Parry Sound-Muskoka NDP

Tom Mulcair was elected leader of the Official Opposition and Leader of Canada’s New Democrats on March 24th, 2012 at our Federal NDP convention.  Thousands of New Democrats from across the country, including Clyde Mobbley, president of the Parry Sound – Muskoka Riding Association, made the trip to Toronto to be a part of the convention and support our new leader.

Find out more about Tom, and the Federal NDP, here.

On March 24^th New Democrats across the country will have a very important decision to make.  Members will be voting for the next leader of the federal NDP.  This person will be the leader of the Official Opposition, taking on Harper and his crew in Ottawa.  They will be the voice and face of our party, building on the work of Jack Layton and moving the NDP, and Canada, forward.

It’s important that members in the Parry Sound-Muskoka area have the opportunity to get to know the leadership candidates.  We have volunteers working hard to organize visits from as many of the 9 candidates as possible.  Your first chance to meet one of the candidates comes on Nov. 27^th when Martin Singh visits the area.  We have also been in contact with the other campaign camps, and will keep you posted as more visits are organized.  Keep an eye on our ‘Events Page’ for details.

The Globe and Mail put together a good piece introducing the leadership candidates;  Nicki Ashton, Robert Chisholm, Nathan Cullen, Paul Dewar, Thomas Mulcair, Peggy Nash, Brian Topp, Martin Singh and Romeo Saganash .  You might want to take a look at it.  A ‘who’s who’ in the leadership race.

If you have been a supporter of the NDP at the ballot box but have never taken out a membership, now is the time to join.  If you’ve been a member in the past but have let your membership lapse, now is the time to renew.  Every member of the New Democratic Party has an equal voice in this leadership race.

One member – one vote.

Membership costs $25 for the year.  If you are unemployed the fee is only $5. Many people do not know that you do not have to be a Canadian citizen to join the NDP, only a permanent resident.  Youth ages 13 and up are welcome to become members as well.

Join online at http://www.ndp.ca/leadership-2012  or contact our membership secretary, Marie Rempel at 705-646-1844.

If you have any questions, or ideas you’d like to share, please contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you, and seeing you on the 27^th!

Clyde Mobbley

President

Parry Sound-Muskoka NDP Riding Association

I want to thank you for your support during our provincial election campaign. Running as Parry Sound-Muskoka’s Provincial NDP candidate was an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience. Crossing our vast riding many times, I had the opportunity to meet many of you where you work and where you live. Your enthusiastic support was energizing! I am honoured that so many of you cast your ballot for the NDP and for me.

This election proved many things. Support for the NDP is on the rise in Parry Sound-Muskoka. That’s not surprising. Our plans to bring more jobs to the North, provide better access to health care, increase affordable housing and establish efficient, sustainable energy systems put people first. The election also proved that team work gets results. Thanks to all the volunteers who came together to put up lawn signs, canvass neighbourhoods, and get out the vote on my behalf. Our message couldn’t have been heard without you.

Although I won’t be representing you at Queen’s Park, I will be making my presence known in Parry Sound-Muskoka. We share the same concerns and the same dreams for a better future. Our homeland is a beautiful, bountiful place. We can make it better. Together.

Miigwetch.

Alex Zyganiuk

Congratulations to our candidate Alex Zyganiuk!

The nomination meeting to select our Provincial Candidate was a resounding success.  Thank you to everyone who came out to support our nominees.  And a big thank you to everyone who volunteered to make our event such a memorable one.

Clyde Mobbley was also an incredible candidate who brought passion and integrity to his campaign.  Thank you so much for all your hard work!

We will be looking for volunteers to bring Alex’s message of Change that Puts People First to every corner of this riding.  Please contact Alex at www.alexzyganiuk.ca to get involved.

The news of Jack Layton’s death has left all of us in the Parry Sound-Muskoka NDP Riding Association deeply saddened.

Our hearts go out to Jack’s family right now.  They are in our thoughts and our prayers.

Jack’s message of hope and optimism was a breath of fresh air in today’s climate of cynical politics.  He worked tirelessly on behalf of all Canadians, steadfast in his belief that there is a better way to do politics, and that all Canadians deserve more from politicians and from government.  This is a legacy that we will humbly aspire to honour.

Jack Layton was an inspiration, and his life is embodied by this quote from NDP icon Tommy Douglas; “Courage my friends, ‘tis not too late to build a better world.”

Signed,

The Executive of the Parry Sound-Muskoka NDP Riding Association

There will be a Book of Condolences available for people to sign at our Nomination Meeting on August 25th, 6pm at the Utterson Community Hall.   All are welcome.  Please see our events page for more details.

On August 25^th members of the Ontario NDP living in Parry Sound-Muskoka will be choosing between two excellent candidates to run for their party in the upcoming Provincial election.

There has been great interest in the NDP candidacy for the fall election, coming on the tails of a strong second place finish federally in the riding. The choice for members has come down to two exceptional candidates.

Clyde Mobbley of Bent River, and Alex Zyganiuk of the Wasauksing First Nation have both thrown their hats in the ring to represent their party.

Mobbley, an Information Technology Manager at Muskoka Family Youth and Child Services, currently sits on the executive of the local Riding Association. He is a former small business owner who has been active in his local community since moving to Muskoka. “It’s crucial that we engage the youth of our community, and learn new ways to reach out to them, to engage them in the political process.” says Mobbley, who is passionate that decision making should be an inclusive process.

Zyganiuk, a former Officer with the First Nations/OPP Policing Program and the current Community Consultation Co-ordinator for Wasauksing, is no novice when it comes to serving his community. Zyganiuk is a former band councilor, and is a former director and Aboriginal Representative on the board of the Parry Sound Children’s Aid Society, and the West Parry Sound Museum. “It’s important to me that a First Nation perspective be a part of the discussion at Queen’s Park. Equally important is the need for representation in Toronto that listens to the greater community, and works collectively to improve the lives of the people living here year round in Parry Sound-Muskoka.” says Zyganiuk.

The nomination meeting and fundraising dinner will take place at the Stephenson Township Hall in Utterson and is open to the public. Registration for voting members begins at 6pm; the formal meeting begins at 7pm. Admission is by donation.

For more information please contact Wendy Wilson at 705-774-1594.

Ontario’s NDP Platform is the most progressive & balanced that puts people first.

Official Provincial NDP Platform here

Our first NDP radio ad

The Annual General Meeting of the Parry Sound Muskoka Provincial and Federal Riding Associations will be held at 1pm on Sunday, July 10th at the Novar Community Hall.

A Fundraising Lunch for the upcoming Provincial Election will be served at 1pm; suggested donation of $15 for those with income.

Nominations and election of the Executive Committee and Officers of the Riding Associations will be held around 2pm.

Only members in good standing 30 days before the AGM can vote. However, members from last year can renew at the meeting (cheques only) and vote.

To get to Novar, take Hwy 11 to the Novar exit north of Huntsville. Novar is on the West side of Hwy 11. From the South exit follow Novar road, which turns into Main St. From the North Exit turn right onto Boundary Rd. and then right onto Main St. Follow Main St. to George St. and turn right onto George St. You will see the community centre. Even if you get lost, Novar is only six square blocks, and we will put up some NDP signs to light the way.

Parry Sound Muskoka NDP Riding Association

Box 1401

Bracebridge ON P1L 1V5

The Parry Sound-Muskoka NDP Riding Association will hold a Nomination meeting on January 16, 2011 to select its candidate for the next federal election.

Wendy Wilson, a Parry Sound physician and assistant professor, has received party approval to seek the nomination.

Dr. Wilson has had a longstanding association with the Muskoka Parry Sound area since 1995 when she first came to West Parry Sound Health Centre. She has lived and practised medicine all over Canada, including Inuvik, Iqualuit, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island. Dr Wilson has also been a faculty member with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine since its inception in 2005.

Prior to her clinical medical career she was a research scientist in Canada and Washington DC. She was appointed to the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technology in 1992 as a contract researcher as well as Course Director in Women and Health, University of Toronto.

The Nomination Meeting is open to the public; however, only members of the NDP in good standing and resident in the riding may vote. There will be photo and interview opportunities before and during the event. Doors open at 11:00 am for registration and brunch.

Saturday, January 16, 2011
Nomination Meeting for Federal Candidate
1:00 pm
1185 Doe Lake Road,
Gravenhurst ON

After eight months on the picket line, Vale INCO workers are still battling one of the most profitable corporations in the world. Fighting for their pensions and seniority rights, over 3500 employees are on strike.

Join the “Bridging the Gap” Solidarity Rally in Sudbury, March 22, 2010 at 4 p.m. The Steelworkers, OFL and CLC are organizing buses from across the province. For information on buses contact Laurie Hardwick at the OFL at 416 443-7657.

The Make Poverty History people have joined the call to rescind the Kairo cuts: Make Poverty History

This is a very active group campaigning to eliminate poverty worldwide; well worth our attention.

Dennis Gruending suggests that the CIDA cuts to KAIROS’s third-world projects are related to KAIROS’s criticism of the tar sands development. He also gives more background on KAIROS. All in all, he writes an excellent blog: Gruending’s Blog

Finally! It’s nice to see Andrea Howarth and the NDP getting some good press in the Toronto Star: Coyle’s Article

On the National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women, several groups in Orillia incuding the Orillia Muskoka Labour Council are holding a Candlelight Vigil at 1035 Mississaga St W. (Aladdin’s Banquet Hall), Orillia at 7pm on Sunday Dec 6th.

CIDA CUTS TO KAIROS WILL DEVASTATE HUMAN RIGHTS WORK OVERSEAS

KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives

Their 2009-2013 proposal was developed within two priority sectors of CIDA: promoting good governance (human rights) and advancing ecological sustainability (reducing the impact of climate change and addressing land degradation). It was approved at every level of CIDA before being declined on November 30.

For further info see: KAIROS News

KAIROS asks us to contact our MP, Tony Clement (clement.t@parl.gc.ca)

As well as:
The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, pm@pmo-cpm.gc.ca,
The Hon. Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, oda.b@parl.gc.ca, and
Margaret Biggs, President of CIDA, Margaret.Biggs@acdi-cida.gc.ca

requesting a reversal of the decision.

Please copy your letters to KAIROS at info@kairoscanada.org.

As opposition to the Harper/McGuinty HST grows, Ontario’s Liberal government has finally agreed to a public consultation, but only in the GTA. And in Ottawa, the federal Conservatives will present a motion to move forward with sales-tax harmonization. The federal Conservatives see harmonization as a way to reduce corporate taxes, and plan to give away our own tax dollars — $4.3-billion to Ontario and $1.6-billion to B.C. — as incentives to make the switch.. Isn’t it time the North also had its say on the impact of the HST?

This massive tax shift will hurt consumers, nonprofits, and small businesses. It will actually reduce Ontario’s total revenue by giving away those new HST dollars in tax cuts to big business. This is the last thing we need in an economic downturn, especially in Parry Sound-Muskoka where the average income is almost 20% less than in the rest of Ontario, and where the numbers on social assistance and using food banks are skyrocketing.

Small businesses here in Parry Sound and all over the province are worried about the impact of harmonizing the federal goods-and-services tax with Ontario’s sales tax. A survey of 2,991 members of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found 75 per cent were concerned “customers will not like higher tax rates on some of my firm’s goods (and) services.” (Toronto Star, September, 2009). They fear customers will spend less, or be driven away altogether in search of an underground economy. At the same time, business expenses like travel and accountants’ fees will increase. Businesses that are teetering on the brink worry that the HST will push them over the edge.

The HST on gasoline will be a double hit for Northerners because we already pay more for gasoline and have fewer alternatives for transportation. As well, the HST will impact Northerners more on heating and electrical costs than people living in southern Ontario.

The NDP has a petition campaign to stop the HST and to date have more than 70,000 signatures opposing the harmonized tax. Andrea Horwath, leader of the Ontario NDP, has noted during her travels in the North that Northerners overall are not pleased with the lack of consideration they are getting from McGuinty’s government, whether that’s on forestry and mining jobs, access to health care, closure of hospitals in smaller communities, or school closures.

We all know taxes are necessary, but they must be fair and equitable. Taxes support health care, provide income assistance to pensioners and the unemployed, and are invested in education, training and job creation. Increasing costs for housing, food, heating and gas will hurt the most vulnerable – seniors, the unemployed, the working poor, all those already on the verge of financial ruin.

It’s time to call on the provincial government to hold a Northern consultation.

Dianna Allen

Federal NDP Candidate, Parry Sound Muskoka
167 Blackwater Rd
RR1, Parry Sound ON P2A 2W7

(The following op-ed by Dianna Allen was originally published in the Parry Sound North Star last February.)

A crisis is brewing in health care. In every region of Ontario, hospital cuts are affecting more than 70% of hospitals of every size. And there is good reason for residents in the Muskoka-Parry Sound District to be concerned, because small and rural hospitals are expected to be among the hardest hit.

In the NE LHIN (Local Health Integration Network), all 26 hospitals, including the West Parry Sound Health Centre, will receive an inadequate 2.1% budget “increase” that is actually a cut, because it is too low to match the rate of inflation. The budget also ignores the growing need for health care within our aging population, expected to double in 25 years, and the poor health status of so many in the region. Thousands of jobs are on the line across Ontario, not to mention the economic wellbeing and health status of affected communities. And all this despite evidence from the 1990s that restructuring may not save a dime, but actually cost tax payers more while delivering less.

Nevertheless, WPSHC has signed the mandatory accountability agreement with the NE LHIN that puts the Board of Trustees on the hook to stay within budget or face hefty fines. Democratically elected Boards that resist making service cuts can find themselves replaced by an appointed “hospital supervisor” accountable only to the Ministry of Health through the LHIN.

What kinds of cuts are possible? In Petrolia doctors are threatening to leave town if the Erie-St. Clair LHIN decides to close their Emergency Room. Two doctors have resigned in protest and others have submitted resignations effective in March if the LHIN does not commit to keep the Emergency Room open.

Closer to home, the board of Muskoka Algonquin Health Care (MAHC), struggling with a $2.3 million deficit, is contemplating shutting down an ER and/or consolidating services like obstetrics from two sites (Huntsville and Bracebridge) to one. Closing down or radically changing the day-to-day services of the Burk’s Falls and District Health Centre is also a possibility, despite the dependency of a sizeable retirement community on its services. The health centre currently has a $1-million annual operating shortfall.

Farther south, the Niagara Health System, with more than a $17 million operating deficit, is planning the most significant cuts to rural hospitals since the Harris era of restructuring in the 1990s. On the agenda are removal of Emergency Departments, surgical services, all acute care beds, and possibly complex continuing care beds from Port Colborne and Fort Erie.

These cuts and restructurings are caused by the provincial government’s decision to set hospital budgets too low to match rates of inflation and hospital utilization – despite promises from Premier McGuinty and former Minister of Health George Smitherman not to close small and rural hospitals. The results can only be loss of jobs and patient services in local communities, greater distances to travel to regional centres that may not have the capacity to respond to escalating needs, increasing costs to municipalities for transportation and EMS, and poorer health outcomes, including preventable deaths.

These alarming developments reflect a government hostile to, and with no real understanding of, health care. Fortunately, protests are mounting from concerned citizens. Town hall meetings have been held or are scheduled in Hamilton, Wallaceburg, Windsor, Strathroy-Caradoc, Petrolia, and Trenton. The mayor of Fort Erie, Douglas S. Martin, has sent a letter to all municipalities in Ontario outlining the difficulties in the Niagara region and asking for support. In particular, he emphasizes the importance of elected hospital boards for public accountability, transparency and access to information.

Using LHINs, the McGuinty government has seriously weakened hospitals and their boards. They are expected to plan “integrations” and submit budgets within totally unreasonable timelines that provide no opportunity for community involvement or input. Indeed, no community submissions or advance notification of the public are required in negotiated service agreements between a LHIN and its hospital. No deficit spending is permitted. LHINs do not have the authority to raise money beyond the amounts they receive from the Ministry of Health. Significantly, LHINs are not prevented from shifting services from the public to the private sector. (To learn more about LHINs, visit www.cavalluzzo.com for the law firm’s working guide to LHIN legislation.)

In such a climate every community needs a strong, united voice and a clear vision of what they expect from their health system – relatively full service local hospitals, regulated and adequately staffed long term care facilities, and care close to home. Make your voices heard. Write letters to Premier McGuinty. Sign petitions in support of communities at risk of losing their hospitals. Attend town hall meetings that are being organized by the Muskoka-Parry Sound District branch of the Ontario Health Coalition.

Don’t wait until your services are gone to start fighting.

The Ontario Health Coalition has been systematically tracking the growing number of hospital restructurings and closures. Information is available on their web site (see below) that will provide much more detail than can be recounted here.

* * * * * * *

The Ontario Health Coalition is a network of over 400 grassroots community organizations representing virtually all areas of Ontario. Our primary goal is to actively engage in making public policy related to health care and healthy communities. Through public education and support for public debate, we work to honour and strengthen the principles of the Canada Health Act. For more information visit our web site: www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca

Dianna Allen is Chair of the Muskoka-Parry Sound District Health Coalition. Email: mpsdhealthcoalition@gmail.com

Dianna Allen is a passionate fighter for human rights and has the experience of ‘putting her mouth where her money is’ as a contributor to the Romanow Commission to protect universal health care. Allen uses her considerable intelligence and expertise to bear on issues of social justice, such as the anti-poverty committee to which she is committed in bringing about change.

Katerina Fretwell
poet, artist, former registered social worker

Carl Wirth sends this notice about the Canadian Labour International Film Festival in Orillia on November 28th between 1 and 4pm at the Georgian College Memorial Ave Theatre. It’s free, and there are some excellent films to be shown, including “Poor No More” where Mary Walsh leads on a search for solutions to poverty. Here’s their pdf: filmfestival2