowed to donate their $22,000 raise to charity.

McGuinty: No apologies for 25% raise