Nobleton Clear

It is Time to Keep Moving Forward with the Liberals.

We do not need another Tory government with divisive policies, privatization of Medicare and large deficits. The current Conservative/Tory campaign promises to do just that. The promise to fund faith based schools will fragment society building in state sponsorship of segregation. At a time when we have peace in the education system and a focus on Literacy and Mathematics improvement to take funds and give it to religious groups to set up duplication of multiple systems is bad social, economic and educational planning. The promise to fund private clinics to do medical procedures that can be done in the public system will mean our tax dollars will go to a profit oriented clinics rather than to improving the financially strapped publicly system. At the same time Tory is promising to cut taxes and we know from the last Conservative Government that cutting taxes and privatizing the pubic services leads to massive deficits.

Ecological Disaster in the Making!

I was at the Beach this week end on Georgian Bay and noticed that the water level had dropped significantly again. Over the last eight years the water level has dropped over 2 feet. This means that docks and launch ramps that were in the water are now high and dry. Rock reefs that were covered in water where we used to catch bass are now out of the water. At first it was said that the water was high and was going back to a lower level but we are now well below historical levels. There seem to be two key reasons for continual dropping of the water levels. First, the use of tremendous amounts of water being taken out every day from the upper lakes for industrial purposes, mining, forestry and residential use which removes billions of gallons on a continual basis. The second is with the changes in climate with the longer hotter, drier summers there is a lack of recharge of the water.

If there is now a reversal of the continual drop in water levels it has a very negative effect on the climate surrounding the lakes and the tourist industry. At this time I don’t see any level of government taking the issue of our fresh water supply seriously. Water for each and every Canadian is a right and must be respected it is not a commodity to be taken away of to be privatized. The taking of water from the upper great lakes basin must be much more rigidly controlled

Where is the Waffle when We Need Them???

In yesteryear the Waffle raised our conciseness about the importance of keeping the decision making/management of key leaders in industrial sector in Canadian hands. Over the past two years we have seen numerous take overs of major Canadian companies by foreign interests. The Harper Government has been conspicuous by its silence. They have never articulated a policy to protect Canadian industrial and /manufacturing interests .They seem to be of the opinion that the global economy means Canada is for sale to the highest bidder. This will mean an out flow of key investment decision and capital to the foreign owners. As the dollar reaches parity with the US we will see a further loss of value added well paying manufacturing jobs. The Harper Government is doing nothing to protect Canadian companies and Canadian jobs

Harper’s True Colours are Yellowy Brown and Grey !

The shutting down of the Wildlife service is a true Harper move showing the distain his Government has for our environment. As our climate is warming up we need to have a greater monitoring of the effects of climate change on all living components of our environment. The health of each part of our environment has a direct effect on our health.
I say shame on the Conservative government!!

Bi-elections are a time to protest!

There has been a pestilence of comments following Monday’s bi-elections. From where I sit it is time to learn and have all liberals pull together to ensure we have strong campaigns across Canada. It is no time for recriminations. As I see it we had a popular socially conscious provincial liberal cabinet minister win a liberal riding. True he got lost and wore the wrong colours. As we Liberals move forward with a socially just reform policy addressing Canadian sovereignty, the environment, the social safety net and a new economic order we will inspirer all Canadians and form the next majority government.

Where Is the Vision

I have been disappointed by the lack of true vision for our future by the parties in the Ontario election. As feared when the McGuinty Government fixed election dates we have had a summer of dribs and drabs of ideas but no overall plan of how to prepare Ontario for the changes we are undergoing economically or environmentally. For example the northern boreal forests which are a great carbon sink in Ontario continue to be cut despite McGuinty’s promise in the last election not to expand the cut area without a plan. If we do not save these forests we will not only lose a carbon sink but also further endanger the wildlife, such as, the woodland caribou and millions of song birds. I hope we get a concret view of the parties vision of how to trasform Ontario in the up coming debate.

Climate change is a challenge to our northern sovereignty and Harper’s announcement falls short!
This summer Harper broke an election promise by back tracking on the quality of the new ice breaking capability in our north. Ice breakers are the life line connecting to the northern communities and protecting Canada’s sovereignty. We need all season ice breaking capability not more warm season ice breakers. The new frigates announced will be useless against an ice ridge or thick ice. We don’t have one naval vessel capable for working in the ice in our artic waters. Instead of spending money on tanks for Afghanistan the military investments needs to be put all season ice braking capable naval vessels. What is the use of Harper saying they will build a northern port if Canada has no vessels to get into it? A strong coast guard and naval presence all year is the only way to assert our Artic claims, protect our northern community’s waters to assert Canadian sovereignty over our nation’s resources.

We need to be inclusive.
I have been absent for a long time and have come back at the start of the Ontario election. The first thing I noticed was John Tory's plan to fund religious private schools. This fragmentation of society utlizing the School system is unacceptable. The public school system is excellent. Local schools provide a hub for all members or a community. Schools draw the diverse members of a community together in a common venue. This builds understanding and tolerance across the cultural and religious groups that make up a community. To fund private religious school will not enhance our understanding and respect for each other. Fragmenting society into isolated religious groups will provide the potential to foster mistrust and prjudice. It will draw resources away for the current system. Religious schools are free to function now and parents choose to do that. But pubic funds should not be used to this end.