by Pieter Vorster | May 5, 2018 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week Spreading the Word If you have friends who are interested in any of the content of this blog, please feel free to share it far and wide. The fact that it comes from the Greens of North Island-Powell River (NIPR) doesn’t mean it is only relevant to people in that riding. Because all Greens are part of the Global Greens, we need to think outside our riding boundaries and connect with each other. Encourage your friends to subscribe to NIPR communications. Let’s connect across this vast riding, this vast country, and this vast but ultimately tiny planet. Have Your Say About Did You Know… If you feel we’re taking up too much space on any one topic, or that we’re omitting an essential topic, go to NIPR’s website and leave a comment. If you have ideas for future editions – remember, Did You Know… is weekly – go to NIPR’s website and leave a comment. If you have general feedback, go to NIPR’s website and leave a comment. BC Electoral Reform Referendum Life imitates sport? Not in the case of electoral reform in BC. Once the referendum passes, the political parties will have to change their mindset from adversarial to collaborative. “Unlike a game-winning basket, if electoral reform happens, the game changes, but it’s not over.” Read more. Excerpt: “We and our legislative representatives will be far more likely to work collaboratively post-referendum if, during the lead-up to the referendum, we honestly and civilly discuss the issues. The less baggage we accumulate as we debate electoral reform, the easier it will be to accomplish...
by Pieter Vorster | Apr 28, 2018 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week BC Electoral Reform Referendum Fair Vote Comox Valley Day of Action (Photos by Sam Patterson, Comox Valley Record). What turned Rachel Notley into an advocate for big oil? In this article, Kevin Taft explores how Notley switched from being an effective critic of big oil to a proponent, and he brings proportional representation into the analysis. Read more. Excerpt: “The easy answer is that it improves her chances in next year’s election, but that glosses over this much deeper reality: Rachel Notley may be in office but the oil industry is in power. Wherever its interests are concerned the oil industry runs Alberta. To a lesser but significant degree the same thing applies in Ottawa.” How does that relate to the BC referendum? As Taft says, “It’s a deliberate short-circuiting of democracy. BC’s NDP government may be no more immune than Notley’s government. In fact, with the decision to promote LNG, we would have to wonder if Horgan is already showing us who is really in power in BC. With all the crises Greens attempt to address globally, and each crisis is urgent, getting to a Yes vote on the BC referendum is a small step to getting power back in the hands of people and out of the hands of corporations. Proportional representation isn’t going to solve all our problems, but it will give us a tool whereby MLAs of good intent can start to address those problems. Let’s POWER UP our democracy! Locally Infinite Earth Radio If you are engaged in local issues or in local government, Infinite Earth Radio is a great...
by Pieter Vorster | Apr 21, 2018 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week BC Electoral Reform Referendum An Alternate Reality: Christy Clark in 2009 Read this article by two local Fair Vote Comox Valley members, on just how tied many politicians’ stances for or against proportional representation are to their political fortunes of the moment. Read more. Locally Campbell River City Council is considering becoming a “Blue Community” The Council of Canadians made a presentation to Campbell River City Council on becoming part of the Blue Communities Project. Read more. Campbell River to study future impacts of sea level rise Interestingly, the article focuses almost entirely on the money the study will cost and not at all on the issue of sea level rise and its potential impacts on the community. Read more. Merville Water Guardians There is now a group which is taking up the issue of the water license to a Merville landowner who wants to draw, bottle and sell water. Read more. Mack Laing vs Town of Comox in BC Supreme Court, or perhaps David and Goliath by another name? The story and saga of the Shakesides House and the legacy of Hamilton Mack Laing will now move to a courtroom. After playing out for 36 years, it is time for the Court system to decide if saving a historical building on the waterfront in the estuary at Comox, BC will continue or forever be terminated. Mack Laing was a naturalist of some significance, and he built the house in 1950/51. He moved into the house when it was completed and lived out his life in “Shakesides” until his death in February 1982. He left the...
by Pieter Vorster | Apr 14, 2018 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week BC Electoral Reform Referendum Part 1: April 21 – Day of Action on proportional representation. We’ll be on the 17th Street Bridge waving signs and banners from 10-12 Saturday morning. We will have a table at the outdoor Farmer’s Market, AND we’ll be canvassing later that afternoon! It’s going to be a full day. Come on out to the bridge in the morning and show your support. Check us out on Facebook. Part 2: The New Zealand government has just announced it is banning all future oil exploration. If you have concerns that a proportional system of government would not be able to get anything done, watch this video. The three parties are all on the same page, and so the government is able to bring about a massive shift, whereas our Prime Minister talks a lot all over the world about Canada’s dedication to climate change but is doing virtually nothing and is now possibly considering using the military to force the Kinder Morgan pipeline through First Nations lands to the BC coast. Locally Indspire Indigenous Awards Dr. Evelyn Voyageur, one of the Elders in Residence at North Island College and part of the Nursing program, will be awarded the Indspire Award for Health. 2018 is the 25th year for the Awards. Read more. Indspire is led by Indigenous people, investing in education for Indigenous people. Aquifer and local rezoning request for water bottling Check out the Canadian Freshwater Alliance’s action on the license granted to the Merville property owner who wants to tap into the aquifer. Read more. Greens of Courtenay-Alberni Fireside chats...
by Pieter Vorster | Feb 3, 2018 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week BC Electoral Reform Referendum The BC government consultation site for the 2018 referendum is up. They are looking for feedback between now and February 28, 2018, at 4 p.m. Everyone please check out the questionnaire and make a written submission if you think some of the questions are too confusing or obscure. There are links to read about different systems, the questionnaire, and for written submissions to citizenengagement@gov.bc.ca. Go to http://www.fairvote.ca/bc-government-consultation-survey-guide/ first, and it will take you to the survey. BC Electoral Reform Referendum: Get involved locally Check out Fair Vote Comox Valley Facebook page and Fair Vote BC’s page. Fair Vote Comox Valley is also now accepting donations. If you can’t give your time, here is your opportunity to support this campaign over the next year. E-transfers can be made to: fairvotecomoxvalley@gmail.com. If you do an e-transfer, please put your name in the Note field and some sort of contact information so we can thank you. In order to get to a 50+1 Yes vote on the referendum, we need your help to counter the opposition’s hyperbole. This is our moment to change BC’s electoral system. Get in on the action! Contact Megan at m.ardyche@gmail.com if you’d like information on participating in any way. New electoral reform proponent society. The more people organizing around this referendum the better! Provincially: My apologies for the Site C piece and the one on Kinder Morgan being long; these were emails and not published online. Site C Part 1: This came from Courtenay-Comox MLA, Ronna-Rae Leonard to an email to those of her constituents who had written...
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