For Immediate Release
October 12, 2008

Nobel Prize winners urge "Greens" to vote red

OTTAWA - Three senior Canadian members of the 2007 Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are publicly urging those who really care about the environment to vote Liberal.

"We face a critical moment," Dr. Andrew Weaver said in a news release.

Dr. Weaver, Dr. William Peltier and Dr. John Stone are urging potential Green Party voters to vote Liberal in order to stop the Harper government from winning.

"(Elizabeth) May and the Greens alone can help make the difference between the Harper majority that the climate scientists fear and a Liberal minority under which great progress can be made to fight climate change," said Dr. Weaver. (News Release, October 11, 2008)

Dr. Weaver told the Ottawa Citizen that a vote for the Green Party "is not a green vote.

"A green vote is for a Liberal government and Stéphane Dion. There is no other candidate you can vote for," he said. (Ottawa Citizen, October 12, 2008)

The three scientists shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.

Clearly they recognize what 120 other leading climate change scientists and 250 of Canada's leading economists all recognize:  that the principles behind the Green Shift - putting a price on emissions - is the way to go to fight climate change.

While the Green Shift cuts taxes for Canadians, Mr. Harper refuses to tell Canadians how much his plan is going to cost them - and it has been rejected by every leading environmental group and climate change expert across Canada.

Jack Layton, on the other hand, refuses to admit his NDP plan is unrealistic in its belief that a highly complex cap-and-trade system can be established within one year.

Dr. Weaver, Dr. Peltier and Dr. Stone recognize that only the Liberal Party, acting on the advice of Canada's leading economists and scientists, has an effective, workable plan for the environment.

-30-

Third Party Election Quotes

On Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party

 

Ken Lewenza, CAW President, News Release, October 5, 2008:

"If there was a report card on the economy, both Prime Minister

Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty would get an F for their

performance. It is critical to the well-being of our country

that we do everything in our power to defeat the Conservatives.

This means voting out Jim Flaherty, a politician who has

completely ignored the suffering in his own community."

 

Kevin Carmichael, Globe and Mail, October 6, 2008:

 “Mr. Harper, an economist by training, has argued from the start

of the campaign that his government's commitment to a budget

surplus and a sprinkling of "targeted" tax cuts and spending is

the best way to survive the weakest period of Canadian economic

growth since 1991.

“It's getting harder to justify that no extra effort is

necessary given the attention that is being paid to the issue

elsewhere, analysts said. The United States is Canada's biggest

trading partner, and economists are almost universal in their

prediction that the financial meltdown has put the world's

largest economy in recession.”

 

 

Lawrence Martin, Globe and Mail, October 6, 2008:

“Some hallmarks of their first term should not be forgotten: the

mudslinging, the secrecy, the bullying and intimidation, the

massive centralization of power. The Tories took attack ads to a

record frequency, running them year round. While promising an

era of cleanliness, they were accused of surreptitiously

engaging in money transfers - the "in-and-out" affair - that led

to an RCMP raid on their headquarters. They produced a secret

200-page manual on how to disrupt the parliamentary process,

then went about doing so, shutting down committees or blocking

potentially damaging witnesses.

“They mocked their own accountability legislation by turning

access-to-information regulations on the Afghan detainees file

and many others into barricades-to-information. Information

Commissioner Robert Marleau reported that Mr. Harper's own Privy

Council Office was a leader in access-denial. He graded it an

"F." This government's uniqueness, rather, is in the breadth and

degree to which it has ethically debased the system in such a

short time.”

 

Raymond Filion, parliamentary correspondent for TVA, CTV’s

Question Period, October 5, 2008:

“Mr. Harper screwed up on the arts funding. He miscalculated the

mood of the public in Quebec, I think, with his plans to

increase penalties for young offenders in Canada, to jail young

offenders as young as 14. And I think that the Bloc is on the

way up, the Tories are on the way down, and I think at this

point the Tories are probably going to be extremely lucky if

they manage to hold on to the 11 seats that they currently have

in Quebec.”

 

Michael den Tandt, Kingston Whig-Standard, October 6, 2008:

“Last week's French-language debate was Stephen Harper's to lose

– and he did that. Barring some seismic surprise, the prime

minister's much-anticipated Quebec breakthrough – and his dreams

of forming a majority – are history.

“Harper, meantime, seemed unusually passive. This was likely

calculated to blunt perceptions that he is too aggressive. It

failed. He came across as sour, as the camera repeatedly caught

him staring morosely at his opponents as they skewered him.

Also, his French was surprisingly weak – weaker than in the

French debate in the 2005-2006 campaign. A post-debate poll

showed that 40 per cent of Quebecers who saw it considered Dion

the winner, compared with 24 per cent for Duceppe and 16 per

cent for Harper.”

 

Editorial, Kingston Whig-Standard, October 6, 2008:

“Harper's decision flew in the face of one of his own previous

election promises, which was to set fixed election dates and

eliminate government manipulation of the process.”

 

National Post, October 6, 2008:

“Perhaps the lesson here is that you shouldn't talk about

culture unless you have some knowledge of it. Harper is not a

dumb man: He would never make tax policy without talking to

economists or energy policy without consulting scientific

experts. Yet he's happy to talk about culture without having any

real contact with artists. Harper's boorish unfamiliarity with

culture has led him to blunder into politically dangerous

terrain.”

 

Matthew Muirhead, Regina Leader-Post, October 6, 2008:

“In the 1980s, a wave of conservatism swept the western world

and brought us Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Brian

Mulroney. The governments of Britain and the Untied States were

defined in part by their reduction or eliminating of social

programs. Not so in Canada. The conservative government in

Canada was marked by enormous deficits. Today's Conservative

government has re-embraced the harsh social economic policies of

the '80s, threatening to leave those least able to speak for

themselves without a voice.”

 

Doug Cuthand, Regina Leader-Post, October 6, 2008:

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper's "tough on crime" package is one

of those visceral policies that strikes a positive note with

some people but in the end will probably only make things worse.

“The YCJA was originally designed to rehabilitate youths and

allow them to have a second chance at life. This new legislation

is based on revenge rather than rehabilitation. Revenge may make

some people feel better but in the long run we are heading down

the slippery slope of the American experience.”

 

Harry Sterling, Toronto Star, October 6, 2008:

“But what most distinguishes Harper from Stanfield (and

Diefenbaker) is his inability to accept that the views of others

have as much right to be respected as his own, and his

willingness to castigate contrary views as acts of disloyalty.”

 

Mike Buckthought, Sierra Club, Toronto Star, October 6, 2008:

“Our government has claimed it is showing leadership, but in

reality, Canada is a laggard compared to other countries. Canada

is ranked number 53 out of a list of 56 countries according to

Germanwatch's index, which measures the effectiveness of climate

change policy. Canada's greenhouse gas emissions are now 29 per

cent above Canada's Kyoto target.”

 

Ricken Patel, Executive Director, Avaaz advocacy network, News

Release, October 6, 2008:

"People are furious with Stephen Harper for blocking global

efforts to avert a climate crisis. We barely recognize our

country with this leader, and we're determined to use our votes

effectively to get back the Canada we love."

HEDY FRY SLAMS TORY HOMOPHOBIC AGENDA

For immediate release - October 1, 2008 

VANCOUVER— Vancouver Centre Member of Parliament Dr. Hedy Fry is appalled that Richmond Conservative candidate Alice Wong is alleged to have ties to the right wing Canadian Alliance for Social Justice and Family Values Association. The group has fought against laws providing protection for gays and lesbians from hate propaganda and hate crimes.

“This just shows that the Harper Conservatives’ cleverly hidden agenda is never far from the surface, despite what they claim,” says Fry. “It also raises questions about what candidate Lorne Mayencourt is doing running for this type of party with this kind of agenda. It is clear that he will never be able to act as an advocate of the large gay, lesbian, and transgendered community in Vancouver Centre.”

The Liberal government brought in all the legislation that guaranteed equality under the law for GLBT community.

“While we know there is more to be done, but this community must be on guard. They should never take for granted the human rights that could so easily be removed by a majority Harper government,” concludes Fry. 

-30-

Contact:   Christine Hearn christine@hedyfry.com
               Paul Nixey paul@hedyfry.com

For Immediate Release
September 29, 2008

Statement by the Honourable Hedy Fry on the recent attack on Davie Street

I was appalled to learn that early on Sunday morning, Jordan Smith was attacked while walking on Davie Street. 

This hate-motivated crime demonstrates that, while the GLBT community has made great strides towards equality under the law, social equality is still lacking.  Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons should not live in fear.

I condemn this deplorable act, and fully support the Vancouver Police Department’s call to prosecute this beating as a hate crime. 

I applaud Mr. Smith’s courage in speaking out about this crime, and wish him a full and speedy recovery from his injuries. 

[30]

For more information:

Christine Hearn – christine@hedyfry.com
Paul Nixey - paul@hedyfry.com

NDP threatens to "shut down tar sands"

OTTAWA – Jack Layton needs to clarify the statement made by his "star" candidate Michael Byers yesterday that the NDP plans to “shut down the tar sands,” one of the largest drivers of economic activity in Canada.

Speaking at an all-candidates debate in Vancouver Centre, Mr. Byers said:

“We have to do something to address the climate change crisis; we need to do so now. We need to go after the big polluters; we need to shut the tar sands down.” (CBC The National, September 25, 2008)

Instead of retracting his statement, Mr. Byers stood firm that the NDP has its eyes on shutting down the oil sands stating, “I believe that the tar sands would phase themselves out if we actually reduced the massive government subventions of those processes.” (CBC The National, September 25, 2008).

Approximately 145,000 Canadians are employed in the mining and oil and gas extraction industry in Alberta. Thousands more work in the services sector that supports energy exploration and production. This kind of naive rhetoric that underpins the desire to put this industry out of work is just another example of disastrous NDP economic policy.

Ironically, it was Mr. Byers, who less than a year ago, chastised Prime Minister Stephen Harper as being the real “small man of humanity” for his resistance to implementing a carbon tax—a lesson that that somehow Jack Layton failed to learn:

“At the same time, Harper argues that a carbon tax and other market-based measures for curbing emissions would somehow damage the Canadian economy. But Norway, a major oil and gas exporter, introduced a carbon tax in 1991 and has seen its economy grow faster than Canada's ever since.” (Toronto Star, December 3, 2007)

On one hand, Canadians have Mr. Harper advocating for an unrestricted and rapid development of the oil sands, and on the other hand, Mr. Layton’s plan is to put hundreds of thousands of Canadians out of work as a result of this unrealistic ideology.

The Liberal Party is striking the right balance with our policy on the oil sands. We will immediately end the special tax treatment for oil sands development which can no longer be justified in an era where the development technology is now proven, oil is worth over $100 a barrel and the profits in the sector measure into the billions. Instead, we will provide the necessary tax incentives to oil companies to invest in technologies that reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and make them more energy efficient.

We will also introduce a price on carbon that will mobilize companies to move to low-carbon, less polluting practices in order to develop sustainably and drive competitiveness.

Statement by Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion

Today is a day our country has dedicated to the memory of officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. On this occasion, on behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada, I would like to express my profound gratitude for these individuals who have given their lives protecting our citizens from harm.

To the families and friends of these heroes, I offer my deepest sympathies. You have experienced tremendous loss. Know that your loved ones will not be forgotten. We will honour their memory as we work to build a more just and peaceful society.

To the men and women who continue to work everyday to keep our streets safe, my party and I want you to know that we support you and we will work to ensure you have the tools and resources you need to do your jobs, in the hopes of preventing future tragedies.

Our fallen officers will remain forever in our hearts - that is our commitment to them on this day.

NDP claims don't add up

ISSUE:

The NDP claims the Liberal plan will represent $96.2 billion in spending and tax cuts over four years:

“Over the course of the next four years the total effect of Mr. Dion’s program is therefore more like $96.2 billion ($55.1 billion in new spending and $41.1 billion in corporate tax cuts).”

REALITY:

The NDP is clearly having some trouble with math.

The Liberal plan includes $16.3 billion in new government program spending over four years, and $1.29 billion in revenue due to the phase out of oil and gas sector tax benefits and an increase from income trust tax revenue.

The Liberal plan also includes $39.9 billion in cuts to personal and business taxes and $39.9 billion in revenue from pollution taxes.

The total increase in federal government spending under the Liberal plan is $16.3 billion. How the NDP increased $16.3 billion to reach $96 billion is beyond comprehension. One cannot pick and choose revenues and costs randomly to achieve the desired results.

If this is how the NDP counts and balances revenues and expenses, one must question the abilities of the NDP to budget and balance its own platform.

TORONTO - A Stephen Harper Conservative government will not protect women’s rights or take a progressive approach to the issues that matter to them most, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said today.

“Women will be the determining factor in this election and it will be the votes of women that set the direction for the future of Canada,” Mr. Dion said at an event to celebrate the Liberal Party having the most women running under its banner with 112 candidates.

“Once Mr. Harper was in power he removed the word equality from the mandate of the Status of Women and he failed to create the child care spaces he promised Canadian families and he spent the cupboard bare, leaving no flexibility for hard economic times.”

Mr. Dion was joined by a host of Liberal women candidates including Liberal Status of Women Critic Maria Minna, Liberal Women’s Caucus Chair Diane Marleau, Dr. Ruby Dhalla and Dr. Carolyn Bennett, as well as his wife Madame Janine Krieber. Liberal candidates Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae and Scott Brison were also in attendance.

Mr. Dion highlighted the fact that the 112 women candidates represent a wide range of professionals and come from all walks of life.

“Our candidates are scientists, entrepreneurs, teachers, writers, social activists and doctors and come from all kinds of backgrounds.”

More than a year ago, Mr. Dion promised that in the next election, his team would be comprised of at least one third women. The Liberal Party has exceeded this goal.

The Conservatives are in last place with women making up only 20 per cent of their candidates and the NDP have fallen to 34 per cent.

Liberal Status of Women Critic Maria Minna said the election is about who Canadian women can trust.

“Given the Conservative track record, how can Canadian women trust them with their vote and how can they trust Jack Layton when he endorses a candidate who makes vicious threats against women. Unlike Mr. Layton, the Liberal Party has zero tolerance for this kind of behaviour,” said Ms. Minna.

A new Liberal government will:

- Implement the 30-50 Plan to reduce poverty: We will launch a full-scale attack on poverty in Canada, with the goal of reducing the number of people living below the poverty line by at least 30 per cent, and the number of children living in poverty by at least 50 per cent. Since higher rates of women face poverty, especially women heading single-parent families, senior women and visible minorities, this policy will be of particular benefit to women.
- Create universal child care spaces: We will work with the provinces and territories to create new quality early education and child care spaces so families have a real choice.
Support families with young children: A Liberal government will also make the maternity/parental leave benefits under the Employment Insurance program more flexible. Families will now be able to access higher benefits if they take less than a year, and also have the choice of taking up to 18 months in leave.
- Invest in health care: We will work to clear the bottlenecks that are currently limiting access to health professionals, so that Canadians will get the care they need, with shorter wait times. We will also introduce a national plan for catastrophic drug coverage that would ensure Canadians living with serious illnesses can focus on their health instead of worrying about their finances.
- Support seniors and ensure they can live in dignity by increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement for Canada’s seniors by $600 per person, $800 per couple.
- A new Liberal government will also restore the cuts made by the Harper government to Status of Women Canada and the Court Challenges Program. We will also create an Independent Commissioner for Gender Equality to ensure government policies are examined with equality in mind.

To help combat violence against women, a new Liberal government will make amendments to the Criminal Code and the federal Divorce Act to provide better protection for women.

”Before Canadian women cast their ballot, we want them to remember the harmful tactics the Conservative Party used to turn the clock back on women’s rights and their quality of life. It’s the Liberal Party that promotes social and economic equality for women,” said Ms. Minna.

Harper's Index – Week Three

Number of events Stephen Harper has held during the entire campaign that have been open to the public: 0

Number of Stéphane Dion campaign events that have been open to the public: 38 (including five town halls)

Number of times Mr. Harper has invoked “global terrorism” as the reason he must restrict entry to campaign events to only pre-screened Conservative Party members: 1

Number of times “global terrorism” has stopped Mr. Harper from attending a hockey game in packed arenas: 0

Number of times Conservatives have used the RCMP to shield the Prime Minister or his candidates from tough questions: 5 (that we are aware of)

Number of election campaigns Liberals have managed to run in the last four years without having to resort to a bubble campaign: 3

---

Number of hits the political video "Culture en Péril," about the Conservative government’s cuts to arts and culture funding, has received on YouTube: over 500,000

Rank this video achieved on the list of Most Viewed News and Politics Videos of the Month in just one week: #1

---

Number of Conservative candidates who have said “Look who’s committing these crimes. They’re not the kid that grew up next door. Canada accepts so many refugees for example”: 1 (Lee Richardson – Calgary Centre)

Number that are still a Conservative candidate: 1

Number of NDP candidates who have threatened a woman who supported a war-resistor with the following comment: “Answer a direct f**king question you c**t. I can guarantee, if I ever see you face to face I will make you squeal for the same authority you have such a baseless disdain for”: 1 (Andrew McKeever - Durham)

Number that are still an NDP candidate: 1

Number of times Stephen Harper or Jack Layton have demonstrated accountability for the reprehensible comments of their candidates: 0

---

Number of Conservative candidates who have blog postings referring to fellow Conservative Candidate Peter MacKay as “Pipsqueak Peter”: 1 (Ryan Warawa – Vancouver East)

---

Number of times this week Stephen Harper has accused Mr. Dion of “cheering” for a recession: 1

Number of times he previously accused Mr. Dion of loving the Taliban: 1

Number of times he dismissed Liberal questions on the military because Mr. Dion had not served “in uniform”: 1

Number of years, months or days Mr. Harper has served in the military: 0

---

Number of women candidates running for the Liberal Party in this election: 112 (or 36.6 per cent)

Rank of the Liberal Party when it comes to parties running female candidates: 1st

Percentage of female candidates amongst all candidates running for the Conservative Party: 20.5 per cent

Rank of the Conservative Party when it comes to running female candidates: 5th

---

Minimum number of people Mr. Harper wants to jail by ending house arrest for offences such as break and enter, arson and auto theft: 7,161

Number of jails that would need to constructed to jail that many additional people: 22

Amount that 22 new jails would cost: $2.2 billion

---

Number of Conservative war room press releases that quote Mr. Harper as saying: “Conservatives will lowered taxes …the opposition parties offer nothing but criticism risk” issued during the same week as Raise-a-Reader Day: 1

---

Number of Maxime Bernier’s former staffers who have recently been interviewed by the RCMP, even though Mr. Harper says there is “no suggestion” of an RCMP investigation involving Mr. Bernier: 3

---

Number of times Jim Flaherty has suggested investors and businesses should not invest in Ontario, this year: 2

Number of times during this election: 1

---

Amount of federal grant money given to a Conservative candidate that has “gone missing”: $150,000

---

Number of stealth agriculture announcements by Gerry Ritz this week: 1

Number of questions Gerry Ritz took from reporters at his announcement: 0

Location of Gerry Ritz’s announcement: unknown

---

Number of Conservative candidates who apologized for the income trust betrayal: 1

Number of apologies from Jim Flaherty or Stephen Harper: 0

---

Year when Stephen Harper’s political party first campaigned on jailing 14-year-olds for life: 1993

Name of that party: Reform Party

Number of legal experts who have publicly said Stephen Harper’s “life in prison for 14-year-olds” plan will pass a constitutional challenge: 0

September 24, 2008

Liberal Message of the Day

A richer, FAIRER, greener Canada

Protecting the fundamental right of all Canadians to feel safe is one of the most important functions of any government.

A new Liberal government will ensure that all Canada's ethno-cultural and religious communities are able to thrive and flourish in a secure environment.

Statement by Hon. Hedy Fry on the decision to exclude the Green Party from the Leaders’ Debates

I am disappointed that the leader of the Green Party has been excluded from the televised leaders’ debates. 

While I, along with numerous environmental experts and economists, believe that the Liberal Party of Canada has the best environmental plan for the country, I believe that it is essential in a democratic society for citizens to hear the viewpoints of all political parties.

I am appalled but not surprised to hear that NDP leader Jack Layton actively blocked participation of the Green Party in the debates.  How undemocratic of the New Democratic leader.

[30]

Contact:

Paul Nixey
Press Secretary
paul@hedyfry.com

Lauren Walker
Deputy Press Secretary
lauren@hedyfry.com

Harper Ideology Must Not Mar 2010 Vancouver Games

August 22, 2008
For Immediate Release

VANCOUVER – “In the light of recent cuts to arts and culture, censorship of artistic content and shameful health policy decisions Canadians need to be concerned when the Harper government signals that they want to be involved in the planning of the opening ceremony to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver,” said Hon. Hedy Fry, MP for Vancouver Centre and Liberal Critic for Sport and the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

“While it’s important that governments ensure that the tax payers money is spent in keeping with clear criteria,” continued Fry, “the fact that this government has shown a remarkable proclivity to control every aspect of Canadian behaviour to conform with their ideological bent must make us wonder whether this intervention in the opening ceremonies will be yet another excuse to disseminate Harper government propaganda.”

“The Government should leave planning up the experts who have been chosen to manage all aspects of the games”, said Fry.

VANOC, the body put in place to plan and oversee the games, have spent almost eight years preparing for these Olympics. In the past, both in Montréal in 1976, and in Calgary in 1988, government did not intervene, except to ensure government funds were spent in an accountable and transparent manner.

- 30 -

Office of the Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, MP
MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release
Friday, August 22, 2008

TODAY: Liberal MPs Host Green Shift Event with Vancouver Youth

WHO:  Hon. Hedy Fry, MP
Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre
Chair of the BC Caucus, Liberal Party of Canada
  
Hon. Raymond Chan, MP
Member of Parliament for Richmond
  
Hon. Navdeep Bains, MP
Member of Parliament for Mississauga Brampton - South

WHAT: The MP’s will launch the BC leg of the Youth Green Shift campaign and video contest.

WHERE: Cat’s Meow restaurant 
1540 Old Bridge St., Granville Island

MEDIA AVAILABLILITY at  6:00pm today (event begins at 5:00pm)
Photo, Film and Interview Opportunities Available

# # #

For more information:

Paul Nixey
Special Assistant to Hon. Hedy Fry, MP
fryh1c@parl.gc.ca

FRY TO CLEMENT: CMA IS NO PLACE FOR IDEOLOGY
Dr. Hedy Fry blasts federal Health Minister on anti-Insite speech to the CMA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 19, 2008

MONTREAL – Dr. Hedy Fry, MP for Vancouver Centre, today voiced her alarm at the federal Health Minister's speech to Canadian physicians on Monday. 

"The Minister of Health took his government’s ideology one step too far in his speech,” said Fry.  “Overstepping every acceptable boundary, Minister Clement invaded the realm of clinical practice by pontificating on what he considered to be appropriate treatment, then questioning the ethics of physicians who disagree.”

The Minister of Health dedicated over three quarters of his speech to Insite, questioning the ethics of physicians who participated in or supported the project.  He then blasted the CMA for its support of Insite, disregarding clinical outcomes and 22 international scientific reviews that confirm the project’s success.

"The Minister of Health had an opportunity to speak about the health challenges facing Canada - wait times, the critical shortage of physicians, food safety, and the alarming obesity and diabetes epidemic afflicting Canadian youth,” said Fry.  “Instead, he has again demonstrated his neurotic obsession with safe-injection sites.”

After Minister Clement spoke, the CMA’s Chair of Ethics warned of the dangers of government interference in the practice of medicine.  Dr. Fry, also in Montreal for the CMA’s annual general meeting, agreed, stating “ideology is dangerous when used to intervene in the clinical decision-making of physicians.”

# # #

The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry is the MP for Vancouver Centre, a physician and past-President of the BC Medical Association. Fry was also the federal Minister responsible for the Vancouver Agreement, which oversaw the inception of Vancouver’s safe-injection site.

NEWS RELEASE August 11, 2008  Harper Government Continues to Cut Important Arts and Cultural Programs Vancouver – Hon. Hedy Fry, chair of the Federal Liberal Caucus Sub-Committee on Arts and Culture, expressed her outrage today at the Harper government's axing of the PromArt and Trade Routes from the International Arts Promotion Program. "I guess we should have seen the writing on the wall when Harper's government cut funding to these programs a year ago," said Dr Fry.  "Not only does this government fail to understand the value of cultural promotion to tourism and trade, but they also have no idea that cultural expressions are an effective way of spreading Canadian values abroad.  This is exactly the kind of tunnel vision Canadians have come to expect from this government." In response to the 2007 funding cuts, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion pledged to renew and expand the funding of the International Arts Promotion Program to $22-million dollars. "Liberal governments have been strong advocates for Arts and Culture, initiating Tomorrow Starts Today, Cultural Spaces, and expanding the international programs," said Fry.  "We understand the value of Canadian culture in promoting social cohesion and a sense of shared identity.  However we also know that the 21st century is an era where creativity and innovation is essential to Canada's productivity and global competitiveness.  Obviously the Harper government fails to understand this and Canada will be the poorer for it".  - 30 - Related: Tories to Axe five more arts and culture programs (The Globe & Mail - opens in a new window) To read my most recent 'Hedz Sez' blog on Mr. Harper's dysfuntional Parliament, click here. *********************************

Robin Perelle
Editor - Xtra! West Newspaper
501 – 1053 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC  V6E 1M7

July 3, 2008

Dear Editor,

After reading your article about the incident that occurred at this year’s Eastside Pride festival (“Eastside Pride Ends in Violence”, July 3, 2008), I am compelled to share my outrage at this blatant act of violence and intolerance.

Eastside Pride is more than just an event; the festival takes place on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, during which the gay rights movement exploded into the streets of New York City.  It is about celebrating hard-fought rights, and looking toward a future of equality for GLBTQ2 persons – both here at home and around the world.

I enjoyed my day at the festival.  I spoke with people one-on-one about issues of concern to them.  I watched and listened to wonderfully diverse musical performances.  I thanked the volunteers at the Vancouver Pride Society for their hard work and dedication.

To have the day marked by violence is a sobering reminder of how far we must go in the struggle for equality; and while I did not witness the incident in question, I condemn it in the strongest terms possible.

I am looking forward to celebrating an even bigger Eastside Pride in 2009, and invite your readers to do the same.  Let us join together in solidarity against those who seek to intimidate through violence.

Sincerely,

Hon. Hedy Fry, MP

cc: Vancouver Pride Society

For Immediate Release
August 6, 2008

Conservatives' contradiction of WHO harm prevention shows disregard for Canadians' health

OTTAWA - The Conservative government's refusal to support critical harm reduction strategies shows its callous disregard for the health of Canadians and is contrary to volumes of scientific evidence, Liberal MPs said today.

"The World Health Organisation (WHO) supports safe injection sites. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) supports safe injection sites. Scientific study after scientific study supports safe injection sites. Provincial governments and local communities support safe injection sites. Yet this Conservative government opposes it," said Liberal Health Critic Robert Thibault.

Yesterday the Conservatives again refused to accept the clear science of harm reduction while at a WHO event that promoted safe injection sites as a "priority intervention" in the global battle to stop the HIV/AIDS crisis. The WHO included safe injection sites as part of a "how-to" manual for fighting the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

"Since coming to power, the Conservative government has consistently ignored and denied the clear evidence about how effective safe injection sites are at reducing harm.  Is the government now saying that the rest of the world should ignore the evidence too?" said Mr. Thibault.

"The Harper government is once again choosing ideology instead of science," said Liberal Public Health Critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett. "The WHO and public health practitioners have the science proving that harm reduction saves lives. Health Minister Tony Clement is embarrassing Canada on the world stage by his ideologically driven position. He opposes supervised injection sites yet says he supports needle exchange which makes no medical sense."

"After the SARS crisis, the Liberal government created the role of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada so 'Canada's Doctor' could speak directly to Canadians without political interference," she said.  "The Minister should take the doctors' advice and stop playing with peoples' lives."

Liberal MP Dr. Hedy Fry, who is an ardent supporter of Vancouver's InSite program, said safe injection sites can be the beginning of a pathway out of addiction.

"They help keep addicts from overdosing, contracting HIV/AIDS, and encourage users to get off drugs. Which parts of that does Mr. Harper oppose?" she said.

She added that the Conservative government's position is counterproductive to protecting the health of Canadians.

"Harm reduction programs like InSite don't just help addicts - they also help countless numbers of Canadians who are affected by loved ones suffering under the grip of substance abuse," she said.

-30-

Contact:

Office of Dr. Hedy Fry
613-992-3213
604-666-0135

MEDIA ADVISORY

The Honourable Hedy Fry, Chair of the BC Caucus (Liberal Party of Canada) and Official Opposition Critic for Sport and the 2010 Games, will be in Victoria and Nanaimo on July 6, 7 and 8. 

She will be meeting with Sport groups, civic officials and community leaders.

Schedule of Events:

SUNDAY JULY 6
• Dr. Fry will be attending the Victoria Pride Parade and Festival
o INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AT 1:00pm
o Fisherman's Wharf Park, Victoria

MONDAY JULY 7
• Dr. Fry will host a roundtable discussion with members of the sports community
o INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AT 12:00pm
o Canadian Sport Centre Pacific ~ 100 - 4636 Elk Lake Drive,Victoria

TUESDAY JULY 8
• Dr. Fry will be speaking at the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce
o INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AT 8:30am
o Boardroom of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce ~ 2133 Bowen Road, Nanaimo (parking in rear)

For more information or to schedule an interview:
Paul Nixey
fryh1c@parl.gc.ca

Full bio available at www.hedyfry.com

Dr. Hedy Fry in Calgary
Liberal MP to Lead Town-Hall Green Shift Discussion

(Calgary, AB) Thursday, July 31, 2008—Dr. Hedy Fry, Official Federal Opposition Critic for Sport and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, will be in Calgary on Tuesday, August 5, to lead a town-hall discussion of Stéphane Dion’s highly regarded Green Shift plan.

What:   Green Shift Town Hall

When: Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Where:    Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Hall, 1320-5 Ave NW

Who: Dr. Hedy Fry, MP (Vancouver Centre) and members of the public

*MEDIA ADVISORY*

Office of the Honourable Hedy Fry P.C., MP

*HEDY FRY HOSTS ROUNDTABLE ON BILL C-61*

*WHO*

The Honourable Hedy Fry, P.C., MP

Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre

Chair of the BC Caucus for the Liberal Party of Canada

Opposition Critic for Sport and the 2010 Games

*WHAT *
Dr. Fry will host a roundtable discussion with invited stakeholders from
Calgary on Bill C-61, *An Act to amend the Copyright Act*.

*WHERE and WHEN*

TODAY – Tuesday August 5, 2008
Canadian Music Centre Board Room
910, Library Tower
2500 University Drive NW, Calgary
Parking is available in the Arts Parkade

*MEDIA AVAILABLILITY and INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES at 3:30pm*

*FOR MORE INFORMATION*

For more information, or to schedule an in-studio interview, please contact

Paul Nixey via e-mail to paul@hedyfry.com

Liberals Table Amendment to Government Motion on Afghanistan

OTTAWA-The Liberal Opposition today put forward amended language to clarify the objectives of Canada's mission in Afghanistan, which reaffirms its position that the combat mission in Kandahar must end in February 2009.

"Liberals will not abandon the people of Afghanistan, but Canada's mission has to change," said Mr. Dion. "We remain committed to our longstanding position that Canada's combat mission in Kandahar should end as scheduled in February 2009.

"The amendments we have put forward today place a greater emphasis on stronger and more disciplined diplomatic efforts and strike a better balance with respect to reconstruction and development efforts for the people in this troubled region."

The Liberal Party will support a continuation of the military presence in Kandahar until February 2011 if the following three conditions are met:

.       NATO must secure troops to rotate into Kandahar to allow Canadian troops to be deployed pursuant to the mission priorities training and reconstruction;

.       The government must secure medium helicopter lift and high performance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles; and

.       The Government of Canada must immediately notify NATO that Canada will end its military presence in Kandahar as of February 1, 2011 and as of that date, the deployment of the Canadian Forces troops out of Kandahar will start as soon as possible, so that it will have been completed by July 1, 2011.

The Liberal amendment also stipulates that after February 2009, Canada's mission in Afghanistan should consist of training the Afghan National Security Forces, providing security for reconstruction and development projects in Kandahar, and continuing Canada's responsibility for the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Mr. Dion stressed that unlike the Conservative government, which has proposed that Canada's mission in Afghanistan be "reviewed" in 2011, the Liberals are firmly committed to end date for Canada's military presence in Kandahar in 2011.

The Liberal proposal also addresses issues that the government's motion ignores, such as the transfer or Afghan detainees, the growing narco-economy in Afghanistan and the need for greater transparency and accountability from the government on the conduct and status of the mission.

Mr. Dion said that the Liberals have not ruled our the possibility of finding common ground with the other political parties in an effort to find a solution that best reflects the will of Canadians.

"We have deliberately crafted these amendments to avoid partisan swipes at the government.  We are not looking to take this issue into the confrontational realm of partisan politics," said Mr. Dion

"But we will only do this out in the open. There will be no backroom deals.  This mission has been plagued by enough secrecy in the past two years.  An issue important enough to be declared a confidence motion is important enough to be discussed in Parliament with all of Canada watching," he said.

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The full text the Liberal amendment is attached.

For more information:

Press Office
Office of the Leader of the Opposition
(613) 995-5904
---------
Communiqué

Le 12 février 2008

Pour diffusion immédiate

Les libéraux présentent des amendements à la motion du gouvernement sur l'Afghanistan

OTTAWA - Aujourd'hui, l'opposition libérale a présenté ses amendements à une motion afin de clarifier les objectifs de la mission canadienne en Afghanistan. Ainsi, la motion amendée réaffirme la position libérale selon laquelle la mission de combat du Canada à Kandahar doit prendre fin en 2011.

« Les libéraux ne laisseront pas tomber la population afghane. Mais la mission du Canada doit changer, a dit le chef de l'opposition officielle, Stéphane Dion. Nous restons fidèles à notre position de longue date, selon laquelle la mission militaire canadienne à Kandahar devrait prendre fin, comme prévu, en février 2009. »

« Les amendements que nous avons présentés aujourd'hui sont davantage axés sur des efforts plus disciplinés et plus grands sur le plan diplomatique. Ils visent à mieux concilier les efforts de développement et de reconstruction, pour le bien des habitants de cette région en crise. »

Le Parti libéral appuiera le maintien de la présence militaire à Kandahar jusqu'à février 2011 si les trois conditions suivantes sont respectées :

.       L'OTAN doit garantir la rotation des troupes à Kandahar pour permettre à nos militaires d'être déployés en fonction des priorités de la mission : la formation et la reconstruction.

.       Le gouvernement doit assurer la livraison d'hélicoptères de transport moyens et de véhicules aériens sans pilote performants.

.       Le gouvernement du Canada doit immédiatement informer l'OTAN du fait que notre pays mettra fin à sa présence militaire à Kandahar le 1er février 2011 et qu'à partir de cette date, le déploiement des Forces armées canadiennes à l'extérieur de Kandahar débutera dès que possible et devra être terminé le 1er juillet 2011.

Les amendements libéraux stipulent également qu'après février 2009, la mission du Canada en Afghanistan devrait consister à former les forces nationales de sécurité afghanes, à garantir la sécurité des projets de reconstruction et de développement à Kandahar et à s'acquitter de ses responsabilités envers l'Équipe provinciale de reconstruction à Kandahar.

M. Dion a souligné que contrairement au gouvernement conservateur, qui a proposé que la mission du Canada soit « révisée » en 2011, les libéraux s'engagent fermement à mettre un terme à la présence militaire canadienne à Kandahar en 2011.

Les amendements proposés par les libéraux touchent également les points laissés de côté par la motion du gouvernement, comme le transfert des détenus afghans, la croissance de la narco-économie en Afghanistan et le besoin d'une transparence accrue et d'une meilleure reddition de comptes de la part du gouvernement en ce qui concerne la gestion et l'état de la mission.

M. Dion a ajouté que les libéraux n'excluaient pas la possibilité de trouver un terrain d'entente avec les autres partis dans un effort pour trouver une solution qui correspond le mieux à la volonté des Canadiens.

« Nous avons pris le soin de formuler nos amendements de manière à éviter les piques partisanes contre le gouvernement. Nous ne cherchons pas à faire de cette question une foire d'empoigne politicienne », a précisé le chef libéral.

« Mais nous agirons dans la transparence. Il n'y aura pas d'ententes secrètes. La mission de notre pays en Afghanistan a été assez entourée de secret ces deux dernières années. Une question assez importante pour faire l'objet d'une motion de confiance mérite bien d'être débattue au Parlement, devant tout le Canada », a-t-il conclu.

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Vous trouverez ci-joint le texte intégral des amendements des libéraux.

Contact:

Press Office
Office of the Leader of the Opposition
(613) 995-5904

For Immediate Release
January 8, 2007

Liberal Sport Critic Calls on Government to Lobby for Women's Ski Jumping at Vancouver Olympics

OTTAWA -The Conservative Government must heed the call by Canada's Olympic athletes to fight for women's ski jumping at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Liberal Sport Critic Dr. Hedy Fry said today.

"This Conservative government has had almost two years to lobby the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to stop this gender discrimination that disallows women's ski jumping at the Vancouver Olympics, and they did nothing" said Dr. Fry.

"Now the athletes themselves have had to resort to taking the government to court to get the government to act. That's shameful and an embarrassment to Canada," she said.

A group of female ski jumpers have filed a gender discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Commission, arguing that it's against federal and provincial law to spend money on facilities that discriminate. The new Whistler Olympic park where the jumps are located cost Canadian taxpayers $120 million.

Dr. Fry said she originally brought this issue to the attention of the Conservative government almost two years ago, well before the IOC had voted against allowing the women to compete.

"I met with then Minister for Sport Michael Chong in March of 2006, bringing to his attention this issue," said Dr. Fry.  "I informed Mr. Chong of this possible decision.  He and his senior bureaucrats assured me that they would look into it.

"When the IOC finally made its decision in November 2006, I contacted the new Secretary of State for Sport Helena Guergis asking for an immediate meeting. I waited over five months for that meeting and when it finally occurred, Ms. Guergis was absent.  I was again assured that the Secretary of State would deal with the problem. Nothing ever happened."

Dr. Fry noted that because the federal government helped fund Olympic venues, the refusal to allow women ski jumpers to compete is a legal issue, since it is against federal law to spend government money on a facility that discriminates.

"Two years from now we will be celebrating an event that aims to bring people together in peace and respect; we do not want gender discrimination to taint Vancouver's Games," said Dr. Fry.

Dr.  Fry pointed to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics as proof that similar changes have been made before, prior to the commencement of Olympic competition.

Deedee Corradini, president of Women's Ski Jumping USA and former mayor of Salt Lake City, told a press conference at the new Vancouver Olympic Park that when she was mayor she successfully pushed to have both women's bobsleigh and skeleton as new events at the Games within a comparable time frame.

"It's not too late for the government to step up to the plate and for once take some leadership," said Dr. Fry.

- 30 -

Contact:

Office of the Hon. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.
Opposition Critic for Sport and the Vancouver 2010 Olympics
(613) 992-3213

STATEMENT ON CANNABIS REFORM 

Some of you may be aware that my office was picketed by pro-cannibis protesters today.

I believe the issue of cannabis reform should be addressed in Parliament, and am discouraged by the ideological approach taken by Stephen Harper and the Conservative government on this issue.

In November 2004 the former Liberal government introduced legislation (Bill C-17) that would have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis, and the production of three marijuana plants or fewer by an individual for personal possession only. It is important to stress that this legislation was not a push to the legalization of cannabis, or encourage the use of marijuana, but rather part of a larger overall drug prevention strategy that would free resources to counter harder, more addictive drugs like Heroin, Cocaine, Crystal Meth, or LSD.

This was accompanied by legislation that increased severely the fines and penalties for "Grow-ops" and for traffickers. These legislative pieces formed a small part of a comprehensive strategy recommended by a Parliamentary Sub-Committee on the non-medical use of drugs, of which I was a Member.

The strategy as it related to marijuana did not advocate legalization, but decriminalization for personal use, together with further research on the long term effects of cannabis, public education and awareness, testing for impaired driving, and treatment & rehabilitation for those who had become dependent.

 [30]

For more information:
Office of the Hon. Hedy Fry
604.666.0135 / fryh@parl.gc.ca

November 16, 2007

To: Vancouver Sun Editorial Department 

Dear Editor,
 
I wish to correct an inaccuracy contained in the front page story of Monday's Vancouver Sun.  Jeff Lee's story, headlined "Coalition pushes for legal brothel during Olympics" includes a comment from Susan Davis of the BC Coalition of Experiential Communities stating that such a co-op has my support.   A subsequent letter to the editor, published yesterday, also suggests that I support this co-op.  While I did serve on a House of Commons sub-committee on solicitation, and am aware of the complexity of this issue, I am not involved with this project (in fact, the first time I learned of it was through your article). 
 
In future, I would invite journalists from the Sun to contact me before inaccurately reporting my position on issues that affect my constituents.
 
Thank you,
 
Hon. Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C.
Member of Parliament
Vancouver Centre
604.666.0135 office

Dion Asks Montana Governor to Commute Death Sentence for Canadian Prisoner

OTTAWA - Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion today wrote to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer to ask him to commute the death sentence for Mr. Ronald Allen Smith, a Canadian citizen sentenced to death for the murder of two men in 1982.

"I have taken this step because the Conservative government is not representing the views of the majority of Canadians nor is it respecting long-standing Canadian law and policy on the issue, and I believe it is my responsibility to make those views known and to uphold the law," said Mr. Dion.

"By refusing to seek the commutation of the death sentence of Canadian citizens on death row in other countries, and by reneging on Canada's decision to co-sponsor the UN resolution opposing the use of the death penalty, the Conservative government has changed Canada's policy by stealth."

Mr. Dion noted that Canada abolished the death penalty more than 30 years ago, and again voted against its use after a lengthy and considered debate in 1987.

"In Canada, opposition to the death penalty is rooted in a belief that it violates the principles of fundamental justice.  Those principles form the foundation of our respect for the rule of law upon which our country's constitution is based.  We are weakened as a nation when we fail to stand up for our fellow citizens who face such dire consequences," said Mr. Dion.

"I am opposed to the death penalty.  I believe that the use of the death penalty undermines the human dignity of not only the individual who is killed, but of all involved in the process.  I believe that the evidence supports the position that the death penalty has little to no value as a deterrent of crime.  I can think of no acceptable justification for the taking of a life by the state.  While there is obviously a strong argument for opposing the death penalty due to the risk of a state killing an innocent individual, I believe that it represents an injustice even when it falls on someone who is unquestionably guilty of crime."

-30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 31, 2007

Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Centre MP Hedy Fry was today named Chair of the Liberal Party of Canada’s BC Caucus.

“I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that British Columbians’ voices are heard loud and clear in the House of Commons,” said Fry.  “Under Stephen Harper’s watch, British Columbians have been virtually ignored by their federal government.  Having sold out on softwood lumber to the tune of $1 billion, and done nothing to stop the devastation of the pine beetle, it is farcical to say that they will focus on the lumber industry.”

“At the same time, most middle-income and low-income Vancouverites cannot afford safe and decent shelter, and seniors are still reeling from the broken promise not to tax income trusts.”

A family physician in Vancouver’s West End for over 20 years, Dr. Fry became the first “rookie” MP to defeat a sitting prime minister, winning her first election in 1993.  From 1996 to 2002, Fry served as the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Status of Women Canada, and was later Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Immigration with Special Emphasis on Foreign Credentials.  In 2006, Dr. Fry was a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.  Fry is currently the Official Opposition Critic for Sport and the 2010 Games, and blogs on issues of the day at www.hedyfry.com.

[30]

For more information:

Paul Nixey

Office of the Hon. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.

paul@hedyfry.com

Canada Deserves Big Thinking

October 19, 2007
by Antony Anderson

In the lead up to the throne speech, the Harper government discussed allocating $725 million for a tax cut that would work out to a $30 refund for every Canadian. This PR gesture is irritating for its emptiness. But more importantly, it hints at a profoundly limited vision of the country.

The refund echoes the government's response to child care, when it opted to give parents with preschool-aged children $100 a month. This doesn't even begin to cover the real costs of daycare, and God knows how much Ottawa is spending to administer these hundreds of thousands of cheques every month.

The larger message is that Ottawa has left us to figure out our child-care problems on our own. This would be fine if there were personal solutions to what is truly a communal problem. As always, those with more money will have far more choices.

So with child care and the tax refund, Harper avoids acting on a national scale. Compare what would have happened if our previous prime ministers had acted with a similar mindset.

If Sir John A. Macdonald had thought like Harper, he never would have built a national railway. Instead, Macdonald would have given Canadians a voucher to sort out their own travel arrangements from sea to sea.

R.B. Bennett would not have brought in a national broadcaster. He might have given us free movie tickets.

If Lester Pearson had thought like Harper, he would never have enacted medicare at the federal level. He would have given us each some kind of medical coupon– the same with Louis St. Laurent and national hospital insurance.

The potential tax refund gets us down to the core of Harper's vision of the country – he doesn't seem to see us as a nation of citizens engaged on a magnificent national project together.

In his eyes, it seems, Canada is a mere marketplace full of disconnected consumers. So we get $100 a month for child care, $30 for ourselves and another percentage point off the GST.

Instead of these minuscule amounts directed toward individuals, imagine the impact of nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars on our culture, our armed forces, our foreign service or the debt – or anything else in the federal realm of spending. This would require the government to dream and act on a national canvas.

Obviously, grand schemes bring with them the potential for grand mismanagement and endless chicanery. And maybe Harper is smarter than all of us with his modest measures and promises.

Maybe the majority of Canadians prefer small gestures. Brian Mulroney challenged the nation with free trade, the GST and his constitutional odyssey. For all his ambitious, brave efforts, we threw out his party.

The wily Jean Chrétien sensed our exhaustion from all this nation building and never brought in any kind of grand national scheme. His reward for modest, cautious government? Citizens kept on voting for him in droves.

In politics there are no final destination points and no eternal answers – just a series of choices and compromises.

Hopefully, Harper will occasionally shift his field of view from the individual consumer to the vast number of citizens from sea to sea.

Mr. Prime Minister, don't nickel and dime us on the nation we're creating together.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antony Anderson is a freelance television writer and producer in Toronto.

October 18, 2007

OTTAWA - The recent appointment of a former Conservative Member of Parliament to Nova Scotia's Supreme Court is another example of the Harper government forcing its right-wing ideology onto Canada's justice system, Liberal Justice Critic Marlene Jennings said today.

"This appointee has a well documented history of vocally supporting laws that would restrict a woman's right to choose what she can and cannot do with her own body," said Ms. Jennings.  "This Prime Minister has obviously decided that the next step in furthering his socially conservative agenda is to pack the judiciary with card-carrying members of his own party who share his political views."

The appointment of Lawrence O'Neil to the Nova Scotia bench is just the latest in a long list of partisan appointments.

Despite promises to reform the process for judicial appointments, the Conservative government has only lowered the quality standards that had previously been in place and changed the membership of the provincial judicial selection committees in order to facilitate the appointment of its own party supporters to fill vacancies across Canada.

Since taking office, a former President of the Progressive Conservative Party from Quebec, the former chair of Stephen Harper's leadership campaign from New Brunswick, and the former Chair of the Conservative Fund, and party fundraiser in Alberta, Bruce McDonald, have all been appointed to the federal judiciary.

"Liberals will not sit idly by while this government seeks to impose its own political views on our country's independent judiciary," said Mr. Jennings.

"We know for a fact that the Prime Minister has a rather low opinion of our country's judges.  He was quite clear during the last election that he viewed the courts as a blockade on his power, and now it's becoming clear that he's taking steps to remove that blockade.

"We need judges who are impartial and independent, not a judiciary packed with Conservative Party ideologues," said Ms. Jennings.

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Contact:

Office of Hon. Marlene Jennings
(613) 995-2251
-------
Pour diffusion immédiate

Le 18 octobre 2007

Les conservateurs pourvoient les postes de juges en nommant leurs amis de droite

OTTAWA - La nomination récente d'un ancien député conservateur à la Cour suprême de Nouvelle-Écosse montre une fois de plus que Stephen Harper et son gouvernement imposent leurs idées de droite au système judiciaire canadien, a déclaré aujourd'hui la porte-parole libérale chargée de la justice, Marlene Jennings.

« La personne nommée est bien connue pour n'avoir jamais caché son appui aux lois qui limiteraient la liberté d'une femme de choisir ce qu'elle peut et ne peut pas faire de son corps, a dit Mme Jennings. Le Premier ministre a manifestement décidé que la prochaine étape de son projet social conservateur est de noyauter les tribunaux avec des membres de son parti qui partagent ses opinions politiques. »

L'affectation de Lawrence O'Neil à la Cour suprême de Nouvelle-Écosse vient s'ajouter à la liste déjà longue des nominations partisanes faites par le gouvernement conservateur.

Malgré ses promesses de réformer les procédures de nomination des juges, le gouvernement conservateur n'a fait que baisser le niveau des exigences et modifier la composition des comités provinciaux de sélection des juges afin de faciliter le recrutement de ses propres sympathisants pour pourvoir les postes vacants partout au pays.

Depuis qu'il est arrivé au pouvoir, le gouvernement conservateur a nommé à ce poste un ancien président québécois du Parti progressiste-conservateur, l'ancien président de campagne au Nouveau-Brunswick de Stephen Harper lorsqu'il était candidat à la direction de son parti, ainsi que l'ancien président du Fonds conservateur et chargé des collectes de fonds pour les conservateurs en Alberta, Bruce McDonald.

« Les libéraux ne resteront pas les bras croisés pendant que le gouvernement conservateur tente d'imposer ses vues politiques et de compromettre l'indépendance du pouvoir judiciaire au Canada », a poursuivi Mme Jennings.

« Nous savons sans l'ombre d'un doute que le Premier ministre a une opinion plutôt défavorable de nos juges. Il a dit très clairement, pendant la dernière campagne électorale, qu'il considérait les tribunaux comme un obstacle à son pouvoir, et il est de plus en plus évident qu'il prend maintenant des mesures pour lever cet obstacle. »

« Nos juges doivent être impartiaux et indépendants. Nos tribunaux ne doivent pas être noyautés par des idéologues conservateurs, » a conclu Mme Jennings.

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Renseignements :

Bureau de l'honorable Marlene Jennings
(613) 995-2251

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion Commits to Lowering Corporate Tax Rates

TORONTO - Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion today pledged to further reduce the federal corporate tax rate to better compete with other countries and strengthen our economic sovereignty.

"A key competitive advantage for Canada used to be our weak currency. Now that our dollar is at par, and we have lost this weak currency advantage, a key advantage must be a competitive corporate tax rate," Mr. Dion told the Economic Club of Toronto.

"A lower corporate tax rate is a powerful weapon in the federal government's arsenal to generate more investment, higher living standards and better jobs."

Mr. Dion said he made the commitment following a long process of consultation with parliamentary colleagues, workers, experts, business leaders and Canadians who "want better jobs for themselves and their children."

The previous Liberal government reduced the federal corporate tax rate to 19 per cent from 28 per cent. Mr. Dion said he will go deeper than the Conservatives have done with their reduction to 18.5 per cent in 2011.

"This was the so-called 'bold step' they boasted about, but I would go deeper than that because it is a good economic policy within the Canadian economy, it will help us compete with other countries and it will strengthen our economic sovereignty," he said.

"If you lower the corporate tax rate, you lower the cost of capital for Canadian companies.  Therefore, these companies are induced to spend more on capital equipment. As for foreign investment, we need a big hook to snare investment, including Canadian investment, that might otherwise go south of the border. Finally, it would strengthen Canadian companies against foreign takeover."

In his speech, Mr. Dion also reiterated the Liberal call for an end to the combat mission in Afghanistan in February 2009 and for stronger government action on climate change. He also said that a plan to fight poverty would be "at the heart" of a Liberal agenda.

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To read the full text of the speech, click here.

Contact:

Press Office
Office of the Leader of the Opposition
(613) 995-5904
----------
Communiqué

Date :     Le 12 octobre 2007

Pour diffusion immédiate

Le chef libéral Stéphane Dion s'engage à réduire le taux d'imposition des entreprises

TORONTO - Aujourd'hui, le chef libéral Stéphane Dion a promis de réduire davantage le taux d'imposition fédéral des entreprises afin que nous puissions mieux concurrencer les autres pays et renforcer la souveraineté de notre économie.

« La faiblesse de notre devise a longtemps été très avantageuse pour notre compétitivité. Maintenant que notre dollar est à parité avec le dollar américain, et que nous avons perdu l'avantage d'une devise faible, nous devons nous doter d'un nouvel avantage : un taux d'imposition général des sociétés qui soit concurrentiel », a affirmé M. Dion devant l'Economic Club of Toronto.

« Un taux d'imposition bas est une arme puissante dans l'arsenal du gouvernement fédéral, arme qui ne peut qu'aider ce dernier à stimuler l'investissement, la hausse du niveau de vie et la création de meilleurs emplois. »

M. Dion a ajouté qu'il avait pris cet engagement suite à de longues consultations avec ses collègues parlementaires, des travailleurs, des experts, des chefs d'entreprise et des Canadiens qui « voulaient de meilleurs emplois pour eux et pour leurs enfants ».

Le précédent gouvernement libéral a réduit l'impôt fédéral des entreprises, qui est passé de 28 % à 19 %. M. Dion a affirmé qu'il irait plus loi que les conservateurs, qui ont prévu de faire passer ce taux à 18,5 % d'ici à 2011.

« Les conservateurs ont "osé" aller plus loin, mais moi, je vais baisser ce taux encore plus parce que c'est une bonne politique dans le contexte de l'économie canadienne et cela nous aidera à concurrencer les autres pays et cela renforcera notre souveraineté économique », a-t-il ajouté.

« Si l'on baisse le taux d'imposition des entreprises, on baisse les coûts d'immobilisation pour les compagnies canadiennes, ce qui les incite à investir davantage dans les biens d'équipement. En ce qui a trait à l'investissement étranger, nous devons utiliser un crochet solide pour attraper cet investissement, et même l'investissement canadien qui serait tenté de s'établir chez nos voisins du sud. Enfin, une telle mesure rendrait nos entreprises moins exposées à des acquisitions étrangères. »

Dans son discours, M. Dion a également répété la demande des libéraux qui sont favorables à ce que la mission militaire en Afghanistan se termine en février 2009 et que le gouvernement prenne des mesures plus fermes pour lutter contre les changements climatiques. Il a également affirmé qu'un plan de lutte contre la pauvreté serait « au cour » d'un programme libéral.

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Le texte intégral du discours est joint.

Renseignements :

Service de presse
Cabinet du chef de l'opposition
613-995-5904

 The Conservative government today announced its anti-drug strategy, which focuses on cracking down on drug possession, production and trafficking, and retreating from harm reduction measures that help Canadians, such as the safe injection site in Vancouver.

· The Conservative government’s new anti-drug strategy lacks the balanced approach needed to lower crime, reduce addiction and drug abuse and protect public health.

· The Liberal Party supports a balanced response to substance abuse and drug addiction, which includes prevention, treatment, enforcement, and harm reduction measures.

· This is why, for example, we initiated the InSite safe injection site pilot project in Vancouver in 2003, and provided $500,000 a year to support the project, and it’s why we enhanced security at Canada’s borders to impede the flow of illicit drugs.

· It’s also why Stéphane Dion has committed to continuing this balanced tradition with new money for 400 additional RCMP officers to help local police departments deal with crime, including gang-related activity and drug trafficking. He has also committed to working with the provinces to provide long-term sustainable funding for community police.

· We would also fully back the safe injection site, which is a prime example of how harm-reduction and treatment measures can protect the safety and well-being of Canadians at large.

· Despite scientific evidence and overwhelming public support, Prime Minister Harper and Health Minister Tony Clement have put the safe injection site on life support by only extending its license for another six months and refusing to fund it.

· Canadians need a government that will put their needs above its ideological vision for Canada – something this government seems incapable of doing.

· It is time this government began investing in what yields the best results, and take a balanced approach to drug addiction and enforcement.

BACKGROUND
· The Liberal Party does not believe that enforcement measures alone are an effective means to combat substance abuse.

· Scientific research shows that these harm reduction measures help to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in communities, decrease the rate of crime, reduce public drug use, diminish discarded drug paraphernalia on our streets, and increase the likelihood of recovery.

· As a result of InSite, today there is less crime in the Downtown Eastside area, less public drug use, and a lowered risk of HIV infection.

· The Liberal Party would like to see continued support for the site and its success replicated in other regions across the country.

· The Liberal Party will continue to encourage and support all levels of government, law enforcement agencies, and professional associations to reduce the harm associated with substance abuse.

October 11, 2007

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper must come clean regarding his use of lists that appear to target Canadians by religious affiliation, said Liberal Justice Critic Marlene Jennings today.

Ms. Jennings announced that she has sent a letter to Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart asking for an investigation after recent media reports revealed that a number of Canadians received Rosh Hashanah greetings from the Prime Minister because it appears that many of these people had no idea they were on such a mailing list.

"I am asking Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart to investigate where the Prime Minister got these names; whether the individuals identified their religious affiliation; and who paid for the mailing, the postage and the cost of the cards," said Ms. Jennings.

"It appears the privacy of these individuals has been violated but that is what I want the Privacy Commissioner to determine, so that if the Prime Minister is compiling lists of Canadians by their religious or ethnic affiliation it doesn't happen again."

Ms. Jennings further noted that this also appears to be a clear case of the Prime Minister using taxpayer-funded resources for unofficial political campaigning, pointing out  that sender's block on the cards says "Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, MP," indicating they were sent using the free mailing privileges available to members of the House of Commons.

"If the Prime Minister is the accountable person he told Canadians he would be, then he will come clean about these lists and whether he used taxpayers' dollars to pay for a mailing that may have been used for political purposes," added Ms. Jennings.

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Contact:

Office of Hon. Marlene Jennings
(613) 995-2251
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Pour diffusion immédiate
Le 11 octobre 2007

La commissaire à la protection de la vie privée doit faire enquête sur le ciblage ethnique et religieux fait par le Premier ministre à des fins politiques

OTTAWA - Le Premier ministre Stephen Harper doit dire la vérité sur l'usage qu'il fait de listes qui semblent cibler des Canadiens en fonction de leur appartenance religieuse, a dit aujourd'hui la porte-parole libérale chargée de la justice, Marlene Jennings.

Mme Jennings a annoncé qu'elle avait envoyé une lettre à la commissaire à la protection de la vie privée, Jennifer Stoddart, pour lui demander de mener une enquête sur le fait, révélé récemment par les médias, que plusieurs citoyens ont reçu du Premier ministre des voux de Rosh Hashanah. Il semble, en effet, que bon nombre de ces personnes ne savaient pas qu'elles figuraient sur une telle liste d'envois postaux.

« Je prie la commissaire à la protection de la vie privée, Jennifer Stoddart, de chercher à savoir comment le Premier ministre a obtenu le nom de ces personnes, si ces dernières avaient déclaré leur appartenance religieuse et qui a payé les cartes de voux et les frais de poste », a déclaré Mme Jennings.

« Il semble que le droit à la vie privée de ces citoyens ait été violé, mais c'est sur cette question que je demande à la commissaire de faire enquête, car si le Premier ministre inscrit des Canadiens sur des listes en fonction de leur appartenance religieuse ou ethnique, il ne faut pas que cela se reproduise. »

La députée libérale a souligné en outre qu'il semble clair que le Premier ministre se sert de ressources payées par les contribuables pour mener des campagnes politiques non officielles. Elle a fait remarquer que le nom de l'expéditeur figurant sur l'enveloppe est « Le très honorable Stephen Harper, député », ce qui signifie que ces cartes ont été envoyées sans frais de poste, privilège réservé aux députés fédéraux.

« Si le Premier ministre rend compte de ses actes, comme il l'a prétendu à la population, alors il devrait dire toute la vérité sur ces listes et sur l'argent des contribuables qui aurait été utilisé pour un envoi postal ayant peut-être servi à des fins politiques », a conclu Mme Jennings.

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Renseignements :

Bureau de l'honorable Marlene Jennings
(613) 995-2251

October 2, 2007

OTTAWA – Conservative International Trade Minister David Emerson continues to ignore that his Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA) with the United States is fatally flawed, Liberal International Trade Critic Navdeep Singh Bains said today.

“Mr. Emerson is clearly out of touch with what is happening to the softwood lumber industry under his watch,” said Mr. Bains. “It is time he admit the agreement, which he signed and is constantly forced to defend, is a failure. He must now start to actually defend Canada’s interests in this important industry.”

In Saturday September 29th letter to the Financial Post, Mr. Emerson again claimed that his softwood lumber agreement had “put an end to years of costly litigation and export duties…” Both statements are false. Under the terms of the SLA, Canadian softwood lumber is now subject to an export charge of 15 per cent. As well, Canada is currently in a London court defending itself against U.S.-based challenges of quota violations and will soon face a similar process on provincial programs.

“Mr. Emerson speaks like a man who has sided completely with the U.S. lumber lobby,” said Mr. Bains. “His softwood deal has left our industry in limbo and compromised Canada’s sovereignty. I cannot imagine a worse deal for the industry or Canada as a whole.

“The lumber industry creates high quality, high paying jobs. This government’s decision to sign the SLA and its blind support of the agreement since then is yet more proof that this government can’t be trusted to defend Canadian industry.”

September 27, 2007

OTTAWA - The Conservative government's massive under-estimation of this year's surplus is just another broken promise in a long line of Conservative failures according to Liberal Finance Critic John McCallum.

"This is a Prime Minister who has promised repeatedly to budget close to the bone and to ensure 'truth in budgeting' by giving Canadians the real deal on the size of the federal surplus," said Mr. McCallum. "Today's announcement proves that he is either incapable of doing this or that he simply lied to Canadians about his intention to do so."

Mr. McCallum was reacting to the Conservative government's announcement today that it had accumulated a $13.8-billion surplus.

During the 2006 election, Stephen Harper promised to forecast budget surpluses accurately and wrote in his platform that, "Governments cannot be held to account if Parliament does not know the accurate state of public finances."

"If you take the 2005 version of Stephen Harper at his word, then today's Stephen Harper has just admitted that he is running an unaccountable government by deceiving Parliament about the size of the federal surplus," said Mr. McCallum. "This is another abhorrent example of the promises this Prime Minister made in order to get into power with absolutely no interest in honouring them when he assumed office."

Mr. McCallum also accused the government of deceiving the public by frequently touting their tax back guarantee, which has so far not funded any broad-based tax relief to Canadians.

"The Finance Minister may like to brag about his tax back guarantee but the reality is that he is deceptively using it to fund targeted tax measures and program spending that benefit certain Canadians while giving absolutely nothing to others," said McCallum.

"If you ask him to point to any spot in Budget 2007 that cut general income tax rates in order to satisfy the spirit of his 2006 tax back guarantee all you'll get is obfuscation and no answers. In fact, the only change this government has made to the general personal income tax rate since coming to power was to raise the lowest bracket from 15 per cent in 2005 to 15.25 per cent in 2006 and again to 15.5 per cent in 2007."

For Immediate Release

September 26, 2007

Conservative Government Slams Door in Women's Faces;

Fry and Minna Meet Women's Groups in Vancouver

VANCOUVER – Hon. Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre) and Liberal Status of Women Critic Hon. Maria Minna (York-Beaches) will hold a roundtable with women's groups in Vancouver, following the announcement that the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is being forced to shut its doors after being denied funding by Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government.  

NAWL has won many groundbreaking legal cases for women's rights in Canada, including sections 15 and 18 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, amendments to sexual assault laws, rape-shield legislation and criminal harassment legislation.

 

"Stephen Harper has, once again, left Canadian women out in the cold by denying access to the law," said Fry.   "We can see Harper's ideology at work; his 'new' government closed 12 out of 16 Status of Women Canada offices, refuses to fund women's advocacy groups, cancelled the Court Challenges program, and removed 'women's equality' from Status of Women Canada's mandate.   Canadian women have been abandoned by this government."

 

Minna noted that many women's groups that rely on federal funding are unsure of what the future holds for them.   The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, a promoter and clearinghouse for research and action to advance social justice and equality for women, had to lay off most of its already-small staff earlier this year.

 

"Canadians must understand that the organizations that have fought for their rights in the past are under attack by this Conservative government," said Minna.   "Harper's right-wing ideology is setting the women's movement back decades.  If this is how the Conservative government feels about women, every group that has fought for equality rights should feel threatened."

 

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Contact

Office of (Hon.) Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.                                                          

604 666 0135

fryh@parl.gc.ca