They wondered, why, when we live in a 1,000-channel universe, we spend over $1 billion on a state broadcaster like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. They claim that it gives the CBC an unfair advantage over its private sector competitors.

Well, as far as I’m concerned, let the advantage continue! The CBC is the glue that holds this country together. “Cross Country Check-up”, “Q”, “As it Happens”, “Ideas”, “The Current”, “The Vinyl Café” and “C’est la Vie” are just a few of the high quality radio shows that keep me informed about what is happening across the country and about how world issues are seen from a Canadian perspective. And they’re all commercial-free!

Let’s keep this national treasure. It’s $1.1 billion well spent.

Everyone interested is welcome to attend. Let’s keep the momentum going!

I still believe that the most important issue in this election campaign is the growing gap between the rich and the poor.

When I grew up in the 1950s there were no homeless people in downtown Toronto, no food banks, and people had little or no difficulty finding a job and an affordable house in which to raise their families. There were also no neighbourhoods full of extravagant homes and CEOs with six and seven figure salaries.

It all began to change in the 1980s and has continued to today: the rich and the large corporations have made huge contributions to the Conservative and the Liberal parties in exchange for a major overhaul of the federal tax system that considerably eased the burden on Canada’s well-to-do, reduced corporate tax rates so that already profitable corporations could pocket more of their wealth and brought in NAFTA, which resulted in a tremendous loss of good-paying jobs.

The NDP has consistently been the party looking after the interests of ordinary Canadians. We need to return to policies where the richest Canadians and the richest corporations pay their share in taxes so that we have a country which can fund the programs needed to make this country great for all its citizens. We need a progressive income tax system with a new rate of 60% for incomes above $500,000 and 70% for incomes above $2.5 million. We need to close the loopholes that benefit the rich. We need to support international measures to clamp down on tax avoiders and evaders who hide their money in overseas shelters. We need to re-visit the whole idea of NAFTA and instead support our Canadian companies whose existence is always threatened by multinational corporations. We need to protect and support our farmers against agribusiness giants like those who are putting Garrett Moy, an organic apple grower in Clarksburg, the Woods family, producers of all-Canadian honey in Hillsdale, and Harald Boker, an organic spelt farmer in Elmvale out of business.

With this renewed source of revenue, the NDP would bring back affordable housing; fund health care as Tommy Douglas envisioned it; put money into pensions, not planes; create jobs, not more jails; and reward green, not greed.

Canadians are now seeing Jack Layton and the NDP as a real alternative. I ask the people of Simcoe Grey to vote for the party who best represents their dreams for this country are, and I hope that that party is the NDP.

Tuesday, April 19: Canvassing in Collingwood 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
All Candidates Debate, Collingwood Legion 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20: Canvassing in Angus all day

Thursday, April 21: Canvassing in Alliston morning and afternoon
All Candidates Debate Banting Memorial High School, Alliston 7:00 p.m.

Friday, April 22 : Canvassing in Angus all day

Saturday, April 23: Canvassing in Creemore all day

705-322-2265 (home)
705-796-7348 (cell)

When the Conservatives took power in 2006, the country had a $13 billion surplus. By the time the recession hit in 2008, it had dwindled to $200 million, leaving no cushion for hard times. Shortly after re-election in October, 2008, the Conservatives put forth a budget which essentially ignored the need for a stimulus package to create jobs. It was that shortcoming that made the opposition parties decide to try a coalition. The Conservatives prorogued Parliament and returned in late January with a budget outlining a stimulus package. If they had had a majority, who knows what would have happened? Minority governments can make good things happen.

* Monday, April 11: Stayner morning and afternoon, canvassing
Elmvale, evening, canvassing

* Tuesday, April 12: Thornbury and Clarksburg, canvassing morning and afternoon

* Wednesday, April 13: Angus, morning and afternoon canvassing

* Thursday: April 14: Meet ‘n Greet at Raglan Village Village retirement home, Collingwood, 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.
Relaxing because it’s her birthday in the afternoon!
Hosting at Good Vibes Coffeehouse anniversary party, Mount St. Louis 7 to 11 p.m.

* Friday, April 15: Collingwood morning and afternoon canvassing

* Saturday, April 16: Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival

Katy can be reached at 705-322-2265 (home), 705-796-7348, katy.austin@sympatico.ca

“The tax credit for children’s fitness is minimal and will benefit only those who can
afford to enroll their children in organized activities with hefty fees. It does nothing for
families who cannot afford activity fees and whose children may sometimes go to school
hungry.

“Income splitting at tax time again gives a big break to those who area already well off.
In a family where one spouse earns $90,000.00 and the other earns $70,000.00, income
splitting will result in thousands of dollars of tax savings. In a family where both spouses
are working and together earn $40,000.00, the tax savings will be little to nothing and for
single parent families there is nothing.”

“Once again, as with the corporate tax cuts, the Conservatives cater to the well-off.”

April 19, 7-9 p.m. Collingwood Legion, 460 Ontario St. Collingwood

April 21, 7-9:30 p.m., Banting Memorial High School Alliston

April 26 Thornbury Meet and greet the candidates 5-7 p.m., debate 7-9 p.m. (location to be announced)

Someone is also hoping to organize a debate in Tottenham.