The Vancouver Quadra Federal Liberal Association is seeking a Fieldworker who will assist the Association and Campaign in implementing a political outreach strategy for Vancouver Quadra. This will be a part time contract position. The outreach strategy’s primary focus will be to develop membership and fundraising capacity, with a view toward building a strong financial and manpower capacity.

• Overall objectives of the role will include:
• Increasing the total number of Victory Fund members
• Increasing the riding membership
• Coordinating events with executive members
• Assisting with local media outreach and communications, including newsletter production
• Assisting with election preparedness and organisation
• Assisting with the engagement of community groups, ethno-cultural communities, and prospective Federal Liberal voters

Qualifications:

• Experience and expertise in campaigning and community outreach will be considered an asset
• Experience using liberalist will be considered an asset
• Self motivated
• Must have a computer and cell phone
• Car is an asset
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Attendance at all riding association meetings is required
• Familiarity with Vancouver Quadra

Terms:

• Part time
• 3 month contract with option for renewal
• 20 hrs/ week

Please email your cover letter and CV to president@quadraliberals.ca. Applications must be submitted by May 18th, 2012.

With my assistant Carla at the wheel we certainly did just that! Arriving for a Wednesday evening meeting in Osoyoos where I was a keynote speaker at the first-ever National Aboriginal Tourism Conference, through Oliver, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon and Kamloops, we fit in 15 meetings with groups large and small over the next three days.

In each community we invited local government, business and tourism leaders to a consultation session, which helped me understand the concerns in these important rural towns and cities. With a jobless recovery in Canada and still-high unemployment rates, the meetings identified a number of areas where federal leadership is lacking: predictability of infrastructure funding, better access to skilled labour, more focus on small business challenges, partnering in regional tourism promotion, and strategies for housing and childcare affordability so that young families can afford to stay in the region rather than move to bigger cities – or the oil patch.

I was pleased at the meetings’ attendance and the chance to share the Liberal record and vision for jobs and small business.

Small businesses are the engines of Canada’s economy accounting for about half of all new jobs, and we need them to thrive. But in the Interior and my riding of Vancouver Quadra alike many are struggling. A recent Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) survey revealed that business confidence in BC is well below the national average, and slipped from 64.9 to 63.8 (on a scale of 100) in just one month. Only 49% of BC business owners were optimistic about the state of their business. The Conservatives’ income tax breaks (22% reduced to 15%) for large corporations do nothing for small businesses.

Unfortunately the government’s 2012 Federal Budget doesn’t help: it increases business EI payroll taxes for the second year in a row, cuts $30 million from the fund that supports small businesses and entrepreneurs in Western Canada, and reduces by 20% the program for marketing Canadian tourism highlights to the world.

Carla and I had a chance to share chicken wings, sip delicious Okanagan wine, and talk politics and policy with dedicated Liberals in five ridings in the Interior and Thompson Okanagan. I do want to underline the importance of the efforts, resources and creativity contributed by the EDA executives in each of these ridings, and their successes in engaging youth. This work is fundamental to rebuilding the Liberal Party of Canada in this region and nationally. And in turn, I am passing on their requests for better links between the EDA executives and members  – and the activities and tours being organized centrally.

Every riding is vital to the renewal of the Liberal Party in BC, and on these tours I am reminded of all the Liberals have to offer rural communities and families, and vice versa!

Thanks to all who gave me such a warm welcome, and helped make my visits enjoyable and productive by connecting me with your local community members. This was my third rural consultation tour in twelve months, and I plan to do more!  As always, I welcome your feedback and ideas about my portfolio and the rebuilding of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Best regards,

Joyce Murray, MP

Joyce Murray and the Vancouver Quadra Community Charter Celebration – April 17th at 4:30 pm

The Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission Liberals Charter Celebration – April 17th at 3:30 PM

Young Liberals of Canada in BC Charter Night Celebration – April 17th at 8 PM

“Bowling for Your Rights” with the New Westminister-Coquitlam Federal Liberals – April 18th at 7 PM

Charter of Rights and Freedom Celebration Party with the North Shore Liberals – April 19th at 7:30 PM

Hope to see you there!

The Liberal Party of Canada is an association of members who share certain principles, as set out below, and who strive to elect candidates to the House of Commons for the purpose of advancing those principles.

The Liberal Party of Canada is committed to the view that the dignity of each individual man and woman is the cardinal principle of democratic society and the primary purpose of all political organization and activity in such a society.

The Liberal Party of Canada is dedicated to the principles that have historically sustained the Party: individual freedom, responsibility and human dignity in the framework of a just society, and political freedom in the framework of meaningful participation by all persons. The Liberal Party is bound by the constitution of Canada and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is committed to the pursuit of equality of opportunity for all persons, to the enhancement of our unique and diverse cultural community, to the recognition that English and French are the official languages of Canada, and to the preservation of the Canadian identity in a global society.

In accordance with this philosophy, the Liberal Party of Canada subscribes to the fundamental rights and freedoms of persons under the rule of law and commits itself to the protection of these essential values and their constant adaptation to the changing needs of modern Canadian society.

The Liberal Party of Canada recognizes that human dignity in a democratic system requires that all citizens have access to full information concerning the policies and leadership of the Party;the opportunity to participate in open and public assessment of such means, and such
modifications of policies and leadership as they deem desirable to promote the political, economic, social, cultural and general well-being of Canadians.

To realize this objective, the Liberal Party of Canada strives to provide a flexible and democratic structure whereby all Canadians can obtain such information, participate in such assessment and militate for such reform through open communications, free dialogue and participatory action both electoral and non-electoral. This Constitution sets forth the institutions, systems and procedures by which the Liberal Party of Canada, in co-operation with its provincial and territorial associations and electoral district associations, works to implement these ideas on behalf of all its members.

We have spoken against the fast-tracking of environmental assessments for major oil, gas and mining projects as well as the removal of any reference to “fish habitats” from the Fisheries Act. These measures will put our salmon at risk. We are clear in our concern about the lack of consultation with First Nations on the Enbridge pipeline, which is a constitutional imperative.

As Liberal Health Critic, I have been calling on the government to take action on the ongoing prescription drug shortage in Canada. I flagged this early last year and the Conservatives have done nothing. The Conservatives are asking pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily let them know if there will be a disruption in supply. We have seen this to be ineffective given that generic drug company Sandoz Canada failed to notify Health Canada when they were experiencing a shortage.

Our Caucus has also worked hard to reach out to Canadians, and I have been doing health care town halls in Vancouver and across the country. Many Liberal MPs are visiting British Columbia in the coming weeks including Environment Critic Kirsty Duncan, Housing Critic John McCallum, Fisheries Critic Lawrence MacCaulay, and House Leader Marc Garneau.

We punch well above our weight in Ottawa and have a credibility and influence that gives us hope for forming a government.

This budget cuts old age security eligibility which affects Canada’s poorest seniors. It guts the environmental assessment process in favour of accelerated approval for pipelines and super-tankers.

When we were in government, we did an expenditure review too, so we know that fat can be cut. Do it surgically, target waste, and don’t eliminate front-line services to Canadians. This budget increases the deficit and defers the hard decisions for three years.

Here is what Jim Flaherty said today: “This is hardly in the league of what Chretien and Martin did in the 1990s.” And he’s right; we cut the waste while protecting healthcare and other social programs. He is attacking poor seniors and young people.

We put Canada’s fiscal house in order after it was torn apart by conservatives. Now conservatives are at it again.

Here is the Harper Government record:

*

It’s also important to remember that the current federal government was handed a $13 billion surplus from the previous Liberal government. It only took them less than 2 years to spend Canada into deficit.

You can look at the books and see for yourself: the government increased spending by three times the rate of inflation even before the recession began. And now they are doing it again–spending is up by $12 billion while the forecast deficit will only decrease by one billion this year.

Today’s misguided budget cuts are in part an effort to balance this government’s reckless spending increases. As Ronald Regan use to say:
“They are spending like drunken sailors, which is an insult to drunken sailors.”

*http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/canada-deficit/

Conservative MPs are circulating petitions calling for the CBC to be “defunded”. They are using it as a scapegoat in the midst of Canada’s current economic difficulties.

Heritage Minister James Moore promised before the election to maintain or even strengthen the CBC’s budget. But since then, he’s gone from advocating a cut of 5% to, now, 10%. Who knows how much further the Conservatives will go.

This is why we have re-launched the Hands off our CBC petition – to stand-up for public broadcasting, and provide all Canadians an opportunity to do the same.  Over 21,000 thousand people have signed it.

Please add your name to the petition here.

The Conservatives are again over-reading their mandate. We need to send them a strong message: CBC funding didn’t cause your Conservative deficit; so don’t try to fix that problem on the back of the CBC!

The Liberal Party of Canada recognizes the profound importance of the CBC’s role in our society. We will fight to ensure our national broadcaster receives the support and resources it needs to continue to do its vital job.

So please sign the petition here.

And while you’re at it, post it on your Facebook page, tweet it or forward it to a friend. We’re depending on you to help spread the word.

http://lpc.ca/handsoffourcbc

Thank you.

Bob Rae

Interim Leader, Liberal Party of Canada

That’s why yesterday in Question Period I called on the Conservative Government to immediately launch a Royal Commission on electoral fraud.And that’s why today the Liberal Party of Canada proactively disclosed its calling data related to the 2011 federal campaign to assist Elections Canada with their ongoing investigation, setting the standard for openness and transparency.

Notice of the Annual General Meeting and the Election of Officers for the Saanich – Gulf Islands Federal Liberal Association.

Date: Saturday March 3rd, 2012. 11am – 1pm
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Mary Winspear Centre 2243 Beacon Avenue Sidney BC

The Annual General Meeting will:
Approve the minutes of the previous AGM.
Receive the report of the Riding Association President.
Receive the report of the Riding Association Treasurer.
Elect the following officer of the Riding Association for the upcoming year:

- Riding Association President
- Riding Association Vice-President
- Riding Association Treasurer
- Riding Association Secretary
- Riding Association Communications Chair
- Riding Association Organization Chair
- Riding Association Membership Secretary
- Riding Association Policy Chair
- Riding Association Directors-at-Large

In order to be a member of the Riding Association Executive, a person must be a member in good standing of the Party. A member of the Riding Association Executive may not hold more than one elected position on the Riding Association Executive at the same time. A member may not hold a position on more than one Riding Association Executive at the same time.

All members in good standing who are resident or deemed resident under sub-section 78(8) in the Saanich Gulf Islands electoral district, who are present at the meetingand who have been members of the Party in good standing for the 42 days immediately preceding the meeting have the right to attend, speak and vote at the meeting.

Those seeking election to be officers of the Riding Association should send their intentions to stand at the AGM to Sharon Apsey nominations@teamsgi.ca and info@lpcbc.com.

If you need to renew your membership you may do so at join.liberal.ca.

To RSVP, please click here