Report of Candidate Activities for the Past Year - 2007-8

The Lethbridge Riding held it's Annual General Meeting on March 1. Again, it was an exciting year. I provided a 'Report of Canadidate Activities for 2007-8'. It is a detailed report of four pages which might be considered too large to include on this site. However, if you are interested in reviewing it I will be happy to forward you a copy. If you desire a copy you can contact me through this site or phone me at 381-7635 and I will be happy to provide it.

Also, now that the Provincial Election is over it is my intention to resume campaigning and activities so you can expect to hear frequent reports on progress and issues. Also, if you have an issue you believe I should hear or wish to get involved on my team or in Riding activities please contact me since as we all know "many hands make light work". We have several commities on the go. policy is always an exciting one. Kind regards. I look forward to hearing from you.
Michael

Comments on the Conservative's Third Budget, Feb. 26

Hi again friends:
Thought I should share with you Mr. Dion’s letter to me on the latest budget tabled for Canada for 2007-8. There’s not much that I can add other than that I wholeheartedly concur with Mr. Dion. Seems like most of the budget shows the Conservatives' acceptance of what had already been proposed by us though “watered down”. Obviously it's their continued attempt to capture Canadian imagination and votes; but, hopefully Canadians will see through it. The only new initiative appears to be the tax-free savings plan. My immediate reaction is; how will it benefit the many Canadians below the poverty-line struggling with a couple or more low-paying jobs to obtain enough to get by. Hopefully, the change to UI will help though we’re left in a scary situation if the slowdown in the economy increases and they’ve still done little to deal with aging and crumbling infrastructures. Today it's worth checking what the various news sources, political commentators and business leaders including Jayson Meyers, President of the Canadian Manufacturing and Exporters’ Association had to say about this budget. It looks like they’re not very positive about it. Also, see letter below:
Letter from Mr. Dion on the Conservative Government's Third Budget February 26, 2008
Dear Michael:
As you know, earlier today the Conservative government tabled its third budget. Immediately following the Budget speech in the House of Commons, our Leader Stéphane Dion declared that the Liberal Opposition will not give the Conservatives the election they so badly want based on their latest budget because it adopts many of the measures that Liberals have championed.
The Conservatives have in effect presented a watered-down version of pre-existing Liberal policies. In fact, they appear to have repackaged many Liberal initiatives and commitments including:
• making the Gas Tax Transfer permanent, as we committed in February 2007;
• providing direct support to the auto sector, as we called for in January 2008;
• creating jobs and improving public transit through additional investments in infrastructure, as we advocated in February 2008;
• increasing the Northern Residents Deduction, as we committed to doing in December 2007;
• providing funding to hire more police, as we committed in March 2007;
• improving cash-flow support for livestock producers, and providing direct payments for hog farmers, as we recommended;
• reversing some of the Conservatives’ previous cuts to university granting councils and the indirect costs of research program, which would have grown substantially under the Liberal Economic Update of 2005; and,
• replacing some of the funding from the Liberals’ 2005 Update for Student Grants and modernizing the Canada Student Loans program.
Despite these announcements, this budget would have been more effective if the Conservatives had not already spent the cupboard bare with their previous budgets and Fall Economic and Fiscal Update. As Liberals, we worry that the government is now left with a razor-thin surplus to protect Canada’s economy should it continue to falter. In fact, we are concerned that the Conservatives’ projected surpluses of $2.3 billion for this year and $1.3 billion for next year are well below the $3-billion contingency fund that we Liberals consider the bare minimum to cushion against unanticipated economic shocks. In addition to exercising questionable judgment, the government lost an opportunity to address Canada’s infrastructure deficit through acting on Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion’s proposal to use the $7 billion of this year’s debt pay-down to fund infrastructure projects across the country.
Nevertheless, there is nothing in this budget that warrants an election that Canadians don’t want, particularly at a time when so much remains to be done in this Parliament. This includes the debate of the motion respecting Canada’s Afghan mission, getting to the bottom of the Mulroney-Schreiber affair and the long-anticipated ruling by Elections Canada on the Conservative Party’s in-and-out election financing scandal.
An important measure of how Canadians assess the Conservative government's performance will soon be available for all to see when the results are in from four upcoming by-elections. We look forward to this measure of the relative support for the competing visions of Stéphane Dion and Stephen Harper.
Though we remain ready to fight a general election at any time, as Liberals we will focus on how best to make Parliament work for all Canadians. If the Prime Minister insists on making this impossible, then it will be clear that he alone will be responsible for starting an election.

The wisdom in Dion's debt strategy

Hi Folks:
Due to the Provincial Election under way as you can imagine it is considered best that I minimize campaigning so as not to confuse the public and as you might guess I've been helping with the Provincial campaign. However, I could not help but be impressed by this article in the National Post that many consider a Conservative leaning paper. If you wish to read the full article please see the Nat. Post or email me and I will forward it to you. The article portrays Mr. Dion strongly Mr. Corcoran appears to endorse the wisdom of Mr. Dion's fiscal strategy. Otherwise, I keep busy, on Monday I met with Hon. John McKay in Calgary and on Thursday I attended the AGM and Conference of the Alberta Soft Wheat Growers Association. Read on...

National Post Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Page: FP15 Section: FP Comment
Byline: Terence Corcoran Column: Terence Corcoran Source: Financial Post

To hear the Conservatives tell the story, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has announced new budget principles that would create a new round of federal deficit spending. The Tory Web site, full of their typical putdowns of Mr. Dion, includes a visual suggesting a Liberal budget would sink Canada into "$62.5-billion in new debt."

It's just partisan gamesmanship. The Tories took a list of Mr. Dion's latest pronouncements on spending and his earlier fiscal comments, added them all together, and came up with a big number. Mr. Dion, and his finance-minister-in-waiting, John McCallum, quickly branded the Tories as thieves and liars, or something like that. Actually, Mr. Dion – speaking yesterday in Montreal -- used the following phrases against the Tories: deliberate miscalculations, misrepresentations, misinformation, the epitome of desperation, and distortion of the facts.

I'd check the veracity of all this if I weren't already certain the Conservatives had done all of the above, and maybe more. What's really fascinating isn't the facts so much as the Dion speech last week in Ottawa that triggered the Tories' attack on Mr. Dion's debt strategy.

Because what Mr. Dion had to say about government spending and deficits and debt made a lot of sense. ...

Mr. Dion said he was proposing "nothing less than a new contract between a Liberal government and Canadians -- for the benefit of current and future generations." It is time, he said, to take these federal surpluses and do something else with them. "A lighter debt burden is good news -- it gives us the flexibility to address our most urgent priorities while also putting our children in a better position to pursue their own dreams."

In practical terms, Mr. Dion was saying that, unlike the Tories who will announce next week that they will take this year's surplus and pay down the debt by up to $10-billion, the Liberals would find some way to spend the money. Specifically, he said, the Liberals would spend the surplus on infrastructure. And in future years, a Liberal government would limit debt-reduction to $3-billion a year. Any money left over after that would go to infrastructure.

...

As a fiscal debt-management strategy, Mr. Dion's plan makes for good policy.
We don't need to reduce the debt any more than we have. By committing surpluses to infrastructure (however difficult that may prove to do in budget practice), Mr. Dion is helping to change the nature of the national budget debate over surpluses. It's not quite like saying debt and deficits are good. And it would be better if he could have offered tax cuts as the alternative to debt reduction. But Mr. Dion has served a strong counterpunch to conventional Tory budget wisdom, which may be why the Tories are reacting so strongly.

The Globe and Mail also describes the Tories as "shooting blanks" these days.

Conservatives Playing Politics with the Criminal Code and Afghan situation

Some of you will guess that with the Provincial Election call it was appropriate that it is appropriate that I minimize my own campaigning and you guessed it, I'm assisting the local Provincial Candidates while also keeping tabs federally. Since last note I've attended more community meetings, educational sessions and keep up with the latest from Ottawa. Of course, as you might guess, some of it bothers me especially when I know that we are fed info taken out of context and distorted. Consequently, I felt challenged to help correct the info and sent the following to the Herald but felt it should appear here too for the benefit of those who did not see it:

It bothers me how Mr. Harper and the Conservative government continues to distort the truth by taking things out of context and/or giving only part of the story on such important matters that affect us and appear to be getting away with it. I trust people realize they have been doing this for quite some time most recently with respect to Afghanistan and the crime legislation they want passed really want rubber-stamped, likely so they can help shore up their claims to get rid of the Senate which as we all know is supposed to be the “house of sober second thought” before final proclamation. They claimed that Bill C-2, the omnibus Justice legislation, was being held up in the Senate really only had a dozen days because of breaks, week-ends etc. They said they considered the bill a confidence matter and threatened an election if it is not passed by the end of the month, and said they would introduce a confidence motion in the House to that effect.

The Conservatives said the bill was stalled in the Senate for 68 days; however, what they failed to mention was that this total included the Holiday break and weekends. By the Conservatives' logic, their Justice Minister was also absent from the House for most of the 68 day period. The bill was introduced in the Senate on November 29. Second reading debate began on the next possible day, and the bill passed Second reading in 6 sitting days, on December 12. The Senate then adjourned on Dec. 14, and debate resumed in the committee as soon as the new session began.

Mr. Dion made clear Liberal intention of bringing down the government on the motion the Liberal Party has been dealing seriously with crime legislation for the past year and a half while the Conservatives have been playing partisan games, latest being they manufactured this crisis, to push for an election. They, the Conservatives allowed months to pass between introducing their justice bills in their original form and bringing them forward for debate; so why the sudden change of heart?

The public should be aware the Senate Committee dealing with Bill C-2 agreed to extend its sitting hours as well as to meet at irregular meeting times, including during the February Parliamentary break week to deal with it. Also, it should be noted that there have been no filibusters in the Senate, unlike the Conservatives¹ ongoing bad behavior in the House as they try to prevent the procedures and house affairs committee from looking into their in-and-out election spending scandal. Could it be that the Conservatives want Canadians to believe the Liberals are delaying this legislation, the fact is, the government could have re-introduced the individual elements of the bill at the stages they were at when the House was prorogued last spring. Instead, they chose to amalgamate 5 bills, including bills the Liberals had offered to fast-track, and start the process over. Actually the Liberals put more effort into passing the government's crime bills in the last session than the Conservatives did. What can we expect next? Wouldn’t the time be better spent attending to Canadian’s needs with respect to the environment, water management, health and child development programs, affordable housing and education, manpower, farming and industry and manufacturing etc; in short, governing.

Michael Cormican, Federal Liberal Candidate, Lethbridge Riding

P.S. Some of the above was quoted from Party reports and some of it generated by me. Also, since I compiled the above earlier in the week it was nice to see some change of heart and concurrence by the Government with the alternative motion put forward by our Liberal Opposition on Afghanistan. Once again I want to remind you that I appreciate feedback to help me reflect your issues and can be contacted at 381-7635.

Two Years of Harper Government Mismanagement and Hypocrisy

Since we Liberals don’t have the luxury of coffers of millions of dollars at our disposal to help to counter the negative advertising the Conservative party has been using to influence public opinion to further their agenda I feel responsible to do my part to remind the public of the other side of the coin. We all need to remember the power of advertising not to mention the fact that as a result of our humanness and unless we question we can be easily be duped into believing half truths if they are repeated often enough. My caution for us is that repetition does not change the truth and I respectfully suggest that we consider and reflect on the following; I trust you will take time to do so:
ISSUE
• Today marks the two-year anniversary of the swearing-in of the Stephen Harper Conservative government.
KEY MESSAGES
• The Conservatives have few concrete accomplishments that they can point to over the last two years, but when you look at mismanagement, hypocrisy and dishonesty, they have racked up quite a record.
• Here are some highlights of the Harper government’s record over the past two years:
Afghanistan
• Even Prime Minister Harper’s hand-picked panel levelled devastating criticism over the secretive manner in which the Conservative government has managed the Afghanistan mission.
• The government has misled Canadians over allegations of Afghan detainee abuse and has kept Canadians in the dark about the decision made three months ago to halt detainee transfers.
Nuclear Safety and Public Health
• By dismissing the safety concerns of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and by attempting to smear and scapegoat its former president, Mr. Harper has undermined the credibility and independence of the regulator on which all Canadians depend to ensure the security and safety of Canada's nuclear supply.
• Equally shameful is the Conservative government’s lack of preparedness and late response in addressing the public health crisis caused by the production shortage of medical isotopes.
Economic Mismanagement
• While Canada faces the impact of instability in international markets, Conservative fiscal policies have done little to stimulate the Canadian economy, notably our ailing manufacturing, forestry, livestock and tourism sectors.
• Worse still they got rid of the “contingency fund” generated by the Liberals to help tide us over in emergencies i.e. in the BSE and other crises a “best practice”, highly recommended by those in financial circles for anyone, including business and which could help many sectors now suffering as a result of their “slash and burn” policies.
• Also, rather than providing significant tax relief to kick-start the Canadian economy, the Conservatives chose to proceed with their costly and inefficient two per cent cut to the GST.
• The Conservatives broke an election promise not to tax income trusts, resulting in a loss to Canadians of $25 billion and counting.
• Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s incompetence was exposed when pressure from the Liberal caucus and Canada’s business community forced him to flip-flop on his disastrous interest deductibility measure.
• While Mr. Flaherty has been missing in action on the economic uncertainty facing Canada, he has found the time to ignore Treasury Board guidelines and dole out contracts to his friends from the Harris administration.
• Liberals were also successful in pressuring the government to reverse its decision to tie its new $1-billion community trust fund to the next budget and release the desperately-needed funds now.
Environment
• In Nairobi, Uganda, and then in Bali, the government continued its campaign of sabotaging the world’s efforts to combat climate change, while sinking Canada’s international reputation as a leader on the environmental file.
• Upon coming into office, the Conservatives gutted 92 per cent of program funding for climate change programs, threw the regulations for large polluters into the trash and shut down the four most successful climate change programs in Canada: the One Tonne Challenge, EnerGuide, Wind Power Production Incentive and the Renewable Power Production Incentive. They later repackaged many of these programs, reintroducing them with new names, less money and less accountability.
Death Penalty
• The government suddenly and without debate announced it would no longer seek clemency for death row inmates in other countries – providing further proof that Canadians should be wary of a majority Conservative government.
• By not standing up for Canadian citizens facing the death penalty, the Conservatives are reversing a long-standing Canadian practice and are appealing to a right-wing base of support that does not represent the views of most Canadians.
The Larry O’Brien Affair
• The Ontario Provincial Police have filed criminal charges against Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien in their investigation into allegations that an Ottawa mayoral candidate was bribed with a federal appointment to drop out of the mayoral race.
• OPP evidence suggests several members of Harper’s inner circle – including the Minister of the Environment, John Baird, the chair of the 2006 Conservative Election campaign, John Reynolds, and the party's National Director, Doug Finley – may have played a role in this affair.
• The government operations and estimates committee is now looking into whether Mr. Baird’s decision to withhold funding from the Ottawa Light Rail project – a decision that may have helped Mr. O’Brien’s campaign – constituted political interference.
“In and Out” Affair
• The Commissioner of Canada Elections is looking into an alleged multi-million dollar "in-and-out" scheme where the Conservative Party channelled expenses for national radio and television ads through local candidates in the 2006 election, thereby allowing them to exceed the party's national spending limit and claim illegitimate rebates.
Mulroney-Schreiber Affair
• The Prime Minister is backing off from his initial promise to hold a full public inquiry and Canadians are still waiting for the Prime Minister to appoint a commissioner for the scaled-down inquiry.
• The conflicting stories that came out of PMO about Mr. Harper’s knowledge of the Mulroney-Schreiber affair further underscore the need for a broad-scope judicial inquiry.
• Questions have also been raised about what was discussed at meetings between Mr. Harper and Mr. Mulroney, and what Justice Minister Rob Nicholson knows about the Harper government's decision to scrap a Justice Department review of the Mulroney settlement.
Canadian Wheat Board
• The Conservatives used abusive and underhanded methods to try and dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board against the wishes of the majority of farmers.
• After getting rid of the CWB president last year, it appears the government is continuing its campaign of muzzling its critics with the firing of former vice-president Deanna Allen last week.
Democratic Reform
• The government’s proposed redistribution of seats in the House of Commons is grossly unfair – Alberta and B.C. would have a seat in the House of Commons for every 105,000 citizens in their respective provinces, but Ontario will only have a seat for every 115,000 citizens. This difference will only get worse over time.
Broken Federalism
• Prime Minister Harper’s claim to have solved the so-called fiscal imbalance was exposed as a complete sham. In 2007, the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan launched furious campaigns against the government for breaking promises that will result in millions of lost revenue.
• Even long-time Conservatives in those provinces have turned their backs on the party. Long-time Conservative MP Bill Casey was kicked out of Caucus after voting with his conscience – against his government’s budget.
Social Programs
• The Conservatives cut $1 billion from crucial programs and services that help improve the lives of women and vulnerable Canadians.
• The government was forced to reinstate funding for the Summer Career Placement Program following pressure from the Liberal caucus and non-profit organizations across the country. The reversal came after the Liberals announced they would restore full funding to the Summer Jobs Program.
Aboriginal Canadians
• The government broke an election promise to honour the $5.1-billion Kelowna Accord.
Women’s Equality
• The Conservatives turned back the clock on women’s equality by shutting down Status of Women offices across the country and removing the word “equality” from the mandate of its Women’s Program.
Child Care
• The Conservatives broke an election promise to create 125,000 new child care spaces, and cancelled the Liberal Early Learning and Child Care agreements to pay for a $100-a-month taxable allowance, much less when declared, that does nothing to help families in need of child care. Phone around and check how many hours of child care it will buy you for the month.
Curbing Charter Rights
• The Conservatives tabled and supported a motion in the House of Commons to remove the rights of same-sex couples to marry across Canada, becoming the first government in Canadian history to actively support removing rights, rather than extending them.
• The government eliminated the Court Challenges program which has been vital in protecting the rights of visible minorities and official language groups.
Veterans Rights
• In 2005, the Prime Minister promised to immediately extend the program to widows of all Second World War and Korean War veterans, but after two budgets he has still not delivered.
Accountability Hypocrisy
• The Conservatives passed a Federal Accountability Act that Information Commissioner John Reid described as “retrograde and dangerous”, breaking 21 election promises relating to conflict of interest and failing to change the Access to Information Act.
• Many of the watered-down provisions that did make it into the final Accountability Act – notably lobbyist restrictions – still have not been brought into force.
• The Prime Minister continues to break his election promise to stop patronage appointments. The Conservatives have stacked independent judicial advisory committees with police officers, ignoring the objections of the Canadian Bar Association and even the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Even Brian Mulroney’s former chief of staff, Norman Spector, slammed Mr. Harper this week for breaking his election promises to tighten up the influence of lobbyists.
Softwood Lumber
• The Conservatives promised to get every cent of the $5 billion owed to Canada by the U.S. in duties. Instead, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Industry Minister David Emerson cut a softwood lumber deal which only gave $4 billion to Canadian producers – leaving the U.S. with a $1 billion tip.
• The U.S. is now using this flawed deal to challenge Canada’s ability to assist workers and towns that are struggling to cope with job losses in the industry.
Wait Times
• The Conservatives broke their election promise to implement the Patient Wait Times Guarantee and downloaded responsibility for their wait times promise to the provinces and territories without investing any new money.
It appears like anyone that speaks against them are silenced or let go even from judicial committees. The list mounts, including the WCB and the latest victim being Linda Keen from the Canadian Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Is this the kind of leadership Canadians want? If you would like to keep up on the latest please check Michael@michaelcormican.com, www.liberal.com, press, local paper or TV news.
Michael Cormican, Liberal Candidate; Lethbridge Riding

The Future of Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan

ISSUE
• Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion met yesterday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to discuss the future of Canada’s combat mission in Afghanistan.
• The Prime Minister will introduce a draft motion in the House of Commons on Thursday to extend Canada’s mission in Afghanistan until the end of 2011.
KEY MESSAGES
• The Conservatives’ draft resolution does not include many of the Manley Panel’s recommendations, such as improved diplomatic efforts, a better balance with respect to reconstruction and development efforts, or the need for greater accountability by the government on the progress of the mission.
• The motion also does not address important issues Liberals have been concerned about for over a year, such as the safe transfer of Afghan detainees, the cultivation of opium in Afghanistan or fixing the way the government manages this mission in Ottawa.
• But the most important problem with the motion is that it does not respect our position that the combat mission should end in February 2009.
• Therefore the Liberal Opposition will not be able to support the government’s motion. We will not abandon our principled and responsible position.
• As this motion is debated in the coming weeks, Liberals will be putting forward amended wording that clearly respects our position. If the Prime Minister is serious about reaching a consensus that would be supported by a majority of Canadians, he will be receptive to our revised wording.
• Liberals will not abandon the people of Afghanistan, but Canada’s mission has to change.
• The Liberal position is clear: the combat mission in Kandahar should end as scheduled in February 2009, and the government should have acted responsibly and notified NATO, so that it could make the necessary arrangements to ensure that a proper rotation of NATO troops would take place at that time.
• We are united in our stance on this issue and we will stand together, just as we did last April when we put this position forward as an opposition day motion. We will not allow Prime Minister Harper to continue to needlessly politicize Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan and question the loyalty of those who challenge his government.
• In the coming weeks we challenge the Prime Minister to act like a leader. Together, we will show him what true leadership really is.
BACKGROUND
• The Conservatives’ draft resolution calls for extending the current mission until the end of 2011, with a “review” of the mission in February 2011. It makes no commitment that the mission will actually end in 2011.
• The motion says that the emphasis will shift to training and that the combat element of mission will decrease over time but it clearly allows for the continuation of the combat mission after 2009.
• The motion also makes clear that the extension is conditional upon the provision of an additional battle group from NATO of 1000 troops which must be operational in Kandahar as of February 2009. It is also conditional upon the government securing medium helicopter lift capacity and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Report on LPCA Convention, Calgary; Feb. 1 to 3, ‘08

Everett Tanis and I attended the Annual Convention on Feb 1, 2 and 3 and report as follows:

Despite the cold weather we got there in time for the official opening. In fact, we were amongst the first ones to arrive though didn’t get to eating until after the celebrations closed. The co-chairs of the convention, Jade Boldt and Neil Mackie did a super job. Everything was first class. Mme. Marie Poulin, National President addressed the delegates through video conference as did Mr. Dion. Gerard Kennedy attended opening night though unable to stay due to another commitment. Hearing all of them reassured us we have a great pool of talent. Other dignitaries present over the w/e included Joyce Fairbairn, our beloved Senator, Senator Grant Mitchell, Hon. Navdeep Bains, MP; Dr. Carolyn Bennett and our Deputy Leader, Michael Ignatieff. All spoke at various points over the w/e, all gave super presentations and I wasn’t the only one moved emotionally by their addresses. We really felt proud to have such great people among us. It gives us great hope for our future. We felt pumped. Though I didn’t count I would guess there was close to 300 in attendance. Also, Harry Mortimer, Richard, Adam Smith and several others attended from Ottawa.

Unfortunately with choices of three and four sessions running simultaneously no one could attend all so had to choose. Due to being the candidate I attended those I felt would be most appropriate. Candidates were show-cased at lunchtime on Saturday. It sounded from other’s reports all sessions were interesting and lively. On Saturday evening those of us wanting to attend the Agriculture session missed out on the Laurier Club reception. Everyone in attendance agreed it was one of the best. Bob Russell, Don Thompson, Jake and the couple others speaking gave us lots to think about with respect to marketing and food security etc. Mr. Russell has agreed to present to our policy committee in Lethbridge. Many of us didn’t even have time for a drink between then and supper. Mr. Ignatieff with his slow and deliberate style really pumped us. Lethbridge was honored with several awards including recognition for our level of activity. Mary Insley was identified as having received volunteer of the year award for long and dedicated service last year and Marie Moar was noted for same for this past year. It was well after 10 pm on Sat. evening before we got to party and some of us older folks cut short since it was an early start on Sunday with voting followed by resolutions.

Except for VP Policy, all executive positions were unopposed therefore declared elected. Dr. Nally did a great job chairing the resolutions session and was re-elected to the position. As a result of prioritization half the resolutions dropped to lower rating which included the young Liberals one to move the Senate to Calgary. Unfortunately, when we got to the proposed Constitutional changes we got bogged down and since some people indicated they had not received them they were deferred to next year. The conference closed shortly before noon.

The new Executive headed by new President, George Hodgson met from noon until mid-afternoon. I represented Lethbridge Riding. A major issue is funding due to the changes enacted by Mr. Chretien and they decided to push for the new program called 5/5 which will return 50% to the ridings. We are also encouraged to hold lots of activities and not to be afraid to “pass the hat” at functions. It is believed the new rules as well as being democratic will help us more locally. A proposed meeting schedule for the year ahead was set and people will be notified in due course. We still remain on Election Alert. The media also came by and spoke with both Everett and I with respect to the anticipated Provincial Election. It was a busy w/e and lots achieved.

Summary by – Michael Cormican, Candidate Feb. 4, 2008

Candidate Activity and Issues of Interest

Two weeks ago I other candidates from Southern Alberta were invited to Calgary to meet with Senator Larry Campbell and Paul Zed, MP who were on a cross-country trip to hear about issues facing cities. The largest issue appeared to be homelessness and affordable housing and I found myself having to speak-up for Lethbridge. Over the past couple of weeks I have attended a couple more charitable fundraisers and met with Herald staff, Chamber of Commerce director, Mayor Tarleck and Mr. Craig, mayor of Coaldale. It was interesting to note the different issues a small town experiences versus larger towns and cities. Mr. Tarleck noted Lethrbidge’s Master Plan highlighting homelessness and housing issues and the upcoming Centennial Celebration for the High Level Bridge. Also, attended SACPA sessions, one of the more interesting topics being ‘Reform of the Welfare System’ given by Dr. Bruce Miller, MLA, Edmonton. Another interesting environmental topic I attended was a presentation on Utilization of Exhaust CO2 to enhance Crop Growth while also helping the Environment. Also, talked with Lorne Hickey, County Reeve and agreed to meet for a longer session.

With respect to Government or lack of it and though quieter over the Xmas break issues continued and now that Parliament has resumed it appears to be heating up again. Recent issues simmering are:
• Linda Keen, President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, fired in the “dark of night” for embarrassing the government by exercising her mandate to enforce nuclear safety regulations.
• Adrian Measner, President and CEO of the Canadian Wheat Board, fired for his decision to follow the direction of the CWB’s farmer-elected Board of Directors.
A few similar, earlier interesting ones were:
• Johanne Gélinas, Environment Commissioner, fired after publicly commenting to the media about her not receiving sufficient information from the government about its "Made in Canada" environmental plan.
• Yves Le Bouthillier, President of the Law Commission of Canada, fired after all federal government funding for the Commission was eliminated.
• Allan Amey, President of the Canada Emission Reduction Incentives Agency, created to oversee federal compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, fired in 2006 and the agency dismantled.
Almost appears like a pattern! One can see how easy it to jump to the conclusion that they only want people who will do their bidding. Then there is:

The Rosdev File - A key staffer in Prime Minister Harper's office and a Conservative fundraiser made separate backroom interventions in a dispute between a Montreal real-estate firm and the Dept. of Public Works.
• Mr. Harper’s Fend-for-Yourself Federalism Leaves Provinces to Fight Climate Change Alone.
• Manley Panel’s report on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan.
• The Schreiber and Mr. Mulroney issue etc. as well as the continuing sagas on lack of disclosure on detainees in Afghanistan and lack of action with respect to the environment.

Some Liberal announcements you’ll be interested in are as follows:
• Liberals Introduce Legislation to Boost Farmers’ Control over Canadian Wheat Board.
• Liberals Move to Implement UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• The 30/50 plan to combat poverty, as well as help for Industry.

For more details check www.Liberal.ca

Liberals on Mr. Harper’s Response on the Manley Report

On Monday January 28, Prime Minister Harper officially responded to the Manley Panel¹s report on Canada¹s Future Role in Afghanistan.

For the past year, the Liberal Party¹s position on Afghanistan has been clear; we want to see an end to the current combat mission in February 2009 and a shift to a different role for Canada¹s military in Afghanistan. Our position has been that the mission must have clear timelines and that we believe that there should be a regular rotation of NATO troops to ensure a fairer sharing of the burden by all NATO members. The Prime Minister gave a very broad and vague statement on his government¹s position generating more questions than answers. Until Canadians start to get some specific details on the government¹s position, Liberals are not prepared to give blanket support to the government. Mr. Harper indicated the government was not interested in fixed deadlines and that Canada¹s involvement would be reviewed in two to three years. We need to know what this means. Canadians and NATO need clarity. We have questions that we think the Prime Minister must address before we can talk of extending the mission. Questions include:
o How will the Prime Minister bolster and improve our diplomatic efforts surrounding the mission?
o What concrete steps will the Prime Minister take to improve the domestic management of the Afghan file?
o What is the government going to do to strike a better balance between our military efforts and our development assistance?

Liberals have been calling on the government to deal honestly with NATO for over a year. We hope it’s not too late to start. Canadians need to know how the Prime Minister intends to improve the transparency and honesty with which the government deals with this file, particularly as it relates to detainees. At last, the Prime Minister is saying we need to engage in a discussion on the mission. As Liberals, we have been discussing the issue with Canadians for over a year and will be happy to engage in a national discussion to make sure that Canada strikes the right balance in its approach to Afghanistan.

Report on Liberal Candidate Activities for 2007

Report on Liberal Candidate Activities for 2007
Hi Fellow Liberals:
It’s timely to wish you and yours the best as we start 2008 and; it gives me pleasure to provide the following report as Liberal Candidate for Lethbridge Riding.

On the week-end I was nominated, April 14, 2007 I concluded the Aboriginal retreat I was involved in and in May I attended the 3rd ever National Medicare Conference - Building on Tommy Douglas' vision of Medicare, in Regina. Woh! What a Conference and impressive array of speakers, 38 in two days; experts from across Canada, Britain, the US and NZ! Speakers included Shirley Douglas, actress daughter of the famous 'Father of Medicare - Tommy Douglas and other distinguished people like Dr. Michael Rachlis, Hon. Monique Begin, former Minister of Health in the Trudeau Government and Roy Romanow, former Premier of Saskatchewan and author of the Romanow Report on Health. Topics covered the International Perspective; Financing to Achieve Greater Equity; Homecare Reforms, Pharmacare, Homecare and Primary Care; Social Determinants of Health and Getting to Where We Want to Get To. Highlight of the conference was Stephen Lewis, from the UN. He had most of us in tears as he described his firsthand experiences of aids and poverty in Africa which the world needs to know about. He noted 15,000 people die daily from aids for lack of drugs and the basics of life that are available but not provided by governments that renege on commitments. When will we wake-up?

It was also noted that poverty is rampantly increasing in our own country as the gap between rich and poor; "the haves and have nots" widens as the poor struggle to get the basics of life in minimum wage jobs. An interesting fact noted is that Canada spends only 9% of our GDP on Healthcare while the US spends 16% and still has 45 million people without healthcare. It was noted that we need to be on our guard, cooperation is the key to achieve our goal and that we need to work for the next phase in health Care universality in coverage for dental, eye and pharmacare as well as a national child development program. I just wish everyone could have been there to experience it.
On May 18 I attended a Liberal BBQ to welcome Mme. Janine (Mrs. Dion) Krieber who visited Lethbridge. On May 19 I attended a workshop on bio-fuels then I accompanied Dianne King and Hon. Anne McLellan, former Deputy Prime Minister on a tour of Black Velvet Distillery guided by Chris Spearman. At noon Anne was the speaker at the Grandstand Restaurant. I have taken advantage of as many opportunities as possible attending fundraisers, public forums as well as made a presentation on Friends of Medicare to the Lethbridge Rotary and attended almost every session of SACPA to help me keep current and versed in the issues.
Earlier in the year it looked as if we might have an election call however the possibility obviously changed when the government’s rating dropped. In preparation for campaigning we developed a brochure to help introduce me and my platform. I got an initial supply of brochures printed as well as buttons. I also updated my webpage and sample speeches which I have just updated again.
Though my career experiences helped me understand many social issues especially poverty and the cycle of poverty I still have difficulty accepting that we are experiencing poverty given that we are such a rich country. As one works in health one quickly realizes the correlation between income, poverty and health and the need to narrow the gap so everyone enjoy a reasonable standard and live in dignity. I believe strongly we need not only jobs but legislation for a living wage as well as a child care and development program that provides education and work opportunities as well as assertive individual and family supports to help eradicate the cycle of poverty.
I have done some door-to-door campaigning in Lethbridge and Cardston and over the summer I took in as many activities as possible in the riding from fairs to Pow-wows and even attended the Calgary Stampede parade. On June I attended Aboriginal Day at Sik-ooh-kotoki followed by a Pow Wow in Galt gardens and on June 2 a van load of us attended a dinner with Mr. Dion in Calgary. A couple of us traveled to Nanton for a BBQ with former Agriculture Minister, Wayne Easter on June 22. I also participated in the Annual Dragon-boat Festival on the first week-end in July and attended the Coaldale Fair breakfast. We had a BBQ for the management team at our home on June 24 and another for the official campaign kick-off on July 1. Over 40 attended the kick-off and on July 2 Russ and I attended the Raymond Parade followed by a Canada party at a friend’s home there, and on July 10th Gloria and I left for vacation in Nova Scotia.
In the summer the main issues on people’s minds were the war in Afghanistan, its futility and the loss of so many young Canadians and Mr. Harper’s broken promises on the Income Trusts issue. Some said they made a mistake in their vote last time and intend to rectify it in the next election. Mr. Dion also phoned a couple of times expressing appreciation for our support, enquiring as to the issues here and how he and the party can help.
Unfortunately I was unable to attend Bonanza Days in Milk River since I had to accompany the Hon. Ken Dryden on his visit here on August 1. Matthew Conley, I and Senator Fairbairn also accompanied him to the Medicine Hat dinner in the evening. I got an extra copy of “The Game” signed by him which we can use as fundraiser. He gave us a riveting summary of his reflections and review of Mr. Harper’s and the Conservative government’s performance to that point. I attended the Picture Butte fair breakfast and parade on Aug. 11 and accompanied Senator Joyce attending two and three breakfasts a day in Lethbridge during Whoop-up week and was her guest at the Exhibition President’s dinner. On August 21 I attended the Annual ALP BBQ attended by about 80 people and on Aug. 23, Hon. Ralph Goodale, former Finance Minister visited and we attended three breakfasts, a media event, public luncheon, met with Water Institute staff at U of L and finished off the day with a ‘Wine and Cheese’ reception at our home. Several remarked how impressed they were with Mr. Goodale.
On Sept. 13 I accompanied the Hon. Garth Turner, maverick politician and former Conservative-turned-Liberal. His topic was ‘Needs of Investors and Homeowners’. Though a serious man he had us all in stitches with his presentation to the public at the Legion that evening and he holds back no punches. On Sept. 21 I attended the Schizophrenia Society Annual Gala and on Sept. 28 heard Michael Byers, formerly of Lethbridge speak on his book ‘Intent for a Nation’ which is counter to George Grants ‘Lament for a Nation’, written in 1967. Michael believes Mr. Harper and gang’s intent is harmonization leading to integration with the US, they are most undemocratic and must be stopped.
On Oct . 4 I spoke to the Lethbridge Rotary on Friends of Medicare’s aims and I was invited to be with Mr. Dion on Oct. 10 in Edmonton where we attended meetings including attending a “Town Hall” meeting of a few hundred people. Unexpectedly, he called on me to summarize Mr. Taft’s and ALP’s proposed “Western Tiger” initiative for upgrading oil before exporting it to the US. I was back in the Capital again for the Campaign Workshop on Oct 12, 13 and 14. I have maintained my responsibilities on the various committees for Social Housing in Action, Sik-ooh-kotoki Friendship Center, Aboriginal Housing in Action and Friends of Medicare and met with Cheryl Dyck, Economic Development Lethbridge. I have attended a variety of functions including ethnic and fundraising activities and on January 10 attended a meeting in Calgary on urban issues with Hon. Paul Zed, MP and Senator Larry Campbell. Homelessness and housing costs appear to be the main issues now. I have an upcoming meeting on January 14 with Mr. Craig, Mayor of Coaldale and on Jan. 15 with Guy L’Heroux, President of the Metis Association and further meetings scheduled with the City and Chamber of Commerce.
My summary of the Conservative Government record is as follows:
After two years, and little if any progress on issues of importance to Canadians, Mr. Harper talks as if he had a majority, and operates as though he’s campaigning instead of providing leadership and good government which Canadians want and deserve. As the saying goes; one can fool some of the people all the time but not all the people all the time. Hopefully Canadians are keeping track of his record; a record of hype, broken promises and misrepresentation etc., and the list goes on.

First: it was claims of success on a Softwood Lumber deal. (it left millions of dollars to the Americans to fund them to fight us further on issues under NAFTA).

Next:
• They refused to follow through on our Kyoto Commitment. All they have come up with is inaction, excuses and misleading targets that will result in our country’s carbon emissions increasing until 2050 or beyond. Their proposals lack any enforcement teeth, thus allowing the situation to worsen; hopefully not past the point of no return.
• In May 2006, two weeks after killing the Kelowna Accord, a government delegation cited the Accord as an example of how well our Indigenous people are treated; yet Mr. Harper’s Government declined to sign the UN declaration on Human Rights for such people, and was subsequently chided by the UN for failure to do so.
• Afghanistan has been a total fiasco, in which to date 72 Canadians have been killed.
• Latest, they’ve attempted to silence General Hillier and we still have no indication when our troops will be replaced.
• The Government continues to defy rulings to make the bidding process for military contracts fair; currently around 140 million dollars are in question.
• Latest, the Auditor General’s Report shows they’ve failed to adequately ensure that Canada’s soldiers enjoy health care services they deserve.
• On a separate issue, the Attorney General recently raised serious concerns over whether the Government has taken adequate action to protect our borders.
• A year ago they precipitated the Income Trust issue which resulted in the loss of billions of dollars of seniors’ hard earned cash meant for retirement.
They made a big noise about access to health services; most of us could have predicted the outcome since it is largely a Provincial Responsibility.
• Currently, the Elections Canada Commissioner is investigating (the Conservatives) for allegedly orchestrating an elaborate money-laundering scheme. It allowed the Party to overspend by more than a million dollars. Conservative candidates apparently claimed nearly $800,000 dollars in rebates for the 2006 Federal election. Instead of cooperating, they’re taking Elections Canada to court.
• The Conservative government never enacted the ‘Law and Order Legislation’ approved by both houses; one can only suspect that this is to provide an issue he can blame us Liberals for when he calls the next election.
• Their so-called tax break amounts to a paltry $10.00 a year to someone with an income of $20,000.00 and not even a couple hundred for the guy making $150,000.00; big deal! The GST cut caused more irritation and cost to business again.
• Mr. Harper has said they will support the upcoming resolution on Capital Punishment and they will not intervene on behalf of citizens to be executed in other countries.
• Latest, you may recollect how they so bull-headedly and shamelessly misrepresented what the majority of Canadians wanted at the Bali Conference on the Environment and voted against proposals on Carbon control.
In summary, Mr. Harper and his team continue to mislead Canadians, and to misrepresent us to the world. The grandstanding continues and he has provided no information, except secrecy on the Security and Prosperity issue.

Immediately following Mr. Dion’s election, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives saturated the media with the notion that Mr. Harper is a leader and Mr. Dion is not. However, I and many who know Mr. Dion, know he’s a man of integrity. Transparency is evident and what you see is what you get. He’s an unpretentious and deeply committed Canadian. While Mr. Harper was busy trying to break-up the country, even signing the “firewall” manifesto; Mr. Dion was busy establishing the Clarity Act that resulted in great personal risk, to the point he and his family had to be given protection.

It’s clear to me and many who the leader is. The issue on which we lost the 2006 election, and which was resolved by the Gomery Inquiry, sure pales in comparison to the mounting issues and ineptitude of a right-wing government bent on getting their ideology established. Business and Wall Street called their proposal in follow-up to the Income Trust fiasco “stupid” and complimented the Liberal plan. The Liberal Opposition believes Canadians deserve real leadership from a Prime Minister who is honest and accountable. Mr. Harper has not delivered. People want a richer, fairer, greener Canada. This is the Liberal Goal. Let’s get back to governing: to resurrect the child-development program and the Kelowna Accord, to support our farmers and businesses, to make education affordable for our youth and to rescue our planet before it’s too late. I remind you it was you and the Liberals that had Canada lead the G8 and the world with nine of 11 balanced budgets.

What is a Liberal and why Vote Liberal?
1 Liberals are fiscally responsible, and flexible yet keep their word; e.g. they said they would and cut the huge deficit inherited in 1993, and were the only G-8 country to post balanced budgets in their last 9 years in office.
2. Liberals strive for a fair and sustainable balance between individual interest and the best interests of all Canadians. The current government does not see this as a priority.
• A Liberal Government will:

• work for a vibrant and sustainable economy and sustainable environment,

• maintain universality in health care and education;
• enhance literacy and skills development,
• main re-establish a proper child development program,
• establish the 30/50 Plan to eliminate poverty,
• maintain transparency and responsible accountability, including reparation for victims of the Income Trust fiasco generated by the Conservative government in November, 2006,
• resurrect and implement the Kelowna Accord to assist our Aboriginal people,
• continue working towards returning Canada’s foreign policy role to development in Afghanistan as soon as our current military commitment expires in 2009, and

• regain international respect for Canada as the balanced, responsible and peace loving country we had been perceived as for so long in the past.
Whose record and policies would we feel proud of? If you believe as I do, we need change and the time is now; so talk it up with your family, friends and work colleagues and encourage them to vote Liberal. Please feel free to use and pass on any reports I provide and please remember to check our webpage, www.Liberal.ca for National and www.michaelcormican.com for the latest from me. I thank everyone for their support and encouragement and look forward to your continued help as we continue the campaign so your voice can be heard in Ottawa. Respectfully submitted,

Michael Cormican, Liberal Candidate, Lethbridge Riding January 10, 2008

Report of the Liberal Team and Stéphane Dion for 2007

Though this accounting is long it is well worth taking the time to read it and I believe it needs to be published as widely as possible consequently I’m taking opportunity to publish it here. Thank you for your time and interest and Happy New Year!

Achievements of the Liberal Team under Stéphane Dion in 2007

• December 3, 2007, the anniversary of Stéphane Dion¹s first year as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
• Throughout the year, Stéphane Dion laid out a progressive agenda for a richer, fairer greener Canada.

KEY MESSAGES
A Richer Canada: Liberal Commitments to Canada¹s Economy
• Building on our history of sound fiscal policies, the Liberal Opposition led the debate on the economic agenda, ahead of the government:
o We highlighted the challenges facing the manufacturing sector, touring factories, meeting with industry leaders and pressuring the government to take action;
o We fought for and won the restoration of summer employment program funding;
o We were the first to call for a review of the Canada Investment Act to address industry-driven concerns about potential hollowing-out of the economy;
o We pressured the government into backtracking from its disastrous interest deductibility plan for Canadian companies investing abroad;
o We called for corporate income tax reductions, deeper than previously scheduled, to give Canada a new tax advantage to replace our lost currency advantage. The government adopted our proposal;
o We demanded a real free trade agreement with South Korea that addresses the pervasive non-tariff barriers on Canadian-made cars. The government conceded that more work needs to be done to give our auto-makers opportunities to export and compete; and
o In February, following Stephen Harper¹s broken promise not to tax income trusts, Liberals proposed an alternative policy, which experts believe would put an end to income trust tax leakage and restore at least two-thirds of lost value.
• The Liberal team has a plan to move Canada¹s economy forward by putting more money in the pockets of Canadians while at the same time making Canada more competitive.
• Our plan includes:
o implementing a competitiveness strategy that includes investing in education and innovation, helping Canadian businesses access and succeed in global emerging markets, and ensuring competitive taxes to help our exporting sectors succeed in spite of the high Canadian dollar;
o holding a National Forestry Summit to address pressures on the forest industry;
o dramatically increasing government incentives for renewable power production and providing transparency and predictability to the energy sector to encourage green investment; and
o through the Carbon Budget, generating billions of investment dollars to create a cutting-edge, greener Canadian economy.
Cities
• Canadian municipalities face a real need when it comes to maintaining the infrastructure we all rely on daily. Our cities are the engine of the Canadian economy and unless they function well Canada won¹t be able to compete in the global economy of the 21st century.
• To address this problem, in June 2007, Mr. Dion committed to expanding the New Deal for Cities and Communities, launched by the previous Liberal government, but stalled by the Conservative government.
• A Liberal government will start by making the $2-billion annual gas tax transfer to municipalities permanent and will also develop a 20-year strategy to address Canada's infrastructure deficit, from roads to bridges, to public transit, to water and wastewater facilities, to community energy systems.
• Liberals know that Canadian cities and communities are at the centre of our country¹s success. Through the creation of an Urban Caucus, the Liberal Party is committed to working with municipalities, and the provincial governments to ensure that long term, stable, predictable funding is provided to our municipalities so that they may continue to grow and thrive.
Agriculture
• Liberals believe in supporting the family farm, not undermining it.
• The Canadian Wheat Board is a home-grown success story the largest single seller of wheat and barley in the world.
• When the Wheat Board is attacked, it hurts farm families. Liberals recognize that farmers should be able to choose whether or not the CWB maintains its single-desk selling feature.
• The Liberal Party stood up for farmers when the Harper government launched an ideological attack on the Wheat Board. Mr. Harper used rigged questions, marked ballots, intimidation tactics, and only got a 33 percent response rate. His heavy-handed manipulations tainted the plebiscite so badly it became meaningless. Farmers deserve to have a new, properly run plebiscite before any changes are made.
• Under the leadership of Stéphane Dion, the Liberal Party has also continued its strong defence of Supply Management.

A Fairer Canada: Liberal Commitments to Improving Social Policy
Fighting Poverty
• In November, Mr. Dion unveiled the Liberal 30-50 Plan to fight Poverty: a comprehensive plan to dramatically reduce the number of Canadians living below the poverty line by at least 30 per cent and cut in half the number of children living in poverty in five years.
• Under the 30-50 Plan, the Liberals will:
• create a Making Work Pay Benefit to lower the welfare wall to encourage and reward work and give Canadians a springboard to success, dignity and independence;
• improve the Canada Child Tax Benefit and support working families by making the non-refundable Child Tax Credit into a refundable credit so that even people who do not pay taxes receive a benefit; and
• help lift vulnerable seniors out of poverty by increasing Guaranteed Income Supplement payments for the lowest income seniors, ensuring that the loss of a partner does not drive the surviving spouse below the low-income threshold, and encouraging and rewarding those seniors who choose to participate in the workforce.
• In addition to these supports, a Liberal government will work with all levels of government to provide better access to services that are essential in the fight against poverty such as affordable housing, universal child care and public transit.
• The Globe and Mail called it ³the most comprehensive anti-poverty package seen at the federal level in some time.² (Nov. 12, 2007).
• The Toronto Star said: ³With this aggressive plan, Dion has given Canada¹s most disadvantaged citizens the hope of a better life. At the same time, he has given all Canadians a clear alternative to Harper and the Conservatives.² (Nov. 10, 2007)
• Campaign 2000 said that it was a ³bold commitment.² (Nov. 14, 2007)
• Robert Arnold, President of the National Anti-Poverty Organization said ³These targets are doable, and actually exceed those recently expressed by Campaign 2000Š the new Liberal targets would position the government to go even further, towards the achievable goal of complete eradication of poverty in our country.² (Nov. 9, 2007)
• The speech was ³applauded² by the Caledon Institute of Social Policy. (November 2007)
Justice and Security
• The Liberal Party is committed to protecting our homes and our rights.
• That is why we have committed to appointing more judges; putting more police officers on our streets and more prosecutors in the courts; and toughening laws on internet luring and identity theft to protect Canada¹s most vulnerable citizens including children, and seniors.
• Mr. Dion has also committed to establishing a new fund that will help preserve the safety of ethnic and cultural at-risk communities across Canada. This would, for example, cover the costs of security in their places of worship and gathering places.
• Like most Canadians, the Liberal Party is opposed to the death penalty at home and abroad. That is why Stéphane Dion has taken a leadership role to make those views known and to uphold the law in light of the Conservatives¹ refusal to seek clemency for a Canadian sentenced to death in the United States.
Protecting the Charter
• Canadians are immensely proud of Canada's Charter - of what it has given our country and of what our country, through the Charter, has given the world. Stéphane Dion has committed to reversing the steps the Conservatives have taken to weaken the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by:
o reinstating the Law Commission of Canada;
o reinstating the Court Challenges Program and doubling its funding to $12 million from $6 million annually;
o instituting a fair, non-partisan judicial selection process; and
o increasing federal funding for legal aid to provide all Canadians with access to adequate legal representation.
Women in Politics
• While women in other countries are entering politics in ever greater numbers, in Canada we are moving backwards. The number of women elected to federal office has been stalled at about 21 per cent for more than a decade.
• To address this problem of under-representation, Mr. Dion has committed to run at least one-third female candidates in the next election
• The Liberals are taking a pro-active approach to send more highly qualified female candidates to Ottawa. We take pride in the fact there will be the greatest number of women representing our party on the ballot in the next election.
Official languages
• As Prime Minister, Stéphane Dion will implement an Action Plan for Official Languages even more vigorous than the one he shepherded as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs in 2003.
• The new Dion Plan will be endowed with substantial funding for the education of linguistic minorities from pre-school to post-secondary institutions for infrastructure in linguistic minority communities, for health care services, for networking, for the promotion of immigration and culture, as well as for the organizations that support official language minorities.
Aboriginal Peoples
• The rich cultures of Canada¹s First Nations, Inuit and Métis people form the foundation of our great country and Liberal Party is standing alongside with Aboriginal Canadians to urge the Conservative minority government to take action to improve the lives of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in Canada.
• Liberals would reverse Conservative cuts to Aboriginal literacy, health, languages and job-training, making employment a priority.
• We would also reinstate and build on the Kelowna Accord that the Conservatives scrapped and sign the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People that the Conservatives refused to endorse.
The Arts
• Following a series of cultural roundtables held earlier this year with Canadians artists, Stéphane Dion committed to restoring $22.8 million in cuts to the international promotion of Canadian art, including:
o $11.8 million in funding to the Public Diplomacy Program (PDP); and
o $11 million over 3 years for international arts touring and promotion.

A Greener Canada: Liberal Commitments to the Environment
• In December 2005, Mr. Dion brought the world together at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal and he wouldn¹t quit until all 182 countries had reached a deal. It is this passion and strength of conviction that makes Mr. Dion a true leader.
• Mr. Dion¹s agreement with Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is a testament to his environmental leadership, putting the future of the planet above partisanship.
• CTV¹s Craig Oliver said ³the fact is that he's now been endorsed by a woman who has been regarded as a most serious environmentalist in the country by many people, who's been serious about it for years and years, while nobody else was thinking about it. He's been endorsed by her. That's going to help them in this campaign.² (Mike Duffy Live, April 13, 2007)
Carbon Budget
• With the same passion, the Liberal team unveiled its Carbon Budget plan in March 2007.
• The Liberal Carbon Budget plan will require the large industries responsible for 50 percent of Canada¹s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to cut their pollution significantly. As they do, they will have access to billions of dollars to invest in green technology.
• Our polluter-pay plan puts a price on carbon so companies no longer treat our atmosphere as a free garbage dump. We want to spur action to make Canadian industries greener and more competitive.
• The Liberal plan to fight climate change earned widespread support from environmental groups across the country.
• The Pembina Institute¹s Matthew Bramley called the carbon budget "the strongest proposal for regulating industrial greenhouse-gas pollution made by any political party in Canada," while Climate Action Network Executive Director John Bennett said: "This is great. It's hard to ask for much more.²
• Using the carbon budget as a blueprint for action, the Liberal Opposition put the planet ahead of partisanship and worked together with the opposition parties to redraft the Conservatives¹ flawed Clean Air Act and turn it into a useful tool to fight climate change. The Conservative government then allowed the bill to die on the order paper when they prorogued Parliament.
Clean Energy Plan
• In September, Mr. Dion committed that a new Liberal government would provide a power production incentive to expand renewable power to 12,000 Megawatts (MW) by 2015, instead of the 4,000 MW the Conservatives are planning. This would include incentives for onshore wind, offshore wind, small hydro, geothermal, wave and tidal, solar and biomass energy.
• The goal of this initiative is to have 10 percent of Canada¹s total electricity output come from low-impact renewable sources by 2015, providing enough electricity to power 3 million homes. This would generate over $25 billion in investment and make Canada a global leader in renewable energy.
Water Resources
• Mr. Dion also stood up for Canadian control over our water, advancing the Liberal Party¹s opposition to the bulk export, diversion or commodification of Canada¹s precious water resources. He proposed a federal-provincial initiative to close any possible legal loopholes, along with federal safety net legislation to allow the federal government to effectively ban bulk water exports in a way that would withstand a challenge under NAFTA or the WTO.

Canada and the World: Liberal Commitments to Foreign Policy
• The Liberal Party¹s vision for a strong, multilateral foreign policy can reverse the damage done by Prime Minister Stephen Harper¹s simplistic and incompetent foreign policy by restoring Canada¹s proud and positive voice in the world.
• Stéphane Dion was at the forefront of defending Canada¹s interests with the release of the Liberal blueprint urging the Conservatives to honour the original spirit of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).
• By exposing the Conservative government¹s mismanagement of the Afghan detainee file, demanding full funding for funeral costs of soldiers killed in the line of duty, and standing up for veterans and their widows, the Liberal team is defending the interests of the men and women of Canadian Forces.
• Going forward, Liberals would:
• help preserve world peace through non-violent conflict resolution;
• support a well-trained, well-equipped and well-led Canadian Forces to enforce international law;
• defend human rights and economic prosperity between states and people;
• take a leadership role in promoting an international treaty banning cluster bombs;
• partake in effective multilateralism, including informing our allies about the end of Canada¹s combat mission in Kandahar in February 2009;
• help mitigate potential conflict over access to fresh drinking water by leveraging Canada's unique insight into fresh water management to become the leading exporters of sustainable fresh water management techniques in the world;
• promote the sovereignty and interests of the Arctic not only through military or marine infrastructure, but also through environmental protection, surveillance, search and rescue, and by encouraging the sustainable use of the Arctic¹s natural resources by our Arctic peoples;
• improve the fight against terrorism by enhancing international police cooperation in pursuit of the world¹s terrorist networks; and
• project Canadian interests not only through our diplomacy, defence and development, but through our citizens and artists.
Afghanistan
• In February 2007, Mr. Dion outlined a clear plan for Canada¹s mission in Afghanistan that would see a better integration of military and aid efforts as well as a firm 2009 end date for the combat mission.
• The Liberal plan includes:
• clearly communicating to our allies in NATO that Canada¹s current combat mission in Kandahar must come to an end in February 2009 and the other nations of NATO must rotate in new troops, as was originally envisioned when NATO assumed leadership of the mission in Afghanistan;
• better integrating military, aid and diplomacy efforts and improving coordination and transparency;
• developing an effective strategy to combat the problems stemming from the local economy¹s dependence on the illegal opium trade; and
• addressing the chronic fresh water shortage.
• The Liberal Party believes that Canada must stay committed to Afghanistan beyond February 2009, and under a Liberal government, Canada would lead the debate within NATO about the future of the mission.
• We believe Canada should build on our traditional strengths as a nation and invest in a good government strategy on the ground in Afghanistan, including helping to build political institutions and a sound judicial system.
• The Liberal Party may support Canada assuming a role training Afghan police and/or army and a commitment to assign troops to protecting Afghan civilians and reconstruction projects. However, this cannot simply be the same combat mission by another name and no commitment should be made until a full Parliamentary debate has occurred.
• The Liberal Party understands that the lasting peace and security cannot be achieved in Afghanistan by military forces alone. The ultimate purpose of any military mission must be to create the stability needed to achieve a political solution.

Liberals Focused on Winning Next Election

Dion Rallies Liberal Riding Association Presidents –
Liberals Focused on Winning Next Election

MONTREAL - Liberals from across Canada returned home from Montreal today with a renewed sense of focus and full of new ideas. Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion and Liberal Party President Senator Marie-P. Poulin today adjourned the inaugural meeting of the Council of Presidents. The meeting, attended by members of the National Executive, riding association presidents, representatives from the four Liberal Commissions, candidates, former Leadership contestants and Caucus brought Liberals from across the country together to discuss ideas and to prepare for the next election.

"By bringing members of the Liberal family together in this way, we not only promote cooperation between ourselves, but we also highlight our Party's national scope and organizational strength," said Stéphane Dion. "The inaugural meeting of the Council was about rallying our team, discussing ideas and about sharing our optimism for this country with Canadians. In speaking with my colleagues this weekend, I can tell you that we are all focused on the next election."

Over the course of the weekend, Liberals from across Canada engaged in discussions ranging from policy initiatives, fundraising, election readiness and Party governance. The Council of Presidents was created at the last biennial Convention, held in Montreal one year ago, to ensure that the Party's management structure remains accountable to the grassroots. By enlarging the inaugural meeting to include candidates, former Leadership candidates and Caucus, the Liberal Party of Canada seized an opportunity to take another important step towards party renewal.

"I am so pleased at the strength and diversity of our team,” said Senator Poulin. “Whereas Stephen Harper works to impose his narrow-minded view of the country on Canadians, Stéphane Dion works with Canadians at the grassroots. This weekend, he rallied our troops, further strengthening our determination to win the next election." The Party President, in consultation with the Leader, must convene the Council of Presidents annually. The next meeting will be held in conjunction with the Liberal Party's biennial convention in 2008

Release Date: November 24, 2007 For Release: Immediate

Statement by the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Leader of the Opposition, on the election of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister of Australia

On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada and its parliamentary caucus, I would like to offer my congratulations to Labour Party of Australia Leader Kevin Rudd for his victory in today's parliamentary elections.

By electing Mr. Rudd and the Labour Party, Australians have embraced a progressive program of economic competitiveness, tax reduction, enhanced health care, and environmental sustainability. I salute their choice, and I particularly wish to applaud Mr. Rudd for his determination to restore Australia's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.

Like Mr. Rudd and the Labour Party of Australia, the Liberal Party of Canada believes that only by working in concert with our international partners can we find a lasting solution to the problem of global warming and climate change.

We join all those Canadians who, in their determination to restore Canada's leadership in the global fight against climate change, will today celebrate Mr. Rudd's victory, and Australia's renewed commitment to environmental protection.

Contact:

Press Office
Office of the Leader of the Opposition

Harper gov't blocks binding commitment on climate

Thought you might be interested in this latest image or our country projected by Mr. Harper.

Harper gov't blocks binding commitment on climate
Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, November 24, 2007
KAMPALA, Uganda - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has "embarrassed Canada on the world stage" by blocking a consensus among more than 50 Commonwealth countries to endorse binding commitments on industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion charged Saturday. ...

... But Harper successfully pressed for the deletion of key wording in a climate change statement that would have called for a "binding commitment" on developed countries to reduce emissions by specific targets. ...

... But Dion, a former environment minister, said it is precisely because of Canada's economic strength as a major industrialized power that it must take the lead in cutting greenhouse emissions, rather than waiting for other nations to address the "worst ecological threat of the century."

Australia was the only other country to share Canada's position. But, with the defeat of John Howard's government Saturday, the new Labour government was poised to ratify the Kyoto climate change accord, leaving Canada as the only Commonwealth country to oppose binding targets on developed countries. ...

... Canada's Commonwealth partners, especially Britain and Malta, were also unhappy with the Harper government's hard line. But the "consensus" they eventually found amounted to a watering down of their call for binding targets and timetables, and represented a major setback for the rest of the Commonwealth's 52 countries, all of which opposed Canada's position.

The full details may be read in the Ottawa Citizen. Check in on -
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=80e98153-a2ed-4e33-a62d-295ea002607a&k=4574

Michael

Keeping in Touch

On a windy Saturday, November 17, under sunny skies, I did some pre-election campaigning in Cardston with the help of Russ Whittaker and Lorne McGlynn, my Campaign Manager and his assistant respectfully. Kay D refreshed us at her restaurant before we commenced door-to-door. As usual many were not home and some expressed surprise that we were there, asking if an election that they had not heard about was called. People were nice, some indicated support, giving an indication of disenchantment with the current situation, while a few indicated they were quite happy with the present government, but it appeared that an equal number were hesitant suggesting a need for change and a few indicated concern about the exorbitant expense of an election. Most were politely pleasant. There was one man who appeared to have strong feelings about gun-control being a waste of money. In summary the general mood appeared to reflect what obviously the polls tell us. Despite the fact we have no indication when an election might be called we need to be ready like the good scout, because according to the way things are going on Parliament Hill an election could be called at anytime.

Also, I want to remind you that I may be contacted by responding to this or calling me at 381-7635 if you have concerns or suggestions.
Michael

What Childcare? Canadians want a Child Development Program.

Recently, in newspapers across the country, Human Resources and Social Development Minister Monte Solberg has launched an aggressive editorial campaign promoting his government's actions on childcare and ridiculing those of the previous Liberal government.

If you identify with the Liberal Proposal for A Child Development Program which includes care and wish to use this as a letter or the framework for one please feel free to use it to let Minister Monte Solberg know your feelings.

In response to Human Resources and Social Development Minister Solberg’s letter,
“Investing More” we would like to point out that Minister Solberg’s "choice in child care" rhetoric may have an alluring ring for some, but the fact is the Conservative government has taken a hard right turn on child care policies, and communities and families are paying a price.

The Minister refers to his government’s investments in child care, but fails to note that the last Conservative budget actually slashed $1.2 billion in transfers to the provinces and territories for this year, money that could have increased access to child care spaces. As a result, families have lost out on thousands of new spaces and new investments for early learning and child care. The unprecedented cuts go deeper as the provinces and territories will lose another $1.2 billion in each of the next two years.

In place of funding for expanded early learning and child care services, the Conservatives are providing families a taxable monthly cheque of $100 for each child under six. The Minister wrongly equates this meagre income support with access to child care. It’s not enough for families and it hasn’t made it any easier for families to find child care.

The Minister’s rhetoric rings especially hollow in light of his government’s failure to create the 125,000 new child care spaces promised through its tax credits for businesses. That promise is now long gone, while waiting lists for child care persist. Canadian families, child care advocacy groups, and organizations have given this government a failing grade when it comes to the issue of early learning and development.

The Conservative government’s right turn on child care was the wrong plan for Canada. It fails to deliver choice to Canada’s families. Canada’s families are waiting for action and real leadership. Canadian families and Canada’s children deserve better.

Submitted by the Liberal Party of Canada and Michael Cormican, Liberal Candidate, Lethbridge Riding

Which record should we feel proud of?

After almost two years, and little if any progress on issues of importance to Canadians, Mr. Harper talks as if he had a majority, and operates as though he’s campaigning instead of providing leadership and good government which Canadians want and deserve. As the saying goes; one can fool some of the people all the time but not all the people all the time. Hopefully Canadians are keeping track of his record; a record of hype, broken promises and misrepresentation etc., and the list goes on.

First: it was claims of success on a Softwood Lumber deal. (it left millions of dollars to the Americans to fund them to fight us further on issues under NAFTA).

Next:

• They refused to follow through on our Kyoto Commitment. All they have come up with is inaction, excuses and misleading targets that will result in our country’s carbon emissions increasing until 2050 or beyond. Their proposals lack any enforcement teeth, thus allowing the situation to worsen; hopefully not past the point of no return.
• In May 2006, two weeks after killing the Kelowna Accord, a government delegation cited the Accord as an example of how well our Indigenous people are treated; yet Mr. Harper’s Government declined to sign the UN declaration on Human Rights for such people, and was subsequently chided by the UN for failure to do so.
• Afghanistan has been a total fiasco, in which to date 72 Canadians have been killed.
• Latest, they’ve attempted to silence General Hillier and we still have no indication when our troops will be replaced.
• The Government continues to defy rulings to make the bidding process for military contracts fair; currently around 140 million dollars are in question.
• Latest, the Auditor General’s Report shows they’ve failed to adequately ensure that Canada’s soldiers enjoy health care services they deserve.

• On a separate issue, the Attorney General recently raised serious concerns over whether the Government has taken adequate action to protect our borders.
• A year ago they precipitated the Income Trust issue which resulted in the loss of billions of dollars of seniors’ hard earned cash meant for retirement.
They made a big noise about access to health services; most of us could have predicted the outcome since it is largely a Provincial Responsibility.
• Currently, the Elections Canada Commissioner is investigating (the Conservatives) for allegedly orchestrating an elaborate money-laundering scheme. It allowed the Party to overspend by more than a million dollars. Conservative candidates apparently claimed nearly $800,000 dollars in rebates for the 2006 Federal election. Instead of cooperating, they’re taking Elections Canada to court.
• The Conservative government never enacted the ‘Law and Order Legislation’ approved by both houses; one can only suspect that this is to provide an issue he can blame us Liberals for when he calls the next election.
• Their so-called tax break amounts to a paltry $10.00 a year to someone with an income of $20,000.00 and not even a couple hundred for the guy making $150,000.00; big deal! The GST cut caused more irritation and cost to business again.
• The Latest: the Conservatives have said they will support the upcoming resolution on Capital Punishment and Mr. Harper said he will not intervene on behalf of citizens to be executed in other countries.

Mr. Harper and his team continue to mislead Canadians, and to misrepresent us to the world. The grandstanding continues and he has provided no information, except secrecy on the Security and Prosperity issue.

Immediately following Mr. Dion’s election, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives saturated the media with the notion that Mr. Harper is a leader and Mr. Dion is not. However, I and many who know Mr. Dion, know he’s a man of integrity. Transparency is evident and what you see is what you get. He’s an unpretentious and deeply committed Canadian. While Mr. Harper was busy trying to break-up the country, even signing the “firewall” manifesto; Mr. Dion was busy establishing the Clarity Act that resulted in great personal risk, to the point he and his family had to be given protection.

It’s clear to me and many who the leader is. The issue on which we lost the 2006 election, and which was resolved by the Gomery Inquiry, sure pales in comparison to the mounting issues and ineptitude of a right-wing government bent on getting their ideology established. Business and Wall Street called their proposal in follow-up to the Income Trust fiasco “stupid” and complimented the Liberal plan. The Liberal Opposition believes Canadians deserve real leadership from a Prime Minister who is honest and accountable. Mr. Harper has not delivered. People want a richer, fairer, greener Canada. This is the Liberal Goal. Let’s get back to governing: to resurrect the child-development program and the Kelowna Accord, to support our farmers and businesses, to make education affordable for our youth and to rescue our planet before it’s too late. I remind you it was you and the Liberals that had Canada lead the G8 and the world with nine of 11 balanced budgets.


Liberals are ready to govern again!


Michael Cormican, Nominated Federal Liberal Candidate, Lethbridge Riding

Sptember, October Candidate Report

As most of you likely see the media continued their hype about possibility of an election call as well as continue to look for and highlight Liberal activity, looking for a story and I continued busy in preparation as though an election campaign may materialize.

I attended meetings of SHIA (Lethbridge Social Housing), Affordable Housing Committee, Sik-ooh-kotoki Friendship centre and Aboriginal Housing. I also met with Cheryl Dick, Economic Development Lethbridge and attended the weekly SACPA (Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs) including their extra session at the U of L on Sept. 28 where Michael Byers, formerly of Lethbridge spoke on his book ‘Intent for a Nation’ which he wrote to counter George Grants ‘Lament for a Nation’, written in 1967.

As the title of Mr. Grant’s book might imply he described Canada as becoming integrated more and more into the US which Michael after his travels in Britain, the US and elsewhere realizes is not necessarily so for all kinds of reasons. He believes and wants Canadians to realize that we are much greater and have greater influence than most realize and that an independent voice in North America is needed. He introduces himself as a Red Tory of Mr. Harper’s era but has come to the belief that Mr. Harper must be stopped from taking us in the direction he is set on, harmonization and integration with the US. He pointed to and briefly summarized how the Americans mistreated and minimalized Mr. Diefenbaker for attempting to stand up to them and praised Mr. Trudeau for standing up to them and applauded Mr. Chretien for keeping us out of the Iraq war. His belief, and I wholeheartedly concur that Canada considering the size of our population, is the largest exporter to the US as well as being the only nation of the G8 to post 9 balanced budgets before any one else did. He suggests that though we might realistically expect Canada to agree with and be similar in lots of ways with the US we need to be perceived as different and not always agreeing.


I attended the Schizophrenia Society Annual Gala on Sept. 21 and on request took opportunity to speak with Rotary about Medicare and Friends of Medicare on Oct 4; all opportunities for exposure. On Oct 10 I traveled to Edmonton to support Mr. Dion as he addressed a luncheon audience of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. Afterwards I visited for an hour or so with our son and grand daughter before attending the Laurier Club where Mr. Dion spoke again and from there rushed to a “town-hall meeting” at the Bonny Doon Community Hall. About 500 people attended here where Mr. Dion performed like a pro but unfortunately, the Chamber luncheon gained most of the media attention. I and a couple of the Candidates were honored when Mr. Dion asked us to respond to a couple of the questions to give him a break for a sip of water. As I have often said, do not allow the media and Conservatives psych us into writing him off. Can you see Mr. Harper giving such opportunity to any of his candidates?

On Oct. 12 I was back in Edmonton for the Liberal Campaign College on the Saturday and Sunday. It was most informative and Senator Mitchell really pumped us on Sunday. Of course, your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not an election will be triggered though they and we all want to be like the good scout – prepared! The next excitement was the Throne Speech following which I wrote to the Herald to help remind the electorate about the Conservative’s lack of performance and achievement after almost two years in office as well as comment on the ‘Speech’. Please watch for same. On Oct. 19 I attended the Interfaith Foodbank Annual Fundraiser. Several Conservatives were also in attendance.

In general feedback continues positive. Needless to say Conservative acquaintances continue their “psych-down” approach also pushed by the media. Unfortunately, I find myself having to counter it with some Liberals who buy into it too. We’ve got to be cautious of the biases projected by the media and I say all Liberals are ambassadors and we need to counter such at every opportunity. We really need to believe in ourselves and that anything is possible; I refer us back to the many unexpected changes that occurred even in recent history commencing with Mahatma Ghandi’s peaceful revolution. Twenty five years ago who would have predicted the fall of the Iron Curtain or the Berlin Wall or Apartheid in South Africa. I have had too many admitted Conservatives sound supportive of me nor have I reason to disbelieve those who admitted they supported the Conservatives last time but intend to support me this time. If I am the general I had better believe I will win or will not and should not be in the position. And, as Mr. Ignatieff said recently I would in no way write-off Mr. Dion. It was not for nothing that he got to where he is. Also, we must continue to be prepared since it is likely only a matter of time as to when the election will be triggered. I need everyone’s support in every way possible; I thank you for your support to date and look forward to your continued help. Keep positive and pushing for that richer, fairer, greener Canada we aspire to. Respectfully submitted,

Michael Cormican, Nominated Federal Liberal Candidate, Lethbridge Riding

Garth Turner visit to Lethbridge, Sept. 13, 2007

As expected, we had a most successful day.

Thanks Dianne for all your work and a special thanks to Garth and Dorothy Turner who gave so generously of their time so Garth could share some of his valuable experience and insights from his years in politics, hear our concerns and hopes and provide us with ideas for the future. I admire such independent people like Garth. He is prepared to stand on principle in the overall best interest. We need more such people. Even without any confirmation it is readily evident he takes the principle of representative democracy seriously rather than telling us what Ottawa wants us to do. Also it was great to see all the young people and others wanting to hear his message. It reinforces for me that it is definitely possible to be the change we need. We have got to believe in ourselves and that we will win. It was also encouraging on my arrival home to read a brief email reassurance from a Conservative former investor that attended that Garth is bang-on in his assessment. Garth, also noting the housing and banking issue that occurred in the US a couple weeks ago and the signs of cooling in Canada’s economy, emphasized the need for caution especially in Alberta dependent so much on oil revenue. He also reminded us as to how the high times affect those of lower income. The town-hall meeting in the evening was most entertaining and interesting. People also appreciated his candid address with respect to Mr. Harper’s broken promises with respect to the Income trust issue. I thank the media for their coverage and look forward their reporting. It is interesting to note the Conservatives are attacking him as they have been Mr. Dion right from the start of his leadership obviously perceiving them as huge threats to them. We need to ask if attacking rather than government is what Canadians want. We say no. We want honesty, openness and leadership in the issues that matter especially the economy and environment and let’s correct the Income Trust fiasco created by Mr. Harper’s Government.

To get to know more about Garth and his ideas please visit his website at www.garth.ca. For the latest in Liberal policy check www.liberal.ca, www.lethbridgeliberals.ca and for local issues keep tuned to my own website and blog at www.michael@michaelcormican.com. Keep up the great work Garth. You folks keep tuned and get your friends to check out our websites.

Michael Cormican, Federal Liberal Candididate, Lethbridge

What is a Liberal and why Vote Liberal?

With an election call likely in the coming months or next year, I would like to respond to questions raised with respect to the Conservative Government’s performance; as well as to the question “why vote Liberal?”.

1. Liberals are fiscally responsible, and keep their word; e.g. they said they would and cut the huge deficit inherited in 1993, and were the only G-8 country to post balanced budgets in their last 9 years in office.

2. Liberals strive for a fair and sustainable balance between individual interest and the best interests of all Canadians. The current government does not see this as a priority.

3. A Liberal Government will:

• work for a vibrant and sustainable economy and sustainable environment,

• maintain universality in health care and education; enhance literacy and skills development, and re-establish a proper child development program,

• maintain transparency and responsible accountability, including reparation for victims of the Income Trust fiasco generated by the government last November, and

• return to Canada’s international development and support role as soon as we complete our commitment in Afghanistan in February 2009.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Cormican, Liberal Candidate, Lethbridge Riding September 10, 2007