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Inequality, Democracy, and Class Warfare By Rolf Auer

Written out of respect for Sandy Cameron, Wendy Pederson, and all the fi ne citizens of the

Down tO\\ n Eastside.

I was reading an e-mai l ci rculated by Wendy Peder­sen about the Olympic Village "affordable housing" going for $1 ,600/mo for a ! -bedroom suite to $2,000/mo fo r a 3-bedroom suite (and these were sub­sidized'). She had commented that she wished some­one would write that at Woodward' s, some families were pay ing $ 1.599/mo for a 3-bedroom suite for so­called '·affordable' ' housing.

I got to thinking about the Woodward's ripple ef­fects (as documented in The Newslefler) and gentrifi­cation in general. and it started me thinking about class warfare. The last place I could recall that being discussed was in The Carnegie Newsletter, in an arti­cle that Sandy Cameron wrote. So I went through my back issues trying to track down the quote. I didn' t find it until sometime in 200 I , and then, to my sur­prise, found that the quote referenced one of his own works. So I called Sandy, and asked if he had a copy available. lie did, and it's called Taking Another Look At Class. ( It's avai lable from the BC Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 604-801-5121, $3.)

We sat talking a while when he gave it to me, and he sa id, "Equality is a keystone of democracy. Without equality, there can be no democracy."

In one essay titled "A Working Class Vision Vs. A Business Class Nightmare," those statements are borne out by this paragraph: "The business class ridi­culed the poverty and roughness of the workers. Put­ting people down was a way of excluding them from power. It was ironic that, of the two classes, the working class had the nobler vision: a vision of de­mocracy bui lt on the foundation stone of opportunity." (p.8)

Be not daunted. gentle reader, for this is no giant tome we are dealing with here: it is less than 50 pages long. It would take you one, maybe two hours to read carefully. Yet one of the questions Sandy asks is, '·Why is it so hard to talk about class?" (p.J) Cer­tainly Canadians (and the rest of the world) have some sense of class consciousness but because it is dis-

cussed so little in the mainstream news media and because the ri ch and the business classes have virtu­ally expropriated the term '"class" for use for them­selves (by claiming, for example, that we live in a ·'classless'' society). the term has almost fa llen into disuse. When was the last time you saw it mentioned in a newspaper?

Consider: the richest I 0% of Canad ians own 51.3% of Canada's wealth. The poorest 20% own minus 0.3% of wealth. (p.3) Bear in mind that this book was published in 1999. The figures are probably worse today. It's to the well-off classes' advantage to stay out of sight, unidentifiable: that allows them as devel­opers to attack with impunity the Downtown Eastside like sharks sensing bleeding prey in the water. That's why we're seeing Terry llui of Concord Pacific , and Bob Rennie, "the Condo King,'' popping up a ll over the place in the Downtown Eastside: they are mem­bers of the business e lite. the rich business class, ac­countable to nobody but themselves .

They build developments li ke \Voodward 's and throw out crumbs of social housing hoping that we won't notice the accompanying class inequa lities.

It's a study in contrasts in equality: a large percent­age of the citizens of the Downtown Eastside (and indeed, the world) squeaking by on meager amounts of money per month finding it difficult to just stay alive, while those of the super-rich classes have so much that all they can think to do with it is influence some political party. (p.34)

Look at the anti-democratic disconnect between our federal government and Canadians as evidenced by the chicanery ~the recent 020 confe rence in Toronto: $2.mill ion for a fake lake. $ 1 billion for questionable security. This in a time of austerity. What kind of idiots do the federal Tories take us for?

And their rid iculous prison legislation. (From Sandy's book, Canada already has the fou11h highest incarceration rate in the Western world. (p.24)) In­stead of instituting a national social housing program, the federal Tories are spending $5 billion on new pris­ons. But that's not all. They expect the provinces to bear some additional costs as well. ("New jails will cost BC taxpayers up to $1. 1 billion," Jonathon Fow­lie, Janice Tibbetts, Vancouver Sun, June 23. 20 10) Then this, about two weeks later: ("Province cuts

spending, deficit drops $996 million," Jonathon Few­lie, Vancouver Sun, July 9, 20 I 0). Are you going to try to tel l me that the two are unrelated?

Maude Barlow, head of the Council of Canadians, spoke at Toronto 's Massey Hall in protest of the G20 meeting. From Democracy Now, July 2, 20 I 0, here's a little of what she said : "The richest 2% own more than half the household wealth in the world. The rich­est I 0% hold 85% of total global assets and the bot­tom half of humanity owns less than 1% ofthe wealth in the world. The three richest men in the world have more money than the poorest 48 countries.''

I was doing my own research on related questions. From Murray Dobbin's book, The Myth of the Good Corporate Citizen, (p.123), "In 1995 there were 'only' 357 billionaires. Their net worth was $760 billion, more wealth than the bottom 45 percent of humanity. That is, 357 people in the world owned more com­bined wealth than 2.7 billion other people." Accord­ing to a March I 1, 201 0 article in The Globe and Mail titled "The New World Order," there are now over 1,000 billionaires. (Note the themes of the growing inequality, increasing wealth gap.) Some research on the Net showed that their net worth is $3 trillion. 1 checked with Shannon Daub, Communications Direc­tor of the BC Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and she told me that their value was equivalent to the net worth of more than the poorest 3.5 billion human beings (out of7 billion) on the planet.

1 recall reading a letter in The Guardian recently: "Do we want ri ches for some now, and death for all later, or happiness and sustainability for al l?'' it con­cluded. (June 25)

Locally and globally, indeed, now is a good time for Taking Another Look At Class.

Motllu- &afl/1. -c:;~--------...., 3 ', f

--~~)---She is in so much danger due to human stupidity, lack of communication; Ships .. ocean-liners .. don't even give a damn. Government is not punishing the people responsible, Our oceans are polluted, our air is near the brim, Animals are coming down from the mountains but people are whining about their pets... Hello! Wake up! Greed is in everyone's pocket You are building on our animals' territories, so please stop your belly-aching. Learn to share with our animals instead of stealing their homes and keep the environment alone. Mother Earth will not survive much longer -

Quit being greedy!!!

All my relations, Bonnie E Stevens

HBT- A Kerell$e oa Kalph. KIIM Garry Gust

You have to pay a tax to die in British Columbia.

Of course, you ' II be dead, so the burden wi II fall on your next-of-kin.

So, the best thing to do is to buy a graveyard plot in A lbcrta ...

Is this the metal flow that the Campbell Liberals had in mind:

That all low-level income earners should move to Al­berta and escape this immoral tax, in order to make room for all the fat-pocket immigrants who fe ll in love with Vancouver after Expo 86 and the 20 I 0 Olympics?

What other reason could there be to apply such a scum tax on the poor?

As you might remember, ex-A lberta Premier Ralph Kline once offered welfare recipients in his Domain free bus tickets to British Columbia.

And now, al l these years later, Capitalist Chess Master Campbel l is attempting the incredible move of sending BC Pawns to where the chi lly winds blow.

THEONTOOTTAWA TREK

When the stock market crashed fro.m speculator greed the honest common man couldn't fill their family's need so they travelled to the city 'cause they thought that work was there but they found there were no jobs and they found no daily fare

Chorus: they were thrown into prison when they went looking for work and when they kept on coming R.B. Bennett went berserk he called them commie rebels he called then bums and tramps and sent them off to toi l in remote hard labour camps

when they reached the work sites the machines were took away they had to do machinery's work for twenty cents a day the injustice of forced labour couldn't keep the good men down they left the camps and went again back to Vancouver town

St a rting Monday. M" Y 2 4 £ nds Thursd ay. Aug u s t 1 9

Drop-In Mondays & Thursd ays 9 - S p m

Tu esdays 1 - 9 pm

3'd Floor -Art Gallery

they squatted the museum but no results they saw so they marched and raised the rally cry of"on to Ottawa" they climbed aboard a freight train they had no food to eat two thousand men were coming Bennett said that eight he' d meet

three thousand in Regina ftlled the market square their hope in the delegated eight met vi le treachery there RCMP hid all around with clubs and horses too and the men were laid out bleeding when the cops'attack was through

they wanted work and wages but bloodshed's what they earned and tho it's writ in history pages how much have we learned?

Chorus: Submitted by Shawn Millar

if I lost you

I might lind you

I would hold you

in my arms

I w ill always remember

because I can

never forget

-HARA

If IOODSTOCI PI

CRA•••RI

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THESUNSIDNE

One of Vancouver's oldest parks is set to officially re-open July 24 with a party.

The party, hosted by the Vancouver Park Board and the City of Vancouver, will include a BBQ, cake and entertainment.

Singer Dalannah Gail Bowen, a versatile vocalist whose experience as a perfonner ranges from intimate nightclub and cafe shows to fronting big bands and concert tours, is scheduled to be one of the entertainers.

Oppenheimer Park, named for Vancouver's second Mayor David Oppenheimer, was closed for a lmost a year while the $2.3-million renovation took place.

Upgrades to the park include a new field house and

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washrooms, universally accessible walkways, chil­dren's playground, sports court with a basketball hoop, horseshoe pitch, pat io spaces, picn ic tables and seating areas, central lawn area, trees and flowers, sub-surface drainage and a new irrigation system.

The upgrades occurred after an extensive public con­su ltation process (which inc luded three public meet­ings, as well as dozens of meetings with the Oppen­heimer Park Redevelopment Committee). All commemorative cherry trees (Sakura) in the park,

but two were saved during construction. In addition, 1 I new cherry trees were planted in the park as part of the upgrade.

a thousand crosses in oppenheimer park

when eagles circle oppenheimer park we see them feel awe feel joy feel hope soar in our hearts the eagles are symbols for the courage in our spirits for the fierce and piercing vision for justice in our·souls the eagles bestow a blessing on our lives

but with these thousand crosses planted in oppenheimer park today who really see them feel sorrow feel loss feel rage our hearts shed bitter tears these thousand ·crosses are symbols of the social apartheid in_pur culture the segregation of those who deserve to live and those who are abandoned to die

these thousand crosses silently announce a social curse on the lives of the poorest of the poor in the downtown eastside they announce an assault on our community these thousand crosses announce a deprivation of possibility for those of us who mourn here the mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers the uncles, aunts, grandmothers and grandfathers the sons an-d daughters the friends and acquaintances of those members of our community

of a thousand dreams of a thousand hopes of a thousand yearnings for real community lost to us but memorialized today

brought finally into a unity here in this community park this park which is the geographical heart of the downtown eastside these thousand crosses are a protest against the abandonment of powerless and voiceless human beings

these thousand crosses speak to us resoundingly collectively to warn us that to abandon the wretched the miserable the scorned the scapegoated makes a legitimate place for abandonment in our society and this abandonment will go right up the social-ladder but to truly care for lives at the bottom will make a place for care and this caring will ensure that no one be aban~oned

these thousand crosses represent the overdose deaths of drug addicts who are not the only drug addicts in our society but only the most visible the most naked because the poorest but these thousand crosses reveal a culture pretending to be about life and health and hope but permeated with death and disease and despair these thousand crosses bear witness not to a culture of care and freedom but of carelessness and addiction

any Q!l_~s>Cth§~e thous<!n__d crosses...couldeasily represent my own.death doctors at st. paul's hospital asked me after an overdose why I was still alive? and that is a question each moment puts to us a question each one of these thousand crosses puts to each of us why are we still alive? for what purpose? our purpose is to live in community and community is care care for one another care for those least able to care for themselves care for all care in action and there is no one to care if you do not care there is no one no one at all to care if I do not care bu,t it would be a betrayal ofthese thousand who have died to call them victims to victimize them in death because in truth t hey are martyrs these thousand crosses symbolize the lives and deaths of a thousand martyrs the word martyr means one who bears witness one who suffers misery for a long time-o'ne who is killed or persecuted

for adherence to a belief an enculturated belief that pain the pain of trying to live in this abusive abandoning crushing and excluding socio-economic system that this pain must be individually managed the erroneous belief that suffering can be relieved outside real community outside care

these thousand crosses of these contemporary martyrs bear witness not only to their drug overdose deaths but to the uncounted deaths in the downtown eastside deaths of drug addicts from suicide and aids

and so we are all abandoned if one is abandoned so we are all uncared-for if one is not cared for

butif-wewould speal<of real Fiealth and of true community we must let these thousand crosses direct us toward those aboriginal tribal communities and other real spiritual communities where when op.e individual behaved destructively the entire community gathered and asked one question what is wrong with us? wh~t is wrong with us that this member o·f our community should behave in this way?

but in our culture we reverse this spiritual truth and blame the individual solely for his or her fate and the perpetuation of this _lie costs us costs us the lives these thousand crosses represent costs us how many more thousands of lives? costs us in so many many ways

and from this moment here in this community park this park of great care where the streets and alleys and hotel rooms of the downtown eastside the killing fields of the downtown eastside are transformed into living testimonies and memorials of those who have brought us together today in oppenheimer park where children play birds sing young people create and seniors gather these crosses are planted like seeds in our hearts

what will be the fruit these seeds bear? will it be a stronger commitment to compassion and justice for every member of our community?

costs us heavily

a commitment to those most disabled? most abandoned?

a commhment to do whatever is necessary to prevent a thousand more deaths by drug overdose in the downtown eastside?

will these thousand crosses these thousand seeds these thousand memorials burst forth into new life for those who will not have to become a marty r to our social madness around drug addiction but will care burst forth in our hearts in our lives in a new way for the sake of others and for the sake of ourselves? I believe these crosses these seeds are already bearing fruit hope hope stands right now right here in this park at this moment hope is standing here hope in each cross hope in each of us

when these thousand crosses are planted in this park who really see them are awakened are called forth to community to care and who really see these t housand crosses are called tG be hope soaring in the hearts of those for whom hope is gone soaring in courage and blessing as when eagles circle oppenheimer park. Buo OSBORN

CRUNCH

MY QUES-reo~ MARK l>oE'SN'l'

WoRK.

I am a PetUII 7hejirsl bile so heavenly, like my firs/ lasle of

love Being bad, really, really rollen

If I slay in one place for lao long I can rol Juicy and swee/ right down 10 !lie end

1 am past due date Rollen from !he inside 0111

I am the roltenesl peach around Thai one taste ofme and you are forever mine

My friends call me peachy; my fruit friends call me peach,

Fuz::y and sweet Eventually hecome rollento the core

Happy and sad all at once Soft and fu::::y

is tile way lwa/11 the world to see me Fu::::y, juicy, sweet,

Bright, coloured and flashy They wish they were peachy

Fu::zy and sweet A stone is one and it is solid A soft juicy succulent peach

Written by, PEERS Group; Debbie, Misty, Dolores, Marilyn, Sheree, Dawn, Barb, Bonnie

Temple of Contents Contents on table nurse sez deadman is stable take that brain tumour machine away I'd like this to be a wonderful day, then 'they' re orr again seizing power from loved ones now dead. Government says civil ity & manners used to rest on shoulders on top of which

was no head. Now I pray. lie's dead the towncryer said over & over under trampled hoof he went & died right on the spotlit spitfire selling spot to what traged­ies do we drink tonite? You didn't care much who you killed or fight that's right.. today could lead to a national hol iday if every­one who's supposed to dies does it & does it right but now they gotcha! The selfishists have little to bitch about. be it taxes (don' t get me started) or population Qust try & stop me) what a wonderful world we've swirled down the outhouse of love; this is where push & pull equal love. now my temple of convenience is me as we could ever be A TMs to you & thee temples of tables of contents being distributed to stables eat­release-eat-release do you honestly think we' ll hit year 2100 elbow-to-nose, firetrucks firing blood cannons (water taboo as of2032) anything goes, WWIII was held in 2050 you th ink you have time to put bodies in neat piles I say a definitive maybe except exception­ally good marks for grave marking Graves ' R Us will never tire of us pumpin"cm out just to die -execute, overdose & other means to an end .. nightmares in this area can be shared with a friend. I am the one who marks them all as god is my witness my muteness is witless just think of mankind as early exploitation we shall TAKE this plantation any quest­ions .. ? Let's meet out back: sharp things make short work of facts. explore*exploit*excuse me while I kiss this toi let oh hi Officer Down & he pounds my skull with steel toe boots to the head, sorry Miss Piggy I'm still not dead now I know you've heard that before; stop clowning & start accounting this accumulation of niceness will be no more, throw in zeppelins made of lead with impotent people doing the disgust in their bed, is there any blood at all swimming through your head? Didn ' t think so, I'll just leave a note before I go on to bigger & better anythings, all my freight 8 years of hate to wai t seething with fishbait now who's on the hook ... One last look at the oilocean of Texaco­one hundred thousand barrels a day & still no one stepping in to play (bloody crooks) then another idea hits the fan let's release an atomic bomb if it works it's we who've won if not Earth was fun I guess time to unclean this mess until I confess all the best as for the least I guess they get less kind of like blinking & missing the evolutionary .. i swear to try I'll swear to try ... bener. I swear it could be bener!

By ROBERT McG ILLI VRAY

Dial Tone Blindness

After awhile I could only faint ly see the amount of huti I subjugated myself to when I, in my stupidity, broke your soul. You regained the love you lavished on the world, but I sti ll have yet to come to terms as the emptiness envelopes my soul yearning for the for­giveness I could never earn or deserve. My mind has lert my heart and soul without a mate because I felt the whole world knew my love for you was insur­mountable. The biggest mistake was the fact I never let you know. Maybe if I dream about others doing better they will regard me with an ultimate privilege and reward us v. ith a prayer.

Stanley Joe

An Elder's Job

When watching you busy yourself with unfair short projects and looking in the eyes of a scared ghost... No gl immer of hope is seen and my vo ice echoes from the emptiness of your soul... but with an' I love you' your eyes fi ll with hope and your smile changes temperatures, attitudes and beginnings.

Stanley Joe

retour de zalm

dreamt the zal m came prem ie r again not in some bar-hall putsch butt bota nical garde n putsch, hi s friends profiled as flowers his foes profiled as grubby weeds his party th ugs d utch soccer players, hi s socred ••• er liberal •••• er independent m ind ruthlessly rooted o ut thinkin g humankind and made, sans hst of coors, all be society into one huge mean green maohine ••••••• john douglas

Silver Achievement

Having the abi lity to reach inside oneself and pull out a gift the Creator gave, j ust when a loved one needs it most. All ambulance workers have this.

TRUST ME What should I do with surplus Predicaments, conundrums, quandries. hollow, impossible blanket predictions; just guessing games on

Stanley Joe

\\ho to fawn, and about who'll be blamed. Gored like matador's bulls, with entrails dragging through the bloody sands of timelessness, impaled by spears of pain, of agonizing astonishment! Cast stones of ignorance, intolerance, unacceptance. What is their cruel, harsh meaning, as their collective vibrations are throttled over my shattering soul as you read this right now; as I ponder most quietly, deep in thought, that kind of dreadful stuff, sure, don't help any one in the world at all-don't you know I carry on with no real or imagined cross to bear on my already over-burdened shoulders; no complaints .. just thought I'd mention it to be honest although labels, names and tabs all hurt me - it ain't fair. Of course you have all heard the one about love and war as our times slowly tick away aand gradually change there's sti ll lots of time to rearrange; as always I wish upon my special star. As I see it, way out up there, I'm steady, the old tried and true; well, here' s another .. one last thought for you: Digression Blues, that's not for us, no how, no dice, nor forever more, and so open all your shuttered windows and realise your reborn life, with ever widening, open and unlocked doors!

ROBYN LIVINGSTONE

News From the Library

Elvis at Carnegie Hall

Friday. July 23, 6pm

Morris Bates was the first and most successful Elvis impersonator. Bates, a Canadian-born Native Ameri­can, followed literally in the footsteps of his hero. per­fonning on the Las Vegas strip for ten years and tour­ing the world as Elvis. His book, Morris as Elvis: Take a Chance on L ife tells a bizarre, engaging story of life on the road and a poignant acc.ount of returning to his roots to help native youth in the Downtown Eastside. On Fridav, July 23, at 6pm, Elvis lives again, at Carnegie Hall. Come and here him at 6pm! And Elvis fans, swivel your hips at Karaoke at 7pm!

New Books Barbara Ehrenreich has had enough of people telling her to put on a happy face. I ter book, Smile or Die: How Positive Think ing Fooled A merica & the World (306.09) is a sharp and scathing look at the positive thinking industry, from cuddly pink breast cancer bears to looking on the bright side of losing your job. Ehrenreich argues that exhortations to "think posi­tively!" fail to support individuals who are going through traumatic times, by not leaving them time to grieve, and be angry, and fight back. She also says that positive thinking has infiltrated our psyche to such an extent that whistleblowers in the corporate world, or protesters against government policies, are dismissed as negative nay-sayers, and their very real concerns go unaddressed, leading to envi ronmental and economic disasters. She dedicates the book "To complainers everywhere: Turn up the volume!" What Color is Your Parachute? 2010 (650.14) is the definitive job-hunting guide, with everything from how to find jobs. to interview and resume skills. Look for other resume and cover letter books under the

same call number. On April20, 1999, two boys went to their high school with bombs and guns. Their goal was to leave "a last­ing impression on the world." Their high school was Columbine. In Columbine (373.73), Dave Cullen pro­files the teenage killers through their diaries, inter­views with friends, famil y and schoolmates, and po­lice and FB I psychologist profiles. He also examines the impact of the murders on the community. and the police blunders and cover-ups that contributed to the tragedy.

I'm going to be on vacation for the last two weeks of July; Randy Gatley, VPL's Teen Librarian, will be coming to Carnegie to replace me. See you in August!

Beth, your librarian

Carnegie Monthly De-Clutter Discussion

Tall'\, share experience, learn The last Sunday, July 25, at 6:30pm sharp in Class

room II. Dinner available -5-6:30 -on the 2"d iloor, $3.

Faci litator: Ingrid Sochtiug

Volunteer Opportunity: Lead English Conversation Groups

Are you iluent in Engl ish and willing to share your knowledge of Canadian culture? The UBC Learning Exchange looks for Volunteers to help people to practice their English. -Receive FREE training in weekly workshops. -Gain valuable volunteer experience. -Develop public speaking, fac il itating and cross-

cultural communication skills. Lunch is provided at training sessions.

The program is about 12 weeks. You'll lead classes for I .5-3 hours per week, and have a 3 hour work­shop on Friday afternoons. Contact: Lisa Okada,

ESL Program Coordinator UBC Learning Exchange 612 Main Street. 604.408.5183

lisa.okada@ubc.ca

THIS NEWSLETIER IS A PUBUCATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION

Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association.

WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie newsletter

Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry. Cover art - Max size: 17cm(6 Y.")wide x 15cm(6' )high. Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside, bul all work considered. Black & While printing only. Size restrictions apply (i.e. if your piece is too large, il will be reduced and/or cropped Ia fit). AI artists will receive o-edil for their woril. Originals will be returned to the artist after being copied for publication. Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer Tickets

Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.

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lei on porte Francois Hob/amos Espana/

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." -Margarei MeadE

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• 147 Main Sln:ct - 315-71911 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

[Libby's comment that the occupation of Palestinian land began in 1948 had Stephen Harper, still playing at prime minister, demand her resignation. Thousands of letters of support~ot the following in response:]

~o-r 1- !>\:>"/ First, let me be clear that the position of the NDP

with regard to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has not changed. a position that was democratically adopted at a Convention of our delegates from across Canada. Our party has always been principled and constructive in how it addresses this complex issue; we recognize the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peaceful co-existence in viable, independent states with negotiated . agreed-upon borders. We are committed to working with like-minded allies in the region to make concrete and lasting progress toward peace.

Both myself and our Foreign Affairs critic Paul De­war are regularly in touch with representatives of Middle East governments. For example. I was in touch with the Turkish ambassador following the flo­tilla raid and am regularly in touch with the Israel i ambassador and Palestinian representatives here in Canada. Last year. I also met with president of the Palestinian Authorities Mahmud Abbas and had an excellent meeting where I had the opportunity to out­line the NDP's policies on this issue.

We strongly believe that the Canadian government should play a key role in fac ilitating the kind of talks and negotiations that are desperately needed to fmally achieve peace in the Middle East. Canada should use the skills and approaches that were once our signature on the internat ional stage- an approach the Harper government has largely abandoned.

For example. we ca lled on the government to rein­state and increase Canada's contribution to UNRWA­in order to see improvements to the lives of ordinary Palestinians. We have also called on the government to join international efforts to ease the blockade of Gaza and better address the human suffering in the region.

On issues that divide Canadians, New Democrats have tried to build as much common ground as possi­ble around our caucus table. This kind of collegial approach bui lds a strong team, one that can stand up to Stephen Harper and speak as one voice on critical issues. By working together as a caucus, we achieve better results for progressive Canadians. And when we

have different views on the way we approach an issue. it's important that we work through those differences in a constructive manner, like a fami ly. New Democ­rats will always work to create opportunities to build bridges between conflicting perspectives, as much as possible.

As for Libby's comments, she quickly clarified her comments and I accepted her clari fication . She has ably served for 7 years in the crucial position ofNDP House Leader and continues to carry out these duties, as wel l as serving as Deputy Leader for me and for our caucus.

Like you. I have the utmost respect for Libby as a person and as an activist. Our Deputy Leaders, Libby Davies and Thomas Mul­

cair, are key members of our caucus team, a team that has been so effective in holding Harper to account. Both Tom and Libby have my full confidence. Work­ing together, and with our whole caucus. they will be a crucial part of our fight to take on Stephen ll arper on issues like pension security, fighting catastrophic climate change and protecting consumers.

Working together, we will defeat the Stephen Harper Conservatives.

An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada

Bill C-545 (An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada) was introduced at First Reading in th House of Com­mons on June 17,2010 by Tony Martin, Member of Parliament (NDP) for Sault Ste. Marie, with welcome non-partisan support from Liberal MP Michael Sav­age and Bloc Quebecois MP Yves Lessard.

From the Bill: "Part 1 of this enactment provides for the establishment of a Government of Canada strateov "'' to eliminate poverty and promote social inclusion. Part 2 of the enactment establishes the Office of the Poverty Elimination Commissioner independent of Government.''

Were Bill C-545 to pass into law in its current or any improved form, it would be a major breakthrough in the decades-long pan-Canadian struggle to reduce and

eliminate poverty in Canada. The Bill is consistent with the vision for federal anti-poverty legislation called for by Dignity for All: The Campaign for a Poverty-free Canada.<http://www.dignityforall.ca/>

The CWP Advocacy Network encourages you to become familiar with Bill C-545- and for you and/or your organization to ask your Member of Parliament and, indeed, all MPs, to support it when the Bill comes up for Second Reading (Parliament reconvenes September 20). Every MP is copied on this message.

[Go to dignityforall.ca to link to Bill C545 online.]

Rob Rainer Executive Director Canada Without Poverty Advocacy Network 1210- 1 rue N icholas Street Ottawa, ON KIN 7B7

With breathless anticipation the crowd awaits the unveiling of the Gordon Campbell Statue.