National Televised Leaders Debate Cancellation is an Affront to Democracy.

News Release - Green Party of Canada.

 GRANDVIEW October 2, 2015 – Despite efforts by the Greens and the major national English language television broadcasters, the NDP have withdrawn from the national leaders' debate and today the debate has been cancelled.

“Cancellation of the National leader’s debate is a huge blow to democracy and to Canadian voters." said Kate Storey, local Green Party candidate for Dauphin Swan River Neepawa (above). 

A Candidate's Forum on Child Poverty Touches a Nerve in Manitoba.

by Larry Powell

Planet In Peril has sorted through some of the confusion surrounding the absence of Robert Sopuck, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa, from a candidates' forum on child poverty in Neepawa on Wednesday. 

About a month ago, his office told forum organizers that he would be attending. But his office manager in Neepawa, Christine Waddell, later announced he could not attend due to "scheduling conflicts." She said the night of the event, he was in Inglis, a small town in the western part of his riding. 

This morning, however, Sopuck himself told PinP he had actually been in Roblin, a larger town just north of Inglis. A newspaper ad indicated it was a "meet and greet" affair. But that was in the morning in Roblin, a town within a 3-hour drive of Neepawa. So it's still not clear what the event in Inglis was which took priority over a candidate's forum.

The MP bristled at my suggestion that his absence from the Neepawa event might leave him open to criticism that his party, his government or even himself, do not care about hungry children. "That's a low blow," he replied.

Sopuck said his party's answer to fighting child poverty is economic development which "the Socialists and the Greens" always oppose.

All of the other four candidates attended the Neepawa event.

Please also read: "Conservative MP Absent From a Child Poverty Forum in Southwestern Manitoba." 

Conservative MP Absent From a Child Poverty Forum in Southwestern Manitoba.

Are hungry kids a priority for the Harper government?

by Larry Powell

The forum (for the riding of Dauphin - Swan River - Neepawa) was sponsored by the Mission and Services Committee of the Neepawa United Church. It drew about 80 people to the church on Wednesday. But only four of the five candidates (see below) took part in the debate - Ray Piché (Liberal),  Kate Storey (Green Party), Inky Mark (Ind.) and Laverne Lewycky (NDP).

The 5th candidate, the sitting Conservative MP for the area, Robert Sopuck (represented by the empty chair on the right), did not attend. His office manager in Neepawa, Christine Waddell, said he was in Inglis, a small community in the western part of the riding for the evening. She did not elaborate. But she did explain that a campaign worker was mistaken when he told forum organizers earlier that Mr. Sopuck would, in fact be there.

Piché, the Liberal candidate, said the MP's absence showed “disrespect” for the rest of the candidates. 

The church committee wanted to stress that child poverty in Canada is actually worse now than it was in 1989. That’s when the House of Commons voted unanimously to bring an end to the problem by the year 2,000. 

For his part, Piché pledged that, if elected, his party would allocate $20 billion over 20 years in a "social framework" which would include early learning programs, quality child care and more parental leave for mothers after childbirth.

Lewycky said parents now pay up to $1,000 a month for child care. Under an NDP government,  he promised, parents can expect quality child care for just $15 a day.

Storey said the Green Party supports an experimental income support program such as the one conducted in Dauphin in the 70s, called “Mincome”. By “topping up” incomes of low - wage earners, many positive results were documented, including fewer hospital visits and lower crime rates.

Mark told the forum he too would support such a plan, but only if it replaced other programs, such as social assistance. He said children aren't the only ones who suffer poverty. Seniors do, too. And he suggested neither the Canada Pension Plan nor Old Age Security should not be taxed. 

Sopuck himself hasn't yet commented on his absence.

The forum was taped and will be broadcast on NACTV in Neepawa at 8 o'clock, CDT, this evening (Oct. 1).

Stealin' All My Dreams - an Anti-Harper Song by Blue Rodea (Video)

Why Climate Activists Stand with Refugees

Common Dreams

“A culture that places so little value on human beings, that it allows them to be thrown to the waves, is also going to allow poor people’s countries to disappear beneath the waves because that is a threat to today’s profits.”

— Naomi Klein  Story here.

The Real Enemy Is Within

Chris Hedges - OpEdNews

If you are not dedicated to the destruction of empire and the dismantling of American militarism, then you cannot count yourself as a member of the left. It is not a side issue. It is the issue. It is why…

Why the Government of Canada Must Lead in Health Care - But Does Not.

Canadian Medical Asn. Journal

For much of the last decade, Canadian federal health policy has been conspicuous by its absence. Story here.

The Boss in the Bubble: Harper’s Germ-Free Election Strategy

iPOLITICS

Voters have never seen a campaign as closed and isolationist as the one being conducted by the Conservative party this year. Details here.

Bernie Sanders is Drawing Big Crowds -- But How Long Will They Stick Around?

Los Angeles Times

The Summer of Sanders — as in Bernie, the Vermont socialist and long-shot presidential hopeful — has featured big crowds flocking to hear the U.S. senator’s fist-shaking message: 8,000 in Dallas, 10,000 in Madison, 11,000 in Phoenix. Story here.

In Blow to Tar Sands Industry, NDP Sweeps Alberta Elections

Common Dreams

In historic shake-up, Canadian voters overwhelming back party that promised higher corporate taxes and less support for pipelines. Story here.

Be Afraid (Video)

Sun News Network to Shut Down Permanently: Sources

CBC News

Right-of-centre news network had trouble attracting viewers

Harper's Police State Law

The Tyee

Passing it means 'death of freedom' writes Green leader Elizabeth May. Story here.

Blogger Invites Prominent Tories to Join Greens (Letter)

Dear Editor,

As a member of the Green Party, I'd like to invite two prominent Conservatives in my area, Ken Waddell, the publisher of the Neepawa Banner (formerly the Mayor) and Robert Sopuck, my Member of Parliament, to join the "Greens!"

I was delighted, Mr. Waddell, to read your recent column, supporting (or, at least inviting a debate on) a guaranteed minimum income, as embodied in the successful "Mincome" pilot project in Dauphin back in the 70s. It so happens my party has endorsed such a policy for years. I actually wrote a paper for the Green Party of Manitoba myself a few years ago, detailing the success of "Mincome" and pointing out what a "win-win" effort it was, enriching the lives of many poor and disadvantaged people in just about every way that counted.

And I don't think we need to agonize over how to pay for it. 

Global domination? Whoa, Canada!

Boston Globe

Could we (the U.S.) handle a muscular new version of our quiet northern neighbors (Canada)? For that matter, could they? Full story here.

Commander-in-Chief Harper in Afghanistan

In Quebec It's Official: Mass Movement Leads to Victory for Students

Common Dreams

Naomi Klein: 'This is why radical movements are mercilessly mocked. They can win.' Full story here.

Federal Budget a Disaster for the Environment, MPs Say

John Size, CTVNews.ca Staff  
The federal budget dealt a massive blow to the environmental movement and will result in protests across the country, two opposition MPs say. Details here.

Leading Journal Demands Harper set Canada’s Scientists Free

HELEN BRANSWELL-TORONTO— The Canadian Press/Globe and Mail-Mar 1'12
One of the world's leading scientific journals has criticized the federal government for policies that limit its scientists from speaking publicly about their research. Full story here.

Corporations Have No Use for Borders

By Chris Hedges - Truthdig Jan 30-'12

What happened to Canada? It used to be the country we would flee to if life in the United States became unpalatable. No nuclear weapons. No huge military-industrial complex. Universal health care. Funding for the arts. A good record on the environment. But that was the old Canada. Details here.

Fired Environmentalist Sees Conspiracy

Frances Russell Wpg Free Press 02/1/2012
A B.C. environmentalist claims in a sworn affidavit the Harper government labelled him and his organization, ForestEthics, an "enemy of the government of Canada" and…Details here.