Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

NDP vows to stop Harper from ‘ruining society’ in upcoming session

It’s still a week before MPs return to sit in the House of Commons, but the rhetoric is already back.

New Democrat MP and caucus chair Peter Julian spoke to reporters Monday afternoon to give an update on the Quebec caucus meeting, and highlighted a few of the items the Official Opposition has on its to-do list for the new session.

After five weeks back in their ridings, he said, MPs are coming back to Ottawa “full of energy.” He highlighted three specific issues the NDP will focus on in the upcoming session: public sector cuts, health care and aboriginal issues.

In sum, he said, the NDP will return “united and ready to continue the fight to prevent Stephen Harper from ruining the society that Canadians have put so much effort into building.”

He also noted the NDP ought to have some credit for the meeting Tuesday between Prime Minister Harper and aboriginal leaders.




“After six years in power, Stephen Harper is meeting with First Nations leaders for the first time tomorrow — and I must say, it took the NDP sounding the alarm for the Conservatives to pay attention to their situation,” Julian said. “The NDP will continue to pressure the government to establish a real dialogue with aboriginal Canadians and take effective measures to help them out of the extreme poverty and despair that is found in many aboriginal communities across the country.”

Hundreds of First Nations delegates gathered in Ottawa Monday for a closed-door strategy session ahead of the meeting, which the prime minister will attend, though for exactly how much of the day he’ll be present remains unclear.

The Conservatives, Julian also said, are asking Canadians to “give up essential services.”

“More than 60,000 jobs, according to some estimates, could be put on the chopping block,” he said. “We will strongly condemn these cutbacks, which are harmful to Canadians’ quality of life.”

Julian was referring to a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released Monday that predicts 60,000 jobs “are guaranteed to disappear somewhere in Canada.” The report specifically noted that “over 22,000 positions” in the national capital region could go.

Original Article
Source: iPolitics 
Author: Colin Horgan 

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