Posts Tagged ‘NDP Leadership Convention’
Andrea Horwath Pre-Vote Interview
We caught Andrea Horwath outside the main room after her final speech before voting. Andrea sheds light on how she would go forward as a potential NDP leader. Many thanks to Andrea Horwath and her campaign for stopping to speak with us in the middle of everything.
1 Comment »Ontario NDP Leadership Convention Emergency Resolution on Stelco Layoffs
This afternoon the NDP passed an emergency resolution in response to the US Steel layoffs in Hamilton and Nanticoke. Below is a video of the NDP’s four leadership candidate’s response to the resolution and the text of the motion itself.
“Emergency Resolution – US Steel Shutdown
WHEREAS US Steel announced on March 3 that the former Stelco steel mills in Hamilton and Nanticoke would be shut down for the first time in their century-long history; and
WHEREAS this will cost the jobs of at least 1,500 workers directly and potentially thousands more in the surrounding communities; and
WHEREAS this is just the latest blow in the manufacturing crisis that has cost hundreds of thousands of jobs in Ontario while the McGuinty Liberal government failed to take effective action;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Ontario New Democratic Party will stand shoulder to shoulder with the affected workers and their families as they fight to keep their jobs; and will
Demand that the McGuinty and Harper governments take immediate action to explore alternatives to keep the Hamiliton and Nanticoke plants open; and
Call on the Federal government to reform Employment Insurance to expand eligibility and benefits, including eliminating the two-week waiting period; and
Demand expansion of the Harper government’s inadequate stimulus package , inclding effective “Buy Canada” provisions, to produce a stronger and faster boost to the Canadian economy; and
Will fight for broader provisions in the Investment Canada Act to protect Canadian jobs for tougher enforcement of commitments made by foreign investors.
ONDP Provincial Executive”
Posted from the floor.
4 Comments »Laforet.ca's NDP Leadership Convention Coverage Begins
Jeff Hume and I have arrived onsite at the Hamilton Convention Centre to cover the NDP leadership race. We are doing so from the prospective of informed non New Democrats. We’ve had the opportunity to meet with each of the NDP candidates and get a sense of who they are and what they stand for.
I want to comment first and foremost on how open and transparent the NDP process has been. I have been very impressed with the openness of each campaign to schedule time to sit with us, party official’s availability to provide us with information about process and how the structure for the race was set, and the ease with which we were accredited as media for the convention.
The plan as it stands right now is to use video, blog entries and twitter to provide information from the convention floor to folks around Ontario who are interested in who the next leader of the NDP is. We plan on highlighting the key policy debates New Democrats have this weekend in addition to the leadership race as well.
One of the benefits about self published reporting is the ability to provide a greater depth to coverage. As non New Democrats this is enhanced by the facts that we can approach the race without the intense emotions anyone who has been actively involved in a leadership campaign feels at a juncture like this.
I hope you enjoy the coverage and will be reading emails on my blackberry throughout the convention so please feel free to provide commentary and advice either in the comments section or by email at john.laforet@laforet.ca
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