Category Electoral Reform

CBC

There is disturbing evidence coming from a CBC report that a fundamentalist group is actively working to radically change the Canadian landscape, through direct political intervention.

“Liberty Coalition Canada, a conservative Christian advocacy group, is trying to raise $1.3 million to recruit hundreds of Christian politicians and campaign staff to run at all levels of government.

In a document marked “please keep classified” that was obtained by CBC News, the group says its ultimate goal is “the most powerful political disruption in Canadian history.”

The details are extensive, and disturbing. I won’t repeat them all here, but do encourage you to read the full article. The essence of the work is that they believe in a very fundamentalist version of Christianity, one which goes against Canadian anti-discrimination laws, among other things. It’s hostile to various minorities, and reinforces a very negative patriarchal structure that belongs far in the past.

CBC

What matters here, for today, is this:

Often, progressive and inclusive faith groups and others have been content to simply quietly act inclusively, while accepting the discriminatory policies of others, even within the same denomination, in the name of “unity.” Basically – “if you want to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people and I don’t, we’ll each do what we want and turn a blind eye.”

Personally, I don’t think discrimination is one of those “we can agree to disagree and still have unity” kinds of things. And, I think that, if the discrimination was on any other factor (eg skin colour) – “You only want to allow whites in your church and believe in allowing minorities”, I don’t think we would be so quick to agree-to-disagree in the name of “unity.” We simply do not allows congregations within our denominations (at least any that I am aware of) to choose whether or not to allow racial minorities into their buildings or not.

However, even if we thought that worked in the past (which I don’t think it did), we are absolutely past that point now. Ultra-right wing Christian nationalists are passing anti-LGBQT+ (and other) laws in the US at an incredibly rapid rate, and those influences are coming into Canada, faster than we would like.

Doing inclusion quietly, without rocking the boat, is not enough. We need to speak up, be loud and open about what we believe in. Well funded groups are working intentionally and directly to use the electoral system to take away basic rights from many Canadians. We can not let this happen. As Canadians, we are polite and nice. That should not change. However, we need to make our voices heard – clearly and in mass mobilizations, to elect governments who will not let these terrible things happen.

Let’s amplify our voices, and put an end to the discrimination. We can do it, together.

CBC

Although this is only a small step in the right direction, it is worth celebrating. At the same time, there is still a shocking level of resistance – within the Ontario Catholic system and in other places, to a move as modest as flying a flag to demonstrate inclusion. For the record, the “faith-based” resistance to full acceptance of our LGBTQ+ members is not new, and it’s not something I am going to use space articulating here (but it is cited in the article, above). I’m sure that we’ve all heard it before, and the focus here is on how to move forward, more positively, not on giving space to outdated and discriminatory ideas.

So, in order to help transform the conversation from negative, to positive, I (along with countless others that are working for more inclusive faith groups), would like to suggest the following as a reframing of how we view our faith and actions, for ourselves, and others:

Instead of the too-often used, traditional, inaccurate and discriminatory stance:

“My faith tells me, based on centuries old (mis)understandings of gender and sexuality, that you – and your basic core identifiers, or what you do with your body – are wrong, and I am right. For me to live true to my faith, I need you to change who you are, in order for me to tolerate you.”

Let’s switch to:

• “My faith tells me to love my neighbour, so I am called to accept and embrace the diversity (including gender, sexuality and many other things) that we all bring, without judgement or prejudice.”
• “My faith tells me to be a good neighbour, so I am called to serve others, instead of demanding that others change their core identity to appease me.”
• “My faith tells me that if I own two coats, and my neighbour has none, I should share – so therefore, I am called to give up my big house and move somewhere smaller, live simply, share my wealth, support a universal basic income and work to end wealth inequality in the world.”
• “My faith tells me to care for creation, so I am called to stop eating animal products, use zero waste instead of single use products, switch away from my gas vehicle as soon as possible, and vote for governments that take the climate crisis seriously.”
• My faith tells me to not kill others, so I am called to actively support peacebuilding instead of militaries, not own a gun, ensure that I am not glorifying war or weapons in any way, and actively vote in governments that show love to our global neighbours instead of engaging in war.”
• “My faith tells me to live at peace with others, so I am called to learn the history of racism and discrimination in the world, locally and globally, and actively work to deconstruct any misperceptions I may have about systemic racism in our world. Likewise, I am called to actively welcome refugees and other newcomers with open arms.”
• and so on…

Or, in the super-simplified form…

“My/our faith calls me/us to be better global citizen(s), and to serve others, without discrimination. One of the worst things we can do is latch on to the misguided idea that all we need to do is force someone else to change who they are (“be straight instead of LQBTQ+”, “don’t get an abortion”, “don’t be a refugee”…) and then that will be our ticket into heaven. Over and over, in countless faith traditions, we are called to change our own actions (giving up our own wealth, serving the poor and refugees, giving up our own power and status) instead of forcing change on others, especially on aspects of core identity, that break modern anti-discrimination laws in many countries. God calls us to give up our own privilege and wealth, (which is very hard to do), instead of demanding that others change who they are to appease us.”

So, with that, let’s get Pride Month going!😀

More info:

Taking a stand for her father and her family, she’s raising the Pride flag at her former Catholic school – CBC

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Hey everyone! I have a quick action item here for you, if you are interested. There appears to be some movement on getting a National Citizen’s Assembly on Electoral Reform. Passing this would be a significant step towards a better, more equitable voting system here in Canada. Thank you for your support!

Please share with others, in your circles, who might be interested in supporting this important step.

FVC has lots of resources and info on their website, plus an easy way to send a letter to the PM and the committee.

Click the link above, or go here to send an email to the PM and the committee.

Thanks to the leadership of the NDP’s Democratic Reform Critic, MP Daniel Blaikie, a motion on a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform is about to be put to a vote at the Procedures and House Affairs (PROC) Committee!

To win this vote, we need six principled MPs to say YES to a courageous next step to strengthen Canada’s democracy.

Send a message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the MPs on the PROC Committee urging them to support a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform!

FVC

Click here to send an email to the PM and the committee.

NOTE: The discrepancies above do not account for the fact that, in a Proportional System, Green Party supporters, for example, would be more free to vote for their true first choice, as opposed to voting for a lower choice, in order to avoid an even less desirable choice. With full PR, therefore, the “how we vote” shares would be more diverse than it is now, and that greater diversity would be represented more accurately in “what we got.”

Click the link above, or go here to send an email to the PM and the committee.

Out of the many tragedies that have emerged from this pandemic, one of the few silver linings is the possibility that, once we have demonstrated the ability to completely shut down and restart our societies, we will, collectively, use that towards restarting in a manner that is safe and sustainable, for people and the planet. The power to do so is in our hands – all we have to do is make the choice, individually and collectively. The data could not be more clear – we know what we need to do, and we know how to do it.

• US urged to cut 50% of emissions by 2030 to spur other countries to action Guardian
• Global lockdown every two years needed to meet Paris CO2 goals – study Guardian
• NYTimes: Volvo Plans to Sell Only Electric Cars by 2030 NYT

Carbon dioxide emissions must fall by the equivalent of a global lockdown roughly every two years for the next decade for the world to keep within safe limits of global heating, research has shown. (Bold mine).

Lockdowns around the world led to an unprecedented fall in emissions of about 7% in 2020, or about 2.6bn tonnes of CO2, but reductions of between 1bn and 2bn tonnes are needed every year of the next decade to have a good chance of holding temperature rises to within 1.5C or 2C of pre-industrial levels, as required by the Paris agreement.

Guardian

Changes of this scale, as with the pandemic, are multi-faceted, including individual actions (eg wearing masks, staying home when needed to protect ourselves and others), governmental (eg clear public health orders, income support as needed), business (eg switching to curbside pickup or work from home, where applicable). Likewise, for the climate crisis, we need all levels and sectors involved, doing everything possible to get us to where we need to be.

So, in the most immediate term, reducing our emissions by 50%+ over the next few years (and then further after that) is not a small task. How are we going to get there, and what actions can we take, starting today, to get us there, in each sector?

• Reducing the size of our home by 50% will reduce our heating/cooling emissions in half (as a rough estimate, simply because we have less space to heat/cool). If, by extension, we also own less stuff, there are emissions reductions (and other gains) to be found there, as well.
• Switching from an animal-based diet to a whole-foods, plant-based diet has a significant impact (exact % depends on what you were eating before, and whether you switch fully or partly to plant-based etc)
• Living in a higher density area helps reduce driving-related emissions, as more day-today trips are within walking distance (as does using public transit or an EV when you aren’t walking or biking)
• Significantly reducing or eliminating flights will take out a significant emissions source, depending on how much you were flying before and how much you reduce. Before flying, consider whether the flight is essential or not.
• Electing governments that are serious about tackling the climate crisis
• Supporting businesses that are working to tackle the climate crisis (zero waste and others) instead of business-as-usual
• Countless others – far too many to list here. 🙂

Naturally, different people will tackle things in their own order – and for someone who already lives in a small home in a high density area, downsizing is obviously not the place to start. However, most of us have room to improve, and places to start. What changes have you already made? Which are you interested in trying next? Which are you most curious about? Which do you think will be easier or more challenging?

We’re all in this together, so let’s help each other out, and build a better future for everyone!

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There are always lots of amazing deals on sustainable, zero-waste items in my online store! Check the website for details!

2020 was not the year that any of us were expecting, when the year began. A global pandemic forced a radical reset of how the world operates, in countless ways. Some of those changes were relatively easy – such as office workers switching to more remote meetings, with less travel for in person work. Other changes were much more difficult – in addition to the catastrophic death toll that results from any pandemic or other major crisis. Some of these changes, however, have resulted in a significant – if temporary – reduction in our emissions. Contrary to the frequently asked question – “When will things go back to the way they were?” – we were, globally, on a trajectory that was not sustainable. Therefore, we should, instead, be asking “How can we come out of this pandemic to something better than what we had before?” (as many people are already doing).

• Covid Took a Bite From U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2020: NYT
• BBC News – Climate change: US emissions in 2020 in biggest fall since WWII
• Amid 2020’s gloom, there are reasons to be hopeful about the climate in 2021 Guardian
• InsideClimate News: Many Scientists Now Say Global Warming Could Stop Relatively Quickly After Emissions Go to Zero.
• InsideClimate News: Many Scientists Now Say Global Warming Could Stop Relatively Quickly After Emissions Go to Zero.
• Lloyd’s market to quit fossil fuel insurance by 2030: Guardian

What does coming out of this to a new, better normal look like? What changes do we need to keep? What new changes will we still need to make? There is not the space here to allow for a comprehensive answer, but there are a few key pieces to highlight:

• We must continue with the significant, rapid reduction in emissions that we saw during this pandemic. The rapid pace of change that happened showed that change is possible, where there is a will. Now, we need to maintain the momentum of these changes, without the catastrophic pressure that comes from a global pandemic. Globally, we all need to act fast, without waiting for others who might be further behind in this process.
• A Universal Basic Income is essential, for many reasons, and should be implemented as soon as possible.
• Multi-party systems, with proportional representation, seemed to fair better (based on research that others have done), and also are key to reducing polarization and misinformation campaigns. Countries that still have First-Past-The-Post or other non-proportional systems should put serious effort into switching as soon as possible.
• Food and travel/transportation are big areas of emissions, both of which we have significant control over in our daily lives. Changes are critical – and will need to go beyond what is easy or comfortable at times.

Moving into a better 2021 – and beyond – means living within our planetary boundaries, not taking more than our fair share and living simply, in balance with our global neighbours and with the earth. (Photo Credit)

Here’s to a new year, filled with lots of good things, including (but not limited to…) progress towards the end of this pandemic, strong climate action, electoral reform, peace and justice locally and globally, and civility towards each other.

Stay tuned for more website updates in the coming months. 💻😊

Link

Greta Thunberg Shares Op-Ed Calling Out Trudeau’s Climate Hypocrisy – HP

Liberal MPs Urge Trudeau To Reject Massive Alberta Oilsands Mine – HP

Trudeau’s continued failure to act substantively on climate change has to end. While pretending to care about climate action, Trudeau and the Liberals continue to act in ways that can not be justified – and they are rightly being called out, by environmentalists, and even by some of their own MPs.

”If an alcoholic assured you he was taking his condition very seriously, but also laying in a 40-year store of bourbon, you’d be entitled to doubt his sincerity.”

(Bill McKibben, quoted by Greta Thunberg)

HP

So, to hold this government to account, I am suggesting contacting your MP (whether Liberal or other), and the PM’s office, asking for an immediate commitment to the following:

1) Immediate end to all fossil fuel subsidies, no new fossil fuel or nuclear projects and a rapid phase out of existing projects, with all funds put towards clean projects/sustainability.

2) Support for immediate implementation of Proportional Representation, to give the Green Party and others the voice that they rightfully deserve at the table.

3) Substantial climate targets – with annual and 5-year goals – that are in line with the best science. A theoretical aim to be climate neutral by 2050 is meaningless. If they need something easy to grasp, how about this? 1% reduction/month = approx 10% per year, which then leads to carbon neutral in 10 years, and carbon negative after that. 🙂

I have heard, too often, from a few Liberals (those that I have spoken to about this, which is obviously not a representative sample), that anything that they do has to be considered “good enough”, and we shouldn’t complain, because others – parties or provinces or countries or whoever they can find – are doing less. However, doing the right thing is not a race to the bottom, there is a lot of room for improvement, and it needs to start now. 🙂

Hi all,

It’s been a while since I did a petition update – here is where things are at:

School Funding: – End Discriminatory Funding for Catholic, Public and Independent Schools in Ontario

– We are at almost 3,000 signatures. It’s great start, but we have a long ways to go. To be clear, this is completely in favour of a strong public system. We are simply asking that the discrimination of funding Catholics only be ended and a newer, more just funding model be established. 🙂

PR– Enact Electoral Reform and Proportional Representation in Canada

– This one is fairly new, and is getting close to 500 signatures. There are countless people working on this issue., and change must happen soon. First Past the Post (FPTP) is divisive and contributes to polarization. We were promised change by the current Liberal goverment and they have backed down on their word. With enough pressure, from enough places, Canada will still get a PR system, in line with best democratic practices. 🙂

If you have questions, check my website, the petition websites or others that are working on this issue (eg FairVote Canada). 🙂

Hello all,

Following yesterday’s election, and my frustration at having to vote, again, under FPTP, I have decided to take action to help empower change, and have started a public petition. Based on many conversations I have had, I know that there are many of us who are frustrated with the current system, and are asking for PR. PR is a more representative system, as well as a more cooperative way to work towards big goals on climate and other issues. Please support me by signing and sharing widely in your circles. Thank you! 🙂

Enact Electoral Reform and Proportional Representation in Canada on Change.org.

https://www.charterchallenge.ca//

Since the Canadian Charter of rights and freedoms was established in the 1980s, the courts have been ruling in favour of fair and equal representation in Canadian and provincial elections. Now, it’s time to challenge the fairness of the first-past-the-post voting system itself. 

https://www.charterchallenge.ca/

Just heard about this court challenge to First Past the Post. Premised on the fundamental belief that a strong democracy depends on a strong correlection between votes case and representatives elected, they are moving forward with a court challenge to our highly unrepresentative FPTP system. If successful, this will help bring about the changes that we, in Canada, should have had long ago, and were promised in the last election. I’m hoping for success at the federal level, which will then, hopefully, spread quickly to create change at the provincial level, as well.