Wednesday, November 28, 2012

SIGNS THAT CANADA WILL SURVIVE


THE GREEN PARTY IS ALIVE AND WELL

1) The recent three by-elections indicated a strong Green presence in two of them:
                - Calgary Center, which has for decades been a solid Conservative riding in the middle of the oil sands, was seriously threatened by the Liberal and Green Party (37%, 33% and 26%).  There was only a 30% voter turnout.
                - Victoria was won by the NDP with the Green Party a strong second (37% and 34%). The Conservative candidate was a distant third at 14%.

2) Elizabeth May, currently the sole MP representing the Green Party in Parliament, was voted “Parliamentarian of the Year” . However, her clear thinking and straight forward discussions earned her the title by a vote of ALL MP’s without regard to party lines. How very Canadian in our usually dysfunctional Parliament.

is being billed as an interactive and educational two- to three-hour indoor experience geared to families with children aged three to 10.Construction is set to begin this summer on the $12-million centre at Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre, about 30 kilometres north of Toronto, leisure giant Merlin Entertainments announced Thursday. Maybe the park will feature the LEGO Stephen Harper doll that an Ottawa man had created and advertised for $50 on Kijiji.

No more Canadian asbestos exports

Canada's last asbestos mine is being closed after many years of controversy about the deadly product  being sold to Third World countries without proper labeling . Quebec's Jeffrey Mine is being used to simulate the Mars mission initiated by Canada's space agency. Thanks to the newly elected Parti Quebecois provincial government which cancelled its $58 million loan








Recreational Marijuana to be legal 

- for adults 21 in Washington State on Dec 6th .
- Public consumption of marijuana can mean a $50 fine, similar to alcohol consumption in public.
-  It will be illegal to sell marijuana for recreational use anywhere except state-licensed marijuana stores.       Those stores won't open until at least December 2013.

Major Canadian city mayors vs the law

1) Toronto mayor Rob Ford found guilty of “conflict of interest” and ordered to leave office in 14 days.

        He refused to repay some $3150 obtained for a charity (using official "mayor" letter head and voting in favor of himself (conflict of interest). It wasn't much money (and he did not benefit financial from it) so why is the mayor of Canada’s biggest city being removed from office?  Very simply, the law states that it is the MANDATORY sentence.  This is a prime example of why the Federal Gov't omnibus Criminal Justice Bill 10 calling for of mandatory minimum sentences - like marijuana possession - is a BAD IDEA.
Mandatory sentences are a BAD IDEA - the judge cannot use his/her own judgment in sentencing. Our federal government with


2) Laval (Quebec):  GillesVaillancourt resigned because of corruption allegations although no formal charges.

3) Montreal (Quebec):  GĂ©rald Tremblay resigned over allegations that he turned a blind eye to corruption.

4) London (Ontario): Fontana is staying in office after being charged with fraud, breach of trust and forgery