As everyone knows, the New Democratic Party (NDP) is no longer Saskatchewan’s “natural governing party.” In the 2011 election they won only 32% of the vote and today Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party government, in its second term, has an approval rating of around 70%. All four of the young men who have been seeking the leadership of the NDP have stressed the need for a serious renewal and revitalization.
So where should they start? With the disappearance of the provincial Liberal Party, the NDP will have to get close to 50% of the vote to once again form the government. In the past, how was it possible for the CCF-NDP to win 50% of the vote in a Saskatchewan provincial election?
The success of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) In 1944 the CCF, under the leadership of T.C. Douglas, won the election with 53% of the vote and won again in 1952 with 54%. The CCF was actually a vehicle for a broad democratic movement which included family farmers, the trade union movement, the co-operative movement, teachers and other groups. While in office they regularly consulted with community organizations before implementing new policies.
A discussion by Priscilla Settee and Sheelah McLean about where Idle No More came from, what its goals are as a movement and where it is going. Priscilla is a noted author/professor and activist of many years in indigenous solidarity nationally and internationally, Sheelah McLean is a teacher and co founder of the Idle No More Movement - both live in Saskatchewan.
Making Sense Out of the Current Economic Crisis
Contributed by John W. Warnock
Wednesday, 02 January 2013
For several months now the mainstream media, political leaders and business commentators have focused on the “Fiscal Cliff” in the United States. President Barrack Obama and the Republicans in the U.S. Congress have been at loggerheads over how to deal with the very large federal budget deficits of the past five years. Another interim agreement was reached last night, and the stock markets have responded positively.
But it is easy to discover that nothing has really changed. The U.S. politicians have bought two months of peace; by the end of February they will once again have to face the reality of the enormous budget deficit and the fact that the United States Congress has legislated an upper limit to the debt that the federal government may undertake. The debt ceiling of $16.4 trillion was reached on New Year’s eve.
How can we make sense out of this economic and financial mess? It is difficult in that mainstream economists are committed to abstract models of the free market, focus on the current situation, and ignore the patterns of history. The mass media, owned and controlled by very large corporations, reflects this free market political perspective.
This past week Stephen Harper’s government announced that they had approved the takeover of Nexen Corporation by CNOOC Ltd., a Chinese state-owned oil corporation, as well as the takeover of Progress Energy Resources Corporation by Petronas, Malaysia’s state-owned oil corporation. The details of these foreign takeovers had been well known for a long time. Brad Wall’s government had approved of the takeovers. One would have expected the Saskatchewan NDP to have worked out a position, but there has only been silence. Do any of the four candidates for the leadership of the NDP have a position on foreign ownership and control of our natural resource industries?
The takeovers approved Stephen Harper, while approving these two takeovers, announced that in the future state-owned corporations would be limited to minority ownership in corporations operating in the Alberta tar sands. Foreign-owned corporations dominate this sector. However, this policy would not apply elsewhere in Canada. Aside from the tar sands, the free market in corporate ownership would prevail.
On Wednesday December 5th, a report like most other reports went to the Regina Planning Commission. But this was different. One aspect of it was that there was no media there which will play later in this article. Under the title Somerset Official Community Plan amendments, RPC12-82, a proposed residential development was proposed to be located in the north portion of the Uplands community, adjacent to the NE side of the CP rail line. The subdivision was being suggested as being an extension to the current Uplands neighbourhood and the recent Kensington Greens community.
The campaign for the new leader of the Saskatchewan NDP takes off this Saturday with the first public debate among the four candidates. There are thirteen debates scheduled between November 17 and February 16, 2013. This will allow NDP members and others to see the differences between the candidates. The leadership convention is scheduled for the weekend of March 9, 2013 in Saskatoon.
As everyone knows, the provincial NDP is in dire straits at this time. Their support among voters has dropped from 275,000 in 1991 to only 127,000 in 2011. Their membership has dropped from 46,000 in 1991 to around 8,000 today. The turnout at elections has dropped from 75% of eligible voters in 1991 to only 50% in 2011. The provincial Liberal Party has all but disappeared, which means that the NDP will likely have to win close to 51% of the vote to once again form the government. They now face Brad Wall and the Saskatchewan Party whose government has had an approval rating of 70% in recent public opinion polls.
A campaign to save two University of Regina students from deportation is gathering steam across Canada.
Today
some 250 faculty and students attended a teach-in at the U of R, where
organizers launched a Twitter campaign directed at citizen and
immigration minister Jason Kenney and minister of safety Vic Toews.
By the end of the hour-long teach-in, the campaign’s Twitter account was already overloaded.
Photo: Students sign postcards to Kenney and Toews.
The Regina Municipal Election: A flood of candidates is one sign that citizens are fed up
Contributed by John W. Warnock
Thursday, 11 October 2012
The Regina municipal election will take place on October 24. In contrast to the election three years ago, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of candidates running for seats on City Council. Furthermore, there are nine candidates running for the position of Mayor. We may see a much higher turnout of voters this time and perhaps a different city administration.
Regina used to be a solid NDP town. But in the last municipal election the turnout of voters fell to 25%, which always benefits those with higher incomes. As a result, the political right re-elected Mayor Pat Fiacco, a known supporter of Stephen Harper and Brad Wall. Judging by their voting record on key issues, it quickly became apparent that the political right also swept City Council. However, a revolt against the incumbents began in 2011 when the Mayor and his business friends produced a plan to build a new football stadium.
On October 24, Reginans go to the polls to elect our new Mayor and City
Councillors.
Make your voice heard at the municipal election
All-Candidates Forum
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 7:00 - 9:00
pm FREE Admission
Location: Regina Christian School - 2505 23rd Ave
(at Albert St., in gymnasium) Moderator: Mitch Diamantopulos, Department
Chair, University of Regina School of Journalism
Come learn where
mayoral and city council candidates from all wards stand on important local
issues - affordable housing, food security, public transit, and
more.
7:00 - 8:00 pm: Mayoral candidate forum. Bring written questions
for Regina's potential mayors to answer!
8:00 - 9:00 pm:
All-candidates meet and greet. Meet the mayoral candidates and city council
candidates from all city wards.
Sponsored by Clean Green Regina, Friends
of Regina Public Library, Making Peace Vigil, Queen City Tenants Association,
Real Food Regina, Real Renewal, Regina Anti-Poverty Network, Regina and
District Labour Council, and Regina Citizens Public Transit
Coalition.
Regina –
Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist Chris Hedges will speak in Regina
this Thursday evening. Hedges is perhaps best known to Canadian audiences for
being called a “nutbar” on air by CBC’s Kevin O’Leary, which resulted in
hundreds of letters of complaint to the network and an apology from the show’s
producer.
But this
is just one incident in a long journalistic career that includes nearly two
decades in Africa, Central America, the Balkans and the Middle East, where he
served as bureau chief for the New York Times. Today Hedges is a best-selling
author and highly popular columnist for truthdig.com.
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A campaign to save two University of Regina students from deportation is gathering steam across Canada.