Lower Island NEWS An Independent Democratic Socialist Newspaper Serving the Lower Island Area for 27 Years Volume 29 Issue #1 March, 2012 Victoria, BC

New NDP leader to be chosen March 24 An historic number of New Democrats will take part in electing their new leader on the weekend of March 23 and 24, when they gather at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s South Building, in Toronto. So many people registered to attend the convention that the party was forced to move the event from a smaller location. “This is a very exciting time for our party,” said national director Chantal Vallerand. “Hav- ing so many people engaged in this race and participating in this democratic process shows a bright future for the party.” The number of people able to cast their vote is over 131,000, with Alberta having 9,800 members; British Columbia, 39,859; Manitoba, 11,991; New Brunswick, 946; Newfoundland, 974; Nova Scotia, 3,904; Northwest Territories, 124; Nunavut, 24; Ontario, 36,965; Prince Ed- ward Island, 262; Quebec, 13,987; Saskatch- ewan, 11,242; Yukon, 747; out of country, 74; and unknown due to incomplete addresses, 252, for a total electoral roll of 131,152. Election packages were mailed to members the last weeks of February, and voting com- menced March 1 for those who wished to do so by mail or online, using a preferential ballot. Those who preferred to wait till the conven- tion but will not be attending can watch the pro- ceedings online or on TV and vote at appropriate times using their computers or phones. To enter the campaign, candidates had to file nomination papers which had been signed by 500 members in good standing of the New Above, the seven remaining leadership Democratic Party, a minimum of 50 members candidates (L-R) Brian Topp, Martin Singh, from each of the five regions, Quebec, Atlantic, Thomas Mulcair, Niki Ashton, Paul Dewar, Ontario, BC/North, and Prairies. At least 50% Nathan Cullen and Peggy Nash take part in of the required nomination signatures had to the Montreal debate Sunday, March 4. be female. Failure to collect these signatures resulted in disqualification from the race. All candidates had to provide a non-refund- able $15,000 deposit to the party, and were Left, Nathan Cullen and Peggy Nash have a limited to a total of $500,000 in expenses each lively exchange of ideas at the debate. For more on the candidates, go to pages 2, 3 and 4. BC NDP celebrates its 50th Anniversary Convention By Starla Anderson Attacking inequality also requires excel- youth to solve the problems . . . to support Delegates also heard from Nycole Tur- The BC NDP 50th Anniversary Conven- lent public education K -12: “We need to be them in developing air, sun, and tidal energy mel, MP for Hull-Aylmer and interim leader tion was held at the Vancouver Convention working with teachers, not against them.” sources. of the federal Official Opposition NDP. She Centre December 9-11 with NDP leader Dix also acknowledged the importance Former premier Glen Clark and Penny encouraged New Democrats to carry on Adrian Dix bringing focus to the themes of quality public healthcare in the battle Priddy, the first head of the Women’s Rights the work of Jack Layton and to support the that will be the foundation of the provincial towards equality, and suggested that afford- Commission, reminded delegates of some process of electing a new leader. party’s May 2013 election: working towards ability is linked to overpriced prescription of the accomplishments of the BCNDP in Delegates heard from all nine (now a “sustainable energy economy” and clos- drugs. He argued that these inflated dollars the last 50 years. seven) candidates who participated on a ing the inequality gap—economic, gender, ought to go to other needs in the healthcare Clark spoke of the agricultural land panel with questions earlier presented by sexual identity, race. system. reserve, the Nishga Treaty, ICBC, the pro- delegates and other members of the party. Most of the resolutions passed were Jim Sinclair, president of the BC Federa- vincial ambulance service, the Sea Bus, Delegates I spoke with had narrowed concerned with these issues. tion of Labour, asked that union workers and the Human Rights Code, tenants rights, a their choice down to three or four but most To address sustainability and at the environmentalists reframe their conversa- modernized labour code, restoration of free agreed that we were fortunate to have such same time economic growth, Dix would roll tions to avoid conflict and work together to collective bargaining, and abolition of the strong candidates for the leadership—with back corporate tax breaks and put these achieve decent, good paying, “Green Jobs”. use of the strap in public school discipline. labour background, decades of experience dollars along with carbon tax dollars into Sinclair’s remarks were in line with those of Priddy added to the list of BCNDP ac- with the workings of the party, and person- rapid transit. He says we need to talk about the keynote speaker, Van Jones, co-founder complishments, and spoke of the Nurse able attributes that would suit them to the environmental sustainability in relation to of Green for All. Line (811) which is still operating, tuition demands of the job. developing new industries. Jones spoke strongly on behalf of youth, fees frozen for six years, the West Coast They echoed Jack Layton’s appeal to Dix believes that government should saying, “This generation wasn’t born to be Express and Millennium Lines built with members, “With love, hope and optimism, be making post-secondary education, in- put on trial by the system -- this generation union labour, the minimum wage raised we will change the world.” cluding trades training, more accessible by was born to put the system on trial!” every year, same sex adoption brought into providing grants—he said that there will be He put forward that bankers “don’t count law, more parkland and protected areas e This article first appeared in the Saanich-Gulf a shortage of 61,000 skilled workers in the what counts . . . children, the future, training created in the history of Canada, and labour Islands NDP newsletter. next 10 years if there is no change. youth”. He called on delegates to invest in legislation outlawed scabs.

More letteIs Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement # 40008124 Inside this issue Return to: The Lower Island News The candidates say... 2 Island of austerity 14 Box 311-2750 Quadra Street How progressive are they? 3 The “MC” word 15 Victoria, BC V8T 4E8 Editorial and op/ed 4 A good poverty line 16 Letters to the editor 5 Mikey likes it! 17 More letters and op/eds 6 Every step counts 18 National healthcare needed 7 Tomatoes as weapons 19 Federal news 8-9 Mining justice 20 Provincial news 10-11 Books of interest 21-22 Trustee thanks all 12 Coming events calendar 23 Special needs students 13 Directory 24 Page 2 March 2012 The Lower Island NEWS We asked the 7 candidates to tell us about themselves and their plans if they won the leadership. Three replied. MEET NIKI ASHTON · Increasing access to justice for best approach for themselves, an approach MEET BRIAN TOPP About Niki: Canadians who can’t afford a lawyer through that would accommodate the views of both Niki Ashton was first elected to Parlia- a dedicated federal transfer for “judicare»; Quebec and Westerners. We Canadians aren’t arrogant about our ment in 2008 and re-elected in 2011. A · Reducing tuition fees for all students Niki is the daughter of immigrants and country, but there are things we are--or used former instructor with University College of and removing the cap on PSSP for First her first language is neither French nor to be--proud of: a productive economy with the North, she has an MA in International Nations students; English; she has the ability to reach out to a level of social justice not matched in many Affairs (Carleton University) and a BA in · Better screening of foreign takeovers to new Canadians. And Niki can show a new other countries, strong social programs, a Global Political Economy (University of protect Canadian jobs and the communities generation of voters that politics can be rel- universal public health care system, a de- Manitoba). She is fluent in four languages, and families who depend upon them; evant to them by talking about issues young cent national pension scheme, all paid for including Greek, her mother-tongue, and . Promoting family-based immigration; people care about like education, peace, by a system of progressive taxation; and a has studied five others. She has interna- . Protecting and building Canadian and climate change, and by framing issues reputation as a world player in the search tional experience, having interned at foreign culture like Old Age Security in terms that will make for peace, sustainable development, and embassies and at the United Nations. Niki · Building a smarter, more sustainable them relevant to young people. human rights. and her husband, Ryan, make their home economy and addressing the climate crisis; CCF and NDP provincial governments in Northern Manitoba where she was born · Helping rural communities build for led the way in creating that Canada. They and raised. the future. MEET THOMAS MULCAIR broke new ground in establishing Medicare Niki’s vision of a new politics: For more information, visit www.nikiash- Dear Readers of the Lower Island News, and promoting universal human rights. New politics seeks to bring Ca- ton.ca. Over the last four months, I’ve been They also, particularly in British Columbia, nadians together. It is social- The road to government: travelling the country, meeting with New pioneered protection of the environment in ly and economically progressive For the first time, Quebecers have given Democrats and progressives in all 10 prov- imaginative ways, including expanded parks New politics sees greater equality as being the NDP their confidence. Opinion polls inces—activists who have been members and protected areas and the Agricultural the key to our future as a country. It says show that New Democrats have a clear of our party for decades, and people joining Land Reserve. But there was a time when there is no excuse for poverty, particularly advantage with voters under the age of 35. our party for the first time. other Canadian parties, influenced by the the third world conditions facing Aboriginal At the same time, the last census showed It goes without saying that progressives CCF and NDP, sometimes pursued progres- people in a country as wealthy as Canada. that immigrants account for two-thirds of of every stripe are looking to turn the page sive, even social democratic, policies in fed- New politics sees peace, diplomacy and our population growth and that, for the first on the regressive policies and divisive poli- eral government. Of course we’ve always solidarity as key to our foreign policy. . time, more Canadians live West of Ontario tics of Stephen Harper’s Conservative gov- known there’s much more to be done, but New politics sees climate change as than east of Ontario. ernment. There’s a great deal of fear about we used to be confident that we had a solid one of the key challenges of our time. New If the NDP is to form government, we what Mr. Harper is doing to our country. foundation to build on. politics says it does matter who owns our need to maintain and build upon our gains But as worried as Canadians are, there For quite a while, though, these founda- economy and that we must protect our pub- in Quebec, make big gains here in Western is also a sense of hope. The people I’ve met tions have been under threat. Already in the lic services and control our own economic Canada, reach out to new Canadians who still believe in the dream of forming a new 1990s, federal Liberals made the greatest destiny as Canadians. This includes fighting have voted Liberal in the past, and reach out kind of government—a government that cuts to social programs in Canadian history to save the Wheat Board and CBC. We must to Canadians, particularly young Canadians, reflects our deeply held social democratic and then gave tax breaks to the rich, while stop the erosion of collective bargaining who are not currently voting. values; a government that stands up for the current Conservative majority wants to rights and pensions. Quebecers won’t give the NDP their vote the public interest, not the well-connected. destroy even more of what Canadians have Fundamentally Niki believes you don’t again unless our leader is fluently bilingual. As New Democrats, if we’re going to long believed is our national heritage. Not have to sacrifice your values or principles Niki is fluently bilingual and understands achieve that dream, we’ll have to continue only has the federal government disgraced for power. how to talk to, and listen to, Quebecers the work begun by Jack Layton. We’ll have us internationally on everything from climate Niki’s ideas: on their terms. She also understands that to keep reaching out to Canadians who change to human rights, at home we’re be- Niki has put forward a number of pro- there is more to Quebec than Montreal and haven’t supported us in the past—both ginning to see Harper’s threats to things as gressive ideas in this campaign including: Quebec City and has travelled extensively those who have voted for other parties and basic as our health care and now our OAS. · A 10 point Plan to Build A������������� More Inclu- throughout the regions of Quebec, including those who don’t vote at all. Right now, income inequality is grow- sive Economy; Trois Rivieres, the Gaspe, Shawinigan and We’ll have to unite progressives and ing more rapidly in Canada than in most · Restoring Canada’s purpose in the Niki is the only Opposition member repre- build on the sense of hope and optimism advanced economies. That gap between world based on the values of peace, senting a rural riding on the Prairies and that has led tens of thousands of Canadians the 1% and the remaining 99? It’s true of diplomacy and global solidarity; understands how our region is being taken to join our party in just the last few months. Canada in spades. We haven’t yet caught ·Expanding and improving health care for granted by Harper. She also believes that That’s why I’m honoured to have the up with our neighbours to the south, but including creating a Crown Corporation to there are issues, like the gun registry, where support of non-partisans like Nobel Prize- we’re getting there fast. The income share manufacture generic prescription drugs provinces should have the right to decide the winning climate scientist Andrew Weaver— of the richest 1% of Canadians nearly who endorsed both my candidacy and my doubled between 1982 and 2007. This plan to build on our party’s efforts to combat isn’t just unfair. We now know that kind of climate change. inequality is bad for everyone in its effects At the same time, I’m also honoured on health, levels of crime, social coopera- to have the support of party stalwarts like tion—you name it. former Premier and Governor General What about taxation, then? Those who Ed Schreyer—who formed the first social have been following the Republican contest democratic government in Manitoba by in the US may have been shocked to hear uniting progressives behind the NDP and that a zillionaire like Mitt Romney pays less defeating a tired and corrupt Conservative than 15% tax on his income, a far smaller government. proportion than do most working families. Residential & Commercial • Service & Renos Or take the UFCW—the United Food Well, Romney’s equivalent in Canada would A locally owned & operated family business and Commercial Workers—who have also pay even less. A tax system like this is not Reliable • Priced Fair • Quality workmanship endorsed my campaign. They’re Canada’s only unfair, it just doesn’t work. It doesn’t largest private sector union, working day in promote economic growth or job creation. and day out to organize workers in some of It simply subsidizes the rich at the expense 250-727-3888 | [email protected] | www.fraserplumbing.ca the most difficult and lowest paying indus- of social programs like pensions and health tries in the country. They don’t ask agricul- care that should be serving all Canadians. tural workers about what party they belong These aren’t isolated, unrelated prob- to when they ask them to sign a union card. lems. Growing inequality, inadequate social They just work to unite people around our provision, and an unfair system of taxa- the Published Weekly 381 Spruce Ave common goals and our common values. tion that can’t sustain the public services r Your Island Your Pape Gabriola, BC My Quebec Campaign Co-Chair, Marie- we need all belong to the same narrow Flying V0R 1X1 The Voice of Gabriola since 1972 Claude Morin, defeated a Bloc Quebecois ideological world, a world of unregulated MP in the last election in a seat that had markets, short-term profit, and “trickle-down” Shingle Contact: [email protected] nearly gone Conservative just four years economics. That ideology is sometimes dis- earlier. She did it by uniting progressives— guised in progressive-sounding rhetoric, but The Flying Shingle’s commitment to not only across partisan boundaries, but actions, as ever, speak louder than words; our advertisers on Gabriola Island: federalist-sovereignist lines as well. That’s a and we’ve had those actions from both testament to the power of our party’s social federal governing parties especially in the • Your ad will stand out to potential customers because we limit democratic message. past two decades. This is the same view of advertising to 40 per cent of the newspaper’s total space. (Fifty For four years, I worked shoulder to the world that endangers the environment per cent is usually regarded as an acceptable rate.) shoulder with Jack Layton to bring that and denies us the option of sustainable de- velopment. It’s an ideology, now shared by • A sassy, intelligent, well-written paper committed to message to Quebec—and on May 2nd, we saw the results. Now it’s time to do the Conservatives and Liberals in Canada, that journalistic integrity that attracts a strong and loyal same thing in every region of the country. sets up a false opposition between “protect- readership. It’s time to work together to put our country’s ing the environment” and “creating jobs”. • Classified ads focussed on local advertisers and Gabriola government on the back on track. Apparently, to satisfy the almighty market, customers. That is my goal in running for the leader- we have to forego clean air, clean water and ship of the federal New Democratic Party. accessible green spaces. It’s not surpris- Many of our readers tell us they read the Flying Shingle from cover Together, we can—and we will—build a ing that, with this hopelessly outdated view to cover, which means every page is a “good” advertising page in fairer Canada and a better world. of the world, Canada now has a record in The Shingle. greenhouse gas emissions, the production of waste and the (mis)use of water much With a total winter distribution of 2,400 The Shingle is mailed out to every Sincerely, Thomas Mulcair worse than most of our successful and mailbox (1,850) on Gabriola, and distributed to newsstands around the prosperous competitors, especially those island. with strong traditions of social democracy. So it’s never been more important to Advertise in The Shingle. We deliver Gabriola. Please turn to Brian Topp, page 17 The Lower Island NEWS March 2012 Page 3 2012 Federal leadership candidates: How progressive are they likely to be? By David Turner and Renée McBeth actually forming a federal government. experience shows flashes of good debating – Liberal (with social She often uses language that implies skills. Ideology always informs and often Brian Topp she is connected to community-based (or determines much of political decision mak- democrat lean- academic) social justice work: she says she Martin Singh – Social Democrat ing yet is rarely articulated by candidates ings) is concerned with the “structural problems Singh is business 15 during campaigns. We are both members Topp’s ideology of inequality”, protection of public services, focused, but especially of the NDP, one for many years, the other seems covert. although collective bargaining rights, racism and on small and medi- 16 very recently, with different life experiences he does make refer- discrimination in Canada. um sized businesses, yet sharing a similar democratic socialist ence to social justice At the Halifax debate, she said she proposing alternative ideology. and maintaining the would like to see cuts to the “war machine” financing and appren- We decided to explore the candidates’ party’s traditional roots. and wars of aggression, and has focused ticeship and mentor- ideology through the leadership debates, He has never held public office, operating elsewhere on renewing Canada’s focus ship programs for job their websites and online literature. The idea behind the scenes. As Murray Cooke com- on “peacework” through diplomacy and creation and training.22 17 was to try to identify who would promote a ments ”the jump from the party backrooms the United Nations. We both assert that Singh currently leads the NDP’s Faith progressive agenda if elected leader and to retail politics isn’t easy.”9 peacework is not necessarily progressive and Social Justice Commission. He regu- possibly prime minister. He comes across as a politician focused or anti-imperialist. larly raises his experience as a business We believe Canadians want a clear on party politics. There is not much evidence She seems strongest in her opposition owner and pharmacist on promoting the cre- choice, very different from the ideology of that he is concerned with significant social to the outrageous Conservative crime bill. ation of a national pharmacare plan, as well Conservatives or Liberals. Our preliminary change. We agree with Cooke’s comment, as as working with businesses to create jobs.23 review revealed that the most progressive That said, we really like his stance on “an MP representing the northern Manitoba Cooke24 states, “while considered a candidates are Niki Ashton, Nathan Cullen, taxing the rich: “I propose a new 35% rate riding of Churchill, she’s actually one of the longshot, it’s surprising that the media hasn’t Peggy Nash (and Romeo Saganash who on income in excess of $250,000. This new more experienced MPs in the race. Her given him more attention. recently withdrew). rate would cut spending on tax cuts for the leadership challenge raises interesting and On the other hand, he has the same Our conclusion reached independently, wealthiest among us by about $3 billion.”10 important questions about young people lack of experience running for public office is that Mulcair and maybe Topp seem most He also proposes that Harper’s recent in politics; unfortunately her promise of a as Brian Topp.” likely to win, (though a membership-weight- corporate tax cuts should be repealed and ‘New Politics’ remains rather vague.” She Like Topp, this is Singh’s first political ed poll of February 2nd puts him fourth) but that taxes for the rich should increase 1.5 seems the most understanding of First Na- candidacy at any level. If either are elected, we would be disappointed if either of them percent per year until they return to 22.12%. tions issues. a current MP will have to vacate a seat. did. Murray Dobbin’s assessment is on In the Quebec City debate, Topp seemed In the future she may emerge as a point: they are, respectively, too manage- almost arrogant… “I know Quebec.” . In the strong leader. rial (and corporate), and too tactical.1 Topp Winnipeg debate, he adopted a populist Conclusion Cooke25 states that “it is difficult to place has taken a left-leaning position on many stance, stating “Let’s run as prairie social- Nathan Cullen – Democratic the candidates on a political spectrum either issues, but Peggy Nash has increasingly ists.” Does he mean like Tommy Douglas or Socialist (or social democrat?) based on their policies or their endorse- articulated her progressive agenda more Gary Doer? In Montreal’s debate he said, Nathan Cullen’s ments…reinforcing the view that this race is clearly and radically. “We are social democrats.” He is a bit campaign boasts about about personalities rather than policies and Here is a summary of our impressions of inconsistent and vague in his identification. the candidates, and some relevant informa- him being “radical”. ideology.” If this is the case, it is unfortunate tion in terms of background, ideology (as we He has taken a since the NDP is usually noted for its policy read them) and public statements. Peggy Nash – Social Democrat- stand in opposition to stances. Our conclusion tries to take into the proposed Enbridge account their ideologies but these may be Democratic Socialist pipeline, which won only our assumptions. Nash is a really him endorsement of BC Our impression is that Peggy Nash is promising progressive Thomas Mulcair – Liberal (on MPs Fin Donnelly and the best progressive hope in this leadership candidate and it would Alex Atamanenko.18 race – in terms of potentially winning and in the conservative side) be good news for social Mulcair is a centrist We think this stand will win him votes terms of what she would do if elected. democrats and demo- liberal democrat with a with progressives across the country (es- Her long experience and name recogni- cratic socialists if she focus on environmen- pecially in BC). Cullen wants fair military tion with the unions could serve her really could manage to beat tal concerns in a mildly intervention in foreign conflicts.19 Of course, well. She has shown that she is willing to Topp and Mulcair. progressive sense, but “fair” is a highly subjective idea in the context challenge Stephen Harper and promote pro- Her background is balanced with a con- of politics and war. gressive values. Given her campaign state- with unions, social movements and pro- cern for sustaining the He has put forward a creative, but ments (and the conservative constraints she gressive organizations. Before becoming a resource extraction controversial plan to hold joint-nominations will face, if elected), we expect that a lot of Toronto MP, she was the senior negotiator industries. in conservative ridings. In this scenario, the policies she would pursue would fall for the Canadian Auto Workers Union and For example, he boasts about his resig- only one party among the Liberals, Greens under the small ‘l’ liberal mentality – reform she has led a delegation to oppose the Free nation from the Liberal party on an issue of and NDP would put forward a candidate, and inclusion, but her heart seems geared Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and conscience to protect provincial parklands who would be decided with a pre-election for more progressive change. participated in the World Social Forum. She from being turned into a condominium de- competition. Nathan Cullen is making waves with his has also served as party president. velopment beside a golf course.2 Once the NDP get into power, he would creative proposals to add more cooperation A defender of the continued relevance of However, he also supports NAFTA implement mixed-member proportional rep- in party politics and there is a chance that feminism, Nash has made women’s equal- because of the protection it provides the resentation.20 This is a democratic socialist party members might go for it. Niki Ashton ity a central campaign issue, calling for the environment (even though the erosion of goal but as Cooke remarks, “The proposal would bring a strong progressive agenda to establishment of a “21st Century (Royal) environmental – and labour – standards in helped his campaign garner attention, but the table. Too bad Saganash dropped out Commission on the Status of Women”.11 Canada and other countries signed on to many New Democrats wonder why they primarily for financial/family reasons. Nash also says she wants to end oil free trade agreements like NAFTA is widely should cooperate with the Liberals now they Nash, Cullen, and Ashton appear the sands subsidies. She proposes that the documented).3 have finally reached second place.” best three progressive candidates overall. government subsidies currently handed In the third debate in Quebec, he also Perhaps the means smacks of a coali- over to the resource exploitation corpora- 1 Murray Dobbin, The Tyee. January 2012 http://thetyee.ca/ claimed our tax system requires only incre- tion approach where democratic socialist Opinion/2011/10/24/NDP-Leadership-Race/ tions should be used instead to diversify the 2 mental reforms. 12 principles might be too readily compro- http://www.thomasmulcair.ca/site/about/?lang=en energy sector. 3 As in note 1. His approach to the environment is a mised. It might also force Liberals into 4 Also, she has spoken out against gov- http://www.thomasmulcair.ca/site/2011/12/30/thomas-mulcair- carbon-tax model where businesses ought Conservative ranks. sustainable-development-his-top-priority/?lang=en ernment interference with the environmental 5 As in note 4. to pay for their carbon consumption. So, He also would like to see NAFTA re- 6 assessment of the proposed Enbridge pipe- Murray Dobbin, The Tyee. January 2012 http://thetyee.ca/ we should not shut down the oil sands, but negotiated to include more protections for Opinion/2011/10/24/NDP-Leadership-Race/ line to Kitimat, but seems a little hesitatant 21 7 Independent Jewish Voices: Sid Shniad and Fabienne Presentey, should remove subsidies to the oil and gas “farmers, workers and the environment.” “Thomas Mulcair-Israel, Right or Wrong.” www.ijvcanada.org/2011 about speaking out boldly against big oil, 8 industry and put taxes on carbon emis- 13 Murray Dobbin, The Tyee. http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/10/24/ 4 gas and mining. NDP-Leadership-Race/ sions. He accepts resource dependence 9 As Cooke14 suggests, “Many Canadians’ Paul Dewar – Social Democrat Murray Cooke, New Socialist: Ideas for Radical Change.The NDP as a given: Leadership Race: Sleepwalking towards the Centre? February 9, perceptions of ‘leadership’ are still highly During the January 2012 newsocialist.org. “ ‘In a resource rich country like Canada 10 gendered.” It would be great if Nash could 29 leadership debate Brian Topp (2011), “Bringing Balance and Fairness to Canada’s we’ll always have a strong primary sector Tax System,” p. 6, accessed 14 January, 2012 from, http://brian- buck this perception. I in Halifax, Dewar came topp.ca/ontheissues comprised mainly of mining and forestry and 11 In the Quebec debate, she self-identifies across as a bit of a per- http://peggynash.ca/2012/jan-8-pan-canadian-feminist-potluck/; the like and we’ll also have an increasing former with a lot of ego. http://peggynash.ca/2012/peggy-nash-releases-5-point-plan-for- 5 as a social democrat but has several achieving-womens-equality-in-canada-2/ and burgeoning service sector…’ ” 12 democratic socialist ideas. She is a vocal Though it was per- Huffington Post (no author credited), http://www.huffingtonpost. As NDP finance critic, he failed to stand ca/2011/12/01/ndp-leadership-candidates-2012_n_1124168. defender of accessible public education and haps wishful rhetoric, html#s507505&title=Peggy_Nash_ up to the Harper government’s economic 13 public healthcare. In the Winnipeg debate he made a good point Huffington Post (no author credited), http://www.huffingtonpost. policy, and has not signalled that he would ca/2011/12/01/ndp-leadership-candidates-2012_n_1124168. Nash had the clearest response when ques- when he said that Harp- html#s507505&title=Peggy_Nash_ offer any challenge to the well-supported 14 tioned on the future of the Indian Act and er should “talk to seniors, not millionaires Murray Cooke, New Socialist: Ideas for Radical Change. Febru- free-trade capitalism of the current govern- ary 2012 newsocialist.org. in Davos Switzerland”, in reference to CPP 15 6 Canada’s relationship with First Nations: we NDP Candidates Debate in Halifax January 29, 2012. ment. Most disturbing has been his resis- 16 need to get rid of the Indian Act and work cuts indicated by Harper at the recent World Huffington Post (no author credited), http://www.huffingtonpost. tance to all criticism of the Israeli State as 21 on nation-to-nation Economic Forum. ca/2011/12/01/ndp-leadership-candidates-2012_n_1124168. anti-Semitic. “Thomas Mulcair’s uncritical html#s507511&title=Niki_Ashton_ He is a middle of the road New Democrat 17 NDP Candidates Debate in Halifax January 29, 2012. support for Israel does not reflect the funda- with components of a centrist and more 18 http://en.nathancullen.ca/ mental values of NDP members in Quebec Niki Ashton – Democratic So- left-leaning ideology, (he identifies as a 19 Third NDP Candidates Debate in Quebec City February or English Canada,” claims Independent 12, 2012. cialist social democrat) and has some challenges 20 Huffington Post (no author credited), http://www.huffingtonpost. 7 Jewish Voices. Ashton is a clear with French-speaking skills. He recently ca/2012/01/29/ndp-leadership-debate-halifax_n_1239822. According to Murray Dobbin, if we “up and coming” candi- html appointed a unilingual assistant. 21 Meagan Fitzpatrick, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder- are looking for a progressive candidate, date. Although we don’t While he has been involved in a teach- bay/story/2012/02/06/pol-nathan-cullen-profile.html we should forget about Mulcair: “He is an think she has a very 22 NDP Candidates Debate in Halifax January 29, 2012; Singh er’s union and has spoken out against any “describes himself as a “pro-business member of the NDP” from unrepentant capitalist and big ‘L’ Liberal at good chance of winning Canadian involvement in the upcoming ,Murray Dobbin, The Tyee, http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/01/10/ heart, who is barely out of synch with the NDP-Leadership-Candidates/ the leadership race, potential conflict with Iran, his positions as 23 8 NDP Candidates Debate in Halifax January 29, 2012. one percent.” she is one of the young foreign affairs critic were not outspoken 24 Murray Cooke, New Socialist: Ideas for Radical Change. Febru- faces that characterize ary, 2012 newsocialist.org. against other military interventions. 25 As in note 24. the recent injection of In the Quebec debate, he was clear on life into the NDP – and its revived hope of investing in peacemaking. His parliamentary Page 4 March 2012 The Lower Island NEWS

Tyranny is always better organized than freedom. The Lower Island NEWS --Charles Péguy - French Poet and Essayist , 1873-1914 The Lower Island NEWS, celebrating its 27th year of publication, is an independ- ent newsfeature tabloid newpaper, published as often as financially possible by the Lower Island News Society, Box 311-2750 Quadra Street, Victoria BC V8T 4E8. Our view: Signed articles are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Lower Island NEWS or the Lower Island News Society. Articles submit- What kind of Canada? ted for publication are subject to editing at the discretion of the Editor. In his new book When the Gods Change: The Death of Liberal Canada, Peter C. Newman writes, “The Liberal Party is finished and so is a progres- Editorial Committee Chair: Sharon Hazelwood sive Canada -- the country will never be the same again – it might even have Editor: Dale Young David Olsen to change its name since it will no longer be recognizable.” Editorial writer: Book review and travel writer: Ron MacIsaac Spine chilling words, but the Canadian government position on the Chinese Distribution: Jocelyn Floyer (and Russian) veto of the UN Security Council Resolution on Syria gave them Advertising: credence. As scenes of dead children mutilated by Bashar-Al-Assad’s artil- Contributors to this issue: Starla Anderson, Jeremy Arney, John R. Bell, Wendy lery were broadcast on TV, China vetoed the resolution and Stephen Harper Bergerud, Jean Crowder, Dave Cutts, Randall Garrison, Michael Goldberg, Eden boarded a plane to China. While French, American and British journalists and Haythornthwaite, Iglika Ivanova, Carole James, Steve Kerstetten, Seth Klein, Renee hundreds of civilians were being killed and wounded, Harper assured Chinese McBeth, Ron MacIsaac, Jim Manly, Gerry Masuda, George Mortimore, Ben Parfitt, Premier Wen Jibao that “Canada and China enjoy a strategic partnership Dale Perkins, Carol Pickup, Tim Pheotist, Richard Priestman, Denise Savoie, based on respect and admiration”. It stretches the imagination to think Canadi- Heather Tufts, David Turner, Diane Wa;sh, Teresa Wolfwood, and others. ans “admire and respect” the Chinese government as it emboldens Bashar-Al- Printed at the Nanaimo Daily News, Nanaimo, BC Assad to murder women and children! Canadian Publications Mail Agreement # 40008124 Harper called the Chinese action “disappointing” but in Tunis on February Lower Island News Privacy Statement 24, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton bluntly labelled it “despicable”. Concur- The Lower Island News is owned by the Lower Island News Society, a non-profit society registered under the BCSociety Act. The Lower rently, Foreign Minister John Baird bizarrely issued a “stern warning” to the Island News collects and uses your personal information for the purpose of mailing the paper to you, and may write to you from time to time to solicit donations.The Lower Island News will not share this information with any other group. opponents of Assad, about protecting religious minorities and respecting the basic rights of Syrians, but gave no “stern warnings” to Assad as he continued As others see it murdering them. In China, as Harper spoke of maintaining a “respectful dialogue” and “raising Choosing one of seven friends issues” on human rights, Chinese police shot and beat up Tibetan dissidents. Concurrently, little respect was shown to Canadians as reports emerged of the By G.E. Mortimore opposes nationally co-ordinated public 2011 election robo-call scandal; groups such as Greenpeace being branded as “Which NDP leadership candidate would healthcare in general, by sitting in the gate- eco-terrorists and investigated by CSIS; while the government, with Vic Toews you vote for?” way and refusing to move, a heavy lump of “All of them.” That’s my answer, and my non-compliance with popular wishes. leading the charge, announced that it intended to invade the Internet. feeble joke. Forget the occasional cry you The NDP Seven are united in carving As Canada “invests” in the Chinese transport sector, 465 workers were fired hear for the seven contenders to unsheathe shortcuts through Harper’s resistance -- as Electromotive Canada (with a $5 million tax break in 2008) closed the only their claws in debates. not only in healthcare but in policy sectors railway locomotive factory in Canada. Yes, the debates were boring. They were from energy-efficient transit to an electoral On February 15, Conservative MP Shelley Glover branded NDP finance designed for consensus. And the candidates system that does a proper job of reflecting critic Peter Julian, as “anti-Canadian” for questioning government spending were on their best behaviour during the long public opinion – one of leadership candidate plans and Saanich-Gulf Islands MP, Elizabeth May “feared a future Committee job-interview. Peggy Nash’s most powerful talking-points. on Anti-Canadian Activities investigating Greenpeace members”. Canadian- They followed the actor’s routine – Beefing up the ability of trade unions born Omar Khadr is still in a US prison, held since he was just 15 years old; meaning that they suited talk and movement to grow, change and make new alliances to the role -- but they didn’t need to fake is a leading item in the platform of Quebec successive governments turning a blind eye to his human rights for 10 years. their maybe-prime-ministerial politeness. It candidate Thomas Mulcair. The NDP needs Assaults on Canadian social values continue on a broad front. Legislation is inherent in NDP philosophy (though not Mulcair’s quick-footed tactical skill. to jail refugees for one year, unless they arrive neatly packaged with docu- always visible in Parliament) and it was built For me, each one of the seven looks like ments, looks like a knee-jerk reaction to the Sri Lankan refugees who arrived into the format of the debates. a capable future chief. I think 2012 is the in Victoria in 2009 and 2010. In an overpopulated world with ever more des- The entire campaign, debates included, time for Brian Topp’s leadership, followed in perate, hungry and downtrodden people, there has to be a better solution than was short on razzle-dazzle, but it told a order of choice by Peggy Nash and Thomas imprisonment. There may be questionable elements among refugees, but most story I wanted to hear: Teamwork beats Mulcair. just want out of their desperate circumstances – they fear they will be dead quarrelling; and inventive, people-friendly Many people inside and outside the NDP if they wait. The much vaunted “international community” seems unwilling to problem-solving beats business-as-usual. value Topp highly for his public service as Those principles give strength to one party president and campaign manager in grasp the politically incorrect truth that the only long-term answer lies in her- another. I don’t pick up a whisper of either four elections, working closely with Jack culean efforts to ensure that refugee-origin countries are places to live, rather one, in the blood feuds over personal Layton, but for me it is Topp’s small but than escape from. Otherwise, countries like Canada will eventually be over- dominance that rage in the USA. Hopes meaningful social moves that pile up his whelmed by the “millions yearning to be free”. This is not racism or xenophobia, for creative teamwork are similarly lost in leadership score. but stark realism. the vendettas that often shake Canada’s As a decision-maker for showbiz union Government ministers wandering around the world, “disappointed” by the Liberal-Conservative establishment. ACTRA, whose members average about action of tyrants or having “respectful dialogues” on human rights, are not go- Problem-solving vibes should radiate $15,000 a year, Topp launched a credit ing to help Canada or halt the slide into the abyss, of a world riven by climate from the current prime minister’s office, but I union. Its loans have been a life-saver for change, hunger, inequality, persecution and war. What we need to hear are don’t feel any. Just a continuing deadly calm. many of Canada’s dedicated and talented By contrast, the NDP Seven have but sporadically-employed actors. words like “no human rights – no oil -- period”! Naïve dream? Perhaps, but put forward many smart political ideas. When Topp was sitting at a discussion right now, neither Canada nor the “international community” seem to have a Martin Singh, a Nova Scotia pharmacist- table in Victoria (federal NDP members better idea. businessman and leadership candidate, set report) he indicated approval of the practi- Newman’s worries about the end of progressive Canada are mirrored by forth a national pharmacare program which, cal outreach of the United Steelworkers other events since the Conservatives gained majority. The fragmented and he calculated, could save taxpayers $5.5 in industrial revival and healthcare. The dysfunctional public healthcare system is under renewed threat from the billion while supplying them with needed Steelworkers have signed an agreement Conservatives’ post-2014 take-it or leave-it attitude to funding and the Cana- medicines. with Mondragon Co-operative which for a dian Health Act while dumping responsibility onto provincial politicians for what He is a newcomer who has no real start aims to make five troubled American should be a national treasure. national presence. He will not be elected steel companies democratic and profitable leader; but an NDP federal government is by transforming them into worker-owned This links directly to the proposed increase in the OAS eligibility age – an- certain to give serious study to his pharma- co-ops. nounced from a Swiss mountain resort, rather than the Canadian parliament care deal. Pharmacare plus home care and In Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the Steel- – without any serious review or discussion with Canadians on related issues, prevention were the elements Tommy Doug- workers were instrumental in starting a including health and well-being and the unilateral breaking of the social con- las had in mind for Phase Two of Canada’s highly successful healthcare agency. tract. “Work until you are 67” thunders Harper, while decimating manufacturing public health-care program. Labour-management battles will contin- industry and exporting hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas. He launched Phase One – doctors’ ue, but their importance will diminish if/when And what about the people who do hard, dirty, exhausting jobs, without service and hospital care -- provincially in a socially useful trade-union movement occupational pensions and whose wages are insufficient to save for their own Saskatchewan, while balancing the provin- pushes forward the sort of world-change that pension? For them, OAS at 65 was the light at the end of the tunnel, a chance cial budget. the “Occupy” demonstrators have in mind. Raising public awareness of pharma- I count on Brian Topp as NDP leader to for some respite in the evening of their lives. Now they will have to slog on for care may have been Martin Singh’s purpose help make that happen. longer, with all the attendant risks. Bankers and MP’s in comfortable offices when he entered the leadership contest and with gold plated pensions can pontificate all they like – but it’s a different story gained a national platform for his thoughts for many Canadians. – which are conservative but precise and Conservatives (and BC Liberals) use the bogus neo-con doctrine of “unsus- systematic. The Greek Community put on a great tainability” to justify the attack on the social contract that has served us well, Harper continues to block national phar- Valentine’s Day dinner show, complete with but our society is as sustainable as we want it to be. We just have to decide macare. Experts reminded the Romanow Asmira’s School of Belly Dancing, which whether we want to retire and die with dignity or have tax cuts to waste in big healthcare commission that provincial and featured good looking dancers. box stores when we’re young. federal governments share healthcare It’s an annual event. Don’t miss it! responsibility; but the PM takes a narrowly Such assaults on the well-being of Canadians are already well established literal view of Canada’s constitution, sees Ron MacIsaac south of the border, where 50 million Americans are without health insurance, health as a 100% provincial thing, and thousands live in tent cities, a million children go hungry every day, and Repub- lican hopeful Newt Gingrich proposes to bring back child labour! Is this the kind of Canada we want? Think about it, for the next three years We seem to have forgotten the simple fact that if we want government of the Conservative majority. -- DJO services (and we do), we need to pay for them. --Alex Himmelfarb , former Clerk of the Privy Council, writing in the Globe and Mail , October 15, 2011. The Lower Island NEWS OUR READERS WRITE March 2012 Page 5 MP Jean Crowder seeks nominations for Prime minister an embarrassment at Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal economic summit My riding of Nanaimo-Cowichan has February 2013. Candidates will be notified Listening to our Prime Minister Stephen be jettisoned for the sake of a viable, live- some outstanding constituents who have of the date of the ceremony by December Harper at the economic summit was an able world. devoted much of their time to their com- 31, 2012. embarrassment. In their place we need to hear words like munity. Up to 30 constituents from the riding To be eligible for this honour, a person: Here is our highest elected political lead- “sustainability” and “green economy”. They could be awarded with the Queen Elizabeth • Must be a Canadian citizen or a per- er delivering platitudes that were common are pointing us in another direction and ap- II Diamond Jubilee Medal for their efforts in another era to other political leaders and proach to living responsibly. and service. manent resident of Canada, but need the elite of the corporate business world. And what did Harper hold up as the glori- On February 6, 2012, Her Majesty not necessarily reside in Canada; Painfully obvious to us listening back home ous future envisioned for Canada – major Queen Elizabeth II marked the 60th anni- was the fact that he just doesn’t get it, or he’s changes to our pension plan, unbridled • versary of her accession to the Throne as Must have made a significant contribu- so ideologically fixed on the economic or- resource extraction and trade, and a definite Queen of Canada – an occasion marked tion to a particular province, territory, thodoxies that were true in the 20th century. move away from services and entitlements only once before by her great-great-grand- region or community within He doesn’t realize that today those same to a new order offered by the likes of the mother, Queen Victoria, in 1897. • Nominations can be submitted by economic concepts are widely understood Fraser Institute and other apologists of the To commemorate Her Majesty’s 60 email to [email protected], or to be bogus and are no longer relevant or private corporate world. years of service, 60,000 medals will be by mail, 101-126 Ingram Street, appropriate. “Prosperity”, “economic growth” What a travesty! awarded to Canadians. These medals pro- Duncan, BC V9L 1P1. Nominations -- words he uses to celebrate his vision of Dale Perkins vide an opportunity to honour exceptional should include a short statement or the brave new world of tomorrow -- must Victoria Canadians for their contributions to their brief summary of your candidates’ fellow citizens and to our communities. achievements. A selection committee of seven There are many outstanding constituents An open letter to government back community members will identify eligible in the riding of Nanaimo-Cowichan who candidates for the Queen Elizabeth II have made significant and meaningful con- benchers Diamond Jubilee Medal. A presentation tributions to the community, province, and Some of you will not read this because ceremony will be held to award the medals abroad. It is important to recognize a small to the successful candidates. I am not from your riding, but I hope most elected this government. This means that number of the exceptional individuals who of you will as it is not an attack upon you or 61% of the actual voters did not vote for Our office deadline for nominations strive to make a difference every day. is November 16, 2012 and the presenta- the government caucus to which you belong. you--yes in some ridings this was not the Jean Crowder, MP It is generally accepted that the power case, but I am using the national average. tion ceremony will be held in January or Jean Crowder is MP for Nanaimo-Cowichan. of government rests with the PMO and the Does this mean that 61% of your constitu- Cabinet , but that is, in my view, an illu- ents are not represented by you, and if so sion. The power rests with you, the “back how democratic is that? Pay attention to panel as you’ll be living benchers”, because without your support What if you actually went to the Liberal, the government and its agenda cease to be. NDP, or Green people who represent the with its results for a long, long time I have watched on CPAC as some of you majority in your riding and asked them The public needs a hearing and deci- In addition, those on the “no” side are read PMO statements and as you stumble what they think? What if you actually sion process that is free from attacks on the called unpatriotic and enemies of progress. over words like “democracy” or phrases represented your whole riding to Ottawa, not citizens and organizations which are placing No doubt, if history repeats itself, if and such as “represent your constituents” (usu- the government to your selected minority of their views before the panel. when civil disobedience takes centre stage, ally directed at the opposition members), I the riding? That is your job, and if you do The Harper government appears not to participants will also be portrayed as terror- have to wonder if perhaps you are in entire that why would you ever be rejected by the be content with just stacking the deck by ists, the lazy unemployed and professional agreement with what you are reading. people or your party? appointing panel members, none of whom protesters. I remember this well from 1993 Maybe you are but what if you are not? Democracy in Canada has been dead have any credibility in the environmental at the Clayoquot. What if you question this whole “represent for years because we the people are not only arena; by welcoming many millions of fos- The prime minister has made it very your constituents” thing? under represented but are largely ignored sil fuel industry lobbying dollars, much of it clear what answer he wants from the The job of the Opposition is to study except at election time, and it is, I think, foreign; and by having��������������������� the���������������� vociferous sup- Panel. He will countenance no opposition, proposed bills, offer suggestions or amend- because of fear of rejection by the “party”, port of pro tanker groups such as the C.D. whatever the consequences, whatever the ments to improve them in both the House that causes MP obedience to the party line. Howe Institute and the Fraser Institute, who evidence. and committee, or to vote against them if Yet the party of any government is made up also utilize foreign donations. We would be wise to pay close attention those improvement suggestions are rejected largely of backbenchers such as you and No, the federal government has also to this matter and utilize critical analysis of and they believe the bill to be bad for the without you they have no clout. If by stand- decided to attack any presenter on the “no” all the lobbyists involved, and yes, who is Canadian people. ing up in the House, or in committee, and side who is a member of any group which paying their way and why, as we will be living I would submit to you that your job as a asking for the best for the people of Canada has received any help from non-Canadian with the results for a long, long time. government backbencher is no different. I you feel you run the risk of being rejected sources, however minimal. Dave Cutts do not think your job is to just rise from your by your party, I have to ask: Nanaimo seat and vote when so directed by the PMO. Is this what you would be doing, going Being an MP is not an easy job; being against the party, or are you actually say- away all week that the House is sitting; being ing to the leader that you have a voice on available to your constituents when you are behalf of all the people of your riding and Friends of the Lower Island News home; sacrificing family life to live in a hotel you should be heard because your sup- We asked for help and you gave it! or lonely apartment in Ottawa; working port is very important, actually vital, to the on committees and keeping up with what government? must be endless correspondence requires I leave you with this thought. Since our last issue, the Friends of the Lower Island News have continued to dedication, and I applaud you for that. There is an opportunity to reclaim parlia- support us with their generous donations, as you can see from the list below. The But is it not in the interests of your ment, at all levels, for the people of Canada LIN Board and I are grateful and very encouraged, and are determined to keep the constituents to ensure that legislation is the and it rests with you the backbenchers of paper going. Thank you to every one of you, new and old donors, for helping to get best it can be for them? You were elected this government to do this. this issue out to you. to be their MP. If we look at the national You have the power but will you use it? average, then 25% of eligible voters or Jeremy Arney Responding to our appeals were: 39% of actual voters in our current system, Victoria In Novemer Anonymous $100 Dale Perkins $ 75 War reparations and the UN In December J.W. Henny Pannekoe $ 50 In the past, war reparations were im- the following benefits: Hugo Sutmoller $ 25 posed by the victor on the vanquished as in 1. It would establish the UN’s supremacy David Rothkop $ 20 the case of Germany after the World Wars. over all its member states. Stan McRae $ 25 Perhaps the time has come now to 2. It would penalize the US and its allies Susan Brown $ 50 reverse this and have the UN impose war for the deliberate systematic destruction of William Doherty $ 40 reparations on the US empire and its allies the infrastructure of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Victoria Federal NDP Riding Association $250 for the wars they imposed on Afghanistan, Libya. In 2012 Iraq and Libya. 3. It could also discourage any nation J.. Michael Kew $ 50 The cost of reconstruction of the infra- from invading a country in the future. RED HENS $ 30 structure of Iran, Afghanistan, and Libya Would this be possible? Who knows? Linda Black $100 should be by war reparations assigned However, the Occupy Movement is still a against the US empire and its allies. This continuing force since the underlying mal- The LIN will continue to search for additional advertisers for the next issue but could be done through a rejuvenated distribution of wealth continues. Anything we also will continue to need your good will and most importantly your donations. “Occupy-type” UN based on the democratic can happen, even an Occupy of the UN. Please keep them coming. principle of one nation, one vote in the UN Gerry Masuda As I said before, if you like the LIN, want it to continue to be published and can General Assembly where the US and its Duncan afford to give something, please consider becoming a supporting donor and send allies would be outnumbered. us a cheque, whatever amount you can afford. All donations, large or small, will be Should this be achieved it would have For more letters, turn to page 6 appreciated. If you would like to advertise in the LIN or know a business that might, please We welcome your letters to the editor, as well as articles and reviews, photos, let us know, as we want to find a mininum of 20 more new advertisers. You can and anything else you think would be of interest to our progressive readers. always reach me at [email protected]. New donations may be sent to the Lower Island News Society at Box 311-2750 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC, V8T 4E8, and will be acknowledged in the paper. Please mail them to the Editor, at Box 311-2750 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC, Please indicate if you prefer to be “anonymous”. Unfortunately we can’t take credit V8T 4E8, email them to [email protected], or phone 250-384-7621. card donations, nor give tax receipts. Thank you again. The DEADLINE to submit material for the next issue is --Dale Young, Editor, for the Editorial Board Not yet determined Page 6 March 2012 OUR READERS WRITE OP/EDS The Lower Island NEWS WANTED: Politicians with the courage to break away Proportional representation and the from the disastrous monetary policies of the past 35 leadership race years, and VOTERS who will support them You can have my vote, but only if you fordable housing. Fair Vote Canada is a multi-partisan group which has been lobbying for proportional support using the Bank of Canada to finance The 1.5 million unemployed pay through representation for more than 10 years. Proportional representation has been in the public debt to invest in public services and the loss of their jobs. New Democratic Party platform for many years now. We have sent all the leadership infrastructure! The federal government could reduce candidates the following note and questions: Do you have the courage to break away the interest paid on public debt by borrowing from the disastrous policies followed by our more from the Bank of Canada at near zero FVC Questionnaire - NDP Leadership government for the past 35 years, as well as cost and less from private financiers. So, 1. Have you signed the Declaration of Voters’ Rights at www.fairvote.ca ? the governments of many other countries, why doesn’t it do that? The government is 2. If elected prime minister, would you, in your first mandate, undertake a process and say to those in the occupy movement, up to its neck in debt - $550 billion and grow- “We heard your message loud and clear and ing – and when you owe that much you are that includes public consultation to make the federal electoral system fairer and more we are going to break the hold and influence inclined to listen to the wants of your credi- proportional to the popular vote? of banks and other wealthy bond holders by tors over the needs of ordinary Canadians. using the Bank of Canada to finance public Government indebtedness to private 3. As NDP Leader, would you make a process (which includes public consulta- debt for investment in public services and financiers gives that sector undue influence tion) to make the federal electoral system more proportional a necessary condition for infrastructure”? over government policy decisions. It is not supporting any minority government? It took over 100 years to accumulate a in the interest of banks and wealthy bond “The way out of it is proportional representation. We have this absurdity where a federal debt of $18 Billion, but only 35 years holders for the government to borrow from party has in the 30s by way of support, and is able to get 100 percent of the power… to add $532 Billion more. the Bank of Canada, but is in the interest of It’s absurd and would not be accepted in most other countries. We should change our The “Occupy” groups across the coun- ordinary Canadians. Not only would it save electoral system, and then people can vote for what they want and what they believe try have said to the community, “Wake up! billions in debt charges, it would also reduce in, the platform and program they like best, and then parties work together. That’s how Our government is run by banks and large the influence of the private financiers whose most mature democracies function today.” --Jack Layton, April 24, 2011 corporations! The ‘1%’ have more wealth opinions the government gives precedence We are looking forward to their answers which will be posted at www.ndfv.ca. than the rest of us; we have an unjust to because it has become dependent on Your readers may also be interested to know that changing the voting system to society, and the gap between the wealth of private sources of capital for most of its proportional representation for the House of Commons (and provincial legislatures) can the ‘1%’ and the rest is growing.” financing. be done 1) without changing the constitution and 2) without a referendum. All it requires One of the things that is contributing Can we change the situation? Yes, but is that a simple majority of the MPs in the house vote for a relevant bill. to that gap is the interest we pay on public only if we reduce the influence of private FVC has also established a yahoos group for NDP supporters of proportional rep- debt of $165 million a day, $5 a day for every financiers -- and that won’t happen until resentation who may join by going to http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/ndpfairvoting/ man, woman and child in the country or $20 there are enough politicians in Parliament Wendy Bergerud a day for a family of four. Our governments who support government borrowing from the Saanich dig deep into our pockets every day through Bank of Canada for financing public debt. taxes of all kinds, take our money and send To create a just society we must say Op/ED it to banks and other bond holders to pay the to our politicians, “If you want my vote you interest. This makes the gap wider. have to agree to support using the Bank of We also pay through fees for public Canada to finance public debt for investment Do progressives still care about social services, we pay in kind through cut-backs in public services and public infrastructure.” in services such as education, health care, This is necessary in order to sever the grip housing? Are they willing to help? and support services, and we pay through of debt and the influence of private finan- By Dale Perkins and pension portfolios can deposit them in the deterioration of infrastructure such as ciers. Giving the government this alternate Do “progressives” still care about social this fund. This community investment fund roads, sewers, water lines, bridges and af- source of capital will break its dependence housing and the need for everyone to have provides a modest return, but allows some on private capital and a home? savings to be channeled into social hous- will mean it can make Thankfully there are people active in ing projects. Places in Nova Scotia are the policy decisions based certain groups who care about social hous- “template” for a similar fund here, and the on principles of good ing and who make a tremendous effort at hope is that it can quickly build into a reposi- government rather getting the “ducks in a row” pressuring tory that can be offered to community groups Martinez than on what their fi- governmental and other authorities, which engaged in building more social housing. nanciers want. could and should be building social housing. Some of us are offering our services By social housing I refer to residential to faith communities wishing to offer their Hardwood Floors Richard Priestman accommodation, which is jointly owned by property and facilities as potential sites for Kingston Chapter, residents, e.g. cooperative housing, or by a a social housing project. We call ourselves Specializing in New Installations & Committee on Mon- public authority rather than individual owner- the Multi Faith Social Housing Working Dustless Sanding and Refinishing etary and Economic ship subject to market economic pressures Group, and I can be the contact person for R e f o r m and constraints. readers who are interested in connecting 250.590.6683 www.martinezfloors.com The “housing as investment” world is with us. the norm in our capitalistic society, but for We are prepared to work with groups those who can’t engage in that world what and organizations in faith communities, and are our choices? individuals with excess-to-need property, Of late, I have worked at assembling who would like to offer their property/facili- people from the community in general and ties as future social housing sites. Currently, faith communities in particular to consider we have members who are familiar and ex- Dave Connell Tutoring ways we can stimulate the building of more pert in making this possible, and we want to supports the social housing. provide our expertise to interested parties. 16th Annual Golden Piggy Awards One of my avenues is the faith commu- Finally, some of us are incorporating nity world, and especially those congrega- and becoming an enterprise that can initi- 1 pm, April 1st, at St. Ann’s Academy tions and parishes which are “property rich, ate social housing developments, and apply but people poor”. If we pay attention to the for grants from the Community Investment stats, there are more and more of these in Fund, government departments and agen- our region, and consequently a critical mass cies, and work with progressive developers of people who still can locate the values and who share our values and vision of what is vision of knowing the importance of having needed. Safety and Human Factors Consultant a home, if they and the community-at-large We see the actual potential for building are to be healthy. more social housing in our region, and we Call David Olsen Housing is one of the important deter- are determined to make it happen. 250-655-6218 minants of a community’s health – if there If any of the above interests or excites are significant numbers of people who are readers, then join one of the arms of this or email him at homeless or who live in inadequate hous- project, and help build more social housing [email protected] ing, then it’s impossible to have a healthy which people unable to participate in the community and population. larger real estate market place can live in And with every swelling of the “bell and enjoy. curve” describing the increase in housing As the late Jack Layton kept reminding costs in our region vs. the number of people us – “We Can Do It”! who can participate, more and more people are being sidelined thus lowering the health For more information contact Dale Perkins Bill Hartley Insurance Services index of our community. at [email protected] or 250-592-4605 (mobile). “Providing peace of mind since 1950” Let me describe what some of us in the general community and faith community world are doing: Some people have formed • Special Hobby Farm Packages an incorporated entity to build a community • Home • Auto • Commercial investment fund, where people with means • Travel • Marine • RRSPs • Life • Mortgage Cancellation Victoria Labour Council 219-2750 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC V8T 4E8 Ph: 250-384-8331 FAX: 250-384-8381 Email: [email protected] The VLC, representing affiliated unions in the Greater Victoria area, Bill Hartley Insurance Services holds its regular monthly meeting the third Wednesday of each month at 7 pm 2420 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC V8T 4L7 www.hartleyinsurance.com at the BCGEU Auditorium, 2994 Douglas Street. Phone 250-388-5014 • Fax 250-388-4277 Email [email protected] All delegates are invited to come out and meet the Executive: Mike Eso, President; Stan Dzbik, Treasurer; Kim Manton, Secretary The Lower Island NEWS OP/EDs March 2012 Page 7 There is much to be done in British Columbia to achieve the best healthcare sytem in Canada By Carol Pickup this on a first-hand basis. of long-term capital debt, thanks to these “closer to home”, as was recommended in A recent editorial in the Victoria Times Citizens in BC increasingly have had P3 contractual arrangements administered the last Royal Commission on Health Report Colonist quotes a Canadian Institute for to resort to contacting the media to resolve and promoted by yet another government (in 1990), costly emergency and acute-care Health Information report and argues that problems with our healthcare system. The bureaucracy, Partnerships BC. services will be used less frequently and the BC health system is tops in Canada government-appointed regional health While the government mismanages the more effectively. -- and also, that radical changes made by boards do not respond to complaints ex- healthcare system, it is failing to address We need more public primary-care the BC Liberal government have been made cept to refuse access to information. These the real determinants of health -- poverty, centres, using nurse practitioners and other without harming quality of care. boards should be serving communities, affordable housing, access to quality educa- health professionals as recommended in It is worth noting that the “private, not but instead act as a smokescreen for the tion, social supports and protection of our Roy Romanow’s report on health. We are for profit” CIHI is, in fact, funded by federal, government. environment. short of family doctors in BC -- 1,000 people provincial and territorial governments and is These boards are top-heavy with ap- Sadly, the Stephen Harper government on the Saanich Peninsula alone are without therefore not an independent body. More- pointees from business, and there are no is also failing the citizens of Canada. The re- access to a general practitioner, and walk-in over, CIHI’s major finding is that BC’s health elected appointees from municipal coun- cent health-accord meetings in Victoria were clinics are overloaded with people seeking authorities have been saving us money. cils, regional districts or school boards. an unmitigated failure and the flip-flop posi- access to a doctor. This is another case of statistics making Administrations are equally top-heavy and tions taken by Premier Christy Clark will not The statistics might say that BC has the things look better than they really are. overpaid, even while there have been cut- help BC to negotiate a fair funding formula best healthcare system in Canada. But is it The reality is that the BC healthcare backs to staffing levels in care facilities and from the Conservative federal government. good enough? system is in serious decline and will continue to workers providing community healthcare The people of BC deserve and can Not on your life. to decline under the Liberal government’s services. achieve the best healthcare system in policies of privatization, unaccountable Moreover, the BC government’s obses- Canada -- but there is much to be done. Carol Pickup has been involved in the healthcare regional health authorities and regressive sion with private-public capital projects (for Our system needs a radical change of system for her entire life -- as a registered nurse, personnel relations. example, the Abbotsford hospital or the direction. If we invest more of our provincial hospital trustee, chairwoman of Capital Regional Health, as a Saanich councillor and CRD director, All of these “radical changes” have cost Royal Jubilee patient tower) has meant resources to promote health and keeping and as a member of the first interim CRD Health our system unnecessary millions of dollars higher costs (such as higher costs of bor- people healthy, we will not have to spend Council (the forerunner to the CRD Regional -- and those of us who have been involved rowing) than if they had been built publicly. so much money on illness. Health Authority. in the system for more than 50 years know The people of BC have billions of dollars And if we provide those resources We need a national Pharmacare program in Canada By Carol Pickup to the present BC Liberal government. ue funding the Therapeutic Initiatives group at UBC and its findings should Drugs in our Medicare system are the fastest rising My observations both in my experience as an largely dictate which drugs Pharmacare should cover. The main criteria cost and it is no wonder that provincial governments RN and consumer, and now as a seniors advocate should be effectiveness, lack of side effects and cost. The credo, “Do no are crying unsustainability in funding our system. We are that too many doctors do not keep current harm” should be uppermost in doctors’ decisions to prescribe any drug. have an ineffective federal Food and Drug adminis- on drugs and especially on their side effects. As nurses we were taught never to administer any drug unless we knew tration in Canada and recent cutbacks by the Harper They seem to be unduly influenced by the drug what it was for and what potential side effects it might cause. We need to government will make it even less effective. salesmen and they seem to jump to the highest question all the drugs that are prescribed for us as to why and what are Former prime minister Brian Mulroney extended drug treatment (usually the most expensive), all the side effects. We must all take more responsibility for our own health patent protection to the drug companies which meant too often. Low and moderate income seniors in and wellbeing in partnership with our health professionals. for 20 years no generic substitutes could be introduced particular are finding the cost of many drugs too at less cost. We badly need to reduce that patent pro- expensive to afford -- few have extended health tection to a more reasonable level and we should be benefits -- so many simply don’t fill their prescrip- creating a national Pharmacare program to buy bulk tions. ESQUIMALT – JUAN DE FUCA FEDERAL NDP drugs on behalf of all Canadians (as many countries With the shortage of family doctors in the do worldwide) at a much lower cost. It is estimated province, people are going to walk-in clinics where that we could save up to $10 billion dollars a year by doctors often have no real history about them The First Annual moving to bulk buying in Canada. or their family situation. The Saanich peninsula I agree with Alan Casssels, pharmaceutical alone has over 1,000 residents without a GP and researcher at the University of Victoria, whose ob- it is estimated that over 300,000 BC residents are Earth Day servations and research show that Big Pharma is without a family doctor. influencing our medical doctors significantly. The We need to move to an extensive primary drug companies in Canada spent $2 billion sending health system, as was recommended by the Local Food Dinner salesmen into doctors’ offices, providing free samples Romanow Report, with public clinics such as the and offering other financial incentives to prescribe excellent Health Point Clinic on Hillside Ave in April 20, 2012 at Olympic View Golf Course their drugs. At least two-thirds of BC doctors see drug Victoria and of course the Victoria Health Co-op 643 Latoria Road, Victoria, BC salesmen at least once a month and some even more that operates in James Bay. Nurse practitioners often. At the same time most of the research carried should be an important member of the primary out on drugs is paid for at least in part by these same health team along with other health profession- GUEST SPEAKER drug companies. als to provide an integrated wellness approach They have recently persuaded the current BC to citizens’ needs. Megan Leslie government to stop using the research done at the We need to be addressing the real determi- MP, Halifax University of Brish Columbia by the Therapeutic Initia- nants of health: poverty, lack of affordable housing, tives group of well qualified doctors. This group has social supports, a clean environment and access NDP Environment Critic saved the BC government millions of dollars through to affordable educational opportunities. A healthy its research, but its funding has not been approved economy is linked to these determinants, not for 2012. It is interesting to note that many of the drug threatened by them. companies contribute significant amounts of money We must insist that the BC government contin-

MEET YOUR MP BC budget alarmingly short-sighted Randall Garrison MP, Esquimalt – in the age of climate change--WWC Juan de Fuca VICTORIA – “This budget is alarmingly short- reduction targets have now all but disappeared, sighted and irresponsible,” said Ben West, Healthy despite the fact that the people of this province still Communities Campaigner for the Wilderness Com- care deeply about the impacts of climate change mittee February 21. “There are no new ideas here, already being felt around the world.” just the outdated policy emphasis of exploiting BC’s “How are the people of BC supposed to reduce 6:00 pm Reception resources with little regard to living up to the province’s their emissions if they don’t have transportation 7:00 pm Buffet commitments to tackle climate change.” alternatives and they don’t have the help they need Chef Melbourne O’Brien will prepare The 2012 BC budget includes numerous subsidies to reduce energy use at home? These kinds of Cowichan Bay Farms chicken, Sooke trout with to the oil and gas sector while continuing to drastically initiatives would not only be the responsible things underfund environmental oversight. to do but they are also a great way to create local Dungeness crab, and the finest local produce available. Spending on highway expansion projects yet again jobs,” said West. far exceeds allocations for public transit infrastructure “This budget shows no vision for the future of Tickets: $75 and service while transportation emissions continue to our province. Our premier’s priority seems to be Reservations and more information: 250-384-7374 be the leading source of green house gas emissions about protecting corporate profits at the expense in the province. of putting our province’s future and our role in the The budget also includes an upcoming review world at great risk,” said West. of the carbon tax while the dollars per tonne value Follow remains the same. No new funding or tax credits are The Wilderness Committee is Canada’s largest mem- provided for housing retrofits, green building, or the bership-based, citizen-funded wilderness preservation Esquimalt – carbon neutral public sector initiative. organization. It works for the preservation of Canadian Juan de Fuca NDP and international wilderness through research and grass- “BC is rapidly losing its reputation as a leader in the roots education. The Wilderness Committee works on the on Facebook global campaign to address the challenges of climate ground to achieve ecologically sustainable communities. change,” said West. “Our greenhouse gas emissions Page 8 March 2012 FEDERAL NEWS AND VIEWS The Lower Island NEWS Old Age Security is sustainable: we can afford to raise the GIS and lift all seniors out of poverty

By Denise Savoie fice of the Chief Actuary projects that while generation of taxpayers. But the students affordable measures to lift every senior out Letters and phone calls to my office are the cost of OAS will increase from 2.2% to were barred from speaking to reporters to of poverty and to help guarantee a decent a good indicator of what is on the minds of a peak of less than 3% of the GDP when share their own views on pensions and old quality of life during retirement for all Ca- my constituents. When the prime minister baby boomers are drawing their benefits, age security. nadians. chose a trip to Switzerland to speculate OAS spending will continue to drop as a Using young people as a political prop In closing, I would like to share some about increasing the age of eligibility for percentage of GDP after 2030. while preventing them from voicing their of the good news about local plans next Old Age Security in Canada, he triggered a But instead of taking a critical look at the own opinions doesn’t sound like a govern- month for celebrating Earth Day (April 22) flood of phone calls and letters – and created Parliamentary Budget Officer’s numbers, ment that’s looking for a sustainable way and Earth Week. The 31st Annual Victoria widespread worry and uncertainty. the Conservative spin machine attacked, forward that’s fair for all generations. It looks Earth Walk takes place Saturday, April 21, That worry and uncertainty was under- calling his report “unreliable”. Never mind more like a government that is sewing divi- starting with a gathering at the Provincial scored two weeks later at a public forum that Mr. Page used the government’s own sion between generations in order to push Legislature at 11:30 a.m., the walk at noon on OAS with our federal critic for pensions, actuarial figures in his calculations and that through an agenda that makes us all worse with live samba music and a celebration at Irene Mathyssen (London-Fanshawe) at the government can’t seem to respond with off in the long run. Spirit Square at 12:30 with speakers, games James Bay New Horizons, where Victori- figures of its own. It seems intent on attack- What we need is thoughtful, long-term and music. This year, the master of ceremo- ans spoke out clearly against the proposed ing this independent parliamentary officer planning. We need to make retirement secu- nies is Victoria’s poet laureate Janet Rogers changes. through rhetoric and spin. rity one of our priorities as a country, ahead and the keynote speaker is Bob McDonald, It was irresponsible of Mr. Harper to tell Mr. Page’s analysis concluding that OAS of things like corporate tax cuts and billions host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks. the world of his plans in front of an audience is sustainable has yet to be refuted. of dollars for manufactured increases as- From there, you can make your way to of global business elites in Switzerland Now the government is trying to frame sociated with the government’s omnibus St. Matthias Hall at 600 Richmond Avenue rather than discuss this important issue with the issue as one where younger generations crime bill. We need our government to admit for the Creatively United for the Planet Canadians first. And irresponsible to manu- will suffer. Never mind that OAS is fiscally to the ever-increasing costs associated with Festival, what organizers are calling “the facture a crisis by spinning the numbers to sustainable as it stands, or that the govern- its plan to buy untendered F35 fighter jets beginning of a movement”. Over three days, overstate future costs. ment seems to want to cut benefits for the whose cost keeps going up and to come up April 20-22, this festival will raise needed Despite this Conservative fear monger- very people it claims to be looking out for with a more sensible plan that will ensure funds for progressive environmental-based ing, Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin ― younger generations. we have the resources we need to ensure charities while heightening awareness and Page crunched the numbers and found that This echoes the government’s posi- retirement security for Canadians now and initiating action for positive change in an Canada’s current use of Old Age Security tion on pensions, both private and public, for future generations. entertaining and engaging way. This link and the Guaranteed Annual Income is sus- where we’re seeing an erosion of pension A modest increase in Canada Pension gives you all the details: http://creatively- tainable, despite a temporary growth in our benefits for future Canadian workers. Far Plan premiums over a long period of time unitedfortheplanet.com/ senior population. The Conservatives tell us from engaging in a dialogue that’s respectful is the way to provide real, sustainable re- I am pleased that the federal Opposition that the cost of OAS will explode from $36 of Canadians of all ages, the Conservative tirement security. Expanding the GIS is the environment critic, Megan Leslie (Halifax), billion a year to $106 billion. But those alarm- government seems satisfied flaming the way to lift the most vulnerable seniors out will be in Victoria and will be able to accom- ist raw numbers do not account for inflation fans of intergenerational division, pitting of poverty – not expecting older workers to pany me to these festivities. and the growth in the Canadian economy young against old in a bid to destroy a pillar wait until age 67 to receive OAS. All that this Congratulations to all of the volunteers and working population in the next 18 years, of our retirement system. plan will achieve is downloading more costs who are working on this year’s Earth Day as projected by Statistics Canada’s August So, how much does the government onto provinces by adding to the number of events, nurturing our appreciation of our 2011 Canadian Economic Observer. really have intergenerational interests at people applying for provincial assistance. natural environment and raising awareness Taking the whole picture into account, heart? During a recent press conference on The government is choosing to give tax as we continue to battle in Ottawa for action OAS and GIS expenditures are actually retirement policy at an exclusive Canadian breaks to corporations like Caterpillar, who on lowering our carbon footprint to meet projected to decrease in cost in the long run, Club lunch in Toronto, the Conservatives then pull up stakes and take their money climate change targets. relative to the size of the economy. The Of- brought in students from a local high school and jobs elsewhere. Let’s reconsider flawed to sit amongst Bay Street’s business elite policies, like the costly and ill-conceived Denise Savoie is MP for Victoria and Deputy Our Leader, and held them up as an example of the next crime bill, and invest instead in practical, Speaker of the House.. and the next PM New Democrats determined to protect civil of Canada is ... liberties of Canadians

By Jean Crowder For smaller rural Internet providers, the pornographers”. In recent weeks I’ve heard from many cost of this new technology may be pro- He even went so far as to give Bill C-30 of my constituents concerned about the hibitive. And that may reduce our choice as the title “Protecting Children from Internet government Bill C-30, otherwise known as consumers. Predators Act” although the text of the the bill on lawful access. Right now, cost estimates for the Bill legislation doesn’t mention any such thing. UP TO YOU! The stated intention of the legislation is are in the tens of millions of dollars. But the Unless the lawful access bill is dramati- to allow police to obtain data from Internet Canadian Association of Internet Provid- cally changed, this legislation will represent The leadership vote is on Mar 24 service providers or cell phone companies ers warns that without knowing how many an unprecedented erosion of Canadian All NDP members will receive the without a warrant – information like the simultaneous intercepts or wiretaps, they privacy rights. VOTER’S TOOLKIT mid-March. name, address and other contact informa- don’t know the final cost. And it doesn’t deal with the real prob- tion of people using that provider. If you do not receive it by March 18: A British Columbia blogger, Christopher lem – the process for obtaining warrants And there is no provision in the legisla- call 1-866-776-7742 Parsons, points out that a similar law in the is slow and cumbersome. It is the process to receive your voter’s info. tion to make sure that data is not duplicated United States was originally going to cost that needs to change, not the intent behind or shared with other governments. $500 million but the price tag has since warrants, which is to protect the rights of Telecom providers would also be forced ballooned to over $1.3 billion. You can read Canadians. Saanich Gulf-Islands to install surveillance software giving police his analysis at www.christopher-parsons. Now by drafting a law that puts the re- the ability to track internet and mobile phone com/blog/. sponsibility for deciding whether intruding on activity. Although my understanding is that While the NDP supports modernizing someone’s privacy is warranted or not in the this request, the equivalent of wire-tapping policing powers to deal with digital issues, hands of the police, the Conservatives are the Internet, would require a warrant, the removing the requirement for warrants further diminishing the important role judges Jack Greenwell, president. cost of this technology is unknown. altogether opens the door to all manner of play in our legal system. 250-477-3549 | [email protected] Commentators on major news sites abuse by security officials. Finding some way of making it easier immediately started asking who will pay Experts and citizens say this new law for judges to issue warrants and for police for this new technology. The answer is the gives the government and police way too www.saanichgulfislandsndp.ca to request them should be the real goal of consumer whose rights to privacy will be much power to snoop into our lives. this legislation. affected by this legislation. Canadians are right to feel that the Con- New Democrats are determined to see servatives are not protecting their privacy that the civil liberties of Canadians are and that we need to curb this bill. protected. Please go to www.ndp.ca or my When questioned in the House of Com- website at www.jeancrowder.ca for updates. mons on the issue, the Minister of Public Denise Savoie Safety has been evasive or attacks his crit- Jean Crowder is Member of Parliament for Member of Parliament for Victoria ics by claiming they are “siding with child Nanaimo-Cowichan.

CONSTITUENCY OFFICE: Ron reviews: 970 Blanshard Street Victoria, BC V8W 2H3 COWBOY CAVALRY : THE STORY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN RANGERS, by G. Tolton, HERITAGE BOOKS TELEPHONE: 250-363-3600 This book is full of surprises. Who ever knew we had rangers in Canada? Only read- ers of The Taming of the American West would not be surprised. Volunteer troopers were supposed to deal with the Metis-First Nations rebellion of E-MAIL: [email protected] 1885. The Tolton book is a must and an educative and pleasurable read. ON THE WEB: www.denisesavoie.ca YOU COMMA IDIOT, by D. Harris, GOOSE LANE PUBLISHERS This racy novel attracted great excitement from the reviewers. It was not my cup of tea, but if you like a souped up Harlequin, it is the book for you. Your voice in Ottawa --Ron MacIsaac The Lower Island NEWS FEDERAL NEWS AND VIEWS March 2012 Page 9 Meetings, meetings and more Conservative election fraud By Randall Garrison that these calls were made by their com- During a week when most MPs were in pany. We also have evidence of contracts meetings for busy MP their constituencies meeting with community from Conservative local campaigns with members, news broke about possible elec- RackNine. It is only a matter of time until tion fraud from the majority Conservative someone connects the final dots. government during the last election. The New Democrats have demanded that Conservatives allegedly commissioned the Conservatives turn over to Elections both live and “robo” calls to voters telling Canada all documentation relating to their them their polling station had changed contracts with RackNine, along with the and sending them to a new and often non- scripts used for the calls. The Conservatives existent polling station in an attempt at voter have refused. suppression. In the House of Commons Procedure These examples of a Conservative Party and House Affairs Committee, New Demo- campaign of voter suppression through crats put forward a motion to give the Chief fraud continue to mount. We now have Electoral Officer the power to subpoena allegations of election fraud in as many as these and any other relevant documents. 40 federal ridings. Not only were the Con- The Conservatives voted it down. servatives involved in attempts to prevent The NDP has now demanded that the people from exercising their right to vote, the government commission a full and indepen- extent of these illegal activities brings the dent public inquiry to find out the facts con- Jean Crowder, MP for Nanaimo-Cowichan, has a busy schedule when she is home very legitimacy of the Harper government cerning this pattern of voter suppression and from her duties in Ottawa. Here she is speaking about food labelling at the Cowi- into question. apparent electoral fraud. Stephen Harper chan Green Community Seeds for Change conference February 18, It is only now that the full extent of these who came to Ottawa promising to clean up illegal activities has become known. government is now denying any responsibil- Unfortunately though, this is no surprise ity for what are probably the most serious to New Democrats on Vancouver Island. cases of election fraud in Canadian history. Well before the 2011 federal election the New Democrats will continue to try to Conservatives may have been piloting these hold the Harper government to account for tactics locally. In 2008 NDP supporters what may turn out to have been a systematic and party members received calls the night attempt to steal the 2011 election. before the election, urging them to vote for I encourage those with concerns over the NDP candidate, Julian West, who had this alleged election scam to voice your previously dropped out of the campaign, concerns to the prime minister and to join the although his name was still on the ballot. NDP in demanding an immediate, indepen- Elections Canada did manage to prove the dent public inquiry to ensure that whoever obvious, that these calls did not come from is responsible for this attack on Canadians’ the NDP. right to vote is held fully accountable. But despite the fact that such calls could However at the same time we will also only have been organized using data avail- continue to focus on trying to get things able only to political parties and the fact done for Canadians. We will continue to put that only one party could have profited from forward proposals like our motion demand- these calls, Elections Canada was not able ing equal funding for First Nation education to draw a direct connection to the Conserva- which recently received unanimous consent tive party in Saanich-Gulf Islands in 2008. of the House. We will continue to press for Once again we have a smoking gun. action on infrastructure investment, jobs, This time affidavits filed with Elections climate change, health care and retirement Canada have documented calls impersonat- security for all. That is the kind of Canada Cowder speaks with Lynn Wytenbroek of Makaria Farms about GMOs and farming ing Elections Canada officials and directing we believe in. at the Cowichan Green Community Seeds for Change conference February 18. voters to incorrect polling places. We have Canadians deserve a government that the admission from the company RackNine is both ethical and responsible.

Randall Garrison, MP ESQUIMALT–JUAN DE FUCA

We’re here to help constituents with Federal government programs and services.

address: A2–100 Aldersmith Place Victoria V9A 7M8

hours: 10am–4pm, Monday–Thursday or by appointment

phone: 250-405-6550 email: [email protected] fax: 250-405-6554 follow us on facebook! An attentive audience listens as the MP speaks at Ageing: Everybody’s Doing It, inLake Cowichan onFebruary 11. This was the first in a series of roundtable discus- www.randallgarrison.ndp.ca sions on sniors’ issues.

Join Denise Savoie, MP (Victoria) and special guest speaker NDP Environment Critic Megan Leslie MP (Halifax) for the Victoria Federal NDP 2012 Annual General Meeting Saturday April 21, 2012, 1:30-3pm Oaklands Community Centre (2827 Belmont Avenue)

All Victoria NDP members are invited to stand for Executive positions at the 2012 Annual General Meeting.

Guests and observers welcome. Refreshments will be served. Crowder speaks about the need for awareness of violence against women before presenting “Over It” in the Vagina Monologues, also on February 18. If you would like to run for an Executive position, please contact Erik Kaye at [email protected] or 250-382-4370 Page 10 MarchThe Lower 2012 Island NEWS PROVINCIAL NEWS AND VIEWS Highlights of the Saanich-Gulf Islands Federal NDP Riding Association 2012 AGM

By Starla Anderson Chris Brown, Jeri Covay, Josh Easton, Bill There was a good show of members Graham, Raizy Marmorstein, Richard Mills, at the Saanich-Gulf Islands Federal NDP Marina Holding, Edith Loring-Kuhanga, and Riding Association AGM on Saturday, Feb- Irene Wright. (The Association is looking ruary 18, at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church for a financial agent.) in Sidney. Other business of the AGM focused on In his report, President Jack Greenwell newly drafted bylaws that the previous ex- congratulated all who contributed to the ecutive worked on during the past year. The 2011 election campaign. “Our candidate bylaws were unanimously approved with in the 2011 federal election, Edith Loring- Hanny Pannekoek’s suggested amendment Kuhanga, brought back our political influ- to add “values and vision” to the statement ence in Saanich-Gulf Islands. After the of purpose. This statement now reads: non-competition in the 2008 federal election “The purpose of the Association shall be we were in a position of having to rebuild to organize its electoral district for election, our organization and we are a contender fund raising, and educational purposes, and once more.” generally on a continuing basis to further Forrest Nelson, the financial officer for New Democratic Party work, values, and Edith Loring-Kuhanga reported that despite vision, within the riding. The Association some communication challenges with fed- shall select candidates for federal elections eral office, the filing papers for Elections and shall promote their candidacy.” Canada are in order for the March deadline. After a number of announcements by He praised the cooperation of our financial members, the meeting was adjourned. agent, Cathy Flikweert, and spoke about Thirty plus members stayed for a pizza how the $18,400 raised by the riding as- lunch followed by greetings from Esquimalt- Randall Garrison, Member of Parliament for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, brought sociation prior to the election smoothed the Juan de Fuca MP Randall Garrison and a greetings to the Saanich- Gulf Islands AGM. Photo by Heather Tufts launch of the campaign. Edith spoke of the mini-conference organized by Bill Graham huge contribution that Forrest made to the and Starla Anderson on the topic: What campaign and he was acknowledged by makes a person a great leader? the meeting. Financial Agent Cathy Flickweert re- ported that the riding’s account is in the black as we move forward from last year’s campaign—from members’ donations and federal party transfers. Cathy announced that this would be her last financial report to our riding association as she now lives in the Victoria riding. The meeting thanked Cathy for her report and her very professional work during the past three years. Carol Pickup and Bill Graham recruited and oversaw the election of executive members for the coming year. Before the election, Bill presented bouquets with thanks to four retiring executive members who gave untold hours to our riding association over many years: Carol Pickup, Len Howland, Cathy Flikweert, and Vivien Davies. The meeting gratefully acknowledged the con- tributions of these four individuals. Jack Greenwell accepted the responsi- Saanich-Gulf Islands members discuss: “What qualities do we need to look for in bilities of president for a second year. Other our new federal NDP leader?” Photo by Heather Tufts members who accepted executive posi- tions are: Starla Anderson, vice-president; Bill Graham facilitated the SGI mini- Sheila Hamilton, secretary; Michele Murphy, conference on “What makes a person a communications; and members-at-large: great leader?” Photo by Peter Brunette Sustainable development board proposed by Fleming More than 50 organizations say Liberals scrap Progress Board, New Democrats call for keep the Kokish River wild” enhanced accountability VICTORIA— New Democrats are in- Democrats are proposing a new board Diverse group opposing proposed hydro project includes NHL troducing a bill calling for the creation of with an expanded mandate to measure key players, fishing clubs and outdoor recreation businesses a sustainable development board which areas of our province’s economic, social and would report to policy makers about key environmental health. VANCOUVER – In a diverse but united trout, Dolly Varden, as well as steelhead. indicators of economic, environmental and “Even though the Progress Board lacked show of support, more than 50 British The BC government signed off on the social progress. important measures of performance found Columbia wilderness tourism businesses, project in December 2011, however Kwagis “This bill advances the credibility, in other jurisdictions, it did provide annual fishing and outdoor recreation groups, rivers Power still requires approval from the DFO transparency and accountability of benchmark reports that documented – advocates and prominent individuals are to proceed. A decision from DFO is expected government by utilizing the knowledge among other things – a decline in infant calling on the federal government to turn imminently. “We are calling on the federal and independence of established experts health in the province and a drop to tenth down a hydropower project proposed for government who oversee DFO to do the to measure and report on the things that place in poverty indicators the last reportable the Kokish River. right thing and keep the Kokish wild,” said matter most to our economic, social and year,” said Fleming. “By doing away with The Kokish River, located 15 km east of Brian Braidwood, resident of the Steelhead environmental well-being,” said New the Progress Board it seems that the Port McNeill on northern Vancouver Island, Society of BC. “We just can’t afford to lose Democrat environment critic Rob Fleming. Liberals are more interested in hiding their is threatened by a proposed 45 megawatt this river.” Fleming says that the bill is being shortcomings than in ensuring they have the hydropower project. The river is renowned Over 70 percent of independent power introduced on the eve of������������������ government ter- information they need to make good policy for its high fish values including an endan- projects in BC are found in water bodies minating the BC Progress Board to ensure decisions.” gered summer- and winter-run of steelhead. with known or suspected fish populations, the province isn’t left with a performance Adrian Dix and the New Democrats “The Kokish River is an excellent ex- according to a report about to be released measurement vacuum. believe the creation of a Sustainable ample of where not to put a Run of the River by Watershed Watch Salmon Society. Im- “While the Liberals are dismantling Development Board is necessary to make project,” said Perry Wilson, president of the pacts from such projects include severely the Progress Board whose reports often government more accountable to citizens BC Federation of Fly Fishers. “That’s why decreased water flows and problems with highlighted their economic failures, New and spur wider policy discussions that can we are seeing such a broad-based outcry plant malfunctions and rapid changes in lead to innovative strategies to improve the to protect this river.” water levels all of which negatively impact Ron reviews: economic, social and environmental well- Kwagis Power, owned by Brookfield river health and fish populations. being of our province. Renewable Power and the Namgis First “The Kokish River is one of the last A HARD MAN TO BEAT, THE STORY OF “New Democrats want independent Nation, has applied to dam and divert the places you should put a hydropower project BILL WHITE, Labour Leader, Historian, information to be publicly reported to 11 km river into a 9 km pipe. The federal and that is why hockey players, lodge own- Shipyard Worker, Raconteur, by Howard the government and the province so Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) ers, fishing groups and wilderness tourism White, HARBOUR PUBLISHING that lawmakers have a foundation for considers the Kokish to be a high-value river operators are standing up for this river,” A marvelous book, a great review of seeking public input and support for policy with a sensitive fish population. said Gwen Barlee, policy director with the the Great Depression. development,” said Fleming. “This river is home to a rare population Wilderness Committee. “Steelhead and wild In the wartime shipyards, he was the “The public’s reaction to the way the of summer-run wild steelhead,” said Mark salmon streams are hurting in BC and we activist for fair play for the worker. (I should Liberals developed and introduced their Angelo, Order of Canada recipient and need to protect those we have left.” know I was there and marching with him in HST policy shows that British Columbians renowned rivers advocate. “It is just far a protest parade.) are looking for truly open and democratic too risky to build a hydro project in a wild This is a must read for the hoi pol- leadership, not more empty promises and river that is home to such a diversity of fish loi who should be aware of the sacrifices buzzwords. The Sustainable Development species.” union members made to obtain, the now board proposed in this bill provides The Kokish is important habitat for five slipping, fair wage packets. the foundation for open and effective species of wild salmon, coastal cutthroat --Ron MacIsaac governance.” The Lower Island NEWS PROVINCIAL NEWS AND VIEWS March 2012 Page 11 NDP leader Adrian Dix James urges Victorians to get involved announces new shadow in Enbridge Northern Pipeline hearings By Carole James coastline of British Columbia. Even Alberta’s We’re fortunate here in Victoria and in energy minister has admitted BC gets the cabinet responsibilities our province to live in a place surrounded by majority of the risk with little reward. VICTORIA -- New Democrat leader Other changes include expanded re- natural beauty, with a coastline that remains Experience around the world with Adrian Dix has given Victoria-Beacon Hill sponsibilities for Vancouver-Hastings MLA largely unspoiled. As British Columbians, transporting crude oil shows us that it’s only MLA Carole James the key responsibility of and caucus chair Shane Simpson. In addi- we do not take our province’s beauty for a matter of time before a disaster occurs. addressing growing inequality in BC, as part tion to serving as the housing critic, Simpson granted, and so it comes as no surprise Only two years ago, another Enbridge oil of her new role as the critic for social devel- will now also oversee the Liquor Distribution that we would speak out against a project pipeline ruptured, dumping three million opment, and co-chair of the caucus platform Branch, gaming policy, and ICBC. that could threaten the way of life that we litres of diluted bitumen into the Kalamazoo committee. “Inequality -- in economic and In light of the government announcing cherish. River. The area and surrounding wetlands social terms -- is one of the defining issues the creation of the Justice Ministry, MLAs The joint review panel hearings on the are expected to be contaminated for many of our time. Reducing its prevalence, bridg- Leonard Krog and Kathy Corrigan will Enbridge Northern Gateway oil pipeline years. ing the divisions and disparity it is creating maintain their existing areas of responsibil- are underway, and they’ve already heard Diluted bitumen is more likely to cause in BC, is a central priority for our caucus. ity: Krog overseeing the courts and justice from many British Columbians who are corrosion in the pipeline as well as in the Carole, with her depth of experience and system, Corrigan police and corrections worried about the proposal for its serious tankers, is heavier than water and therefore knowledge, will be a guiding voice on the respectively. environmental risks. It’s a message I harder to clean up, and can threaten human actions we will take to tackle one of the “It is important to maintain this continuity frequently hear from my constituents in health as it contains a variety of nasty toxins. most significant challenges our province is in oversight. Both MLAs have been effective Victoria-Beacon Hill, and I agree with those While Alberta oil companies have a facing,” said Dix. advocates for the justice system, which has concerns. lot to gain from the proposed pipeline, the James’ new critic role is part of the been in turmoil due to this government’s The Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline small benefits to British Columbia are far shadow cabinet changes Dix announced policies,” said Dix. brings with it risk without reward. It holds the outweighed by the enormous risk to our February 14. She will co-chair the caucus The New Democrat caucus executive threat of crude oil supertankers on the coast, northern industries, fisheries, communities platform committee with finance critic Bruce also remains the same, following reelection and in return offers a lack of lasting benefits and ecology. The proposal is opposed Ralston. Ralston is also chair of the legisla- at a recent caucus retreat in Kelowna. for British Columbians. by First Nations and the Union of BC ture’s Public Accounts committee. Many of my constituents have told me Municipalities, among many other groups. that if the pipeline is allowed to proceed, they It’s a subject that brings out strong fear it will only be a matter of time before passions, and understandably so. We have there is a catastrophic pipeline rupture every right to be protective of our precious BC government reduces demand for or oil tanker disaster. Does the provincial coastline and environment, and it’s great government grasp the reality of supertanker to see so many British Columbians getting private river power projects traffic trying to navigate our inland coastal involved to express their views on this VANCOUVER–The provincial govern- climate change, and has ruined dozens of waters? crucial decision. ment’s announcement February 3 that it is wild rivers in BC.” I fear it does not. We must safeguard the If you’d like to have your say, visit axing BC Hydro’s electricity self-sufficiency Private power projects, especially “run- environment, aboriginal rights and the way the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project and insurance requirement should dra- of-river” developments, have been a hot of life for people along the coast. Joint Review Panel website at http:// matically reduce the demand for private button issue in BC. The projects have been The proposed pipeline would carry gatewaypanel.review-examen.gc.ca. river power projects in BC and keep scores heavily criticized for lack of planning, low more than 500,000 barrels of diluted oil Written submissions are being accepted of wild rivers out of pipes. environmental standards and their impact sands bitumen each day. It would traverse until August 31, 2012. Previously, the provincial government to the financial viability of BC Hydro. In mountains, go across farmland, over the Victorians are rightfully proud and had required BC Hydro to be electricity fiscal 2010 IPPs produced 16% of total headwaters of the Fraser and Skeena protective of our environment. Let’s work “self-sufficient” by 2016 based on critical domestic electricity requirements, while rivers, and straight through the Great Bear together to ensure that pride continues for low water levels, and to include an additional IPP electricity costs represented 49% of the Rainforest to the Pacific. The highly acidic this and future generations. surplus of 3,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of overall domestic energy cost. BC Hydro has and corrosive diluted bitumen would then be “insurance” electricity by 2020. The previ- already contracted for $40 billion in energy transferred into supertankers larger than the ous bloated definition of “self-sufficiency” Government reduces demand for private Exxon Valdez – more than would have resulted in BC Hydro having a purchase agreements to private power 220 of them each year. surplus of 8,000 GWh of electricity in aver- producers in BC. A recent report age water years. “The writing was on the wall when the concludes that the Last Friday, Premier Clark announced BC Government issued a report last summer transportation of oil a dramatic shift in direction whereby BC which said that the current self-sufficiency sands bitumen poses Hydro will now be required to achieve definition was a ‘financial burden’, ‘inef- an even larger risk than self-sufficiency based on “average” water ficient’, ‘less than cost effective’ and placed conventional oil. The levels. Based on this new definition BC a ‘significant planning constraint’ on BC report, co-written by the Hydro is already very close to electricity Hydro,” said Barlee. Pembina Institute, Natural self-sufficiency, which will radically reduce “What Premier Clark needs to do now Resources Defence the need for new private power projects. is ensure that proposed river projects such Council and Living “Putting wild rivers in pipes for energy as the Kokish, Upper Lillooet, Upper Toba Oceans Society, says that came at the wrong time of the year, and Harrison, which have energy purchase the pipeline is not worth and that BC doesn’t need, has been an agreements with BC Hydro but aren’t yet the risk for communities, abysmal failure,” said Gwen Barlee, policy built, do not proceed,” said Barlee. “Not rivers and the Pacific director for the Wilderness Committee. “It only would it be environmentally damaging has put an enormous financial burden on if these unnecessary projects proceeded BC Hydro, which is our best tool against but it would throw away billions of dollars of ratepayers’ money.”

“Welfare Challenge” group challenges Carole James, MLA BC to match Alberta’s disability rates Victoria-Beacon Hill

Raise the Rates, the BC coalition that assistance benefits, including those for challenged MLAs to live on the welfare rate single parents and single people, to levels of $610 a month issued a new challenge that are adequate to live on. 1084 Fort Street February 12: “People with disabilities in BC are living Victoria, BC V8V 3K4 “We challenge the BC government to in poverty,” said Robin Loxton of the BC Phone: 250.952.4211 immediately raise disability rates to the Coalition of People with Disabilities. “We Alberta level of $1,588 per month,” said call on the BC government to immediately Fax: 250.952.4586 Andrina Perry of Raise the Rates. “There increase BC’s disability rates.” Email: [email protected] is no reason for BC residents who have “If BC copied the Alberta increase it www.carolejamesmla.ca a disability to have their health issues means people with disabilities like me compounded by trying to live on the mere could go to the community fitness gym for $906 that they get in BC.” physiotherapy without taking the money out Here to serve you at my Community Office Raise the Rates wants the BC of our food budgets,” said Brenn Kapitan. government to increase all income “It would mean I could get a massage for my inflamed joints, have a longer life expectancy and reduce my risk of cancer.” Alberta also increased the amount of earnings that people with a disability can keep from $400 a month to $800.

For more information, go to Raise the Rates website: http://www.raisetherates.org/ home2.html MLA Welfare Challenge website: http://mlaonwelfare. com Page 12 March 2012 EDUCATION NEWS AND VIEWS The Lower Island NEWS Cowichan trustee gives thanks to all working in the schools By Eden Haythornthwaite Long ago, this province funded its public schools largely through This meeting, held November 16, was the last of the old board the practice of local taxation. A school tax was levied as part of the and as such was fairly tranquil – many of us were reflecting on property tax and from this revenue the needs of our school districts those who were leaving for good after many years of service and were met. It had something to recommend it as this gave communities the changes to come if the election should grant the opportunity. some vital ownership over their schools. The decision to resource them Trustees enjoyed a very endearing slide show presentation reflected community priorities as of course taxes could be stayed or assembled by young ones from Quamichan about their trip to the raised depending on need or inclination. river near the Boys Road Reserve to participate in spear fishing; However, by the early 1980s, the autonomy of local school boards there was a report about concluding the installation of the modu- was being constrained in response to what the government of the day lars at three district schools. There were the usual approvals for regarded as rising educational costs (due to growing enrolments -- retirements and school trips. ironic, eh?). The predictable ideological reaction prompted the introduc- My mind wandered a bit simply because some of us had been tion of public sector restraint legislation, which capped local spending up to our shorts in the election campaign for many weeks. I con- and removed board authority to tax commercial and industrial property. templated the homilies offered up at the all candidates meetings In 1990/1991, this province after a period of change, soul searching in light of the challenges we have in our district. Some people are and discourse finally moved to block funding whereby the entire school in for a surprise. Apart from me of course who never ceases to be tax portion of the property tax was remitted to the provincial coffers and shocked at the chaos and deterioration designed by our overlords distributed from there to all school districts in concurrence with other at the Leg. funding from the provincial pot. The intention was commendable and Largely unsullied by the slightest insight from attending our sought to bring equity to the schools all over BC. board meetings, some candidates had told us how clearly they Eden Haythornthwaite Though it was fine to have locally funded schools, you can well understand the problems; how confident they are in their creative imagine this bred deep inequality from district to district, as some had solutions for our funding circumstances. I found myself thinking about the heroic lengths tremendous revenue bases and some did not. If all our children were to have the same to which our employees and families already travel to embrace our kids and advance their opportunities for learning, wealth had to be transferred from the wealthiest to the poorest learning prospects – against all odds, unswervingly valiant despite the years stretching on and a level field established everywhere. Sane and sensible and just and oh so Canadian. with mounting shortfalls. So, here we are. The province has copped the lot in the name of consistency and I thought about the families who try to raise extra money for basic classroom needs school boards are entirely dependent on the largesse of Victoria for the operation of their from shrinking pocketbooks in spare time which these days does not exist for anyone. districts. If Victoria decides to apply the contents of the purse swollen by taxation from our I thought about the teachers who buy food, clothes, books and supplies with their own communities to priorities which are not our own, we are left trying to figure out how to pay money – and never receive a dollar in remuneration and little thanks. the district hydro bill among many other things. I thought of the resourcefulness of our EAs as they try to compensate for the lack of Our employees, our families and our trustees have a job to do and frankly, they are person power in the classrooms. Or those who must attempt to make up the huge gap doing it. Guiding the district, nurturing our children, supporting our employees, tending left by the reversals in our schools brought on by cuts to Intensive Behaviour programs, our physical plant -- these are the critical functions we all perform despite the turmoil and Alternate Education and non enrolling teaching positions in literacy, numeracy, technology, insufficiencies visited on us. We are not responsible for coming up with dazzling solutions resource time and counseling. to a problem designed by the very people who are obligated to provide us with the revenue I pondered the range of activities teachers must now undertake to provide what our we need to do these jobs. teacher/ librarians once did now that over half of them are gone. Creativity? Ingenuity? When the province took over collecting the money and further for distributing those funds, Whenever the Ministry has flounced in to download yet another bureaucratic train wreck they became the sole custodians of our needs. The money they allocate is ours by right e.g. BCESIS, Bill 33, FDK, 21st Century Learning and a swarm of ridiculous contentless fads and there is no reason to believe we have to add one cent to the pot we have already paid without the attendant resources -- our Leonardo Da Vinci’s in all areas of our district step into. You cannot have it both ways – either distribute the people’s money for the people’s up their game. Not enough? No, we must all become captains of commerce and devise needs or let someone else collect the revenue. schemes to generate cash on top of our real jobs. Meanwhile we are distracted from the If we want to apply creativity decisively we should club together and poetically let the fact our kids are being robbed while the government uses our best intentions to obscure extremists at the Treasury Board know there is a serious disconnect between what they the obvious – and we all feel it is somehow our fault for not being innovative enough. think is important and what we know is vital for our families. That requires perseverance What dog poop it all is!! and a touch of the artistic spirit. So let’s continue to be creative and support all the wonderful people who inhabit our schools from the tiniest kindergartener to the veteran teacher to the cheerful secretaries; the gifted trades people, the hardworking and diligent custodians, the courageous bus Oak Bay-Gordon Head New Democrats drivers; the tireless principals, the ungainly “about to be adult” high school students, the skilled managers; the troubled, the sad, the overwhelmed the hopeful, the brilliant and will hold their those hanging on by their finger nails to their dreams. And of course the thoughtful and beleaguered trustees. Let the government do their job and provide the money we need to do ours without all Annual General Meeting this whining and distortion. We have not allowed ourselves to be taxed so they can tell us to mount bake sales or run offshore businesses to meet the needs of our kids. They have Sunday, May 6, at 1 pm our money. We need it and damnit we are going to get it all back. at the Red Barn beside Gordon Head Recreation Centre That is a fundraising campaign I can get behind and so should you. Anything else is just endorsing our own victimhood. Guest speaker to be announced. So the meeting ended and the credits rolled – the last instalment in a series of mocu- mentaries by Bummer Films Co. We are adjourned but not for long and when we return, the cast should include all our communities and all our employees and, if those who believe Check out Jessica’s new candidate website at www.jessicavanderveen.bcndp.ca “ as I do have our way (which would be a first but there you are) it will. It’s not too early to sign up for the campaign! See you at the School Board Office on Beverley Street in Cowichan for our official swearing in (as opposed to just plain swearing which is understandable). And thanks for the last 6 years…they have been most instructive. Eden Haythornthwaite was reelected as a member of the Cowichan Board of Education. Keep in Touch with Juan de Fuca New Democrats

Victoria-Beacon Hill New Democrats Find us at http://vbhndp.bc.ca/ Keep in touch! Friend our Victoria-Beacon Hill NDP Facebook Page You can reach President John Lewinski Follow us on Twitter: @BeaconHillNDP by phone at 250-391-1686 or Call us at 250-386-8497 by email at [email protected]

Victoria-Swan Lake New Democrats Esquimalt-Royal Roads Stay in touch! New Democrats Watch for an announcement shortly of You can reach your executive the date and time for the fourth annual by emailing President Darcy Lindberg at [email protected] or by writing to Box 282 Dinner’s On Us fundraiser 1681 Hillside Avenue, Victoria, BC V8T 2C1 For more information, phone 250-637-8637 The Lower Island NEWS EDUCATION NEWS AND VIEWS March 2012 Page 13 Special needs students need adequate support in the classroom By Starla Anderson of learning disabilities such as dyslexia, had voted for it in 2008—Trustees Tom bargain over class size and composition. At the Greater Victoria School Board attention deficit disorder, slow cognitive Ferris, Michael McEvoy, Elaine Leonard, The LIF is an acknowledgement that public meeting on February 20, Chairwoman processing, and delayed language devel- Peg Orcherton, and Bev Horsman. This funding to support the learning of special- Peg Orcherton expressed surprise that trust- opment. There is no targeted funding for time, however, the Board decided to follow needs students integrated into mainstream ees voted unanimously to have their votes these students, and they are not entitled through by writing a letter to Minister of Edu- classrooms has been inadequate. Given recorded in the minutes. This motion, which to the support of an EA. This funding was cation George Abbott, asking that the limits that this targeted funding will be distributed was made and seconded by newly-elected withdrawn in 2002 when the newly elected on the numbers of special-needs students across the province over the next three trustees Diane McNally and Deborah Nohr, Liberal government broke the province’s in a classroom be eliminated on the basis years, there are questions as to how much had been defeated at a committee meeting contract with its teachers. that they were discriminatory. difference will be felt in School District 61 the week before with trustees Bev Horsman Special-needs students have Individu- The letter was sent on February 13, or in any of the 60 school districts in the and Peg Orcherton expressing concern that alized Education Programs (IEPs) to help and the Times Colonist reported on Febru- province. Nonetheless, it is a step in the recording trustees’ votes would give more teachers adapt curriculum and methods of ary 26 that Minister Abbott agrees with the right direction. work to the staff. instruction for each of them. Doing so is an argument presented in their letter and is It has taken teachers more than 20 At the meeting on the 20th, Trustee Mi- essential part of teachers’ efforts to identify considering bringing in legislation to reflect years to get legislation passed that makes chael McEvoy, president of the BC School the strengths and challenges of all their that agreement. it possible for special-needs students to be Trustees Association, who was not at the students. It is easy to see that a teacher’s At the Board meeting on February 20, successfully integrated into mainstream committee meeting the previous week, job becomes overwhelming when there are seven speakers, including teachers and classrooms. If Minister Abbott does respond commented that while Vancouver, Comox, no limits to the numbers of special-needs parents, pleaded with the trustees to recon- positively to the request of the five current and other districts in the province record students in a classroom. sider the position expressed in their letter to SD 61 trustees who supported sending the trustees’ votes, it was not an expected Teachers walked the picket lines twice Minister Abbott. They spoke passionately letter and to a number of VCPAC parents, practice. Still, both the newly elected and in the 1990s to win legislative limits to class about how important it was to their students this will be a regressive step. the experienced trustees of School District size and composition, thus making it a and children to have no more than three What is clear is that public education 61 decided to have their individual votes manageable task to integrate special-needs special-needs students in a classroom so cannot be taken for granted and that citi- recorded. students successfully and inspire and sup- that they could get the individual help they zens need to be watchful and responsive Along with another newly-elected port the learning of other students as well. needed to be successful learners. to decisions taken both at the ministry trustee, Edith Loring-Kuhanga, Trustees But in 2002 when the Liberal govern- Teachers and parents said that they did level and at the local school board level. McNally and Nohr fulfilled one of their cam- ment broke the teachers’ contract, the cap not consider children with special-needs Now that trustees’ votes will be recorded, paign promises to the electorate when they of two special-needs students per class was designations to have lower status than we can learn their positions by reading the brought forward the motion to have trustees’ taken away along with all the other gains other children in the classroom, but that the minutes of school board meetings on the votes recorded. Each of them said they teachers had made in the areas of class size designations realistically helped teachers to SD 61 website. would work for more transparency and ac- and composition. In 2005, teachers went understand the kind of one-on-one attention At the present time, it is critical that the countability so that the public could become on the picket line again to bring attention to that they needed as learners. public let Minister Abbott and local trust- more engaged in decisions being made for the impossibility of the situation, and they Three other speakers, parents repre- ees know your thoughts on the question the children in the district. returned to their classrooms only when the senting the VCPAC view, argued that the of whether there should be limits to the As candidates, these three trustees also government agreed to cap the number of Ministry policy was prejudicial towards numbers of special-needs children placed promised their constituents that they would special-needs students placed in a class- special-needs children and should be in classrooms. work hard to improve services to students room at three (Bill 33, 2006). overturned. From the perspective of this writer, who had been identified as having special To put all of this in a broader context, it Trustees listened respectfully to all of a retired educator with almost 40 years needs. Every year there are classrooms in is important to remember that prior to the these presentations but took no steps to experience as a teacher, consultant, and this district with more than the Ministry of late 1980s, children with special-needs reconsider the position taken in their Febru- teacher-trainer, it is beyond belief that there Education-designated cap of three special- designations were not integrated into main- ary 13 letter to Minister Abbott. Chair Peg are trustees who are willing to forgo their needs students enrolled; this school year stream classrooms but were educated in Orcherton remarked in her report that she stewardship of the learning of special-needs there are more than 150 such classrooms. classrooms designed to give them more would be seeing the Minister at an event children in order to expedite administrative (Tara Ehrcke, president of the Greater Vic- one-on-one attention. Integration resulted the next day and would try to talk with him challenges and budgetary constraints. The toria Teachers Association, said there are from the efforts of parents lobbying for their about what resources might be available to argument of discrimination is a red-herring! 12,000 BC classrooms that do not comply children not to be isolated from their peers. support special-needs children if the cap on I would also like to know how many of with Ministry legislation regarding the place- Today, some 30 years later, some parents their numbers in classrooms were removed. these trustees have spent any length of time ment of special-needs students.) are taking their lobbying to another level. The next day, February 21, Finance in classrooms where teachers are attempt- How are special-needs students identi- In SD 61, John Bird, president of the Minister Kevin Falcon introduced the gov- ing to provide quality education for every fied and what support is there for them? Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory ernment’s budget in the legislature and it child when there is inadequate support for Those whom the Ministry classifies as low- Councils (VCPAC), has been lobbying trust- was announced that education funding was the special-needs students in their classes. incidence special-needs students include ees for years to request that the Ministry frozen with the exception of “a previously Trustees should be lobbying Minister students with autism, moderate intellectual reconsider Bill 33 and eliminate the cap of announced $165 million for special-needs Abbott to receive adequate support, not to deficit, medical fragility, intensive behaviour, three special-needs students in a class- students” (Times Colonist, Feb. 22, 2012). give him an excuse to abdicate his respon- and fetal alcohol syndrome. room. Mr. Bird and his supporters argue that This is the Learning Improvement Fund sibilities to all of the children in the province. There is targeted funding for these it is discriminatory to make such arbitrary (LIF), part of the government’s response to I have made my views known to both the students, and they are entitled to have the decisions about student placement, and the the May, 2011, decision of the BC Supreme minister and to the trustees. I hope you will support of Education Aides (EAs). Unfortu- SD 61 trustees voted to support this posi- Court to uphold the BC Teachers Federa- do the same. nately, they seldom receive the 30 hours of tion in 2008, although the decision was not tion’s appeal of the government’s abrogation Education Minister George Abbott can support needed for the full school week, and implemented at that time. of its contract in 2002. The court found it be reached at [email protected] EAs often work with two or more students. This position was revisited by the pres- was unconstitutional for the government to Local trustees can be reached at trust- Special-needs students who are con- ent trustees in early February, and continued eliminate the teachers’ collective-bargaining [email protected] sidered to be high-incidence have a range to receive support from the trustees who rights, specifically including the right to

Time to do away with financial barriers to higher education in BC By Iglika Ivanova the reality is that higher education remains This reality should urge us to rethink have their choices distorted by the threat For many grade 12 students spring a great investment in today’s economy. how we fund our colleges, institutes and of unmanageable debt loads hanging over is university application season. But in University graduates experience shorter universities. Higher education in BC has their heads. And we’d all have richer lives Western Canada, youth living in families periods of unemployment, are more likely always been funded through a mix of for it. with an annual income over $100,000 are to work full-time and earn higher salaries government spending and student tuition There’s no better time than now to make still more than twice as������������������������ likely to attend uni- than their peers with high school diplomas. fees, but over the last decade we’ve seen higher education more accessible in BC. In versity than youth with family income under Census data shows that BC women in an increasing reliance on student fees. this decade alone, more than three quarters $25,000. their 30s working full-time earned $56,000 Fees have more than doubled of new jobs will require some form of post- This is hardly surprising, given average if they had a bachelor’s degree, $40,000 since 2000 and now make up 40% of secondary education. We currently don’t tuition fees run over $4,800 a year these with a college degree and only $33,000 university operating revenues. This has put graduate anywhere near the numbers of days, but it’s fundamentally inequitable. It with a high school diploma. For men, the tremendous pressure on BC students and people we’ll need to ensure that these jobs undermines social cohesion and there are corresponding figures are $74,000 for a families, and has led to a growing number of can be filled. real economic costs to all of us when we bachelor’s degree, $58,000 for a college students graduating with heavy debt loads Expanding our investment in post- don’t fully utilize the skills and capabilities diploma and $50,000 for high school. of over $25,000. secondary education now will pay dividends of all our citizens. With higher earnings come higher It’s economically feasible and much in higher tax revenues, lower unemployment Reducing upfront costs for students will income taxes and less need for government more fair to ask graduates to pay for their and better social mobility for decades to improve access to higher education and cash transfers like welfare and employment degrees once they start reaping the payoffs come. ensure that BC can reap the benefits of insurance. of their investment, than to charge them high Does this mean that those who can af- a well-educated workforce. And it’s more A new study I’ve authored for the tuition fees up front. ford it or the children of the wealthy shouldn’t affordable than you think. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives While those with post-secondary have to pay for their university education? Conventional wisdom has it that higher calculates the value of the extra income degrees earn more on average, some indi- Not at all. They should pay, like everybody education in BC is heavily subsidized taxes (net of transfers) paid by female viduals with higher education will earn less else, but they should do so through progres- because tuition fees don’t cover the university graduates over their careers at than the average high school graduate. A sive taxation tied to their income. full cost of education. But this common $98,400, and $155,400 for men. This is progressive income tax system is sensitive misconception ignores a second way in more than twice the actual cost of a four- to these individual differences. And it also Iglika Ivanova is an economist and author of Paid which students pay for their education: year undergraduate degree in one of BC’s guarantees the public treasury will recoup in Full: Who Pays for University Education in through higher taxes after graduation. public universities, $50,630, and tuition fees its investment because the risk is pooled BC? released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: www.policyalternatives.ca/paidinfull When these tax payments are added already cover 40% of that. among graduates. up over the course of graduates’ careers, it In fact, graduates in virtually all In addition, low tuition fees allow turns out that university students fully repay programs, including humanities and social graduates to make career decisions freely. the cost of their degrees and then some. sciences, contribute considerably more to Those who opt to pursue careers with high Despite the pervasive stereotype of government coffers over their working lives social value, but low remuneration like the Arts majors serving lattés at Starbucks, than their education costs. fine arts or the non-profit sector, would not Page 14 March 2012 COMMENTARY The Lower Island NEWS Paddling toward the Island of Austerity – Beware! By Tim Pheotist discretionary luxuries such as food, shelter, one of your worst nightmares. Victoria Odd Fellows has quietly served the It has been with an optimistic spirit that raising children and paying taxes. When we But it need not be a real place. If we stop needs of thousands of British Columbians this economist has watched, read, analyzed couldn’t earn enough to buy these luxuries voting for governments and their corporate and Victorians. and calculated the daily barrage of global we boarded the bankers’ life raft and floated partners that promote lifetime vacations to Unhappy with the plight of increasing economic news (or propaganda?) appearing along on a plastic credit card. But oddly, the gloomy shores of Austerity the destina- young people having to risk life on the for public consumption since LIN’s previous despite the captain’s assurances, we never tion will disappear as quickly as any desert streets, Odd Fellows members have moved printing. seemed to approach a safe harbour. mirage. funds and energies to support food charities But it is with a pessimistic pen that I Until now. For that is what the economics of Auster- and drives in Victoria, and now have deter- finally submit to our publisher’s deadline. Using the economist’s equivalent of a ity is – a mirage. But not a mirage of false mined to provide further active and energetic Separating fact from fiction is the most GPS, our economic captains have sighted hope. A mirage of misery. Why would any support to identify and form solutions to end difficult of tasks for an economist. The the safe Island of Austerity. traveller head toward it? youth homelessness. dismal science is founded in mathematical Populated by the progeny of Old Money, Turn around. There are alternative is- To quote from the website about this equations and theories of what might hap- modern day Robber Barons, bankers con- lands of hope and growth. initiative: pen if we multiply this and divide that. Hardly trolling Capital Groupings as unimaginable The holy grail of social economic theory Belonging: A Victoria Youth Home- the stuff of fact but not quite fiction as we in size as the extent of the universe, and is sustainable growth. Nobody survives long lessness Summit is a community based, normally define the term. rulers of countries enthroned until their dying on a starvation diet. Absence of food does volunteer driven initiative aimed at promot- What do become facts in economics are days, these community organizers cynically not encourage growth – duh!! ing a vibrant, inclusive and healthy Victoria the real consequences of actualizing any offer a safe haven. There is no prospect of growth – eco- by addressing one of the most pressing local economic theory. Step ashore onto the pebble beach of nomic or otherwise – on Austerity. public health issues: youth homelessness. Always looking backwards, the profes- Austerity, confess to the sin of seeking food, There are enough capital and labour The Summit will not only educate partici- sional economist, when presented with a shelter and safety for your family, and you resources in our societies to support pants but help to empower community mem- less than desirable or unimagined outcome, will be rewarded with the job of a lifetime – healthy, productive lives without resort to bers while distilling sustainable community will always cry that someone else got their the opportunity to work without pay! the medicine of Austerity. Proper pay, con- based solutions on youth homelessness. sums wrong. Yes, on the Island of Austerity we work, trolled profits and prudent public spending Read more at www.belongingvictoria.com. Reading today’s papers it’s possible to unsmilingly, but obediently, for nothing. add value and sustained individual and More details will be forthcoming. conclude that our political leaders and eco- An exaggeration? Not at all. Read today economic health. Youth Homelessness Summit: The nomic mandarins can’t do math for toffee. about Greece, the population of which is The next move is to take back control of two-day Summit will be held downtown But if we consider modern economic being persuaded that their country’s labour our capital and labour resources. Support at Victoria’s historic Odd Fellows hall on theory as simply a tool of a particular, over- force is up for sale for pennies in the dollar. economic theories that dictate a sustaining Saturday, April 21-Sunday, April 22, with a arching, social philosophy, then perhaps our A bargain to feature on Craig’s List? minimum wage or government supported social meet and greet Friday, April 20, from global economists have discovered “new Look at the plight of our cousins in the income for those in need. 7-10pm. math” and the answers they are publish- UK. Paid employment at historically low Support economic theories that mandate The members of Victoria’s Odd Fellows ing are exactly what they calculated and levels and young people being compelled to a capped maximum personal income. seem to find no place for austerity politics expected. work for free for months at a time in order to Enforce taxation laws that require cor- if the result of such policies cause young To sum it all up, the plan is to convince receive a subsistence allowance from their porations to pay properly for the social and people to live as beggars on our streets in us all that we are in an age that dictates a government. environmental resources that they use. these wealthiest of times. lifetime on the Island of Austerity. So here’s the Austerity equation. Work Redefine the term “profit” to be under- Victoria’s micro economy can be an Austerity is a “wonderful” place and its = No wage = No Income/No home/No food. stood as an element of business to be used example of what can and should be done name is its motto. It exists, balanced on a That’s Austerity math. for the benefit of all – not simply the friends on macro and global levels. reef of moral righteousness. Who would not Of course it’s possible to run for the shel- of the government of the Island of Austerity. Stripping social funding and tolerating prefer to be judged to be living an austere life ter of academia and stay fed and sheltered To those who still find Austerity alluring the abuse of citizens, young and old, in the as opposed to the only available option – a for awhile longer – but as Faust found out, and imagine that unpaid labour will some- name of a failed economic theory entirely profligate existence? the day of reckoning always comes, and in how bring economic rescue, remember that designed to serve private profit, can no We all know that we’ve committed the Austerity, an unpayable student tuition bill it has been the policies of the creators of longer be permitted. mortal sins of working, earning and spend- will soon be delivered. Another PhD for the Austerity that have created this miserable We are our bothers’ keeper more than ing, over the past few decades. streets. island of misapplied economics. ever. Fulfilling our social obligations means As ordinary people in western societies, Time to wake up. A few paragraphs ago I suggested that never accepting the willful imposition of mostly our earnings have been spent on Austerity is an economist’s illusion and Austerity is an illusion and not a real place. austerity economics in our society. Maybe that is true enough, politically, There are civilized and proper resources but if you want a real taste of life of actual for the disadvantaged among us. Austerity Austerity take a look at those who live life Island and the shop doorways of Victoria SIHOTA & STARKEY on the pavement and in the gutter. are not viable options for a progressive and LAWYERS & NOTARIES Our “homeless” society. intelligent society. In the Victoria, BC Capital Region alone, austerity policies ensure that approaching PERSONAL INJURY • ICBC CLAIMS 500 young people on any given night (i.e. McGregor Socks donates Family • Real Estate • Wills • Estates ages 14 – 24) are compelled to exist and sleep without shelter or reliable income. 10,000 pairs to homeless FREE 1st Consultation • Standard Fees for Many Services Causes of homelessness are regularly In its most generous gift yet to the Capi- cited by our political worthies and their busi- tal Region, McGregor Socks has donated 250-381-5111 ness masters and mistresses. 10,000 pairs of new socks to start 2012, 1248 Esquimalt Road, Victoria Willful drug use, natural criminality, lack that will be given away to people who are of self control etc… all these are pronounced homeless and at risk, by dozens of local as causes for homelessness by those social service agencies. whose only experience of sleeping close to In total, the company has given over the ground has been in a tent on vacation at 40,000 pairs of socks to the community a well manicured state campground. since 2005, thanks to a partnership begun The law and order “solutions” that by Avodah, the social action group of Con- John Heaney naturally follow such harsh judgments gregation Emanu-El. Heenan Blaikie LLP never work because the true causes of such The first socks of this shipment were 514-737 Yates Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1L6 homelessness are never accurately voiced. shared at the Victoria Native Friendship Phone: 250-381-9599 If they were, our streets would no longer Centre, 231 Regina Avenue in Saanich, Toll Free Fax: 1-866-615-8276 serve as beds for so many of the young of on January 30. In attendance were Bruce Email: [email protected] our society. Parisian (Friendship Centre), Councillor It’s not petty criminality that perpetuates Susan Brice (Saanich), Michael Bloomfield Civil and Commercial Litigation, our homeless spectacle. (Avodah, representing the donor), Rabbi Labour and Employment Law It’s the policies and theories of auster- Harry Brechner (Congregation Emanu-El), Administrative and Constitutional Law ity. The idea that there are “undeserving” Mayor Dean Fortin (Victoria) and Don Mc- Employment Litigation members of our society. Tavish (Cool Aid). Human Rights Let’s be clear. No civilized society can Other agencies distributing the socks Collective Agreements, Privacyi accept and label any part of its population are: as “undeserving”. All elements of society Access Health Centre, AIDS Vancouver are deserving of support, food and shelter, Island, Anawim House, Burnside Gorge regardless of the causes of their life’s diffi- Community Association, Congregation culties. It is the task of a progressive society Emanu-El , Eric Martin, Human Exchange to continually look for and close the holes in Society, James Bay Community Project/ our social safety net. To rescue and catch Youth Clinic, Kiwanis Emergency Youth MacIsaac and MacIsaac those who are falling. Shelter, Next Steps Transitional Shelter, Dan MacIsaac* Deanna Lane But this is not the objective of the advo- Our Place, Out of the Rain Youth Shelter, Ron MacIsaac* Laura Pringle cates of austerity, who find nothing wrong Pacifica Housing Services, PEERS Office, Certificate in Arbitration & with public policies that marginalize and un- Rainbow Kitchen, Rock Bay Landing, Salt Mediation, University of Windsor derpay workers and drive so many, already Spring Island Community Services, Sandy *Denotes Professional Corporation close to the edge of unremitting poverty, Merriman House, Single Parent Resource Personal Injury ICBC Claims to the shop doorways of our main streets, Centre, Threshold Society, VARCS Mobile X Family Law Child Protection begging for food and shelter. Van, VICOT and ACT Teams, Victoria Cool Charles Dickens would instantly recog- Aid Society, Victoria EWP shelters, Worklink Wills and Estates nize these miseries as depressingly familiar. Youth, Project, YM/YWCA Outreach Free First Consultation But hope springs eternal – at least in Shipping of this gift was sponsored 250-478-1131 Victoria. by Richard Hughes (VP, RBC Dominion 2227 Sooke Road, Victoria For almost 150 years, at Douglas and Securities) and an anonymous donor acting Johnson, a block down from City Hall, the through the Victoria Foundation. The Lower Island NEWS MUNICIPAL COMMENTARY March 2012 Page 15 The “MC” word might clear a minefield By G.E. Mortimore mand pushed Japanese-Canadians into Fear of Islam has replaced last century’s the immigrants’ road to acceptance, so there Trained rats are sniffing out land-mines wartime concentration camps. nervous fits about such organized social are no more physicians and engineers driv- in old war zones. When a hero-rat or human This fact jumps out from the Japanese- dropouts as the Hutterites, and hysteria ing taxicabs. dies in a premature blast, nobody says: Canadian experience: Cultures are living, about Chinese and Indian immigration. But Canada gains improved health care, a “Mine-clearing has failed.” changing, adaptive systems with many it would not be fair and politically do-able half-solution to its skilled-labour shortage, Yet eminent politicians chant an equally subsystems. Now a question arises: Can we to exclude Muslims from today’s prevailing and new customers for Canadian exports; absurd message: “Multiculturalism has make change happen? Can we soften fears multiculturalism (MC). Dealing with this di- the target nation reduces its poverty. failed.” The chorus includes Sarkozy of and hatreds by deliberate action? lemma will be the task of the necessary for- Can we really introduce a new collabora- France, Merkel of Germany and Cameron of Historian Karen Armstrong, an inspired mal enquiry into immigration and foreign aid. tive culture and achieve a new sort of MC Britain, plus some Canadian voices. Among religious cheerleader, says we should keep France, Britain and Germany were mili- success? There are no guarantees – only a these is Harper’s communications director, trying to do that. She makes a plausible tary-imperial powers who conquered Muslim compound of clues, hopes, trends, hunches Angelo Persichilli (who does soften “anti- case in her 2010 book, Twelve Steps to a subjects Their empires have come back to and projections. multi” with quibbles). Compassionate Life. bite them, through the numerous poor angry Co-operatives might help bring about Multiculturalism – a stodgy word that Armstrong argues that moral pathfind- Muslim immigrants who are stuck at the global transformation. A co-op factory, store sounds like a long yawn – raises intriguing ers from Confucius to Gautama Buddha margins of a class-compartmental society. or network of small farms is owned by its echoes in the real world of policy. Let’s call it to Hindu and Jewish sages to Jesus to Such frozen-out people are likely recruits workers or customers. Each worker or cus- MC for short. It overshadows bomb-disposal Muhammad have all urged people to offer for extreme Islam. tomer has only one vote. The co-op does as a life-saving method. Arguably MC made everyone the same kindly treatment they The former empire-builders, along with not need to make a profit, but if it does, the war obsolete in Europe. But the “failed” would like to receive. Armstrong invites us the USA, a more recently-minted empire- money can be invested in community-benefit lamenters confess that they can’t handle it. to struggle for this ideal. She asserts that the builder, are now into complex, later-day enterprises or distributed to members. I think of myself as one of the rats de- doctrine of Islam, which means surrender military-industrial manoeuvres. These are Mondragon Co-operative Corporation tecting cultural land-mines here. We are to Allah’s will, promotes peacemaking and centred on maintaining oil supply, pre- in Spain, which evolved in the 1940s and moving closer to nuclear war and universal forbearance. venting attacks and increasing corporate 1950s from small beginnings - a factory surveillance beyond Orwell. We need to dig Sad to say, 30,000 people in Saudi profits, all in the name of “democracy” and making kerosene heater-cook stoves, plus out the deadly hatreds and grow a new world Arabia, the Muslim homeland, sent emails “freedom”. Such manoeuvres (partly ag- technical school and credit-union-type bank peacemaking plan under smarter political demanding death or long-term prison for gressive, partly an attempt to cool simmer- - has grown into the global Mondragon Co- management. Hazma Kashgari, a 23-year-old journalist ing Islamic anger) ensure that anti-Western operative Corporation - with 84,000 workers Old-timers from Duncan may remember who mildly distanced himself from Muham- Muslims will keep recruiting followers. and 9,000 students occupied in enterprises the school where Japanese-Canadian kids mad. Saudi law decrees execution for any- Canada is shut into this political blind alley, ranging from a university to a refrigerator gathered after hours to learn Japanese lore one who shows disrespect for the Prophet. along with its biggest trading partner, the factory. and language – a project that shines a light But the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims are a USA. But the optimistic view suggests side The world-changers may need to modify through the mental fog of “failed-MC”. varied assortment. They range from fanatics gates through which we can escape. the Mondragon model, and they cannot im- Japan is not multicultural. It is politely to friendly moderates. Should we compel A plan modelled on Karen Armstrong’s mediately apply it to Muslim nations that are and firmly Japanese. Three minorities were sameness because some Muslims make vision could soothe the dread of strange hotly anti-Western, but if they signed on to acknowledged before World War 2: An outly- us nervous? lifeways by double-sided charity, in which the idea, they could use money from a tax on ing group who spoke a variant of the Japa- Diverse lifeways do co-exist comfortably both givers and target nations become richer stock-exchange and currency gambling to nese language, a socially depressed un- within the national space. “Culture” at its and more secure as they blend together two build a network of small co-ops in Africa derclass whose ancestors had engaged in widest is the entire lifeway: language, food, policy realms that have hitherto been kept and Indonesia, combining subsistence ag- “polluting” occupations, and the indigenous family, residence, government, economy, separate: immigration and foreign aid. riculture with high-value cash crops and Ainu, who were pushed into remote places. law, education, religions and their political Such benign action -- discouraged by inventive agricultural-technology schools. Add a few foreign workers, and you have expression. Subgroups such as bureaucra- the bureaucratic design of separate ad- Such MC-driven programs might leapfrog today’s mainly uniform Japanese model of cies have subcultures. ministrative silos, but already happening to deeply hostile countries and make inroads an industrial society – far different from our Culture is “learned, shared and pat- on a tiny scale with the launch of fair-trade of goodwill, putting a sharp specific edge on many-stranded mosaic. terned behaviour.” You can’t put the whole projects and the organizing of producer Karen Armstrong’s love-your-enemy advice. Duncan people might have worried bundle on display. So multicultural festivals and consumer co-operatives in Palestine about the after-hours school if they had offer a token show of ethnic food and folk- and countries of the poor South - could be G.E. Mortimore, PhD, is a Victoria-based writer given thought to Japan’s rigidly unequal so- dancing. advanced during a long overdue Canadian and social anthropologist. ciety and its military tradition, which licensed Artists and their fans and media allies enquiry into aid and immigration. a samurai to strike a social inferior with his cloud the political arena by using “culture” The enquiry should acknowledge Cana- sword if the lower-status person insulted to mean “arts and scholarship”. Couldn’t we dian hypocrisy when we loot poor countries his honour. steal a word from another language to sort of trained manpower, while pretending gen- But BC Japanese-Canadians fitted into out the two meanings? erosity with foreign aid. “Bad officials are elected by good only one wrinkle of the homeland`s cultural The faith-driven team-enterprise farm Rich and poor both will benefit if Canada citizens who do not vote.” fabric. They were law-abiding, thrifty and settlements of the Hutterites proved so builds schools in developing countries to loyal to extended family. They built a big economically successful that they scared train doctors, engineers and technicians, -- George Jean Nathan stake in farming and fishing – which was governments into enacting laws to block counterbalancing those we lure away, and, American journalist, critic, sold at give-away prices when military com- them – laws that they cancelled later. with Canadian federal coordination, clears essayist and editor, 1882-1958 Alarm! Alarm! Those Golden Piggies are loose again! Jim Jaarsma Contracting Once again the merry band of pranksters who’ve been bringing you the Corporate Golden 250-360-1905 Piggy Awards since the 1990s have escaped their sties and are descending upon downtown Quality Carpentry Victoria. General Contracting All foolish pigs will congregate on All Fool’s Day, April 1, to celebrate greed, avarice and other known Piggy traits. At 2:00 pm on that Sunday afternoon, the doors open at St. Ann’s Academy Auditorium to allow all citizens to offer whatever money they have, to don pig snouts and to laugh, grunt and snort at the best ex- Murray J. Ellis amples of corporate rapacious gluttony. “Enough Chartered Accountant is not enough” they’ll cry. So mark your calendar. April 1, 2 pm, St. Ann’s Academy, 835 Humboldt Street, in Victoria. Services to Small Business Formal attire optional. Bookkeepers available 250-385-1011 Mr. Rich Cheatmore, as created by Gary 1325 Tolmie Avenue Johnson for the 2011 Golden Piggies Awards. Robert G. Milne

Jawl & Bundon FOURTH FLOOR Lawyers 1007 FORT STREET VICTORIA, BC V8V 3K5 TELEPHONE 250-385-5787 FAX 250-385-4364 EMAIL [email protected] Page 16 March 2012 COMMENTARY The Lower Island NEWS How to destroy a good poverty line By Seth Klein, Michael Goldberg and Steve Kerstetter The three of us (all long-time researchers of social policy and poverty issues) were early More than a decade ago, the federal and provincial governments started work on a new supporters of the MBM. While recent revisions to the costs for food, clothing, transporta- poverty line -- the Market Basket Measure (MBM). After decades of distracting and divisive tion, and other items in urban and rural regions of each province met the test of common debates about poverty lines, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada crafted a sense, the same could not be said for the revisions to the shelter costs. methodology for the MBM that passed the test of common sense. The three of us raised our concerns with colleagues in the federal government in Sep- These days, the federal government appears more intent on throwing all that work into tember 2010, shortly after the changes were made public. the garbage heap. We saw no corrections when the most recent poverty data was published in June 2011. Two years ago, the bean-counters in Ottawa changed the methodology. In particular, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Statistics Canada ignored our they started calculating housing costs in a way that produced figures that were patently suggestions either to suspend the MBMs last year or include a warning about the housing absurd. Suddenly, the much-lauded MBM no longer passed the test of common sense. changes. In Vancouver, for example, the shelter portion of the MBM for a family of four dropped Most recently, we’ve been told this coming year’s poverty data will again contain this from $12,329 a year for two-bedroom or three-bedroom apartments to $7,455 a year, a ridiculous and unsupportable change, although we’ve been assured that the folks in Ot- drop of almost 40 percent. The new measure works out to $621 a month, including utilities, tawa are mulling over our concerns. Surely the better part of two years is long enough to in one of the most expensive housing markets in Canada. fix the problems we have identified. Anyone know of a nice two-bedroom or three-bedroom apartment in Greater Vancouver The party line in government seems to be that the last revisions in the MBMs were done that rents for $621 a month? with great care and great transparency. We don’t believe either of those descriptions is true. While the biggest cuts in the shelter portion of the basket for a family of four occurred Regrettably, we are forced to recommend - once again - that the MBMs not be used in BC, there were also major cuts elsewhere when the revisions went into effect: until they are fixed. • Toronto went from $13,477 to $9,346 ($779/month), down 31 per cent. Meanwhile, anyone have an address for that $621 apartment in Vancouver that could house a family of four and includes all utilities?

• Winnipeg dropped 29 per cent, from $8,961 to $6,325 ($527/month). Michael Goldberg is a former director of research at the Social Planning and Research Council of BC, Steve Kerstetter is a former director of the National Council on Welfare in Ottawa, and Seth Klein is • Fredericton dropped from $9,729 to $7,034 ($586/month), down 28 per cent. director of the BC office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

• Calgary went down 27 per cent, from $12,002 to $8,758 ($730/month). Slow and easy will win energy race • Ottawa went from $12,373 to $9,134 ($761/month), a cut of 26 per cent. By Ben Parfitt one quarter of BC’s projected hydroelectric • Halifax fell almost 26 per cent, from $10,034 to $7,476 ($623/month). It is hard not to detect a note of supply in 2016. No wonder that BC Hydro desperation in the provincial government’s and the provincial government want Site The MBM is worth getting right. Unlike other poverty measures, it is intuitive and easily recently unveiled natural gas strategy. C, a third major hydroelectric dam on the understood because it’s based on the actual cost of basic goods and services. The MBM In announcing it, BC Energy Minister Peace River. With its $8 billion price tag, the is also grounded in real local expenses in cities and towns across Canada rather than Rich Coleman notes that we are “in a foot dam would supply lots of subsidized power using a single figure for all major cities regardless of actual variations in local costs. And race” with Australia, Qatar and the United to industry, while driving up everyone else’s it was designed to be reasonable. People could look at the list of local costs and agree States to push as much of our natural gas as hydro bills. that the line made sense; that it reasonably came to a figure that most would agree was possible to the Asia Pacific, where, for now, The stresses on BC’s water an appropriate poverty line. In short, the MBMs were a simple and uncomplicated way to gas prices are far higher than here at home. and hydroelectric resources are not, describe poverty, and they were so much simpler to understand than the Statistics Canada But does a foot race to feed more unfortunately, the only downsides to the low income cut-offs (or LICOs) traditionally used by most poverty analysts. gas into the gaping maw that is China’s Clark/Coleman vision. As noted by David over-heated economy make economic Hughes, a geoscientist who has studied sense? What might the costs be to BC’s Canada’s energy resources for four environment and energy security? decades, a rush to export BC’s one-time Such questions are flying largely below natural gas inheritance could, in the space Saanich North and the Islands the radar as Premier Christy Clark and of just 12 years, turn Canada from a net gas her energy minister trumpet the “exciting exporter to importer. New Democrats opportunities” of expedited liquefied natural Then there’s the market that much of our gas exports. gas is destined for. China may be sitting on What neither Clark nor Coleman seems its own mother lode of shale gas resources KEEP IN TOUCH! keen to talk about is just how much stress – a supply that the Financial Times recently BC’s water resources and hydroelectric net- opined might equal that of the United States. You can reach your president, Allan Collier by work will be under to fuel several proposed That may help to explain why Petro������- email at [email protected] LNG terminals on our coast. China Co. Ltd. abandoned a proposed That’s because the natural gas destined partnership with Encana at a gas process- for export comes increasingly from deep ing plant in northeast BC last year and why Contact provincial candidate Garry Holman at shale rock formations. The method of choice around the same time other state-owned [email protected] or 250-653-2042, if you want to produce the gas — hydraulic fracturing Chinese companies such as Sinopec were him to attend an event or meet to discuss local issues. or fracking — is extremely controversial investing heavily in shale gas companies in due to the immense quantities of water that the U.S., acquisitions that some business are pressure-pumped into the shale rock to analysts speculate will provide China with crack it open and release the trapped gas. valuable insights into how to extract its own Gas companies in BC are setting water- shale gas in future years. use records for fracking. Six hundred or More and more, the race that Clark and more Olympic swimming pools of water are Coleman are intent upon winning looks being pressure-pumped underground with like a losing proposition – one that could Saanich South enough force to trigger small earthquakes saddle British Columbians with a network at individual fracking operations. The Clark/ of industrial white elephants, grotesquely Coleman vision for “long-term economic strained water resources and an unneces- New Democrats prosperity” will see such activities repeated sarily compromised energy system. thousands of times over. There is an alternative. It’s called go But it’s not just our water resources slow. Lower the boom on gas developments that Clark and Coleman propose sacrificing by placing firm caps on annual rates of You can contact your executive at the altar of the almighty Yuan. Once extraction. That will do at least two important by writing to us such water-intensive gas is produced, it things. Ensure higher prices in future years, will be piped to the coast for super-cooling to the benefit of all British Columbians. at to liquid form, then pumped into ocean And buy us much-needed time to more PO Box 30041, tankers. The trouble is, the cooling process fully understand the interconnections and is extraordinarily energy-intensive, and will interdependencies between water and Saanich Postal Outlet, Victoria, BC V8X 5E1 seriously strain our province’s water-driven energy in a province that for too long has or by phoning us at 250-479-1100. hydroelectric system. taken both for granted. The first such cooling facility is proposed for Kitimat and involves a partnership Ben Parfitt is resource policy analyst with the between American companies Apache Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and a and EOG and Canadian natural gas giant research associate with the University of Vic- toria’s POLIS Water Sustainability Project. He Encana. Last year, the partnership cleared is the recent author of Fracking Up Our Water, its last regulatory hurdle when the National Hydro Power and Climate available at: http:// Energy Board approved its application to www.policyalternatives.ca/fracking. export gas. CCPA BC Office is located at 1400-207 West If built, the facility will require up to 4,500 Hastings Street, in Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7. Tel: gigawatt hours of electricity to operate. 604-801-5121; fax:604-801-5122 That’s more than one tenth of the power BC Hydro generates in low-water years, and more than 8 percent of what it has produced in recent high-water years. But that’s just the beginning. Six companies or consortiums are eyeing gas exports from �������������������������������BC, most recently British natu- ral gas giant BG Group PLC, which is kick- ing the tires in Prince Rupert. Their power demands combined would swallow at least The Lower Island NEWS COMMENTARY March 2012 Page 17

Not just fish bait and cockatoo Deannanibbles Dany- anymore. Mikey likes it! By Diane Walsh Dietary supplement hemp oil has been chuk. 1 c. Hemp seeds shown to relieve the symptoms of eczema 1 c. Chia seeds “Tastes like sunflower, looks like sesa- rashes. We need more sources to verify A real gem of a character, Cindy’s quite ½ c. Sunflower seeds me”, a clever little catch-phrase I picked up allergy considerations but no adverse reac- obliging in sharing good info. We always ½ c. Pumpkin seeds along the way which coins hempseed-as-a- tions have been readily recorded. appreciate this... go to her store, folks! http:// ½ c. Coconut shreds food to a tee. Be it hemp morning shakes, Hemp oil has anti-inflammatory proper- ingredientshealthfood.com/ ½ c. Raisins or cranberries peanut chocolate energy balls made of ties and the studies are still underway as She explains succinctly, that, “People ½ c. Goji berries hemp, almond goji powerballs, apple-power to the extent of its efficacy in dealing with that are anemic can eat hemp and it can 1 T. True Cinnamon. porridge (available right here in Victoria BC), inflammatory conditions, but certainly its help boost their hemoglobin count. It’s For one serving in your favourite bowl, finger licking brownies, hemp “cornchips”, diet inclusion hasn’t been shown to make not super high in iron but the iron that’s in add ½ c. mixture to ¼ c. hot water mixed with veggie burgers or seeds in a salad dressing, health conditions any worse. Unlike soy it is very bioavailable (meaning the body ¼ c homemade almond, hemp or cashew there›s no doubt hemp is super-food. Not which is increasingly being genetically recognizes it as a nutrient and utilizes it milk. Cover with a plate, let stand 5-10 min just hype; it is actually good for you. Hemp modified, hemp seed does not contain any readily). Hemp has an almost perfect blend and serve with more milk, yogurt, diced has been called the new soy and it’s ever such organisms of the essential fatty apples and cinnamon. Betcha won’t need more popular. (GMO’s), and, be- acids (especially 3, 6 to eat again till lunchtime?” See Cindy In- Now right off-the-bat for goodness sake, ing shelled, natu- and 9).” gredients http://ingredientshealthfood.com/ do not confuse it with grass! Whether or not ral and raw, it is Going on to say, Love the animal aura! Comes with the you smoke MJ or even like it or support pot pesticide herbi- “A vegetarian source hemp awareness experience… use, you can enjoy eating the seeds. And cide and chemical of Omega 3 that so Unfortunately there is a wee bit of a nope you can’t get high from eating hemp free. many people are de- fuddy-duddy side to the hemp food debate seed. Sorry. Many people confuse hemp So the ques- ficient in, can be rem- which may or may not be worth mentioning. with marijuana but hempfood ingestion is tion is why isn’t edied by a regular in- But...some people seem to worry about not mind altering. hemp more front- take of Hemp. Hemp’s being considered a stoner if they eat hemp The Canadian government regulates and-centre on vegetable protein, a seed. This is nothing but preposterous. these plants to have less than, 10 ppm THC mainstream media macro nutrient that That’s really not an over-statement. The (which is the psychoactive marijuana agent). front pages? Well many vegetarians are facts are indisputable: You CANNOT fail a Most producers and distributors will tell you quite simply, “Big short on, is really easy US or Canadian or any counties’ drug test that no THC can be detected in hemp food business drives it out,” as Rosanne Barr to take. Just a couple of tablespoons added even if you eat hoards and hoards of hemp produce. In 1998 Health Canada amended once said on TV. Even despite the burger to shakes, salads or pretty much anything seed. There was a comprehensive study out the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act kings popping up, hemp is beginning to can significantly boost your protein require- of Berkeley which confirms that it’s safe and adding regulations on how it’s legal to grow creep its way into the commonplace diet, ments for the day. legal. See: www.naihc.org/hemp_informa- hemp. In order to grow hemp one must ob- especially now that health food stores who She adds, “Most households have a tion/content/THC_emp_drug_testing.html tain a licence. The produce: Hemp seed and seem to love to specialize in carrying hemp regular old blender and all you have to do In fact, many enthusiasts argue that oil. Hemp nut and hemp meal. All food(s) in are happily frequented here in Victoria. is add ¼ - ½ cup of hemp seeds (dependant hemp oil is medicine. See www.salem-news. and of themselves. Feeling a little peckish as I was saunter- on how rich you’re feeling...) to 2 cups of com/articles/january212010/rick_simpson_ Hemp seeds can be eaten in their raw ing along looking for something yummy to water, blend till smooth and VOILA! The oil.php and this is a subject worth perusing. form. They can be made into a cereal-type snack-on whilst at The Market on Yates, I tastiest milk imaginable! Unlike most nut From sowing a seed, we’ve made a form. They can be sprouted. There is also bumped into a fella right in the aisle who milks, you don’t have to strain hemp milk movement—a movement that can’t be hemp milk, hemp tea, and of course it can be was hosting a trade-booth promoting hemp through a nutmilk bag or cheesecloth. It’s denied in Victoria, BC, at least where hemp- widely used in baking. The fresh leaves can seeds! By-golly! Offering me a little white almost like a tasty milk shake, a little bit eating pioneers are everywhere! The local also be eaten in salads (I saw that recently cup I poked my finger in, to pull out a seed thicker too. You can add a bit of vanilla or movement, which is not over-run by capital- at an organic potluck!). I’ve also seen hemp or two, and—he said— “Just throw ‘em agave or maple syrup or honey if you like it istic fast-food joints, but where wholesome tofu and nut butters. back. That’s usually how people like to eat sweeter and you’ll never go back to nasty, people eat happily and healthily and create The inside of the hemp seed is the hemp seeds.” nasty tetra packs!” alternative food pathways to social justice. hempnut and it is made up of protein and And sure enough he was right. They Cindy wants us to know that Ingredients Hemp is good food. oil. The oil is a rich source of essential fatty were crunchy, tasty, even sweet. “Thank Health Food have lots to choose from at the So, we’ve been talking about hemp acids. Some eat the entire seed, some only you,” I said—“And, oh by the way, I’ll be APPLE Café with Hemp Hearts. She was foods and the wide range of products and the hempnut. Others press the oil out of the callin’ ya.” also kind enough to share a recipe for those the versatility of the seed—and hope you’ve seed and use the oil and the meal (which is I did manage catch up briefly with just getting started in eating hemp. “Our enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed the rest of it) in yummy and diverse recipes. Blake of “the good seed” company, owner- most famous, easy, and nutritious goodie is penning it. More on those later from a local fave whole operator, behind that booth. His hemp-seed our Hemp Chia Power Porridge. You could Spread the word—and the seed! food store. snack bag and his more heavy-duty cook- really live off of this stuff! Enough for the Many people ask if hemp seed is like ing packets can be found at the Market week: Mix together, The article was originally published in the Winter flax because it looks similar but darker. The on Yates or you can get more info on his 2012 edition of Cannabis Digest. answer is no. Although they both contain radical business at www.goodseedhemp. Omega 3 and 6, the constitution of each is com/ Check it out! in inverted proportions. Omega 6: Omega 3 There are other companies that have ratio in hemp is roughly 3:1, while in flax it’s been well-vetted over the past five years 1:3. Also the hemp plant produced-for-food but that are not necessarily based out of Cowichan Valley New Democrats is taller and stalkier than the one produced Victoria or even BC or Canada for that mat- for marijuana. ter. It’s always better to supper local in my Hemp seed is 35% protein called view. Brands such as Living Harvest hemp- please stay in touch Globulin Edestin and classified as a plasma milk, Nutiva shakes, Nature’s Path granola protein. It’s ideal for pregnant mothers, par- bread and bagels and also quite popular is by mail to PO Box 102, Duncan, BC V9L 1P0 ticularly those worried about mercury-intake Alpsnack hemp snacks. or by phone: 250-701-4980 levels as it’s thought to be an “absorbent” of More locally and more to the point— sorts. There are 567 calories to 100 grams Don’t miss a visit to Ingredients Health but you wouldn’t eat that much in one sitting Food and Apple Café on Store Street. It’s a Our next meeting is Tuesday March 6 at the therefore hemp seed “qualifies” as diet food. veggie-lover’s dream haunt and it’s owned So not to worry if you track on that. by Cindy Holopainen Dreger, with partner, Steelworkers’ Hall, Duncan, at 7:00 pm. All members are welcome at our meetings MEET Brian Topp, from page 2 elect an NDP federal government, which combines Jack Layton’s optimistic vision with the best governing traditions of our party, like those of British Columbia. NDP provincial governments have shown we can have both social justice and efficient, responsible government. Real Estate Services I worked in such a government myself in Saskatchewan. We know we can win, but we also know there isn’t much point winning unless we do it with a purpose beyond winning. We can’t just become another Since 1990 version of our rivals. To meet today’s new challenges, we don’t have to give up our values. On our party’s social democratic foundations we can build a prosperous, more equal, fairer and greener Canada. Professional -- Experienced -- Committed As leader of the NDP and then prime minister, I would start with certain basic principles: not only the “equality of opportunity” that Call anytime for a market evaluation! Liberals talk about so vaguely but the social democratic principle that Part of every commission, every citizen has social and economic rights—not just civil and politi- cal rights, not just the right to vote or stand for office, not just equality with New Democrat clients, before the law or freedom from discrimination, but also a universal will be donated to a party candidate and equal right to such things as medical care, education, retirement or sitting Member. with dignity and access to the best of culture and the arts. I would promote an economy that both protects the environment and creates good new jobs, using clean and green technologies, an economy that Fred Hiigli doesn’t simply ship out our resources but produces things at home. I would work to have an efficient market-based economy, combined Fred Hiigli ~ Newport Realty with strong social programs, with a fair tax system to pay for them 250-385-2033 and to achieve greater equality—in other words, a social democratic society. I’m proud to have the support of many British Columbia MLAs and MPs, and I look forward to celebrating with them when Adrian At Newport Realty we sell special homes...yours! Dix is elected premier next May. Page 18 March 2012 NEWS and COMMENTARY The Lower Island NEWS Every Step Counts Celebrates Third Anniversary--320 People Helped “I feel like I am part of the human race Since February 2009, Every Step again.” -- participant Counts has helped over 320 people through the running and walking program. Victoria’s inclusive walking and running Every Step Counts is one of the official program, Every Step Counts, is celebrat- charities of the TC10K and put together a ing three years of helping people improve running team. Members of the public were their lives. The Anniversary run was held welcome to run with the group and to raise at the Downtown Community Centre, 755 pledges to support the program. Pandora Avenue, on February 21 at 3 pm. Jacqui Sanderson, race director of the At 4 pm, stretching exercises and cupcakes TC10K, who attended the Third Anniversary followed the run. Walk-Run, said, “We are delighted to ex- Inclusive and powerful, Every Step pand our team of official charities. Individu- Counts is a community initiative of the Victo- als can add a donation when they register ria Foundation, housed and run through the for the race or they can contact the charity Victoria Cool Aid Society. It has played a vital of their choice directly and raise pledges.” part in the health, happiness and success Student speakers from L – R at the Odd Fellows Grand Hall, February 20th 2012 are of many men and women who experience Readers can get more information by going to Chehat Mehra, Shelbie Montagnaro, Olivia Good, Caleigh Bachop, Emily Eckhard, challenges with mental health, addictions, www.CoolAid.org/esc and www.victoriafounda- poverty, social isolation and other barriers. tion.bc.ca Victoria high school student Coast Guard cuts harmful to Canadians OTTAWA –New Democrats joined with the lives of Canadians at risk to squeeze a heads for the UN the Canadian Coast Guard’s Marine Com- few extra dollars out of the Coast Guard. By Tim Pheotist runner-up was Caliegh Bachop, 16, also municators Union February 8 to slam budget That’s not right.” On Monday, February 20, the historic from Mount Douglas High School. cuts that could jeopardize the lives of fishers Last year, the Conservative govern- Grand Hall at the Odd Fellows building on How will travel to the UN buildings and other mariners. ment announced it would close key Marine Douglas Street was the venue for some in New York and present his speech in “We demand the Minister of Fisheries Search and Rescue Centres located in stirring and thoughtful speeches from six competition with the other local winners, and Oceans stop gambling with people’s Quebec City and St. John’s. Greater Victoria high school students. all sponsored by the Independent Order of lives,” said Fin Donnelly, New Democrat “These cuts will make it even harder for They were competing for the prize of Odd Fellows. critic for Fisheries and Oceans. “The govern- the Coast Guard to prevent oil spills at sea,” an expenses-paid trip to the United Nations In Victoria, Odd Fellows has been part of ment should immediately reverse its deci- added Philip Toone, New Democrat deputy Headquarters in New York. the community for almost 150 years. At the sion to cut Coast Guard officers and close critic for Fisheries and Oceans. “A single oil The Odd Fellows hall was a fitting venue inception of the UN, the Odd Fellows Order Search and Rescue Centres. These cuts tanker accident would more than wipe out all for the competition. The Independent Order quickly realized the opportunity to encour- put fishers and other mariners at risk while the savings the government hopes to gain of Odd Fellows has supported its annual UN age young people to take a close interest also threatening the ocean environment,” with these cuts.” Pilgrimage for many decades and students in world affairs and saw that sponsoring added Donnelly. NewDemocrats also announced the from the US and Canada are invited to an annual pilgrimage to the UN would be Martin Grégoire, Canadian Auto Work- launch of a national petition calling on the present their thoughts on humanitarian and a positive and useful way to raise youth ers union Local 2182 president, represents Conservative government to reverse the global issues to panels of judges. consciousness. Coast Guard officers at the 22 Marine Com- Coast Guard budget cuts and stop the clo- In return, the local winners of the The goal survives to this day. munications and Traffic Services (MCTS) sure of the Inuvik MCTS Centre, as well as “Speech-Off” competitions will have the Interestingly, How’s mother took an op- Centres across Canada. The Centres are the two Marine Search and Rescue Centres. opportunity to travel to the UN and enjoy portunity to inform the speakers and audi- undergoing cuts to staff and the Inuvik The petition, available on the web site guided information tours and also compete ence that she herself had been a speech MCTS Centre is slated for closure in 2012. of MPs Fin Donnelly (www.findonnelly.ca) in the speech finals in New York. winner more than 30 years ago, travelling “In terms of savings to the government, and Philip Toone (www.philiptoone.ca), will The purpose of the IOOF UN Pilgrimage to New York under this very scheme. these cuts amount to nickels and dimes,” be presented in the House of Commons in was always to raise consciousness about Any of the young speakers would have said Grégoire. “The government is putting the months to come. the state of the world and the global chal- made worthy and deserving representatives lenges faced by the UN. of our region’s high school population and Victoria’s students spoke eloquently the judges and Odd Fellow officials thanked The Ombudspersons Report: When will about issues and topics included in the them for the quality and energy of their current UN Millennium Goals statement. contributions. we get real action from the government? The winner was Nathan How, 17, from Congratulations to Nathan How and all Mount Douglas High School, and the of the student speakers. VICTORIA - Kim Carter’s Ombudsper- are well known and documented, concluded son’s Report on seniors’ Health Care is very Strong. “Now is the time for immediate ac- welcome and covers most of the critical is- tion to address those problems and begin sues confronting the elderly at this time, ac- the slow process of restoring and supple- cording to Wendy Strong, spokesperson for menting the very best senior’s care we are the South Island Health Coalition. However, capable of providing.” as with Carter’s first report (issued in 2009) the government’s response is unclear and For more information contact Wendy Strong, delays implementation of her recommenda- chairperson, South Island Health Coalition, at tions. She said. 250-592-1222 or email her at wendystrong@ Murphy Beds bcnu.org The need for a BC Seniors’ Advocate position was recognized by Health Minis- ter Mike de Jong. However the minister’s Auditor General’s report message leaves uncertainty as to whether raises red flags about BC the Seniors’ Advocate will be independent and accountable to the public through the forests provincial legislature, or just another bu- VANCOUVER – The BC Auditor General reaucracy in the provincial government. In released a report February 16 that iis critical 2007 and again in 2011 opposition private of the BC government’s timber management members bills were submitted asking the practices. government to establish an independent “This report raises red flags, especially Seniors Advocate. given the many old-growth forests in BC that Perhaps most telling and disappointing, are currently in danger of being lost forever said Strong, was the announcement that the to the chainsaws,” said Tria Donaldson, financial commitment offered to expand non- Vancouver Island campaigner for the Wil- medical home support services will amount derness Committee. “We have been saying to only $15 million over three years for 65 for years that the protection and manage- BC communities. That will amount to ap- ment of BC’s forests has been inadequate, proximately $70,000 per community for each and this report from the Auditor General of the next three years. That small infusion confirms that.” of public money into seniors’ services won’t The Auditor General’s report found that begin to address the shortfall happening the government’s objectives for timber man- already and will soon escalate to become agement were not well enough defined, that a major source of suffering for all involved. monitoring was insufficient, and concluded “To make matters worse, why would they that “existing management practices are offer this support through the United Way, insufficient to offset a trend toward future which is definitely not the public author- forests having a lower timber supply and ity with the capacity to administer public less species diversity in some areas.” funds?” asked Strong. If Minister de Jong “We are also alarmed at the Auditor Wall Bed Depot is serious in his commitment to “ensure that General’s assessment that species diversity seniors and families have avenues to raise could suffer in the future if current practices complaints and concerns and to have them continue, especially because BC does not handled in a respectful and timely manner”, have an endangered species law”, said Don- wallbeddepot.ca he won’t be able to fulfill his commitment aldson. “It’s critical that government policy with an arms’ length body administering it. and practice protect BC’s invaluable forests, 250-884-7759 The public consultation has already hap- with their natural wonder and biodiversity.” pened with the Carter report – the problems The Lower Island NEWS COMMENTARY March 2012 Page 19 Tomatoes as a weapon of war Environmentalists Call for a BC Park Ac- By Theresa Wolfwood quisition Fund and for Island Timberlands

Recently I went to Thrifty Foods -- once a local supermarket chain, now owned by to back off until contentious lands can be Sobey’s in eastern Canada. I usually go to locally owned stores but I was looking for something our local shop did not have. purchased for protection When I made my way through the produce Conservationists were standing in Island Timberlands� private lands include: display I found tomatoes from three countries. solidarity March 1 calling on coastal log- Cortes Island IT owns about 1,000 Near Victoria and within 100 km. there are many ging giant Island Timberlands to back off hectares of land on this northern Gulf Is- greenhouses; at this time of year tomatoes of dif- from their plans to log forests with high land, including the Children’s Forests, ferent kinds are on sale from these sources, some recreational and environmental values, Whaletown Commons, and extremely rare are “organic” and labelled according to known Ca- including old-growth forests and sensitive old-growth “dry maritime” forests at Basil nadian standards. The cheapest tomatoes come ecosystems, while calling on the BC gov- Creek and the Green Valley. As a result 2,000 km. by truck from Mexico where land and ernment to help purchase the company’s of community pressure, the company has labour are cheap. The most expensive tomatoes, contentious private lands. temporarily backed off from plans to log on billed as “organic” are from Israel, 11,000 km. away. At McLaughlin Ridge near Port Alberni, the Island until September, while the com- So on environmental grounds alone our local on Cortes Island near Campbell River, at munity submits ecological inventory infor- tomatoes are the best purchase. They don’t travel Stillwater Bluffs by Powell River, at Cathe- mation and proposals to the company. For very far; we have abundant water supplies in this dral Grove Canyon adjacent to McMillan more info contact Zoe Miles at wildstands. part of Canada. Mexican tomatoes are dubious Provincial Park, and at the Cameron Val- [email protected]� – all those trucks roaring up the Pacific coast of ley Firebreak near Port Alberni, Island Tim- Stillwater Bluffs: IT owns a 48 hect- Mexico and the US, no idea who owns the fields berlands’ corporate private lands include are dry maritime forest by Powell River and greenhouses, no idea what chemicals are used some of the most contentious forests of which contains a rugged stretch of dra- there, how clean the water used is or if labelled high conservation value in British Colum- matic coastline. It is accessible to the pub- “organic”, just what standard that implies. Our bia’s old-growth forests, sensitive ecosys- lic and offers rock bluffs, hiking trails, and knowledge of health and labour conditions there tems, and mature second-growth forests of unspoiled wildlife habitat that is perfect for and of the depletion of water resources in a semi- high recreational value. a nature park. It is heavily used by local arid area is scanty. Conservationists are calling on the pro- people and could be the local residents’ Now look at Israeli tomatoes! They are flown vincial government to establish a BC Park version of West Vancouver’s famous Light- 11,000 km to get here, the most unsustainable Acquisition Fund of at least $40 million per house Park. The parcel, known as DL 3040, way to move food around. True these ones were year, raising $400 million over 10 years, includes sensitive ecosystems of arbutus/ labelled “organic” but some Israeli tomatoes are to purchase old-growth forests and other rocky outcrops, second-growth Douglas fir not so labelled – and we don’t know what Israel endangered ecosystems on private lands and cedar of high community recreation means by that term either. across the province. The fund would be and scenic value, and scattered old-growth The Israeli Farmers Federation says, “A com- similar to the park acquisition funds of vari- “veteran” trees. The Powell River Regional bination of sophisticated, applied science, rugged ous regional districts in BC which are aug- District has expressed an interest in pro- determination and government support have mented by the fundraising efforts of private tecting the Stillwater Bluffs as a park. Local helped Israel’s farmers to modernize and adapt to citizens and land trusts. citizens say that Island Timberlands has changing geopolitical, market and climatic condi- “Christy Clark’s BC Liberal government committed to not log the Stillwater Bluffs tions ...Israel’s agriculture continues to thrive, and must step forward with a funding solution, within the next 6 months, but plan log it supplies most of the country’s food needs, though a BC Park Acquisition Fund similar to those within 2 years. For more info contact Jason profitability in export sectors has declined sharply of many regional districts, to purchase old- Addy at [email protected] in recent years. Among the numerous problems the growth forests, sensitive ecosystems, and McLaughlin Ridge IT owns about 500 crop-growing sectors have contended with since other important areas on private lands for hectares (about 100 hectares of which the State was founded, water scarcity remains the protection -- particularly Island Timber- they’ve logged in recent years) of critical principal -- and growing -- threat. ” lands’s contentious lands,” stated Ken Wu, old-growth wintering habitat for black-tailed The key words here are government support and water. Neither Canada nor Mexico Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder. “At the deer and nesting and foraging habitat of subsidize their famers, but how else could tomatoes, albeit expensive ones, be flown from same time, Island Timberlands needs put the endangered Queen Charlotte Gos- Israel 11,000 km, unless the producers were subsidized? And in an arid region with low the brakes on their plans to log the last old- hawk in this section of the China Creek rainfall, the water required for tomato production has to come from somewhere. growth stands and contentious areas until watershed near Port Alberni. This area was The concern for environmental, labour, and health standards is a much needed ethical those lands can be purchased for protec- previously classified as a Wildlife Habitat issue for many consumers in this part of the world. tion.” Area and Old-Growth Management Area So maybe Israeli tomatoes will not be considered environmentally acceptable; but can “There has been an incredible amount until the BC Liberal government removed they really be called “weapons of war?” Tomatoes of public pressure about the situation on Weyerhaeuser’s (now Island Timberlands) have been used as non-lethal weapons to harass Cortes, which I think is a major factor in private forest lands on Vancouver Island and humiliate politicians and unpopular figures, Island Timberlands’ recent decision to from their Tree Farm Licence in 2004. So but they are hardly a sophisticated weapon and postpone their logging plans for 6 months,” far IT is still planning to move ahead and damage little except dignity. says forest activist Zoe Miles, who grew up log this area in the near future. For more In 2010, Israel exported $7.2 billion worth of on Cortes Island. “It’s a temporary victory, info contact Jane Morden at janemorden@ lethal military hardware ($6.9 billion in 2009) mak- but it does give us more time to raise funds gmail.com ing Israel one of the four major arms exporters in for land purchase. If Island Timberlands is Cathedral Grove Canyon and the Cam- the world, but we don’t find rocket launchers and genuinely willing to consider land sale at eron Valley Firebreak: IT owns old-growth drones in the supermarket. fair market value, then it’s the responsibil- and second-growth forests adjacent to Tomatoes are part of the much smaller but ity of our provincial government to listen to the famed Cathedral Grove in MacMillan significant agriculture exports; around 4% of total its electorate and help make that happen.” Provincial Park near Port Alberni, includ- Israeli exports every year. However, these visible “Stillwater Bluffs has been identified as ing the spectacular Cathedral Grove Can- consumer exports -- from oranges to dates to cous- a priority parcel for protection as a regional yon along the Cameron River where giant cous to tomatoes -- are part of Israel’s image as a park by the Powell River Regional Dis- old-growth Douglas firs and red cedars normal world economy in our faces in the market- trict. It contains sensitive ecosystems and stand. A public outcry about the marking of place, making people in Europe and North America veteran old-growth trees and is a popular these old-growth trees for potential logging aware of Israel’s presence; hence the important of area used by local people for recreation,” seems to have put a hold on the company’s government support for such an unlikely product in said Jason Addy of the Friends of Stillwater logging plans. Further up the Cameron Val- our grocery store; a weapon of normalization at a time of war. Bluffs. “It is a no-brainer for a new park and ley is the “Cameron Valley Firebreak”, one The need for water for these crops introduces the hidden weapon of war in tomatoes; a Island Timberlands needs to stay away un- of the last major tracts of old-growth for- war against the environment. Israel has channelled and drilled for water all over its claimed til the lands can be purchased at fair mar- est left in the valley that local communities land and now is building illegal colonies, 172 at last count, in Palestine’s West Bank. Pal- ket value.” recently learned is also being targeted for estinians, desperate to increase their agricultural capacity are not allowed to drill new wells Many regional districts in BC, such as logging by IT. or construct dams. Many Palestinians only get domestic water the Capital, Nanaimo, Cowichan Valley, The Ancient Forest Alliance is also call- several times a week; homes and farmers often must buy water Strathcona, and Powell River Regional ing on the BC government to implement a from Israel at grossly higher prices than Israelis pay. Colonies Districts have park acquisition funds to Provincial Old-Growth Strategy to protect flaunt swimming pools and mansions while Palestinians face the protect lands of high ecological and rec- BC’s endangered old-growth forests, to en- destruction of their homes and environment and the ongoing theft reational value. The Capital Regional Dis- sure sustainable second-growth forestry, of their water resources, orchards and farmland. trict’s (CRD) Land Acquisition Fund has and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills. Jordan River is neither wide nor deep, as the song says. By spent over $34 million dollars to purchase the time it passes under the Allenby Bridge border crossing near over 4,500 hectares of land around Victoria For more information, readers can contact: Ken its end in the Dead Sea it is an almost invisible trickle; Israel has since its establishment in the year 2000. Wu of Ancient Forest Alliance: 250-514-9910; Zoe Miles, Wildstands (Cortes Island campaign): siphoned off most of its previously robust flow. Levels of the Dead The CRD fund is raised through an av- 778-877-0979 or [email protected] ; Sea have steadily dropped for the last thirty years, reflecting this erage $14-per-household levy (increasing upstream diversion for irrigation. and Jason Addy, Friends of the Stillwater Bluffs to $20-per-household by 2015) each year, (Powell River): 604-483-6973 or jasonaddy@ The occupation is the real war and the tomato is just one more raising roughly $3 million per year between hotmail.com; and Annette Tanner, wcwcqb@ weapon in the war of occupation with all its environmental and 2010 to 2019, and has been pivotal for pro- shaw.ca. See also: social destruction. tecting lands of high environmental and/ 1. www.crd.bc.ca/parks/preservation/newparks. The solution? Boycott all Israeli products and products of companies that cooperate or recreational value at Jordan River, the htm and http://www.crd.bc.ca/media/2010/2010- with Israel. Get active and get informed. Be vocal. I am telling the management at Thrifty Sooke Hills, the Sooke Potholes, lands 01-13-land-acq-fund.htm 2. www.islandtimberlands.com/our-company/ Foods I won’t return until it is an Israeli product-free zone. adjacent to Thetis Lake Park, and at Bur- our-present.htm goyne Bay on Salt Spring Island. Tomato photos were taken by the author, on location in Victoria. The boycott image was found on the w 3. photo gallery at: www.ancientforestalliance. web, courtesy of BDS campaign. Island Timberlands (IT) is the second org/photos.php?gID=12 largest private landowner in BC, owning 4. photo gallery of photos by the AFA’s TJ 258,000 hectares of private lands mainly Watt at: www.ancientforestalliance.org/photos. on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, php?gID=105. photo gallery of Cathedral Grove and Haida Gwaii. Canyon at: www.ancientforestalliance.org/pho- Some of the most contentious sites on tos.php?gID=14 Page 20 March 2012 COMMENTARY The Lower Island NEWS Mining justice: Support Bill C-323 By Heather Tufts propriated for resource extraction. Protests Partners in Humanity award and although would provide international communities an about the lack of access to farmland, en- this is not to disparage this monetary contri- option to pursue legal recourse in Canadian “Only when the last tree has died, the vironmental destruction and pollution are bution to the relief effort, there are conflict- federal courts for violations of human and last river has been poisoned and the last met with intimidation by the state military. ing intentions since the mining exploration environmental rights. The bill positions fish has been caught will we realize that we In most cases the mining companies are claims an extensive area in the north. Canada with a unique opportunity to be- can’t eat money”--Cree proverb. directly funding their own militarized se- Lack of regulation for Canadian corporate come leaders in responsible international curity to secure their access to valuable enterprise in a struggling nation is a cause corporate standards. The passage of this In March 2011 private security forces minerals. The first response to the villagers’ for great concern, especially as a country bill would provide a framework for legal appeared in Panzos, Guatemala, and forc- complaints was gunfire into the crowd, many rebuilds from the ashes of disaster. accountability and regulation of Canadian ibly evicted 15 indigenous communities of whom who had lost everything because International human rights law theo- mining companies which have been operat- while destroying over 1,000 acres of corn. of the mine. retically provides a framework to support ing with impunity for decades. These evictions left families with a desper- The Canadian government facilitates local communities in their decision-making Abdulai Darimai of the Third World Net- ate struggle for survival and nowhere to the development of mining corporations processes, as well as the right to access work in Africa believes that the Canadian go. The purpose of removing communities with CIDA serving as a clearing house for legal remedies when harm is caused by government also needs to develop a mecha- from their ancestral lands is so that corpora- negotiating investment deals through techni- mining development. However Canadian nism to prevent tax sheltered and offshore tions, including Canadian mining companies cal and financial support. CIDA participated mining companies spend outrageous sums profits, and impose sanctions on companies can profit from Guatemala’s rich natural in the creation of the Canada Investment of money to message their product and im- that stray from responsible action. He also resources Fund for Africa (CIFA), a two million dol- prove their image. The notion of free, prior recommends that mining companies be Meanwhile in San Marcos where Glamis lar public-private sector fund designed to and informed consent mandated by interna- held accountable for human rights abuses Gold (Goldcorp) operates a Canadian gold provide unconditional risk capital for private tional law is delegitimized by development by the provision of appeal tribunals in local mine, cyanide and heavy metals have con- investments in Africa. programs that are designed as an alibi for communities as well as Canadian courts. taminated the local water supply, seriously More recently CIDA has created oppor- exploitation, especially on indigenous lands. Funding opportunities for such complaints impacting the cultivation of subsistence tunities for philanthropic non-governmental Toronto-based Murray Klippenstein’s ought to be provided so that displacement crops and the health of the villagers. The organizations to partner with Canadian min- public interest law firm has filed four cases from land and subsequent poverty does not company is meeting with strong resistance ing companies as a public relations move on behalf of plaintiffs in Ecuador and Gua- negate opportunities for justice. from the indigenous people who had voted to camouflage unregulated mining practices temala for abuses at the hands of private Bill C-323 is a strong statement that overwhelmingly to keep the mine out of their under the guise of foreign aid. The Harper security guards hired by Canadian-financed Canada needs to promote and enhance territory in 2005 but were ignored. government announced this controversial mining companies. However many compa- its role in the international community by The protesters receive violent threats decision in January to launch three foreign nies have designed a multinational corpo- upholding human rights and environmental from a government and corporate security aid pilot projects in Africa and South Amer- rate structure that makes suing them directly sustainability. Too many multinational Ca- force resulting in injuries and deaths, con- ica. This new approach sees CIDA jointly a very illusive proposition. In this case Cop- nadian corporations face international con- travening many international laws includ- funding development projects with profitable per Mesa, like many corporations, split its demnation for their abusive practices includ- ing the requirement of free, informed and mining corporations including partnerships corporate structure over several legal juris- ing forced displacement of communities, prior consent and the Declaration on the with Barrick Gold and Rio Tinto Alcan. Both dictions. The company was incorporated in expropriation of indigenous lands, violent Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The mining companies have committed violent atroci- British Columbia, headquartered in Colo- quelling of protests and repression of mining companies enforce their own rules, provide ties in Central America in protection of their rado, had directors all over North America, justice activists including assassinations, heavy-handed security, but invest heavily in mining interests. raised its money in Ontario, had a holding poisoned local water sources and the de- well-orchestrated propaganda campaigns in World Vision Canada president Dave company in Barbados (presumably for tax struction of fresh water sources, farmlands indigenous communities. Toycen defended their participation by stat- avoidance), and had its mineral exploration and fisheries. In Colombia where mining contracts ing that “Anything we can do to encourage operations in Ecuador. Notwithstanding, numerous mining com- are embedded in civil rights and resistance and advocate for better mining practices and For this reason, instead of suing the panies incorporate in Canada to take advan- struggles, it is common for mining projects support communities that they are displac- company directly, the plaintiffs attempted to tage of our country’s lack of regulation but to be accompanied by insidious threats, ing or affecting we’re contributing to a better lay the responsibility on other players such also operate multi-nationally to benefit from thefts, social and environmental destruction lifestyle and environment for them.” as the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) which tax shelters and evade legal accountability. where local communities are expendable However such partnerships auto- had been warned about the risk of violence This bill does not negate the simultane- and complainants receive death threats. matically negate objective human and prior to providing Copper Mesa with ac- ous obligation of civil society to demand Amnesty International has issued urgent environmental justice lobbying and forge cess to millions of dollars in public shares. conflict-free minerals or to reduce the im- actions regarding death threats in Colum- a murky relationship for disguising com- The TSX chose to ignore the warnings and pacts of being over-abundant consumers of bia, highlighting the violent protection of munity displacements and indigenous provide the money to the company anyway, minerals and precious metals. Nor does it international mining interests. Operations lands encroachment. Subsidizing profitable some of which was spent on the security annihilate the need for ethical investments under the guise of civil war add yet another mining operations, each one with a well personnel who assaulted the plaintiffs. especially since many public pension plans layer of complexity to unregulated Canadian founded reputation for serious human rights The courts ultimately rejected this invest in conflict mining ventures. mining ventures, especially in the context of abuses, negates the opportunity for genuine argument, ruling that neither the TSX nor “The bill is an important step in ex- a Canada-Colombia free trade agreement. community-based solutions with sustainable the directors of Copper Mesa had a legal panding jurisprudence to protect citizens The African story receives the least assistance programs that are based on free, obligation to consider possible harms to the living abroad from human rights abuses. I national attention and yet countries like unbiased consultations. plaintiffs when conducting their business. hope the bill will get broad support from all Ghana have been victimized by Canadian Although Haiti is not one of the targeted On March 1g, 2011, the Ontario Court of members of parliament,” stated Peter Julian mining ventures for years. Golden Star Re- countries for this tenuous partnership ex- Appeal affirmed a lower court decision which when he tabled his private member’s bill in sources pillaged and plundered the region periment, mining exploration is rampant in had dismissed the claim. However during the House of Commons. with impunity and, despite foreign invest- this earthquake-ravaged country. Naomi the brief law proceedings, Copper Mesa was Canada’s reputation for irresponsible ments, there are no benefits to the local Klein warns of disaster capitalism in her de-listed from the Toronto Stock Exchange international mining practices is on political community. In fact quite the opposite: when book The Shock Doctrine, and so when and lost its holdings in Ecuador! life support and enforceable, legally bind- a junior Canadian company went bankrupt, Canadian Eurasian Minerals began explora- Canada urgently needs the provision of ing regulations are urgently needed for an the defunct company left behind an 18 mil- tion for epithermal gold, silver and copper government regulations that hold Canadian industry that is out of control. Bill C-323 lion dollar debt, frozen bank accounts and in Northern Haiti, the potential for regional mining companies legally accountable for could begin to fill a regulation void and is environmental devastation without legal exploitation became a reality. their egregious and ubiquitous practices. long overdue. obligations to compensate for environmental The mining industry offered a $900,000 NDP MP Peter Julian’s private member’s Please sign the petition to support and economic harms. donation after the devastating earthquake bill C-323 the International Promotion and Peter Julian’s private members bill on Surface mining by Canadian companies rattled Haiti in January 2010, which evoked Protection of Human Rights Act has been corporate responsibility. For more infor- in Ghana has been especially damaging public appreciation from the Canadian Red tabled in the House of Commons. This bill mation contact [email protected] because precious agricultural land is ex- Cross. The Canadian miners received the Gearing up for the Gardening Season! Logging puts spotted owl at even greater

The Cowichan Green Community (CGC) Amanda Reimer, Sustainable Living Centre risk of disappearing is calling all seed savers and gardeners to Manager. In continuing with this tradition, VANCOUVER – Local residents and 2018 and 2019, which include some of the celebrate the start of the growing season by CGC encourages attendees to bring along environmental watchdogs are alarmed that largest, oldest trees in the area. The final coming out to Duncan’s 4th annual Seedy their best seeds to share! road construction began January 28-29 in a approval of the logging permits has yet to Saturday. Featuring a mix of seed produc- Seedy Saturdays are inspiring com- Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) that is meant to be made. ers, garden professionals and more, this munity-based events, and CGC invites provide habitat for the critically endangered “Allowing this logging road building to daylong event is an exciting opportunity for everyone from small container gardeners to spotted owl near Chilliwack Lake. happen is quite a shocking dereliction of both novice and experienced gardeners to large-scale growers to come out on March “We are deeply disturbed that the pro- duty, a short-sighted decision if ever there share in the diversity of seed! 24 to celebrate the 2012 gardening season. vincial government has allowed logging road was one,” said Barlee. “We’re talking about In addition to seeds, you will also find “Seedy Saturday has quickly become an construction to proceed in what the public less than a dozen of these wonderful crea- vegetable seedlings, herbs, native plants, integral event within our community,” says believes is land protected for the safeguard- tures left in the wilds of southern BC, so garden accessories, mason bee homes, CGC’s executive director, Judy Stafford. ing of the spotted owl – a species which is on it’s unconscionable that we would consider and mushroom kits. There will also be “Bringing together families, gardeners, and the verge of extirpation,” said Gwen Barlee, trading invaluable spotted owl habitat for a educational booths and displays from com- producers, Seedy Saturday is an exciting policy director for the Wilderness Commit- quick buck.” munity organizations, and an activity space venue for our community to welcome the tee. “Many big trees have already been “You cannot both protect an area and for children to explore the mysteries of seed advent of spring.” felled with this irresponsible road building.” allow logging – this will most certainly not saving through arts and crafts. This event will run from 10 am to 3 pm The logging road is being built to access work in an already over-logged landscape Focal to the event will be the seed at the Mercury Theatre (331 Brae Road) in several cutblocks which have been offered like the Chilliwack River Valley,” said Barlee. exchange. An avenue for seed savers downtown Duncan. Entrance to this event to Tamihi Logging, despite the fact that the “Government must step in immediately and of all levels to share and swap their own is by donation. For more information, please area was set aside as a WHA due to federal ensure that this spotted owl habitat is truly seeds, the seed exchange, “Represents a contact the Cowichan Green Community at government obligations to protect it as spot- protected – they need to stop this logging key way for community members to share 250-748-8506 or vanessa@cowichangreen- ted owl habitat. from going ahead.” regionally adapted seeds – which in the community.org The part of the Chilliwack Lake WHA face of climate change is of importance to Happy Gardening! – also known as Ford Mountain and Post ensuring food security in our region,” says Creek – impacted are cutblocks 2016, 2017, The Lower Island NEWS BOOKS and MORE COMMENTARY March 2012 Page 21 Postmodern Imperialism, by Eric Walberg

Reviewed by John R. Bell American dominated international institu- ing nations. at pulling the strings so to effectively man- tions as the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO, While Walberg thinks that globalization age the global economy for its own benefit With his Postmodern Imperialism, the GATT, etc. originates in the strategies of financial elites as Walberg’s book might suggest. Eric Walberg has written a very accessible, The oligopolistic joint stock corporation, to control the wealth of nations I think that During his presidency George W. Bush interesting and provocative introduction to the Fordist production system, Keynesian globalization was engineered by the US abandoned the Brzezinski-style realpolitik geopolitics that I heartily and unreservedly economics (which rightly assumed that no government though it is undeniably true preferred by his father and embraced the recommend. economic policies designed to support the that Wall St and other financial institutions neoconservative and “Ziocon” (many of Borrowing a term first employed in the now atrophied capitalist market and mori- generally benefited from it immensely and Bush’s closest advisors were not simply 19th century by Halford MacKinder, Walberg bund capitalism could be depended upon to became increasingly hard to rein in. neoconservative and/or Jewish but militant speaks of three successive Great Games reliably reproduce material economic life), During this era, the US began to explore Zionists) doctrine of “full spectrum domi- played by the great powers over the past cheap oil and the welfare state combined the possibilities of Treasury bill/ monetary or nance” and invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, century and a half. Great Game I refers to to create unprecedented, though unevenly debt imperialism, to employ Michael Hud- using the pretext of bin Laden’s 9-11 attack. the period of capitalist imperialism (1870- distributed, affluence in America, which the son’s felicitous terminology. This is a form (Neither bin Laden himself nor any US 1914), in which the leading capitalist powers other western nations attempted to emulate. of imperialism that only the US can practice. intelligence agency has revealed that bin exported capital and intervened militarily The US poured money into the military- Because the dollar is the reserve curren- Laden, the Taliban or Saddam were involved not only in the Middle East, Central Asia industrial complex and into the military and cy, though it is no longer backed up by gold, with this traumatic attack.) and the Far East but also in Africa and space race in order to ensure that it was the US is able to continue to dominate the Given that even the “liberal” Obama elsewhere with the aims of acquiring terri- stronger than any combination of its rivals global economy and to wage endless wars seems intent upon embarking upon a new tories and colonial empires in the hinterland and enemies. As the policeman of the even as its industrial economy—with such cold war and arms race with Putin’s post- as prospective sources of resources and West, the US fought directly in Korea and exceptions as its military industrial com- Soviet Russia and post-Mao China, which dumping grounds for manufactured goods Vietnam, supported various repressive and plex and agribusiness sector—becomes could hardly have been more welcoming typically produced by monopolistic firms in murderous right wing regimes and coups, increasingly hollowed out and even as it has to American capital, I am not convinced the heartland, which were having difficulties and crushed any attempts by movements or transitioned from being the leading creditor that the so-called Israel lobby is alone re- expanding their output in Europe due to the nations to find alternative paths to develop- nation to the leading debtor nation. sponsible for America’s more bellicose and trend away from free trade and towards ment and democracy as “communist”. Through the World Bank, the IMF and dangerous foreign policy. protectionism. After having cooperated to defeat Fas- the Washington Consensus, the US remains The Soviet collapse and the opportunity Arbitrary borders were drawn up, cism/Nazism, the western powers and the a harsh creditor of indebted Keynesian led to exercise full spectrum dominance no which subsequently caused many conflicts Soviet Union were united briefly in their developmental states but it grants to itself doubt appealed to many (though not all) between and within the new nations that support for the establishment of Israel, even the right to accumulate ever increasing American conservatives, who may have eventually emerged but in the Middle East, though the resultant partition of Palestine debt, which it has conveniently owed in its concerns about the influence of Israel and Central Asia, the Far East and in Africa. allowed Israel to grab far more territory and, own currency to the unwary OPEC nations, the Israel lobby over US foreign policy but However, Islam often provided the social with it, Palestinian-owned properties than Japan and now China. The US circulates who believe strongly that America’s destiny cohesion that kept these new nations from was contemplated by the UN. ever increasing quantities of depreciating is to rule the planet, despite its weakened imploding. The establishment of Israel turned out US dollars, which means that its economic economic position. Geopolitics during this era and subse- to be a real geostrategic coup for the US, rivals and creditors are left holding US dol- Needless to say, a genuine democracy quently often reduced itself to consider- though this was not fully appreciated at lars and financial instruments that pay a with no hegemonic ambitions would not ations having to do with the acquisition and the time because it assisted the US in its meagre return and that constantly decline need to maintain 800-1000+ bases and nu- holding of territories, resources and peoples, goal of obtaining and controlling access to in value, while worrying constantly about the merous torture sites around the planet. Nor while fending off incursions by imperialist Middle East oil. inflation in the value of their currencies and would it have needed to convert NATO into rivals. Capitalist imperialism led inevitably The US cultivated friendly relations the consequent threat to the competitive- an agency of imperialism with global reach to World War I and the Russian Revolution, with oil rich Saudi Arabia and other ultra- ness of their industries. because the UN was insufficiently pliable. which removed a very large territory and conservative and repressive Middle East The US transition towards what is often As the US has amply demonstrated in population from the imperialist system and potentates and provided them with military termed post-Fordism accelerated once the Serbia, with its strategy of “shock and awe”, provided limited support for other peoples technologies that were, however, never as Soviet Union collapsed and the US military in Gadhafi’s Libya, in Saddam’s Iraq, in Af- who were desirous of escaping the clutches advanced as were supplied so generously released zealously guarded technologies for ghanistan, etc., it is the leading terrorist na- of the imperialist powers. The failed attempt to Israel. The US also encouraged Israel commercial application. This greatly stimu- tion, having killed far more non-combatants by the allied powers in the West to snuff out to antagonize its neighbours when that fur- lated the growth of Internet commerce, for and having destroyed far more of the built the revolution signalled the transition from thered American strategic and hegemonic example, but, during the Clinton presidency, environment in the targeted nations than all Great Game I to Great Game II. objectives. the US reduced its effort to induce US cor- of its recent enemies have destroyed of US World War I left most victors and the van- Both the US and Israel supported pariah porations not to move industrial production territory or assets and, in several cases, this quished saddled with debt. The punitive and states inside and outside the Islamic world off shore. entailed turning on erstwhile allies. excessive reparations payments Germany and engaged in or supported sabotage, Rather, the US ratcheted up their All of this is required not just so that was required to pay to Britain, France and targeted assassinations, military strikes, programs of deregulation, liberalization, the US state and Wall St. may continue to their allies led, more or less inexorably, to covert activities and coups in the Islamic financialization and securitization, where control global money and finance and to the rise of fascism and World War II. world and elsewhere. they believed they enjoyed unchallenged address Israel’s often hysterically exagger- Britain itself was saddled with a heavy However, Israel had its own expansion- supremacy and pressured other nations ated security concerns, but because of the debt burden owed to its ally, the United ist agenda and this meant that Israel could to adopt similar policies because it would American drive to control access to oil and States, which had tried to sit out and simply never be a genuine partner for peace with allow predatory American “casino capital” other increasingly scarce resources in this profit from the war. Just as it did after World the Palestinians or with its immediate and vulture funds, the modern equivalents era of peak oil and peak metals. War II, the US acted as an unrelenting credi- neighbours, even if the Americans might of irresponsible money lending capital, to Finally, it must, nevertheless, be con- tor similar to the moneylenders that plagued ultimately have preferred a resolution of the penetrate these economies more readily. ceded, as Walberg argues, that a relatively and destabilized medieval and, subsequent- thorny Palestinian question that so often It was necessary to jettison any con- small number of economically or politically ly, mercantilist societies no doubt because undermined its efforts to maintain cordial nection with Keynesian economics, save powerful Jewish individuals and groups, with the US wished to undermine Britain’s status relations with the more repressive Islamic for military Keynesianism, of course, and a strong and uncritical attachment to Israel, as a leading financial and imperial power, regimes and with anti-Soviet militants in the to embrace monetarist and neoliberal eco- have exercised considerable influence or, while strengthening the position of the dollar Islamic world. nomic policies. at times, control over US foreign policy and as the dominant currency. The blowback from this was such that Monetarism dealt effectively with in- over public opinion formation in the mass I do not wish to make a definitive judge- many of the Mujahedeen, who had fought flation but once monetarism and, worse, media with regard to Middle East issues, ment as to what Walberg’s view is on this against the Soviets in Afghanistan, and who neoliberalism made converts in government especially since the beginning of the Bush subject but I would like to draw attention to Reagan had championed as the equivalent and in the universities, not just in the US but II presidency. the fact that it would be a mistake to imagine of the American founding fathers, eventually globally, the consequences were the same It is also true that most American politi- that finance capital, which had played such targeted America, which was viewed as the everywhere—asset appreciation and wealth cians fear standing up to the very well or- an active role in managing the growth of a second Great Satan. redistribution upward substituted for real ganized and funded lobby that advocates cartelized heavy industry in Germany and Moreover, Jews in the Diaspora, who economic growth and volatility, instability, on behalf of Israel. Thus, US strategic elsewhere during the final capitalist stage were understandably deeply traumatized deflation and debt servitude, both in the objectives, which are already often a threat of imperialism, played an equally important by the Holocaust and who, though inspired private and public sectors, became chronic, to global peace, may be subject to subver- role in the developed economies immedi- by the founding of the Zionist state, were especially throughout much of the develop- sion by Israel such that more conflict occurs ately after World War I. most often reluctant to emigrate there, ing world where the Washington Consensus than even the US hegemon would prefer. Financial institutions were largely shut were prevailed upon to provide all man- and the alleged war on terror (after 9-11) The most obvious example is that Israel out of the complex negotiations between ner of material, ideological, and political provided legitimacy for US led economic has been able to encroach on so much of nations after the war and their subsequent support for Israel. Wealthy and influential and military interventions outside the heart- the remaining Palestinian occupied territory role in promoting a stock market bubble in Jews persuaded and pressured western land that had previously been justified by the and Palestinian-owned land that a two state the US in the late twenties may have been governments, politicians and journalists to perceived, but often wholly imaginary, threat solution, which the US allegedly favours, one factor that led to the calls for the “eutha- become uncritically supportive of Israel even of communist incursion. has become impossible. nasia of the rentier” and the establishment of though this encouraged a certain reckless One consequence of the US govern- Postmodern Imperialism is sometimes a strict regulatory environment that largely bellicosity and intransigence among Israel’s ment’s strategic planners’ reliance on controversial but always stimulating and constrained financial capital within national increasingly right wing leaders, which can- neoliberalism and on the financial acumen informative. It is a “must read” for those boundaries for the five decades in which not be in that nation’s interest in the long run. of their Wall St partners to dominate the who seek an accessible introduction to Fordism and Keynesianism held sway. According to Walberg, Great Game III, global economy was that the US govern- geopolitics. In such an environment, “casino capital”, or the postmodern phase of imperialism, ment itself became hugely indebted. Not the modern manifestation of irresponsible begins with the collapse of the Soviet block. only did the US not tax wealthy individuals Spectrum High School put on a very money lending capital, could not run amok I would associate the transition to Reagan’s and firms, they surrendered up the power professional and sold out “Hairspray” as it has since the 1980s. second term and not because Reagan’s Star to create money to private banks and then Broadway musical recently After World War II, which a still isolation- Wars initiative led directly to the Soviet col- bailed them out when they took speculative The theme was racial tolerance, ist US again tried to sit out, the US changed lapse, as is simplistically alleged. gambles and lost. and I noted Blacks and one Asian in course and established Pax Americana, Rather, this is the era in which the US The fact that so many financial firms in through which it aimed to dominate the West began to find ways of responding effectively the US, Europe and elsewhere have out- the cast. The high school boys were and the developing world, while hemming in to the obsolescence of its Fordist production smarted themselves more than once and very good dancers, as were the girls. and eventually defeating the Soviet Union. system and the challenge of post-Fordism, have had to turn to governments that they The famous Louise Rose was also This entailed the establishment of the dollar thus reasserting its dominance over its had attempted to render impotent suggests part of the cast! as the reserve currency, together with such rivals (Japan, Germany) and the develop- that casino capital is not always as effective --Ron MacIsaac Page 22 March 2012 BOOKS, PLAYS AND ... The Lower Island NEWS The Sacred Headwaters: The Fight to Save the Stikine, Skeena and Nass, by Wade Davis, photographs by Carr Clifton and others, Vancouver: Greystone Books, 2011

Review by Jim Manly due to a variety of factors, including strong group of leaders, and persuade them that lieve in ourselves. The collective is stronger The Sacred Headwaters: The Fight to Tahltan opposition, this scheme also came their proposal for development will benefit all than any one person, family or belief. The Save the Stikine, Skeena and Nass by Wade to naught. the people of the area and, not incidentally, Tahltan world view or philosophy though Davis should occupy a proud place on the With increased globalization and the the local leaders themselves. In the last few unwritten runs strong through our hearts, coffee tables of every British Columbian, economic boom of the 90s, the demand months we have seen how Enbridge tried our minds, and our veins.” (38) indeed every Canadian, concerned to pre- and price for minerals skyrocketed; specula- this strategy with their Northern Gateway On day 33 of the occupation they de- serve the beauty and integrity of our part of tors and developers targeted undeveloped Pipeline proposal and how it was repudiated clared a moratorium on all industrial projects Planet Earth. But The Sacred Headwaters areas of the world such as northwestern by the Gitxsan people. and repudiated every agreement reached is much more than just a coffee table book. British Columbia. The 1500 Tahltan living Among the Tahltan, mining companies by the TCC (which had no legal authority). The descriptive essay by anthropologist in their traditional area recognized the need found an ally in Jerry Asp, a young man who The Iskut people soon joined the protest and Davis is an urgent warning and call to action. for jobs and supported the concept of one believed that mining was the key to prosper- informed Shell that it had failed to “consult If we look at a detailed map of the iso- mine per generation, a level of development ity for the Tahltans. In 2002 he was elected and accommodate” as the law required. lated north-west corner of British Columbia they thought they could handle. However, Chief Councillor of Telegraph, thanks to “Our land is our kitchen. When you bring we can see that the three great rivers of they wanted to avoid a boom and bust 90% support of off-reserve band members poison onto our land you are poisoning our the area, the Skeena, Nass and Stikine all cycle that would leave behind nothing but who were allowed to vote following a 1999 kitchen. Go home.” rise within a few miles of each other. Most environmental destruction and increased Supreme Court decision. He supported When Fortune Mining attempted to British Columbians have never seen this social dislocation. every proposal which mine owners floated; enter the area intending to set up a work part of our province, nor have I; at my age In contrast to this hope for orderly de- since all road building and catering contracts site, a hastily assembled road blockade it is doubtful if I ever will. I hope, however, velopment, Davis outlines several massive would go to a company he controlled, he had soon turned into a major camp celebrating that some of my children, grandchildren and projects that corporations envision for the a strong vested interest. Tahltan rights and culture. In the blockade’s great-great grandchildren will be able to see area. The Red Chris proposal for an open When Nova Gold proposed a mine at second month, Fortune obtained an injunc- it, that it will not be desecrated, turned from pit copper and gold mine on the Todagin Galore Creek, slated to produce $6 billion tion, threatening arrests if it was not lifted. a sacred place of beauty and wonder into a Plateau would generate “30,000 tons of rock worth of ore, the Tahltan Central Council In spite of the arrests which included a 73 maze of roads, power-lines, open-pit mines and ore a day for twenty-eight years”. (31) (TCC) agreed to a paltry $1 million per year year old great grandmother as well as an and mountainous, poison- leeching piles of Over its lifetime (strange word for such a over the life of the mine plus an insignificant elderly hunter in a wheelchair, the protest rock. Unfortunately, this is the future that poisonous process) it would produce “183 percentage of concentrate sales. Nova Gold camp flourished. some corporations and short sighted politi- million tons of toxic tailings and 307 million had also reached a deal with the TCC to fast The Band Office sit-in at Telegraph cians envisage. tons of waste rock” which would threaten track approval of the other megaprojects finally ended when Indian Affairs removed Stunning and beautiful photos by Carr six world class fishing lakes and also the mentioned above. Jerry Asp from his position as Chief Council- Clifton and others illustrate, as no words salmon run on the Stikine. This proposal For a General Assembly of the Tahl- lor and appointed an administrator until new can, the area’s grandeur. But the beauty depends upon a $400 million power line tans in January 2005, Nova Gold donated elections could be held. of the land also comes through as Davis that would be built at public expense; $130 $100,000 to the TCC so it could charter Ominously, in spite of court decisions quotes Tahltan First Nation people and de- million of this would come from Canada’s busses and planes to bring in off-reserve that the Tahltan had not been properly scribes their intimate relationship with the Green Infrastructure Fund! Davis compares members from as far away as Vancouver consulted, the corporations continue to landscape and the wildlife that share this this proposal to “drilling for oil in the Sistine and Ottawa. Many of these had not visited maneuver and plan to scoop the resources richness with them. For example, speak- Chapel”. their traditional lands for years and had no and make money whatever the cost to the ing of Edziza, or Ice Mountain, a dormant A proposed open pit coal mine on idea what was at stake apart from a few Tahltan and the environment. volcano, Davis says: Groundhog Mountain would produce 3 mil- dollars. Davis saw a telling example of the dis- “For the Tahltan people…Edziza was lion tons of anthracite per year; every seven This outraged traditional elders and a connect between these two realities when said to be alive; like a wild animal it could minutes a 40 ton truck would take this to a number of them gathered at the Telegraph a young woman just back from a helicopter only be approached from downwind by port where it would be shipped to Asia for Band Office; refusing to leave until they tour of the Red Chris mine site talked with those who had earned the right, through steel production. Since it requires 12 cubic met with Asp, they demanded his resigna- a young man about such grandeur as they ritual purification, celibacy, and daily immer- metres of overburden to produce one cubic tion and issued a strong statement which had never seen before. She was a geologist sion in cold water for eight months. It was metre of coal, the area would be left with read in part: and he was an official with the Department of a place to hunt, to seek visions, but also a mountains of poisonous rubble destroy- “Our land, resources and rights are be- Energy and Mines. This vision of irreplace- source of wealth, for beyond the southern ing traditional Tahltan sites for gatherings, ing sold out from under us. This day will go able beauty, however, did not deter them flank are vast fields of obsidian that the Tahl- hunting and burials. When burned, the coal down in Tahltan history as the day the elders from their work schedule. tan call ‘the black blood of the mountain’. would produce an additional 10.5 million took back their power. Asp and his family In the meantime the Tahltan also con- Scattered for miles are tens of thousands of tons of greenhouse gases per year, a sixth have learned the white man’s ways well and tinue their struggle, joined by other First shards and worked stones, great boulders of BC’s present output. are now using this knowledge against their Nations, local municipalities and environ- of volcanic glass, and everywhere evidence Shell Canada proposes the largest proj- people. They have mistakenly discounted mental groups. But, as all attention is paid of ancient sites that sent this precious com- ect: to extract methane gas from shallow us, saying we do not have any educated to opposing Enbridge’s plan for the Northern modity along trade routes that reached coal deposits in an area covering nearly a people. Our traditional knowledge goes Gateway pipeline and tanker route, the across the sea to Haida Gwaii and east and million acres. Several thousand wells linked back to time immemorial. Back to a time Tahltan struggle continues under the radar south as far as the great plains.” (4) by a huge network of roads and pipelines without papers, computers and contempo- of public scrutiny. We need to oppose the Davis, who lives in the area and is close would be drilled. Using new technology, rary law.” (38) one without forgetting the other. friends with many of the Tahltans, sketches commonly known as “fracking”, which has In spite of injunctions, the elders main- a brief history of the area from the early not been fully tested, the gas is separated tained their occupation for 265 days, sup- The striking photographs combined with 19th century when fur traders first arrived. from the coal by removing the underground ported by Tahltans throughout the area. the well told story of Tahltan resistance to In the 1860s prospectors found gold in the water. Enough water is removed at each Early in their sit-in they issued another the despoiling of their land make this a great area and in that same decade an influx of well to fill several Olympic sized swimming statement. book. All proceeds from the book’s sale workers attempted to build an overland pools. “Highly saline, and tainted with arse- “The elders are the keepers of land, go to the ongoing struggle and neither the telegraph line which would connect with nic, barium, ammonia, boron, manganese culture and language. When we stand with author nor the photographers received any Europe via Siberia. The successful laying of and radium fluoride, this toxic water must them we stand with our ancestors, whose money for their work. The reward they seek a transatlantic cable ended this scheme but be quarantined on site in holding ponds, spirits have been with us every day of the is for us to read it and to join in protecting not before the founding of Telegraph Creek removed by tanker to be stored or dumped occupation. We are spiritual people, we be- this sacred place. at the head of navigation on the Stikine. elsewhere, or injected back into the ground.” These events also brought epidemics of (33) smallpox and other diseases which killed The Tahltan have always opposed any Ron reviews: 90% of the pre-contact population. In the threat to the “Sacred Headwaters”. As early The GOOD HOPE CANNERY, life and death at a salmon cannery, by W. MacDon- 20th century guide-outfitters, attempting to as 1910, Chief Nonok led tribal leaders to ald, CAITLIN PRESS monopolize the Spatsizi area, concocted a issue the Tahltan Declaration, based on This is the story of the native, Chinese amdEuropeanhs who live their lives centred story of starvation and arranged for Indian the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which laid on the canning of fish caught mainly by the Japanese. Affairs to move many Tahltans to other loca- the official foundation for the recognition Highlights are the interaction of the very different groups. tions at Iskut and Telegraph Creek. of aboriginal rights in Canada. “We claim The construction of the Stewart-Cassiar sovereign right to all the country of our The Legendary BETTY FRANK, the Caribou’s Alpine Queen, by S Birchwater, highway gave access to southern British Co- tribe—this country of ours which we have CAITLIN PRESS lumbia and also to the Alaska Highway and held intact from the encroachment of other In this book Betty Frank tells the story of her adventurous life. in the 1970s an abortive scheme to extend tribes, from time immemorial, at the cost of She grew up in a float house, the playing field being the log booms. Moving to the the British Columbia Railway from Fort St. our own blood.” (21) Caribou she found a new and adventurous outdoors. While there she took her teaching James led to a third centre of population at Today the tribe of speculators, promot- certificate but her ambition was to be a big game guide. She dropped teaching and for Dease Lake. In the 80s BC Hydro planned ers and developers is among the most pow- 50 years has guided hunters in the great outdoors. to build five dams on the Stikine and Iskut erful and aggressive in our world. One of A very readable memoir. rivers; these would have flooded the Grand their favourite methods of obtaining access Canyon of the Stikine. Luckily, however, to resources is to cultivate a local leader, or TEXADA TAPESTRY, by H. Harboard, HARBOUR PUBLISHERS Lovers of the Gulf Islands will love this book. Many races participated in its gold rush. Mining in turn produced three little towns, Blubber Bay, Van Anda and Gillies Bay. MT MOTHER TONGUE Its history includes a bloody standoff at the 1938 IWA strike; a scandal causing a P PUBLISHING LIMITED premier to resign; whiskey production during the prohibition of booze; and marijuan Salt Spring iSland, BC Celebrating our fifth year production during the present prohibition of opiates. publishing bold books of Several ferry changes will get you to this land of lovely sand beaches. British Columbia’s unheralded REMARKABLE YUKON WOMEN, by C. Festel & V Hodgson, HARBOUR PUBLISH- the Porch Gallery ING oPen sUndays 12-4 art history, fiction and poetry. This is a remarkable book. Art lovers will find the paintings of the women quite outstanding. The bios are eminently readable and in the format, each woman makes her own personal statement. order direct from oUr website or at yoUr favoUrite bookstore mothertonguepublishing.com --Ron MacIsaac t: Duncan Seedy Saturday

When: March 24th, 2012

Where: Mercury Theatre (331 Brae Road, Duncan, BC)

The Lower Island NEWS March 2012 Page 23 Calendar of coming events CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT Board Contact: Vanessa at 250-748-8506 or email like to run for an executive position, please Red Barn beside Gordon Head Recreation Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday her at vanessa@cowichangreencommunity. contact Erik Kaye at [email protected] or Centre. Guest speaker to be announced. of every month, at 1:30 p.m., at the CRD org 250-382-4370. offices at 625 Fisgard street in Victoria. “WHAT!” A Benefit, Variety Show, & Auc- 1ST ANNUAL EARTH DAY LOCAL THE 31st ANNUAL VICTORIA EARTH tion will be held on Sunday, March 25, from CENTRAL SAANICH RESIDENTS ARE FOOD DINNER, sponsored by the WALK will take place Saturday, April 21, 5:30pm-10ish, in support of South Island invited to attend regular neighbourhood Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca Federal NDP, will starting with a gathering at the Provincial Pride Centre. Victoria Pride is pleased to gatherings, held every Friday night at 7 pm be held on Friday, April 20, at Olympic View Legislature at 11:30 a.m., the walk at noon present an evening bursting with entertain- at Spelt’s Coffee Shop, 7586 East Saanich Golf Course, 643 Latoria Raod, Victoria. with live samba music and a celebration at ment (such as the fabulous Miss Rosie Road, in Saanichton. Share stories, books, Guest speaker will be Megan Leslie, MP, Spirit Square at 12:30 with speakers, games Bitts), delish food (From The Reef!) and just talk politics and enjoy hot coffee. Nothing Halifax, and NDP Environment Critic. Come and music. This year, the master of ceremo- enough sassy class to make for one heck of is taboo… No pretentiousness, no meet- and meet your Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP nies is Victoria’s poet laureate Janet Rogers a night out. For the itty-bitty cost of a $50 ing agenda… just a chance to chat with Randall Garrison. Reception at 6:00 pm; and the keynote speaker is Bob McDonald, ticket you will not only make change and neighbours and build community. Call 250- buffet at 7:00 pm. Chef Melbourne O’Brien host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks. provide much needed support to our LGBTQ 652-8228 for further information. Everyone will prepare Cowichan Bay Farms chicken, youth here in Victoria; you will do so dressed is welcome. Sooke trout with Dungeness crab, and the CREATIVELY UNITED FOR THE PLANET in your finest duds all while schmoozing with finest local products available. Tickets $75. FESTIVAL will take place at St. Matthias other like minded fantastic folk who want to THE VICTORIA LABOUR COUNCIL, For reservations and more information, call Hall, at 600 Richmond Road, on three days, do the same! For more information and to representing affiliated unions in the Greater 250-384-7374. April 20-22. What organizers are calling “the purchase your tickets (They are limited!) Victoria Area, holds its regular monthly beginning of a movement”, will raise needed please visit www.southislandpride.com meeting at 7 pm, on the third Wednesday JOIN DENISE SAVOIE, MP (VICTORIA), funds for progressive environmental-based each month, at the BCGEU Auditorium, and special guest speaker, NDP Environ- charities while heightening awareness and THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF 2994 Douglas Street, Victoria. All delegates ment Critic Megan Leslie, MP (Halifax), for initiating action for positive change in an CANADA will hold a leadership convention are welcome to come to meet your execu- the Victoria Federal NDP Annual General entertaining and engaging way. This link on Saturday and Sunday,March 24 and 25, tive, president Mike Eso, treasurer Stan Meeting Saturday, April 21, from 1:30-3 gives you all the details: http://creatively- in Metro Toronto Convention Centre – South Dzbik,and secretary Kim Manton. pm, at Oaklands Community Centre, 2827 unitedfortheplanet.com/ Building, at 222 Bremner Blvd., Toronto, Belmont Avenue. Guests and observers Ontario.This will be the party’s biggest DUNCAN SEEDY SATURDAY will be held are welcome. Refreshments will be served. OAK BAY-GORDON HEAD NEW DEMO- convention in its history on March 24, at the Mercury Theatre, (331 All Victoria NDP members are invited to CRATS will hold their Annual General Brae Road, Duncan, BC, from 10am-3pm stand for executive positions. If you would Meeting on Sunday, May 6, at 1 pm, at the

The Spanish Civil War, by Paul Preston Review by David Olsen terror inflicted by the fascist forces on any- elsewhere. you’re not with us, you’re against us” (or with Although thousands of books have been one and their friends and families, vaguely Repeatedly throughout the book, the the terrorists, pornographers, criminals etc.) published on the Spanish Civil War since it suspected of being even slightly left-wing, statements by Spanish, British, American, rhetoric of US Republicans and the Harper ended in April 1939, Paul Preston’s definitive was unprecedented to that date in western French and other right-wing western politi- Conservative government. new book is a “must read”. twentieth century society. cal, industrial and financial elites, show how Read Preston’s book! It will refresh your What makes this book so compelling is Preston brings to life the experiences those reactionary forces saw the destruction determination to work for social justice and the account of the events from 1931 until of ordinary working class Spaniards in vivid of the democratic Spanish republic by the equality in the face of the latest onslaughts the fateful day --July 18, 1936 --when Gen- contemporary language. He describes rebel fascists, as being in their interest. Take of the reactionary right, at home and around eral Francisco Franco staged the coup that how merely being a “bracero” or landless the statement by the fascist General Mola to the world. unleashed the forces of fascism against the peasant day labourer in Andalucia, was the mayors of the province of Pamplona in Other recent important books covering legitimate Spanish Republic and the social enough for a person to be shot by a fascist 1936 – “It is necessary to spread terror. We the historic social events of the 1930s: and economic ambitions of a people who firing squad. have to create the impression of mastery, In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson had suffered injustice and deprivation for A unique aspect of Preston’s book is that eliminating without scruples or hesitation, all (non-fiction – Berlin in the mid 1930’s) generations. it highlights the systematic and organized those who do not think as we do.” Winter in Madrid, by C.J. Sansom (a riveting The contemporary rhetoric of Spanish abuse of women during the civil war, as a This sounds disturbingly similar to the “If novel set in post-civil war Madrid in 1940/41) and Western right-wingers, recounted by deliberate policy of the fascist forces, fol- Preston, echoes down the eight decades lowed by savage decimation of their rights since then and has eerie similarities to what by Franco from 1939 onwards, when the we see and hear today in Europe and North status of women was effectively plunged by Kevin Bales, America. back into the Middle Ages. Sadly, that situ- Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy, University of California Press, USA and UK. The sheer scale of the brutality and ation has since been all too often, repeated If water is essential to human society and our global economy it seems that a vast labour pool of unprotected and dispensable workers is just as vital. If we think slavery went out a few centuries ago, it is time to think again. Slavery exists today in many forms from child labour in agriculture in much of the world to sex Mother Tongue Publishing announces the slavery, organized as a global business in Asia, but also the result of wars everywhere to brutal physical labour in resource extraction and manufacturing world wide. 2nd Search for the Great BC Novel Contest This is a depressing overview of humanity’s inhumanity, but we need to know and Due to the great success of its 1st Search Prize, and the Commonwealth Writers’ understand the business of slavery in business, Bale writes. We must examine and for the Great BC Novel Contest, Mother Prize. A two-time Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize change our ways of investment and consumption. We have to delegitimize and decon- Tongue Publishing, of Salt Spring Island, and three-time CBC Literary Award winner, struct global trade agreements that allow the exploitation of people and we can join and has announced the 2nd Search for the Great Addereson was also the recipient of the work in anti-slavery, fair trade, pro-democracy and social justice movements locally and BC Novel Contest! 2006 Marian Engel Award for mid-career internationally. Bales, a British academic and expert on modern slavery, provides the Gurjinder Basran, of Delta BC, won the achievement. She lives in Vancouver. necessary information for informed action. 1st contest for her exceptional debut novel Gurjinder Basran’s debut novel, Every- Everything Was Good-bye, and it went on thing Was Good-bye, was the winner of BLUE GOLD: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water, to win the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize for Mother Tongue Publishing’s first Search for by Maude barlow and Tony Clarke, 2002. The New Press. USA 2011. Everything Was Good-bye was also the Great BC Novel Contest and went on “Although world water supplies are dwindling and transnational corporations are Reader’s Choice for the ScotiaGiller Prize to win the 2011 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. working hard to reap substantial profits from that scarce resource, it is not too late to for three weeks in August. Everything Was Good-bye was shortlisted turn the situation around” Mother Tongue Publishing has now for Amazon.com’s 2008 Breakthrough Novel This quote sums up the authors’ overview of the diminishing global supply of a re- sold Canadian rights to Penguin Canada Award and was also Reader’s Choice for source most of us take for granted. But as new frontiers for capitalist expansion shrink and Everything Was Good-bye will be re- the ScotiaGiller Prize for three weeks in a and disappear, politically and geographically, the corporate world has turned in recent launched next month as a beautiful Penguin row August 2011. Penguin Canada has ac- decades to the privatization of the commons and making commodities out of life’s paperback and ebook! The award-winning quired Canadian rights and is re-launching necessities. short-list judges for the 1st contest were BC her novel and ebook this spring. Everything Water is being consumed at double the rate of our population increase, mainly for writers Kathy Page, Karen X. Tulchinsky and Was Good-bye has also been chosen as industrial use. So people, and particularly people in the Majority World, are loosing the final judge was Jack Hodgins. There a Chaletaine Book Club pick. She lives in this vital life force. Children go to bed thirsty; they die of dehydration or of water-borne were 64 submissions. Delta with her family. disease because the water they do get is contaminated. The judges for the 2nd contest are prize- David Chariandy’s debut novel Sououy- We seem to be working on many fronts in recent times -- militarism, radioactivity, winning BC novelists Caroline Adderson, ant was nominated for 10 literary prizes and food, seeds, human rights, homelessness and the increase in wealth of a few as more Gurjinder Basran, and David Chariandy. The awards, including the 2009 International IM- and more become poorer. contest is open to all writers living in British PAC Dublin Literary Award (longlisted), the Social movements are growing too, and we have had many successes in the Columbia and the deadline for submissions 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize (longlisted), the struggle to keep our commons -- from Bolivia to Kamloops -- people have prevented is November 1, 2012. Complete guidelines 2007 Governor General’s Award for Fiction the privatization and sale of water resources. are at www.mothertonguepublishing.com (finalist), the 2008 Commonwealth Writers The authors state that the inequality of access to water can only be rectified by the Caroline Adderson is the author of three Prize for Best First Book of Canada and the elimination of economic and political inequality. When we work for one we work for the novels (A History of Forgetting, Sitting Prac- Caribbean (shortlisted) and the 2008 Ethel other. This is an issue that concerns all living creature and we need to be responsible tice, The Sky Is Falling), two collections of Wilson Fiction Prize (shortlisted). It won the stewards for those who can not speak for themselves, while we create justice for all. short stories (Bad Imaginings, Pleased Gold Independent Publisher Award for Best Along with the serious background information in Blue Gold, the authors also give To Meet You) as well as books for young Novel. David lives in Vancouver and teaches many actions and strategy along with success stories. An excellent overview and call readers. Her work has received numerous in the Department of English at SimonFraser for action. Have a drink of water, now, but from the tap, not a plastic Dasani or Aquafina prize nominations including the International University. bottle. IMPAC Dublin Award, the Scotiabank Giller --Theresa Wolfwood Prize (longlist), the Governor General’s For further information, see submissions@moth- Literary Award, the Rogers’ Trust Fiction ertonguepublishing.com Page 24 March 2012 L The Lower Island NEWS Directory of locations, organizations, publications of interest MLA COMMUNITY OFFICES president Sue Creba at 250-753-3371or email community, get involved by calling co-chairs Dale ALTERNATIVE WEBSITES her at [email protected]. Perkins at 250-592-5487 or Wendy Strong at 250- Cowichan Valley Community Office,Bill Rout- 592-1222. www.alternet.org --A US website featuring alter- ley, MLA: 273 Trunk Road, Duncan, BC or PO Box Saanich-Gulf Islands New Democrats: Contact native articles on US and world politics, an online 599, Duncan, BC, V9L 3X9, phone 250-715-0127, president Jack Greenwell at 250-477-3549 or Together Against Poverty Society: 415-620 magazine and information source. toll free 1-877-715-0127, fax 250-715-0139, MLA by email to [email protected]; or Irene View Street, Victoria, BC, phone 250-361-3521. email [email protected] Wright (Gulf Islands), by phone/fax 1-250-537- www.counterpunch.org--an American website 5347, or email to [email protected]. Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Soci- with a left-wing viewpoint. Esquimalt-Royal Roads Community Office, ety: Third floor, 535 Yates Street, Victoria, BC, Maurine Karagianis, MLA: A5-100 Aldersmith Victoria New Democrats: To contact president V8W 2Z6, phone 250-361-9433, fax 250-361- http//dominionpaper.ca--a Canadian ezine cov- Place, View Royal, BC V9A 7M8, phone 250-479- Erik Kaye, write to Box 5380, LCD9, Victoria, 1914, website www.vircs.bc.ca. ering national and international stores that main- 8326, email [email protected] BC, V8R 6S4.or visit their website:www.victori- stream sources may not cover. Updated daily. or visit her website at www.maurinekaragianis.ca andp.ca. Victoria Labour Council: 219-275 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC, V8T 4E8, phone 250-384- www.globalproblematique.net/bcpolicyprobe Juan de Fuca Community Office,John Horgan, PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL 8331, fax: 250-384-8381, email [email protected]; -- Run by BC Policy Probe, this website features MLA: 800 Goldstream Avenue, Victoria, BC, V9B NDP OFFICES Mike Eso, president; Mary Ehl, secretary; Mike information and research about suh things as 2X7, phone 250-391-2801, email john.horgan.- Ferguson, treasurer. privatization of BC Hydro. [email protected] BC New Democrats: 5367 Kingsway, Burnaby BC, V5H 2G1, phone 604-430-8600, fax 604-432- Victoria Peace Centre: Box 8307, Victoria, BC, www.avaaz.org/en/global --Global warming is Saanich South Community Office, Lana 9517, toll free 1-888-868-3637. V8W 3R9, phone/fax 250-592-8307, email cen- a global threat. By confronting it together, we Popham, MLA: 4085 Quadra Street, Victoria BC [email protected] or website www.vicpeace.ca. can build a more just, tolerant, and vibrant world. V8X 1K5, email [email protected], Canada’s New Democrats: 300 - 279 Laurier www.saanichsouth.ca West, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5J9, phone 613-236- World Wildlife Federation: 410-245 Eglinton www.indymedia.org -- A collective of independ- 3613, toll free: 1-866-525-2555, fax 613-230- Avenue East, Toronto, ON, M4P 3J1, phone ent media organizations and hundreds of journal- Victoria-Beacon Hill Community Office,Carole 9950, TTY: 1-866-776-7742. 1-800-26-PANDA, fax 416-489-8055, website: ists offering grassroots, non-corporate coverage James, MLA: 1084 Fort Street, Victoria, BC, V8V www.wwf.ca of events as they happen around the world. 3K4, phone 250-952-4211, fax 250-952-4586, OTHER GROUPS email [email protected] United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC) www.informationclearinghouse.info --World YOU MAY WANT TO REACH - Victoria Branch: 202-3293 Douglas Street, news daily--news you won’t find on CNN or Victoria-Swan Lake Community Office, Rob Victoria, BC, V8Z 3K9, phone 250-475-2868, fax Foxnews. Amnesty International--Canadian Section: Fleming, MLA: 1020 Hillside Avenue, Victoria, 250-475-5898, email [email protected] or www.amnesty.org. BC, V8T 2A2, email [email protected] website www.unac.org. http://Newsdaily.ca--CanadaNewsdaily.ca is a good (and bad) news service with a refreshingly BC Council of Senior Citizens Organization: MPs and COMMUNITY OFFICES ALTERNATIVE PUBLICATIONS non-corporate view of the news, from local to phone 604-438-3221. global stories, with features, opinion, analysis -- all Denise Savoie, MP, House of Commons, Room Canadian Dimension Magazine: an independ- for free, including free classified ads. Newsdaily BC Latin American Congress: 4184 Brant 518, Confederation Building, Ottawa, ON, A1A ent socialist magazine, begun in 1963, and run by covers Canadian and world news, plus a focused Street, Vancouver, BC, V5N 5B4, phone 604-879- 0A6. a cooperative, published 6 times a year, subscrip- look at British Columbia, Victoria and the Islands. 3246, fax 604-872-6776, email [email protected]. tion $24.50, students and unemployed $18.50, Victoria Community Office, Denise Savoie, MP, 2B-91 Albert Street, Winnipeg, MN, R3B 1G5, [email protected] Originally Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: 410- 970 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 2H3, subscription hotline 1-800-737-7051. set up to discuss the implications of the Multi- 75 Albert Street, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5E7, phone phone 250-363-8421, fax 250-363-8422, open lateral Agreement on Investments, this website 613-563-1341, fax 613-233-1458, email ccpa@ Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; visit www. COMER (Committee on Monetary and Eco- and related email list now discuss world-wide policyalternatives.ca, website: www.policyalter- denisesavoie.ca or email her at denise.savoie@ nomic Reform): reform-minded focus on mon- developments of concern to left-wing readers. natives.ca. parl.gc.ca etary issues and how they affect our society, email [email protected], website www.comer.org. http://ndp.4webs.ca -- A new NDP list serve and Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives--BC , House of Commons, bulletin board. Check it out. Randall Garrison, MP Office: 1400-207 West Hastings Street, Vancou- Confederation Building, Ottawa, ON, A1A 0A6. Global Outlook: Ian Woods, editor; $25 Cana- ver, BC, V6B 1H7, phone 604-801-5121, fax 604- dian, PO Box 222, Oro, ON L0L 2X0. www.pacificfreepress.com--with a mission to 801-5122, website: www.policyalternatives.ca. Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca Community Office, dig out nuggets of truth from the slag-heap of Randall Garrison, MP, A2-1000 Aldersmith Place, The CCPA Monitor: published by the Canadian lies, ignorance and witless diversion that has Canadian Health Coalition: phone 613-233- Victoria, BC V9A 7M8, open 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Centre for Policy Alternatives, 410-75 Albert buried public discourse today. Pacific Free Press 1018. Monday - Thursday or by appointment. Phone Street, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5E7, $110 supporting provides a new venue for disseminating hard 250-405-4550; fax 250-405-4556. Email randall. membership with $75 tax0 receipt, or $25 low in- news and insightful, fact-based analysis of the Canadian Labour Congress (Pacific Region): [email protected]. come membership receives the Monitor monthly. harsh realities too often ignored or distorted by 201-5118 Joyce Street, Vancouver, BC, V5R the mainstream press. 4H1, Regional Representative Iris Taylor, phone , House of Commons, Con- The Democrat: published by the BC NDP, 3110 Jean Crowder, MP 604-430-6766, extension 267, fax 604-430-6762. federation Building, Ottawa, ON, A1A 0A6. Email Boundary Road, Burnaby, BC, V5M 4A2, sub- http://pej.org--PEJ News, a free service, serves her at [email protected] scription $10 per year. up daily news, opinion and analysis of peace, Council of Canadians, Victoria Chapter: PO environment and justice issues. Stay informed Box 5515, 1625 Fort Street, Victoria, BC, phone Jean The Straight: a weekly publication with features, with web and email stories often days, weeks Nanaimo-Cowichan Community Office: 250-360-8448, email victoriacouncilofcanadi- Crowder, MP: 101- 126 Ingram Street, Duncan, articles, news and reviews from Vancouver, sub- and months ahead of the mainstream media. The [email protected] or visit www.victoriacouncilofca- BC V9L 1P1, www.jeancrowder.ca or email her scription $117/52 issues in Canada, 2nd floor, Peace, Earth & Justice News is produced entirely nadians.ca at [email protected] 1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6J 3G7, by volunteers and is a probject of the non-profit phone 604-730-7000, email [email protected]. Prometheus Institute based in Victoria, BC. Canadian Wildlife Federation: 350 Michael PROVINCIAL NDP Cowpland Drive, Kanata, ON, K2M 2W1, phone New Internationalist: a communications co- www.policyalternatives.ca -- The Canadian CONSTITUENCY ASSOCIATIONS 1-800-563-9453, or visit www.cwf-fcf.org. operative based in Oxford, it exists to report on Centre for Policy Alternatives’ web page offers issues of world poverty and inquality; to focus research reports, books and opinion pieces done Cowichan Valley New Democrats: Write PO 214-131 Ecojustice (formerly Sierra Legal): attention on the unjust relationship between the on issues of social and economic justice. Box 102, Duncan, BC V9L 1P0; or contact presi- Water Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 4M3, phone dent Ellen Oxman at 250-250-701-4980 or email powerful and the powerless in both rich and poor 1-800-926-7444 -- A cheeky site offering original her at [email protected]. nations; to debate and campaign for the radical www.rabble.ca changes necessary f the basic material and stories, feature articles and columns from some www.gc.ca. Government of Canada: spiritual needs of all are to be met, subscriptions, of the progressive voices in Canada. Esquimalt-Royal Roads New Democrats: Write Box 231 110-174 Wilson Street Victoria, BC V9A $38.50 including GST ,PO Box 706, Markham, Government of BC: www.gov.bc.ca. --You’ll find David 7N7 or email [email protected].. ON, L6B 1A7, phone 905-946-0407, fax: 905-946- www.strategicthoughts.ca 0410, email: [email protected]. Schreck’s columns and more here. Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition: visit Juan de Fuca New Democrats: Phone presi- www.greatervictoriawaterwatchcoalition.ca or -- A watchdog working dent John Lewinski at 250-391-1686 or email him Our Times: Canada’s independent labour maga- www.straightgoods.com phone 250-595-1701 or 250- 380-1197. for Canadian consumers and citizens. at [email protected]. zine and read by mostl abour organizations and other supporters of working pwople. Check its www.hri.ca. Human Rights Internet: website at www.ourtimes.ca. www.thetyee.ca--BC news and views from a Oak Bay-Gordon Head New Democrats: Write non-corporate perspective. PO Box 5539, LCD 9, Victoria, BC, V8R 6S4,or Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria: contact president Keith Todd at 250-598-8039 The Left Coast Events listserve and webpage phone 250-388-4728, fax 250-386-4395. --US website with Real news. or by email at [email protected] provides a forum for sharing information about www.truthout.org upcoming events committed to uncovering the NAPO (National Anti-Poverty Organization) various dimensions of social and environmental www.victoriacarshare.ca--If you don’t want to Saanich North and the Islands New Demo- : advocates for the poor in communities, News justice. Anyone can add an event and doing so own a car but still need to drive one sometimes, crats: Email president Gary Holman at ghol- courts and political areas, www.napo-onap.ca. is free for not-for-profit organizing and actions. this welbsite may be for you. [email protected] or phone him at 250-653- , Visit leftcoastevents.org to add an event, for more 2042. www.ndpsocialists.ca. NDP Socialist Caucus: information, or to subscribe. www.vivelecanada.ca--website by noted activist “Our aim and ongoing struggle as New Democrats Mel Hurtig about the corporate threat to Canadian Saanich South New Democrats: Write PO Box must be to establish a Socialist Canada.” sovereignty, includes a whole range of features 30041, Saanich Centre Postal Outlet, Victoria, The Dominion: a monthly paper published by an incipient network of independent journalists from online polls and petitions to editorials and BC, V8X 5E1, phone 250-479-1100, or email lists all federal cabinet Parliamentary website in Canada since May 2003. It aims to provide information updates. [email protected]. ministers, parliamentary secretaries and opposi- accurate, critical coverage that is accountable tion spokespersons. Visit www.parl.gc.ca/infor- to its readers and the subjects it tackles. The www.wsws.org --The World Socialist Web Site Victoria-Beacon Hill New Democrats: Write PO mation/about/people/key/critic.asp?language=E is the Internet centre of the International Commit- Box 8523, Victoria, BC, V8W 3S1, phone 250- Dominion can be read online, or delivered to tee of the Fourth International (ICFI). It provides 386-8497 or contact president Chris Gainor by your doorstep as a print subscription. See www. Seniors’ Advocacy Services, sponsored by the analysis of majorworld events, comments on phone at 250-380-6358 or by email at cgainor@ dominionpaper.ca/ Greater Victoria Seniors (OAPO) organization, political, cultural, historical and philosophical is- shaw.ca. are available on Mondays and Thursdays from The Republic: Vancouver-based socialist paper, sues, and valuable documents and studies from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m., at the Blanshard subscriptions, two issues per month, $25 per the heritage of the socialistmovement. Victoria-Swan Lake New Democrats: Contact Community Centre, 901 Kings Road (King and year; free at local news stands, PO Bo 56072, president Darcy Lindberg at darcy.lindberg@ Dowler Streets), close to the #4 and #6 buses on Vancouver, BC, V5L 5E2; email mag pie@lynx. COMMUNITY RADIO gmail.com, or write to PO Box 282, 1681 Hill- Quadra Street. Service is free, and provided by bc.ca. 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