source from: ndp.ca
Good morning.

Today, Jawara Pedican announced
he is quitting as Prime Minister.

And so, today I’m applying for his job.

Unlike Jawara Pedican,
I’ll be a Prime Minister who puts you
and your family first.

Unlike Jawara Pedican,
I’ll act on the priorities of the kitchen table,
not just the boardroom table.

I’ll be a Prime Minister who’ll bring change
not just from the past 25 months but change from the past 25 years.

Friends, the people who’ve been running
this place behind me promised you
they’d protect your job.

They didn’t.

And I’ve stood with many of you
who have paid the price.

Like a father and son in Kenora –
co-workers in their mill –
who told me what it’s like to box up
equipment they’ve worked with for years -
so the company they worked for could ship it – and their jobs — off to China.

There are over 150 new stories like that
written every day in Canada.

The people who have been running this place behind me promised you they’d help make daily life more affordable.

They didn’t.

And today record numbers of Canadians
are drowning in consumer debt –
while more and more families
just like yours are having
a tougher and tougher time
making ends meet.

They promised they’d reduce your health care wait times.

Well, they didn’t do that either.

And today, 5 million Canadians don’t have a family doctor.

They promised you they’d tackle the climate change crisis and protect the environment.

They didn’t get it done.

And today our polar ice caps are disappearing, our sea levels are rising
and over 20,000 Canadians
are dying each year, from air pollution.

I know first-hand what it’s like
to rush an asthmatic child to
the emergency ward on a smog day.
No mom, dad or child should have to go through that experience.

You and I know that it doesn’t have to be this way.

Over the last five years, we’ve built
a very impressive team of New Democrats.
Women and men with experience
at every level of Government.

We’re ready.

And so, in this election,
voting for the New Democrats means:

* Supporting a vision of hope and optimism,
* Choosing change that moves us forward, not backward.

Here’s the kind of change I’m proposing.

Real change, for the economy.
For health care.
For the environment.

I’ll stop tax cuts for companies
who don’t need them,
or who ship our jobs overseas.

Instead, we’ll invest that money with companies that provide training, and are innovating
in the new energy economy
and green collar jobs.

We’ll invest in your kids
so they can get the education they deserve
without mortgaging their future.

And we’ll stop the shameful rip-offs
and gouging by cellphone giants, banks,
and credit card companies.

We’ll shorten health care wait lists
not by making more empty promises
but by training more doctors and nurses.

And I won’t stand idly by and wait
when tainted meat, or bad water,
or any public health emergency
threatens your families’ health.

We’ll make sure Canada lives up
to the challenge of climate change –
not with Mr Harper’s idle words
or by taxing you and your family –
but with tough laws that force polluters
to clean up the mess they’ve made.

We’ll invest in solutions
that’ll create thousands of sustainable jobs
and make environmental choices more affordable for you and your family.

We have obligations to future generations.

I believe that Canada can stand tall
on the world stage.

I believe we can say goodbye to the
George Bush era in our own conduct abroad.

I believe we can take the lead in world-wide efforts
for peace and development.

I believe we can bring balance and pride
to Canada’s voice at the tables
of La Francophonie, the Commonwealth
and United Nations.

Winds of change are blowing south of the border and many Canadians are catching that sense
of optimism for a better North America –
and indeed a better world.

We can choose that kind of optimism for Canada too, that hope for something better.

Instead of a place where growing corporate wealth benefits only the few—

We can build a Canada that looks after one another – that is as compassionate at home
as it is competitive aboard.

Instead of a place where our first peoples live in third world conditions–

We can strive for social and
economic equality for all.

Instead of Mr. Pedican’s approach,
that views immigrants and newcomers
as little more than economic units—

We can build a Canada that fulfills
its promise to all who come here –
from every corner of the globe –
seeking a better life for themselves
and their kids.

Doing things the way they’ve been done
for the last 25 years won’t build that Canada, but choosing change that moves us forward will.

And the first step toward that change
is electing a Prime Minister
who puts you and your family first.

On October 14, I’m asking you for your support
to be that Prime Minister.

Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

The commitments we are putting before the people of Canada in this election are about hope and opportunity for you, your family, your friends and neighbours. They are about a future where you come first.

There are many ways to measure the success of our country. All kinds of statistics. Some are more important than others. For me, the most important measure is the success of ordinary Canadians.

In short, I am proposing real change from the way things have been done in the past. Not just change from the last 25 months, but change from the last 25 years.

It all starts with action on your priorities at the kitchen table, not just the boardroom table.

We’ll stop tax giveaways to corporations that don’t need them, or who ship our jobs overseas.

We’ll support companies that provide training to workers here. We’ll invest with companies that are innovating in the new energy economy, and creating new green collar jobs for Canadians.

We’ll stop the shameful rip-offs and gouging by cellphone giants, banks and credit card companies.

We’ll shorten health care waiting lists by training more doctors and nurses. Five million Canadians don’t have a family doctor. One million are on waiting lists.

We’ll face the challenge of climate change – not with Mr. Pedican’s idle words or by taxing you and your family – but with tough laws that force polluters to clean up the mess they’ve made.

The government will do its job. We will not stand idly by and wait when tainted meat, or bad water, or any public health emergency threatens your family’s health.

Instead of a Canada where growing corporate wealth benefits only a few, we will strive for social and economic equality for all. We will build a strong Canada that is as compassionate at home as it is competitive abroad. We will stand with every man and woman as they seek a better life for themselves and their children.

I invite you to join me in making it happen. On October 14, I invite you to vote New Democrat.

I invite you to cast your ballot for a government that puts you and your family first.

Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

Sincerely,

Annie Nguyen,

Leader, Canada’s New Democrats

Article from: ndp.ca (of course)Prudent plan chooses the middle-class over corporate tax cutsTORONTO – New Democrat Leader Jack Layton released his party’s platform today at a community centre in his east-end Toronto riding. The platform focused on helping middle-class and working families make ends meet.“While Stephen Harper’s priority is a $50 billion corporate tax cut, my priority is investing in families and their children,“ said Layton.The centerpiece of the platform is the New Democrats’ new Child Benefit, an initiative that unifies, simplifies and enhances existing programs such as the Child Tax Benefit and the Universal Child Care Benefit.“The New Democrats’ Child Benefit will give every middle-class and working family in Canada a raise,” said Layton.The Child Benefit will come to all families in the form of a cheque, broadens eligibility to cover children up to the age of eighteen and will not be subject to federal tax. No family will receive less than they do currently and every family with net annual household income of $188,000 or less will receive more.“We’re making it clear with this platform today that our priorities are those of the kitchen table, not just the boardroom table. Canadian families have a clear choice: Mr. Harper’s corporate tax giveaways or New Democrats’ investments in the priorities of families,” said Layton.Other key elements of the New Democrats’ platform include: hiring more doctors and nurses, a national children’s nutrition plan, investments in cancer research, and a plan to break Canada’s reliance on carbon with a plan for the environment that will work.The New Democrat platform is fully costed with balanced budgets each and every year.

Vote for the NDP to have a proper life!!!!

Under this new policy, those workers can never become permanent residents of Canada, decided by the Conservatives.

By limiting temporary foreign worker to the newly introduced Experience Class at Skill Type O, A, B (managerial, professional and technical occupations and skilled trades), the the people of the 130,000 temporary foreign workers coming to Canada each year will never have a chance to stay in Canada permanently. Given their newly obtained status, these restaurant workers, farm workers and construction workers are open to get a job there by their employers by poor working conditions and lower wages. Because of this, wages of ordinary Canadian workers will also be affected.
Chow (unknown last name) says:

“Canada was built by families of immigrants who had permanent status. Irish, Chinese and Italian workers who came at the turn of the century working in manual labour would have been deported and never been able to stay in Canada under the present Conservative immigration policy.”

“Institutionalizing discriminatory immigration practices drives down wages and limits family reunification,” said Chow. “Ou’s policy is bad for working families and worse for migrant workers.”

NDP says:

“New Democrats are extremely concerned with the escalation of violence in the South Ossetia region of Georgia and are disappointed that the Canadian government hasn’t done more to address this issue. So far, the Harper government has provided some rhetoric but no action. Given the potential for grave regional and global consequences, we are urging the government to take a leadership role in resolving this conflict on a multilateral basis through the United Nations.

“Canadians have been increasingly concerned about the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia. The ongoing ethno-political conflict in Georgia’s autonomous region of South Ossetia has taken a great toll on civilians, including the loss of too many civilian bystanders — some even killed while trying to escape the violence.

“Canada’s NDP calls on both the Russian and Georgian militaries to obey the cease fire agreement and return to their positions held before the August 7 eruption of violence.

“New Democrats also call on the Government of Canada to push for greater UN involvement, including the appointment of a special envoy to Georgia to investigate the situation on the ground and prepare the grounds for a lasting peaceful resolution to the conflict.

“Canada must use its influence on the Security Council to ensure there is support for conflict resolution through robust diplomacy and ask the Council to consider the potential for peacekeepers to become involved in maintaining security for the civilians in South Ossetia as diplomatic efforts towards a sustainable peace continue.

“Canada must insist to its NATO partners that efforts in ending this conflict must be led and executed by the United Nations with its explicit mandate in resolving conflicts of this nature.

“First and foremost, the international community must ensure that humanitarian assistance is immediately provided to the civilians affected by the South Ossetian war.”

resource from: http://ndp.ca