Occupy Canada: Q&A for NDP, Green Party

With Occupy Canada showing the way to Unity, here are questions that NDP and Green Party of Canada members may desire to ask themselves:

Do you believe that a merger of the NDP and the Green Party in Canada makes sense ideologically and politically?

Do you feel that a unified party could win the next federal election in Canada?

What do you think are the major obstacles to a union of Canada's two progressive parties?

Do you think a merger could be completed within the next four years (eg before next federal election)?

Is there a specific policy of the “other” progressive party that you disagree with and believe needs to be altered?

What do you believe are the keys to Canada's success as a livable nation?

What do you believe is Canada's greatest strength?

Do you believe in traditional parliamentary representation (first past the post...) or do you think Canada may benefit from some form of proportional representation?

How do you view Canada's relationship with the USA?

Would you consider transforming Canada into a bilingual, secular democratic republic, or would you prefer to retain the Monarchy?

What do you feel is the key factor promoting Canadian unity?

Occupy Canada music performances

Joe Keithley and DOA at Occupy Vancouver protest

Here's an awesome 35 minute video of DOA performing at Occupy Vancouver, including The Enemy, General Strike, Woke Up Screaming and more:






Activist and singer / writer Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine performs The Fabled City at Occupy Wall Street







Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel performing at Occupy Wall Street







Down By The Riverside at St. James Park, Occupy Toronto






Chanting and singing at Occupy Taipei, Taipei 101 financial center







Jam session with Violin, Banjo and Two Guitars at St. James Park, Occupy Toronto





St. James Park, Toronto; video montage set to a boppin tune

Occupy Together movement points way to NDP / Greens merger

Canadian progressives divided again

When the right wing in Canada was split into a Reform camp and a PC core, the Western upstarts split the reactionary vote and allowed Jean Chretien a majority government. The combining of the two entities was the first step in a long path that has led to Stephen Harper's new majority government. Though he was helped by the collapse of Liberal party leadership (neither Dion nor Ignatieff was electable as PM), the split of the progressive vote (NDP, Green Party of Canada) was also a factor in the PC majority. Now it is time for the left of center parties to unite!

In its thirty year existence, the CCF's membership ranged from 20,000 up to 40,000 except for a brief spurt to 90,000 in 1944, the height of the Second World War, and was generally under 30,000 after that. Tommy Douglas got us going, and Ed Broadbent and Pierre Trudeau got the people a new constitution and an amazing Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a document admired around the world and an example of a 21st Century style document appearing in the late 20th Century. Trudeau was a European social democrat in French Canadian, rather Liberal attire ...

When the CCF joined with the Canadian Labour Congress to form the New Democratic Party of Canada in 1961, it was the work of many citizens over three decades that allowed us to unite in the form of the NDP.

So let's say J.S. Woodsworth, M.J. Coldwell, Tommy Douglas, David Lewis, Ed Broadbent, and Jack Layton are Canadians in a tradition that would support the Occupy Together folks, and unions today are able to unite in a bigger voice through this vehicle.

People may ridicule the Occupy Together movement and United for #globalchange as a ragtag group of disgruntled youth and old hippie wanna-be's, but our urban occupations are part of activities going on in over 900 cities in more than eighty countries. I would also like to add that there are already more than thirty thousand of us in Canada, and if we can unite the NDP and the Green Party, then we'll be about two million strong, and getting more focused by the day.

Green Democratic Party of Canada call for logo designers

With the United for Global Change movement gathering momentum and set to demonstrate in over 850 cities and 70 plus countries this Saturday, October 15th, the timing for a Green Party / NDP merger in Canada could not be better.

If we are to unite the progressive elements in Canada into one social democratic, environmentally conscious political party, what will be our logo? Think Green Democratic Party of Canada, GDP Canada, GDPC, Green Democrats and other versions of the name that would work in media and on swag.

For now, please post any links to sketches or finished designs in the Comments section if you want to get a head start, otherwise Bookmark this page in your Favorites, as we hope to set up an email address for logos soon. Strictly pro bono, no fees, no royalties, as we do not want a merged NDP / Green Party of Canada to have unnecessary expenses.






This is a great opportunity for any young designer in the world to view and learn NDP and Green Party graphics, logos and symbols, and come up with seamless, iconic imagery that melds the two traditions, creating new branding exemplifying social justice and ecological awareness.


Need inspiration? Google or Bing "green party of canada logo" and "ndp canada logo" and click Images from the top bar choices. Open two browser windows so you can click back and forth between the two pages of images.

Create something that builds on these crucial Canadian pillars. Orange and green, anyone?

PCs extreme anti-pot law a challenge to NDP's leadership

Newly-named Bill S-10 an expensive, draconian nightmare

The Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act would guarantee minimum six-month mandatory sentences for anyone who grows more than five pot plants, with maximum sentencing now 14 years rather than the current 7 years. Traffickers of small amounts of marijuana will still be limited to 5 years in prison.




This anachronistic and ridiculously expensive legislation must be stopped in its tracks, and if the larger bill must go through, then the former Bill S-10 (now called Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act) must be held back until the marijuana sections are revised or removed. Growing pot is not like making a batch of meth or speed, so why treat it that way?

It is time for the NDP to join the Green Party of Canada and other progressive Canadian forces, and call for complete legalization of cannabis. This way the government can regulate production and tax distribution, so pot growing will help us balance our budget, rather than sink further into the red, as harper's PCs are proposing we do.


Fight Canada's proposed extreme anti-marijuana laws

Melting Arctic ice, high temperatures a concern

The following article appeared on HuffPost Green today, and it is definitely worthy of our readers' attention.


Missing Arctic Sea Ice: Wake-Up Call

by Dr. Reese Halter, Conservation Biologist

As a field biologist with more than a quarter of a century of experience, the unprecedented warming of our globe is disturbing to my very core. Having spent the first half of this year reading and writing for my upcoming book on the beleaguered state of our forests in western North America, the news on the wire over the weekend (September 10, 2011) by German researchers that the Arctic sea ice reached its lowest point since the start of satellite observations in 1972 is outright heartbreaking.

On September 8, 2011, the North Pole's ice cover shrank to 1.64 million square miles or about a half of a percent beneath the record low set in September 2007 according to the University of Bremen's Institute of Environmental Physics. Moreover, air temperatures were 2 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than average (compared to 1981 to 2010) over the Arctic at 3,300 feet above the surface. The feeble argument that the melt is accounted for by natural variability is clearly erroneous because we have reached an all-time low cover, furthermore the volume or thickness of sea ice is continuing to mirror that of the diminishing sea ice cover.

The real question is what does the leadership in Washington, DC intend to do with the latest scientific information? Science has played a significant role shaping every facet of our world, as we know it today. As a profession, we are rigorously trained to be cautious and meticulous. We are curious by nature and our business is knowledge. Knowledge is power. And it empowers us to take action when necessary.

In 2008 Wall Street received almost a trillion dollars yet today we are faced with an unacceptable unemployment of more than 14 million people who live on Main Street.

The most powerful and watched media corporation in the U.S. chooses daily to denigrate climate science. Interestingly, the same people enjoy their smart phones, i-tablets and flat-screen televisions -- all courtesy of ingenious scientific innovations.

If those same people who sneer at climate science were faced with a sick child and they sought medical advice from 100 doctors, I predict they would follow the consensus of the experts. Particularly if 97 or 98 out of 100 doctors told them their child were deathly ill and the steps necessary to save its life. The opinions of the two contrarian medical scientists would be dismissed.

Let's examine this same scenario only substitute "medical" scientist with "climate" scientist. Ninety-seven to ninety-eight percent of the 1,372 scientists polled in 2010 by Stanford University agree that humans are forcing Earth's climate by burning fossil fuels, releasing heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

It appears that the most powerful media empire and special interest groups like oil; gas and coal are hiding behind the intellectual wall of informed denial and social irresponsibility with respect to global warming.

NOAA has predicted that a cooling of the equatorial Pacific Ocean has begun or the return of the La Nina. This is potentially disastrous for the southern half of the U.S. Texas is facing unparalleled drought damages estimated for 2011 in agriculture alone in excess of $7 billion. Thousands of buildings have burned and wildfire has scorched over 3.6 million acres in the past 12 months of record-breaking drought. The price of cotton, wheat and corn crops (to name just a few) are spiking. The cattle herd in the U.S. has been culled to a population now equal to that of the size of mid 1970s. Expect beef and all other commodities to continue to rise this fall and winter of 2012 at the supermarket.

It is very apparent that elevated temperatures are creating climate disruption. For example, Hurricane Irene caused $7.4 billion in damages and Tropical Storm Lee, seven days later, inflicted another couple billion in damages.

What exactly do the lawmakers intend on doing about future climate disruption? The people on Main Street want to work. So why not begin to plan for future climate disruption by creating millions of jobs that will protect our nation, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrate to the world that the U.S. is taking a leadership role in fighting climate change. Incidentally, Australia has recently brought in a carbon tax and China is trialing a greenhouse gas reduction for six of its cities and 250 million people.

There are at least four areas where both white and blue collar jobs could be created:

Professor Steven Chu, Energy Secretary and Nobel Prize-winning physicist, is a proponent of mimicking the missing sea and land ice on Earth by making all roofs and pavement white (or at least light colored) to help reduce global warming by both conserving energy and reflecting the sunlight back into space. At least two million jobs could be created coast to coast from this endeavor. If every country followed America's lead it would be the equivalent of taking all the cars in the world off the road for 11 years.

The current drought in the South is causing at least 700 watermain breaks a day in Houston; and an antiquated water system throughout the U.S. that was initiated in the late 1800s, the 1920s and post WW II is leaking at least 7 billion gallons of water, daily. The American Society of Civil Engineers has graded the U.S. water infrastructure D- stating that the water mains are well beyond the designed span of 65 to 90 years.

Given that every climate model I've seen (over two dozen and counting) predicts more severe drought for the ensuing years and decades ahead it is incumbent that the lawmakers plan for a drier future and protect the citizens of our nation.

Stopping leaking water is no longer an option; it's a necessity. Furthermore, the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.

There are at least two models that the lawmakers can immediately examine:

Las Vegas - strict water conservation has helped water consumption drop even as the population has ballooned, as the city has tough rules promoting water reuse.

New York - Mayor Bloomberg has spent $252 million on wireless meters that detect leaks four times a day, promoting green rooftops and other ground-breaking green infrastructure to capture rain water, reduce sewer overflows and save the city $2 billion over 20 years.

At least 4 million jobs to redo the aging water systems, protecting towns and cities across the United States could be created.

There are at least four million homeowners across the West who straddle the urban/wildland Ponderosa pine interface. This year alone Arizona and New Mexico have both recorded their largest single fires (Wallow and Las Conchas, respectively) since the inception of record keeping. Climate change has enable bark beetles to kill at least a billion trees across 40 million acres in the West (combination of drought which has weakened the trees and warmer winter temperatures enabling beetles to successfully overwinter and breed at historic levels).

A Smokey Bear fire policy has prevented wildfires for almost 100 years. This has allowed forests to create a huge food supply for the beetles, which otherwise would not be available, thus preventing them from reaching an epidemic.

One hundred and eighty million acres of Ponderosa pines spreading across America are overstocked due to fire suppression. Removing dead beetle-killed trees and restoring the Ponderosa pine forests by thinning them to a healthy stocking level of 100 years ago could easily create one million jobs. Our forests are the life force of the nation, providing fresh air and clean water - priceless ecosystem services.

According to the EPA ever day in the U.S. we dump approximately 690,000 tons of material into landfills. These landfills bleed toxicity in the form of heavy metals into underground water and release heat-trapping greenhouse gases like methane (23 times stronger at retaining heat than CO2) into the atmosphere.

Building thermal conversion landfills could create three million jobs coast to coast. These facilities are lined and sealed so no toxicity pollutes the ground water, and they are capped and slowly cooked using high pressure and temperature to break down toxic long-chained molecules. Moreover, by siphoning the methane from the process it is used to power the entire system. The thermal conversion process converts plastics, hospital wastes, diseased cattle, feedlot manure, bleached paper, yard waste, agricultural waste, forestry waste, cardboard, used tires, municipal solid waste, trash, sewage sludge and even anthrax into oil and non-toxic useful products including biogas. This process safeguards the environment for our children.

America excels in science, technology and engineering; it's time to roll up our sleeves and put Main Street back to work; show the rest of the world that the United States values the environment and is committed to reducing greenhouse gases, now!

Dr Reese Halter is an award-winning science communicator: voice for ecology and distinguished conservation biologist at California Lutheran University. His latest book is The Insatiable Bark Beetle. He can be contacted through Dr.Reese.com

Elizabeth May outlines potential risks of cellphones, Wi-Fi

During May 2011, in response to a firestorm of flames over Elizabeth May's Twitter comments, she released this well-researched and presented argument that the issue does indeed require serious attention.


By Elizabeth May on 28 July 2011 - 12:01am

It has been an interesting day. While doing my work on constituency matters, I tried to keep at bay a growing furor over why I had tweeted about the safety of electromagnetic radiation and Wi-Fi. I haven’t been attacked with such nastiness in ages. (I used to be used to it. It was almost refreshing.) The easiest thing to do on twitter, would, I suppose, be to wave a white flag and say “just kidding.” Instead, I think the controversy has created a good teaching moment.

When I was first attacked and lambasted for expressing concern about various forms of pollution and human health, I was young and the attackers were brutal. I was worried about things like Agent Orange. Health Canada wasn’t. I was concerned about lead in gas, but it was hard to get the government to act. I worked to get certain pesticides banned, but they were “safe” right up to the day they were banned.

So, for friends and foes alike on Twitter, I think a fuller explanation for my views than can fit in a tweet is required.

First, a few clear caveats to keep the issue in proportion:

The health risks of electromagnetic radiation from cell phones, cell phone towers and Wi-Fi have not become the Green Party’s top priority.
For those who tweeted that other issues are more important, no argument.
Poverty is a more important determinant of health.
Active lifestyle and nutrition are also more important.
The pharmaceutical industry and our lax testing is more important.
Climate change is a more important priority for all of us.
Nevertheless, I was not speaking without a careful review of the background on this issue which I would like to share (please forgive the length of this blog as I will be posting links to important documents.)

The Green Party has passed the following members-based resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE GREEN PARTY OF CANADA DEMAND THAT HEALTH CANADA CREATE ENFORCEABLE, BIOLOGICALLY- BASED REGULATIONS, THAT WOULD LIMIT HUMAN EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY RADIATION TO A PRECAUTIONARY LIMIT OF 0.1 uW/cm2 (or 0.614 V/m ) FOR CUMULATIVE OUTDOOR EXPOSURE, AS RECOMMENDED IN THE “BIOINITIATIVE REPORT” OF 2007. (www.bioinitiative.org/report/index.htm)

This is not to say the science is essentially “settled,” as it is on climate change. There is no scientific consensus on EMF and health. But, it is equally not possible to make the claims many of Twitter have made today that Wi-Fi and cell phones are all proven “safe.”

There are studies on both sides of the issue. They fall into two general categories – epidemiological studies on humans and animal studies.

Epidemiological studies (studying the human population exposed to a substance or activity and then working to assess whether a health impact is linked to that substance or behaviour) are inherently fraught with difficulties in proof. There are always issues of bias (not the same as suggesting researchers are biased, but that the patient’s recall may be flawed), and there are confounding factors (such as other things in the subjects’ environment that could have caused the health problem). Causal links come slowly and over decades in some cases to build up a weight of evidence. One study, either way is never conclusive.

Animal studies have their own limitations. Rats and humans are different. Exposure rates used in animal studies will exceed (often substantially) an approximation of what humans may be exposed to.

I have been paying close attention to the issue since the first peer-reviewed medical study of Dr. Lennart Hardell in Sweden. He found an association between cell phone use and brain cancer. I paid attention because I knew Dr. Hardell’s name, his reputation and his work. He was one of the first researchers to find an association between phenoxy herbicides (Agent Orange) and cancer.

I paid attention to an editorial in The Lancet, the Journal of the British Medical Society, over ten years ago (which I cannot now find on Google, but which I have hard copy in files back in Ottawa). It warned that, under the precautionary principle, children and adolescents should not be exposed to cell phones and that exposure to EMF should be kept to a minimum. It said young people were more vulnerable -- not only to cancer but to mental confusion after being exposed to EMF.

In 2008, the European Parliament took action to bring in stricter limits for cell phone and Wi-Fi use for children. The following is from The Independent (Geoffrey Lean, “Mobile phone use 'raises children's risk of brain cancer fivefold',” September 21, 2008.):

“Last week the European Parliament voted by 522 to 16 to urge ministers across Europe to bring in stricter limits for exposure to radiation from mobile and cordless phones, Wi-fi and other devices, partly because children are especially vulnerable to them. They are more at risk because their brains and nervous systems are still developing and because – since their heads are smaller and their skulls are thinner – the radiation penetrates deeper into their brains.

David Carpenter, dean of the School of Public Health at the State University of NewYork – who also attended the conference – said: "Children are spending significant time on mobile phones. We may be facing a public health crisis in an epidemic of brain cancers as a result of mobile phone use."


In 2000 and 2005, two official inquiries under Sir William Stewart, a former government chief scientist, recommended the use of mobile phones by children should be "discouraged" and "minimised".”



Why did I say the evidence is mounting?

Because of two recent and important reviews and events.

One is the May 6, 2011 Resolution passed by the Council of Europe. http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc11/EDOC12608.pdf

The Council of Europe Resolution bemoans the fact that earlier calls for the use of the precautionary principle in relation to exposure to EMF (such as the 2008 resolution cited above) have been ignored and that children and young people, in particular, are being exposed to increasing levels of EMF. The children and young people are described as a “particularly vulnerable group.”

Please go to the text of the full resolution to review the Council’s detailed call to restrict exposures.

The second major event was the recent decision which I posted earlier on Twitter by the World Health Organization to list EMF as a Class 2B human carcinogen. The immediate twitter reaction was to latch onto the fact that it was not conclusive. I know it is not conclusive, but you have to read the study that was conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Thirty scientists from 14 countries reviewed a large number of human and animal studies. It was published in The Lancet on line on June 22, 2011. (see this link for the full study http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(11)70147-4/fulltext)

Here is an excerpt to give you the feeling of the weighing of competing studies. This was a rigorous review:

“Although both the INTERPHONE study and the Swedish pooled analysis are susceptible to bias—due to recall error and selection for participation—the Working Group concluded that the findings could not be dismissed as reflecting bias alone, and that a causal interpretation between mobile phone RF-EMF exposure and glioma is possible. A similar conclusion was drawn from these two studies for acoustic neuroma, although the case numbers were substantially smaller than for glioma. Additionally, a study from Japan11 found some evidence of an increased risk for acoustic neuroma associated with ipsilateral mobile phone use.”

(Glioma is a form of brain cancer. The INTERPHONE study has been controversial as it was industry funded, but it needs to be considered. The debate has been from two primary cancer research groups -- Hardell’s work and INTERPHONE’s)

I will attach an older review from the European Environment Agency in 2007, but it is useful due to a list of citations and references. Not all of the references say there is a problem. As I hope is now clear, I am not saying we know for sure that Wi-Fi, cell phones and cell phone towers are health hazards. What is important to appreciate is that a significant number of serious medical researchers, none of them wearing tinfoil hats, are concerned that the human population is being subjected to an enormous biological experiment.

As for the theory re pollinators, going back to review the current state of information, the evidence is weaker. There is one study from India and a presentation from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, briefing to Congress expressing concerns, May 10, 2007.

Our stance is simple and responsible. Exercise the precautionary principle. A risk of a health problem requires a cautious approach until the science is settled.

For me personally, that translates into using my blackberry, but not carrying it in my pocket. I do not hold it up against my head. I prefer land lines. Do I occasionally use cell phones? Sure. Do I want high speed internet in my house? Yes, and I have a cable. Am I happy to latch onto a signal in the airport by Wi-Fi? You bet.

It is a matter of knowing there are unanswered questions and taking reasonable precautions. If you have Wi-Fi in your home, turn it off when you are sleeping. Locate the router away from where your kids are sleeping. Urge your kids to text more than talk with the phone to their head.

Elizabeth May article on cellphones, radiation, cancer, wi-fi

Jack Layton epitomized Urban Green

Legendary NDP leader a symbol of roots and unity

Jack never forgot that justice and human rights were deeply embedded in issues of the environment. Today, too many of us act as if these are somehow separate, and so we are either environmentalists or workers for social justice. To Jack, they were a part of the same struggle for sustainable societies.

- David Suzuki


If one man represented the potential of a NDP / Green Party union in Canada, that gentleman was Jack Layton. People tell me the merger wil take a long time, or that it's a long way off, but I say "why"?

Stephen Harper is still a relatively young man and likely to be Conservative Party leader for another five to ten years. Considering that Liberals have doubled-down on charisma-less, bookish, dorky types in Dion and Ignatieff, it's likely that Justin Trudeau could take the helm of the Liberal Party of Canada for the next decade. And who do we, the NDP and the Greens, have?

Well, nobody.

Except the people...

A union of the Greens and the NDP into the Green Democratic Party of Canada will immediately vault us into equal status with the PCs and the Liberals, returning Cnada to dynamic three party politics, the Bloc having been eclipsed by the NDP in Quebec and likely to be obliterated if progressive forces in Canada are able to meld themselves into a single, green, social democratic entity.



The NDP was born out of a merger of the CCF and other progressive forces, while on the other side of the aisle, the PCs are in power because of their merger with the Reform movement.

If you are willing to accept division and defeat, then encourage environmentalists and social activists to work separately. Should you choose to work hard for a sustainable, just society, consider the profound impact of a united Green Democratic Party in Canada, and how we can change our nation and our planet, for the better.

Pass it on.


Peace 2 All,


Yuya Joe College

A Sad Day for Canada; Jack Layton's State Funeral

Jack Lauyton cycling with wife, Olivia Chow

NDP leader and Toronto activist leaves profound legacy

My international readers may not be aware of the sad occurrence in Canada this week – we lost a true hero. In Toronto tomorrow we will be having a big State Funeral for Jack Layton, a politician who represented the poor and the young. He was the Official Leader of Canada's Opposition when he died of cancer last week, and tens of thousands of people will likely come to his funeral (inside Roy Thomson Hall and outside at David Pecaud Square, just west of RTH).

His New Democratic Party elected over 100 representatives in our 2011 election, including Members of Parliament as young as 20, 21, 23... amazing!

Tomorrow we say goodbye to him, but there will be lots of music and profound speeches at his funeral. He carried proudly the populist / social democratic values of his forebears Tommy Douglas and Ed Broadbent, and his legacy lives on.

Just Google "Jack Layton of Canada" if you want to learn more about him, or visit the Jack Layton wikipedia page.

Schedule, guests and performers at Jack Layton funeral, Toronto

Remembering Jack at his Toronto funeral

State funeral for NDP Leader Jack Layton, Saturday 2 pm, Roy Thomson Hall / David Pecault Square

A procession will take Layton’s casket from Toronto City Hall to Roy Thomson Hall sometime after 11 a.m. Saturday. The funeral at Roy Thomson Hall will commence at 2 p.m. About 800 seats inside the hall will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Video screens will be set up in David Pecault Square, to the west of Roy Thomson Hall, for overflow crowds.

Expected guests

A total of 1,700 seats in the hall are reserved for membes of Layton’s family (including his wife Olivia Chow, children Mike and Sarah and their partners, granddaughter Beatrice and other close relations), MPs, premiers and former NDP premiers, other politicians and invited guests. Some of the guests include:

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae
Interim Bloc Québécois leader Louis Plamondon
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May
Former Liberal leaders Michael Ignatieff and Stephane Dion
Former Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe
Former prime ministers Paul Martin and Jean Chrétien
Former NDP leaders Alexa McDonough and Ed Broadbent


The service

Several individuals are expected to give eulogies, including Stephen Lewis, the former Ontario NDP leader famous for his activism on social justice issues, and Layton’s children, Michael and Sarah.

McDonough, Broadbent and Doer are among those expected to be pallbearers.


From what I've been able to glean from the web and other media, Saturday's funeral for Opposition Leader Jack Layton will be filled with music and poignant memories. Some highlights are sure to include:

Eulogy - To be delivered by Stephen Lewis

Officiant - Pastor Reverend Dr. Brent Hawkes will deliver a couple of specific messages Jack wanted to be read at his funeral.



Rise Up - Parachute Club singer / writer Lorraine Segato will sing her anthemic tune.




Hallelujah - Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies will perform this haunting, melancholy, yet uplifting song.





Quebecois singer Martin Deschamps met Layton several times and is planning on traveling from Montreal to Toronto to perform at Roy Thomson Hall.



The service is intended to be religiously and politically inclusive, and will have readings from Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other traditions.






On Saturday night the CN Tower will glow with orange light in honour of Jack Layton and his affiliation with the NDP (whose main colour is orange), a really kind gesture and symbolic of Toronto's love for this passionate, thoughtful man.

Jack Layton's final message to Canada

Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world

August 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.


Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.


Canada is one of the hopes of the world

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

I can't believe Jack's gone...

Honourable Jack Layton, 1950-2011


It is a sad day for Canada, as Jack Layton was one of the most rooted, devoted and passionate politicians Canadians have seen in a long time. Regardless of whether you agreed with Layton's politics, his tireless efforts on behalf of regular people were to be deeply admired, and his recent breakthrough in Quebec was nothing short of revolutionary.

In the tradition of Tommy Douglas and Ed Broadbent, you served your country well, Brotherman.

We would be remiss if we did not take this opportunity to state that NOW is the time to consolidate Jack's gains made in recent months and years, and the only way to do this is for all politically progressive Canadians to demand a merger of the New Democratic Party of Canada and the Green Party of Canada.

If PEI can arrange this union at the provincial level initially, then Prince Edward Island will not only be the Birthplace of Canadian Federation, but also the inspiration for Canada's renewal.

Charlottetown Calling... to the far away towns!

Chinese Photo Sensation highlights North American egalitarianism

President Barack Obama, USA Ambassador to China Gary Locke


In Canada and the United States, we expect our politicians and public figures to be reasonably humble and to be able to perform many tasks on their own. This photo of the new USA Ambassador to China buying his own coffee at an airport Starbucks, while wearing a backpack, has sent shockwaves through China's population, with citizens asking "why can't we manufacture this type of leader?"




Each time we make a trip around Our Sun, the Earth gets a wee bit smaller.

Viva Libya VIVA!!!

Congratulations to all freedom fighters in Libya! May your days ahead be filled with wisdom and joy, compassion and enlightenment.

Let Ijtihad (independent thinking) emerge, secular government arise, and most promisingly for the Libyan people, encourage an active democracy and help constitutional rule of law prevail!

Plea to Jack Layton: UNITE the progressive Canadian forces!!!

Jack mon ami, you have created significant momentum for both progressives and federalists in Canada, with your strong showing of support from Canada's youth and Quebecois. How best to capitalize on and solidfy that momentum?

Call up Elizabeth May and ask if she is open to beginning merger negotiations, as a Green Democratic Party of Canada, with social justice and ecology as platforms, will serve to unite the various progressive folks in our beautiful, inspiring nation.

This is something your constituents want, and will elevate your place in Canadian history. If you can do this for Canadians, you will be remembered alongside Tommy Douglas, who is not only the founder of free health care for Canadians, but also a driving force behind the merger of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) with the Canadian Labour Congress to form the New Democratic Party, with Douglas elected as the NDP's first federal leader (1961 to 1971).

C'mon Jack and Liz, let's get this Party started!

360 Video of Vancouver hockey riot

This new video captures a 360 degree perspective of the Stanley Cup aftermath riot, check it out and send the link to your friends email list!!!

Liberals / NDP merger a non-starter; NDP-Greens union means victory

I don't know where the Liberal Party of Canada / NDP merger talk originated, however it is likely a hangover from Iggy's demoralizing lack of leadership, and all such verbosity will fade as Young Trudeau takes centre stage for the Libs.

The truly progressive vote in Canada is split between the environmentally inclined social democrats the Green Party, and the social democrat environmentalists known as the NDP. You can argue the fine points but the realpolitik means that if we continue to compete against one another, we will not become the government in this most blessed of nations.

We have people working to unify progressive forces in Vancouver and Toronto, and would love to add PEI, Quebec and all of Canada to the movement for unity and victory. What do readers think, should we unify the provincial parties first, and then the national groups, or should Ottawa take the leadership role and make the first move?

Either way, when it comes to a vote at party membership level, I am extremely confident that the resolutions will pass overwhelmingly, creating the Green Democratic Party of Canada, our country's next governing party.

Time for Layton and May to have a chat

NDP and Greens see Justin Trudeau on horizon

With the son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau set to lead the federal Liberal Party of Canada out of electoral wilderness, there will no longer be a Dion or Ignatieff to kick around. As a way of consolidating momentum and ensuring that there is plenty of time for a fair and equitable union of the New Democratic Party of Canada and the Green Party of Canada (creating the Green Democratic Party of Canada), followed by an equal or greater amount of time to prepare for an election and ascension to a position of governance, it would be ideal if merger talks could begin this summer, at the national and provincial levels.

If you like losing, consider yourself nothing more than a gadfly in the political process, and enjoy being governed by Conservatives, please ignore the wisdom in this post.

NDP riding discontent wave, like Bob Rae did in 1990

Rising fuel and food prices pave way for major NDP gains

For those Ontario voters who have been around for a few decades, this federal election in Canada has a clear sense of deja vu to it. Back in 1990, nobody thought Bob Rae and the NDP were real contenders in Ontario, however after David Peterson called an unwanted snap election, the NDPers managed to ride a wave of social dissatisfaction with the powers-that-be all the way to victory, capturing 38% of the popular vote and a majority government of 74 seats.

They said it couldn't be done, Jack, yet the NDP did it, in Canada's most populous province. If Layton and the NDP can get further traction in Ontario and BC, combined with the massive Quebec surge, then Canada's New Democratic Party will surprise more than a few people this Monday, and Canadians may wake up Tuesday to the sounds of "New Canadian Prime Minister Jack Layton says ..."

Now that would be cool!

Greens in Canada; NOW is the time for strategic voting

ALL aboard the NDP Express

The surge in popularity of Jack Layton and the NDP party in Quebec and across Canada is a sign of hope in a beleaguered nation. Certainly we don't have troubles on the scale of our American friends and countries far worse off than us, however the "relative strength" excuse masks real pain and suffering in Canada and shortchanges the potential of the nation with the greatest per capita wealth of any country on Earth.

You don't agree that Canada is wealthiest, overall? I'm not just talking about money, but everything that is important to humanity. Starting with material wealth and moving further into complex areas of freedoms and rights, what other nation can match Canada's net total for:

- land per capita
- energy resources per capita
- gold per capita
- wood products per capita
- autos / roads / bridges per capita
- telephones per capita
- computers per capita
- televisions per capita
- doctors / hospitals per capita
- food production per capita
- schools per capita
- fresh air per capita
- free press per capita
- freedom of religion per capita
- rule of law / equality before the law, per capita

Our rights and freedoms stretch from sea to shining sea, and our deep, profound responsibilities wrap themselves completely around the globe, encircling this spinning ball of blue, green and brown fun with hope and inspiration, a yearning for what could be, if only there were an opportunity.

Greens in Canada must examine their local race closely, and if the NDP has a shot and the Greens don't, this will be the election to partner with our Quebecois friends and vote for change. It is a FACT that the NDP has greener policies than the Conservatives or Liberals, by a wide margin, so voting NDP is not choosing a lesser evil, but rather a greater good.

If your Green candidate has any chance of being elected, by all means stay on board, however if that is not the case, then voting NDP still provides a vote for for social change, with the bonus kicker that this time, in the revolutionary year of 2011, Canadian progressives may play a significant role in governing the nation for the next few years, or more.

We'll be fully investigating the benefits of a merger of the NDP and the Green Party after the election, yet for now our best option is to roll with the train that is leaving the station.

All aboard!

Canadian Election: Green Party and NDP Energy Policy

Future merger of progressive parties requires fine tuning

Green Party Climate Plan: A New Energy Revolution to Avert Global Catastrophe

The Green Party plan calls for:

Rapid development of Canada’s renewable energy sources through tax incentives, research funds and new policies, including carbon conditionality clauses requiring provincial adoption of Advanced Renewables Tariffs.

Tax incentives, regulation and funded programs to cut vehicle emissions 30% by 2015 and 85% by 2040, including incentives for the Canadian manufacture of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

A retrofit of all Canada’s buildings to a high level of energy efficiency by 2025 and zero net energy after 2025 using refundable tax credits, tax-deductible Green Mortgages, 100% Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance, revolving federal loans and changes to Canada’s Building Code.

Regulations requiring all appliances to meet Energy Star rating by 2015 with most inefficient appliances and light bulbs phased out by 2010.

Adaptation strategies to cope with climatic disruption that is no longer avoidable, including a special task force to prepare area-specific strategies and a Climate Change Adaptation Fund to assist areas hard hit by “natural” disasters linked to global warming.

Withdrawal of federal funding for programmes such the Pacific Gateway Programme, that encourage urban sprawl and increase vehicle use.

Removal of all subsidies to coal, oil, gas and coalbed methane production, a cap on overall extraction levels of fossil fuels, and phasing out of coal, oil, gas and nuclear electrical generation.

Payments to farmers for carbon sequestration in soils within a domestic carbon market.

A carbon tax or carbon rebate for forest companies to reflect either the net loss of carbon storage or the net gain of carbon sinks from their lands.

A methane tax on all landfills and mandatory methane capture after 2015.

Global verification and certification standards for carbon credits and the establishment of a Canadian Carbon Bank along with a federal framework for local and provincial carbon banks to encourage the purchase of local offsets.

Expansion of the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 to include international aviation and shipping and commitments to ramp up solar energy, electric vehicles and other low carbon technologies.

New Democratic Party of Canada - Energy Policy

It is wonderfully "green" of the NDP to include energy policy as a sub-section of Environment, however in the new combined Green Democratic Party of Canada policy structure, Energy will more likely be a key component of the platform and specific clean power technologies (eg. solar, wind, offshore wind, geothermal, biogas +++) will be covered extensively.


2011 NDP Energy / Environment Policy

2.1 Protecting Nature and Our Ecosystems

New Democrats believe in:

Protecting the environment as a common good by creating a legal framework to ensure that people have the right to live in a healthy environment with access to natural spaces

Protecting and restoring ecosystems as central to all social and economic planning
Reducing and eliminating highly toxic substances, especially those threatening life and habitat

Protecting our supplies of fresh water by excluding it from all international trade agreements, privatization and deregulation

Strengthening laws to protect biodiversity and threatened species; and

Protecting and developing our national parks and designating new parks.


2.2 Climate Change

New Democrats believe in:

Establishing binding targets and clear standards to cut greenhouse gas emissions
Creating a revenue-generating carbon market to ensure industry reduces greenhouse gas emissions to targets set by government; and

Imposing strict energy efficiency and emissions standards for motor vehicles, appliances, and buildings.


2.3 Energy

New Democrats believe in:

Promoting clean, renewable energy to mitigate the negative effect of non-renewable energy such as fossil fuels

Investing in research and development to create new sources of alternative energy and develop incentives to encourage their use

Promoting coordination between provinces and territories to share clean energy sources and ensure better energy security, including, where appropriate, an east-west energy grid

Rescinding tax breaks and subsidies for fossil fuel industries, while protecting workers, communities, and the surrounding environment

Halting nuclear expansion and upgrading the safety and security of current nuclear energy and waste management facilities

Developing strong standards and incentives for energy conservation and creating public awareness about its importance; and

Working with all levels of government to achieve large-scale energy efficiency, especially through major retrofit programs.


2.4 Towards a Green and Sustainable Economy

New Democrats believe in:

Reviewing all economic decisions to assess their environmental impact
Establishing a major research and development fund for green technologies
Including environment sustainability in corporate social responsibility codes
Consulting with communities on the development of local sustainability initiatives; and

Investing in the development of “green cars”.

Directing infrastructure stimulus spending in a strategic way that focuses on public transit, retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency and following urban design models to make our communities more energy efficient.


2.5 Showing Green Leadership to the World

New Democrats believe in:

Taking leadership internationally to prevent environmental damage to the planet and implement environmentally sustainable practices worldwide

Adhering to international agreements to reverse climate change, including those with binding regulations; and

Demanding environmental standards in all trade agreements to which Canada is a signatory.




Note from blog Publisher Joe: Since the early 1980s when we first formed and launched the Green Party in BC and Ontario, NDPers have often claimed that there's no need for a Green Party because the NDP is the "green" party" and now with this merger on the table, NDP folks have the option of actually (not metaphorically) being the Green party.

Green Democratic leadership, carrying strong Canadian traditions

Pierre Trudeau brought home and updated Canada's Constitution, and also gave us the essential Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

Article 2

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.

Article 3

Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.


Trudeau also abolished the lash, legalized homosexuality and gambling, and built significant modern monuments in Ottawa and region. I bring up these crucial few of PET's many major accomplishments because the Liberals know leadership; Trudeau even tried to promote a young Brian Mulroney by getting him to cross over and go straight into the Cabinet.


Should the Green Democratic Party seek inclusiveness at the top?

While everyone would agree that the Federal Cabinet should contain as much diversity as expertise and experience allow, some would argue that we should not prejudge where the leader comes from. I will state emphatically that this needs to be seriously considered, for the Liberal's policy of alternating the leadership between francophones and anglophones has been a type of glue for our country. Population and cultural considerations may make us consider an updated version of this unwritten yet steadfast Liberal Party policy in Canada.

For the Green Democratic Party, I will make a suggestion. Let's try and average one anglophone, one francophone, and one other Canadian out of every three party leaders. By other, I mean people we we don't traditionally consider anglophones / francophones, and some that we may have. Native Canadians, Chinese-Canadians, Italian-Canadians, Ethiopian-Canadians, our party must be open to leadership from these and dozens of other widely represented ethnicities in Canada, while at the same time respecting the contributions of Quebec and the French community in provinces such as New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta, by including francophones in the rotation.

Perhaps our leadership rotation can also be unwritten, with everyone already conscious and prepared to shake things up a bit. May the best gal or gent take the reigns, and let us lend our skills and services to build the Canada we all know she can be.

Canada 2011 Election: Greens and NDP Tactical voting strategy

Decide tactics locally, visualize strategy federally

Personal Tactical Voting in Canada

If the candidate of your party is believed to have a reasonable chance of winning or if you cannot support the policies of the candidate of the other party, then vote for your party's candidate.

If both candidates are perceived as worthy, and the candidate of the other party is deemed to have a much better chance than your own party's candidate, it may be best for the Green Democratic Party for you to vote tactically, so that we can begin the union of progressive forces with a strong voice in the Canadian Parliament.

Remember, when young people and other conscious folk decide to move Canada forward yet again, nothing can hold back the tide!


Canadian Provincial and National Strategy

In future elections, for areas where the two parties (NDP and Green Party) have agreed to merge but the actual merger date has not yet passed, it would be wise for the combined entity to not run against incumbents, for this is the base we need to build upon.

As legal and timing considerations may prevent implementation across provinces and nationally as soon as we'd all like, trailing candidates must not be discouraged from openly supporting competitive candidates of the partner party, as everyone needs to look ahead and see what can be if we will it to be.

Progressives of Canada unite!


Joe Trainor
TalkPlusAction

Canadian Election: Clean technology a key emerging issue

BP oil spill, Fukushima nuclear disaster spur concern

In last Thursday's Toronto Star, Clean Break columnist and alternative energy reporter Tyler Hamilton examines the policy stances of major Canadian political parties on the issue of clean technology development and implementation.

Here's an excerpt:

Clean technology innovation must be part of Canadian election debate

By Tyler Hamilton, Energy and Technology Columnist

Over the years I’ve written about dozens of clean technology companies doing very innovative work. Most , at some time or another, have received funding from a federal agency called Sustainable Development Technology Canada, or SDTC.

You may not have heard of this agency, but it has been around for nearly a decade and has played a crucial role as public nurturer of Canada’s fledgling green innovation economy.

It has funded 210 demonstration projects touching on everything from electric transportation and advanced energy storage to nuclear fusion and water desalination.

The technologies behind these projects are important if we, as a country, hope to use energy more efficiently, reduce waste, conserve water, shrink our collective carbon footprint, and keep pollution out of our air, soil and water.

But it’s not just about the environment. Businesses and industries that adopt these clean technologies become more competitive and productive by using limited and increasingly expensive resources more efficiently.

Gasoline prices are above $1.20 a litre. The price of oil seems to be finding a permanent home above $100 (U.S.) a barrel. Commodity prices are at record highs, driving up the cost of food and industrial materials.

The situation is going to get worse over the long term. Countries that learn how to do more with less will be far better off in the 21st century, and those countries that develop the enabling technologies can seize a healthy share of a growing global export market.

Sustainable Development Technology Canada has helped give home-grown innovators a leg up. For every dollar it has put toward a clean technology demonstration project, another $2.40 of mostly private-sector money has been brought to the table.

Put another way, of the $515 million the agency has so far granted it has attracted more than $1.2 billion.

This match-and-more funding from the private sector is what makes SDTC’s approach attractive. It squeezes money from institutions, companies and other players that might otherwise have no interest.

It reduces project risk by doing much of the upfront due diligence and putting its own flesh — that is, taxpayer dollars — in the game, making participation more palatable to private partners and venture capitalists.

SDTC doesn’t throw money at anybody. The bar is high for those who apply. Many complain that the application process is too taxing, but this is public money, after all.

Despite this successful formula — an approach being eyed as a model for the United Kingdom and California — the federal government has put SDTC on a shorter and shorter leash over the past two years. The initial $550 million fund created for the agency nine years ago is near empty, yet the Harper government declined in its 2010 budget to top it up.

The latest federal budget, now shelved because of the election, made an additional $40 million available over two years. But that represents less than a quarter of Sustainable Development Technology Canada’s annual funding over the past few years.


Full online article about clean technology politics in Canada

Canada: Sustainable Economy AND Greener Environment

There are two major problems with the shallow, toxic consumer society being fostered upon citizens by multinational corporate giants:

A) Destruction of Earth - Unsustainable industrial activity destroys the very foundations of our food, water and air, and the Green Party has been and is best at addressing these accelerating ecological issues.

and

B) Destruction of Equity - Unsustainable corporate pay scales destroy our towns and communities by paying workers a less than liveable wage, and diverting dividends and re-investment dollars into extreme executive compensation. The New Democratic Party has been and is the best at addressing these deepening social issues.


It would seem both prudent and wise for all of us to work hard and expedite this merger of the two progressive political forces in Canada. We have been the gadfly long enough, and it is now time to take the reins of power.


Ladies: The Age of Civil Disobedience and Nonviolence is here

Sisters and Mothers, Daughters and Grand-daughters: When you are certain of what you want, take your pots and pans to the busiest intersection in your town or city. These tactics have been successful in previous suffrage and human rights movements, and this time we suggest you bring your brother, husbands and sons with you, to show support and follow your leadership.

In the context of the proposed forthcoming merger of the New Democratic Party and the Green Party in Canada, I proclaim that the initiative will gather momentum and breathe life and energy into the Canadian political landscape, and this will occur because female NDPer's and Greens shall form an unbreakable bond and convince their families and friends to support the new major political force in Canada, the Green Democratic Party.

Joe Trainor
TalkPlusAction

Canadian Dream: Sustainable Economy AND Greener Environment

There are two major problems with the shallow, toxic consumer society being fostered upon citizens by multinational corporate giants:

A) Destruction of Earth - Unsustainable industrial activity destroys the very foundations of our food, water and air, and the Green Party has been and is best at addressing these accelerating ecological issues.

and

B) Destruction of Equity - Unsustainable corporate pay scales (plus lack of re-investment, shareholder dividends) destroy our towns and communities by paying workers a less than liveable wage, and diverting dividends and re-investment dollars into extreme executive compensation. The New Democratic Party has been and is the best at addressing these deepening social issues.


It would seem both prudent and wise for all of us to work hard and expedite this merger of the two progressive political forces in Canada. We have been the gadfly long enough, and it is now time to take the reins of power.


Ladies: The Age of Civil Disobedience and Nonviolence is here

Sisters and Mothers, Daughters and Grand-daughters: When you are certain of what you want, take your pots and pans to the busiest intersection in your town or city. These tactics have been successful in previous suffrage and human rights movements.

In the context of the proposed forthcoming merger of the New Democratic Party and the Green Party in Canada, I will proclaim that the initiative will gather momentum and breathe life and energy into the Canadian political landscape, and this will occur because female NDPer's and Greens will form an unbreakable bond and convince their families and friends to support the new major political force in Canada, the Green Democratic Party.



2011 elections, vote strategically; 2012 and beyond, Unite!

As we are now in the thick of a federal election, and with a provincial election scheduled for Ontario this Autumn, in the near-term everyone would be best to consider strategic voting as a temporary tactic. Here are a few links to help you decide who to support:


Join the New Democratic Party of Canada

Donate online to the NDP Party in Canada

Join and/or make online donation to Green Party of Canada

Provincial NDP and Green Party links; JOIN today!

Regional Green Party and New Democratic Party websites

Alberta

Alberta New Democratic Party

Evergreen Party of Alberta



British Columbia

Green Party of British Columbia

BC provincial New Democratic Party



Manitoba

Green Party of Manitoba

New Democratic Party of Manitoba / Manitoba NDP



New Brunswick

Green Party of New Brunswick

New Brunswick NDP official website



Newfoundland

Newfoundland Provincial NDP website



Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia provincial NDP website

Green Party of Nova Scotia, Canada



Ontario

Green Party of Ontario official website

New Democratic Party of Ontario website



Prince Edward Island

Join PEI Green Party

Join PEI NDP Party



Quebec

Parti vert du Quebec

Green Party of Quebec english website



Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan NDP website

Green Party of Saskatchewan



Yukon

Yukon NDP

Yukon wing of Green Party of Canada



Please join both the NDP and the Green Party in your region, and work hard to create a union of these two crucial, valuable groups of people.

TalkPlusAction

New Democratic Party and Green Party Economic Policy

Principles guiding the Green Party of Canada Economic Plan

Reducing waste: Improving our lives

Greens are committed to improving our collective well-being. Greens recognize that we need new measurements of our societal health and well-being. Greens know that the notion of unending economic growth is a dangerous illusion. We can do far more with far less. The central driving principle of Green Economic Policy is to improve well-being by eliminating waste. Our society has embedded wasteful practices at every turn. We waste raw materials, waste water and waste energy. In fact of all the energy used by Canadians, more than half is wasted. Green economic policies aim to improve the efficiency of resource and energy use by a factor of four.

In their seminal book, Factor Four, Ernst von Weizacker, Amory B. Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins concluded: “The amount of wealth extracted from one unit of natural resources
can quadruple. Thus we can live twice as well – yet use half as much.”

There is abundant evidence to support this contention. Improvements in labour productivity drove economic growth after World War II. We must now repeat the exercise as we improve the productivity of resource and energy use.

Get the prices right

To get there from here, market distortions created by a failure to internalize externalities must be removed. In other words, we must get the prices right. The single most significant government policy tool to advance or retard economic sustainability resides in the fiscal framework.

Our fiscal plan is straightforward: Use the tax system to help meet societal and ecological goals. Get the prices right. Allow business to pursue profit, with clear signals of environmental and societal objectives.

The Green commitment to Green tax relief will:

Reduce income taxes, including a stop to the practice of over-taxing married couples.
Reduce payroll taxes.
Introduce a carbon tax, sending a clear economic signal that wasting energy and resources implies real costs.
According to an editorial in The Economist, September 9, 2006:

“Ideally, politicians would choose the more efficient carbon tax, which implies
a relatively stable price that producers can build into their investment plans.”

The Greens will also eliminate large corporate subsidies and grants programs.

It makes no sense to subsidize the wealthiest companies on Earth to make the world’s most profitable product -- a barrel of oil. These perverse subsidies must be removed. It makes sense to reduce taxes on things we want – income and employment – while increasing taxes on things we do not want, like greenhouse gases and pollution that causes smog.

Canadian businesses want two things from their government: predictability and policy coherence. The Green Government will ensure that the rules are clear, the playing field is level and decision-making is transparent.

Key societal goals:

Ensure Canadians have more time for friends, family and community engagement.
Send the right price signals to the economy. The days of cheap, abundant energy are over. A carbon tax will send that signal and generate the revenue to cut income taxes, allow “income splitting” and reduce the tax burden on small business.
Eliminate perverse corporate subsidies. No more “corporate welfare bums.” No more unpaid “loans” to government granting agencies.

Part 1: The Green Economy - Applying Green principles to economic decision-making

Français - Fondements du plan économique vert



New Democratic Party - Our Vision for Canada

The New Democratic Party believes in economic prosperity and social equality for all Canadians.

Our commitment is reflected in a vision for Canada that emphasizes strong and sustainable economic growth, strong environmental stewardship, equal rights for all, and effective social programs – including universal Medicare – that ensure no Canadian is left behind. New Democrats believe that Canada must be a leading global voice for peace and human rights on the world stage.

The statements below comprise official policy of New Democratic Party of Canada that has been drafted and endorsed by the members of the Party, everyday Canadians like you who support building a greener and more just Canada.

SECTION 1: Economy

Innovating and Prospering in the New Energy Economy



SECTION 2: Environment

NDP Canada: Building a Clean and Sustainable Economy



SECTION 3: Social Policy

NDP: Investing in a Canada Where no one is Left Behind



SECTION 4: Foreign Affairs

NDP Policy: Redefining Canada’s Place in the World



SECTION 5: Governance

NDP Canada Governing in an Inclusive and Fair Canada



SECTION 6: Rights and Heritage

NDP Canada Strengthening Human Rights and the Canadian Identity

Green Democratic Party to unite progressive forces in Canada

Our goal is to inspire one million new members to join the Green Party and/or the New Democratic Party over the next three years, and to utilize the human and financial capital contributed to form a single, effective union of the progressive political forces in Canada, from BC to PEI.

The Green Democratic Party of Canada will provide a unified voice that will elevate social democrats and greens from the "gadfly" role to actually governing our nation in a responsible, responsive manner, thus benefiting all Canadians.

Join the NDP Party of Canada

Donate online to New Democratic Party of Canada

Join or donate to Green Party of Canada

We believe that uniting the New Democratic Party and the Green Party in Canada will create a powerful, positive force in the Canadian political and economic landscapes, spurring green jobs creation and providing more widespread prosperity and social equity in Canada for generations to come.

Talk Plus Action
March 2011