Anti-Bill 13 Protest & Counter Protest

Election Fraud Rally's Across Canada this Saturday!

All across Canada, concerned Canadians will take to the streets this Saturday, March 31st, as part of a second wave of protests in response to the widening electoral fraud scandal.

We can see more and more evidence of systematic election fraud. A recent CBC investigation found a national pattern of voters receiving misleading robocalls after they were identified as being non-Conservative, a result that suggests “that the misleading calls relied on data gathered by, and carefully guarded by, the Conservative Party.” [1]

Just this week our friends at the Council of Canadians have launched legal challenges to election results in seven key ridings where they have found significant evidence that fraud affected the result of the election. [2] With your help, we’ve sent hundreds of reports of electoral fraud to the Council of Canadians and Elections Canada to aid their investigations.

Now, as a recent poll shows that your call for a public inquiry is supported by an overwhelming majority of Canadians, it’s time to get back out into the streets and refocus attention on this issue. [3] This weekend’s rallies will demand a rapid investigation, a full public inquiry, and serious consequences for election fraud including new elections in affected ridings.

What: Rally against Election Fraud
When: Saturday March 31st (Sunday in Ottawa)
Where: Cities all across Canada - see below for a rally near you!

National Facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/388129707864596/

Not on Facebook? Check here for a list of rallies happening all across the country: http://newelectionnow.wordpress.com/rallies/

1. Brantford: Victoria Park, 1:00 pm
2. Calgary, Calgary City Hall, 1:00 pm
3. Edmonton: Sir Winston Churchill Square, 12:00 noon
4. Gatineau: Parc Moussette, 11:00 am
5. Halifax: Parade Square, 1:00 pm
6. Hamilton: Gore Park, 2:00 pm
7. Kelowna: The Sails, 1:00 pm
8. Kitchener-Waterloo: Kitchener City Hall, 1:00pm
9. Lethbridge, 255 8th St. South, 11:00 am
10. Montreal: Place Du Peuple – Square Victoria, 2:00 pm
11. Nelson: City Hall, 12:00 noon
12. Ottawa: Parliament Hill, 12:00 noon on Sunday April 1st
13. Peterborough: Confederation Park, NE corner, 1:00 pm
14. Regina: Victoria Park Plaza, 2:00pm
15. Saint John: King’s Square, 2:00 pm
16. St. John’s: Colonial Building, Military Road, 2:00 pm
17. Toronto: Old City Hall, Queen & Bay, 2:30 pm
18. Vancouver: Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St., 2:00 pm
19. Victoria: Centennial Square, 2:00 pm
20. Windsor: Charles Clark Square, 2:00 pm
21. Winnipeg: corner Osborne St, & River Ave, 2:30 pm

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner comments on 2012 Ontario budget

Strong Action, Strong Leader? Strong Response.

The following is an edited version of Premier McGuinty's letter to Ontarians.  My comments in italics.

Read the original letter here.

This is quite a place, our Ontario. (almost 8% unemployment, discriminatory schools, lack of social housing, worst gridlock in North America).

We are, all of us, blessed to live in the greatest province in the best country in the world (just don’t tell the Americans, the unemployed or those trying to live on $599 per month).

Our public schools now rank the best in the English-speaking world.

Our hospitals now have the shortest surgical wait times in the country. (Hopefully, you won’t be wanting any drugs with your surgery).

Even our economy, in the midst of a punishing global recession, has created nearly half the new jobs in Canada, and more new jobs than any of our neighbouring (Unemployment: Why Canada is trailing the U.S. on jobs. March 9, 2012: The Star. ) states.

These things didn't happen by accident. We didn't get lucky. No shit, Sherlock!

Working together, we made our publicly funded Catholic schools and our hospitals better (e-health. [1B Waste] and ORNGE ), and our economy stronger (Samsung thanks you).

But now, years of Liberal government over-spending, the recession and continued global economic uncertainty have left us with a problem: a stubborn deficit that threatens economic growth and job creation, and puts our publicly funded Catholic schools, our health care, and our very quality of life (a luxurious $599 per month for Ontario Works recipients) at risk.

We can't allow this deficit created by Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals to defeat us. And we won't.

Our strong plan will eliminate the deficit by Ontario's and Canada's 150th anniversary, on July 1, 2017. (Unless there is a 1 point increase in interest rates, among many other variables).

It won't be pretty. It won't be easy. But we will succeed.

We'll make difficult decisions and tough choices.

Sacrifices will be made. But not on the backs of the top paid CEO’s who will still get their bonuses.

But then who among us didn't grow up hearing of the hardships and sacrifices our parents and grandparents made to create a better life for us. (I recall my Mom telling me how people could walk out of high school and into a factory or office and get a job in the 60’s. As for my grandparents, we’ve all heard stories of how the economy was booming after WWII).

Well, now it's our turn. Time for our generation to stand up and take action.
We will do whatever it takes to protect the gains we've made in our publicly funded Catholic schools and our “health care” that treats illness, instead of focusing on prevention.

We'll do whatever we need to do to preserve what is so very special about this place. Special treatment for the top paid CEO’s, putting the onus of economic recovery on the backs of our poorest citizens and allowing discrimination to continue against students and teachers, in our schools and 7.4% unemployment (Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was up by 121,000. )

And we'll do it together. (Unless your a non-catholic teacher) Because that's the way we do things around here.

Together. We can do this. We're Ontario.

Dalton McGuinty

Premier of Ontario


and

Mark Daye
Citizen of Ontario

Trayvon Martin PSA

TRAYVON MARTIN PSA from DuBois Ashong on Vimeo.

Green Party of Ontario ~ 10 Key Values (a short 3 min. video)

Alec Baldwin: Boycott Circuses That Use Animals

The Downfall of Rob Ford's Subway Vision

The Future of Jarvis: Public Town Hall

Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam wants to hear from the community about the future of Jarvis Street.  If you are a cyclist, this is your chance to defend our bike lanes! 

When the Public Works Committee decided to rip out the bike lanes, Kristyn was not consulted nor was the public. Now she wants to give citizens a chance to be heard.

This is a free public event, open to everyone:

The Future of Jarvis: Public Town Hall

Tuesday, April 3rd, 6:30pm

Jarvis Collegiate Institute (at Wellesley)

Facebook rsvp:  https://www.facebook.com/events/322820747762732/


If you support the bikelanes, join us at this meeting (and wear your helmet!).

Toronto Cyclists Union

Drivers for Jarvis

Real Estate 4 Ran$ome

Real Estate 4 Ransom from Real Estate 4 Ransom on Vimeo.

A childhood lost can never be regained.

Last week I was shopping in the new Loblaws store that has taken up residence in the Maple Leaf Gardens building. The spacious store was bustling with shoppers, many taking pictures and excitedly calling friends on their iphones describing the new store. I wondered how many of them knew about the crimes that took place here, or if they cared.

Every time I go near that building, I think of Martin Kruze, a man I've never met and never will. Martin killed himself in November 1997 by jumping off the Bloor St. viaduct, a few hundred metres from where I now live.

He was one of the many children who were sexually abused in this iconic building in downtown Toronto. Martin was the first victim to come forward in 1997. I think of Martin Kruze and Sheldon Kennedy because the same year, I was going through a very public case regarding sexual abuse myself.


The effects of childhood sexual abuse lasts for years and destroys lives.

I was sharply reminded of this on Tuesday when the pedophile Graham James was sentenced to a pathetic two years in prison for repeatedly molesting Theron Fleury and his cousin Todd Holt.

I had been sexually abused for more than a decade, by two men, one an uncle and the other a family friend. It began when I was 10 years old. The uncle pleaded guilty to molesting me (and others) more than 500 times. He was sentenced to 10 years. He served about 3. The other man killed himself before standing trial.

In 1997, he also admitted to molesting Sheldon Kennedy, who played in the NHL, and another player. James served about 18 months for that conviction. 


Mr. Holt, said in a statement yesterday, "This sentence today is nothing short of a national travesty because we know that childhood sexual abuse has reached epidemic proportions in our country."  I couldn't agree more.

The province of Manitoba should appeal the sentence of Graham James. As it stands James could be out of prison by November of this year!

The survivors of childhood sexual abuse deal with the effects of the abuse daily, for the rest of their lives. Studies have proven higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse, depression and suicide.

This has to stop. We must send a strong message to those who abuse children that they will be punished to the full extent of the law.

We must send an equally strong message to the children who are being abused that we won't tolerate abuse  and they will be supported if/when they come forward.

Judge Catherine Carlson has done a great disservice to the people of Canada.


A childhood lost can never be regained. Ever.

James sentence should be appealed

OTTAWA - The Green Party of Canada is joining the calls for the Manitoba government to appeal the Graham James sentence.  The former junior hockey coach was sentenced to a paltry two years for sexually abusing the young boys under his care.

“We are very concerned that this light sentence will have a profound effect on other victims who may never come forward, since they do not appear to be taken seriously,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands.

“This man could be out of prison by the end of the year.  The punishment does not seem to fit the crime.”

“We also hope that treatment will be in place along with his punishment.  The victims deserve to know that everything possible is being done to ensure this pedophile will not harm another child,” said May.

Save by preventing illness and saying no to new nuclear

Little Warriors Substance Abuse

 

littlewarriors.ca

ORNGE Scandal Requires a Review of all Public-Private Partnerships

Photo Credit: Simcoe.com

Toronto: Green Party of Ontario (GPO) leader Mike Schreiner is calling for a comprehensive review of all Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) in the wake of the scandal at ORNGE.

“Why are our tax dollars being wasted on million dollar bonuses and expensive perks?” asks Schreiner.  “This mess stinks, and it calls into question the value, transparency and accountability of P3s.”

The GPO believes that Auditor General Jim McCarter’s Special Report for ORNGE Air Ambulance raises a number of disturbing questions that require a full review of all P3s in Ontario.

“The government clearly was unable to hold ORNGE accountable for quality patient care and responsible financial stewardship due to the arms length, P3 relationship with ORNGE,” says Schreiner.

The GPO believes the ORNGE scandal must go beyond typical gotcha politics and include a public review of P3s.  Providing long-term solutions that result in transparent, accountable and effective delivery of public services are a top priority for the GPO.

“How many other ORNGE’s are out there,” asks Schreiner.  “The privatization of profit and socialization of risk on the back of taxpayers concerns everyone.  We need to know if P3s are really providing financial value for Ontario.”

The Robocall Scandal And A Call For Justice! (pressfortruth.tv)

Last Sunday, I attended the rally at Yonge Dundas Square and spoke to pressfortruth.tv

My comments can be seen around the 9:40 mark and again right at the end of the video. (Sorry about the bad hair!)

On Sunday March 11th Canadians all across the country held rallies to call for a public inquiry into the robocall scandal. With more and more complaints about calls coming in there appears to be a need for by-elections in all effected ridings and for Stephen Harper to be held accountable for electoral fraud.

Robogate.ca

During the 2011 federal election, Canadians in several ridings with tight races across the country were contacted by automated calls and individuals providing false and misleading information. These dishonest tactics were deliberately used to weaken Canada's electoral process and discourage people from participating in our democratic system.

We cannot allow this! 

Robogate.ca

Holes of Happiness -Pothole Gardens

Holes Of Happiness is a short documentary looking at the reactions of the public to some pothole gardens that have been popping up around East London. http://www.thepotholegardener.com

Reva Landau: Reduce Ontario Catholic School Support to 1867 Level

Conservative wind moratorium blocks local decision making

Conservative Lisa Thompson’s proposal for a moratorium on wind undermines local decision making by denying communities the choice of supporting wind energy.

The GPO calls on MPPs to support local decision making by opposing this bill.

“Conservatives are talking out of both sides of their mouths with their efforts to kill green energy,” says Mike Schreiner, leader of the GPO. “A moratorium on wind denies communities the opportunity to support wind energy in ways that benefit the local economy. A moratorium that takes away choice from communities flies in the face of Conservative rhetoric around local decision making.”

The GPO rejects the false choice between the Conservative’s efforts to kill green energy and the Liberal approach of imposing corporate wind on communities without local participation. Unlike the old parties, the Green Party’s energy plan invests in Ontario communities first. The GPO supports a community-based energy policy that requires local ownership, local decision and local benefits.

“The Conservatives short sighted, politically expedient efforts to kill green energy will hurt our economy and set Ontario back a generation,” says Schreiner. “Ontario needs a long term energy plan that includes wind and other renewables, and prioritizes opportunities for local participation and benefits.”

Kony 2012

Ontario loses because government leadership on climate change is missing in action

Ontario is already paying for the consequences of climate change, and the costs will only increase over time.

“Today’s report from the Environment Commissioner of Ontario is an admission that the Ontario government has failed to deliver solutions to address climate change,” says GPO leader Mike Schreiner.  “Our identity as Canadians is threatened when warm temperatures melt backyard ice rinks and threaten our maple trees and maple syrup production.”

The government estimates that extreme weather events will cost Ontario over $5 billion per year by mid century.  Last year, a report released by the National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy estimated that ignoring climate change could cost Canada's economy $5 billion per year by 2020.

“For years, the Environment Commissioner of Ontario has said that Ontario has no clear plan to meet its own targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” says Schreiner. “Where is the political leadership to tackle this crucial issue that will cost Ontario billions if not addressed?”

The GPO believes it is unacceptable that the Liberal government did not post Climate Ready, Ontario’s Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan, 2011-2014 as a policy proposal, as required by law because of its environmental significance. 

“It’s essential that the government consults Ontarians on the best climate adaptation strategies,” says Schreiner.  “We can’t afford to waste billions on old infrastructure for a climate that no longer exists.”

The GPO also calls on the government to implement a job creating Green Building Program to help people save money by saving energy, reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring we have the right buildings for a changing climate.

Tory transit bill financially irresponsible

Submitted by Becky Smit on Tue, 2012-03-06 12:30

 

Tim Hudak’s private member’s bill to require Toronto to build subways is financially irresponsible.  The GPO is calling on all MPPs to vote against the motion.

“Hudak’s motion would overrule Toronto city council’s transit plans. This makes a mockery of any claim the Tories have to financial responsibility and respecting local decision making,” says GPO leader Mike Schreiner.

 

The GPO supports smart investments that make transit available for the most people at the lowest cost.  

 

“We must reduce gridlock in the GTA,” says Schreiner.  “Gridlock costs us over $6 billion per year in lost productivity and reduces our quality of life.  Toronto needs a transit plan that gives the biggest bang for our buck.”

 

Although the GPO has concerns about the messy transit debate in Toronto, the party supports council’s efforts to develop a financially viable plan that delivers better transit service in Toronto.

 

“No one has put forward a credible plan to fund subway construction in Toronto,” says GPO transportation critic Tim Grant. “Hudak’s irresponsible interference further derails real solutions on transit in Toronto.”

 

The GPO believes that the province should only provide funding for rapid transit to cities that create plans to establish enough density around each major transit stop, so that the new systems can eventually pay for themselves once built.

Green Cleaning Solutions for Dirty Politics

TORONTO -The robocalls scandal shows the need for a wider clean-up of our electoral system, says the Green Party of Canada.  “First of all, we need to have a public commission of inquiry into the robocalls scandal and get to the bottom of it.  But we also need to look at wider issues including the investigative power of Elections Canada, the increasing use of negative election tactics, and whether more teeth need to be added to the Elections Act,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands.

Green candidate in the ongoing Toronto-Danforth by-election Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu agreed, “The robocalls scandal involves such a volume of complaints and is so widespread, it should now be turned over for a full public inquiry.  Then we need to make sure that Elections Canada can handle any future complaints.”

The Green Party is suggesting that the resources and powers of investigation for Elections Canada be expanded and rules added to the Elections Act to specifically prohibit impersonation of any government body or political party in phoning or communicating by any means with voters.

“It is sad that this is what we have come to in Canada.  This scandal shows that we can not afford to be complacent.  We must act to protect the most fundamental right of voting,” said May.

The Greens have also suggested a ban on TV advertising by political parties and third party groups to reduce the increasingly negative tone in elections.  “Negative advertising is proven to turn people off voting.  Now the robocalls are adding to the lack of confidence in our political system.  This is an alarming trend that we must turn around,” said Mugnatto-Hamu.

In addition, to better engage voters, leaders’ debates should be taken out of hands of the media consortium and handled by an independent body that would ensure the inclusion in debates is based on fair rules.

“Above all, Canadians object to unfairness.  What we need to do now is restore Canadians’ faith in our electoral process and take action to restore fairness and transparency in our elections,” said May.

Russia: Don't Go There. We Will Not Be Silenced - AllOut.org