Hamilton hammers Conservatives for backing out of Kyoto

Tories “won’t deliver on their deals”, says Calgary Centre Green candidate

CALGARY, 12 December 2011 — Once again, the federal Conservatives have backed out of a deal.  This time, however, they’ve done it on a global stage.

“Today, the federal Conservatives have shown Canadians and people around the world what Calgarians have known for weeks,” said Calgary Centre Green Party candidate William Hamilton.  “The Tories just won’t deliver on their deals.”

The announcement in Ottawa earlier today by Conservative Environment Minister Peter Kent that the federal government intends to abrogate the Kyoto Protocol highlights a pattern of federal Conservative bad faith and poor behaviour, said Hamilton.  “The Conservatives destroyed 14 years of trust that Canada and our world placed in our government when they backed out of Kyoto,” he noted.  “Then again, the Tories also shattered four decades of Calgarians’ faith in them when they backed out of helping to build four new recreation centres in our city.  Frankly, folks could be forgiven right now for wondering whether even the local milkman is safe with a Conservative MP for a client.”

Hamilton called on Calgarians concerned for the fate of our planet and our place in it to visit http://keepkyoto.ca/ and let the Conservatives know how important the responsible stewardship of greenhouse gas emissions is to their families and to their future.  “The Tories have forgotten that a deal’s a deal, especially in this town,” he added.  “Calgary Centre deserves a louder voice.  A stronger voice.  A voice that understands the importance of upholding a bargain, and will challenge the federal Conservatives to honour their word.”

– 30 –

• Copy and paste this letter into an e-mail message with your name, address, and phone number, and send it to lee.richardson@parl.gc.ca; or
• Print and sign a copy of this letter with your name, address, and phone number, and fax it to +1 613 995 1862; or
• Print and sign a copy of this letter with your name, address, and phone number, and mail it (no postage stamp required!) to:

Lee Richardson, MP

432-C Centre Block

House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0A6

For that matter, the friendly staff at Lee’s constituency office in Calgary Centre would also likely enjoy a cordial, considerate, and polite conversation with you about the points in this letter at 403 244 1880.

With autumn in Calgary Centre fading so quickly into winter, Lee, it’s so easy to forget that the St Louis Cardinals won the World Series a matter of weeks ago, and that spring training is a mere three months away.  And it’s a shame, too, that the Calgary Vipers couldn’t make a go of minor pro ball in this town.  Yet the facts of the fall sitting of Parliament are as plain as the crack of a bat on a fastball, and as stark as a blown save.  The voters who gave you your job back on May 2 are questioning their call, Lee, and I think you’ll agree they deserve to see you step up to the plate and offer them some answers.

First of all, why did your federal Calgary Conservative MPs back out of a $100-million deal two years in the making to help their city fund four new recreation centres?  Calgarians are frustrated and angry with a government that looked arrogant, contemptuous, and out of touch with their needs and priorities.  Lee, we both know how much these new recreation facilities are desperately needed by Calgary Centre voters and by all Calgarians who want to stay active, enhance healthy lifestyles, bond with their friends and neighbours, and be part of the strong communities that are a hallmark of what it means to be a Calgarian.  Besides, the City of Calgary worked in good faith with Ottawa for two years, and counted on the federal government and PPP Canada to come through with that $100-million, 25-percent stake in these recreation facilities.  Trust, continuity, and transparency are essential to effective public-private partnerships, and the people of this city expect so much better from Ottawa than what we got last week.  Calgary Centre deserves a partner in Ottawa who will come back to the table and honour their word.

Secondly, why are your federal Conservative colleagues compelling Elizabeth May to travel to the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban on her own dime?  It was less than three months ago that your government’s own foreign minister, John Baird, addressed the UN General Assembly and spoke not only to “our duty to pull” the Founding Principles of the United Nations “from the printed page, to breathe life into them, and to practise them every day”, but also to our great nation’s refusal to debase “multilateral institutions by conduct that is inconsistent with their values”.  How does denying a duly-elected Member of Parliament a place in our national delegation to a UN conference, and depriving our national delegation of an important source of experience and insight as we chart the course for our planet and our future on it, serve the diversity and the breadth of knowledge Canada has to offer to our world?  We both understand, Lee, that the world looks to us to live by our commitments in building the true democracy that we cherish in our country and promote around our world.  Our planet counts on us to lead by our example.  Calgary Centre deserves an advocate in Parliament and on the global stage who will give a fair hearing to expert evidence and ensure that every voice matters.

Finally, why did your federal Conservative government become so blinded by vengeance to the notion of Canadian justice?  Calgarians understand, as do our neighbours in Texas, in California, and in other North American jurisdictions, that the mandatory minimum sentencing provisions in Bill C-10 are an investment in nothing but misery and wasted human potential.  For less than the cost of incarcerating five new convicts for one year, Ottawa could more wisely spend instead on fully funding a Calgary Drug Treatment Court that since 2007 has already saved the Canadian justice system nearly $13-million and has brought responsibility, accountability, and hope to a population used to destitution, desperation, and despair.  Our police chief is an outspoken advocate for secure treatment facilities, and in describing them as “safe jails”, Lee, he underscores the hazards and the futility of delivering drug-dependent petty criminals to Canada’s prison system.  Calgary Centre deserves a prudent steward of the public purse who will spend less of our hard-earned taxes on dungeons and durance vile, and more on the smart economy that Canada needs for our future prosperity.

Most of the umpires who work our baseball diamonds would have scored you harshly on your performance at the plate, Lee.  Standing up for Calgary’s recreation centres?  Took Strike One looking.  Standing up for a committed Canadian presence in Durban?  Took Strike Two looking.  Standing up for an effective justice system?  Took Strike Three looking.

And you know what the umps like to do after they call Strike Three, right?

Calgary Centre deserves a louder voice in Parliament, Lee.  A stronger voice.  And because I’m one of your constituents, Lee, I’m willing to widen the strike zone on you just a little bit — putting the count at a ball and two strikes, in case you’re keeping score at home — and give you just one more swing at my questions to you.

But I hope you make that swing count.

Hamilton challenges Conservatives to honour their word

CALGARY, 25 November 2011 — The Conservatives have backed out of their agreement to help fund community centres in Calgary. The $100 million promised in 2009 was the federal share of a $400 million commitment to building hockey rinks, swimming pools, and local recreation facilities in the city. By re-writing the eligibility rules on the fly, the Conservatives – including eight Calgary MPs – have let down the people of Calgary, and shown contempt for the public-private partnership they initiated.

“Our communities matter, and Calgarians know it,” said William Hamilton, the Calgary Centre candidate for the Green Party of Canada in the 2011 general election. “Thursday’s news that the federal government is backing out of its commitment to help fund four new community centres is a slap in the face to the people of this city.

“Trust, continuity, and transparency are essential to effective public-private partnerships. The City of Calgary worked in good faith with Ottawa for two years, and counted on the federal government to come through with $100-million for a 25-per-cent stake in these recreation facilities. That Ottawa is reneging on its commitments speaks volumes about how worthy Calgary’s contingent of federal Conservative MPs are of our trust.”

The Green Party of Canada calls on the federal government to come back to the table with the $100-million they pledged to recreation facilities in Calgary. “Strong communities are the backbone of Canada,” said Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich—Gulf Islands. “Recreational facilities offer places for people to be healthy, have fun, and get together. Hockey rinks and swimming pools are a higher priority for Canadians than mega-prisons and fighter jets. The government should honour its commitment and restore funding to the community centres it promised to support in Calgary.”

– 30 –

In a national teleconference call on Sunday evening, I was asked to represent Alberta’s Green Party of Canada membership on the Party’s Federal Council, a body that governs the Party between Biennial General Meetings (National Conventions) of the membership and focuses primarily on the Party’s strategic and budgetary planning and development. I have agreed to represent Alberta’s Green Party members and electoral district associations, contribute as an equal member of Federal Council in making responsible decisions regarding the governance of the Party, be an active member on at least one of the Council sub-committees, contribute to the annual and long term strategic planning of the Party, be a member of the Green Party of Canada Fund, and carry out other duties as agreed by Federal Council.

What this new job means is that I’ll be talking to Greens all across Alberta over the next few weeks to understand what’s happening on the ground wherever in this bountiful province you may be.  Make sure you drop me a line soon!

We’re looking forward to renewing our efforts to connect with you and to give you the louder and stronger voice you deserve in Calgary Centre.  We’ll be relaunching the calgarycentregreens.ca website soon, with a constant and steady stream of content, event notices, ideas, and news you can use.  In the meantime, I’ll also be distributing an e-zine with regular updates every month letting you know about what we’re doing and keeping you in the loop about what the Green Party of Canada is doing on Parliament Hill to help you build the smart economy, strong communities, and true democracy Calgary Centre needs.  Subscribing to my e-zine is just a simple mouse-click away.

Please be sure to keep visiting this site so you can hear about the fun and excitement we have planned in Calgary Centre!

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you all so much for joining us tonight at the Killarney-Glengarry Community Hall.

I’m running for election as your Green Party candidate because Calgary Centre deserves a louder voice. A stronger voice. And it’s so important to
be here in front of all of you this evening because your voices and your ideas are a critical part of how and why a democracy works. In fact, public
forums on the issues that matter to you are as old as democracy itself. You’re entitled to a Member of Parliament who is empowered for you and
accountable to you. Public forums like this one tonight are what ensure I am empowered and accountable.

So let me tell you a little bit about the ideas that matter to Calgary Centre in this election.

It’s time for Calgary Centre to be the epicentre of the smart economy this country needs to prosper in the twenty-first century. A smart economy
features green jobs — people and businesses investing money and labour in renewable energy systems, freight and passenger railway services, and
efficient buildings. A smart economy features healthy industry — sustainable and profitable farms and ranches, forestry enterprises where
we add value to the wood right here at home, and jobs and small businesses where real people make real products. It invests in new tools
and technologies to turn energy from the end into a beginning. And a smart economy features a government that lives within its means — where
Ottawa balances the books, modernises the way it works, and gets out of the business of picking winners and propping up losers.

It’s time for Calgary Centre to be the example to Canadians of how a true democracy works in this country. When’s the last time you pointed to
Question Period in Parliament as a demonstration of good behaviour for your children? If your instincts lean to the fundamental Canadian values of
co-operation, civility, and fair play, looking at what’s happening on Parliament Hill these days is more likely to bring to mind a cage fight. You

elect your Member of Parliament to do a job for you — defend your rights, bring your concerns in Killarney-Glengarry to the national stage, and see to
it that the business of the nation gets done transparently and respectfully. And that’s a job you’re entitled to see done irrespective of the colour of
your coat. In a true democracy, we live by our principles. We lead by example. We make every voice in Calgary Centre count.

And it is time for Calgary Centre to be the showcase for the strong communities our nation can build together. A strong community takes less
income tax money out of families’ pockets and helps them share the load with more flexible work and child-care solutions. A strong community
supports our elders, supports our mental and physical well-being, and supports the urban places and common spaces that give us time for what
really matters. Let’s bring Ottawa back to the table to invest in transit, safeguard our health systems, and make human life in our cities humane.
Investing in transit is a key pillar of a Green Party budget that puts Calgary Centre first — with a budget plan that funds $2.1-billion nationally in mass
transit capital construction costs through 2014.

Building strong communities in Calgary Centre takes work. It takes time, effort, determination, and a little tender loving care to maintain and
enhance the essential infrastructure we need and share with our friends and neighbours. We don’t notice basic things like effective transit systems,
water and sewer infrastructure, playgrounds, housing, schools, community halls, and health care when they’re working properly and firmly in place —
but when the buses are packed and backed up on gridlocked roads, or when water mains fail for want of a nail that municipalities are too
strapped to afford, we sure notice then, don’t we? Strong communities involve and engage everyone who lives in them, ranging from the young
families getting started in their lives together to the elders who deserve the dignity and independence to keep contributing and continue offering their
wisdom to the neighbourhood and the world around them. After all, the reason you make a living is so that you can come back home to a strong
community where you and your families and your friends and neighbours can have fulfilling and meaningful lives.

But Ottawa has shirked its responsibilities to you. Parliament has become so snarled in gridlock of its own making that it can’t see and can’t fathom
the damage that its neglect of our cities and your community has wrought. Calgary Centre deserves a representative who can get Parliament’s eye back on the ball and back on the job — serving Canadians.

Now to implement the smart economy, strong communities, and true democracy we need in Calgary Centre, you’re absolutely right to demand a plan. We have one. We’ve crunched the numbers. The Green Party of Canada is the only party running in this election to have a baseline federal budget that meets the exacting standards of bankers like TD’s Don Drummond — to have a tangible and viable plan that gets Ottawa back in the black. Our budget plan hits polluters where it hurts, and rewards people in Calgary Centre who act responsibly, live sustainably, and do the right thing. We will knock three percentage points off the federal debt-to-GDP ratio over the next three years, and we will do it prudently and responsibly. Our Green fiscal plan puts people and their families in Calgary Centre on our shoulders, where they belong.

The Green Party of Canada has a platform and a plan that serves Calgary Centre’s aspirations and immediate needs. Our plan for a smart economy draws on the drive and the dynamism that attracts people to Calgary Centre. Our plan for strong communities builds on the urban vibrancy and sustainability that the people of Calgary Centre seek in choosing to live here. And our plan for true democracy speaks to the vision and the values that so many of us in Calgary Centre share.

It’s time to put Calgary Centre first. On May 2, help me turn Calgary Centre Green.

We completed these commercials just in time for the weekend leading up to Election Day because we are the only party running in this election to offer solutions to the finger-pointing that’s been happening in Ottawa for far too long. It’s time to put Calgary Centre first, and with these spots that’s exactly what we’re doing. - William Hamilton

Head to Internet Archive to download a high resolution copy of these blue, red & orange campaign commercials.

Nenshi recently wrote an op-ed in the Calgary Herald, noting that:

Each of the major party platforms only superficially addresses the issues that cities face. The one exception is the Green party, which suggests creating a series of municipal “superfunds” focused on issues like transit, cycling promotion and community facilities. - Naheed Nenshi

After the flashmob hockey, Georges Laraque joined Elizabeth on stage with Calgary’s Green candidates to talk about issues facing Calgarians in the upcoming election.

On Tuesday, April 19, 2011 Elizabeth May will meet Calgarians over coffee and while mainstreeting in downtown Calgary. Come out and lift a latte with a potential leader of our country! Then saunter down the avenue (Stephen Avenue) with Greens wearing Green and Elizabeth May. When everyone reaches Calgary’s historic Trolley Car Stage, Elizabeth May will give remarks to the gathering crowd. There will be great photo opportunities: be sure to bring your cameras! (And don’t say we didn’t warn you.) The 75-minute long event will look like this:

Lift a Latte with Elizabeth May
Good Earth Café, Bankers Court, 850 – 2 Street SW
9:15 am – 9:35 am (approx)

Saunter Down Stephen Avenue with Greens in Green
(Start at 8 Ave and 2 St SW; end at 8 Ave and 1 St SW)
9:35 am – 10:00 am (approx)

Remarks from the Trolley Car Stage
Stephen Avenue Mall
(8 Avenue SW near 1 Street SW)
10:00 am – 10:30 am (approx)

“This visit is excellent news for Calgarians,” added Calgary Centre candidate William Hamilton. “It’s time for Calgarians to see for themselves on Tuesday that Elizabeth May and the Green Party of Canada are the only ones standing up for the smart economy, strong communities, and true democracy Calgary deserves. She knows just how much Calgary deserves a louder voice in Parliament. A stronger voice.”