Jack Layton will fight for Canadian farmers

Layton will fight for Canadian farmers

ESSEX – NDP Leader Jack Layton pledged support for Canadian farmers today, announcing his Canadian Food Strategy while visiting a farm in Essex, Ontario.
Layton’s strategy will provide enhanced supports for producers and includes a food safety component to ensure the nation’s supply of safe, healthy food.
“Stephen Harper has turned his back on Canadian farmers and made life harder for farm families. He’s done nothing to deal with rising costs and has made it harder for producers to access vital programs,” said Layton. “My plan will reverse years of neglect, fix income stability programs and give farmers the support they need to thrive and grow.”
Layton’s strategy helps farmers cope with rising costs, including steps to make risk management programs more accessible and to tackle unfair freight costs.
Layton’s plan also includes help for young farmers through skills training and mentorship programs, ending political interference at the Canadian Wheat Board, and promoting local production and food safety.
“Stephen Harper has let down rural Canada. It’s time to go to bat for our family farms,” said Layton. “My plan will get results for our producers and their communities. It’s time for leadership we can trust on agriculture and for rural Canada.

Jack Layton pointed to rising inflation numbers to remind Ontarians – and perhaps those listening out in British Columbia – that the other federal parties supported the harmonized sales tax that drove prices up.
“Families are really struggling as a result of these necessities going up in price so dramatically,” the NDP Leader said Wednesday at a farm in southwest Ontario, where he was highlighting his party’s proposals to help the agriculture industry.

Video

Video: Layton promises help for farming families

“It certainly didn’t help when Stephen Harper, with the help of Ignatieff, brought in the HST that made life more expensive for families,” Mr. Layton said, referring to Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff. “So we would start by taking the HST off home heating, which is one of those basic costs which families have to deal with.”
Mr. Layton has liberally inserted the HST demon into speeches in both Ontario and B.C. but has been less eager to talk about it in Nova Scotia, where an NDP government raised the tax by 2 per cent. In the Nova Scotia case, he said, the province has come up with “innovative” ways of dealing with it, including ensuring that it does not apply to essentials like home heating.
Statistics Canada said this week that the annual inflation rate climbed in March to 3.3 per cent, up from 2.2 per cent a month earlier and the fastest pace in 2½ years. The hike was attributed, in large part, to rising energy and food costs.
Mr. Layton said an NDP government would make sure that Canadians have somewhere to go when they see gas prices rise by creating an ombudsman “who would have some real power to take on some of these unfair increases and toughen up the resources and abilities of our competition bureau to go after these companies when they collude together to raise prices.”
The New Democrats would also promote locally grown food, he said.
“One of the most important aspects of the costs of food is the distances that food today has to travel, which therefore involves an enormous amount of energy,” Mr. Layton said. “So we are saying let’s promote local food production – that’s good for the local farmers, it’s healthy for the people eating the food , it’s good for our economy, and it can help keep prices down in the long term.”
Mr. Layton was in rural Ontario to talk about agriculture and what his party would do to preserve the family farm.
A New Democratic government, he said, would enhance supports for producers and increase food safety as well as introducing strategies to help farmers cope with rising costs. Those would include steps to make risk-management programs more accessible and to tackle freight costs.
Mr. Layton said he also wants help for young farmers through skills training and mentorship programs, and that he would end political interference at the Canadian Wheat Board.
“Years of neglect have made it harder to stay on the farm, harder to grow the food Canadians will put on their tables this Easter Weekend,” the NDP Leader said.
In the past 30 years, Mr. Layton said, Canada has lost 80,000 farms.
“We’re losing a whole generation of young Canadian farmers. That’s not good for farm communities. And it’s not good for Canada.”

Abbotsford NDP Candidate David Murray with Ed Broadbent at Halifax convention 2009

email : davidmurrayabbotsfordndp@gmail.com

twitter: davidmurray4ndp 

website: http://abbotsfordtoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/home.html

 Donate to the Abbotsford campaign: https://secure.ndp.ca/riding/index.php?riding=59001&language=e  .

David Murray (NDP) said the NDP recognize that salmon farms have a negative impact on wild salmon and that they are committed to protecting the wild salmon

VoteSalmon.ca day 6

Met with  the candidates in Abbotsford at the Legal Grounds coffee shop for an extremely interesting meeting.
Daniel Bryce (Green) - All stakeholders need to be involved in making any decisions about the salmon. He feels free flow of rivers, repairing damaged spawning grounds, removing fish farms from the ocean are essential.
Madeleine Hardin (Liberal) - said Liberals do not have to vote the party line. This explains the diverse response I have been getting from them. Madeleine is a strong wild salmon supporter.
David Murray (NDP) said the NDP recognize that salmon farms have a negative impact on wild salmon and that they are committed to protecting the wild salmon from salmon farms.

Victor Elkins NDP Candidate Skydives today in Abbotsford!

Categorized | Abbotsford News, Federal Politics

Abbotsford News: Skydiving NDP Candidate To Drop In This Week

Posted on 19 April 2011
Tags: Jack Layton, NDP Candidate, skydiving, skydiving candidate, Stephen Harper, Vancouver Quadra, Victor Elkins

Submitted. Victor Elkins, the NDP candidate for Vancouver Quadra, is planning to return to the skies to skydive to raise awareness about how out of touch Stephen Harper has become and to raise some funds for his campaign while he’s at it.

Victor Elkins

It’s time Harper and his Conservative peers got their heads out of the clouds and came back down to earth and paid attention to the real needs of Canadians. Victor Elkins, Jack Layton and the entire NDP team are committed to hiring more doctors, strengthening pensions, creating good-paying jobs, capping credit card and bank fees, and fixing Ottawa for good!
Victor is an experienced sky diver who has used skydiving as a fundraising tool for AIDS / HIV research/care over several years. “I thought, hey why not? Let’s have some fun in this campaign.” says Elkins, well known for his dedication, enthusiasm and out-of-the-box thinking.
For Victor, skydiving represents the chance to live: “When people dare to do truly incredible things, especially things that scare them, that’s really living. Running for office is a challenge, it too can be scary, but it’s an incredible experience. You get to speak out on issues important to you and many others such as healthcare, education, fair taxation, job creation and the environment. I want to attract the attention of all people in the riding, especially those who think Ottawa is broken. We want them to know that the NDP are dedicated to making Ottawa work for Canadians!”
This week is the most likely time for Victor to go, weather permitting. To be informed when and where Victor will be jumping, contact his campaign manager at the campaign office

Chris Moon
Campaign Manager
Vancouver Quadra NDP
3272 West Broadway
604-569-3233 or 604-569-3317
Cellular: 604-369-6873
email: VictorElkins@ndp.ca
website: www.VictorElkins.ndp.ca

Abbotsford NDP Candidate David Murray with Ed Broadbent at Halifax convention 2009

email : davidmurrayabbotsfordndp@gmail.com

twitter: davidmurray4ndp 

website: http://abbotsfordtoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/home.html

 Donate to the Abbotsford campaign: https://secure.ndp.ca/riding/index.php?riding=59001&language=e  

The HST "Harper Sales Tax" – A Federal Election Issue !

Categorized | Federal Politics, Vince Dimanno

Columns: The HST – A Federal Election Issue Part 1

Posted on 19 April 2011
Tags: conservative, David Murray, ed fast, federal election, Gordon Campbell, HST, Jack Layton, Liberal, NDP, Stephen Harper, Vince Dimanno

By Vince Dimanno. Gordon Campbell brought the HST to British Columbia but it was Stephen Harper’s program. 18,000 of you signed the Anti-HST Petition so is it a Federal Election issue? I think so and I’ll tell you why.
The HST has been called a “regressive tax”. I prefer to call it a “hopeless tax”. It’s like a gas tax in that it is a tax on nothing, for nothing and the money will go to do nothing. Sure, it will be spent on the common good….theoretically…but we all know that largely it is there to pay for past spending mistakes.
This column could study the positive and negative aspects of the HST, but rather I would like to put to you that if you signed the Anti-HST Petition you should think about why you did that.
Did you do it because you thought the Liberal Gov’t lied to you? Do you object because you don’t like the tax itself?

Defining  your objection is important because the HST wasn’t invented by Gordon Campbell. The plan to kick back our own money to us in return for adopting the HST was all Stephen Harper. Essentially, we were bribed into it with our own money.
This is inherently NOT conservative.
Obviously I speak to people all the time about what is important to them and this community. One of the things I notice is that many people will have a list of things they demand from the party they support and yet they vote for someone else.
If you are one of the 18,000 people who voted against the HST why not find out where your support really should go and take the short quiz on the CBC web site called the Vote Compass. You can find it here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/votecompass/
I was shocked by the results when I took the test. In fact, I am in-step with a party I wasn’t going to vote for. Now I want to know why and so should you.
Watch for my next column where I will review those positive and negative aspects of the HST and other Federal Government initiatives that impact the people of the Fraser Valley directly.

Abbotsford NDP Candidate David Murray with Ed Broadbent at Halifax convention 2009

email : davidmurrayabbotsfordndp@gmail.com

twitter: davidmurray4ndp 

website: http://abbotsfordtoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/home.html

 Donate to the Abbotsford campaign: https://secure.ndp.ca/riding/index.php?riding=59001&language=e  

Layton challenges Harper on jobs

Unlike Stephen Harper, you can count on me to protect your jobs

April 19, 2011

WELLAND – Jack Layton took direct aim at Stephen Harper’s job strategy on a campaign swing through the Niagara region. Layton said that Harper’s failed policies have resulted in thousands of good, family-supporting jobs leaving Canada.
“Stephen Harper thinks his only responsibility is to provide big corporations with big tax giveaways, who then export their jobs overseas,” said Layton. “That’s wrong. It’s costing people across Canada and in the Niagara Region their jobs.”
Layton said he has a better plan to create and protect family-supporting jobs.
“I’ll work with the real jobs creators in our economy. I’ll cut small business taxes and offer new incentives for every new hire. As Prime Minister, I’ll get results within 100 days – and I want you to hold me to that,” Layton said.
Hundreds of voters packed into an interactive town hall event in Welland, where Layton answered questions about his jobs plan. Under Stephen Harper, Southern Ontario has suffered a rash of plant closures, sending thousands of full-time jobs to the U.S. and Mexico.

Abbotsford NDP Candidate David Murray with Ed Broadbent at Halifax convention 2009

email : davidmurrayabbotsfordndp@gmail.com

twitter: davidmurray4ndp 

website: http://abbotsfordtoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/home.html

 Donate to the Abbotsford campaign: https://secure.ndp.ca/riding/index.php?riding=59001&language=e  

David Murray running 2nd to Jack Layton in NDP Social Media Popularity!

username	name				location		popularity
@jacklayton	Jack Layton				Toronto--Danforth		7637
@davidmurray4ndp	David Murray				Abbotsford		1109
@iancapstick	Ian Capstick				Ottawa		1014
@David	ilovethearts				Okanagan—Coquihall		558
@David	David Laird				Burlington		547
@MeganLeslieMP	Megan Leslie				Halifax		480
@oliviachow	Olivia Chow				Trinity--Spadina		459
@PaulDewar	Paul Dewar				Ottawa Centre		413
@LibbyDavies	Libby Davies				Vancouver East		277
@LindaDuncan4MP	Linda Duncan				Edmonton--Strathcona		266
@MarcLaferriere	Marc Laferriere				Brant		238
@alexboulerice	Alexandre Boulerice				Rosemont—La Petite		161
@DonDavies	Don Davies				Willowdale		143
@LewisCardinal	Lewis Cardinal				Edmonton Centre		141
@MPJulian	Peter Julian				Burnaby--New Westmin		138
@RayMartinNDP	Ray Martin				Edmonton East		137
@Tony_Tracy	Tony Tracy				Halifax, NS		132
@NDP_ElectionHQ	NDP Election HQ						131
@denisesavoie	Denise Savoie				Lac-Saint-Louis		105
@ArtemNDP	Artem Medvedev				Edmonton—Leduc		103
@GlennThibeault	Glenn Thibeault				Sudbury		99
@RupNDP	Rupinder Kaur				Ottawa		98
@CharlieAngusMP	Charlie Angus				Timmins--James Bay		97
@pfthurley	Peter Thurley				Kitchener Centre		95
@irenemathyssen	Irene Mathyssen				London--Fanshawe		94
@brianlabelle	Brian LaBelle				Edmonton—St. Alber		92
@peggynash_	Peggy Nash				Parkdale—High Park		89
@bradlavigne	Brad Lavigne				Ottawa, Ontario		84
@kennedystewart	Kennedy Stewart				Burnaby—Douglas		80
@ValckeNDP	James Valcke				Ottawa, Ontario, Can		75
@DanielJBeals	Daniel Beals				Kingston and the Isl		72
@sinjawnsnewdem	sinjawnsnewdem				St. John's		70
@noah4palliser	Noah Evanchuk				Palliser		66
@jagmeetNDP	Jagmeet Singh				Bramalea—Gore—Ma		65
@Gregor_Ash	Gregor Ash				Halifax West		65
@Siksay	Bill Siksay				Burnaby--Douglas		57
@findonnelly	Fin Donnelly				New Westminster--Coq		55
@ClearyNDP	Ryan Cleary				St. John's South—M		52
@salhousser	Sally Housser				Ottawa, ON		51
@damcbain	Don McBain				British Columbia		51
@sfharris	Scott Harris				Ottawa		50
@RobertNDP	Robert Chisholm				Dartmouth—Cole Har		49
@BrianMasseMP	Brian Masse				Rosemont—La Petite		48
@nathancullen	Nathan Cullen				Skeena--Bulkley Vall		43
@JeanCrowder	Jean Crowder				Nanaimo--Cowichan		42
@gordonearle	Gordon Earle				South Shore—St. Ma		42
@r_garrison	Randall Garrison				Esquimalt—Juan de		42
@nikiashton	Niki Ashton				Churchill		39
@MalcolmAllen4MP	Malcolm Allen				Welland		39
@nwtdennis	Dennis Bevington				Western Arctic		39
@erksn	Michael Erickson				Etobicoke—Lakeshor		38
@crawfordndp	Michael Crawford				Kamloops—Thompson�		38
@FredClipshamNDP	Fred Clipsham				Regina—Qu'Appelle		37
@JackHarrisNDP	Jack Harris				St. John's East		36
@davidfinnis4NDP	David Finnis				Okanagan--Coquihalla		33
@EdithLK	Edith Loring-Kuhanga				Saanich—Gulf Islan		32
@ndp_blogs	NDP Blogs				Canada		31
@CCharltonNDP	Chris Charlton				Peterborough		31
@AdvMehdi	Mehdi Mollahasani				Willowdale		31
@hoangmai_npd	Hoang Mai				Brossard-La Prairie		30
@DaveNickle	Dave Nickle				Peterborough		30
@NPDQuebec	NDP Quebec				Montréal		29
@mdsullivan	Mike Sullivan				York South—Weston		29
@Freddysinclair	Fred Sinclair				Elgin—Middlesex—		28
@Cash4TO	Andrew Cash				Davenport		27
@TonyMartin4MP	Tony Martin				Sault Ste. Marie		26
@francoisenpd	Françoise Boivin				Gatineau		24
@joecomartin	Joe Comartin				Windsor--Tecumseh		23
@denny1h	Denny Holmwood				iPhone: 53.691776,-1		23
@loisboone	Lois Boone				Prince George-Peace		23
@MattGabrielNDP	Matthew Gabriel				Leeds--Grenville		23
@nycole_turmel	Nycole Turmel				Hull—Aylmer		23
@KathyMacLeodNDP	Kathy MacLeod				Sydney—Victoria		22
@PaulVargis	Paul Vargis				Calgary Centre-North		21
@Nettie_Wiebe	Nettie Wiebe				Saskatoon--Rosetown-		20
@HamiltonCntrNDP	David Christopherson				Hamilton Centre		20
@meenawongndp	Meena Wong				Vancouver South		20
@robmoirndp	Rob Moir				Saint John		20
@WilliamMolls	William Molls				St. Paul's		19
@sklar_ndp	Brian Sklar				Regina--Lumsden--Lak		19
@NadineMBailey	Nadine Bailey				Edmonton—Mill Wood		19
@RathikaS	Rathika Sitsabaiesan				Scarborough—Rouge		18
@RBlaikieWN	Rebecca Blaikie				Winnipeg North		18
@HaganNDP	Janice Hagan				Oak Ridges—Markham		17
@drmarcspooner	Marc Spooner				Wascana		16
@CraigSpeirsNDP	Craig Speirs				Pitt Meadows—Maple		16
@jasbirsandhu	Jasbir Sandhu				Surrey North		15
@BillBrownNDP	Bill Brown				Kitchener—Waterloo		14
@denisekouriNDP	Denise Kouri				Saskatoon—Humboldt		14
@brucehyer	Bruce Hyer				Thunder Bay--Superio		13
@JanineGiles	Janine Giles				Macleod		13
@mcharrois	Michael Charrios				North Vancouver		13
@JohnRaffertyNDP	John Rafferty				Thunder Bay--Rainy R		12
@ibushfield	Ian Bushfield				Vancouver, Canada		12
@WendyWilson4MP	Wendy Wilson				Parry Sound—Muskok		12
@IanJNichols	Ian Nichols				Haldimand Norfolk		12
@mikescottNDP	Mike Scott				Edmonton—Sherwood		12
@DenisBlanchette	Denis Blanchette				Louis		12
@Jamieede	James Ede				Oakville		11
@Taras4MP	Taras Natyshak				Essex		10
@KingsHantsNDP	Mark Rogers				Kings--Hants		10
@Darien4ndpMP	Darien Moore				Blackstrap		10
@jcrocheleau	Jean-Claude Rocheleau				Hochelaga		10
@PeterFergusonW	Peter Ferguson				London West		9
@JeffItcush	Jeff Itcush				Mount Royal		9
@HorvathNDP	Jeff Horvath				Wild Rose		9
@EricReidBurton	Eric Burton				Renfrew—Nipissing�		9
@LGNewDemocrats	Leeds-Grenville NDP				Ontario, Canada		9
@KevinBarrNDP	Kevin Barr				Yukon		9
@MikeWilliamsNDP	Mike Williams				St. Catharines		9
@MikeWilliamsNDP	Mike Williams				St. Catharines		9
@TeamKarenNDP	Karen Shillington				Vancouver Centre		9
@Diana4NDP	Diana Andrews				Etobicoke North		9
@dkparker2	David K. Parker				Central Nova		8
@CarolHughes4MP	Carol Hughes				Algoma—Manitoulin�		8
@trevorhache	Trevor Haché				Ottawa—Vanier		8
@wendyNDP	Wendy Robinson				Cumberland—Colches		8
@ElectRic4MP	Ric Dagenais				Nepean—Carleton		8
@ndpmedicinehat	Dennis Perrier				Medicine Hat		8
@marksandilands	Mark Sandilands				Lethbridge		7
@TweetJewels	Julie Demers				Bourassa		7
@MarleneRivier	Marlene Rivier				Ottawa West—Nepean		7
@joebyrnepei	Joe Byrne				Charlottetown		7
@PatHerouxNDP	Pat Heroux				Halton		7
@TeamNicNDP	Nic Slater				Delta—Richmond Eas		6
@german_ndp	German Gutierrez				London North Centre		6
@FKalbouneh	Farah Kalbouneh				Mississauga South		6
@WMarstonNDP	Wayne Marston				Hamilton East--Stone		6
@SusanKeepingNDP	Susan Keeping				South Surrey—White		6
@sylvainchicoine	Sylvain Chicoine				Châteauguay—Saint		6
@tkalmanovitch	Tisha Kalmanovitch				Kelowna—Lake Count		6
@ChatwinJustin	Justin Chatwin				Toronto		4
@JimMaloway	Jim Maloway				Elmwood--Transcona		4
@Jagtarshergill	Jagtar Shergill				Brampton West		4
@TaniaCameronNDP	Tania Cameron				Kenora		4
@MyrnaClarkNDP	Myrna Clark				Barrie		4
@RCoteBL2011	Raymond Côté				Beauport—Limoilou		4
@NMacBainNDP	Nancy MacBain				Ancaster—Dundas—		4
@DennisLewycky	Dennis Lewycky				Winnipeg South Centr		4
@joehill42	Joe Hill				Lambton—Kent—Mid		4
@JenVillebrun	Jennifer Villebrun				Peace River		3
@TMcAuliffeNDP	Trish McAuliffe				Whitby—Oshawa		3
@velkins	Victor Elkins				Vancouver Quadra		3
@nbmtrem	Shawna Gagné				Moncton—Riverview�		3
@SusanGalvao	Susan Galvao				Cambridge		3
@F_Lapointe	François Lapointe				Montmagny—L'Islet�		3
@peorro	Serge Bergeron				Beauce		3
@pierrecyrndp	Pierre Cyr				Tobique—Mactaquac		3
@NDPcandidate	Manjit Grewal				Brampton—Springdal		3
@brantndp	Brant NDP				Brantford, Ontario,		2
@ZeniforMP	Zeni Maartman				Nanaimo—Alberni		2
@MatthewKellway	Mathew Kellway				Beaches—East York		2
@brianwhiteNDP	Brian White				Sarnia ON		2
@electJohnParry	John Parry				Saskatoon—Wanuskew		2
@JamesMcLarenNDP	James McLaren				Ottawa South		2
@mattfuchsndp	Matthew Fuchs				Avalon		2
@grantirobertson	Grant Robertson				Huron—Bruce		2
@NikkiNDP	Nikki Inouye				Okanagan—Shuswap		2
@jessebrady	Jesse Brady				Ottawa		1
@CrissySinopole	Crissy Sinopole				Sarnia—Lambton		1
@TammySchoep	Tammy Schoep				Durham		1
@MattDube	Matthew Dubé				Chambly—Borduas		1
@gwen4ndp	Gwen O’Mahony				Chilliwack—Fraser		1
@MarkShmig	Mark Shmigelsky				Kootenay—Columbia		1
@nancypatchell	Nancy Patchell				Scarborough—Aginco		1
@ElectRDevine	Rachelle Devine				Kildonan—St. Paul		1
@KitCntrNDP	Kitchener Centre NDP				Kitchener Centre		1
@danharrisndp	Dan Harris				Scarborough Southwes		1
@DevinJohnston	Devin Johnston				Winnipeg, Mb		0
@WarnerNDP	Barbara Warner				Beaches—East York		0
@onammio	Nammi Poorooshasb				Ottawa, Ontario		0
@drdanymorin	Dany Morin				Chicoutimi—Le Fjor		0
@KingstonNDP	NDP Kingston				Kingston, ON		0
@LittleSnowOwl	Mylène Freeman				Argenteuil—Papinea		0
@SaganashNPD	Campagne Saganash				Abitibi—Baie		0
@dalejackaman	Dale Jackaman				Richmond BC		0
@heatherndp	Heather Kelley				Niagara Falls		0
@Tanyafredette	Tanya Fredette				Lotbinière—Chutes		0
@seanpalsson	Sean Palsson				Selkirk—Interlake		0
@VoteRuss	Russ Christianson				Northumberland—Qui		0
@HLaverdiere2	Hélène Laverdière				Laurier—Sainte		0
@KarenGventerNDP	Karen Gventer				Bruce—Grey—Owen		0
@jflarose	Jean-François Larose				Repentigny		0
@NDPcandidatehum	Shelley Senior				Humber—St. Barbe�		0
@OxfordNDP	Paul Arsenault				Oxford		0
@BobbiNDPGuelph	Bobbi Stewart				Guelph		0
@MiramichiNDP	Patrick Colford				Miramichi		0
@manfrinig	Giulio Manfrini				York West		0
@ReevesCh	Chantal Reeves				Ahuntsic		0
@RosaneDL	Rosane Doré Lefebvre				Alfred		0

* you can click the table headings to sort the table of List of Ndps on Twitter.