Martin Says No Coalition Despite Minority Govt

I have an idea, perhaps even a good one...what if we sent Paul Martin and the Liberal party a clear statement of what we do expect from them.

I think they know why they didn't get a majority but I also think they will read it the way it best suits them; I am suggesting we send a collective letter stating that there mandate is....to strengthen healthcare for all Canadians, not through private 3ps; we don't want NAFTA; we want fair trade deals; we don't want to be involved with the new arms race aka; BMD; nor do we want foreign corporations running our show; aka Lockheed Martin or our slaughterhouses etc.; we want the truth about the sponsorship scandal, cease the wasting of our dollars on an inept gun control system; any other issues people think important.

I just think that now is a good time to tell them, why... from our perspective not from the media spin!


---
If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

I also want to ask him to clarify what exactly he was talking about when he said (after it has been shown they did not), that Iraq *had* weapons of mass destruction and that they are now in the hands of terrorists. What was that all about and for whose benefit?

*ahem* *cough* *cough* Softwood Lumber... lets play some hardball and get this thing settled NOW. There are plenty of types of leverage we can use to end it quickly and get some money flowing in BC again.

And I want them to go through with the wind power.

And to look at a nationalized green energy program, as outlined by the NDP (and championed by right-wingers as one of the saving graces of the NDP's economic platform).

And economic incentives to persuade people to switch to green transportation.

If they're going to expect concessions from the NDP, they need to compromise as well. Why not pick out the most obviously beneficial aspects of the NDP platform (those listed above) and implement them?

Also: Take a stance on same-sex marriage and abortion. These are important issues and a true leader must take responsibility for his government's actions; not just download that responsibility onto the courts.

-KY

---
Kory Yamashita

"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Yes Yes yes, this is what I'm saying let's not allow them to become arrogant too quickly; same old stuff; we should keep the momentum of the election campaign going and keep writing letters and getting this stuff out there; reminding them they did not get a majority and therefore the people are not happy with past performances and we expect more, much more. We are the government for pete's sake, and it's time we starting acting like it. Not only do we need to let them know what we want, but we need disclosure on what they are doing, if they are planning on entering into contracts etc.; we need to know in advance not after the fact!

I keep hearing this rhetoric about the people want less government in their lives; that is in my opinion an oxymoron; emphasis on the moron; we are the government why would we want less of ourselves in our lives? Also, the other side of the question is, less of government and more of what? Corporate control?

So let's keep moving, writing and letting these guys know we are the boss and we want a true Canadian government working on all these important issues for Canadians!

---
If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

Good idea, folks! I too say we hammer them with requests and expectations such as scrapping NAFTA, ratifying Romanow, and the like. But if he thinks he`s going to govern without a coalition, we`ll be going to the polls soon again!

---
Dave Ruston

Yes, let them know what we want done, please don't forget that a <b>Proportional Representation</b> voting system is an absolute must if we are to maintain a democracy in this country.

I sent a letter to Martin, here is the text, hope some of you also write to express your concerns!


July 2,2004

Dear Prime Minister Martin

I have been reflecting on the recent election and although you have been quoted in the papers as saying, Canadians sent a clear message; including, that Canadians expect more and I agree. Since you did not gain a majority government you must realize that Canadians clearly are not pleased with the past performance of the Liberal Government. I would like to make known my sense of what this election has revealed about Canadians and about the kind of Canada WE want for the future.

First of all the campaign revealed that we need full disclosure from our representatives. We the electorate are the government and we need the truth in all matters in order to make informed decisions. We can’t be expected to support and ultimately pay for policy that we have not been informed about in advance. You have said that the Conservative party was leading us to an American way of life and clearly Canadians do not chose that path. There are various policies, which are threatening to integrate us further with the U.S. and if you are being true to keeping us sovereign then you need to address these policies immediately.

The First is the NAFTA, which is threatening Canadians ability to govern in a manner which is beneficial to Canadians. As previously promised by Liberal governments, NAFTA needs to be rescinded or at the very least renegotiated to remove Chapter 11 and other Chapters, which threaten Canadians. Second; healthcare in Canada must be protected and provinces should not be allowed to breach the Canada Health Act. In order to have the support of the people the truth must be made public. Albertan’s do not fully realize the impact that private health care will have on them because the truth is not being disclosed. We need to stop the corporate control, which is influencing government policy. The people are the government not the corporations.

The Conservatives campaigned on a policy to lower taxes and the average person thinks they are taxed to death, however it is not taxes generally that are the problem, it is unfair corporate taxes, which are the problem. Corporate Welfare is the issue which needs cleaning up. Foreign ownership is another issue, which is all too common. We cannot expect to be sovereign for very long if we keep allowing foreign companies to own more of Canada then Canadians do. Job creation may be a benefit to this policy however much of the new jobs created are part-time with no benefits. This is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle for Canadians.

o Foreign influence must cease:
o we need made in Canada Wind power
o Canadian slaughter- houses and meat packing plants that test every cow for BSE and therefore we will be able to market to Asia and other world markets; removing the dependency on the U.S. market.
o We need complete disclosure on the government funding of the BSE crisis, including where the money went
o Full disclosure on the Sponsorship Program; including prosecuting those who have stolen our money or misappropriate funds
o Full disclosure on the HRDC issue, the Gun Registry over spending
o We need to protect Canada’s borders (all of them) with our own independent Military, governed only by Canadian authorities
o We need to stand up for soft-wood lumber deals,
o protect our water from becoming a commodity for sale
o Create jobs in Canada for green cars, tractors etc
o Employ Canadians and Canadian companies for critical, confidential, data collection, such as our Census and medical information; not employ foreign companies that are governed by laws outside of Canadian jurisdiction.
o We need to be part of the peace plan for the world and not join in the BMD program, which has already heightened the new arms race in many countries in the world


I realize this letter is long, however I would feel incredibly negligent if I did not make my thoughts known to you now before it is too late. The election expressed much discontent, however I think you might be able to read it anyway you want to; and I wish to make clear what my own position is and what I have seen throughout this election campaign. I am certain you have sensed the discontent of Alberta portrayed in recent news articles, however if the people continue to see their tax dollars flowing to the centre of Canada or to prominently Liberal supporters; the Liberal government will lose credibility as a fair national party, in Alberta and elsewhere. It is my opinion that regardless of where your votes came from, you have a responsibility to represent all Canadians and all their interests.

The primary issues to rectify are; non-transparency, non-disclosure, lack of trust, lack of proper stewardship of our tax dollars, the impending threat from foreign control of our country’s resources and policy; the lack of government’s ability to stand up and on guard for Canadian interests and the inappropriate level of corporate taxation which is impacting our social programs. So you and the Liberal party have much work to do and since you have declared that you are ready to give us more; I believe Canadians will be watching to see what that ‘more’ will be.

I look forward to your response and evidence of the transparency I seek.

Thank you
C. Whelan Costen

Cc: Jack Layton, NDP
Stephen Harper, C


---
If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

Milton, I apologize I left out Proportional rep; I thought I covered everything...there is so much that needs to be addressed; however hopefully when you write yours you can add that issue; I do think it's important; just an oversight in my passion.

---
If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

Whelan, I can see you were on a roll, I'll certainly mention Proportional Representation.