ndp
NDP, Liberal, Conservative politicians petition to stop Marc Emery's extradition to the US
By Carlito Pablo, Georgia StraightMembers of Parliament from three parties—Conservative, Liberal, and New Democrat—are poised to present petitions with thousands of signatures seeking to stop the extradition to the U.S. of Canada’s Prince of Pot, Marc Emery.
The Vancouver ProvinceNew Democrats call for committee inquiry into crisis at Rights & Democracy
OTTAWA – An international backlash against Conservative meddling at Rights and Democracy is yet another reason to conduct an inquiry into the crisis at the organization, says New Democrat Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar.
“The international community is condemning the Conservative government for trying to infect Rights and Democracy with its ideology,” says Dewar. “This is a devastating blow to Canada’s reputation on the international stage – it’s time for parliament to take action.”
B.C. heroin addict returns to street after province seizes her home
By John Colebourn, Vancouver ProvinceVANCOUVER -- On a crisp March morning, Marianne Christine Sullivan sits on a dock in East Vancouver and talks about being homeless and broke after the government of British Columbia took her $562,000 home under civil-forfeiture legislation.
She says it has been days since she had her last fix of heroin. With a clear head, she now faces the fact she has lost her home because of legislation being used by B.C. police departments to get rid of troublesome households, and she lives and works on the streets.
US-style mega-prisons wrong for Canada
43% increase in prison construction is wrong approach to keep communities safeOTTAWA – The Harper government’s priorities for public safety are misguided, wasteful and ineffective says New Democrat Public Safety Critic Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway).
“The Conservative plan is to spend 43% more on building prisons,” said Davies. “They are pushing a US-style approach that is expensive and totally ineffective at bringing down the crime rate."
The Conservative spending plan tabled this week shows a 43% increase in the budget for prison construction, from $230 million in 09/10 to $329 million in 10/11.
Ottawa calls for review of detainee documents
CBC NewsThe federal government has asked a former Supreme Court of Canada judge to review whether there would be "injurious" effects if some Afghan detainee documents were made public.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said Friday in the House of Commons he was appointing Frank Iacobucci to go over documents relating to the handing over of detainees to Afghan authorities by Canadian Forces.
"In the case of injurious information, he will report to me on whether the information or a summary of it can be disclosed and report on the form of disclosure or any conditions on disclosure," Nicholson said.
He called it "an independent, comprehensive review."
Marijuana masses meet at Vic Cannabis Convention
Bruce Dean, The MartletThe smell of sweet skunk and sounds of cannabis coughing were tell-tale clues for the location of the 11th-annual Victoria Cannabis Convention.
Many members of Victoria’s cannabis community gathered this past Sunday, Feb. 28, in UVic’s David Strong Building, to celebrate and educate people about marijuana’s benefits.
Don't write gay community out of Canadian history
OTTAWA- New Democrats are calling on Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney to immediately apologize for censoring references to gay history and gay rights from the latest edition of the Citizenship study guide."Instead of proudly showcasing what makes us Canadian, Harper's Conservatives have shamefully chosen to delete equal rights, including marriage, for gays and lesbians from our history," says Olivia Chow (Trinity–Spadina) the New Democratic Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. "Minister Kenney should immediately apologise and restore to the guide the part of Canadian history that celebrates our spirit of tolerance and freedom."
Senators’ report echoes NDP proposals for reforms to the RCMP
OTTAWA – New Democrat Public Safety Critic Don Davies (Vancouver-Kingsway) is welcoming a report by Liberal Senators that outlines ways to improve leadership, accountability and morale at the RCMP.
“I’ve been working in Parliament for months to secure long-overdue changes to the RCMP,” said Davies. “So far the government has failed to act, despite calls from the NDP, other opposition parties and independent agencies. We hope that this position paper from these Senators will finally show that Canadians are concerned about reform in the RCMP.
Layton Surpasses Harper in Canada
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party (NDP) is now the best-ranked federal party leader in Canada, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 29 per cent of respondents approve of Layton’s performance, up three points since February.The approval rating for Canadian prime minister and Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper stands at 26 per cent, down two points in a month. 15 per cent of respondents approve of the way Liberal and Official Opposition leader Michael Ignatieff is handling his duties, also down two points in a month.
