Press release just received:
In protest over Stephen Harper’s decision to prorogue parliament, over 30 rallies are currently being planned across Canada – including Halifax. The Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament Rally in Halifax, Nova Scotia will be held on January 23rd at 1:00pm at Province House (1726 Hollis Street).
The rally has received support from elected officials, such as Megan Leslie, MP for Halifax, and Geoff Regan, MP for Halifax West, as well as organizations, such as the Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council, which represents approximately 24,000 workers, and the Council of Canadians. The rally began as, and remains, a grassroots effort. The Facebook group for the national effort has reached over 100,000 members, and in just two days, the Facebook group promoting the Halifax rally has reached over 600 members.
But Canadians are not just settling for armchair activism. “I will be attending my local protest on January 23rd. I love this country too much not to,” writes Lanny Ferreira. “It will be my first protest, and weather permitting, my 4 year old son’s first as well!”
The effort is also multi-partisan. “Our core planning group for the rally in Halifax represents people from every part of the political spectrum and a diverse sample of professional backgrounds,” says Brenden Sommerhalder, the rally’s organizer. “Predictably, there are people who identify as Liberals or New Democrats on the team, but also people who identify as conservatives or Conservative voters, or who do not identify with any party at all. Our group ranges from university students to business leaders, young parents to retired adults. Harper’s actions have generated an anger that blurs demographic lines.”
The rally is peaceful and family-friendly. For more information about the rally, or to get involved, contact the organizers at NoProrogueHFX@gmail.com, or visit the rally’s page on Facebook by searching “Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament (Halifax Chapter)”.
This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2010.
The legislature has been closed for 2 months.
When are they going back to work ? Another 2 or 3 months ?
If Dexter does not settle with CUPE in the hospitals and schools you can bet a group of strikers will be down there chanting. Should be fun.
Even if the legislature re-opens, this issue is the final straw in the continuing abuse of parliament and disrespect for the Canadian people. This is not just about Harper’s use of this tool now, it is about the failure of the system to serve the best interests of the people of Canada.
Most importantly, this issue puts the spotlight on the fact that our representatives are not communicating the real challenges and opportunities of our country to the people – instead every word that comes from politicians is wrapped in a shroud of partisan spin and weak half-truths. We need honest, effective communication so we can all uphold our civic responsibilities. We, as citizens, need to stop buying into the Entertainment Tonight type of reporting on politics and demand accurate, non-partisan information – we need to banish the attack ad.
If every candiadate was required to provide their vision with accurate details of the benefits and costs, then Canadians would be able to make real choices without feeling they have been duped after the candidate gets in power. Would you keep going back to a store that sold you something “best in classs”, “lifetime guarantee” only to find it was a hoax? Canadian democracy relies of informed and engaged citizens, so let’s uphold our part.
Another waste of time rally. Really, who gives a fuck. I don’t hear people going around talking about detainees or the environment. They are not topics of conversation. As for the economy, I haven’t heard anyone I know going around saying they lost jobs but rather gaining jobs. We did not get hurt here compared to other places. MPs get more done in their ridings than in Ottawa. Question Period has been a farce since Day 1. MPs being contrary just to be contrary, regardless of their stripes.
I’ll be there.
People are talking about the detainees and the environment, Bro Tim. They’re yelling about them on Facebook, where the anti-proroguing group stands at over 181,000 at the moment.
What heartens me about this movement is the anger from almost every point on the political spectrum, and from people who normally show no interest in politics at all. The overall feeling seems to be “enough is enough”.
And it’s ALL the parties we want to hold accountable, not just the CPC. Where has our opposition been? Why have they been posturing, instead of taking the action Canadians want — standing up to this affront to democracy (the latest of many) and saying, “We have to put aside partisan ego trips and work together the way the Canadian people expect us to”.
Last year’s events set a dangerous precedent. Problem is that now Harper et al. have it in their heads that they can do this all the time when they need some time off. It’s a slippery slope, especially considering those that vote don’t care simply because it’s business as usual.
All that said, it’s hard not to be apathetic about the issue at hand because of that. I’m a young, politically inclined professional and in all honesty, even given what’s at stake, I’d really not care to go this rally. It’s an absolute waste of time. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s not that I feel that protesting is an entire waste of time. It’s that a protest of this type would only either 1) Preach to the choir (and essentially become a political masturbatory session) or 2) Not be heard by those who would actually be able to make the decision that would actually make a difference. Thus, it would make no difference. Don’t kid yourself. 1 million people could show up on the steps Parliament tomorrow and it still wouldn’t make a difference for those same reasons. Get used to it too; the sheer demographics of the voters out there dictates more votes for a conservative agenda.
Good luck with your rally.
Harper is too busy helping Haiti. I think a massive Canadian effort is required and I don’t want to see politicians complaining and shouting to let Haitians with Canadian relatives into the country. An injured Haitian needs help, having a relative in Canada doesn’t mean you jump to the front of the queue.
Sad how some pols immediately think ‘Votes for me’ when disaster strikes.
Agree whole heartedly with Dr. Fever’s post. It’s a non-issue. I don’t like what has happened with Parliamemt one bit, but nothing will change it. Nothing. Focus on protest that actually makes a difference. This rally is a colossal waste of time.
As I was going for a walk on Lower Water last night, I found a protest sign for this rally in a garbage can. Seemed fitting, strangely enough.