Royal City Rag, February 27 – Guelph MP Frank Valeriote And Alli Russell From Po’Girl

Frank Valeriote In Debate

It was our great pleasure to welcome Frank Valeriote, MP for Guelph, back to Royal City Rag on February 27.

During a wide ranging conversation in the first hour, we talked about the resumation of parliamentary activities in Ottawa on March 3 after Stephen Harper’s self-serving prorogation, the upcoming budget (to be tabled by the government on March 4) and Frank’s own committee work in the agriculture and food sectors.

Its also appropriate to mention that their will be another awareness event in Guelph on March 2 with respect to the inappropriate use of prorogation to stifle parliamentary debate. 

The Guelph chapters of the Council of Canadians and Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament and Guelph Participates are encouraging people to come out to Carden Street, in front of City Hall for the “Searchlight on Democracy Walk and Talk” at 7.00 p.m. for some short speeches, followed by a short candlelight procession to Norfolk St United Church for a discussion on how we can hold the government accountable for their actions and avoid such abuses in the future.

There was an excellent panel discussion on this issue on January 2. You can check out the audio from that event including Frank Valeriote’s speech here.

Searchlight on Democracy Walk and Talk
When: Tuesday, March 2 at 7.00 p.m.
Where: City Hall – Guelph (1 Carden St.) and then to Norfolk Street United Church for presentations and a group discussion

We also had a chance to discuss the burgeoning contorversy concerning Canada’s financial aid for earthquake stricken Haiti. It seems that the aid the government is providing may be coming out of funds already earmarked for Haiti prior to the earthquake and not new funding at all. This situation needs to be watched very closely.

The Canada Haiti Action Network are screening the documentary Aristide and the Endless Revolution at the Bookshelf Cinema on Saturday March 6 at 1.00 p.m. This is a free event. A discussion about the current situation in Haiti, including financial aid from the Government of Canada, will occur after the screening.

Aristide and The Endless Revolution
When: Saturday March 6 @ 1 p.m.
Where: The Bookshelf Cinema, Quebec St, Downtown Guelph
Admission: Free (donations gratefully accepted).

Frank Valeriote can be contacted via his Gueph office, 40 Cork Street East, Guelph, N1H 2W8, 519-837-8276, 519-837-8443  or by e-mail to Valeriote.F@parl.gc.ca. While in Ottawa he may also be reached at Room 713 Confederation Building, House of Commons, Ottawa, K1A 0A6, 613-996-4758, 613-996-9922 (fax).

Listen to Hour 1:

You can also follow the links here to check out Frank’s previous visits to Royal City Rag in April and June 2009. He’s a great interview.

We started the second hour of the show with a personal commentary regarding the upcoming municipal election scheduled for October 25.  Mayor Farbridge announced her bid for re-election this week. Other candidates for mayor and council are sure to follow in short order.

Royal City Rag will continue to follow the municipal scene closely, focusing on the community issues that we believe are important as we move towards the election. Expect to hear more commentaries on the record of the current council and our hopes for the next.

Listen to the Commentary:

Po'Girl

Later in the second hour we talked to Alli Russell from Po’Girl. Po’Girl are in Guelph on March 9 for a show at Dublin St United Church as part of their “No Shame” tour, highlighting the serious problem of child sexual abuse.

Russell is the survivor of ten years of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather.  She wrote the song “No Shame” in 2006 after her stepfather was released from prison . You can find it on their critically acclaimed album, Deer in the Night.

Proceeds from the tour will support Little Warriors in Canada and the National Children’s Alliance in the USA. Alli Russell will also be running the Athens, Ohio marathon, on April 11 to support these groups.

Hailing originally from Canada, Po’Girl weave a blend of musical influences, sweetness, grit & soul into a fresh and original sound. Their latest release, 2009’s Deer in the Night still includes many of the trappings of the trademark Po’ Girl sound – the echoes of speakeasy jazz, the western lament, the accordion-strapped ghosts of European folk – but it’s all delivered with a soulful clarity and depth only hinted at on previous records.

Po’Girl And The No Shame Tour To Combat Child Abuse
featuring Po’Girl (with special guest JT Nero) and Noise and the Ghost
When: March 9 at 7.30 p.m.
Where: Dublin St United Church, 68 Suffolk St W, Guelph
Tickets: $16/$20

Listen to Hour 2:

Music:
Johnny Cash, Redemption Day from American Recordings VI, Ain’t No Grave
Roseanne Cash, I’m Moving On from The List
Tony Bennett, Rags To Riches from Mob Life
Michael Buble, A Song For You from It’s time
Janis Ian, The Great Divide from Folk Is The New Black
Po’Girl, Bloom from Deer In The Night
Po’Girl, No Shame from Deer In The Night

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Coming Up On Royal City Rag… Guelph MP Frank Valeriote And Alli Russell from Po’Girl

Frank Valeriote In Debate

We’ll be starting off Royal City Rag on Saturday February 27 with another conversation with Frank Valeriote, MP for Guelph. He’s a great interview. You definitely won’t want to miss it.

Remember if you don’t catch Royal City Rag live on CFRU93.3fm, you can pick it up later that day via the CFRU archive or here, on the blog, a day or so later.

We’ll be following up on all the recent intrigue surrounding Stephen Harper’s decision to shut down parliament through prorogation, Haiti earthquake relief and the current state of the Canadian economy. Frank will also update us on his own committee work and provide an update on Guelph’s impact on the national scene.

This is Frank’s third appearance on Royal City Rag. Check out his previous visits to Royal City Rag in April and June 2009.

Alli Russell

Later in the show, we’ll be catching up with Alli Russell from Po’Girl in New York. Po’Girl visit Guelph on March 9 for a show at Dublin St United Church as part of their “No Shame” tour.

Proceeds from the tour will support Little Warriors in Canada and the National Children’s Alliance in the USA. Alli Russell will also be running the Athens, Ohio marathon, on April 11 to support these groups.

Russell is the survivor of ten years of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather.  She wrote the song “No Shame” in 2006 after her stepfather was released from prison . You can find it on their critically acclaimed album, Deer in the Night.

Hailing originally from Canada, Po’Girl weave a blend of musical influences, sweetness, grit & soul into a fresh and original sound. Their latest release, 2009’s Deer in the Night still includes many of the trappings of the trademark Po’ Girl sound – the echoes of speakeasy jazz, the western lament, the accordion-strapped ghosts of European folk – but it’s all delivered with a soulful clarity and depth only hinted at on previous records.

They recently released a live album, Po’ Girl Live that captures the energy and spirit of the live show. Po’Girl also spent part of January recording new album “Follow Your Bliss” in Chicago, IL. “Follow Your Bliss” will be released in Europe in May and in North America in June.

Po’Girl And The No Shame Tour To Combat Child Abuse
featuring Po’Girl (with special guest JT Nero) and Noise and the Ghost
When: March 9 at 7.30 p.m.
Where: Dublin St United Church, 68 Suffolk St W, Guelph
Tickets: $16/$20

As always, we’ll wrap it all up with some cool music…

Royal City Rag, Saturdays 7-9 a.m. on CFRU93.3fm, Guelph’s Campus Community Radio Station.

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Searchlight on Democracy Walk and Talk – March 2

The Canadian Parliament finally gets back to work on March 3 after their enforced vacation, that began on December 30, 2009, courtesy of Prime minister Stephen Harper’s prorogation.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion, the Guelph chapters of the Council of Canadians and Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament and Guelph Participates are holding “Searchlight on Democracy Walk and Talk” on March 2.

People are asked to gather at 7.00 p.m. in front of Guelph City Hall (1 Carden St) and are encouraged to bring flash lights or candles to the event.

Several speakers will address the group. Following that, the group will walk to Norfolk United church for presentations and discussions on how to hold government accountable for their actions and to consider changes in parliamentary procedure to avoid such abuses in the future.

People interested in attending the event can find more details at www.guelphparticipates.com.

Searchlight on Democracy Walk and Talk
When: Tuesday, March 2 at 7.00 p.m.
Where: City Hall – Guelph (1 Carden St.) and then to Norfolk Street United Church for presentations and a group discussion

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Stephen Harper, The Man Who Would Be King

It seems that Stephen Harper can’t get a break… 

Reeling from heavy criticism over his decision to prorogue parliament to avoid difficult questions regarding Afghan detainees, he is now backpeddling and asking MPs to work through two scheduled breaks when they get back.

Does this guy really have a clue?

Mr. Harper’s decision to turn a customary recess into a prorogation meant that work in committee stopped and all the bills progressing through both houses were lost, no matter how close they were to approval.

Needless to say, his cynical ploy did not go unnoticed. 132 political scientists signed a letter condemning the proprogation and calling for electoral reform.

Even analysts and newspapers normally supportive of his Conservative government’s agenda called this a dangerous tactic, and one that puts our democracy at risk.

And now, he wants MPS to work through their breaks to correct his mistake?

Stephen Harper With Charles I, Birds Of A Feather?

I was talking to my mother in England about the prorogation issue this past week. Despite being in her eighties, she’s as feisty as ever as far as politics are concerned.

She couldn’t ever remember prorogation becoming an issue in the UK and was quite shocked to hear that Stephen Harper would shut down parliament before a session was due to end, while there was still legislation passing through committees and issues being debated in the house.

She reminded me that the English King Charles I also shut down parliament because he didn’t like some of the decisions they were making. Of course his need for control eventually lead to him having his head chopped off.

I wouldn’t wish that on Stephen, of course… but I strongly suspect that this issue will come back to bite him severely in the nether regions at the next election!

Stephen Harper’s desire to control the parliamentary agenda is reaching absurd levels.

One wonders what will be next… Stephen Harper, the first King of Canada?

Stephen Harper, the first King of Comedy more like. A man, like comedian Rupert Pupkin, whose ambition far exceeds his talent.

Canada deserves better.

Don’t forget that Ned Franks, Professor Emeritus at Queen’s University,will be in town next week for a lecture on “The State of Parliamentary Democracy in Canada”. The lecture takes place at the University of Guelph’s War Memorial Hall on Monday February 8 at 7.30 p.m.

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The State Of Parliamentary Democracy, Ned Franks – February 8

The need for reform of parliamentary procedures is still very much in the news.

Don’t forget that Ned Franks, Professor Emeritus at Queen’s University,will be in town next week for a lecture on “The State of Parliamentary Democracy in Canada”. The lecture takes place at the University of Guelph’s War Memorial Hall on Monday February 8 at 7.30 p.m.

Dr. Franks has been frequently quoted in recent editorials on the prorogation issue.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the Council of Canadians – Guelph Chapter, the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph and the Central Students Association.

Also check out this clip of Ned Franks discussing Canada’s current minority government with Steve Paikin (from TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin, September 25, 2009):

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More On Prorogation – Overwhelming Majority Of Zoomers Disapprove Of Stephen Harper’s Action

It seems that Stephen Harper’s decision to prorogue parliament is resonating right across the age spectrum, never mind the political spectrum. This may well be a political game changer.

The Canadian organisation for seniors, CARP has conducted an online poll through their ActionOnline semi-monthly e-newsletter which is sent to 85,000 opt-in subscribers. The e-poll normally receives 3,000 to 5,000 responses. Nearly all the respondents are 55+ and more than half live in the political battleground province of Ontario.

CARP ActionOnline readers overwhelmingly disapproved of the current proroguing of Parliament, which they think occurred because the government wanted to avoid an Afghan detainee enquiry and they will vote for a Liberal government if an election were held tomorrow.

Over 5,600 subscribers reacted almost instantly to the poll which was issued late Friday, January 15, 2010.

When asked what they thought of the Prime Minister proroguing Parliament, fully three quarters disapprove (73%), and the wide majority “strongly disapprove” (57%).

When asked what they thought was the real reason Parliament was prorogued, the majority say it was to avoid the Afghan detainee enquiry, at least wholly or in part (62%), rather than solely due to the government’s stated reason of recalibrating their agenda (20%)

It is clear CARP members do not oppose prorogation per se, as fully one half (54%) approve of routinely proroguing a Parliament when its agenda is completed. Yet, a full three quarters (76%) believe the current prorogation was unjustified.

Despite some government spokesmen trying to blame the media for whipping up opposition to prorogation, more than half (58%) of the respondents  believe the current uproar over prorogation reflects true public opinion rather than being a creation of the media (30%).

And regardless what people might think about the effectiveness of our parliamentarians, almost three quarters believe it is more important for Parliament to stay in session and pass bills (74%) than to be prorogued so the government can reset its agenda (16%).

“CARP members are well read and very politically engaged. They support our parliamentary institutions as a proper check and balance against executive power. Governments, even those they historically support, will pay the price at the polls if they get too high handed. Our surveys and electoral polling have demonstrated time and again that this is a bellwether group. And at the moment, they’d be prepared to vote the government out of office over prorogation”, said Susan Eng, VP Advocacy for CARP.

Members were asked how proroguing Parliament has affected their likelihood of voting for the government in the next election. To put this in context, many previous polls have demonstrated CARP ActionOnline readers have a distinct small “c” and large “C” conservative bias. Despite this, the majority of respondents say they are now less likely to vote for the government (59%).

As recently as late September of last year, fully two thirds of the respondents to CARP ActionOnline polls supported the Conservative party (62%), compared to just one quarter who supported the Liberals (26%). While the Afghan detainee enquiry had the effect of depressing government support somewhat in mid-December of last year (to 54%), Liberal support did not rise (27%).

Once the government prorogued Parliament just before New Years, however, Conservative support among our members plummeted (to 38%), and the Liberals now have a comfortable lead (at 41%). The NDP and the Green party have also been beneficiaries of the decline in Conservative support since before prorogation.

View the full poll report.

View the survey results.

CARP is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization committed to advocating for a New Vision of Aging for Canada, social change that will bring financial security, equitable access to health care and freedom from discrimination. CARP seeks to ensure that the marketplace serves the needs and expectations of our generation and provides value-added benefits, products and services to our members. Through our network of chapters across Canada, CARP is dedicated to building a sense of community and shared values among our members in support of CARP’s mission.

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Worth Repeating: Perogies Not Proroguing, Rally And Panel Discussion

Saturday’s Perogies not Proroguing rally in Guelph on Saturday January 23 was a huge success.

More than 350 Guelphites attended the event organised by the Guelph Chapter of the Council of Canadians, the Guelph Chapter of Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament and the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Far more than the 200 people the organisers had expected to turn up.

The rally was not only an opportunity to register opposition to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to shut down parliament but also allowed those present  to educate themselves on the fragile state of our democracy.

Stephen Harper’s cynical decision to stifle debate is far more than just a storm in a teacup on the internet. There are a great many Canadians who are deeply troubled about an excessive concentration of arbitrarily-exercised power in the office of Prime Minister. 

Even analysts who normally support the actions of Canada’s right wing government believe that Stephen Harper has seriously miscalculated the mood of the nation. Quite clearly, Canadians really do care about this issue.

As Tom Flanagan, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said on January 12 in a panel interview on CBC Television’s ‘Power & Politics’ with Evan Solomon, “Everybody knows that Parliament was prorogued in order to shut down the Afghan inquiry, and the trouble is that the government doesn’t want to explain why that was necessary,” adding “instead of having an adult defence of it, the government comes up with these childish talking points. So then you try and backfill with other stuff that doesn’t make much sense either. So it’s a self-created problem.”

Left to Right: Jim Profit, Phil Allt and Byron Sheldrick

Many of those present attended the, standing room only, panel discussion at Knox Church featuring Guelph MP Frank Valeriote, Accessibility Advocate/Writer Susan Wheeler, University of Guelph Political Science Professor Byron Sheldrick, History professor/former NDP candidate Phil Allt and Father Jim Profit from the Ignatius Jesuit Centre. The panel discussion was moderated by Rev. John Lawson.

Susan Wheeler with Frank Valeriote MP

Frank Valeriote gave an excellent speech on parliamentary democracy while the panelists provided a lot of food for thought. There was also an excellent question and answer session.

It really was a wonderful session and a great primer on the problems currently afflicting our parliamentary democracy. Definitely worth a listen if you missed it.

Listen to Frank Valeriote’s Speech:

Listen to the Panelists Comments:

Listen to the Question & Answer Session:

The urgent need for parliamentary procedure reform will be discussed in a lecture on February 8 featuring Dr. Ned Franks, Professor Emeritus at Queen’s University. Professor Franks, who has been frequently quoted in recent editorials on the prorogation issue, will present a lecture on “The State of Parliamentary Democracy in Canada”.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the Council of Canadians – Guelph Chapter, the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph and the Central Students Association. The lecture will be held at the University of Guelph’s War Memorial Hall at 7.30 p.m.

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The State of Parliamentary Democracy in Canada – February 8

The Guelph Chapter of the Council of Canadians is organizing a second event related to restoring democracy in Canada! This follows the success of the Perogies not Prorogation rally that took place  in Guelph on Saturday, January 23.

The need for reform of parliamentary procedures will be discussed on February 8 when Dr. Ned Franks, Professor Emeritus at Queen’s University, will present a lecture on “The State of Parliamentary Democracy in Canada”.

Dr. Franks has been frequently quoted in recent editorials on the prorogation issue.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the Council of Canadians – Guelph Chapter, the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph and the Central Students Association and will be held at the University of Guelph’s War Memorial Hall at 7.30 p.m. on Monday February 8.

Here is a clip of Ned Franks discussing Canada’s current minority government with Steve Paikin (from TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin, September 25, 2009):

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