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Unrepresented

January 22, 2010 08:49 +0000  |  Bloc Québécois Canada Conservatives Democracy Green Party Liberals NDP Politics 11

So that word is floating around again "Prorogue". For those of you who missed it, I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you, but we've all been without representation in the federal government now for almost a month now. Stephen Harper, our Prime Minister decided to shut down parliament back in December and won't be affording us representation until some time in March.

That's three months paid vacation for a parliament that sat for only 49days last year. Three months without the business of government being done, without your voice being heard in the House. Sure Harper still gets to be the boss and represent Canada abroad and at the Olympics, and no, our soldiers in Afghanistan don't get to take a break. Addressing our commitments on climate change won't happen by the Copenhagen deadline, and we're all still paying taxes for the privilege of living in a democracy.

People have staged (successful) revolutions for less.

In Canada though, where we once saw only apathy, there appears to be some exciting movement among the grass roots. Hundreds of thousands of people have joined a Facebook group denouncing Harper's Conservatives for this move and the numbers keep growing. Support for the Conservatives has begun to dwindle as well and now there are rallies planned around the world in condemnation of this prorogue.

Here's a list of what proroguing means to Canada:

  1. Committees investigating accusations of torture of Afghan detainees stop working.
  2. Questions about Canada's inaction at the Copenhagen climate-change summit are silenced. Opportunities to move forward with Canada’s plan for sustainable development are stalled for over a month.
  3. Discussions and decisions about the pension crisis affecting Canada’s seniors stops.
  4. All 37 bills being debated in Parliament are thrown in the trash. Discussion on bills starts from scratch in March, wasting months of hard work by all parties. These bills included new crime legislation, and limits on credit card insurance rates, etc.
  5. Your MP cannot raise your concerns in Ottawa
  6. Harper will still appoint Conservative senators, giving him control of the Senate.

Frankly, it's actions like these that make it hard for me to claim that I live in a democracy. Instead, it might be more accurate to say that we've become a cyclical banana republic. As for what the other parties are saying...

  • The Liberals have flat-out said that they're going back to work with or without the Conservatives on January 25th, the original date that Parliament would have reconvened.
  • The NDP have similarly said that they will be "on Parliament Hill" on the 25th, though I'm unsure as to what that means exactly.
  • The Bloc Québécois have condemned the prorogation but as far as I can tell, have not said anything about showing up to work.
  • The Greens, not in possession of a seat (yet) also condemned the Harper move and will be out at the rallies tomorrow across the country as well.

So what can you do? Some suggestions:

  • Tell your friends and family about this. A lot of people still don't know that they're paying taxes to a non-existent government and the Conservatives are counting on an ignorant public to keep them in power. Don't let them have it.
  • Join in on one of the rallies this Saturday, January 23rd. They're happening all over the world in Vancouver, Toronto, New York, Amsterdam and even Costa Rica. Details are on noprorogue.ca. Vancouver's rally starts at 1pm at the VAG, while Toronto's starts at 1pm at Dundas Square.
  • Call your MP. If (s)he's a Conservative, tell them to get back to work. If they aren't, tell them to consider all alternatives for bringing democracy back to our government. The Coalition is still an option, if only the opposition parties can learn to get along.

I'll be at the event in Vancouver, so if you care to come along, let me know and we can meet up :-)

One Way to Support the Coalition

December 06, 2008 00:55 +0000  |  Activism Bloc Québécois Canada Coalition Conservatives Liberals NDP Politics 2

It was brought to my attention today that one of the really useful things you can do to support the Coalition is to encourage those in the coalition to keep going. Every one of the MPs is taking a risk here and they need to know that they have your support in participating in this Coalition.

Below I've attached a copy of my letter to Coalition MPs which you can reuse if you like, but I encourage you to write your own. The letter is followed by two sets of email addresses, to make it easy to copy & paste into your mail client. As there are so many MPs (a House majority in fact!), the list must be broken into two parts to make sure that your message doesn't get bounced as spam. To send this, or a more personal letter on your behalf, simply open your mail client, copy & paste the a group of addresses into the To: field and hit send.

I'm sure that you're receiving a great many of these so I'll try to keep mine brief. As a member of the 62% who elected a progressive majority in this country, I'm writing you to let you know that I support you, and that we need you to keep going.

You're probably getting all kinds of letters talking about how terribly important this young coalition is and how dangerous and autocratic Harper will be if permitted to continue his government. Some of these letters are undoubtedly exaggerated. Many however, are not.

Harper has gone out of his way to prove that he is not worthy of the Prime Minister's office. He's lied to the House, he's lied to the people and now he's decided to subvert our Democracy and shut everything down. If you let this go, he will only continue his actions and in the end he will bury the opposition in a mountain of propaganda and fear-mongering.

I know it's tough. The Liberal party has been decimated by a constant erosion of its base support on the Left, while the NDP is struggling with its own losses to the Liberals and the Greens. You're tired, you're broke, and Harper is holding all the money and power he needs to win. But you have my support, and that of millions upon millions of others in this country -- a majority, in fact, that wants this man gone and a progressive agenda in the House. We are willing to fight with you, but you must be willing to win.

Do what you can to hold it together for the next six weeks. Know that you have the support of the majority and use that when you put Harper's Conservatives back where they belong: in the Opposition.

Thank you for representing us.

Daniel Quinn
Vancouver Centre

And here's the list of email addresses. Just copy & paste each set into a separate email:

Group 1

<bellea@parl.gc.ca>, <bigrab@parl.gc.ca>, <freemc@parl.gc.ca>, <lavalc@parl.gc.ca>, <ouellc@parl.gc.ca>, <gagnoc@parl.gc.ca>, <bachac@parl.gc.ca>, <debelc@parl.gc.ca>, <guimoc@parl.gc.ca>, <bourgd@parl.gc.ca>, <thilae@parl.gc.ca>, <bonsaf@parl.gc.ca>, <lalonf@parl.gc.ca>, <asselg@parl.gc.ca>, <ducepg@parl.gc.ca>, <andreg@parl.gc.ca>, <dorioj@parl.gc.ca>, <laforj@parl.gc.ca>, <royj@parl.gc.ca>, <deschj@parl.gc.ca>, <beaudj@parl.gc.ca>, <plamol@parl.gc.ca>, <desnol@parl.gc.ca>, <malol@parl.gc.ca>, <lemaym@parl.gc.ca>, <mouram@parl.gc.ca>, <lafram@parl.gc.ca>, <faillm@parl.gc.ca>, <guimom@parl.gc.ca>, <guaym@parl.gc.ca>, <dufoun@parl.gc.ca>, <demern@parl.gc.ca>, <paillp@parl.gc.ca>, <cretep@parl.gc.ca>, <brunep@parl.gc.ca>, <paquep@parl.gc.ca>, <blaisr@parl.gc.ca>, <menarr@parl.gc.ca>, <nadear@parl.gc.ca>, <bouchr@parl.gc.ca>, <carrir@parl.gc.ca>, <vincer@parl.gc.ca>, <gauder@parl.gc.ca>, <pomerr@parl.gc.ca>, <cardis@parl.gc.ca>, <menars@parl.gc.ca>, <stcyrt@parl.gc.ca>, <lessay@parl.gc.ca>, <levesy@parl.gc.ca>, <mendea@parl.gc.ca>, <tonksa@parl.gc.ca>, <guarna@parl.gc.ca>, <kaniaa@parl.gc.ca>, <nevila@parl.gc.ca>, <rotaa@parl.gc.ca>, <patryb@parl.gc.ca>, <raeb@parl.gc.ca>, <crombb@parl.gc.ca>, <wrzesb@parl.gc.ca>, <murphb@parl.gc.ca>, <wilfeb@parl.gc.ca>, <bennec@parl.gc.ca>, <mctead@parl.gc.ca>, <mcguid@parl.gc.ca>, <coderd@parl.gc.ca>, <leed@parl.gc.ca>, <leblad@parl.gc.ca>, <scarpf@parl.gc.ca>, <valerf@parl.gc.ca>, <regang@parl.gc.ca>, <kenneg@parl.gc.ca>, <byrneg@parl.gc.ca>, <pearsg@parl.gc.ca>, <mahlig@parl.gc.ca>, <fryh@parl.gc.ca>, <cotlei@parl.gc.ca>, <damouj@parl.gc.ca>, <karygj@parl.gc.ca>, <volpej@parl.gc.ca>, <cannij@parl.gc.ca>, <mccalj@parl.gc.ca>

Group 2

<mckayj@parl.gc.ca>, <murraj@parl.gc.ca>, <footej@parl.gc.ca>, <sgroj@parl.gc.ca>, <trudej@parl.gc.ca>, <martik@parl.gc.ca>, <drydek@parl.gc.ca>, <duncak@parl.gc.ca>, <bagnel@parl.gc.ca>, <macaul@parl.gc.ca>, <zaracl@parl.gc.ca>, <garnem@parl.gc.ca>, <proulm@parl.gc.ca>, <minnam@parl.gc.ca>, <silvam@parl.gc.ca>, <eykinm@parl.gc.ca>, <hollam@parl.gc.ca>, <jennim@parl.gc.ca>, <hallfm@parl.gc.ca>, <pacetm@parl.gc.ca>, <belanm@parl.gc.ca>, <bevilm@parl.gc.ca>, <ignatm@parl.gc.ca>, <savagm@parl.gc.ca>, <simsom@parl.gc.ca>, <bainsn@parl.gc.ca>, <rodrip@parl.gc.ca>, <szabop@parl.gc.ca>, <millip@parl.gc.ca>, <goodar@parl.gc.ca>, <folcor@parl.gc.ca>, <oliphr@parl.gc.ca>, <cuzner@parl.gc.ca>, <dhallr@parl.gc.ca>, <andres@parl.gc.ca>, <brisos@parl.gc.ca>, <simmssc@parl.gc.ca>, <murphs@parl.gc.ca>, <coadys@parl.gc.ca>, <dions@parl.gc.ca>, <dhalis@parl.gc.ca>, <russet@parl.gc.ca>, <dosanu@parl.gc.ca>, <eastew@parl.gc.ca>, <ratany@parl.gc.ca>, <atamea@parl.gc.ca>, <siksab@parl.gc.ca>, <masseb@parl.gc.ca>, <hyerb@parl.gc.ca>, <hughec@parl.gc.ca>, <angusc@parl.gc.ca>, <charlc@parl.gc.ca>, <gravec@parl.gc.ca>, <chrisd@parl.gc.ca>, <blackd@parl.gc.ca>, <savoid@parl.gc.ca>, <bevind@parl.gc.ca>, <davied@parl.gc.ca>, <thibeg@parl.gc.ca>, <mathyi@parl.gc.ca>, <harrij@parl.gc.ca>, <laytoj@parl.gc.ca>, <crowdj@parl.gc.ca>, <malowj@parl.gc.ca>, <comarj@parl.gc.ca>, <raffej@parl.gc.ca>, <wasylj@parl.gc.ca>, <daviel@parl.gc.ca>, <duncal@parl.gc.ca>, <allenm@parl.gc.ca>, <leslim@parl.gc.ca>, <cullen@parl.gc.ca>, <ashton@parl.gc.ca>, <chowo@parl.gc.ca>, <martip@parl.gc.ca>, <dewarp@parl.gc.ca>, <juliap@parl.gc.ca>, <stoffp@parl.gc.ca>, <mulcat@parl.gc.ca>, <martit@parl.gc.ca>, <marstw@parl.gc.ca>, <godiny@parl.gc.ca>

If you're really feeling daring, you might even want to send a letter to the Conservatives, encouraging them to cross the floor and join the coalition. Here's my letter, followed by another list of emails:

I'm sure that you're likely getting a barrage of emails lately, what with your party closing up Parliament, so I'll try to keep this short.

I'm writing you to ask you to do something crazy; something daring: I'm asking you to reconsider your seat in the House.

I know, it's crazy, you're probably a big fan of free markets and tax cuts and I can't blame you. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and you, an elected representative, won your seat based on those opinions. I would never attempt to prevent you from fulfilling your duty as a representative of the people.

But your boss would.

Stephen Harper has continually gone out of his way to muzzle your fellow party members. He's redirected blame and fired ministers for his own incompetence and he's made a mockery of our political process by continually bullying the opposition rather than trying to work with them in a minority government. He's fired people for doing their job, lied to the House of Commons, and now he's committed the greatest of sins: he's closed down Parliament in a time when we clearly need leadership.

I know that you're a loyal party member. I know that it may be political suicide for you to not support Stephen Harper at a time like this, but I ask you to take a moment to think about the country. How might Canada be better served? By a coalition, or by an autocrat?

You don't have to like the Bloc, or the NDP, or the Liberals. I don't like them much either. But I see in them something I've never seen in Harper: a willingness to make the country work. For that alone, I would submit that as a loyal Canadian citizen, your own political position requires reflection.

Thanks for your time.

Daniel Quinn
Vancouver Centre

Conservative Party Emails (Group 1)

<goldring.p@parl.gc.ca>, <warawa.m@parl.gc.ca>, <yelich.l@parl.gc.ca>, <weston.r@parl.gc.ca>, <holder.e@parl.gc.ca>, <verner.j@parl.gc.ca>, <paradis.c@parl.gc.ca>, <oconnor.g@parl.gc.ca>, <preston.j@parl.gc.ca>, <petit.d@parl.gc.ca>, <richardson.l@parl.gc.ca>, <brown.l@parl.gc.ca>, <schellenberger.g@parl.gc.ca>, <cadman.d@parl.gc.ca>, <poilip@parl.gc.ca>, <vanloan.p@parl.gc.ca>, <finley.d@parl.gc.ca>, <cannon.l@parl.gc.ca>, <wallace.m@parl.gc.ca>, <kent.p@parl.gc.ca>, <lake.m@parl.gc.ca>, <rathgeber.b@parl.gc.ca>, <brown.g@parl.gc.ca>, <chong.m@parl.gc.ca>, <gallant.c@parl.gc.ca>, <delmastro.d@parl.gc.ca>, <oda.b@parl.gc.ca>, <carrie.c@parl.gc.ca>, <blaney.s@parl.gc.ca>, <hawn.l@parl.gc.ca>, <rajotte.j@parl.gc.ca>, <woodworth.s@parl.gc.ca>, <obhrai.d@parl.gc.ca>, <uppal.t@parl.gc.ca>, <devolin.b@parl.gc.ca>, <gourde.j@parl.gc.ca>, <bernim@parl.gc.ca>, <boucher.s@parl.gc.ca>, <fletcher.s@parl.gc.ca>, <lobb.b@parl.gc.ca>, <wong.a@parl.gc.ca>, <block.k@parl.gc.ca>, <young.t@parl.gc.ca>, <nicholson.r@parl.gc.ca>, <vankesteren.d@parl.gc.ca>, <cannan.r@parl.gc.ca>, <lauzon.g@parl.gc.ca>, <reid.s@parl.gc.ca>, <kramp.d@parl.gc.ca>, <baird.j@parl.gc.ca>, <blackburn.j@parl.gc.ca>, <mayes.c@parl.gc.ca>, <dykstra.r@parl.gc.ca>, <smith.j@parl.gc.ca>, <fast.e@parl.gc.ca>, <dreeshen.e@parl.gc.ca>, <trost.b@parl.gc.ca>, <goodyear.g@parl.gc.ca>, <galipeau.r@parl.gc.ca>, <ambrose.r@parl.gc.ca>, <toews.v@parl.gc.ca>, <glover.s@parl.gc.ca>, <mccoleman.p@parl.gc.ca>, <flaherty.j@parl.gc.ca>, <menzies.t@parl.gc.ca>, <anders.r@parl.gc.ca>, <benoit.l@parl.gc.ca>, <raitt.l@parl.gc.ca>, <tilson.d@parl.gc.ca>, <bruinooge.r@parl.gc.ca>, <lunney.j@parl.gc.ca>, <dechert.b@parl.gc.ca>, <lunn.g@parl.gc.ca>, <watson.j@parl.gc.ca>, <mackenzie.d@parl.gc.ca>, <tweed.m@parl.gc.ca>

Conservative Party Emails (Group 2)

<ablonczy.d@parl.gc.ca>, <albrecht.h@parl.gc.ca>, <kamp.r@parl.gc.ca>, <brownpa@parl.gc.ca>, <lemieux.p@parl.gc.ca>, <o'neill-gordon.t@parl.gc.ca>, <lukiwski.t@parl.gc.ca>, <cummins.j@parl.gc.ca>, <boughen.r@parl.gc.ca>, <calandra.p@parl.gc.ca>, <allison.d@parl.gc.ca>, <davidson.p@parl.gc.ca>, <shipley.b@parl.gc.ca>, <norlock.r@parl.gc.ca>, <ashfield.k@parl.gc.ca>, <hoeppner.c@parl.gc.ca>, <saxton.a@parl.gc.ca>, <day.s@parl.gc.ca>, <keddy.g@parl.gc.ca>, <hoback.r@parl.gc.ca>, <stanton.b@parl.gc.ca>, <grewal.n@parl.gc.ca>, <ritz.g@parl.gc.ca>, <merrifield.r@parl.gc.ca>, <breitkreuz.g@parl.gc.ca>, <allen.m@parl.gc.ca>, <mackay.p@parl.gc.ca>, <clement.t@parl.gc.ca>, <payne.l@parl.gc.ca>, <moore.r@parl.gc.ca>, <strahl.c@parl.gc.ca>, <vellacott.m@parl.gc.ca>, <scheer.a@parl.gc.ca>, <shory.d@parl.gc.ca>, <sweet.d@parl.gc.ca>, <richards.b@parl.gc.ca>, <hiebert.r@parl.gc.ca>, <komarnicki.e@parl.gc.ca>, <shea.g@parl.gc.ca>, <moore.j@parl.gc.ca>, <harris.r@parl.gc.ca>, <abbott.j@parl.gc.ca>, <miller.l@parl.gc.ca>, <kerr.g@parl.gc.ca>, <thompson.g@parl.gc.ca>, <prentice.j@parl.gc.ca>, <weston.j@parl.gc.ca>, <sorenson.k@parl.gc.ca>, <storseth.b@parl.gc.ca>, <jean.b@parl.gc.ca>, <mark.i@parl.gc.ca>, <clarke.r@parl.gc.ca>, <bezan.j@parl.gc.ca>, <casson.r@parl.gc.ca>, <rickford.g@parl.gc.ca>, <warkentin.c@parl.gc.ca>, <hill.j@parl.gc.ca>, <mcleod.c@parl.gc.ca>, <duncan.j@parl.gc.ca>, <braid.p@parl.gc.ca>, <aglukkaq.l@parl.gc.ca>, <kenney.j@parl.gc.ca>, <guergis.h@parl.gc.ca>, <calkins.b@parl.gc.ca>, <anderson.da@parl.gc.ca>

"Prorogue"

December 04, 2008 19:36 +0000  |  Bloc Québécois Canada Conservatives Democracy Liberals NDP 5

So for those of you who weren't waiting with baited breath for the news from the Govenor General this morning, I'll break down what happened:

Basically, Stephen Harper went to the Govenor General and "advised" her to suspend Parliament for six weeks. This advisory meeting took something like two and a half hours.

For the rest of us, this means that in the midst of serious economic and environmental need, the Conservatives have decided that their holding onto power is more important than running the country. I think that Liberal leadership candidate Bob Rae said it best when he equated it to a kid pulling the fire alarm to skip out on an exam he knew he'd fail.

For my part, frankly I'm really disappointed in Harper, though not at all surprised. This is a man who goes on live television and outright lies to the people, fabricates stories in the House and even disavows any knowlege of his own disreputable past when confronted with the facts. Far from being Prime Minister material, Stephen Harper is both an autocrat and a coward.

I can only hope that the millions of dollars his party will likely spend on propaganda over the Christmas holiday will have little or no effect on the Will of the people and that the Liberal/NDP coalition will walk back into parliament in late January to finish what they started so we can be rid of this man for good. Until then however, barring revolution, Canada will have to live without Democracy through the Christmas season.