As of Fri Jan 22:
There are 209,876 members on the Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament facebook group. Please see item #3 by David Eaves.
CONTENTS
- JOE HUEGLIN, PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, ANTI-PROROGATION
- LISTING OF CROSS-CANADA EVENTS IN PROTEST OF PROROGUE
- DAVID EAVES, GLOBE & MAIL JAN 21 Will be interesting to see how this goes and if political parties can get comfortable with a two-way medium where they can’t control the message.
- FAIR VOTE CANADA ALSO ORGANIZING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
- PREVIOUS EMAIL: FIRST NATIONS ORGANIZING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
- SASKATCHEWAN NO PROROGUE EVENTS
Many millions of lives have been lost in the fight for democracy over the time of human history.
It is now time for us to stand up.
If you are unable to attend an anti-prorogation event tomorrow (Sat Jan 23), I hope you will forward this information to others.
Thanks, Sandra
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(1) JOE HUEGLIN, PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, ANTI-PROROGATION
(NOTE: The Progressive Conservative Party is different from the Conservative Party.)
The more aware of this movement to stand against unilateral action by Harper the better!
PC PARTY<> PC PARTY<> PC PARTY
To: National Media From: Joe Hueglin 905 356 3901
Subject: Update on anti-prorogation demos
The following report is but a prologue to what will be occurring in Canada but also in several other countries as listed below
Prime Minister Harper confronted by anti-prorogation protest in Toronto
There are as of now 207 798 members of differing age groups of the Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament Facebook site
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(2) LISTING OF CROSS-CANADA EVENTS IN PROTEST OF PROROGUE (Joe’s email continued:)
Local Info & Events
- Antigonish, NS Info & Events
- Barrie Info & Events
- Belleville Info & Events
- Bolton Info & Events
- Calgary Info & Events
- Charlottetown Info & Events
- Dallas, TX Info & Events
- Duncan, BC Info & Events
- Edmonton Info & Events
- Fredericton Info & Events
- Grande Prairie, AB Info & Events
- Guelph Info & Events
- Halifax, NS Info & Events
- Hamilton Info & Events
- Huntsville, ON Info & Events
- Inverness, NS Info & Events
- Kamloops, BC Info & Events
- Kelowna Info & Events
- Kingston Info & Events
- Lethbridge, AB Info & Events
- London, ON Info & Events
- London, UK Info & Events
- Maple Ridge, BC Info & Events
- Mississauga Info & Events
- Moncton Info & Events
- Montreal Info & Events
- Nanaimo, BC Info & Events
- New York City Info & Events
- Newmarket Info & Events
- North Bay, ON Info & Events
- Oakville Info & Events
- Orangeville Info & Events
- Orillia, ON Info & Events
- Oshawa-Whitby Info & Events
- Ottawa Info & Events
- Owen Sound Info & Events
- Penticton Info & Events
- Peterborough Info & Events
- Prince Albert, SK Info & Events
- Prince Rupert Info & Events
- Quebec City Info & Events
- Quinte Info & Events
- Regina Info & Events
- Saint John, NB Info & Events
- San Francisco, CA Info & Events
- Saskatoon Info & Events
- Sault Ste. Marie Info & Events
- St. John’s, NL Info & Events
- Stratford Info & Events
- Sudbury Info & Events
- Sydney, NS Info & Events
- Thunder Bay Info & Events
- Toronto Info & Events
- Vancouver Info & Events
- Vernon Info & Events
- Victoria Info & Events
- Waterloo Region Info & Events
- Whitehorse Info & Events
- Windsor Info & Events
- Winnipeg Info & Events
- Wolfville, NS Info & Events
- Yellowknife Info & Events
PC PARTY<> PC PARTY<> PC PARTY<> PC PARTY<> PC PARTY<> PC PARTY<> PC PARTY
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(3) DAVID EAVES, GLOBE & MAIL JAN 21
Today I have the following article on the Globe and Mail website. Interestingly, it seems some of the opposition leaders are beginning to take an interest in the Facebook group – Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff announced yesterday that he will be doing an online townhall on proroguing parliament on his facebook page.
Will be interesting to see how this goes and if political parties can get comfortable with a two-way medium where they can’t control the message.
—– Original Message —–
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Sent: Thursday, 21 January, 2010 12:17
Subject: from today’s Globe and Mail–their demographic fits me perfectly–first time user of facebook
Recipients, consider adding your name to this Facebook initiative–“Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament.”
David Eaves
Special to The Globe and Mail Published on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 11:55AM EST Last updated on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 12:05PM EST
Over the last few weeks a number of pundits have been unsure how to react to sudden rise of the Facebook group (Link no longer valid) Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament. Conservative politicians attempted to label the over 200,000-person strong group as part of “the chattering classes” and political pundits have questioned whether online protests even have meaning or weight.
What is more likely is that few politicians or pundits have actually spent time on the Facebook group and fewer still have tried to understand who its members are and what they believe. Recently Pierre Killeen, an Ottawa-based online public engagement strategist, conducted a survey of the group’s membership in partnership with the Rideau Institute.
Over 340 members of the anti-prorogation Facebook group shared their views and while not a scientific survey, it does provide a window into the group’s makeup and the motivations of its members. Some of the results will surprise both pundits and politicians:
Older than exepcted
To begin, contrary to the view that Facebook is entirely youth driven, just under half of those who completed the survey were 45 years of age or older. Thirty-four per cent were aged 31 to 44 and 16 per cent answered that they were aged 18 to 30. Not a single person who opted to take the survey was aged 12 to 18.
They vote
Perhaps the most interesting part of the survey was the fact that 96 per cent of the participants said they voted in the last federal election. Survey recipients frequently overstate their voting history (people wish to sound more responsible than they are) and this result should be regarded with some skepticism. However, it nonetheless suggests group members are more likely to vote than the general population. (Sixty per cent of Canadians voted in the last federal election).
New to, but believers in, online activism
Over half of the members surveyed (55 per cent) said this was the first time they had joined a politically oriented Facebook group. Another 33 per cent indicated they had previously joined only two to four Facebook groups with political themes. Interestingly, 75 per cent of respondents believe the group “will make a difference” while 22 per cent were unsure.
Democracy and accountability are the key issues
Lastly, when asked why they joined, just over half (53 per cent) of respondents indicated it was because “proroguing parliament is undemocratic” and another 33 per cent said it was because “Parliament needs to investigate the Afghan detainee matter.”
Again, it is worth noting that this survey is not scientific, but is our best window to date into who has joined Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament.
And what should people take away from all this? The Facebook group matters for reasons beyond those I initially outlined for The Globe. The fact that this is the first time a majority of those surveyed have joined a politically oriented online campaign suggests such groups may serve as an on-ramp to greater activism and awareness.
More importantly, however, if the survey results are even remotely representative, then the members of the Facebook group vote. Any time 200,000 citizens say an issue will affect their vote, politicians should not discount them so hastily.
Finally, given that Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament has signed up twice the number of Facebook members than all the political leaders combined (Conservatives 29,616; Liberals 28,898; NDP 27,713; Bloc 4,020; for a collective total of 90,247 fans) this is a constituency whose impact may be better monitored in the voting booth than on the street.
David Eaves is a public-policy entrepreneur, open government activist and negotiation expert based in Vancouver
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(4) FAIR VOTE CANADA (FVC) ALSO ORGANIZING ACROSS THE COUNTRY http://www.fairvote.ca/
(Sandra writing:)
A fundamental reason why Stephen Harper can do what he’s doing is that Canada continues with its obsolete electoral system, “first past the post”. Most western democracies have progressed to some form of proportional representation.
FVC people across Canada have joined the NO Prorogue rallies. You might especially enjoy the second web link below, Electoral Dysfunction with a very droopy spire on the House of Parliament!
From Exec Director FVC, Larry Gordon:
FVC council and chapters:
#1 It may be useful to send these images as links rather than attachments to your emails lists:
http://www.fairvote.ca/sites/fairvote.ca/files/electoral_dysfunction_poster8x11bw.pdf
http://www.fairvote.ca/sites/fairvote.ca/files/electoral_dysfunction_parliament480x348.jpg
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—– Original Message —–
From: Eleanor Alexander
To: FVCchapters AT yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 10:08 PM
Subject: [FVCchapters] Youtube clip — Does Your Vote Count?
| Hello fellow Fair Vote Supporters-A few of us from the Simcoe County chapter of Fair Vote have produced a Youtube video loosely based on the results in Simcoe North in the 2008 federal election — please check it out & spread the link on. It’s simple (admittedly, you could critique the simplicity of our math) but we had fun making it and I hope you’ll enjoy watching it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D64NntB1VrA“A short video making fun of the absurdity of Canada’s “First Past the Post” electoral system, in which it’s normal for a majority of people to vote for someone other than the winning candidate. We need to implement fair voting in Canada, and join the vast majority of other Western democracies that have already done so”Best, Eleanor Alexander- – – – – – – – – – —SASKATOON AREA: Prior to the start of the Rally at City Hall (1:00 pm tomorrow Jan 23), I’ll be across the street in front of the Library. I’ll have a box of FVC pamphlets. Can sure use help in distributing them! REGINA, PRINCE ALBERT: Fair Vote Canada people will also be distributing literature at their rallies – – please give a hand where you can. Thanks. Sandra |
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(5) PREVIOUS EMAIL: FIRST NATIONS ORGANIZING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
CHIEF AWASIS CALLING ON FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE ACROSS CANADA TO JOIN THE PROTESTS
(Note: the Chief is on his way to the United Nations in Geneva. In his absence, the contact person is Eldon Okanee, work telephone 306-845-4312.)
The Chief read our email about the dangers associated with the Proroging of Parliament and telephoned. He also believes this is a critical test of democracy.
First Nations people are doing the same as us:
– scrambling to organize people to attend the peaceful, family-friendly, rallies across the country on Saturday, January 23rd (1:00 pm in most locations).
Thousands will protest against the willy-nilly shutting-down of Parliament. A deadly serious matter.
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(6) SASKATCHEWAN NO PROROGUE EVENTS
Prince Albert, SK Info & Events
Posted: January 18th, 2010 | Author: Colin Carmichael PA Union Centre 107-8th St. E.
1:30 pm
co-sponsored by the Prince Albert Chapter of The Council of Canadians and the PA and District Labour Council
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SASKATOON, SK
RALLY
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Time:
1:00pm – 2:30pm
Location: City Hall Square (South Side of City Hall) Street: 222 3rd Ave. North
City/Town: Saskatoon, SK
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REGINA, SK RALLY
Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, 1pm
South End of Scarth St. Mall (By the Buffalo)