You tell me who is effective!!!!

By the numbers.....

Taking on Harper; NDP opposed 41 of 43 Confidence votes, Liberals propped up Harper on all 43

Showing up for work; NDP attendance 87% Liberal attendance 65%

Private Members Bills; NDP bills 43% Liberal bills 29%

Standing up for you; NDP 57% - 291 motions Liberals 28% 145 motions

Each of the NDP Members of Parliament did the work of % Liberal MP's

Who do you want working for you???

Liberals' gas tank is heading for empty

This comes as no surprise to me. The NDP are growing in both memberships and donations across Canada.

clipped from network.nationalpost.com The figures are bleak. According to filings with Elections Canada, the Liberal party raised $912,000 in the quarter that ended in June. That’s just ahead of the New Democrats, who have almost 70 fewer seats in the House of Commons but raised $711,000. Overall this year, the NDP has raised $1.83 million, about $100,000 ahead of the Liberals. The number of donors to each party is also telling. The Liberals have had the fewest donors in both quarters of the year, just 9,556 this quarter compared to 33,000 for the Conservatives. Not to overdo the auto industry analogy, but if the parties were cars, the NDP would be a hybrid (popular with true believers but not yet mainstream); the Tories would be Corollas (which sell well even if not that attractive), and the Liberals would be as popular as a Hummer with a hemi.

The shame of being a Conservative MP

I invite you all to go check out Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy...if we all follow his lead in this blog..imagine the money saved!!!! ATTA GO SASKBOY!!!!

clipped from www.abandonedstuff.com As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough to be a Conservative after the In-Out election campaign spending scandal broke, the party is continuing to abuse the MP communication budget by spamming phony questionnaires to ridings where they don’t have a seat. Their propaganda mailouts are using our tax money to spam contested ridings like Ralph Goodale’s in Regina Wascana. This is an obvious abuse of their communication budget, and it should stop!

Canada's Copyright party is.....the NDP

This came in this morning from p2pnetnews..No a bad take on the truth!!

clipped from www.p2pnet.net many of the comments about Bill C-61 on BLOGS all across Canada you can hear people saying that all the parties are the same, and that we need a Canadian Pirate Party. The Pirate Party (Swedish: Piratpartiet) is a political party in Sweden that focus on one issue: reforming of so-called “Intellectual Property” laws such as patent, copyright, trademark and other related laws (also called PCT) to better integrate with a modern technological and participatory society. There is, however, something exciting happening in one party that warrants a closer look for those who think fair copyright reform is important, and that is the NDP. In the past I have been worried that it only took a one person change in the NDP caucus to switch from being supportive of the backward-facing reforms we saw in the USA NII/DMCA to the progressive position articulated by Mr. Angus. My worries have been greatly reduced by the message coming from other members of the current caucus, as well as future candidates.

Useless doesnt even begin to describe them!!!

Mr Mandryk hits the nail right on the head with his comments. The MP's we have representing us in Ottawa are completely useless and will NOT and HAVE NOT done a single thing to support Saskatchewan

clipped from www.canada.com It may be that Saskatchewan now has the worst representation in Ottawa this province has ever seen. hat said, one can take virtually any period of our political history and find Saskatchewan opposition voices like Tommy Douglas or M.J. Coldwell or John Diefenbaker who spoke for Saskatchewan interests with eloquence and passion So what will be the legacy of the current 13 Saskatchewan Conservative MPs -- the highest percentage of representation in a federal government caucus this province has ever enjoyed? Will names like Tom Lukiwski or Andrew Scheer or Brad Trost or Gerry Ritz or Dave Batters or Maurice Vellacott or Carol Skelton or Lynn Yelich or David Anderson or Ed Komarnicki be remembered so fondly? Or will they be remembered as the group that had the potential to do the most for Saskatchewan -- but did the least? Frankly, will they be remembered at all?

New Democrats narrowly regain seat in Cumberland byelection

LA RONGE, Sask. — It came down to the wire but the Saskatchewan NDP managed to pull ahead by barely a nostril Wednesday to win a byelection in the province's northeast.

The party has held the constituency of Cumberland since 1971 but there were some nervous moments for odds-on favourite Doyle Vermette, who see-sawed all night with dark horse Dale McAuley, the former mayor of Cumberland House who was running for the Saskatchewan Party.

"In the end, a win's a win's a win," said a thrilled NDP Leader Lorne Calvert. "Close only counts in horseshoes."

During the campaign, Vermette had dismissed suggestions that voters wanted a member in government to represent them, but after the vote he admitted that may have been a factor.

"People definitely looked at that," he said. "(But) even though the Saskatchewan Party is in power, they decided to elect an NDP candidate to represent them."

Calvert agreed the Saskatchewan Party's push to elect a government member was a "powerful argument" but also observed "that argument didn't carry the day."

By the time Wednesday's counting was done, Vermette, a one-time councillor for the northern village of Air Ronge, was declared the winner by just 164 votes.

With all 39 polls reporting, the unofficial tally was 1,564 for Vermette, 1,400 for McAuley and just 181 for Tory McGregor of the Greens. The Liberals didn't run a candidate.

Absentee and hospital ballots were still to be counted on July 7, but they numbered only about a dozen and were unlikely to alter the outcome.

McAuley hedged on whether he would apply for a judicial recount, which the Elections Act says he can ask for if the margin of victory is less than the total number of all unopened envelopes, rejected ballots and ballots objected to.

At first he said it was unlikely, then he said he'd like to sleep on it. Calvert said he thought the margin was sufficient to make a recount unlikely.

"I would have liked to have won, but I guess (it was) just not quite enough votes to come to be victorious," said McAuley, who was also at one time an area director for the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan.

"But it was close. I thought I was going to win."

While conceding defeat to the NDP, Ken Krawetz, the Saskatchewan Party's deputy leader, counted the closeness of the vote as "a huge success."

"It clearly shows there isn't a safe NDP seat in Saskatchewan," he said. "I think the Saskatchewan Party has proven itself in a short while and we're going to be competitive in every constituency in the province."

Cumberland is a massive constituency with a small population. It covers the entire northeastern quarter of the province, but had only 9,413 eligible voters in the provincial election last November in which the Saskatchewan Party wrested power from the NDP.

New Democrat Joan Beatty easily captured the seat with more than 3,000, or 66 per cent, of the 4,700 ballots cast.

But Beatty quit in January to run for the federal Liberals in a March byelection, which she lost. On Wednesday, she said she would again seek the Liberal nomination in the riding of Desnethe-Missinipi-Churchill River for the next federal election.

The vote did not change the balance of power because the governing Saskatchewan Party holds 38 seats to the NDP's 20.

Wednesday's result was just the latest tight election race in Saskatchewan.

Following the Nov. 7 election, three constituencies - Prince Albert Carlton, Moose Jaw North and Meadow Lake - had close results.

The final tally Nov. 19 gave the Saskatchewan Party wins in Prince Albert Carlton and Moose Jaw North. But in Meadow Lake, it took a judicial recount a month after the election to confirm that Saskatchewan Party candidate Jeremy Harrison had defeated NDP incumbent and former industry minister Maynard Sonntag by 36 votes.

Copyright © 2008 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

SECRET CABINET DOCUMENT CONTAINED DETAILED PLANS FOR DESTROYING FARMER CONTROL OF CWB

This is the most disgusting show in arrogance that Harper and the Conservatives have ever shown.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 17, 2008

SECRET CABINET DOCUMENT CONTAINED DETAILED PLANS FOR DESTROYING FARMER CONTROL OF CWB

In a secret Cabinet briefing document dated August 10, 2006, the Harper Government spelled out a methodical, step-by-step plan to destroy the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) single desk for wheat and barley.

The document listed nearly every totalitarian tactic the government subsequently used against the CWB, including: a gag order, an attempt to change the CWB mandate through Cabinet Order, firing CWB CEO Adrian Measner and other appointed Directors and replacing them with Directors who “favour marketing choice,” a plebiscite with a three-part question and “no specified percentage” for victory.

The previously-classified Cabinet document was made public by lawyers representing the CWB during a court hearing in Winnipeg June 16. The six-page document contained several blacked-out portions, but listed a number of “options” the Harper Cabinet could use to circumvent the democratic Parliamentary process.

The document clearly shows the Harper Government had a pre-determined agenda, and was determined not to let democracy or real information get in the way, said National Farmers Union President Stewart Wells. “This document proves the anti-democratic actions of the Harper Government were mapped out in advance. Also, keep in mind that in court documents from the previous case led by the Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board, the Harper Government admitted that it had done absolutely no financial analysis of the effects of weakening or destroying the CWB.”

Among the “options” contained in the once-secret document are:

1. Set up a “non-binding” vote among wheat and barley producers after implementing a gag order on the CWB to prevent any advocacy for the single desk option. The outcome of the vote would be pre-determined: “Following the vote, the Minister would return to Cabinet with the next steps to end the compulsory aspects of the CWB and to implement marketing choice for producers.”

2. Manipulation of the results of the plebiscite. The document states the government should tabulate the results to suit its objective. “There would be no specified percentage that constitutes sufficient support for a given option.”

3. Replace the appointed directors, “including the CEO, with individuals who favour marketing choice.” The document noted that if the government appointed five directors, and was able to gain “as few as three elected directors who favour marketing choice,” this “would constitute a majority of the board of directors and would be able to use the discretion provided to the CWB by the current legislation to lessen the compulsory aspects of the CWB and provide more choice to producers.”

4. Table legislation aimed at removing the requirement for a vote by producers from the CWB Act. The document admits this option would be unlikely to pass through Parliament until the Conservative Party achieved a majority following a general election.

4. The use of “Orders-in-Council” to force the CWB to “do certain things” to weaken the single desk.

Wells said the Cabinet briefing document is “an incriminating document” that spells out, in the government’s own words, its intention to end farmers’ democratic control of their marketing agency.

- 30 –

Contact: Stewart Wells, NFU President (306) 773-6852 or (306) 741-7694

Terry Pugh, NFU Executive-Secretary (306) 652-9465

Darrin Qualman, NFU Director of Research (306) 652

House of Commons adopts Layton’s Kyoto Plus bill

clipped from www.ndp.ca OTTAWA – Today, with the passage of NDP Leader Jack Layton’s private member’s bill, The Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-377), Canada’s House of Commons has become the first elected chamber in the world to adopt science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent, from 1990 levels, by 2050. “This is a world first,” said Layton. “Our legislation sets tough but achievable targets that will ensure Canada does its share to avoid the dangerous two-degree increase in average global temperature that scientists warn us about.” “When Conservatives filibustered this bill in committee, we kept fighting relentlessly for this law,” said NDP Environment Critic Nathan Cullen (Skeena Bulkley-Valley), who led the legislative efforts and negotiations in the environment committee. “The cost of doing nothing to combat climate change would mean economic and environmental disaster for Canada. This is exactly why working families don’t trust the Conservatives.”

See a pattern here? Part 5

clipped from www.cbc.ca It was the first event of its kind in Regina since a 17-year-old-video surfaced earlier this year showing Lukiwski making derogatory remarks about homosexuals. Lukiwski issued a lengthy apology for the comments, saying they don't represent his views and adding he would spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to the people he hurt. However, Lukiwski hasn't made a very good start, parade organizer Nathan Markwart said. "We haven't even been graced with an 'I won't show' or 'Unfortunately, I cannot attend due to conflicting events,'" he said. "Nothing, nothing. Obviously, when he said he would spend the rest of his life making amends, that's going to be a bit longer." Lukiwski is still welcome to come to any and all of the gay pride events happening over the next week week, Markwart said. Calls to Lukiwski's office were not returned on the weekend.

The entire Conservative Party is rank with homophobia!! - Part 4

clipped from blog.macleans.ca Sound Effect of the Day. When Liberal Sue Barnes rose to wonder why the famously repentant Tom Lukiwski has so far failed to meet with the gay and lesbian community in Regina, the Conservative benches audibly hissed.

Thomas, your losing this one - Part 3

clipped from www.canada.com Also seen on the same tape was Tom Lukiwski -- in 1991, a senior election campaign staffer in the Progressive Conservative party, but now the Conservative MP for Regina-Lumsden-Lake centre. Caught slurring gays on the tape, he did -- to his credit -- publicly apologize several times and in an April 4 speech in the House of Commons said: "I will spend the rest of my career and my life trying to make up for those comments." How odd, then, that he was conspicuously absent from the weekend Gay Pride parade in Regina, to which he had been invited several months ago. A good speaker like Lukiwski could have shown up, absorbed a few jeers, then delivered a Wall-like speech again expressing apologies for his comments and calling on all to show tolerance toward others. By declining to show up -- or even respond to the invitation -- he has merely recharged the energy of his critics. It was an opportunity lost and a wound left unhealed.

Ahhh Thomas - Part 2

clipped from www.cbc.ca "I was tied up in meetings all day on Saturday, had events in the evening as well as during the day," Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre MP Tom Lukiwski said Monday. They also noted his absence at City Hall on Monday, where a rainbow flag was raised at noon, an event attended by city councillors and NDP and Saskatchewan Party members of the legislative assembly. "Tom, where are you?" one organizer said into a microphone.

Lukiwski Explained - Part 1

Here we go, an insight into sincerity!!!

clipped from www.newstalk980.com > Clarity. It's a great thing. Take today's appearance by Tom Lukiwski on John Gormley Live. He made it explicitly clear about what he meant in this apology two months ago. I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, and all of my colleagues in this House, that I will spend the rest of my career and my life trying to make up for those shameless comments.* * - Void where prohibited. Offer not always available on weekends when I'm busy or at times while the House of Commons is sitting. Some assembly required. Efforts to make up for comments will be made in private. Portions not affecting the outcome of the game have been edited for broadcast. Driver does not carry cash. You can name drop meeting me, but I won't name drop you. Contents under pressure. For office use only. Whew! That made it explicitly clear!

MP a no show for Pride week

I am not surprised that Tom Lukiwski was would be present at the parade or kick-off, even though he is home in Regina for the weekend.

His belligerent, arrogant and homophobic remarks resulted in a complete and utter insincere apology to the country. When will we all realize that Harper and the Conservatives are NOT the party or the people to lead our country...Shame Shame and dbl Shame!!!

clipped from canadianpress.google.com REGINA — A Conservative member of Parliament, who promised earlier this year to spend his life promoting tolerance after a video surfaced of him making anti-gay remarks in 1991, was a no-show Saturday at Regina's gay pride parade. "Mr. Lukiwski stated in his public apology ... that he would spend the rest of his life making amends," said gay pride spokesman Nathan Markwart. "Well, when exactly does that kick in? "It is clear that his apology is less than sincere and is, in fact, hollow as it has not been followed up with any concerted effort to join our celebrations as an elected official who respresents gays and lesbians in Regina and surrounding area." Markwart noted that the disappointment was heightened by their understanding that Lukiwski was in the Regina area this weekend. Gay groups said they were disappointed that Regina-Lumsden MP Tom Lukiwski didn't even respond to an invitation to attend the parade. MP who apologized for anti-gay remarks a no-show for Regina pride parade

Wall anonunces byelection

clipped from www.canada.com Wall announces byelection in Cumberland constituency Voters in the northern constituency of Cumberland will be going to the polls on June 25. Premier Brad Wall, speaking at the provincial cabinet office, announced the byelection Tuesday. The constituency became vacant in early-January with the resignation of NDP MLA Joan Beatty. "The constituents of Cumberland need to have a voice in the Legislature, and now they will have their MLA in place before the start of summer," Wall said. Wall said this campaign will give the government a chance to talk about some of the important initiatives it has taken in the first six months in office, as well as the role of the north in the Saskatchewan economy.

Funding national affordable housing critical: Layton

Federal Leader Jack Layton addressed a crowd of over 200 Saskatoon Residents who are concerned about the homeless and housing crisis in Saskatoon

clipped from www.canada.com SASKATOON - Federal NDP leader Jack Layton points to construction of Saskatoon's Station 20 West as proof of the value of his party's push for a Canadian affordable housing program. "We're here to build support for our case for a national affordable housing construction program. Without that, the actions of the local governments will not solve the problem alone," Layton said in an interview. Layton offered encouragement to local citizens fighting for legislation to prevent condominium conversions during periods of low rental vacancy rates. A similar rush to convert rental units to privately-owned condominiums ravaged the rental housing stock in Toronto 30 years ago, he said. It sparked a citizen's movement that resulted in laws to protect the rental housing stock. Saskatoon received $11.6 million for housing out of that, part of which is funding Station 20 West. That money will be gone after this year and the Harper government is not putting more in, Layton said.

Right wing mentality constant Canada wide

How much more proof do we need that the entire mentality of the Conservatives spreads far and wide. From Ottawa to Manitoba to Sask, it never ends.

clipped from canadianpress.google.com Sask government member makes sexist comment, resigns as premier's secretary 2 hours ago REGINA — A backbencher with the Saskatchewan government has resigned his post after calling an Opposition member a "dumb bitch" during debate. Mike Chisholm of the Saskatchewan Party has quit his job as a legislative secretary to Premier Brad Wall after directing the comment to NDP member Deb Higgins. Chisholm used the sexist remark during debate earlier this week at an intergovernmental affairs and justice committee meeting. The remark wasn't noticed by committee members at the time, but was audible enough to be picked up and printed in the official transcript of proceedings. Higgins says the remark was extremely personal and is a blow to all women in politics. Chisholm, who will remain as member of the legislature for Cut Knife-Turtleford, says his words should never have been "thought or spoken."

Tory racism.....cont

clipped from www.winnipegfreepress.com A minor rumpus previously confined to the blogosphere erupted onto the floor of the Manitoba legislature yesterday as Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Oscar Lathlin demanded an apology from Minnesdosa MLA Leanne Rowat for a flippant comment she made nearly a week ago that he claims demeaned aboriginal people. Earlier this week, Southern Grand Chief Morris Swan Shannacappo called for Rowat's resignation. During a radio interview, McFadyen said the comments required an explanation and clarification, but not an apology. That reversal prompted Lathlin, who almost never speaks in the house, to rise on a point of privilege Wednesday afternoon and demand a formal apology from Rowat and McFadyen. Lathlin said he has witnessed subtle and overt racism all his life and has become an expert. He said jokes or flippant remarks like Rowat's often reveal a person's true feelings.

Vetting releases won't fly with Auditor

Globe and Mail this morning. Harper's arrogance never wanes for a minute:

OTTAWA -- Auditor-General Sheila Fraser says she and the other officers of Parliament have been ignoring sections of government policies that would undermine their independence - but it is time the exemptions were clarified in writing.

"I wanted to have it clear which parts of the policies are problematic, that it be expressly indicated that these things did not apply to us, and what compensating control or activity we would do to replace that," Ms. Fraser said in a telephone interview yesterday afternoon.

The issue came to the fore during a Commons public accounts committee meeting this week when Ms. Fraser told MPs that, on paper, she and the seven other independent officers of Parliament will soon be required to vet their communications strategies through the Privy Council Office.

"Well, I can tell you there is no way that my press releases about my report are going to go to Privy Council Office, or our communications strategies are going to be vetted by Privy Council Office," Ms. Fraser told the committee.

"There's no way that Canada's going to be living in a world where the government tells officers of Parliament what they're going to do," New Democratic MP Dave Christopherson told reporters. "This will be resolved. It's just a question of how much dust do we have to kick up and how far do we have to drag the Prime Minister kicking and screaming to acknowledge there are people in this country that he doesn't control."

Prairie province wants to hurt Canada's image..stop Bill 5 and 6

Please this important letter forwarded to me by Larry Hubich, President of the SFL

Friends,

I have now received copies of over 2,500 letters from around the world sent to the Premier and the Minister of Labour calling on the Sask. Party government to withdraw Bills 5 & 6.

The one below is one of the best of those received. Our Premier has, in the past, made comments that he is impressed with how things are going in Ireland and he often uses it as an example of a place Saskatchewan should attempt to emulate.

Below is a letter from an individual named: Pól Ó Cearbhalláin of the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) Firefighters Branch, Ireland. He is not impressed with the direction and approach being taken by Mr. Wall and his collegues.

The letter is self-explanatory.

Larry

____________________________________________________

STOP Bills 5 & 6 - Click here: www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=350

____________________________________________________

Larry Hubich

President

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour

220 - 2445 - 13th Avenue

Regina, Sk S4P 0W1

(306) 924-8573 (office)

(306) 537-7330 (cell)

e-mail: l.hubich@sfl.sk.ca

blog: www.larryhubich.blogspot.com

---

From: Pól Ó Cearbhalláin [mailto:pcar@eircom.net]
Sent: Fri 18/04/2008 12:00 PM
To: legislationfeedback@lab.gov.sk.ca; SFL; bwall@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; rnorris@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; aiwanchuk@mla.legassembly.sk.ca; Cara Banks; Larry Hubich
Subject: Withdraw Bills 5 and 6!

Is it not endearing and demonstratative to so many other countries that Canada has always valued consensus building in its approach to communities, and democracies enshrined at local, municipal, provincal and federal levels of government. Canadians have Like Irish citizens managed to show leadership on our merits and without becoming shadows of insignificance due to our respective large neighbouring countries. Under Thatcher's administration the anti - union stance taken by her and her colleagues attempted to smash trade unionism. The resulting polarisation in British Society can be linked back to bully tactics by government onto workers. Ireland has never chosen such a route and our national consensus model requires a tripartheid approach of government, unions and employers to produce national deals. this has worked for over 20 years and this little country had very strong union membership, over 75%.
The United States, similar to Britain had the re-emergence of anti union actions at a national level clearly indicated in the manner President Reagan and his administration handled the Air Traffic Controllers dispute, sack them all ! Of course the United States takes pride in ensuring trade union membership has been below 27% for so many years its hard to know when it was over 30%.
...and now a prairie province wants to hurt Canada's image. More specifically politicians want to take on workers in such a onslaught...and for what reason.

If there is one ideal that we in Ireland respect of Canadians is their independence of mind and positive, visible difference to their large neighbour. There is no need for such draconian legislation, this is the type of bill we would expect to see from Republican Governements in the United States.

Why oh! why would any Canadian government wish to embark on such a road.

I support responsibility, I support community, I support choice. Individual workers all understand communities be it family or wider afield, they understand the responsibilities that go with living in family or community structures and they also understand that they do have the right to consider with an individual conscience to embark on strike action. It is an affront to challenge the responsibility of an individual that is in organised labour.

It would be so heartening to see leadership and vision by the Premier and his team to decide that they will lead, not by attacking fellow canadians, not by attacking individual responsibilities, not by attacking communities, but to demonstrate that Saskatchewan and its newly elected administration is about positive and developing more and enshrining more maturity and responsibilities in provincial workers.

I dont like to use the word demand to anyone and I have chosen to alter this from the beginning of the union statement, I believe there is potential for leadership and responsibility from the

....Government of Saskatchewan to withdraw Bills 5 and 6, which by their nature are a direct attack on the fundamental trade union rights of Saskatchewan citizens. Bills 5 and 6 will uniquely tilt the balance of power in favour of one side, in this case the employers. This is not a responsible outcome by a government. Without meaningful negotiations at a tri-partheid level, workers, employers or government all loose.

respectfully I ask all those with influence to re-consider and demonstrate that Canada does its business different and should be an example to follow, not a poision to avoid.

Pól Ó Cearbhalláin, Dublin City, Ireland


Saskatchewan will have the worst labour legislation in Canada if these Bills pass. The Bills violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom, the Human Rights Code, and international law, including the International Bill of Human Rights and several UN and ILO Conventions. Withdraw the Bills now.

Pól Ó Cearbhalláin
SIPTU Firefighters Branch
Ireland