Let’s work together for a greener and prosperous society
While the scientific community has been warning us for years, greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 18% in Canada since 1990.This increase is mainly due to our exploitation of oil sands. During this same period, Québec managed to reduce its GHG emissions by 8%, mostly thanks to its own investment in renewable energy.
The Conservative government gives grants of more than $1.3 billion annually to the fossil fuel industry. This money could be used to create thousands of green jobs and help in the fight against climate change if invested in renewable energy, clean technology and energy efficiency improvements. There is work to do, renewable energy only accounts for 16.9% of the total energy supply in Canada.
In Québec and in Canada, our potential to produce renewable energy is HUGE. It is the Government’s duty to promote research and development. Join the NDP and let’s work together for a greener and prosperous society!
Affordable Childcare
Our children are a treasure. But finding a safe, high quality and affordable place to learn and grow is increasingly difficult for parents of young children in Canada. Countless parents pay more than $ 1000 per child each month for childcare – if they can find a space at all. At the NDP, we think that this is unacceptable.
This is why we propose to create a Canadian early childhood education and childcare program with a goal that parents won’t pay more than $15 per day per child. Here’s how :
- Work with the provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to fund and develop national early childhood education and childcare programs delivered with common principles like affordability, availability and quality.
- Enshrine the program in legislation.
- Work with the provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to fund and develop national early childhood education and childcare programs delivered with common principles like affordability, availability and quality.
- Set measurable benchmarks with publically available reporting.
- Support or maintain the creation of one million new childcare spaces within eight years, when the program is fully phased in.
- Recognize that provinces and territories have jurisdiction over the delivery of early childhood education and childcare.
Following the creation of Quebec's childcare program, women's participation in the workforce there increased by 70,000. We recognize that Quebec has been a leader in providing affordable childcare. The province's $7-per-day services would be supported by this new federal investment.
For every dollar invested in early childhood education, the benefits to provincial and federal governments range from $1.49 to $2.78 through increased tax revenues and decreased social spending. It’s something that we can’t afford not to do.
Canadians deserve better. Add your name to support our early childhood and childcare program.
Add your name to give Canadians a raise
Canadians are working harder than ever – and they’re tired of being told to settle for less.
Canadian families deserve a fair wage and a decent living. That’s why an NDP government would reinstate a federal minimum wage and increase it to $15 by the end of our first term in office.
Our plan takes concrete action to fight growing income inequality and provides leadership to increase standards for all workers.
Join Alexandre Boulerice and add your name to give Canadians a raise:
Act now to help bring injured children from Gaza to Canada for treatment
Over the last four weeks, Canadians have watched as deadly violence has escalated in Gaza and Israel.
According to the United Nations, hundreds of children have been killed and thousands more injured.
Izzeldin Abuelaish has been touched by this conflict in the most profound and painful way. In 2009, he lost three daughters, when his apartment in Gaza was hit by a shell from an Israel Defence Force tank. But unlike so many others, Dr. Abuelaish rejected the politics of hatred and revenge, and instead committed himself to reconciliation and love.
Now Dr. Abuelaish is working to bring injured Palestinian children from Gaza to Canada for treatment.
Tom Mulcair spoke with Dr. Abuelaish and pledged the New Democratic Party’s support for this cause. Now it’s time for Stephen Harper to take immediate action.
Add your voice now
We the undersigned residents of Canada note the following:
- That with millions caught in the line fire on all sides, the impact of this conflict on the civilian population has become a humanitarian crisis.
- That Stephen Harper and the Government of Canada should support the proposal launched by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish to bring injured Palestinian children from Gaza to Canada for treatment.
- That to achieve peace, we must refuse to hate. Only in that spirit can we hope to bring people together to forge a just, secure and lasting peace.
Therefore, we call on Stephen Harper and the Government of Canada to take immediate action to help enable Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish’s humanitarian initiative.
Gaza: mutual destruction is not the solution, peace is.
In the last days weeks, the voices of war have taken over in Israel and Palestine. After years of suffering from occupation and blockade, the civilian population of Gaza has now to endure the constant pounding of missiles. Since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge, over 170 Palestinians 1767 Palestinians (The fatalities include: 431 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 200 women, 85 senior citizens, Initial findings indicate that 172 of the people killed participated in the hostilities. Updated: August 25th. Source: B'Tselem) have been killed and over 1100 injured 4030 injured (July 23rd). The overwhelming majority of the casualties being civilians. Preliminary reports say that a mosque and a hospital were partially destroyed. Some hospitals, schools and mosques have been bombarded. Complete neighbourhoods have been destroyed by the bombings (July 26th)
Over 800 rockets and mortar 3500 rockets and mortar (August 25th) shells have been fired from Gaza and aimed at the civilian population of Israel. Sirens have since become a daily routine in practically all parts of Israel. People need to take cover in bomb shelters often many times a day. Most of the rockets were, so far, intercepted in mid air by a counter measure system called Iron Dome or have fallen in open areas. No deaths have occurred to this day 64 deaths has occurred to this day, 61 of them being soldiers involved in the ground operations (Updated: August 25th Source: B'Tselem) and a few hundred people hundreds of people (July 18th) have been treated for injuries, most of them for shock.
The deafening sound of missiles and rockets must stop. The civilian population deserve quiet and security. There is only one solution to achieve this for both Palestinians and Israelis: putting an end to the occupation of the West Bank and the siege of Gaza and to negotiate in good faith.
It's about time that the voices of peace be heard again. Canada should be among those voices.
The NDP supports the supreme court ruling in favour of former Jonquiere Walmart employees
NDP Labour critic Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite Patrie) made the following statement in response to the Supreme Court ruling on the Walmart closure in Jonquière, after the store’s employees were unionized under the United Food and Commercial Workers Union:
“The NDP strongly supports the Supreme Court ruling today, in which it found that Walmart had breached Section 59 of the Quebec Labour Code, which places a freeze on current working conditions for employees while the ratification process is underway.
“Walmart’s anti-union practices are unacceptable and should not be tolerated. We are very satisfied that the Supreme Court has called this multinational American corporation to order, as the company seems to think it can get away with anything.
“Let’s not forget that the purpose of unionization is to improve employees’ working conditions and wages. In this era, where social inequality continues to grow and the middle class is having to bear the brunt of rising levels of debt, improving employees’ working conditions and wages through unionization continues to be relevant.
“I hope that this decision will urge other companies, such as Couche-Tard in Quebec, to follow the Labour Code more closely and respect union rights. Of course, these rights are non-negotiable and are not intended to impede companies, but to help their workforce and promote community development across the country.
The Harper government and big business like Walmart must end their attacks on workers. Support Alexandre Boulerice and the NDP in their fight for the right to organize and to get better working conditions.
Stop service cuts at Canada Post
Instead of looking for ways to modernize operations, Canada Post and the Conservatives are taking an axe to long-treasured postal services – killing good jobs, eliminating home delivery, cutting rural post office hours and drastically increasing postage rates.
6,000 to 8,000 workers will lose their jobs and five million households will lose home delivery over the next five years. Worse yet, no real consultation was done by Canada Post, effectively eliminating any opportunity for input from the people who will be most affected.
By cutting services, it is possible that Canada Post will drive away customers and raise the costs. Canada Post offers a public service that needs to be protected.
I oppose the cuts to services recently announced by Canada Post
Attacks against workers must stop!
Since being elected, the Harper government has targeted the labor movement. According to Harper, a strong economy is built with low paying jobs and by leaving workers at the mercy of their employers. Just remember:
- The changes brought to EI, which drastically limited access to benefits.
- The reform program for temporary migrant workers, which limited the duration of their permit to 4 years.
- Bill C-377 which requires unions to publicly disclose the use of their funds.
- Bill C-525 which seeks to restrict the right of workers to organize themselves and to have a union.
- The loss of 400,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector.
Not to mention the Canadian Pacific labor dispute last winter that went to the brink of a special law to force employees to return to work. The Conservatives have a bad tendency of silencing workers by limiting their rights to strike and to organize themselves.
Attacks against workers must stop!
The Conservative Government must cease its attacks. Join Alexandre Boulerice, official spokesperson on labor, in his efforts to defend the right to choose freely and without repercussions to join a union.
We must oppose any attempts to modify, unilaterally and without prior consultation, the Canadian Labour Code and to decrease living and working conditions.
It is essential that all citizens receive adequate support during a job loss.
Add your voice to ours; together we can do things differently.
Senate Hall of Shame
Why are we paying $90 million a year for an unelected, unaccountable Senate?
While Canadians are working harder just to make ends meet, the Senate in Ottawa is working less, but increasing in size and cost. It sits only 90 days a year and costs taxpayers over $90 million to run.
Unelected and unaccountable senators represent the parties that appointed them, not their regions or the Canadian people. They are only required to work three days a week – when they actually bother to show up.
Provinces like Manitoba and Quebec scrapped their “Senates” years ago. The people of New Zealand have also done away with their upper chamber. It’s time for Canada to do the same.
Stephen Harper once called the Senate a “relic of the 19th century”. But he’s stacked the Senate with 58 partisan appointments since becoming Prime Minister.
It’s time to abolish the Senate.
Sign the petition
Are you with us?
Add your voice and sign the petition below.
We, the undersigned residents of Canada, recognize the following:
- that there is no place for an unelected, unaccountable Senate in our democracy
- that the $90 million a year it costs to run this archaic institution would be better spent elsewhere
- that appointed senators, especially those who abuse their privileges, do not represent the interests or values of Canadians
Therefore, we call on the Government of Canada to abolish the unelected, unaccountable upper chamber once and for all.