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NDP to hold joint nominations for two federal ridings
The new federal NDP President, Peggy Nash, will be the special guest at a joint nomination meeting that will see incumbent Irene Mathyssen stand once again to represent the London-Fanshawe riding and Ryan Dolby seeking the Elgin-Middlesex-London nomination. Dolby, who ran a strong NDP campaign in the Elgin-Middlesex-London riding during the last federal election, is returning to seek the nomination and hopefully unseat Conservative Joe Preston. "Our riding needs an MP who won't just rubber stamp the Harper-Ignatieff agenda, but will stand up for the needs of everyday people in our communities," said Dolby. "Irene's 'Made-In-Canada' bill is one example of the common sense representation we need in our communities to create real job opportunities, and I hope to join the NDP caucus in Ottawa to give Elgin-Middlesex-London the representation the people deserve." Pointing to her past accomplishments, Mathyssen said she has found it to be a "pleasure and privilege" serving the people of London-Fanshawe since 2006. "I've been able to help individual families with problems around Employment Insurance, Canada Revenue matters, and other federal concerns, and bring federal funding to London-Fanshawe to create jobs in the community. It is my hope that our members will give me a strong vote of confidence to continue this work," says Mathyssen. The nomination meeting at the South London Community Centre, 1119 Jalna Blvd., begins at 6 p.m. with registration, and runs until 8 p.m. |
| No matter what, we should try to ensure that Irene Mathyssen, does not win this seat. She is a person that shouts, but has no real action plan. The sooner she is out the better London will be. |
| By: Dave Williams on 09/03/2009 |
| Irene Mathyssen has a reputation of getting things done - I repeatedly hear people in different areas, professionals at LHSC, ordinary folks and neighbours, all know Irene as a "get-it-done" MP. We need more MP's like Irene, and more NDP MP's to hold the government to account. |
| By: M.J. Winkler-Callighen on 09/03/2009 |
| Wow, Dave Williams, I\'m not sure what world you are living in, but London has never had an MP as good as Irene. Even though she disagrees with the Conservatives, she worked within their programs to get infrastructure money for our riding. Her EI motion and Made-In-Canada Bill would make a real difference in fighting this recession. I\'ve seen her at more community events this summer than the previous MP ever attended in 12 years. People I talk to at work or in the neighbourhood all like Irene and think she is doing a damn good job. I\'m glad she will be running again, whenever the election comes, she has my vote. |
| By: w. druer on 09/03/2009 |
| Quaint, discredited and ultimately misguided nationalistic policy such as "Made in Canada" does nothing for spurring economic growth...principles of barrier-free global trade, competitive advantage, and limited government involvement in the sphere of business is the way to prosperity and development. Away with government hand-outs and control. By the way, why should it be a crime to buy the best product at the best price, no matter what country it comes from? |
| By: who, what, where, when, why and how on 09/04/2009 |
| MJ, your statement of saying that Irene Mathyssen is the best MP we have ever had is sad. Although I am not a long time resident of this city, I am a current taxpaying citizen and do receive Irene's flyers (sic) every so often. Not only does this lady seem to have lost a sense of realism of today's economic situation, her Stalyinst views are only acceptable to the brainwashed socialists that her riding seems to horde. If Mathysen ever understood that the best method of filling a hole is not by digging another, I feel she would actually have an understanding on what London and Canada need to succeed. A question to Irene or any of her supporters, How may jobs have you tried to create that did not involve spending government funds? Interesting thought. |
| By: Dave Williams on 09/04/2009 |
| I live in Irene's riding and think she is doing a pretty good job, so whenever I see her name on LondonTopic (thanks LondonTopic, you are a great local news site), I click to check it out. What stuns me here is the statements of those posters decrying Irene's Made-In-Canada legislation. For those honestly interested, the legislation itself and Irene's introduction of it in parliament is on her website. Aren't the so called "principles of barrier-free global trade, competitive advantage, and limited government involvement in the sphere of business" one poster praises THE VERY CAUSE OF THIS RECESSION!!! Greed, selfishness and the "free markets" of capitalism aren't going to solve our long term economic health. Perhaps short term papering over of the problem, but no sustainable solution will be achieved without an overhaul and redistribution of public-private spheres of responsibility and proper regulatory frameworks. There is a role for both the private and public sectors in our economy, but the scales are tipped far too far to the private sector only. Privatization is NOT the answer to everything. We need to restore some balance. "How may jobs have you tried to create that did not involve spending government funds?" asks Mr. Williams. Well, ALL GOVERNMENT JOB CREATION initiatives, regardless of what MP or what political party promotes them, involves spending government funds. The Conservative's $14 billion in subsidies to the big oil and bank companies is a form of government spending! Except the benefit of that mostly leaves the country and lines the pockets of trans-national CEOs. International Junkets to try to attract foreign business interests is done on our public dime, the Prime Minister doesn't pay for them out of his own pocket. More government spending. Waiving development fees or property tax breaks to entice a business to locate in our community? That too is a form of government spending, because in forgoing that revenue the government in question has to make up that revenue shortfall--because those properties still get sewer, road, hydro, etc service lines--and we the individual citizens get stuck with the bill on our personal taxes. INSTEAD, Irene is saying if the government is going to spend money on goods and services, it should BUY CANADIAN WHENEVER POSSIBLE. If the critics actually bother to read the bill, they will see all kinds of provisions to keep us NAFTA compliant and respect our trade deals. Irene's idea has the common sense advantage, if we BUY CANADIAN AS OUR FIRST CHOICE, we keep Canadians working. If we keep Canadians working, they are able to pay their mortgages, they are able to feed their families without going to the food bank, they are able to go out and purchase retail goods and services and...pay their taxes instead of collecting EI or welfare. Paying taxes and government spending are both the obligation we have and the privilege we enjoy for living in a civilized society. Good roads and sewers, public health care, public education, transit, these are both good for citizens, and a competitive advantage for business. Spending on arts, cultural and sport, further enhances the quality of life of citizens...and increases the attractiveness of our community to the kinds of business we need to attract for future success. People making idiotic, ideological, knee jerk, partisan statements like "brainwashed socialists" aren't contributing anything useful to an intelligent community dialogue. In fact these are the kinds of statements that have led so many people to stop participating in our democracy altogether because they perceive politics to have devolved into a childish name calling shouting match. I know this from first hand experience, many of my peers in our twenty-something years are those non-voting, non-participating Canadians. Whenever the election comes, I wish everyone would turn off the TV one night each week and READ each of their local candidates flyers, VISIT each of the candidate websites, THINK carefully, and get out to make an INFORMED vote on election day. Democracy isn't just a right, its a responsibility. Too bad so many of us seem to have forgotten that. |
| By: T.Kent on 09/06/2009 |
| T. Kent, your age definatley speaks for itself. Buying Canadian was a rule for over 100 years in this country due to excessive tariffs. What did that give Canadians? That gave us sub quality product as Canadians did not have produce at a higher level as the protectionism that the tariffs provided kept us in a contained market. When the Conservatives brought free trade into Canada, it one) pushed Canadian companies to improve on its quality if we wanted to compete at an international level (we accomplished this), and two) it provided Canada with the greatest prosperity it had seen since confederation. It also allowed the Liberals to ride the coat tails on a Conservative platform that no other Government in over 100 years had the intellect or the fortitude to endeavor. Ms. Mathyssen's policies are not to assist this city,province or country grow or even excel on the international stage, her policies are centered on self loathing constituents that could care less if the country succeeds as long as the handout from the central government is there in full force. In the time that Ms. Mathyssen has been representing London at any level, what has she done or to stand corrected said (as her track record is more on blowing smoke than actual substance) to attract any new industry to this region? I challenge anyone including Ms.Mathyssen herself to provide and documented proof that she has contributed to one new job to the city of London. Irene in your most recent review that you sent out, not one line that you have taken the time to write stated what you are personally trying to do to attract or create employment in London. If you were sincere about helping your constituents with employment insurance difficulties, you would be more interested in finding these people work than trying to convince the weak and gullable to vote NDP for another term. Again, the challenge is out there, please provide proof of one real job that could be attributed directly to you and that does not include the secretary for your riding office. |
| By: Dave Williams on 09/14/2009 |
| "policies are centered on self loathing constituents that could care less if the country succeeds as long as the handout from the central government" "your age definatley speaks for itself" Thank you Dave Williams for demonstrating your complete lack of disrespect and disregard for your fellow citizens and your obvious Conservative partisanship. Just because T.Kent is a twenty-something doesn't make his or her opinion any less valid. In fact maybe if more young people displayed this kind of thought and interest in politics we might see a real change for the better in Canada. And, try to spin it anyway you want, the FACT is the current economic crisis is the result of the gluttony of NAFTA and other "Free Trade" agreements, coupled with the Neo-Con-Lib deregulation and privatization obsession of the past 20 years which has led to this point. Did NAFTA create some prosperity, yes in the beginning it did. BUT it was NOT sustainable, and the prosperity overwhelmingly benefited the wealthiest 2% of the population. The REAL income, of everyday people has decreased over the past 20 years because wage increases have not kept pace with the cost-of-living. |
| By: wes druer on 10/04/2009 |
| Wes, the amazing part of your comment is that you live in Ontario and blame any job loss on NAFTA instead of the real reason. I have spent the past 15 years in this city and people like yourself consider employment as entitlement. The fact is jobs migrate out of this city due to the lack of respect of employers through the union bargaining process. In the companies that I had the oppertunity to tour, it is evident that a high percentage of unionized shops have decided that minimal productivity and high pay have over come hard work and a realistic wage. Ask GM, Ford and Chrysler why they are choosing to leave Canada. Ask IMT, Accuride and Sterling why it is near impossible to do business in SW Ontario, then ask Irene what she has done to convince the workforce to do to save these jobs. I think you will find a common denominator. |
| By: Dave Williams on 11/04/2009 |
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