Friday, January 6, 2012

The Canada We Want




Within Canada’s highly developed parliamentary democracy, recognizing its evolving history and traditions, we citizens of Canada want the following:
(Click on the topic title to go to the page.)


1. Open, Transparent and Accountable Government
We expect politicians in our parliamentary democracy to recognize and respect its evolving history and our much envied Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
   The Separation of Religion and State:  
We want Canada to be governed by a democratic government, where decisions are based on needs identified and backed up by scientific and statistical evidence; not driven by ideology or partisanship or the appeasing of certain groups for political reasons.


2. Economic Inequality
We want our government to respond to the Occupy movement by working to narrow the economic  gap between the top 1% and the 99%.
     Aboriginal Affairs
We want the government of Canada to deal effectively with the poverty and despair in our native reserves by creating opportunities for employment and education.
     Influence G20 Members
We want the government of Canada to influence the other G20 member countries to act far more decisively to bring their use of natural resources back within sustainable limits. As one of the high-income countries, we must lead in demonstrating that environmentally sustainable economic growth is possible.


3. Gender Equality
We want Canada to become a world leader in promoting gender equality and programming for women nationally and internationally. 


4. Child and Maternal Health Services
We want Canada to fund the full range of child and maternal health services.
    Bill C-393
We want Canada, recognizing HIV/AIDS as one of the greatest threats to maternal health in developing countries, to pass Bill C-393 to facilitate access to antiretroviral drugs.
    International Donations
We want Canada to fulfill its international promises to donate 0.7% of the Gross National Product (GNP) to developing countries and give its fair share to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Malaria and T.B.


5. Peacekeeping
We want a transparent national discussion to clarify our role in contemporary peacekeeping that will reflect Canada's values as a peaceful nation.


6. National Child Care Funding
We want Canada to provide a minimum of five billion dollars for national childcare funding, as previously agreed upon and negotiated with provinces and territories in 2006.


7. End Violence Against Women and Girls
We want a government that encourages and funds programs  to engage communities in efforts to end violence  against women and girls.


8. Environment
We want the government of Canada to show effective leadership in addressing the environment and climate change.