CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION -- Governing in An
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GOVERNING IN AN INCLUSIVE AND FAIR CANADA CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION 5-01-18 Human Rights Tribunal Rulings Regarding First Nations Child Welfare Nipissing--Timiskaming, Saskatoon West, Timmins--James Bay Whereas the Liberals have broken their promise of a new nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous Peoples by continuing the oppressive, racist, and colonial practice of systemic under-funding of the First Nations child welfare system; Be it resolved that New Democrats condemn the Liberals’ defiance of the Human Rights Tribunal rulings demanding equal funding; Be it further resolved that an NDP government would immediately implement the Human Rights Tribunal rulings, including the reinstatement of adequate funding for First Nations child welfare. 5-02-18 Decolonization Pickering--Uxbridge, UONDP 1. BE IT RESOLVED THAT Section 5.7 (b) of the Policy Book be amended to read: 2. Executing the 94 Calls to Action given by Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Jordan’s Principle. 5-03-18 Public Inquiry into Phoenix Pay System Ottawa Centre Whereas the Phoenix pay system is an outsourcing disaster affecting thousands of present and retired public servants and their families; and Whereas both Conservative and Liberal governments bear responsibility for it; and Whereas, facing a similar outsourcing payroll disaster, the Government of Queensland Australia conducted an enlightening inquiry; Therefore be it resolved that the NDP campaign for, and seek to legislate, a public inquiry into all aspects of the Phoenix payroll system including, but not limited to: 1. all of the procurement, design, development, implementation, and post- implementation processes; 2. the system’s impact on government employees and retirees, the respective unions, government finances and operations, and, services provided to the people of Canada; and 3. recommendations to improve existing procurement and project management (including governance) policies, processes, standards, and contractual arrangements for government information and communication technology projects. CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS // RÉSOLUTIONS | 1 of 14 GOVERNING IN AN INCLUSIVE AND FAIR CANADA CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION 5-04-18 Government Ethics Dauphin--Swan River--Neepawa, Brampton East, Timmins--James Bay, Elmwood--Transcona Whereas no Minister of the Crown should ever be in a position to personally financially benefit from their publicly-held position; Whereast the Liberals have failed to uphold this most basic ethical standard; Be it further resolved that New Democrats call on the government to censure Minister Morneau for proposing legislation to regulate the pension industry while standing to benefit from millions of dollars of personal investment from those proposed changes to that same industry; Be it further resolved that the NDP propose amendments to the Conflict of Interest Act to ensure that in the future, Ministers with holdings in industries they regulate or influence, are required to divest themselves of those assets or place those holdings in a blind trust. 5-05-18 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Aboriginal Commission Whereas Trudeau’s pre-election promise was to create a National Inquiry in to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls; Whereas a National Inquiry in to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls must be proactive, effective and comprehensive; Therefore, be it resolved that the NDP take a leadership role and pressure the Government of Canada to correct the course of the National Inquiry of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls immediately. And be it further resolved that the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls be mandated to hear from any and all families who wish to present to the Inquiry. And be it further resolved that the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls timeline be extended to ensure that any and all families who wish to present to the National Inquiry are able to. And be it further resolved that resources be provided to families to support those who wish to present. CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS // RÉSOLUTIONS | 2 of 14 GOVERNING IN AN INCLUSIVE AND FAIR CANADA CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION 5-06-18 Support for Mixed Member Proportional Representation Charlottetown Whereas the Liberal Party headed by Justin Trudeau promised the voters of Canada that the 2015 federal election would be the last one conducted under the current First-Past-the-Post (or Single Member Plurality) Electoral System, and Whereas the Liberal government headed by Justin Trudeau rejected the report of the Special House of Commons Committee on Electoral Reform, and Whereas the Special House of Commons Committee on Electoral Reform noted that the vast majority of presentations to its country-wide public consultations favoured an electoral system based on proportional representation, and Whereas the majority of those voting in previous referendums in both Prince Edward Island and British Columbia have favoured proportional representation, and Whereas in 2004, after conducting public consultations across Canada, the Law Reform Commission of Canada recommended the adoption of a specific detailed system of proportional representation based on a series of regional voting calculations, and Whereas proportional representation has been shown to increase the diversity of representation in legislative bodies, while also producing a legislative body that more accurately reflects the wishes of the voters, Therefore be it resolved that the New Democratic Party of Canada reiterate its support for Mixed Member Proportional Representation and ensure that Mixed Member Proportional Representation be given a high profile in the NDP platform in the next federal election. 5-07-18 Constitutional reform Québec BE IT RESOLVED THAT the NDP recognize the repatriation of the Constitution in 1982 without Quebec’s signature as an historic mistake; BE IT RESOLVED THAT the NDP welcome any serious effort to recognize Quebec’s status as a nation and to ensure that it is a part of the Canadian constitutional framework; BE IT RESOLVED THAT the NDP deem that any constitutional reform in Canada must be aimed at establishing the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous nations on a new footing and negotiated in good faith and nation to nation, in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS // RÉSOLUTIONS | 3 of 14 GOVERNING IN AN INCLUSIVE AND FAIR CANADA CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION 5-08-18 Official languages Québec BE IT RESOLVED THAT Canada’s NDP promote an in-depth review of the official languages policy that (a) reflects the asymmetry between English and French and strengthens the place of French within Canadian society; (b) works with Francophone communities across the country to protect and promote French; (c) supports rather than impedes the Government of Quebec and the Charter of the French Language in order to make French the common language of Quebec, and amends the federal legislation to ensure that employees of federally regulated companies in Quebec enjoy the same language rights as those in companies governed by the Charter of the French Language. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an NDP government (a) establish, in partnership and consultation with Indigenous nations and persons, a public inquiry aimed at recognition of official status for Indigenous languages; (b) seek to maintain, strengthen and promote Indigenous languages in partnership and consultation with Indigenous nations and persons. 5-09-18 Single tax return in Quebec Sherbrooke WHEREAS having two tax returns in Quebec is costly, inefficient and an exception in Canada; WHEREAS simplifying Quebeckers’ returns would result in major savings in public funds; WHEREAS having a single tax return would enable taxpayers and businesses in Quebec to save time and money; WHEREAS having a single tax return would enhance Quebec's fiscal autonomy, which is perfectly consistent with the principles set forth in the Sherbrooke declaration; WHEREAS various stakeholders and specialists have worked to bring about this change for many years; WHEREAS the Government of Quebec is already responsible for collecting GST for the federal government; BE IT RESOLVED THAT the NDP propose the idea of a single tax return administered by the Government of Quebec, which would subsequently transfer federal tax to the federal government. BE IT RESOLVED THAT the implementation of this idea must not result in a loss of employment within the federal public service, and therefore this policy proposal must be made in collaboration with the unions and representatives of federal public servants. CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS // RÉSOLUTIONS | 4 of 14 GOVERNING IN AN INCLUSIVE AND FAIR CANADA CONGRÈS OTTAWA 2018 CONVENTION 5-10-18 Resolution on the support and promotion of Quebec culture Québec WHEREAS Canada is a country in which both French and English are official languages and these two cultures must have an equivalent effective place; WHEREAS French is in a minority position in Canada and it is difficult to actively support Francophone culture in predominantly Anglophone organizations; WHEREAS control of cultural programs by the Government of Quebec is the subject of a unanimous position in the National Assembly; WHEREAS Quebec already supports Quebec culture and therefore has already put in place