Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces an agreement in principle between the government and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. to build combat vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy
www.insurancerate.com StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today the following changes in the senior ranks of the Public Service:
Greta Bossenmaier, currently Deputy Minister of the Afghanistan Task Force, becomes Senior Executive Vice-President of the Canadian International Development Agency, effective January 30, 2012.
John L. Adams, currently Chief of the Communications Security Establishment Canada, becomes Senior Advisor to the Privy Council Office and is named as Skelton-Clark Fellow to the Queen’s University School of Policy Studies, effective January 30, 2012.
John Forster,currently Associate Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, becomes Chief of the Communications Security Establishment Canada, effective January 30, 2012.
www.insurancerate.com StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement highlighting some of the Government’s significant accomplishments in 2011:
“2011 was a momentous year forCanadaboth at home and abroad.
“Global economic uncertainty continued to create challenging conditions in 2011. Our Government remained focused on jobs and growth and continued to implement our Economic Action Plan.
“The results have truly been impressive. Canada is posting the highest number of jobs created in the G-7 this year; Forbes magazine ranked Canada the number one country to conduct business; we’ve been praised as a country with the soundest banking system; and our economic growth is forecasted to be the strongest of the G-7 countries in 2012. All this has been accomplished while reducing the country’s deficit.
“Our Government has also taken important steps over the past year to help hard-working families. This includes an increase to the Guaranteed Income Supplement announced in Budget 2011 to help hundreds of thousands of seniors make ends meet, additional support for Canadians taking care of infirm dependent relatives, and a tax break that will make it more affordable for children to pursue artistic, cultural, recreational and developmental activities.
“Important strides were also taken in 2011 to make neighbourhoods and streets across our country safer. We introduced or passed bills to reduce crime and terrorism, provide greater support and protection for victims of crime, get tougher on murderers and those who would sexually exploit children, and allow Canadians to more easily defend themselves and their property against criminals. And we are delivering on our promise to pass the Safe Streets and Communities Act during the first 100 sitting days of Parliament.
“Our Government has followed through on our commitments by ending the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry, ending the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly, and giving western farmers the freedom to sell wheat and barley on the open market. We have introduced Bills to ensure fair representation in the House of Commons and make the Senate more democratic, accountable and representative.
“Internationally we have also accomplished much this past year towards making the world – including Canada – a better place. Building on its important experience and investments in Afghanistan, Canada, along with other NATO allies, continued to make important contributions towards making that country more secure, stable, and self-sufficient. We also played a significant role in defending civilians in Libya against the now defeated Gaddafi regime. Along with other members of the international community, Canada imposed sanctions on North Korea, Syria, Libya and Iran to encourage their adherence to international laws.
“Ambitious agreements were also concluded with the U.S. on perimeter security and economic competitiveness, as well as on regulatory cooperation. These agreements create a new, modern border, and represent the most significant steps forward in Canada-U.S. cooperation since the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“Here at home, Canada was delighted to host the Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge this past summer. And in the coming year, Canadians will have the opportunity to celebrate our proud heritage by participating in celebrations across the country marking both The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.”
“Our Government was deeply honoured to be given a Parliamentary majority by Canadians in the May federal elections and will do its utmost to make Canadaas prosperous, united and strong.”
StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-TORONTO– The Conservative government’s New Year's Day increase to Employment Insurance premiums will slow economic growth, hurt job creation and squeeze family budgets, said Liberal Leader Bob Rae today. “I would have thought that in 2012 the Conservatives would be focused on the economy and jobs, jobs, jobs, but starting the year with a $600 million EI premium increase clearly demonstrates their priorities lie elsewhere,” said Mr. Rae. “The Department of Finance has already slashed Canada’s 2012 economic growth forecast 25% from the projections it made a year ago, and tax hikes like this are no way to turn this trend around.”
This will be the second year in a row that the Conservatives have hiked EI premiums. As a result the average worker will pay almost $100 more this year than in 2010, and many employers will pay up to $130 more for each person they keep on staff.
“The cruel irony is that while the Conservatives are charging Canadians more for Employment Insurance, they are slowing down EI processing times so that today there are about 400,000 unemployed Canadians on a growing waiting list,” continued Mr. Rae. “There are 600,000 fewer full-time jobs in Canada than there were before the recession, and Canadians deserve to know that the insurance system they paid into will be there for them if and when they need it.”
Family wallets will also be squeezed by increasing household debt levels which have grown 55%–more than half a trillion dollars–since Stephen Harper became Prime Minister. This prompted the International Monetary Fund to issue a warning last week that any economic shock, such as a decline in commodity prices, “could result in significant job losses,” and “a protracted period of weak private consumption as households reduce their debt.”
“Unlike the Conservatives, the previous Liberal government lowered EI premiums 12 years in a row saving workers and their employers $59 billion over that time. As Canadian households face record levels of personal debt it makes no sense to take even more money out of the monthly family budget with yet another EI tax hike,” concluded Mr. Rae.
21 December 2011-Prime Minister Stephen Harper pays his respects to Václav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia, by signing the book of condolences at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ottawa.
Pic: Jason Ransom
Boxing Week Preview at Sears.ca! Check out the savings at Sears.ca! StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement to pay tribute to Václav Havel, former President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, who died this morning in Prague at the age of 75:
"On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Havel’s wife, Dagmar Havlová, their loved ones, as well as to the Czech people.
"Mr. Havel will always be remembered as one of the great statesmen of the 20th century and a powerful voice for freedom and human dignity. An acclaimed playwright and activist, Havel led by peaceful example, drawing the world’s attention to the illegitimacy and immorality of the communist regime that imprisoned him and oppressed his fellow citizens.
“With courageous personal conviction Mr. Havel went on to lead the peaceful Velvet Revolution that brought freedom and democracy to his country and helped lift the iron curtain from an entire continent.
“The first president of the independent Czech Republic, he oversaw the preparations made for his country's integration into both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He also promoted the importance of international dialogue on the world stage.
“Canada is proud to have invested Mr. Havel as an Honorary Companion of the Order of Canada in 2004 for his unwavering commitment to democracy and freedom.
“The world owes a great debt to Václav Havel. In helping to free his own people he helped spread freedom across an entire continent ,and showed us all that even an evil dictatorship can be no match for the power of the human spirit.”
Boxing Week Preview at Sears.ca! Check out the savings at Sears.ca! StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario PC LeaderTimHudak today responded to a public appeal for ideas from Finance Minister Dwight Duncan on how to tackle the Liberals’ jobs, spending and debt crisis, as well as for specific examples of government waste*.
“In dozens of public statements over the fall, I have detailed several concrete steps Mr. Duncan could take to start addressing his own government’s economic mismanagement,” Hudak said. “Perhaps the Minister missed these, in which case I am happy to reiterate them again today.”
Among the Ontario PC Caucus’ constructive policy ideas for turning Ontario around:
·“Stop digging the hole”: the fall session saw not one penny in savings but rather $2.5 billion in new spending
·a mandatory public sector wage freeze, so government employees share in the sacrifices their private sector counterparts are making every day
·modernizing Ontario’s apprenticeships system to create 200,000 new skilled trades jobs
·immediate annual two per cent cuts to Ministry budgets excluding health and education (where savings would be reinvested), and the elimination of one-time spending, such as stimulus, for an annual savings of $5.5 billion
·a top-to-bottom review of all spending areas, including health and education, to find efficiencies for reinvestment in priority programs and determine “nice to have” vs. “must have” programs
·an assessment of every government agency, board and commission, and the termination of those that no longer serve a useful purpose
·a full examination of what services government should, and should not provide
·the introduction of alternative service delivery, requiring public sector unions to compete for government contracts where appropriate
·an end to corporate welfare using taxpayer money, which costs over $2.5 billion a year
·reducing the size of Cabinet by 20 per cent
·fixing a broken public sector salary arbitration system, and
·a package of job creation measures, including lowered businesses taxes and a rollback of the regulatory burden – the highest in Canada – by 30 per cent over three years
“The last time I tabled these ideas in a face-to-face meeting, the Premier simply ignored us,” Hudak noted. “Perhaps last week’s credit warning from Moody’s has changed his view, prompting the Finance Minister to reach out now.
“More than two thousand years ago, a small group of Jewish believers overcame the odds and courageously defeated and repelled their oppressors, liberating Jerusalem and reclaiming the HolyTemple as their own. As they rededicated the Temple, a second miracle occurred: a small amount of oil that should have lasted one night instead burned for eight. Since that time, Jewish people around the world celebrate the holy tradition of Chanukah, the yearly eight-day Festival of Light, in commemoration of those miracles.
“Born out of the triumph of light over darkness, of freedom over oppression and of tolerance over persecution, this celebration reminds us that miracles can occur even in the darkest of moments, and that justice must always overcome tyranny. Chanukah also reminds us that, here inCanada, we are truly blessed to live in a free, just and tolerant society, one which has been enriched by the innumerable contributions and achievements of the Jewish-Canadian community.
“On this first night of Chanukah, Laureen and I extend our most heartfelt greetings and wishes of hope and peace to families and friends in communities across Canada and around the world who tonight light their Chanukah menorahs.”
“Kim Jong-il will be remembered as the leader of a totalitarian regime who violated the basic rights of the North Korean people for nearly two decades.
“We hope his passing brings positive change allowing the people of North Korea to emerge from six decades of isolation, oppression and misery. The regime's reckless decisions have resulted in North Korea being an impoverished nation and a country isolated from the international community because of its dangerous nuclear proliferation and ballistic missile programs.
“At this critical juncture, we urge North Korea to close this sad chapter in its history and to work once more towards promoting both the well-being of its people and stability on the Korean peninsula."
Boxing Week Preview at Sears.ca! Check out the savings at Sears.ca! StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-TORONTO— Liberal Leader Bob Rae made the following statement today on the recent violence in Egypt: “The latest violence against citizens protesting outside of the Prime Minister's office in Egypt is a great source of concern. Images of women being beaten in the streets and shots fired into crowds of protesters cannot be tolerated, and we must not see a repeat of the violence against the Coptic Christian community. The Liberal Party stands with the international community in condemning the excessive use of force. The Egyptian government and the military must take responsibility for their actions and show accountability in protecting its citizens. As the third and final round of electoral voting in Egypt draws closer, we hope that the military council will set a date for the presidential elections and work to move power to civilian authorities. On behalf of the Liberal Party and our Parliamentary Caucus, I extend my condolences to the families of those who have been affected by the ongoing violence.”
Program helps ensure a greater sense of security for communities StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-Toronto – December 15, 2011 - The Honourable Vic Toews,Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, and Joyce Bateman, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre, today announced the launch of the next phase of the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program.
“We are proud to announce that the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program is now ready to accept applications. This program will continue to help reduce hate crime and make our streets and communities safer, as well as continue to build the resilience of our communities against all forms of violence,” said Minister Toews. “It will help ensure community members can practice their faith, culture, and activities peacefully, without fear of harm.”
The Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program provides funding for minor security enhancements for not-for-profit community centres, provincially/territorially recognized educational institutions, and places of worship linked to a community with a demonstrated history of being victimized by hate-motivated crime.
Eligible costs for minor security enhancements include:
·security assessments (not to exceed 25% of total project costs);
·security equipment and hardware, such as alarm systems, closed-circuit television systems, digital video recorders, fences, gates, and lighting;
·minor construction costs related to the project, such as contractor fees, labour, equipment rental, and installation fees; and
·training costs directly related to the new security infrastructure.
Following the successful pilot phase of the program, a number of funded organizations reported a greater sense of security at their site, and a reduced number of incidents or no incidents since security measures were implemented. During this three-year pilot, 121 projects were approved.
In addition to funding committed for this program through the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, our government is also supporting other crime prevention programs to help reduce and prevent crime. Last year alone, our government funded 160 community-based crime prevention programs through the National Crime Prevention Strategy, in which nearly 10,000 at-risk youth participated.
The Honourable Vic Toews, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, and Joyce Bateman, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre, today announced the launch of the next phase of the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program in Toronto.
StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-Operator: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the media availability with minister Rob Nicholson conference call. Please note that parliamentary secretary Robert Goguen is also on the call to answer any questions in French. I would now like to turn the meeting over to minister Rob Nicholson. Please go ahead, minister Nicholson.
Hon. Rob Nicholson: Well, thank you very much and it’s good to be with my colleague, Bob Goguelin – Goguen. As the minister of Justice, I have the privilege as well as the mandate to meet with Canadians from all across this country. These are Canadians from all walks of life, mothers, fathers, grandparents, business owners, service providers, victims and many more. I’ve sat down with these Canadians, I’ve listened to their stories and I’ve heard their needs and that they’ve told me is that they want to see an efficient and balanced criminal justice system, a justice system that focuses on the rights of victims and so during the last federal election, we campaigned on a promise to continue our efforts to protect Canadians by cracking down on drug trafficking, getting tough with sexual predators and making the justice system more efficient.
On May 2ndas you know, Canadians made a choice. By electing a strong, stable national Conservative majority government, Canadians gave us a clear mandate. I’m very pleased to say that we haven’t wasted any time in moving forward on our crime legislation agenda. This past summer -- this past September, I was very proud to introduce the Safe Streets and Communities Act. This comprises nine bills, all of which were introduced before the election, but never passed. The Safe Streets and Communities Act addresses a wide range of significant issues that affect our society. Among other things, the bill will help protect children from sexual predators by increasing penalties for sexual offences against children. The bill targets organized crime as well by creating tougher sentences for the production and trafficking of illegal drugs.
Our message is clear, that if you get into the business of selling and producing drugs for the purposes of trafficking, you’re going to be paying with jail times. The bill includes measures that will respond to the problems posed by youth crime, to hold young people accountable when they break the law. This bill will also put an end to the use of conditional sentences or house arrests for serious and violent crimes.
Furthermore, this bill will also amend the International Transfer of Offenders Act to keep the safety of Canadians citizens at the forefront of any decision to allow a Canadian offender convicted abroad to be transferred back to Canada and we will also enact the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act so that victims of terrorism can sue perpetrators and supporters of terrorists. We’re going to strengthen the laws around pardons which will be renamed record suspensions by extending the amount of time before a convicted criminal can apply. It will also make pardons unavailable for repeat offenders of serious crimes and those who commit sexual offences against children.
The act fulfills our commitment to ensuring that criminals are held fully accountable for their actions and makes the safe and security of law abiding Canadians and victims of crime a priority. One thing is clear. Canadians want to see their communities as safe places to live, raise their families and do business, and our government will continue to listen to and implement policies that reflect what Canadians want. We are delivering on our promise to make our streets and communities safer. Thank you very much.
Operator: Thank you minister Nicholson, merci. We will now take questions from the telephone lines. Nous allons maintenant passer à la période de questions. If you have a question and you’re using a speakerphone, please lift your handset before making your selection. Si vous utilisez un téléphone mains libres, s’il vous plaît soulevez le combiné avant d’effectuer votre sélection. If you have a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad. Si vous désirez poser une question, veuillez s’il vous plaît appuyer sur les touches étoile un sur votre téléphone à clavier. If at any time, you wish to cancel your question, please press the pound sign. Vous pouvez à tout moment annuler votre question en appuyant sur le dièse. Please press star one at this time if you have a question. S’il vous plaît appuyez sur étoile un pour poser une question. There will be a brief pause while the participants register for questions. Il y aura un court délai vous permettant de vous enregistrer dans la file d’attente pour la période de questions. Thank you for your patience, merci de patienter. Our first question is from Wadimer Gardy (ph.) from Atlas Media. La parole est à vous, please go ahead.
Question: Bonjour monsieur, bonjour monsieur le ministre.
Hon. Rob Nicholson: Oui.
Question: Quelles sont les raisons qui ont poussé le gouvernement conservateur justement à faire ces changements pour – les changements actuels? Quelles sont les raisons qui vous ont poussés à faire ces changements-là?
Robert Goguen: Est-ce qu’on parle des changements, des amendements qui ont été déposés au Sénat, c’est ça?
Question: C’est ça, oui, pourquoi maintenant?
Robert Goguen: Bien justement c’est qu’il y a eu des consultations avec des intervenants qui étaient beaucoup touchés par ce domaine puis on a – on a pensé que leurs amendements et leurs suggestions étaient très méritoires. Alors dans une dernière étape, on a fait des amendements. La procédure nous a forcés de faire ça par le Sénat, mais c’est jamais trop tard pour bien renforcer une loi.
Question: Croyez-vous que le fait de – une dernière question, monsieur le ministre, que faire des lois et émettre et énoncer des lois permet véritablement de réduire la criminalité dans notre pays?
Robert Goguen: Absolument. C’est comme le ministre l’a dit tantôt, écoute, il a parlé, il a parlé avec tous les citoyens et puis il y avait une demande très très prononcée auprès des citoyens d’avoir une approche équilibrée qui vise non seulement la prévention, la mise en application de la loi et évidemment la réhabilitation des criminels dans la mesure du possible.
Question: Avez-vous – est-ce que vous – croyez-vous que le citoyen canadien est au courant des lois? Est-ce que ces lois qui vont être émises seront mises à la disposition de chaque citoyen pour qu’ils connaissent justement la loi?
Robert Goguen: Absolument, mais il y a beaucoup de citoyens qui sont – qui suivent la loi, qui ne sont pas dans le domaine criminel et puis évidemment, c’est pas tout le monde qui lit le code criminel mais les intervenants dans le système de justice comprennent très bien que la criminalité sérieuse et dangereuse va attirer des peines assez sévères et puis je pense que les juges ont une plus grande discrétion d’appliquer des mesures qui protègent la société contre les contrevenants dangereux.
Question: Merci beaucoup.
Robert Goguen:Merci beaucoup.
Operator: Thank you, merci. De nouveau, n’hésitez pas à appuyer sur étoile un pour toute question ou commentaire. Please press star one at this time if you have any questions or comments. Notre prochaine question est d’un participant. Please state your name and proceed with your question. Please go ahead, la parole est à vous. We’re unable to hear anyone. If you’re on a speakerphone, please lift your handset or I’ll mute your line. Please go ahead, la parole est à vous. Having no response, we have no further questions registered at this time. I do apologize, we have a follow-up question from a participant. Please state your name and then proceed with your question. La parole est à vous, please go ahead. If you’re on a speakerphone phone, please lift your handset or I’ll mute your line.Si vous êtes sur un téléphone mains libres, veuillez prendre le combiné.
Question: Hello minister.
Hon. Rob Nicholson: Hello.
Operator: Please go ahead.
Question: Thank you very much for receiving us today. I want to ask you a question and this is (inaudible). I was given some news in regards to an ex-player of hockey, a Canadian from Manitoba, Sheldon Kennedy...
Hon. Rob Nicholson: Yes.
Question: ...who mentioned in front of – who went to Washington and presented in a committee of the Senate about the sexual abuse in infants or in youth. He was presented in the United States with certain tools to respond to the abuse. Is there anything that you can tell us about that?
Hon. Rob Nicholson: Yes, he’s been very supportive of what we’re doing and I’ve been with him at a number of press conferences because he has a particular interest with respect to the sections of this bill that deal with sexual predators. We have done -- among other things, we have created two new offences in Canada. For the adult who gives explicitly sexual material to a child for the purpose of grooming that child for a sexual offence, that will now be a crime in Canada and we will cover another gap in the criminal code where two adults are talking with each other or exchanging information , how to set up a child to be sexually exploited. We’ve increased the mandatory penalties right across the board for all sexual offences against children and so this is one of the main focuses of the bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act and I’ve been very appreciative of the work that Mr. Kennedy has done and bringing attention to this terrible problem.
Question: Minister, and in regards to priests, the priest offenders in the Catholic Church, is there anything that will be proceeding? Does it have to go to the Vatican? How would that...
Hon. Rob Nicholson: Again, anyone charged with an offence in Canada is subject to the laws of Canada and the sections of this bill are very wide-ranging, so it captures all sexual abuse of children and it increases the penalties and again, it creates the two new offences.
Question: Thank you very much.
Hon. Rob Nicholson: My pleasure.
Operator: Thank you, merci. We have a question from Monica Spolia from Park Times (ph.). Please go ahead, la parole est à vous.
Question: Thank you. Hello, minister Nicholson. I was just wondering that there are laws which clearly state that penalties for criminal acts and this is a little bit on the side. I’m just wondering if there was anything done about it, let’s say for example if somebody is – feels threatened by someone and I have – you know, I have -- from experience, like being with friends and stuff like that, this is – that they approached the police that they have a threat, but unless there is a life-threatening comment made from the other person, like no action is taken and some – I mean thinking about this, it’s like criminals, they are smart enough and they are not necessarily going to make like certain comments and then proceed with it. I mean, not all the times and stuff like that, so in communities and societies, a lot of this kind of things are still lingering.
Hon. Rob Nicholson: Well, I was actually involved back – almost 20 years ago with the first sections in the criminal code on stocking, people who, you know, are stalking other individuals and again, there are sections within the criminal code that if you are threatening an individual, I mean it becomes, I know, a bit of a policing matter, but I think it’s important for everyone in society to take these threats very very seriously and again reach out and making sure that these get the kind of attention that they need. As justice minister, I don’t control the local police forces, obviously, but again we’re always looking at ways to help strengthen the criminal code as you can see from the bill that I have before Parliament, but this isn’t the last bill I’m going to put in or proceed with.
I mean one of them is on citizen’s arrest, where we clarify the rules for a person to protect themselves when their property is threatened or when their life is threatened or their families are threatened. We’re clarifying the rules that haven’t been updated in this country for almost 170 years if you can believe it, but again, and even the citizen’s arrest, we’re making sure that we broaden the terms of that because again, our job is to stand up for people who have become victimized in our system and so we are always looking to forward the interests f victims and protect law-abiding Canadians and this is – this is our important mandate. This is what people told us they want.
Question: Right, but that just in particular, but are there any like amendments or maybe...
Hon. Rob Nicholson: This particular bill deals with basically drug trafficking, people who are into the business of sexually assaulting children. It makes some changes to the youth criminal justice act so that those young people who are a danger to society and to themselves will be taken off the streets and detained, but this – it doesn’t deal specifically with the section of stalking. Again, the other bill I have on people protecting themselves from people who threaten their property or threaten themselves is a separate bill, but this bill is on those subjects.
Question: Okay.
Hon. Rob Nicholson: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you, merci. Once again, please press star one at this time if you have a question. De nouveau n’hésitez pas à appuyer sur étoile un pour toute question. There are no further questions registered at this time. Il n’y a pas plus de questions pour le moment.
Hon. Rob Nicholson: Well, thank you very much for those who joined us. These are always very helpful to get some feedback and input. Thank you very much.
Robert Goguen: Oui, merci beaucoup.
Operator: Thank you, merci. This concludes today’s conference. La conférence est maintenant terminée. Please disconnect your lines at this time. Veuillez s’il vous plaît raccrocher votre ligne. Thank you for your participation. Merci à tous les participants qui se sont joints.
StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-I was shocked to learn of the vandalism and burning of the new mosque in Burqa, a small town just east of Ramallah.
This vicious attack seems to be part of a string of attacks on Palestinian property and religious institutions.
The perpetrators are reported to be young extremists from nearby, illegal settlements. The authorities must take all necessary measures to apprehend these individuals, bring them to justice and ensure that they bear the full weight of the law.
The right to practice one’s faith in peace and security is a basic human right.
StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-ONTARIO_TORONTO– Liberal Leader Bob Rae and Liberal Aboriginal Affairs critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett will go to Attawapiskat First Nation today to see firsthand the issues facing this community in crisis. “The Harper Conservatives’ ‘blame the victim’ mentality–from their decision to impose third party management to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs’ simple refusal to visit Attawapiskat himself–is unacceptable and has brought this situation to an impasse,” said Mr. Rae. “What we need is to find a swift and sustainable solution to the crisis in Attawapiskat, and that can only be done by actually listening to and working with members of this community.”
Mr. Rae and Dr. Bennett will meet with Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence and the Band Council, as well as community members and Red Cross emergency assistance workers. They will also bring with them donated winter clothing items that were collected at Dr. Bennett’s constituency office.
“This government maintains that they are making progress, yet they continue to ignore successive Auditor General Reports and internal audits showing that third party management simply doesn’t work: it’s costly, and fails to produce results or build capacity,” said Dr . Bennett. “ Chief Spence came out of her meeting with the Minister this week and immediately filed an injunction against the federal government.”
“The solution to this problem is clearly not to charge the community $1,300 per day for a third party manager they didn’t ask for, they don’t need, and don’t want to pay for,” added Dr. Bennett.
Liberals have been fighting in the House of Commons and will continue to fight to bring clean, running water and housing to Attawapiskat and other reserve communities in order to ensure their long-term health and safety.
