Former BC Green Party deputy leader endorses BC NDP candidate George Heyman

Ben West has a lot of credibility in environmental circles. He is a former candidate for the leadership of the BC Green Party, and has written recently for the Huffington Post about tanker traffic on the west coast.

So it is interesting that he has joined the NDP and is endorsing BC NDP candidate George Heyman, a labour leader who "gets the connection between social justice and environmentalism".

See Ben's 1.13 minute video here.

ps. George Heyman is a former president of the BCGEU, and current executive director of the Sierra Club of B.C. Interesting career path - makes me wonder which cabinet post he will get.

former B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union president received 221 votes to 161 for Meggs. Heyman said he will step down as executive director of the Sierra Club of B.C. to focus on beating Liberal incumbent, Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid, next spring.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Former+union+boss+George+Heyman+wins+Vancouver+Fairview/7424576/story.html#ixzz2DUa9xZSL

former B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union president received 221 votes to 161 for Meggs. Heyman said he will step down as executive director of the Sierra Club of B.C. to focus on beating Liberal incumbent, Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid, next spring.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Former+union+boss+George+Heyman+wins+Vancouver+Fairview/7424576/story.html#ixzz2DUa9xZSL

former B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union president received 221 votes to 161 for Meggs. Heyman said he will step down as executive director of the Sierra Club of B.C. to focus on beating Liberal incumbent, Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid, next spring.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Former+union+boss+George+Heyman+wins+Vancouver+Fairview/7424576/story.html#ixzz2DUa9xZSL

The former B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union president received 221 votes to 161 for Meggs. Heyman said he will step down as executive director of the Sierra Club of B.C. to focus on beating Liberal incumbent, Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid, next spring.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Former+union+boss+George+Heyman+wins+Vancouver+Fairview/7424576/story.html#ixzz2DUZuuI4Z

The former B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union president received 221 votes to 161 for Meggs. Heyman said he will step down as executive director of the Sierra Club of B.C. to focus on beating Liberal incumbent, Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid, next spring.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Former+union+boss+George+Heyman+wins+Vancouver+Fairview/7424576/story.html#ixzz2DUZuuI4Z

Randall Garrison, MP to visit Okanagan Pride August 18th, 2012 in Kelowna

PRIDE Family Festival Day & Picnic in the Park

When:	Back to CalendarAugust 18, 2012 @ 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where:	Mission Creek Park, Springfield Road, Kelowna	✔ Add to CalendarAdd to Google Calendar
Categories:	COMMUNITY EVENTS  FAMILY EVENTS  LOW COST / FREE EVENTS

Celebrating six years of the Pride Festival with family fun, music, entertainment special events, attractions and lots of community information and give-aways!  Event entertainment includes Drag Queen personality “Joan-e” of Vancouver.

Don’t forget to bring a picnic lunch.

Proclamation & Welcome: 12:00pm

Admission is free

Gratefully cut and pasted from: http://kcr.ca/ai1ec_event/pride-family-festival-day-picnic-in-the-park?instance_id

More info about Pride Week events in Kelowna at http://gayokanagan.com/pride/

Randall Garrison, the NDP LGBT critic will be attending Okanagan Pride this year.  Randall will be at the Pride Park and Picnic day Saturday August 18^th.  

http://randallgarrison.ndp.ca/about

For more information, or to arrange a meeting, contact:

Sarah Manns

Parliamentary Assistant/Adjointe Parlementaire

Randall Garrison, MP/deputé

Esquimalt Juan de Fuca

Tel/Tél: 1-613-996-2625

Fax/Téléc: 1-613-996-9779

CEP 232

Grindrod Musik Festival July 21, 2012

We will have a tent at the Grindrod Musik Festival July 21, 2012. Looking forward to good music, good food, and the odd mosquito bite. See you there!

For more info, http://www.facebook.com/grindrod.musicfest?ref=ts or http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/entertainment/162781276.html

New membership info

Did you know you can join the NDP online, right now? With a tax deductible monthly donation, you can sign-up as an NDP member. Do you prefer one significant donation of $100 or $250 to start your membership instead of an affordable monthly membership contribution? You can do that online too. Either way, your membership is tax deductible up to 75% and will help deliver our message locally in 2015. Join today:  Become a part of the NDP team.
Memberships in BC are managed by the BC NDP. There is only one NDP party. When you join the BC NDP you are also part of the federal NDP. Donations, however, are not shared. You can donate to either or both entities, as well as your local (federal) riding association or (provincial) constituency  association.

13 heroes needed to split up the budget bill C-38

What: Local event to protest the federal government's proposed Omnibus Budget Bill, Bill C-38 as part of a National Day of Action

Who: Canadians from all walks of life, and all parties

Where: Colin Mayes Vernon office (old railway station)
3105 29 Street
Vernon, BC V1T 5A8

Tel: 250-260-5020
Fax: 250-260-5025
Toll Free: 1-800-665-5040

When: Wednesday, June 13th, at 5:30PM

#13HEROES: Okanagan–Shuswap – Vernon, BC

heroes.leadnow.ca

'Dutch Disease' defined

Thomas Mulcair referred to an economic phenomena labelled 'Dutch Disease' in an Evan Solomon interview. The interview included an explanation of the term, but further research may be necessary. Here's the Wikipedia definition:

In economics, the Dutch disease is a concept that explains the apparent relationship between the increase in exploitation of natural resources and a decline in the manufacturing sector. The mechanism is that an increase in revenues from natural resources (or inflows of foreign aid) will make a given nation's currency stronger compared to that of other nations (manifest in an exchange rate), resulting in the nation's other exports becoming more expensive for other countries to buy, making the manufacturing sector less competitive. While it most often refers to natural resource discovery, it can also refer to "any development that results in a large inflow of foreign currency, including a sharp surge in natural resource prices, foreign assistance, and foreign direct investment".[1]

The term was coined in 1977 by The Economist to describe the decline of the manufacturing sector in the Netherlands after the discovery of a large natural gas field in 1959.[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_disease

 And for a cartoon skewering Christy Clark's reaction to Mulcair's interview, see http://thecanadian.org/item/1502-cartoon-who-you-callin-goofy?-clark-vs-mulcair-on-expanding-the-tar-sands

For a thorough listen to all the related interviews by Evan Solomon, see http://www.cbc.ca/thehouse/2012/05/19/house-additions---alberta-environment-minister/

UPDATE: Poll results are in, post-'dutch Disease' remarks http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/28/ndp-leading-tories-poll-forum_n_1550775.html?ref=canada The sky is not falling, apparently.

Ted.com Nick Hanauer believes the middle class are the job creators

This is what Alice Brown has been saying for years, but somehow hearing a TED.com participant saying makes it more important. If you are tired of throwing taxpayer's money at corporations in gratitude for us having to work long hours for less take home, then this is worth five minutes of your life.



ps. Ted.com was worried that this is 'too political'. 

Alexandra Morton May 2012 tour of Shuswap

Alexandra Morton, fish biologist and  Canada's foremost advocate for wild salmon, is visiting the Shuswap May 9 through 12th.

She is the subject of an in-depth Globe & Mail article about her efforts  to bring attention to the effects of farming salmon on wild salmon stocks. The author is Mark Hume, a National Correspondent based in Vancouver

During her visit Ms. Morton will speak on:

1. her impressions of the Cohen Commission.
2. recently released results from testing store-bought salmon for viruses.

Schedule of tour

Many thanks to the Adams River Salmon Society for covering the travel costs for this tour!

Lumby
Wednesday May 9th
Doors open at 6:30pm
White Valley Community Centre    Map
2250 Shields
Contact: Priscilla Judd, 250-547-9475
Sponsored by Okanagan Shuswap NDP

Salmon Arm
Thursday May 10th
Senior's Centre on 5th Ave.  Map
7:30 pm
Contact: Jim Cooperman, 250 679-3693
Sponsored by SEAS video , Adams River Salmon Society and Salmon Arm KAIROS

Enderby
Friday May 11th
Enderby Seniors Hall   Map
1101 George St
7:00 pm
Contact Jean Clark, 250 838-7299

Adams River
Saturday, May 12th
10-1
Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park (meet at Interpretive Cabin - parking lot)
Hike with Alexandra
Bag lunch
Sponsored by the Adams River Salmon Society
Contact: Sonja Vernon-Wood, 250 318-4344

Norway estimates F-35 costs at $40 billion for 52 planes

and the Secretary of State for Defence tells a Canadian parliamentary committee that on November 24th, 2011.

Ms. Christine Moore (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, NDP):

    Thank you.

    I want to start by saying that I heard your message that you really want to work with other countries and launch exercises in the high north. Several members of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association are here today, and I think you chose the right venue for your message. Their chair is even here, so the message has been delivered.

    I want to discuss the F-35 aircraft. You said your budget was realistic. What is your budget for procuring the F-35s?

[English]
 

Mr. Roger Ingebrigtsen:

    It's about $10 billion U.S. That's for 51 or 52 air fighters. That's $10 billion today, but I'm sure there could be another answer in just a few months, when we know more about what's happening in the United States. I'm sure that they are going to put some of their procurement to right...not cuts in the program. It's 2,400 fighters. I think that the United States is going to procure 2,400 fighters, but they are going to procure them more slowly, and this will definitely affect the price for Norway. But the answer to your question is $10 billion U.S. for 51 fighters.

   (0940)
[Translation]
 

Ms. Christine Moore:

    Is that with or without maintenance? How many years does the maintenance plan cover? Is it 20 or 30 years?

[English]
 

Mr. Roger Ingebrigtsen:

    You are talking about the lifetime cost.

 

RAdm Arne Røksund:

    It is included in the initial logistics support. The life cycle costs will be, I think, about—this is not public yet, so I have to be careful—$40 billion U.S. over 30 years. So that's life cycle costs over 30 years, all included.

[Translation]

http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=5272974&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=41&Ses=1#Int-4933443  Look for 0935  Ms. Christine Moore (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, NDP)

Our Canadian government tells us the cost to buy & maintain 65 of the same planes is $15 billion. The auditor-general is suggesting $25 billion. The Norwegian Secretary of State for Defense, (40 / 52 * 65), is suggesting Canadians will be spending $50 billion.

Update:
Fantino: Don't compare Norway, Canada's F-35 costs
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20111201/julian-fantino-commons-committee-f35-costs-norway-canada-111201/

Neskonlith Indian Band v. City of Salmon Arm duty to consult - Supreme Court ruling

The judgement for the case brought to the BC Supreme Court by the Neskonlith band has been posted http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/12/04/2012BCSC0499.htm

Should the city have consulted with the band prior to approving a development permit for a shopping centre next door to the reserve? Apparently not.

Map showing location of shopping centre

More info on the Salmon River delta

Canadian attitudes towards the NDP - Nik Nanos poll

I know - polls are for dogs, but I have come to trust Nik Nanos analysis.

Today's poll surveys Canadians attitudes towards the NDP and it's worth a read. http://www.nikonthenumbers.com/topics/show/210

Margaret Wente must be embarrassed this morning. Her column in Thursday's Globe couldn't be farther off base. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/margaret-wente/the-new-democrats-have-no-shot-kumbaya/article2377125/

Convention weekend

Don't have your ballot? Phone 1.866.525.2555 ext. 8001. and be prepared to show you were a member on February 18, 2012.

Best to make your decision pretty soon! http://www.ndp.ca/ to vote,.or http://leadership2012.ndp.ca/candidates if you still haven't decided.

Voting on line is either preferential (closes  8am Friday) or be prepared to participate in every round if you choose this method. Round 1 voting ends Friday night with this method.

Solidarity!

Robocalls in Okanagan Shuswap

As far as I know, members in our riding were not targeted by misleading or rude phone calls during the last election. However, I did receive one last week that was very suspicious. It asked me to start a survey by identifying myself as an NDP member by pressing 1. This is not normal NDP behaviour especially seeing that a lot of people seem to already have that information.

Give me a call if you know of any incidents during the election, or after. Otherwise, I'm just going to sit back and watch the dinosaurs thrashing their tails.

Elections Canada has a form on their web site if you received" a call during the May 2, 2011 election period that you feel interfered with your right to vote?

The Commissioner of Canada Elections wants to hear from you."

Feb 29 - Deadline for submission to Fisheries & Oceans Canada

Salmonguy's got the goods on DFO and time is running out for comment on the quietly released discussion paper.

http://www.salmonguy.org/?p=490

DFO website here: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/future-avenir/index-eng.htm

Download the report here: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/future-avenir/doc/future-avenir-eng.pdf

The deadline to submit feedback is February 29, 2012.

    Fisheries and Oceans Canada would like your feedback on our Approach to Fisheries Modernization in order to consider it in future policy development. A 'What We Heard' document, reflecting the various views we have received, will be developed and posted online.

    Offer your opinion online

    We would also welcome detailed comments and feedback via email at consultations@dfo-mpo.gc.ca, or by mail, at:

    DFO Discussions
    Fisheries & Oceans Canada
    13th Floor North
    200 Kent Street, Mail Station 13N159
    Ottawa, Ontario
    K1A 0E6

    The deadline to submit feedback is February 29, 2012.

Niki Ashton visits Vernon March 8

Niki Ashton, leadership candidate, will meet with local members and interested public on March 8, 4pm, at The Pantry Restaurant. Everyone is welcome. The dining room is rented for the event & coffee and tea is provided.

More info about the Niki Ashton campaign.

NDP members will vote in a one-member, one-vote leadership convention March 24th to select Jack Layton's  successor.

Okanagan Shuswap NDP donations comparison

Donations to local NDP federal riding associations are kept 100% by the riding association. In return, the riding association gives up to the party other funding sources. There is not much shared between the riding association and the federal party, especially in a 'low likelihood of winning' riding like ours. So we build our campaign bank account between elections as well as a flood of donations to the campaign itself. That's the theory.

In practice, here's a comparison of the four local riding association's fundraising results for 2007 - 2010. 2011 info is not available yet.

Contributions to Local Riding Associations
Sum - Monetary	Year
Party	2007	2008	2009	2010	Total Result
Cons	1,000	920	2,720	6,455	11,095
Green	13,851	19,260	2,000	400	35,511
Liberal	16,705	1,150	856	2,768	21,479
NDP	2,400	400		1,640	4,440
Total Result	33,956	21,730	5,576	11,263	72,525

Highly Political Cookies, courtesy of Dave Richards

The basic recipe for these cookies comes from an NDP cook book. However, I've made some rather Liberal adjustments to the recipe, such as replacing the margarine with butter and I Green them up with some apple sauce. I've discovered that the Reforms I use make quite a nice Alliance of flavours. But, they are not meant to be eaten in a Bloc, only in a Conservative manner.

ps. I was unable to find the bud, so I was not able to include the Marijuana party to make a complete Unity for you to chew on.

pps. Another thing I've discovered is that these cookies make me so credible as a baker

ppps. I have not allowed the Rinos to horn in.

Peggy Nash in Vernon Feb 21 4pm at The Pantry Restaurant

Leadership candidate and former Official Opposition (I don't get tired of using that phrase) Finance critic Peggy Nash will be meeting with local NDP members and other interested in the leadership race to replace Jack Layton.

The Pantry Restaurant dining room is rented for the occasion so there is no need to buy a meal. Come and hear from one of the most formidable candidates in this campaign. Then stay for a meal and a chat about local politics.

Bill Tieleman, Vancouver journalist, has written about why he is endorsing Peggy Nash. You can read his column on The Tyee.

Peggy Nash is a credible candidate for the next prime minister of Canada. Come and meet her in person.

ps. Feb. 18th is the deadline for memberships eligible to vote for the next leader on March 24th,

Okanagan Shuswap Election Results 2008 & 2011

Election Results Comparison

2008 - 2011

Canadian federal election, 2011
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Colin Mayes	31,439	55.45	+3.73	$65,832.05
	New Democrat	Nikki Inouye	14,955	26.38	+6.68	$16,990.13
	Green	Greig Crockett	6,058	10.68	-6.62	$28,223.01
	Liberal	Janna Francis	4,246	7.49	-2.51	$33,017.49
Total valid votes/Expense limit			56,698	100.00
Total rejected ballots			135	0.24	-0.1
Turnout			56,833	62.68	+2
Eligible voters			90,678

Canadian federal election, 2008
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Colin Mayes	28,002	51.72	+6.71	$61,199
	New Democrat	Alice Brown	10,664	19.70	-6.73	$17,160
	Green	Huguette Allen	9,368	17.30	+13.22	$29,673
	Liberal	Janna Francis	5,414	10.00	-12.72	$25,825
	Not affiliated	Gordie Campbell	416	0.77	-0.01	$0
	Canadian Action	Darren Seymour	278	0.51	+0.19	$33
Total valid votes/Expense limit			54,142	100.00		$96,364
Total rejected ballots			137	0.3	+0.05
Turnout			54,279	61	-3
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.72

NDP Leadership Candidate Paul Dewar in Vernon Jan 31st

Paul Dewar in Vernon Tuesday

Paul Dewar, one of eight candidates running for leader of the Federal NDP, is in Vernon Tuesday to build grass roots support for his campaign. The federal NDP will choose a new leader March 24th by a one-member, one-vote balloting system.

Paul Dewar is a three-time MP for Ottawa Centre. As the son of a former Ottawa Mayor Marion Dewar, he grew up in progressive and community based politics. His previous experience comes from a combination of time as an international aid worker in Nicaragua, his work as a public school teacher (specializing in kids with special needs), and as a teacher union Vice-President. Before running for leadership he served as the NDP critic for Foreign Affairs - focusing particularly on advocating for women's equality in war zones. Since 2009 he has served as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

“At this low moment in our political life, Dewar reminds us what public affairs should be all about.”
Gerry Caplan, Globe and Mail, June 2009

Date: Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Time: 4 - 5.30 pm
Where: The Pantry Restaurant, 3908 32nd Street, Vernon Map

Everyone is welcome.

______________
For more information on Paul and his campaign, go to PaulDewar.ca
Media enquiries: media@pauldewar.ca
Local contact: Nick Hodge 250 309-7393
Join the NDP before February 18th to be eligible to vote March 24th - BC NDP