Leading Community Advocate and Airline Captain to seek Liberal nomination in Toronto Centre
Building on a strong record of local, national, and international advocacy and service, community leader and Porter Airlines Captain Ryan Sullivan announced today that he will be a candidate for the federal Liberal nomination in Toronto Centre ahead of the 2015 general election.
“Justin Trudeau’s leadership is inspiring a new generation of Canadians to serve our community and our country,” Sullivan said. “As our Liberal candidate in 2015 and as our Member of Parliament, I will bring the same dedication and responsibility to the hopes, challenges and aspirations of our community that I have brought to my profession as an airline captain and my involvement as an advocate.
“Together, we’ll ensure Toronto Centre stays solidly Liberal – with a candidate who understands the priorities and unparalleled diversity of our community, and a team that shares Justin Trudeau’s commitment to hope, hard work, and expanding opportunity for Canada’s middle class.”
“Justin Trudeau’s exciting commitment to open nominations across the country has inspired many new candidates like myself to step forward and serve their community and country” said Ryan.
Ryan was born and raised in Toronto, before receiving his diploma in Aviation Flight Management at Confederation College. He is currently a Captain at Toronto-based Porter Airlines, leading his crew safely on regular flights across the northeastern continent.
Passionate about community service and social justice, Ryan has proudly served on the Board of Directors of an association promoting LGBTQ rights and helped raise thousands of dollars in support of community social programming as a corporate ambassador for the United Way.
He has also been a strong advocate of green technologies in the fight against climate change, and served as a Canadian delegate at three international United Nations Climate Change Conferences; Copenhagen 2009, Cancun 2010 & Doha 2012. He also helped conduct the first commercial biofuel flight in North America with Porter Airlines.
“Anyone who lives here in Toronto Centre understands the importance for this riding’s unique voice and priorities to be clearly heard in Ottawa,” said Sullivan. “Whether it’s on Harper’s abysmal record on youth unemployment, on the advancement of LGBTQ rights both at home and abroad, the need for a national mental health strategy, or support for our struggling middle class, Toronto Centre can count on me as an advocate who lives in this community, who understands this community, and who will fight for this community.”
Any Liberal member in good standing and residing in Toronto Centre will be eligible to participate and vote in the party’s upcoming nomination contest. Toronto Centre residents can get involved by visiting ryansullivan.ca or by joining the Liberal Party of Canada today at liberal.ca.
Politics, what does it mean to you?
Politics
What does this word mean to you?
When someone mentions the word politics are you filled with feelings of optimism or a feelings of despair and anxiety? Do you have a feeling of cluelessness or one of passionate conviction? Does politics seem divisive or uniting? Is it something to criticize or something to celebrate?
Politics means many different things to many people across our diverse and vast country. Are you a Liberal, a Conservative, an NDP, Green, or issue-focused voter?
Where I Stand
I believe that politics is the art form of bringing forth a set of rules or goals for which society should live by. I have been attracted to and worked in the left of center politics for a number of years now and have found that my beliefs and goals are best suited here. I believe the Liberal party best represents the ideals of blending a healthy fiscally responsible economy with a moderate level of social services.
The policies of the Liberal Party are not just the leader or the MP’s as they come and go. It is about the people its policy affects. Consider the policy to help the single mother who needs support in the form of publicly funded daycare so she can work to provide for her family. Or consider the senior who is living on a barely above poverty line income who needs to pay for vital diabetes medication. Liberal policies are about the people who require public transit to get to work as driving a car is simply not an affordable option. It is about fellow young Canadians who are graduating with debt into a tough labor market. How can we blend an effective tax system of both personal and business that can encourage investment in our future on a personal and professional level? These are questions I grapple with, but am determined to work towards the answers.
The first time I ever was involved with politics was when Mike Harris, past premiere of Ontario placed large cuts to education and I attended a rally with my stepmother in protest. My stepmother is a teacher and was passionately opposed as were thousands of other teachers, parents and students. She wore a shriveled up piece of foam colored in black, which resembled a prune that has been left to rot in the sun. I noticed all of the protesters were wearing the same thing so I asked what it was. My stepmother said, “ It is mike Harris’s heart” practically dead and rotting away.
Years passed and I still remember how personally this fiscal decision was to the people who it affected. I found this passion that can be exhumed from Canadians incredibly admirable. These protests taught me that a step in the wrong direction by Government can unite the strongest conviction from the Canadian public.
On Getting Involved
Camp Wanna be Free had it’s 25th anniversary retreat in Kelowna in this past weekend. Camp Wanna be Free is a retreat for Young Liberals from the western provinces. It rotates from British Columbia to Alberta to Saskatchewan every summer and holds a powerful history. Previous attendees such as Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin are just a few of the Candian political legends who have attended the event. It was my pleasure to be invited by Braeden Caley and Justin Kaiser to attend and speak at the event on behalf of the Queer Liberals, as I am a sitting board member. I spoke about our push on reversing the gay blood ban, amending our refugee policy for LGBT members and a LGBT youth shelter. I was one of many speakers including some who spoke about effective campaigning, YLC’s future plans and a much more.
The camp was on the Okanagan Lake with fresh air, wineries and wilderness all at our doorstep. It was terrific because I had the chance to meet many new young liberals from the west coast and here their point of view on where we think this country should go. We discussed the direction we should push the Liberal party, including policy for safe injections sites to conquer addiction. I found this discussion eye opening and liberating.
The weekend was inspiring. Like a pilot feels that hint of excitement on the back of his neck as takeoff power is set and the wheels start to move, our Liberal party is starting to role down the runway towards 2015. Justin Trudeau is moving our party forward after two rough past elections. Failure is good, it shakes you up, wakes you up and lets you rebuild for the better, for the long-term. People are ready for a change, a change of policy and politics. From cynical to optimistic and from exclusive to inclusive.
The reason I am excited about politics and our country’s future, is because I really do believe our best if yet to come both as a country and a political party. Canadians are not always concerned with which party gets the job done; they simply want effective results from the leader who can step up to the plate. I believe that Canadians want cost effective strategies that move us forward together. The Liberal party is the only party with a strong youth wing: the young liberals of Canada. Recently the Young Liberals adopted a policy to legalize marijuana for which the Liberal party of Canada did not agree. After a few years and constant rallying by passionate young people (such as the young liberals I met at Camp Wanna be Free) the Liberal Party of Canada adopted this as their official policy in 2012. If the liberals are elected in 2015 one bill that will come forward is the legalization and taxation of marijuana in Canada. Thousands of farmers could gain income by growing it, provincial and federal governments could use the extra income to spend on healthcare, education and other great programs and the gang related trafficking would cease. The savings on police forces no longer facing marijuana investigations all translate into a more effective system. It is humbling and exciting to think that a few young liberals a few years ago could potentially change our country’s policies forever.
This is what politics means to me. These steps forward could come in the form of any policy, not just legalizing marijuana. And these steps can come from allowing any Canadians be they young or old, gay or straight to change our country.
This brings me back to what politics means to you.
If you want to attend Camp Wanna be Free to discuss your passions with fellow Young Liberals, or have the opportunity to meet Justin Trudeau, Ministers, or mayors, all you have to do is get involved.
The best part of getting involved is you will make some truly life long friends from coast to coast to coast. You will feel what it is like to meet others who are passionate about our country and are willing to work long hours to serve it. By getting involved you can experience staying up to 3 am working on a draft policy, or knocking on doors for 8 straight hours because you support the local candidate. You will meet Canadians who thank you for your time and commitment. Wait until you meet a gay married couple who thank you for your commitment on LGBT rights. Wait until you meet an elderly lady who thanks you for your work for a political party that aims to have affordable medication for all, or wait until you meet a parent who appreciates your push for daycare. These moments are powerful reminders of the benefits of public service.
In the end politics is about the people. If you are reading this and have wondered about political involvement, I encourage you to attend your neighborhood association meeting, or get together with some friends and discuss your passions and wishes for the country.
Get involved
Get Active
Because with hope and hard work we really can change the world.
Ryan Sullivan
Stephen Harper’s Resignation?
The question on everyone’s mind right now is: will Stephen Harper step down as Prime Minister of Canada this summer or early fall?
This may sound like an unbelievable story or perhaps even just a wish, but it may be possible. Stephen Harper has been Prime Minister since 2006 and has changed the political landscape in Canada. Stephen Harper has stood for and against many things while serving as Prime Minister. Some Canadians view him as a great Prime Minister. However, those numbers are starting to fall. The support and likeable factor of our Prime Minster is below Justin Trudeau’s and a recent poll by the National Post placed the Liberals in a Majority government if an election were held tomorrow. This is a problem for Stephen Harper.
We could bring up the anti gay marriage speech, the gutting of Environment Canada, or the silencing of scientists who’s data and research didn’t mesh with the conservative ideology. We could dabble in the amount of debt our country is in which is the largest ever. We could also certainly point out the “do one thing but say another” track-record of Mr. Harper in regards to senate appointee’s and raising taxes.
This is not meant to be a rant on our Prime Minster, you either love him or hate him for whatever reasons you wish. I am simply raising the point that perhaps it’s time for him to go. Remember the criminal code amendments, yikes, that will take a decade to clean up. In general it’s a problem that not all of the Stephen Harper ideology aligns with science and facts and when he is called out on it, this position only solidifies. This is a conflict for Canadians as over time the people of this country have come to see that while they supported a change and a new way to governing they didn’t think such a narrow minded approach would follow.
There are two driving forces behind Stephen Harper.
1. He would like to take Canada and Canadians to a right of centre political ideology.
2. Destroy the liberal party.
I can not stress to you enough how passionate he is about those two points. I’m sure my order may even be incorrect but nonetheless these are two strong objectives for him. Mr. Harper is a very passionate politician, who at all costs, will not bend by any means for what he believes in. It is respectable to have such convictions from a politician but to not have the ability to look at the facts and say “you know what, this needs to be adjusted or changed” is a fault in itself. The Liberal Party is the essence of everything Mr. Harper loathes. The compulsive hatred of the Liberals by Mr. Harper dates back many years, but even with the party currently in third place he just can’t stand them. I am sure if there is one thing he wants it is to see the Liberals become irrelevant. If he accomplished this task, I think he would have gladly retired with a smile on his face.
The problem is the Liberal Party has their new leader, Justin Trudeau. Mr. Harper knows his support is slowing across the country and that even before the Liberals had their new leader elected, their past leaderless party still would have won in an election, according to polling. This is a bold fact and one that most likely keeps Mr. Harper up at night. To know that for years you have fought to move the country to the right and destroy the Liberal Party, only to see the liberals most likely to win the next election must be a tough pill to swallow.
So, which option will Stephen Harper choose: ego, or fight until the end?
There is nothing wrong with stepping down while at a high in your political career as Prime Minister. Jean Chretien waited until there was a political coup within the Liberal Party when he was pushed out rather than leaving on his own terms. Perhaps in the next few months it could be that same time again for Stephen Harper. The Conservative backbenchers are frustrated that they cannot speak their minds and raise issues they care about because they are being muzzled by the PMO. The old reform and Progressive Conservatives which merged to form the Conservative party of Canada are starting to show cracks and divide. Like an iceberg breaking away from the main sheet, it starts with rumblings and shifts, but these turn into small cracks and in one mighty roar it splits off to float in the sea alone. The Conservative Party’s cracks are just starting to show but once the process has started, its hard to reverse. One side of me see’s the Harper who is caring about his mark left on the country and his image. This would allow me to believe that he would see the storm brewing from within his own party and across the floor with the Liberals. However, there is also the tried tested and true side of Mr. Harper, the ideological side for which neither fact nor common sense would affect his decision-making process.
We can remember when Dalton McGuinty stepped down as premier of Ontario which led the path to party rejuvenation and new leadership. This is the only way a political party has a chance at staying in power as the opposition gains support and starts to eclipse the party in power. Mr. McGuinty clearly placed his own ego aside and stepped down for his party and province leaving on a high note.
I would like to believe for Harper’s backbenchers that he is a smart enough man to step down before his party cracks begin to widen and one of the opposition parties defeats them in the next election. The longer Mr. Harper stays, the larger the cracks become, the stronger the opposition and the less chance at a successful reelection.
I guess in the end, no one knows but Mr. Harper. The real question is: will he leave office and allow the Conservative Party to renew itself for a fair chance at re-election or will he fight until then end?
I suspect an internal and quiet revolt will leave Harper little choice and he will resign this year. One thing is for sure, the next election will not favour Mr. Harper.
Canada Delivers a Disappointing Message & Record
My final day the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha Qatar. Mr. Peter Kent spoke on behalf of Canada and delivered a disappointing commitment both domestically and internationally. I also spoke about how Canada has compared to other members of the OECD which is quite frankly disappointing.
Solutions are out there and options are available if we choose to act on them. I hope my fellow Canadians continue to place pressure on our elected officials to encoorprtate a more progressive environmental policy for Canada.
From Doha Qatar
Ryan Sullivan
COP 18 – The Green Side of Aviation
When we think of air travel we often think of large jets flying across wide oceans and multiple time zones, perhaps even of an upgrade to first class with a glass of champagne.
Normally the words “air travel” and “environment” aren’t used in the same sentence except to criticize aviation’s impact on the environment. You might be surprised to know that air travel accounts for around 2% of the world’s GHG emissions[1]. This is surprisingly low considering that aviation carries roughly 35% of the world’s trade by value, about 5.3 trillion dollars. The aviation industry also supplies 56.6 million jobs worldwide with an economic impact of over 2 trillion dollars (including direct, indirect, induced and tourism catalytic impacts). The aviation industry is a big player in the world’s economy and transport industry.
The aviation industry is not just a crucial part of the global economy, but is also an important environmental leader. The industry is one of the most rapidly improving industries in regards to its environmental targets. The international aviation industry governing body is the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and they have set the following targets:
- Global aspirational goal of 2% annual fuel efficiency improvement by 2050
- A medium-term global aspirational goal from 2020 that would ensure that while the international aviation sector continues to grow, its global CO2 emissions would be stabilized at 2020 levels
- Development of a global CO2 standard for aircraft aiming for 2013
- By 2050 have global aviation industry emissions at half of 2005 levels
- Find ways to optimize air traffic control
- Find ways to increase the use of biofuel as a partial percentage or whole substitute for traditional fossil fuels
- Many major airlines offer carbon offset credits you can purchase; this plan would also like to be expanded
The aviation industry is a without a doubt a producer of CO2 emissions, but its emission levels and improvement targets compared to other modes of transportation are impressive.
[1] IPCC (1999)
In the future perhaps we will perhaps be flying on an airliner fueled completely from renewable biofuel, or maybe even having some portion of air-travel powered by solar power. As technology improves so does fuel efficiency. Technology allows for aerodynamic design improvements, increased engine efficiency, and new lighter building materials like carbon fiber. These actions combined with improved routing and more efficient ATC the fuel savings really add up.
With continued hard work from many different professionals within the aviation industry a longterm sustainable version of air travel is more than possible!
Canadian Airline Pilots letter to our Prime Minister
This letter is written by some fellow Canadian Airline Pilots and not myself, but I found it important enough to share. Given the extremely serious nature of the employment issues facing Canadian pilots and given the increasing flooding of the Canadian market with foreign pilots – we believe it is imperative that Canadian pilots across the country communicate their concerns to Ottawa and implore to act and to act soon. We need to protect our jobs and now! And we need to encourage the Government of Canada to do the same, given the fact that in the upcoming travel season, more than 400 foreign pilots may be brought into Canada, piloting approximately 30 aircraft, to the detriment of Canadian tax-paying pilots.
We strongly encourage you to date/sign this letter, which can be mailed free of charge to the Prime Minister,
Right Honourable Stephen Harper, PC, MP
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1N 0A6
Email: Stephen.Harper@Parl.gc.ca
Fax: (613) 941-6900
“Dear Prime Minister,
As a proudly Canadian airline pilot, I write to you today in regards to a series of troubling issues, which are negatively impacting the Canadian airline sector and causing very serious economic and financial hardship for hundreds of my professional colleagues in Canada. I should highlight at the outset the very important, social and economic valuable footprint of airline pilots in Canada. With just over 11,000 licensed commercial airline pilots in Canada, our profession contributes an incredible amount to a healthy national Canadian economy. We are active participants in a range of key sectors including transportation and tourism and facilitate the movement of millions of passengers and billions of dollars worth of goods each and every month.
Over the past several months, a number of Canadian pilots, their representatives and certain airline management all united into “The Coalition for no foreign pilots working in Canada” have been talking to the federal government and its responsible Ministers about certain dubious commercial practices being employed by one particular Canadian air carrier.
While we appreciate the work being done by these Ministers and their departments, I write to you today, Prime Minister, because the situation has gotten to a point where it is so serious in nature that it requires a much faster resolution and your active intervention.
In short, this carrier mentioned above has been using Canadian federal policy and law – particularly through the Temporary Foreign Workers framework – to flood the Canadian labour market with foreign pilots, leaving myself and thousands of other Canadian commercial tax-paying pilots at risk.
Already, more than 60 Canadian pilots have already been laid off in advance of the upcoming busy winter tourism season. Make no mistake – these lay-offs are directly related to the inordinate number of foreign pilots who are being brought into Canada by a certain “Canadian” air carrier.
This issue touches on a number of key areas of policy, which the federal government administers:
– Temporary Foreign Workers Program
(Under the authority of Human Resources & Skills Development Canada)
A Labour Market Opinion (LMO) is generated by a commercial applicant to ensure there is a true labour shortage in Canada and there is no negative impact on the Canadian labour market before that organization is allowed to bring in temporary foreign labour. The LMO also clearly spells out strict criteria by which a Canadian company must have attempted to solicit Canadian workers first, prior to seeking foreign workers. It also requires that employers train Canadians for the position before attempting to hire foreign labour. Those requirements are being ignored in the LMO application process.
For Canadian pilots, the LMO process has become challenging as the true picture of the Canadian pilot labour market is often distorted in these applications. Further, application criteria are often set so narrowly on purpose to make it impossible for any Canadian applicants to apply. In short, these criteria are being expressly designed to fail. In fact, there are many similarities between this situation and the unfortunate set of circumstances that recently came to public attention and including the importation of Chinese workers in a B.C. mining company.
– Reciprocity Agreements
(Under the authority of Citizenship & Immigration Canada)
The agreement allows for the importation of foreign workers if there are equivalent “opportunities” for Canadians to gain work internationally.
For pilots, this program has become challenging as there has been a marked decrease in real international opportunities available to Canadians overseas while at the same time, the overall number of foreign pilots operating in Canada under this agreement has been increasing in a dramatic fashion that bear no proportion to the number of pilots finding real job overseas.
At the same time, the European Union is taking steps to further restrict opportunities for Canadian pilots in their jurisdiction, further complicating the serious imbalance and unfairness in this program.
– “Wet-Leasing” / “Sham dry-lease”
(Under the authority of Transport Canada)
Under the wet-lease practice, a Canadian air carrier can strike a lease with another international air carrier by which the lessor provides, either directly or indirectly, both the aircraft and flight crews to operate the aircraft in Canada.
A “sham dry-lease” is a typical situation where a foreign air carrier is providing the aircraft under a “dry lease” and is also providing the flight crews under a separate agreement, or the foreign crews are being provided by a third source that could be related to the lessor. Indeed, this practice has been highlighted by US federal aviation authorities as being a circumvention strategy of applicable wet-leasing law and policy.
This practice is being seriously misused in a very troubling way, with a certain “Canadian” air carrier opting to out-right “wet-lease” or “sham dry-lease” a large portion of its fleet and crews from foreign air carriers year after year after year as part of a long-term corporate strategy – as opposed to using this policy framework for short-term purposes and under exceptional circumstances only.
One of the many troubling aspects of the abuse of this program is that – with more than 400 foreign pilots expected to be brought into Canada to work this coming season, leaving many Canadian pilots out of work – this kind of activity results in a clear imbalance in terms of economic benefits accruing to foreign interests at the expense of Canadians. It further results in significant income tax revenues forfeited given foreign pilots who do not pay taxes into the Canadian system and therefore are in no way contributing to our national economy or to the various services and support networks which Canadian domestic, tax-paying pilots do.
It must be noted, Prime Minister, that given this abuse of loopholes in Canadian policy, a certain “Canadian” air carrier, during the winter tourism season, will see more than 60% of its entire pilot crews composed of foreign workers. This extremely troubling fact will see Canadian pilots either out of work entirely and/or without the ability to increase their skill/training by flying on larger aircraft (i.e., they will be unable to progress professionally, in their own country!).
Prime Minister, the combined consequences of the misuse of these federal programs and practices has the potential to seriously impact the Canadian air sector – one which is already significantly put at risk by growing challenges posed by international competitiveness and cost implications. Canadian pilots like me need your help to ensure that our livelihoods – after years spent building our very specialized and value-added skills and training in Canada – are not thrown into doubt, by a “Canadian” company preferring to employ foreign workers over hard-working, tax-paying Canadians.
Furthermore, it needs to be emphasized that the misuse of Canadian policy by a certain “Canadian” air carrier is also resulting in serious lack of training afforded to Canadian pilots – the same training that all other major Canadian air carriers are providing for their employees. In fact, a certain “Canadian” air carrier is choosing to forego offering these training programs to Canadian pilots, and is instead opting for the easier, cheaper approach of flooding the market with foreign workers. This is presenting a very unfair and damaging environment for Canadian airline pilots from coast to coast.
In terms of suggested solutions, we would propose the following:
1. Encourage immediate discussions between your Cabinet colleagues, Ministers Finley, Kenney and Lebel to engage in a collective discussion about how to address this critical issue and protect Canadian jobs through a harmonized policy approach. Given the individual components of this complicated situation – each falling under the purview of holders a different Minister/department – yet given their strong interrelation, this discussion is critical to assisting with a speedy resolution.
2. Exercise the federal government’s authority to ensure all Canadian air operator certificate satisfy the requirements for being “Canadian.” As well, adopt and enforce regulations regarding LMOs that will favour the training and employment of Canadian pilots above all and, not allow the insertion in an LMO application of employment criteria that are designed to fail and prevent the application of Canadian pilots to a job opportunity.
3. Adopt a reciprocal approach with foreign governments regarding foreign pilots seeking seasonal employment in Canada given that some standards (for example, those of the EU) have largely removed opportunities for Canadian pilots in that jurisdiction. We need to ensure real access to real jobs for Canadians on a clear “1 for 1” basis, in the same calendar year. We need to ensure that this “backdoor” allowing for dubious commercial practices by a certain “Canadian” air carrier be closed.
4. Direct Transport Canada to follow through on a full review of the existing “wet-lease” policy to ensure Canadian fleets, including pilots and crew, are at all times very substantially Canadian.
Prime Minister, Canadian pilots are taking this same message to our elected representatives across the country, imploring them to stand up for Canadian jobs and level this increasingly unfair playing field – one which is gained through questionable business practices by a certain “Canadian” air carrier.
Thank you for your attention to this very serious matter – please help!
Sincerely, ”
Ryan Sullivan
Canadian Airline Pilot
Young Liberals attending the UNFCCC in Doha Qatar
“Dear friend,
I am writing to you on behalf of the delegation International Working Group (IWG) of the YLC who will be attending the up-coming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-18). We need your help to build a strong Liberal voice on the environment by having Young Liberals in Doha, Qatar this December when the United Nations negotiates the future of climate change
The YLC works with global institutions like the United Nations as a member organization of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY). At the 2010 UN Conference on Climate Change, our delegates helped push through an article that commits global financing to climate change education, showing leadership while the Harper Government hid away from international criticism.
We are asking you to help us build on these successes and develop future generations of leaders by sponsoring our next delegation to this conference. A $100 donation will go a long way in guaranteeing our generation a voice over the environment that we inherit. $1500 will pay for one delegate’s flights. Our total sponsorship target is $10 000, which we will match through smaller fundraisers and educational events in our communities.
You can donate securely and easily online through PayPal at http://goo.gl/2lgRo. Cheques made to the Ottawa Centre FLA can also be mailed to 1517-170 Lees Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1S5G5 (please specify YLC COP18 Fundraiser in the memo line).
Thank you in advance for investing in our delegation. Your donation will provide us an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the world’s leading environmental experts and lobby world leaders. We will maintain a blog so you can follow along at: http://ylcjlcclimate.wordpress.com.
With your support and generosity, the Young Liberals of Canada will represent our voice on the world stage taking decisive action on the environment and climate change.
Yours sincerely,
Danylo korbabicz
Chair – YLC International Working Group
Samuel Lavoie
President of the Young Liberals of Canada “
A letter to fellow Liberals
When I talk with people and politics eventually comes up, I find it increasingly difficult to talk about where I stand on issues at the federal level. That’s right, myself, is actually for the first time having a hard time expressing his opinion. This is not due to lack or decreasing conviction, it’s just that it becomes tiring to try to explain to people what being a Liberal is about and what we stand for.
Usually once I say I am a federal Liberal, unless I know you and we’ve had political conversations before it ends with some form of compelled explanation as to why I am. It is partially out of fear of ridicule and partially because the other person really just doesn’t know what we stand for. My values, which are enshrined in the Liberal Party’s platform, such the Environment & the Economy need to go hand in hand if were going to succeed. The Charter of Right and Freedoms, Public Health Care for everyone, being smart on crime not tough on crime, strong support for education at all levels, strong international aid commitment, peacekeeping through diplomacy, Liberty for all Canadian citizens, equal rights for all Canadians regardless of our differences such as race, religions, sexual orientation or birth place. These may sound like just words, but they were, are or will be what the Liberal party has been building and working to build our country on for our future. There are many policies and values which represent what identifying as liberal are all about, however to list them all would take a while.
So if the Liberals have done so many good things, and have a good platform for our future then why the tough times?
Well, after last election suffering our worst defeat yet it’s definitely not good times to be a Liberal. Trailing in the polls in third place currently around 20% national support we are definitely a minority on the Canadian political scale. The values of the Liberal Party of Canada are sewn into my very being and direct my moral compass. This is not a case of me following them blindly like sheep to their Shepard. It is simply that as I grew up and began to figure out who I am and define what matters to me in life by creating a set of values, it just so happens that political party also shared the same values. We have our small differences of course, but our values are quite similar. The LPC (Liberal Party of Canada) has been under a decline in support for over a decade now and if the current line on the chart continues in its direction we are most definitely in order for even a worse election than last.
The LPC has had one primary issue and that is they can’t seem to identify with Canadians. Sure the Liberals raise their arms and waive around anytime the government steps out of line, but so does the NDP, which is now the official opposition. We have been through multiple leaders over the last few years who have been either a poor choice by its members or poorly defended against a barrage of personal attack adds, or perhaps both. The LPC hasn’t adapted to the changing political climate as well as the conservatives have or even the NDP.
The conservatives are truly the most effective party in regards to identifying their voters. The most in-depth online record of firm or potential voters is held and run by the conservatives. The knowledge of its voter bases such as particular hot issues to family background are all known while the Liberal data is quite minimal. All political party’s collect information on their voters, the liberals are just not as successful as identifying them as other political parties.
The Liberals have had a heard time defining their leader before the other political parties define them themselves. Internal party organization or lack their of is of a big concern. The old style of internal partying “in-fighting” which partially assisted in landing the party where it currently is today is still sadly relevant today. Members from the Young Liberals of Canada running for executive positions for the Ontario faction of the federal party have just recently resorted to a negative campaign via emails to many young liberals in Ontario. This is the exact type of incompetent and idiotic attack adds tactics, which we like to blame the conservatives for doing and yet we are doing internally to ourselves. The fact that at the youth level these internal battles are happening truly displays a sort of non-cohesion and disorganized party. If there’s one thing about the conservatives, what staffer says or the what PM says, its always the same line. Even though that top down approach and content of the message I usually disagree with, their organization as a party is admirable.
The Liberals don’t just need a new leader who is a strong liberal through and through, but its primary focus is should be how to engage Canadians again about what it means to be liberal. The conservatives line is the economy, the NDP line is fighting for everything opposite to what the conservatives do and that leaves us saying the “Liberals will…..will…..”.
Just recently the Liberals held a very expensive gathering in Toronto to celebrate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms 30th anniversary with special guest the honorable Jean Chretien. The multiple hundreds of dollars per person it cost is such a fundamental problem as it creates inequality and an unfavorable hierarchy within the party. When your in power with a majority, doing expensive events to raise money makes complete sense. However when you’re the third party in last place throwing a stuffy and quite frankly exclusive expensive event is not a way to engage new members to the party. It’s almost reminiscent of the “good old days” when people wanted to pay such money for such an event, but times have changed. I didn’t attend the party just because I couldn’t justify it due to my financial constraints. I am a hard working young professional that didn’t attend, how could a student or young person, or underemployed individual afford such an event? While the event is an extremely important accomplishment for Canada and particularly the Liberal Party I find that we are looking backwards more than we are forwards. The charter of rights and freedoms, legalization of same sex marriage the list of accomplishments the party has completed could go on, but talking about past glory surly won’t bring future success. While former Prime Minister Jean Chretien is a (personal) mentor in a sense, the man who quite frankly opened my eyes to world of politics, is old news. I hold him in the highest regard and my 15 minutes I had to talk with him previously at the airport was truly memorable and educational. However, trying to use nothing but our past glory and star leaders to hopefully ignite a future is just plain not going to work.
The Liberals are awakening from their cozy slumber to the realization that the party is quite possibly on the verge of getting wiped off the political map, thank gosh. I am one of those passionate members who still believe in the base the Liberals have within Canadian society. I think that with rebuilding the party from bottom up and not top down, by choosing bold and progressive policy with strong local candidates and true Liberal leader the Liberals can rise again. The Liberals are down, but they are not out, far from out!
The terrific work, which was created at the last Liberal convention, was truly astounding. The Convention was bigger than the previous NDP and Conservative convention combined. Liberals who used to sit idle on the sidelines were jumping in head first to help figure out what went wrong last election and how to fix our party. The best part was the executive top branch had never seemed so eager to actually listen to its grass routes members and engage them in policy discussion. We created groundbreaking policy such as the only political party in Canada to legalize marihuana. Not that we condone its use, we simple realize that by having farmers grow it, taxing it and taking that money out of drug dealers hands makes the streets safer. It’s also a no brainer as over 75% of Canadians support the legalization of it. It’s just like prohibition and alcohol, its going to happen why not make it as safe as possible for the public. It’s this type of factual based forward thinking our party has been known for in the past, which has made us whom we are. We must continue to develop the leading edge policy of tomorrow, today.
Nothing I love more than a good comeback story, throw in my political beliefs and values into a political party who did such terrific things for this country and you’ve got me hooked!
When the Liberals have a passionate leader who is from the ground up a true Liberal and who is not a career politician but with real-world experience then maybe the Liberals will start to regain some ground.
When the Liberals cease all internal in fighting amongst fellow members and work together to create the effective policy of tomorrow we have proven time and time again to do, then the true rebuilding can begin.
When the Liberals can effectively display their policy and excite Canadians once more about the effectiveness of their party through the use fiscal prudence and social compassion then, and only then can the party think of climbing in the poles and not sinking.
I wrote this letter because I care with every fiber of my being and believe in this party and this country. We can all see how a two party system does not work in the United States and the direction our country is heading in by the conservatives. If we don’t continue to change course as a political party we really do run the risk of going off into oblivion and all the work the party has done for Canadians will slowly be eroded until we are no longer the country we wished we were, but the country we will have let it become.
Your fellow Liberal
Ryan Sullivan
Safe Injection sites and those who declare war on them
There really are two kinds of people in the world: those that adapt to a new situation around them and those that do not.
If we study animal species throughout the world’s history either through real life specimens or ancient bone artifacts, we see that the world is constantly evolving. Clearly some adapt and prosper, and others simply die off.
Lets take a look at the now extinct dodo bird. The dodo bird was a native to Madagascar, yet when humans discovered the bird they began to eat the bird’s eggs and later the bird itself. Due to the fact that these were flightless birds and had an inability to hide its eggs in a nest high in a tree or fly away when danger approached eventually they became extinct through exterior forces – humans.
An example of evolution resulting from natural selection was discovered among “peppered” moths living near English industrial cities. These insects have varieties that vary in wing and body coloration from light to dark. During the 19th century, smoke from coal-burning furnaces killed the lichen on trees and darkened the bark. When moths landed on these trees and other blackened surfaces, the dark-colored ones were harder to spot by birds who ate them and, subsequently, they more often lived long enough to reproduce. Over generations, the environment continued to favor darker moths. As a result, they progressively became more common. By 1895, 98% of the moths in the vicinity of English cities like Manchester were mostly black. This is an example of natural selection, yet we must understand that only those species who adapted have continued to live on.
Now that we have cleared up a brief background on these two primitive differences I wanted to relate this to present day society.
When we discuss things such as any topic, interracial marriage, gay marriage, gay adoption, public health care, private health care, welfare states, corporate states, religion, politics, safe injection sites, moral values etc. Lets imagine for a second that these topics or issues or idea’s are animals in nature and lets take the past 300 years of such topics and expand them into a figurative time frame of say 1000 to 10,000 years.
Now we can see that our world has changed, from horse and buggy to jetliners going around the world in under a day. We can see how medical advancement has decreased mortality rates and made life easier and healthier. We can see how most societies that quite frankly did nothing for its poor now have charities and political will be it slight or fierce to try to deal with such problems. We can see how religion has gone from crucifixion and stoning’s to loving thy neighbor and reflecting through prayer mistakes that were made. Clearly the world is not the world it was 25, 50, 100, or 500 years ago.
Humanity has shown truly amazing sings of adaptation through its ability to change the world to suit its own needs for survival. Survival is only the tip of the iceberg; human’s ability to improve life around itself has driven us from walking to flying and using paper to using computers. This change did not always come easy however.
If we look back to when Galileo the famous astronomer confronted the church on the idea that perhaps the earth revolved around the sun and not which was perceived at the time that the who universe revolved around earth. We look at people like Martin Luther King who confronted the societal norm of blacks of being less and took a stand saying that all men were created equal. We look at Harvey Milk who was the first openly gay man elected in office in the USA who believed that gays had rights and were equal citizens. Tragically all of these men paid the price of exile or death by fellow members of their society or the people in power they challenged.
I want to talk about safe injection sites.
The first safe injection site in Canada was in 2003 located in Vancouver’s rough eastside. In the 1990’s similar trials of providing a safe place with clean needles under staff supervision started in NYC and Sydney. These sites were highly controversial because the society at the time said they do not want their tax money to provide such services because it was the wrong thing to do. It was a moral decision made by society regardless of the facts. In the 1990’s there was no factual based evidence that such a clinic would be beneficial or harmful to a society. We now have the facts out from those early trials to tie to our own statistics from the Vancouver based safe injection site. The results are staggering.
How do you honestly feel if I asked you, could I have a small percentage of your tax money to buy needles and a building with full-time trained staff in an expensive downtown location so that homeless and lower-income individuals could come and shoot up to get high?
Most people would say, it’s not my problem or it becomes a moral issue claiming that if we don’t support them this way it’s a good form of tough love to hopefully force them into fixing themselves. The problem is, this hasn’t worked in the past and it won’t work in the future. The surprising statistics behind safe injection site in Vancouver are impressive in that since 2003 drug use has gone down, overdoses has gone down, HIV infection amongst drug users has gone down and emergency hospitals runs have dramatically decreased. The only thing that has gone up are the amount of drug free individuals on the streets of Vancouver.
Well doesn’t that sound morally, or religiously the right thing to do…..clean up the streets?
Because safe injection sites are viewed by a majority of current day society as a moral issue and not as medical issue, which should be treated by factual based evidence, many more across the country have not had the support to open up. A recent report from Ahmed Bayoumi, from the Centre for Research on Inner City Health at St. Michael’s Hospital, and Carol Strike from the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health stated that Toronto and Ottawa could vastly benefit from opening such facilities. Off course the religious individuals in society are opposed along with the right-wing ideology of if we don’t think, talk or deal with the reality of the situation it will just fix it self. Its absolute nonsense, drug abuse is a real issue affecting real people and real families and needs a real solution. Safe injection site with trained professionals who encourage counseling and a drug free future can truly help these most vulnerable people.
The current government of Canada under Mr. Stephen Harper believes that if we treat drug addiction as a criminal offense and send them to jail it will straiten them up into a drug free future. Well it wont work because no facts support such an idea, its extremely much more expensive and it only serves a version or ideology or morality that is not in touch with reality.
In 2000 Portugal decriminalized all drugs. They declared that the ignorant “War on Drugs” was a loosing battle and did not solve anything. What is truly surprising despite your initial shock is that drug use rates of every drug have gone down! I hope I have your attention now. By decriminalizing the use of drugs it gave individuals who were once afraid to seek help fearing condemnation to finally seek the professional government sponsored help they needed. The war on drugs is just a silly name given to stir up people inner moral beliefs of right and wrong regardless of what the factual reality of the situation is.
I whole heartedly support safe injection sites and would truly like to see them in every large city in Canada to actually help those vulnerable to the point that perhaps in time we can eradicate drug use, not by force, but by choice through education.
There are always a super moral members of society who do not wish to talk about drug abuse, pre marital sex, alcohol etc, but only by becoming a society that accept reality and deals with the facts of the issues can we then truly form an advanced and educated society. An interesting study done in the U.S. concluded that households that openly admitted to voting republican (conservative) vs households that openly admitted to voting democrat (more liberal) had a higher rate of teen pregnancy and drug abuse over the more presumable left-wing style households. This is from a variety of things such as republican households tended to be more religious, pro family, anti gay and obvious premarital sex and alcohol were not the most popular topics around the dinner table. The facts however clearly stated that those families who took a more open and honest approach towards talking and dealing with premarital sex, alcohol etc. had lower rates of negative consequences.
The main point is that whether you were Pope John Paul telling people in Africa in the 1990’s who’s families were dying of HIV due to unprotected sexual activity not to use condoms as it was “immoral” or the use of safe injection sites, it’s all the same thing. We as a society need to continue to evolve and adapt to the reality that is around us based on scientific evidence and not just what you may think feels or sounds good.
There are a lot of things in this world that may seem different, new, controversial, immoral but what you should do is find out for yourself it is the real right thing to do. Does this save lives, or decrease them? Is this beneficial to my friends and family or is it harmful? These and many more questions I wish Canadians were asking of their government be they liberal or conservative.
I personally look forward to a future in Canada where all drugs are legal; so that we honestly start to tackle the real harm that drug abuse takes on people’s lives and those around them. Hopefully we can have a future where no one abuses drugs because it truly does destroy lives and tear families apart. It’s time we get smart on crime, not tough.
There is only one way to stop drug abuse, take the war out of it!
Liberal vs Conservative
Oxford definition of Conservative
1. Averse to change or innovation and holding traditional values
2. (in a political context) favoring free enterprise, private ownership, and socially conservative ideas.
Oxford definition of Liberal
1. Willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one’s own; open to new ideas
2. (In a political context) favoring individual liberty, free trade, and moderate political and social reform.
Many times you will hear people say that they are either Liberal or Conservative. This could be in regards to money, social concepts such as gay rights, and where our society as a whole should be. This is not in regards to any particular political party, just that in general people tend to have either more liberal views or more conservative.
In the United States the Democratic Party would be viewed as a “Liberal” political organization while the Republican would be viewed as a “Conservative” political organization. In Canada, it’s a bit easier because we have a Conservative and Liberal Party along with other parties varying on the political scale including the NDP, Green and Bloc.
Try not to attach pictures of George Bush, Obama, Stephen Harper or Bob Rae to any of these political ideas; this is about Liberal views vs. Conservative views.
There are different types of Conservatives; there are fiscal conservatives and social conservatives. Fiscal conservatives favor low taxes, smaller government and less social programs. Social conservatives are people who oppose social progression, the upholding of traditional value of the social system. This is where I become frustrated as upholding in my opinion is another word for stagnation.
Lets first talk about the Fiscal Conservative. If your country was to have a fiscally conservative government you could expect lower taxes, less social programs and a smaller government. This could mean, no public health care, day care, government sponsored pensions, etc. This is not to be viewed in a negative light; some people just want to have more money in their pocket than in the hands of a government that provides such services. The problem lays in the fact that conservative governments like under Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper their governments grew in size and so did the national deficit. If it were actually true that a true conservative government existed, then I would be more interested in listening.
I find it ironic though that the countries that have the highest standards of living according to the international community are anything but fiscally conservative. Countries like Sweden, France, Canada, and Norway would be considered Fiscal Liberal countries because of our high personal tax rates and a large amount of government sponsored programs. Health Care, Day Care, Pensions, Low Income housing, Low Education costs, the list goes on. Lets take a look at the United States where if you’re poor education, health care, day care and other non-subsidized programs are almost inaccessible because you would not be able to afford them. If you are rich, its great because the best of the best education and hospitals with almost zero wait times are in the United States. So its good for some, not so good for most. I personally find it amusing when I go to the United States that the most uneducated and poorest of all Americans are the ones who oppose public healthcare, education subsidy’s etc., even though they would pay the least and gain the most. Lets look at countries like Greece now where they have a high tax rate and a boatload of social programs to the point that we can all clearly see it’s unsustainable. Lets look to Sweden and Canada now, two darn great countries if you ask me. We both have medium high tax rates with generous social programs. If you lose your job, need some healthcare, dental care you will be assisted and taken care of. The programs are far from perfect I can assure you, but you will survive.
Hopefully you understand roughly the difference between a fiscal conservative and a fiscal liberal.
Social Conservative is where I really get my gears in a not. People who label themselves social conservatives in my eyes I really cannot hold much respect for. Its one thing to have different economic views and I am always willing to discuss and debate such topics as both sides can always learn something new from each other. I however do not even talk with big social conservatives because I cannot tolerate ignorance. The woman’s right movements, the black rights movements and gay rights movements were all socially liberal movements. The movements were to break the social constraints of the day and to move to a more open and free society. The people who back in the day opposed woman’s rights, black rights, interracial marriage and now gay rights are all the same people, social conservatives. Social conservatives prefer to keep things the way they are and not to disturb the societal normal. This is ridiculous as society though the generations has progressed from burning witches at the stake, to fair trials, and from black rights who were once slaves working on a farm to now being equal citizens and even becoming President of the United States. Liberal minded countries like many European countries and Canada have legalized Gay Marriage where more socially conservative’s countries are still fighting for gay rights. Anyone who has the audacity to say to a group of people you are of a lesser class or don’t have the same rights as them I just do not have the patience to speak with. Some people call this social conservatism I call it downright ignorance.
Liberals believe in the separation of Church and State and if you compare the politics of say Canada or Sweden where that exists vs. the United States where it doesn’t the politics is much different. I am not going to dive into details but if the Dark Ages taught anyone with a brain that when the church is heavily involved with the state it has ended in failure, as history has proven.
Liberals believe in constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, liberty of individuals, freedom of religion, free speech, free press, assembly and free markets.
Conservatives believe that promoting of traditional institutions and promoting minimal or gradual change within society is best. This is not saying that conservatives oppose the rule of law, or due process just that it was liberal idea’s founded such items as anything new was deemed liberal and breaking out of the old ways of doing things.
For the record, the most successful business are Liberal in a sense. The key to success as a business as anyone will tell you is to be dynamic, change with the markets and adapt or die. If a business made just minimal or gradual change it would surely be left behind and doomed to fail. Businesses that favor teamwork to overcome a challenge are in a way a adopting liberal values. If you look how a Liberal Society with social programs aims to take care of all its members just like in a team or family oriented business where different members may be stronger than others but they pull together to succeed.
Social conservatives in Alberta Canada who once opposed gay marriage now are admitting they may have made mistakes. It was an interesting article reading first hand how these people realized while they don’t agree, perhaps its best to let each person live there life the way they want to live it. I would say that is an example of individual liberty, a Liberal Value. I am sure the same people who opposed woman’s rights, black rights and gay rights would agree over time that maybe they were wrong to try and stop this progression.
I have many conservative friends, and many liberal. We are all different and I respect different points of view, sometimes I just find the need to help these conservatives understand that we have a better standard of living and more educated, tolerant and forward thinking society if we embrace liberal values. This is just a fact, not opinion.
There is an article titled “Are Liberals Smarter than Conservatives?”, but that’s a topic for debate another day. I encourage you to Google the article, it has some interesting points worth reading.
My name is Ryan Sullivan and I am proud to be a forward thinking Liberal, as of there is any other kind.
CanadianFlyboy 