April 30, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Tonight
is the Guardian/Eastlink debate, a little more limited in access than
the CBC debate if you happen not to have Eastlink Cable, tonight at 7PM.
It will be rebroadcast on Eastlink Saturday afternoon at 2PM, and live-blogged
on The Guardian's website. There is limited seating for the debate at
the UPEI Student Union (by the CARI Centre, parking is free at that time of
day, but parking will be tight, I would guess), and doors open at 6:15.  screen shot from Thursday, April 30th, 2015, Guardian ----- You could have a leaders' event and they tell you what they know and where they want their party to go, OR have a representatives' forum with each party selecting a representative who is the most knowledgeable on farming, or both. This ridiculously short election time has not allowed for any sort of expansion of discussion events. Monday
night Charlottetown Council held an public meeting to discuss their proposed
new cosmetic pesticides bylaw. The provincial changes passed in November
2014 in the PEI Legislature allow a municipality to ban certain
professionally-used chemicals, which is different than what a lot of people
thought they were going to do (allow municipalities to ban use of cosmetic
pesticides for domestic or home use). It's confusing and annoying. From the closed door forum tonight in Stratford:
Acting Mayor Cooper kept on calling the guys from Croplife and PMRA doctors!!
They had to correct him and say they only had BSC degrees. It was crazy. Doctor
Roger Gordon was absolutely livid about the whole thing but gave an excellent
presentation as did Doctor Bill Whelan from the Cancer Society. I wasn't
allowed to ask questions but everyone else in the room was. There were no other
residents there except from the sustainability
committee from Stratford, the rest were councillors from Summerside,
Charlottetown and Cornwall. Please feel free to share. Federal
NDP Environment critic Megan Leslie (who really tried to help with federal
issues related to the Plan B highway back in 2012) is coming to PEI today and
tomorrow. She will be campaigning in District 14 (Charlottetown-Lewis
Point) with Gord McNeilly later today, and tomorrow in Kings County (likely
District 3 (Montague-Kilmuir) with Leader Mike Redmond]. Turning form the abyss and embracing a green and sustainable future is the challenge of our generation. I believe, because I must, that we will succeed." -- Elizabeth May, Green Party leader April 29, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
There
are only four days and seventeen hours until Election Day, according to the NDP
countdown clock here: http://www.ndppei.ca/
From
Monday, April 27th, Mainstreet CBC Radio, political columnist Richard Raiswell
looks at the NDP and Green Platforms (or planks) and evaluates them.
An important message, which bears repeating: Real election issues not on fringe - The Guardian Letter to the EditorPublished on Tuesday, April 28th, 2015 Andrew Lush, Hunter River Finally,
today's Global Chorus essay, by Olivier De Schutter,
UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, needs to be read in its entirety,
in context with the issues debated at the ag forum last night. These efforts may have sustained today’s burgeoning
global populations, but only just, only unevenly
and only at a huge cost for the planet, its ecosystems
and the generations that will succeed ours. The global economy is not only unsustainable, it
is often irrational and perverse. It is a world where the
speculative positions of a powerful trader in Chicago
or London can trigger the stockpiling of commodities,
global price hikes and more hungry mouths
in poor countries. Where trade rules encourage April 28, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
The Leaders' are on a bit of a travelling road show this
week, with last night being the CBC Leaders' Debate in Summerside. They did get
to respond to what each other said, and that was unbelievably refreshing, after
these couple of weeks of individual presentations. The CBC and
Harbourfront Theatre did an excellent job organizing the event, and the minutes
just flew by. You have likely heard or will hear most of the fun stuff from the debate from last night; I'll try to frame up some differences, too, later this week. Candidates, including the political party leaders, will be campaigning in their districts today; not a great time of year, with our recent weather, to be out trying to get door to door. More in-District socials, debates, etc. could have been planned by community groups with a bit longer of an election time. This opinion piece was in Monday's Guardian. A very thoughtful read: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Opinion/Letter-to-editor/2015-04-27/article-4125798/Rural-voices-ignored%2C-issues-not-being-addressed-in-P.E.I.-election/1 Rural Voices Ignored, Issues Not Being Addresses in P.E.I. Election - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Bobby McNallyPublished on Monday, April 27th, 2015 During those scarce times that I am able to return to the town that raised me and many others, I see symbols of my past that have fallen to decay. The Roman Catholic Church still sits on Borden Avenue but the soul no longer rests there as it has been transformed into tenements. That church provided the staff of life for many, and this staff nurtured our spirituality, community, and self-discipline - sit, stand, kneel, and sit. Sunday service also let us know who in our small town could carry alleluias and amens so high that surely the Lord himself would hear them. I suppose the saving grace for the loss of our church is the old adage that “You can leave the church, but the church won’t leave you.” As I march forward to the end of Borden Avenue, I see a 13 kilometre concrete tombstone that marks the grave of the Marine Atlantic ferry service. This service provided transportation to and from the mainland, but it also provided for our community, as most households were employed by the ferry service. Many of the bereft have left, but the tragedy still haunts the town. Marine Atlantic ferries shared the Northumberland Strait with a strong fishing fleet made up of local fishermen. As children, we witnessed men, whose countenance cried of hard work and satisfaction, dock with their haul of Atlantic lobster. The industry lived longer than Marine Atlantic, but is now near the end of palliative care. The restaurant that perpetually changed names - Jerry’s, Ed’s, Yvonne’s, et al. - no longer hosts the hungry. It is now a place to store personal effects; i.e. things one no longer has need for but cannot part with for sentimental reasons. In a way, our town is very much like those personal effects as it has been stored away from sight by our province. We had a community doctor once. It was certainly a gift. Alas, with the exodus of jobs and people, no call was made to replace our community doctor upon his retirement. We went from having a doctor visit our homes to driving 25 to 50 kilometres only to wait for several hours before being seen. Did I mention we had a pharmacy as well? The only parts of this town that seem to palpitate are the areas where people can “fill-up,” so they can make certain they are able to leave this town, and head toward Charlottetown and vacation areas; it is there that tourists can blind themselves to the realities of our island and enjoy elements of fiction. Sometimes, I think our Trans-Canada highway is simply a narrative device used to put rural P.E.I. on the periphery, and place the city as the focus of one’s vision. Rural towns, such as our own, can tell you their stories, but visitors choose to read the fiction as they try to escape their own non-fiction. I suppose it is our lot in life as a tourist destination to provide elements of fiction and make sure our visitors get to stay in their preferred genre so that they will return. Oh, life is so much more beautiful when you can choose your setting impetuously, but oh, so, so, so much less authentic. Our towns are poor but their stories are rich. So please take note, that Charlottetown and Cavendish do not represent who we are, they represent who others want us to be. Bobby McNally, a native of Borden, now works as a pedagogical consultant for the Cree School Board-Instructional Services in the James Bay area of Quebec. Global
Chorus today
is a tough-hitting essay by Afghan war veteran Trevor Greene. An excerpt: April 27, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Chris O. and Chris O....
Events this week: Sarah Tawaka is the principle Environmental Officer for Fiji, and writes:
"The human race is
innovative, creative, dynamic,
and above all possesses HOPE! And yet, even though
we have seen triumph over adversities throughout
the centuries, a new crisis is now at hand, environmental
and social. In order to properly address this crisis, humanity needs to
invest
in planet Earth." -- Sarah Tawaka April 26, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
This
afternoon: David Quilty is author of The Good
Human and contributes to a website of the same name An Earth Day essay from Islander Jill MacCormack held back for a day when you may have a chance to sit back and
enjoy reading it, from her blog (and with her permission), and apologies for
poor formatting on my part: There is no single element of greater importance to overall well being than our soil, yet we ignore and destroy it as readily as we do air and water. Have we forgotten our utter dependence on these elements for our survival? What of the countless number of silent species which also require clean air, clean water and living soil for life as well? April 22 is Earth Day and 2015 is the International Year of Soils http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/about/en/as declared by the UN. We are midway through a Provincial Election on an Island of tremendous potential but are currently experiencing a social, environmental and economic downturn of epic proportions. What demands can we bring to our politicians to ensure that our topsoil be allowed to regenerate itself? That our waters not be condemned to ever increasing levels of pollution? That clean air becomes a real priority? That all Islanders have a right to a healthy environment? (http://bluedot.ca/) We all play a role in shaping where we live. Choices we make in our daily lives impact the world as a whole and are intimately reflected in our local environment. How we make use of our land and waters will impact those elements either positively or negatively. The quality of soil is directly related to how it is fed. We as a people are no different. The well being of a civilization is intimately tied to the health of the natural environment that supports that civilization. Why can we not see this? We would do well to look to the Wheat Belt in the US to see what wrath a lack of understanding of the importance of bio-diverse soil has on culture. "...biological complexity has direct implications for social and cultural robustness...the Wheat Belt's cultural decline is a reflection of its denuded landscape- the product of 'what nature has made of us and what we have made of nature.'" pg 51 The Third Plate by Dan Barber Prince
Edward Island has many gifts yet we do not honour them. As Island historian
David Weale has pointed out, we have lost our sense of ourselves and with that
we have forgotten our interconnectedness with each other and with all things. I
ask, how else could we have allowed our Island to reach a state where fish
kills are normalized as something that happens after heavy rains, where topsoil
is allowed to be blown to kingdom come in windstorms, where alarmingly high
levels of nitrates in our well waters is quietly accepted as an aspect of rural
living? How could we have become food insecure in a land that should be able to
feed us all without question and why are we seeing the exodus of young
Islanders in droves to try and earn a living elsewhere? Our vitality as
Islanders depends upon our reacquainting ourselves with a deep sense of our own
identity as well as a respect for the well being of our land and waters. Be willing to ask difficult questions. What is our precious land being used for? Those French fries that North Americans, many Islanders included, so readily eat? GMO crops whose long term safety is still in question? What choices do we make in our daily lives that support such systems of farming? Why, despite our knowing better, are we still swayed by agri-business and the land development interests of corporations? High capacity water wells, hydraulic fracturing, storm water runoff, the burning and burying of our household waste products and chemical spraying of our land are all things that impact the well being of both our soil and waters and issues that all Islanders should be deeply concerned about. We must create a new way of thinking about and relating to our natural environment. We must speak for the silent majority; those microorganisms that inhabit the very ground beneath our feet and upon which the well being of so much depends. "We must speak for the silent majority; those microorganisms that inhabit the very ground beneath our feet and upon which the well being of so much depends." Revitalization is not only possible, it is our only hope. But it requires that we be courageous enough to step outside the parameters of how we have been governing things for the past very long while. We must safeguard our land and waters through the implementation of good process in order to achieve comprehensive laws which ensure their long term well being. And we must act as watchdogs of those laws we help to formulate such as the upcoming development of a comprehensive Water Act to govern how Islanders utilize this vital resource. Solutions are all around us but they require that we move away from idle chatter and return to listening to the land. The Earth has a language too (pg 57 The Third Plate by Dan Barber) and our Island soil and waters have much to say to a willing listener. It's time we all became better listeners and advocates for these silent elements of our Island. One way to do this is to use your hard earned money to support those whose farming methods promote a living soil, clean air and water. Another way is to engage in meaningful dialogue with local farmers to hear their concerns and express your thoughts to your local candidate for MLA, and/or converse with fellow Islanders such as those involved with formulating a new Vision for PEI, called VisionPEI https://www.facebook.com/visionPEI. After all, we have come from soil and to soil we shall return. We must act now for the well being of future generations of life on this Island. "Land
then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of
energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants and animals...."
pg 104 The Sacred Balance by David Suzuki http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/books/the-sacred-balance/ Sincerely, Jill MacCormack April 25, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Today is the first advance poll of this provincial election.  http://www.electionspei.ca/ivl/findDistrict.php Trouble-shooting:
(And if you are undecided, there are only about six more forums/debates in the coming week to see how the leaders compare ;-) Monday night's is at Harbourfront, hosted by the CBC, is a real debate format, I am told, and will be broadcast on CBC Radio and TV.) Other advance polling dates are:
same location as today's, 9AM to 7PM. And Election Day is Monday, May 4th. Today: Global
Chorus is
written by Mireya Mayor, a 40-something American anthropologist and wildlife
expert, http://mireyamayor.com/ "Nature’s resilience and human determination should not be undermined. The destruction of our planet is preventable. Although humans are largely responsible for much of this destruction – pollution, deforestation and global climate change – we also are its best hope for survival." -- Mireya Mayor April 24, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
As
the Citizens' Alliance focuses on encouraging engagement in the democratic
process, we produced a brochure with a some questions Islanders could consider
asking candidates.  Inside:  and the back encourages people to vote and provides our contact information and that of Elections PEI. The text of the questions is at the end of this update. We have been putting them in a few places here and there, especially in a some seniors' manors where a lot of election materials don't get left. You may see them on community notice boards in public places. They are bright yellow! But you won't find them at the public libraries. Our provincial library service people are great, wonderful people. But when it was checked by the supervisor, the request to display it in the libraries was declined (the community part of those branches in community spaces -- no problem, just not in the library). I was told (by again, the fantastic staff people),but I was told that the communications officer would be happy to explain the decision. Having other things to do this week, I declined. A little while later it clicked that the library service is part of the Department of Tourism, and the communications officer now is the guy who was at Transportation during most of the Plan B highway opposition; he most vigorously defended Plan B. I was annoyed for about 27 seconds, then just laughed. We'll have some at the Earth Day celebration, tomorrow from 12:30 to 4PM, at the Farm Centre, and other places. ---------- NDP Leader Mike Redmond is on CBC Radio after the 7:30AM news today, with the political panel after the 8AM news. And it's launching a video ad! https://www.facebook.com/NewDemocraticPartyOfPrinceEdwardIsland/videos/924243770930650/ Here is yesterday's hour long Leaders' conversation on Ocean 100 (I haven't listened to it all yet): http://ocean100.com/news.asp?mn=7&id=753&cc=10&pg=1 ---------- A thoughtful opinion regarding the forum on Tourism a while back (link here and then the text): http://www.journalpioneer.com/Opinion/Letter-to-the-Editor/2015-04-14/article-4110735/Majority-of-leaders-missing-the-point/1 Majority of Leaders Missing the Point - The Journal Pioneer Letter to the Editorpublished on April 14th, 2015, in The Journal-Pioneer A few days ago, the first P.E.I. election debate was held in Charlottetown where four party leaders spoke about promoting tourism. The Green Party Leader, Peter-Bevan Baker, stood out amongst them, with his long term plan to provide visitors with a pristine and authentic experience, quoting P.E.I.’s heritage, landscapes and rural customs as some of the many things that make this small province unique. The Liberal Leader, Premier MacLauchlan, believes his government’s role is marketing through engagement with the industry. The Conservative Leader, Rob Lantz, said the government’s role is to promote an authentic P.E.I. experience. The NDP Leader, Mike Redmond, proposed restoring the province’s film and TV tax credits. Over 20 years ago, before living here, we regularly visited P.E.I., vacationing on this clean, beautiful island. We breathed fresh air and drank pure well water. We explored white sandy beaches with dunes, enjoyed salty Atlantic waves, admiring shells, sea-glass and small pebbles. We drove through rolling lands, between green fields, hilly landscapes and forests, following enticing, winding roads to red cliffs and rocky beaches. We experienced cultural events, meeting local people, learning about their customs: the Mi’kmaq and their yearly powwows; Roma’s settlement in Brudenell; The Acadians’ rich tradition of music, dancing, language and cuisine, their festivals and charming museum. The list of cultural, historic sites in P.E.I. would be impressive by any standards. Besides all this there are exquisite small fishing ports, busy fish plants, potato farmers, windmill farms, small entrepreneurial businesses – and we haven’t even mentioned the outdoor sporting opportunities. There is no end to the tourist potential of P.E.I. Why then were the leaders, with the exception of Peter Bevan-Baker, so inhibited and limited in their ideas? Because, as one of them stated, they are not tourism experts. My answer would be, because they think like politicians, somewhat removed from everyday life. Bevan-Baker speaks passionately as an Islander who cares for the future of the Island, with common sense, honesty and a long-term plan to correct and improve the aspects of life here which matter most to “real” people. The other three speak with short-term “band-aid” fixes – in other words, like the politicians with whom we’ve lived until now. Is this a good plan for the future of our province? Klaus Carter, Richmond A excerpt from today's Global Chorus:
"In short, we need to reinvent growth." Questions from the CA brochure: If you are elected, and your party is in favour of a piece of legislation that the majority of your constituents are against, how would you vote? After years of patronage, lack of transparency, and dominant corporate sector influence, there is a lack of trust in government decisions. How much influence do you believe the corporate sector has on major policy decisions? What would be your first priority to correct these recurring problems? Canada is actually now the most unstable of the major democracies, with twenty-one elections since World War II to Italy’s eighteen. In Prince Edward Island, 40% of the vote gets you just 19% of the seats. But bump that up to 50%, and your party sweeps to a dominant 81% majority. Proportional representation is any voting system designed to produce a representative body (like a parliament, legislature, or council) where voters elect representatives in proportion to our votes. Would you support province-wide education and public consultations on proportional representation for PEI, leading to a binding referendum? For more information on Proportional Representation visit: http://www.fairvote.ca Questions about the Environment: Would you support legislation that provided better access to information and fuller public participation in decision making on environmental issues? Would you support an Environmental Bill of Rights which affirms that: All people have the right to live in a healthy environment, including the right to breathe clean air, the right to drink clean water, the right to access to safe food? And where the Party Leaders are today, Friday, April 24th:  April 23, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Forum
vs. debate vs. presentations Liberal leader Wade MacLauchlan is on Island Morning at 7:37
or so this morning. Friday,
April 24th, Island Nature Trust fundraising dinner, 6PM- onward, Red
Shores. Info at INT office: (902) 892-7513 or admin@islandnaturetrust.ca
Global
Chorus for
today is by Van Jones, an American civil rights and environmental activist "The chief problems our world faces today are radical social inequality and radical environmental destruction. But there is a solution. We can solve both problems by creating millions of green jobs to put people to work in industries that will heal both our economic suffering and the Earth." -- Van Jones April 22, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Happy
Earth Day!  Part of JoDee Samuelson's "Green is Green" series, reprinted by permission. Indeed. Holland College is having an Earth day event around noon, all welcome; and there will be a Sierra Club (and others) event Saturday afternoon at the Farm Centre. The
night before Earth Day was the forum for the Leaders on the Environment
Forum. It was very well planned, and very well attended by the public
(over 200; the lecture theatre was packed).  All the candidates did a fine job preparing for the questions and answering thoughtfully. Carolyn Peach Brown kept the evening moving and had fine dry wit as the moderator, and kept it from being a pep rally, though the audience broke out in applause at times of intense affirmation of what a speaker said. I made a chart of leaders, questions and answers but it's too big for today and needs the notes tidied up. Perhaps if there is interest, it can get included another day. Obviously, the Green and NDP policies are the most environmentally progressive, but Rob Lantz and his PC plans were definitely aware of issues. Rob mentioned that progressive conservatives and conservation share the root "conserve". Surprisingly, Mr. MacLauchlan and his policies seemed the less solidly supportive of addressing the environment as a whole and making any sort of transition to deal with the environmental/agricultural future ahead. The Greens' policies are the most holistic. Mike Redmond made the connection between household income and being able to access good, nutritious food. Mike also had the most quips, including talking about trying to stop swearing so much but being happy to say, "No fracking way!" regarding hydraulic fracturing on P.E.I., and calling Stephen Harper's ordering the province to stop dumping sewage into the Hillsborough Harbour "a paradox". On main points, MacLauchlan would not commit to a ban on fracking (the Tories used the term "moratorium"). Nor would MacLauchlan commit to our province calling for a ban on drilling in the Gulf. No one clapped. An excerpt from the Earth Day Global Chorus essay:
"It
is not enough to say “I love children”;
we are now called upon to take meaningful
peaceful action in times of conflict and destruction to
remember that our defending be layered with collective
sacred love of all children. Let our actions unfold the future.
Let us be Idle No More."— Sylvia McAdam (Saysewahum),
April 21, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA NewsToday
is the last day to be *registered* to vote in the May 4th provincial
election. You can still vote on May 4th, registered or not; you require some sort of identification when you go to your poll. Tonight,
the Party Leaders' Forum on the Environment -- 7PM, MacKinnon Lecture Theatre,
7PM.  ------------------------------------------- Leaders' schedules today: Wade MacLauchlan (Liberal) is campaigning in District 9 (Tracedie-Hillsborough Park) this morning and District 18 (Rustico-Emerald) this afternoon, with a stop at Blue Bay Farms in South Rustico at 10:30AM. Peter Bevan-Baker (Green) is recording radio ads this morning and canvassing in his District (17 Kellys Cross-Cumberland). Rob Lantz (PC) is on CBC Radio this morning from 7:30-8AM, at a primary industries news conference in Frenchfort from 10-11AM, and spending the afternoon campaigning in East Prince this afternoon. Mike Redmond and all the other Party Leaders will be at the Environment Forum at 7PM tonight. Liberal
Leader Wade MacLauchlan announced some school projects yesterday if his party
(re)forms government, including this part: Lawson
Drake was Dean of Science at UPEI from 1985 to 1991. My abbreviated concept of reality
is that we have given “economic growth” priority
over all else and that we regard our Earth and its
resident species as source and servant of economic
growth. We have lost the ethic of living with respect
in Creation; we are no longer in awe of the
intricate web relating ourselves to our fellow species
and all species to the environment – the web we call
“ecology.” -- Lawson Drake  April 20, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Tonight,
there are simultaneous forums for residents, Stratford having residents in both
District 5 and District 6. It is good for citizens that the format is one where
residents can ask questions, as opposed to hearing presentations, only.  Here is a 4 minute video -- a beautifully illustrated video -- on where the oil has gone from the BP spill, which was five years ago today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxJV-oGa2kc Some recent articles on the BP oil spill, from the U.K.'s The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bp-oil-spill Oil
drilling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is likely to be a question posed to each
of the four provincial political party leaders at the Forum on Environment, on
Tuesday, April 21st, starting at 7PM at MacKinnon Lecture Theatre of
Holland College. Please consider coming to this forum, if you can make it to
any Members of the audience will have a chance to pose questions after the
"formal" questions, and lots of people there will remind the leaders
how much we care about our Island's health and future. The
"What is in a Water Act?" workshop was very good yesterday.I was
whiny earlier in the day about spending the time inside and it having not much
about anything relating to the provincial election campaign, but it has a lot
to do with it, of course. The panelists described concerns re: regulation of
our groundwater for agricultural and other purposes, and what things we should
consider in the act, and how the public can be involved and stay involved
meaningfully.More to come.  Liz
Hosken is a director of The Gaia Foundation, which describes itself: "In
collaboration with our partners, we work with communities who are committed to
reviving and enhancing their cultural and biological diversity, which is the
foundation of resilience, especially now in the context of climate change. We
do this by supporting communities to build on their own knowledge, to
strengthen their cohesion, livelihoods and self-governance and to regenerate
their ecosystems and local economies." from: http://www.gaiafoundation.org/how-we-work P.S. From today's Guardian:  April 19, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
To
date no enumerators have come up my driveway; but the ground is far, far from
dry.  A couple of comments about that notice: It's a typical bland, small print small ad in the bottom corner of a page, as if it is saying, "You weren't thinking of voting, right?" The terms "voter" and "elector" are used to mean the same thing (i.e., you). This is the first I have seen that the deadline to be on the voters' rolls is this Tuesday, April 21st More confusion when the voter/elector is given two messages as to how to fix the problem ("You may also" as opposed to "OR") -- figure out who the returning officer is (those ads appear other days) and contact him or her, or go on-line and maybe figure out how to register that way. ------- Most people will figure it all out, but it's the little speedbumps that can turn into roadblocks. Registering to vote is relatively easy, apparently no actual ID involved. If it turns out you are not on the roll at your polling station you can "swear an oath" and still vote that day. But that may be more time and drama than you want. To check to see if you are on the voters' list, by going to this url and typing your info in the specific boxes: http://www.electionspei.ca/ivl/amI_OnVoterList.php It comes back you are or you aren't. If you try and aren't, then a link pops up on that page for on-line registration. The contact information for the District Returning Officers' list is here: http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/elec_ROlist.pdf If you want to check your District and polling station (whether you are registered or not) and when and where you can vote on voting day (Monday, May 4th, 9AM to 7PM) or the advance polls (9, 7, and 3 days before an election) so Saturday, April 25th, Monday, April 27th, and Friday, May 1st, go to: http://www.electionspei.ca/ivl/findDistrict.php or use The Guardian's interactive-but-clunky google map here: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/FlyingPage/6840/election-candidates Some Election FAQ are here: http://www.electionspei.ca/index.php?number=1046868&lang=E Good for trivia with your friends and family. And (finally), if you want to see very nice colour-coded lists of the candidates in your District: http://www.electionspei.ca/ivl/myCandidateSearch.php Kenny Ausubel is cited in today's Global Chorus as
founding Bioneers, which is a non-profit organization "dedicated to
disseminating breakthrough solutions for restoring people and planet. He
launched the annual Bioneers Conference in 1990", celebrating its 25th
conference this October in California." (from http://www.bioneers.org/staff/kenny-ausubel/)
The
LAMP Workshop on "What is a Water Act?" is at 2PM today at the
Kensington Legion -- perhaps a quick e-mail or phone call to Maureen
Larkin malarkin@eastlink.ca
or (902) 620-4878, just to let her know, if you could still make it.
Everyone is welcome. "Connect the Blue Dots is a national day of action to
celebrate the growing number of Canadians who believe in the right to live in a
healthy environment. On Sunday, April 19, people will gather
together in communities across Canada and show how big the Blue Dot Movement
really is. April 18, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
The Journal-Pioneer editorial cartoonist has a sense of humour:  ---------- A little shaded in the glare from Justin Trudeau's visit, and the #IBelieveinWade / #ITrustWade ads, NDP Leader Mike Redmond announced yesterday that an NDP government would ban cosmetic pesticides with provincial legislation. Full press release here: http://www.ndppei.ca/protect-our-environment-our-kids-ban-cosmetic-pesticides/ Events: Sunday, April 19th: LAMP Workshop on "What's in a Water Act?", 2-4PM, Kensington Legion. https://www.facebook.com/events/402592789920606/ At 4PM, all are invited to participate in a Blue Dot PEI Connect the Dots event, by dropping in and we will take some pictures with the environmental rights declaration postcards. You can also take photos of yourself with cards (or just making a "blue dot") and posting it on the Facebook page -- Blue Dot PEI -- no matter where you are on P.E.I. https://www.facebook.com/groups/417909628386746/ The Dalai Lama! For April 18th's Global Chorus. He writes a beautiful essay, and here is one lovely tendril: "I feel it is extremely important that each individual realize their responsibility for preserving the environment, to make it a part of daily life, create the same attitude in their families, and spread it to the community." -- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet April 17, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA NewsFriday
morning during an election means the CBC Island Morning radio show will have
its political panel on after the 7:30AM news. This week, Green party
supporter Roy Johnstone will be there (alternating from last week with the
NDP's Joe Byrne), in addition to host Matt Rainnie, publisher Paul MacNeill,
Mary Lynn Kane for the Liberals, and Wayne Collins to boost the Tories.  screenshot from The Guardian page A4, for Friday, April 17th, 2015. ---------- From the provincial NDP office, today: Environmental Announcement, 10AM, Outside Charlottetown City Hall, 199 Queen Street. Here
is a clear explanation of what's going on with the cosmetic pesticide issue in
Charlottetown: Tonight and tomorrow are the last two showings of Our
Town by the ACT company. More details here: Vivienne
Westwood, who is famous as a UK fashion designer, authors an unusual website
called Climate Revolution: "If we don’t stop climate change now, we will have runaway climate change which will accelerate beyond our control. It will eventually stop at a temperature so hot that if you were to draw a line level with Paris, the land below that line will be too hot to live in. here will be mass extinction of all life, including us. The first thing we need to know is what’s going on, how it all its together and how we it in. Then we will know what to do. Climate change is caused by our rotten financial system. This system is designed to create mass poverty and to siphon of any profits for a few, namely big business. This system is backed up by politics and by war.
Everything is connected – the power structure needs its victims to prove
its power and maintain it. Culture is especially important. We live in a global
consumer society – no matter how poor you are, this is the ethic.
Consumers just suck things up, whereas true culture is acquired by investing in
the world, Two things that are practical to do: support Greenpeace in its campaign to save the Arctic, and support Cool Earth in its campaign to save the rainforest. We need to get out on the streets and campaign, therefore, because it’s all connected – demonstrate whenever you can with speciic NGOs in the hope that we can all group together in global demonstrations where everything is connected. Climate Revolution! 'Get a Life.' " - Vivienne Westwood April 16, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Event:  screenshot from today, Thursday, April 16th, 2015, in The Guardian From today's Global Chorus, by Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, vice-president of Conservation International, former Minister of Environment and Energy for Costa Rica (bold is mine): "My country, Costa Rica, is a good example of a nation that has committed to a new development path where all development policies must rely on a healthy natural capital. In the last 25 years, Costa Rica has tripled its income per capita and doubled its population while halting deforestation and doubling the forested area – proving that growth and social development can go hand in hand with ambitious conservation and restoration targets. This effort in protecting our natural capital has generated economic and business opportunities based on our condition as a global biodiversity hotspot. In Costa Rica, ecotourism and nature-based tourism are the main drivers of economic growth, generating $2.2-billion annually to the local economy. Locally farmers and indigenous communities are being paid for the various environmental services provided by their forest in terms of carbon, water and biodiversity. This innovative financial mechanism known as payments for environmental services addresses market failures where environmental contributions are overlooked, and recognizes the value and contribution of Nature to human well-being and economic growth. Lessons coming from Costa Rica in terms of innovative sustainable development policies and tools can indeed contribute to abate global challenges related to climate change and loss of biodiversity and freshwater stocks. The shift towards a new development model must rely on respect for all human rights – including the right to development, the right to an adequate standard of living and the right to food -- and must also hinge upon the importance of freedom, peace and security, the rule of law, gender equality and women’s empowerment and the overall commitment to just and democratic societies for development." -- Carlos Manuel Rodriguez April 15, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Odds
and ends: Global Chorus features Norwegian Svein Tveitdal, former UN director, about carbon emissions, and echoes what the Green Economy Network says: "Of course there is hope, and we are able! But we must ensure that renewable energy gets cheaper than fossil energy, thereby making the market the very engine of the green shift. Today, fossil energy receives subsidies of more than 500 billion dollars annually, or more than six times the allocations to renewable energy. World leaders should agree on cutting subsidies from fossil energy and increase the support of renewable energy accordingly, thus truly boosting a rapid green shift. When we succeed in establishing a truly global grassroots movement, we will have the necessary power to combat the fossil industries’ pollution before it is too late." -- Svein Tveitdal
April 14, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
This morning is the forum on Women's Issues for the provincial political party leaders, 10AM to noon, Holland College's CAST building Boardroom (which is big), 300 Kent Street. It can be accessed from both Kent and Grafton Streets. All welcome. It will also be simulcast here: http://www.hcsu.ca/ An
interesting commentary piece in last week's Guardian by Ole Hammarlund: "I Want My First Vote to Count" - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Ole HammarlundPublished on Monday, April 6th, 2015 New citizen, long-time resident debates riding of choice I just got my right to vote last fall. Now I can vote in a local election for the very first time in my life. I am 73-years-old. This is entirely my own doing. I was born in Denmark, immigrated to the U.S. and then to Canada 40 years ago and never got around to getting my citizenship until now. Of course there never was much incentive to get the right to vote here. With the first past the post system practised here and in the US, chances are that your vote makes little difference. If you vote for one of the main parties, chances are 50/50 that your vote will make some difference. If you are a voter like me and consider alternate parties like NDP or Green, your vote will make no difference whatsoever. Nil. Zero. Wasted. I am from a proportional representation country. That means that my vote, whatever riding it is cast in, helps elect representatives from my chosen party. In other words, even though I live in Charlottetown, I should be able to cast an NDP vote here and be sure the vote would help elect Dickinson in Tignish. If only we had proportional representation. Now that I have a vote, I want it to count. I do not want to wait for the politicians to make the reform. It may not happen in my lifetime. Last night I had a revelation: I could exercise my right to vote for my choice of person simply by moving to the riding of my choice. To make sure that this was a feasible idea I went to consult the P.E.I. Chief Electoral Officer Gary McLeod. I found out from him that the key issue was to move before the writ, and to be there when their staff did the enumeration. He indicated you had to live in the riding, but offered no clear definition of what that meant. He also explained that on election night, even if you were not on the voters list, you could vote by simply declaring you were a resident of the riding and eligible to vote. It is not unusual for Canadians to have more than one home. Many have summer cottages and snowbirds have a winter home in Florida. Revenue Canada stipulates that only one dwelling can be declared your ‘home’ for tax purposes, but there is no limit on the number of homes you can have, nor do you have to explain why you live there. I have decided to have another residence, my voting residence, in a certain rural riding, where my added vote would make a difference. This Monday morning I officially moved my mailing address to Argyle Shore and arranged accommodations with good friends there. Does this mean that I have moved there every day of the year? No, it is just one of my many residences. This is not my summer residence, not my winter residence, not my travel residence. This is my voting residence. There must be other voters who are frustrated with the ridiculous voting system in P.E.I., and the resulting corruption and incompetence. Please exercise your right to have your vote count, by establishing your voting residence in a riding where it counts. Why vote if your vote is wasted? Will I stay long at Argyle Shore? No. After the election I will move back to Charlottetown, at least until the next federal or provincial election. Ole Hammarlund is an architect practising in Charlottetown. He is hard fellow to pin down: He is often found at the Y Lofts, but also found at the Princely Housing Co-op or at Spunky Root cottage in Launching or travelling outside Canada. "Humanity is dependent on the Earth and its resources. On this planet 'we grow it, mine it, fish it, drink it and breathe it'– that’s all we have to work with! How we do those things are indicators of humanity’s collective intelligence and our values. I believe we can do better. I think the survival of humanity depends directly on humans learning 'collaboration' instead of the old paradigm of 'power over' Nature or other humans. My friend Maggie, who grew up on a farm, has the best definition of collaboration. It is 'people coming together to achieve for the benefit of themselves and others.' I believe collaboration is the new 'survival of the fittest.' True collaboration requires us to recognize 'interdependence', meaning we are part of this massive system of interconnectedness where everything that exists is dependent on something or someone else. Collaboration requires us to recognize that our existence is an intricately woven tapestry of everything in our lives. Interdependence means that everything we do affects others and they affect us. Our understanding and scope of interdependence has grown with the evolution of technologies. We now live in a global interdependence because of technology." -- Pam Cooley April 13, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Some Reminders for Today: Leaders
are hosting many events in Districts, some listed on their websites, and all
the website have gotten spiffy: Global
Chorus for
today is written by Dedan Gills, who is co-founder of the Growing a Global
Heart Project, and has "pioneered the idea of 'Green Recovery'-- a concept
that combines stewardship and restoration of blighted urban area with an
engaged dialogic process designed to restore the integrity of souls wounded by
the rush of modern urban reality." -- a quote from: "I see humanity declaring peace and ending our ancient war with ourselves, our beloved biosphere, and each other. I see us planting millions of trees across the Earth and having ceremonies and rituals that honour the spirit and memory of the dead and vanquished we have let in our bloody and tragic wake. I see us building new and qualitative relationships with each other and the planet as we lower the level of deadly carbon and raise the levels of love, compassion and community."-- Dedan Gills April 12, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
The Watershed Alliance AGM was a lot of fun (the part I was there for, which were the talks), and they are already practicing open government and will have all the presentations on their website in short order. :-)
Today is the final concert of the PEI Symphony Orchestra for this season, at 2:30PM at Zion Presbyterian Church, Prince Street by Grafton, Charlottetown. I am assured the acoustics are actually superior at Zion than at the Homburg Theatre, especially when one is in the balcony. Tickets are available at the door, and it's about $44 for adults, $40 for seniors and $15 for students, and you can choose where you sit. ---------- Here is the political panel from CBC Radio Island Morning on Friday, April 10th: http://www.cbc.ca/news/elections/prince-edward-island-votes/island-morning-political-panel-1.3027665 It runs about 17 minutes long. "Paul MacNeill is joined by former Tory MLA & broadcaster Wayne Collins, Liberal campaign spokeswoman Mary Lynn Kane and the federal NDP candidate for Charlottetown Joe Byrne." Matt Rainnie moderated.
---------- This letter was in the paper over a week ago, has some references I don't "get", but is pretty fascinating:
Hobgoblins return to historical stage - The Guardian Letter to the EditorPublished on Thursday, April 2nd, 2015
In the recent Globe and Mail piece which depicts the political culture of P.E.I. as a laughable caricature of itself, the old familiar hobgoblins of family compact, absentee proprietorship and patronage re-emerge on the historical stage. Sadly, this takes away from the efforts of those decent and fair-minded individuals who enter into politics for the right reasons.
The reluctance to come to terms with this same political culture comes from an embedded set of political and economic operatives who cannot get enough of the same old thing. Certainly the land inquiry which played out in the 1974 provincial election bears more than a few similarities to the issues brought into question by the Globe and Mail.
There are those who want these matters relegated to the past. This includes not only the political establishment but also the larger intelligentsia and even a certain number of the rank–an–file.
Already there are carefully orchestrated overtures in the works to appeal to forward thinking and to the better nature and good judgment of the general public. The question that remains is whether the long-standing assumptions of the prevailing political culture will recede or whether in fact they will temporarily take refuge beneath the surface of a still residual mindset.
Not a card-carrying optimist, but a hopeful realist, Carl Sandburg, in his resounding poem, "The People, Yes", speaks of a "…learning and blundering people…" who have been "… tricked and sold and sold again…" who nevertheless "… Take it…" and "… Live on."
To Sandburg, democracy for the people is more than a platitude. It remains to be seen whether the apologists for the current political culture will move beyond their own rhetoric.
W. Gordon Worth, Charlottetown
The
full text of The People, Yes by American poet Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)
can be viewed here (if you register to become a member of this free open
library service):
I won't copy and paste it because it is 300 pages long ;-)
At only 34 pages, the management plan for the first section of the lands acquired called the Bonshaw Hills Public Lands, is a relatively quick read.
Here
is a reminder to anyone in the Plan B area or interested in land conservation
or parks to look at the management plan:
B.K.S. Iyengar was 95 years old when he died last August, but wrote the April 12 Global Chorus essay before that. He is called the father of modern yoga. More about him: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._K._S._Iyengar http://www.bksiyengar.com/ An excerpt:
"No doubt the
present-day attitudes of money-making
people is to amass, and amass with no respect to
their fellow beings. But like the spokes of the wheel that
go down and come up, so is the life of the universe: that
which goes down has to raise up. I believe in this, and
that wisdom will dawn on those who exploit Mother
Earth – as this exploitation will only come back to affect
their own survival – and our collective survival."-- B.K.S. Iyengar April 11, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Thursday
was an almost two hour forum for all the Party Leaders on tourism related
issues. I didn't attend but appreciate this audio recording: There is a trend for universities to accept corporate
dollars to name buildings and renovated areas, but it appears that Dalhousie
University engineering department has gone into a restrictive, controlling
contract with Shell Oil for funds. "So let’s spend more time being caretakers and less time on our phones! As we take action we’ll inspire others to join us leading to bigger changes. "It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the current
global environmental and social crises we face, but
as caretakers we can never lose hope. Where there’s
hope, there’s ire and a burning desire for circumstances
to improve and things to change. Our hope fuels visions
of a different and better way of living,
which in turn sustains possibilities for a brighter
future that wouldn’t be achievable otherwise. You
hold your vision and I’ll hold mine and together
we’ll create something beautiful." --Caroline Kraft April 10, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Last night's citizens' meeting regarding the plans from the Bonshaw Hills Public Lands Sub-committee report was well-attended. Jackie Waddell graciously volunteered her time to come over and explain the 34-page draft management plan, which describes parcels in the area, the type of vegetation and what can be done to enhance and maintain them. The report also highlights recreational and educational use of the current Bonshaw Provincial Park and the plans to expand trails and add new playground equipment on acquired parcels adjacent to the park.
(This plan is the first of four or five management plans about areas of the land, starting west near Bonshaw and eventually going to the Hemlock Grove properties, the property along Wharf Road, Strathgartney Park itself, and the old Fairyland property, which will be released within the next year. The plans must be approved by the NAPA (Natural Areas Protection Act), also, first. I may not be totally accurate in my reporting of the details.)
In this first management plan, the first few pages are a summary of the remaining 30 pages, then there are pages summarizing the management plans of the areas, then finally, the pages about the recreational use of the park with the trails and playground.
There were few questions about enhancement plans for the new areas acquired and the parcels named in the beginning of the Plan B construction. However, there were some questions about the creation of 19km of trails extending from the end of the current part, in what looks like a forkful of spaghetti.
 Screenshot of proposed trail system for area north of current Bonshaw Provincial Park (towards bottom of image), from the management plan. The "Prince's Trail" made for Prince Charles stroll last May is (I think) would be one of the bottom-most dark green loops.
There were good questions, striking balances -- how much trail development is too much? What is the sense of public input now if you already have things all flagged? How can trails be made based on such very sketchy sketches, or are there better maps? The meeting was cordial, but it did reinforce the recurring theme that frequent and proactive communication with interested Islanders and local residents hasn't been a priority since the Atlantic Gateway project money was first announced in 2011; things might benefit from the inclusion of citizen/resident representation on the subcommittee.
The report (and Appendix on flora and fauna assessment of the area) is here: http://www.gov.pe.ca/tir/index.php3?number=1053029&lang=E Comments can be emailed to bonshawhills@gov.pe.ca
Monday is the last day for comments on any aspects of this management plan.
The
repercussions of the e-gaming file continue to surface, with the filing of a
lawsuit yesterday (stories in The Guardian and CBC on-line).
Peter Croal is a Canadian geology and environmental engineer, and writes today's Global Chorus essay, excerpted here:
"We are all too aware
of the environmental challenges
that face humanity today. The Earth has
started to tweet messages that we are now paying
attention to. These tweets come in the form of increased
weather events, health issues and overall quality of life indicators.
We are listening and responding. April 9, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Some
events to keep in mind: Coverage
of a speech on CETA, from a storm-moved district convention of the National
Farmers Union: NFU: supply management system could be in danger - The Guardian article by Doug GallantPublished on Monday, April 6th, 2015, in The Guardian Island farmers were told last week that Canada’s supply management system will be seriously eroded if the Canada-EU comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) is approved as it now stands. In a speech prepared for the NFU district convention in Charlottetown, Scott Sinclair of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said the looming Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) poses an even greater threat. Sinclair, whose speech had to be read by NFU Women’s district director Edith Ling when he became storm stayed, said the TPP would put the continued viability of supply management seriously at risk. “It would be foolish to sacrifice this exemplary system of orderly management on the alter of free trade agreements,” Sinclair wrote. “But that could happen unless public concern stops it.” Sinclair noted that if CETA is ratified it
will increase the EU quota for cheese exports to Canada to 18,500 tonnes,
double the current level. Sinclair noted these concessions were made in
exchange for additional market access for beef and pork. Addressing the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, Sinclair noted that the U.S. dairy industry and U.S. negotiators have made it clear that they expect substantial access to Canada for all dairy products, not just cheese, and as well for poultry. And the concessions sought by the U.S. are only the beginning, he indicated. “New Zealand and Australia are also insisting on substantial market access for dairy.” Sinclair maintains that CETA and the TPP would
not benefit the majority of Canadians. Because she did not write the speech and only read it, Ling opted not to take questions.
William Ruddiman taught environmental science at the University of Virginia, in
the U.S., and his field is paleoclimatology ("the study of
changes in climate taken on the scale of the entire history of Earth"). By now, the U.S. should be having an open national debate about ways to act: by reducing our carbon emissions, encouraging new technologies and planning for adaptation. But the flood of dirty money from a few entrenched energy conglomerates has muted this discussion. Most climate scientists see this deadlock as a national disgrace. The only way to avoid a much warmer and potentially dangerous future is for more of our elected politicians to rediscover their ethical centers and act out of concern for the future of this country and all of humankind. -- William Ruddiman April 8, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Some
thoughtful words from various sources: http://www.climatemama.com/about-us-46552/mission-and-goals-3 "Each morning for a moment as I gaze intently at my sleeping children resting in blissful peace, I am refilled with resolve and hope. I remind myself that it’s my job to secure a safe and livable future for them and to ensure that they have the opportunity to grow into adults, to fight for their future as I now fight for my own and for theirs. Yet a game of chance is underway, with my children’s future the ultimate prize. The stakes have never been higher, yet humanity is trying to 'rig the game' against itself. 'The emperor is wearing no clothes', but by not seeing this, we risk losing the game. To win, we must teach our children and remind ourselves of three simple life lessons: Tell the truth. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t be afraid.
1. There is no longer any room for denial around
the climate crisis. We humans are causing our climate
to change. The science is clear, the evidence is
overwhelming. End of story. April 7, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA NewsAn event tonight: NaturePEI (formerly the Natural History Society of PEI) is meeting tonight at 7:30PM at Beaconsfield Carriage House. The topic is the Climate Diary, with guest speaker Derek Ellis. Details here: http://www.citizensalliancepei.org/events ------- from Saturday's Guardian: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Opinion/Letter-to-editor/2015-04-06/article-4101801/MacMillan-decision-fuels-speculation/1
MacMillan Decision Fuels Speculation - The Guardian Letter to the Editor Published on Saturday, April 4th, 2015, in The Guardian
The Premier, with his announcement of the rescinding of the contract of Mr. Brooke MacMillan, has left us speculating about why that decision was taken. The comment that it was “time for a change" was not exactly revelatory. It was as though he was saying, “I have my reasons but am not prepared to share those with Islanders.” In the same interview he spoke of transparency, yet it was one of the least transparent interviews one could ever watch. We presume the decision was related to Mr. MacMillan’s role in the PNP program, and to mounting public pressure for greater disclosure. The Premier had to do something, but MacMillan was let go without a shred of explanation. In a word, it seems the rescinding of Mr. MacMillan’s contract was an attempt to appease Islanders without actually revealing anything.
Mr. Premier, we are not appeased.
We are attempting to envisage a better future for the Island, and move toward a form of governance that is responsible. But that process is compromised if the political landscape is littered with secrets, and the buried treasure of irresponsible behaviour.
It needs to be asked: are you concealing something? Something Islanders have the right to know? Surely there should be no election until there is an independent enquiry into this great disorder of our times. Mr. Premier, if you are not prepared to drop the veil of secrecy, you should not drop the writ.
David Weale, Charlottetown
----------
Facebook
Reposting #1:
Facebook Reposting #2:
http://www.martinrutte.com/chickensoup.html Here is his whole essay that he wrote for today's Global Chorus:
"We all long to live
in a world that works. A world in
which we successfully solve our worst problems and
move in a direction that nourishes and satisfies the
deepest part of our soul. By re-envisioning and restructuring our collective
intention, what we hunger for is now within our reach.
"We can create a new story that encompasses,
inspires and enlivens us. This new story is the co-creation of Heaven on
Earth and it starts, simply, by asking the question,
what is Heaven on Earth for you? "Our answers are the basis of our collective and
uniquely individual new story. Heaven on Earth
already exists within each of us. Recognizing this,
acting on it and asking others what it means to them,
is how we're co-creating humanity's new story. "Some of us believe that Heaven exists after death. Here's another point of view: co-creating Heaven is
something we can act on right here on Earth, today.
As surely as the seasons change and the calendar
turns a new page, we are ready for our next chapter. The winds of a new era are being felt in every corner
of our world. It is an age in which we discover what
it means to be human and what it means to share
our humanity. What is Heaven on Earth for you?" -- Martin Rutte April 6, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Although
all was quiet during this holiday weekend regarding overt campaigning, the buzz
is of course that Premier MacLauchlan will announce at his own nominating
convention tonight his plans to ask the Lt. Governor to drop the writ on Tuesday.
Writ Drop Marks Campaign's Official Kickoff - CBC website news
For weeks now, the phrase "drop the writ" has been popping up in election stories. But what exactly is the writ and why is it being dropped? Here’s a quick explanation about this bit of parliamentary procedure that precedes every election in Canada. What is the writ? Short for "writs of elections" these are essentially official documents, issued in the name of the Queen, that state an election is underway. from: What happens when the writ is dropped? To trigger an election, the premier (Wade
MacLauchlan) will pay a visit to the Lieutenant
Governor (Frank Lewis) — the Queen’s
representative in the province — and advise that he wants to end the current
Legislative Assembly session (which I think is still the Fifth Session
of the 64th Assembly). The complete list of 2015 PEI election returning officers is here: The writ is dropped, what now? Essentially it means the election is officially underway. In online and broadcast stories CBC should stop calling Wade MacLauchlan "Premier Wade MacLauchlan" and instead simply describe him as "Liberal Leader Wade MacLaughlan" as he tries to win. Voters across the province can also expect to see election signs appearing in their neighbourhood. A lot of that is regulated by The Elections Act. ---------- including a link for the "Tracking the Candidates" chart, which has been tinkered with to show all the party candidates on one screen (good). It just needs a little colour now. Two
commentaries about "the back room": Lasting Legacy of Olive Crane - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published on Thursday, April 2nd, 2015 in The Guardian Ms. Crane's experience has brought the back-rooms into the limelight like never before and has created a situation where a question on many people's minds is whether the leader or party is controlled by their unelected back-room. The back rooms have always been there, but have never been issues of contention until the last few years. They have never before been in the forefront in such a negative light that prospective and current leaders must make deliberate efforts to prove that they are not controlled by the back-room and that they are their own man or woman. And that is a good thing. I am not so naïve as to think that the back-rooms will become non-influential in politics and the functioning of government on P.E.I.. But perhaps the mindsets of the electorate will start to take the control held by the back rooms into consideration when they elect our next provincial government. It is a small step in the needed effort to reduce the party insiders who feed from the political troughs. Any move to reduce political patronage and increase political integrity is a good one. Art Gennis, Charlottetown http://www.peicanada.com/eastern_graphic/article_dd69c0ba-d7c5-11e4-9cff-b7dc032a6efb.html Backrooms Important Places at Election Time - The Eastern Graphic column by Allan RankinPublished Wednesday, April 1st, 2015, in The Graphic publications In Island politics, nothing is portrayed so darkly or negatively as the infamous backroom, that cloistered place where a select group of political operatives is tasked with planning and running an election campaign. Though maligned and not well understood, the backroom is an essential part of election machinery. Like a map or GPS for a road trip or central command during a time of war, the backroom is where the political direction is set, the platform managed, and messaging created and orchestrated. Every political party at election time has a backroom, and any party that says it doesn’t is being less than honest. It is both a physical location, and a small group of trusted partisans. The Liberal backrooms I have known were hideaways, distanced from the frenzy of election headquarters and the prying eyes of party members. Campaigns can be exhausting physically and emotionally for candidates and workers alike, but nothing quite compares with the intensity and high wire stress of the election backroom where everything is at stake on every single day, and one tactical error can sink the political ship. The first job of the backroom strategists is to give shape to a campaign. A governing party seeking re-election unavoidably must run on its record; however, the electorate prefers to look forward not backwards, and therefore past accomplishments need to be mixed with the promise of new policies and initiatives. It’s a delicate balancing act because voters will not stomach a big spending election platform during a time of high deficits and debt. But the governing party is at an advantage, knowing as it does the true finances of the province and what can be sold as responsible spending during a campaign. Prince Edward Island’s new premier is in a difficult place. He represents renewed leadership and change, and yet he carries the record of the Liberal government into the forthcoming election, with all its warts and wrinkles, scandals and lapses, successes and shortcomings. Somehow he will need to forge a strategy that balances past achievements with all that is new under the sun. The backroom will help him do that. Polling research was an essential tool in every campaign I had a part in, and long before a campaign theme is chosen, policy developed, and political advertising created, a wise party will conduct a large sample, province-wide poll to define the issues the electorate is concerned about. Grassroots intelligence and feedback is important but good empirical data, gathered properly, is essential to charting a political course. Candidate selection is also a critical matter, and parties often conduct district polls to determine the strength of prospective candidates. But this can be a delicate, and at times dangerous practise, for the Island is a small community and if a district poll is in the field with the names of local individuals, you can be sure those individuals hear about it, and will come looking for the results. Only the party leader and a few key backroom advisors are privy to polling results for obvious reasons. Good political candidates are harder to find than you might think. Here is the cardinal rule. A high level of public awareness means nothing if trust and confidence is low. Conversely, an individual who is not well known but enjoys a high trust and confidence can become an excellent candidate, if there is time for that person to become better known. I have seen polling results dash the hopes of an apparent star candidate, and also kick start the political career of a lesser known. With the issues defined and candidates chosen, the leadership and backroom of the party will then go about developing a policy platform, and crafting the communications plan for the campaign ahead. District door-to-door canvassing is essential to success, of course, and the leader must get out the message clearly and effectively. However, in my experience, most campaigns turn on the effectiveness and tone of its advertising. Now there are some who passionately decry negative political advertising, claiming it debases the democratic process and, well, that it’s just not gentlemanly. But, if a political party truly wants to change the numbers and have a chance of winning, then hard hitting negative advertising is a necessary weapon. Because an election campaign requires so much discipline and hard work, and the ability of a small team to stay emotionally grounded and focused, the people at the centre literally wear themselves out. Winning is sweet and there is no glory in defeat. For those in the backroom, an election victory can lead to new career opportunities, while losing can be depressing and disillusioning. Following an election loss, leadership frequently comes under scrutiny, and the engineers, the directors of the failed campaign, often lose favour and are shown the door. Nevertheless, the backroom is an exciting place to be if you love politics, and as all parties begin to ramp up for this spring’s election, I will be watching closely from the sidelines, trying to guess who is in those command posts, and wondering about the critical decisions they will make. In all likelihood, the arguments and debates are
already in full swing, and the coffee, pop, and junk food has begun to flow. Patrick Holden is a British farmer and head of the
Sustainable Food Trust April 5, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA NewsJane Goodall's 81st
birthday was Friday, and here is a delightful interview with Jane Goodall by
American journalist Bill Moyers, from 2009: April 4, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Where
we can all find common ground -- the ground that grows our food:
Our Town won Thornton Wilder the Pulitzer Prize. It is one of the most popular and beloved theatre pieces of all time: it is still performed at least once a day somewhere in the world.
PEI reviewer Sean McQuaid called it “the best piece of theatre I’ve seen in town this year.” That year was 1995, when Our Town was the very first production of ACT (a community theatre). In the two decades since then, ACT has staged more than 50 productions, and now ACT is celebrating its 20th anniversary by remounting its debut show.
Our Town tickets will be sold at the door, but in view of the special nature of this anniversary production, organizers believe there is a likelihood of sell-out. So there are three ways to buy in advance:
(i) online at www.actourtown.brownpapertickets.com;
(ii) by phone at 1-800-838-3006 ext1;
(iii) in-person cash sale at the Charlottetown Farmers Market on Saturday morning, April 4th.
Information: 902-628-6778, www.actpei.ca
The Carrefour/Ecole François-Buote is reached via the Queen Elizabeth Hospital turn-off from the Charlottetown bypass. -----------------------------From Global Chorus: 365 Voices on the Future of the Planet, for April 4th: "No one changes the world alone. Alone, thinking about all of the challenges in today’s world, can be completely overwhelming and, worse, disempowering. But when we choose to work together in coordinated action toward achieving the common goal of sustainable peace on a sustainable planet, there is little we cannot accomplish. Each and every one of us has the power to contribute to lasting change, and when we choose to use that power together in collective action we can make the seemingly impossible possible." --Jodi Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, for her work to ban land mines April 3, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
The Guardian (UK) Media Group announced this week that it is divesting
its holdings in fossils fuels. It sounds like this is the largest
investment fund to do this. The paper has recently begun running a
campaign called "Leave it in the Ground", urging major charities like
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to stop investing in oil and gas.
More here: There are a couple of events coming up in the next weeks,
and not necessarily related to the probable election call :-) Saturday,
April 11th, Watershed Alliance AGM, 9AM-2PM, Hunter River Community Centre. After the
business section, guest speakers for half-hour segments include provincial
director of forests, fish and wildlife Kate MacQuarrie; Stephen Chase, Atlantic
Salmon Conservation Foundation; Don Jardine, UPEI Climate Research Centre;
myself, Catherine O'Brien and Cindy Richards, about Citizens' Alliance, the
Coalition for the Protection of PEI Water, and the Blue Dot PEI movement (we'll
talk fast); and Mike van den Heuvel, UPEI Biology, on monitoring the streams
and estuaries in the Northumberland Strait (he gets an hour). All welcome, but
they ask you write <exdir@peiwatershedalliance.org> so they have an
idea of numbers. "Humans are most innovative when faced with a crisis. We have the ability to make tailpipes and smokestacks obsolete. We can control our numbers and reduce our environmental footprint. Ultimately, if we choose correctly, we can turn ourselves into a smoothly turning cog in the superbly complex and ever-changing machinery of our dynamic planet Earth." --Bob MacDonald April 2, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
The
Watershed Alliance AGM scheduled for this Saturday has been postponed until
next Saturday, April 11th., in Hunter River. The public is
welcome, but they ask you contact them so they can gauge numbers. Agenda
and contact info here: http://peiwatershedalliance.org/web/
What this abstract is saying, I think, is that in this peer-reviewed study,
baby goats (kids) born to mothers fed feed with "conventional" or NON
genetically modified soy grew bigger. The colostrum from their does was
higher in protein and far, and had more immunoglobins. The bits of
modified DNA (transgenic or across genes) were found in the kids whose mothers
ate the modified soy.
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Paul MacNeill, publisher of The Graphic newspapers, wrote yesterday
in his column, "Second Opinion", regarding an inquiry re: the PNP: Tories and NDP make a
promise they will not keep - The Eastern Graphic article by Paul MacNeill
Published on April 1st, 2015
If Islanders expect political blood to be let through a public inquiry into the provincial nominee program, eGaming, and government loans they are apt to be disappointed.
Both the NDP and Tories are making the appointment of such a commission a key plank in their election platforms. Mike Redmond was first with the NDPs plan, initially a vague promise that was beefed up a week later with a one-year time line and one million dollar budget.
Last week, newly minted Tory leader, Rob Lantz, announced much the same. He is matching the one-year deadline and anteing $250,000 seed money with the promise of more to come when the inquiry’s framework is finalized.
There is no doubt that PNP, and eGaming in particular, demand an investigation with the power to subpoena. Islanders deserve to see Robert Ghiz, Wes Sheridan, lawyer Bill Dow, Brooke MacMillan, Richard Brown, Allan Rankin and other senior government bureaucrats under oath.
But is unlikely either the NDP or Tory plan will appease Islanders.
Part of the issue is expectations.
Ordinary Islanders look at eGaming and PNP and wonder how a select few managed to get invited to the inside lane. Many don’t realize the list of companies that received PNP funding is already public, including numbered companies. These ordinary citizens look at their day-to-day struggles just to heat the house, put food on the table and gas in the car and rightfully feel resentment to those favoured under the Ghiz years.
For many, the visceral anger toward the Ghiz administration may only be tempered – and even then it’s a long shot – if businesses that received PNP or government loans or offered legal, accounting or consultant work are made to squirm in a very bright public spotlight.
Lantz was specific in announcing he would only examine the management of PNP. This means the role of politically connected intermediaries, lawyers and accountants will not be examined. It also means many specific abuses will not be examined in depth.
The notion of how to examine provincial government loans is also a major question. Public documents show the Rodd family of hotels received $21 million in loans earlier this year. Some have tried to paint the loans as government largesse.
They are not.
While the numbers are large and speak to a reality that the Island firm is, in the eyes of the provincial government, almost too big to fail, they do not speak to the story behind the numbers.
A provincial inquiry will not delve into the political reality of tourism development on PEI over the past 30 years. The Rodd family, first with David Rodd and currently with his son Mark, has quietly maintained large rural based resorts and jobs despite dramatic changes in the tourism industry. The company has been a partner both Liberal and Conservative governments could count on.
When Pat Binns could not find a company to develop a new hotel at Crowbush, he turned to the Rodd family who dutifully delivered the $14.5 million development. It is unlikely the hotel has ever made money. The project was driven by politics not business, but the Rodd family obliged.
Will Rob Lantz ensure Binns or his cabinet ministers are called to testify? Not a hope in hell.
Islanders look at government’s relationship with businesses such as Cavendish Beach Music Fest and PEI Brewing Company and raise valid questions of access and whether government should be in the business of being a primary financier.
Fair question, but how deep do you dig into loan files? There are literally hundreds of Island businesses benefitting from government financing. They are farmers and fishermen and small business operators.
Indeed any notion of examining provincial loans smacks of a desperate attempt to curry favour with an angry electorate.
What loans will be examined? How will it be decided? Will business operators be called to testify or simply the politicians and bureaucrats who moved political decisions forward?
And here is the greatest challenge to a public inquiry that both the NDP and Tories are wilfully ignorant to. Anything but a very narrow mandate will immediately set off a legal quagmire. Virtually every major Island legal firm would be in a conflict of interest on the PNP file. Businesses would mount sustained efforts to ensure they are not drawn into a public maelstrom.
The price tag to taxpayers will quickly jump
into the millions and the time frame for completion will marked in years, not
12 months.
We need an inquiry that is targeted and specific, and not what the Tories and NDP are promising - everything including the kitchen sink.
Paul MacNeill is Publisher of Island Press
Limited. He can be contacted at paul@peicanada.com April 1, 2015Chris Ortenburger's CA News
F.
Ben Rodgers letters are so truthful and so funny: Going Down Wrong Road - The Guardian Letter to the EditorPublished on Monday, March 30th, 2015 First, we need proportional representation, not first past the post. Whoever wins the election must live within the budget, must stop borrowing money, stop funding big business, stop writing off loans, and reduce a top-heavy government. We could manage with 15 MLAs and two federal MPs. If you add in deputies, municipal governments and staff total costs are staggering. We have been told if we don't pay good money we can't attract good people. Can we honestly say that theory is working? Think of the successive boondoggles Liberal/PC governments have authored. Programs such as a Mag wheel manufacturer setting up on the island with government grants/ tax breaks. The Lankshire Factory Pig Farm, Polar Food, Ocean Choice, all owing us money, all long gone. Government-funded world class golf courses we can't sell. As for the costly Plan B highway project, when I drive it today it still has as many twists, curves and bends as ever. The recent scandals of PNP and e-gaming. Yet once again we have Liberal/PC’s election hopefuls promising change and an open and transparent government. More of the same old promises, a broken record if you will. If we are to have a real future we must have serious changes now. Fail to do so and this beautiful island will be bankrupt, the soils polluted, the air toxic, and the water poison. Of course I could be wrong, I sincerely hope I am. However, if I'm wrong, then Vision P.E.I., Pesticide Free P.E.I. and thousands of others are alarmist and wrong too. If we go down this road again we will only have ourselves to blame and indeed a very bleak future. F. Ben Rodgers, Some
events: ---------
"Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a depressing
doom
and gloom merchant, and I do believe that humans are the most extraordinary animals that have ever
lived – especially when I think about all the unbelievable
things we have achieved, all the amazing
and inspirational people I have been lucky enough
to meet. But when I look at what we have done to
this Earth within such a minuscule amount time of
being here … we are screwed …" --Ian Wright And from the Sierra Club Canada, today, an "announcement":  Happy April Fool's Day, |
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