Sunday, May 15, 2005

Putting Politics Before Principle

Title links to "Put People Before Politics"

This 'grassroots' anti - election Campaign will be starting a pre-budget vote advertising blitz with the theme:

If this federal budget gets defeated it could end this parliament before important decisions are made.


From their ad: Important action on the environment, equality rights,
childcare, aboriginal issues, social housing, municipal
infrastructure, immigration and many other vital issues
is at risk. A premature election could end this Parliament
just before key decisions are made. We believe that
people should be put before politics.
PARLIAMENT HAS WORK TO DO

The list of signatories includes:

  • Campaign 2000 -- with the noble goal of ending child poverty in Canada by year 2000 -- apparently they haven't given up on the Liberals yet.
  • Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies -- the people who are currently advocating for Karla Homolka.
  • Canadian Auto Workers -- advisor to Finance Minister Layton/budget co-author Buzz Hargrove, doesn't want to see his handiwork crash and burn.
  • Canadian Union of Public Employees -- it's amazing to see so many unions come out in support of a government -- can't think why.
  • Canadians for Equal Marriage -- They will vote in a government based on one-issue -- because if you're wrong about gay-marriage, you must be wrong about everything else.
  • Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada, Childcare Resource and Research Unit - overjoyed at a new generation of young women, guaranteed pink-collar jobs, with no room for advancement, in perpetuity.
  • David Suzuki Foundation -- because the Liberals care so much about Kyoto they've made plans?
  • Egale Canada -- another one-issue group.
  • Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario -- they hated Harris, they'll hate Harper -- not for anything he'll do -- it's the 'c' word they fear (conservative - shhhhh).
  • Mayor David Miller, Mayor of Toronto, Mayor Larry Campbell, Mayor of Vancouver -- how's this for objective & non-partisan municipal politicians.
  • National Action Committee on the Status of Women -- the NAC never speaks for me (but I believe my taxes help pay their salaries)
  • Canadian Federation of Students -- another worthy group in need of help, duped by the propaganda that says: despite failure over the past 12 years, the Liberals are the ones to trust with the future.

There are more groups on the list, and perhaps every single one of them is putting people before politics, but because each of these groups has a political and economic agenda, it's hard not to be cynical about their message. These are organized, federated, politically motivated, government funded activist groups.

I saw the story on Global National (of all places). There is nothing at their website, but the gist of the piece was that these groups have come together to protest the upcoming election -- despite the fact that otherwise, they have 'nothing in common'.

Global appears to have missed all the hands sticking out.

Cheers,
canadianna

4 comments:

Oliver said...

Good call. If there is one thing I cannot stand (and there isn't but this'll do in a pinch) it is labour unions using their accumulated union dues to advertise political messages. It is one thing that lobby groups that have received donations do this because people actually believe in their messages. But labour unions have coercive power over their memberships - they HAVE TO pay, and the union can spend their money any way it wants to.

And don't even get me started about government funding for special interest lobbies... isn't that just another way of laundering money from public coffers to political parties?

alsocanadian said...

Premature electualation is good when being screwed by the government...at least it ends quick!

bob said...

C...
They have everything in common - an addition to suckling on the government teat (and ripping off the rest of us).
Cheers in return,

bob said...

Whoops...
Let's try addiction sted addition.
Someday my fingers will catch up to my brain.
Again, Cheers in return...