Raven's View

From website No Prorogue. Posted January 21st, 2010 | Author:Scott McComb 

I've copied this below in it's entirety. Send a copy to your MP and friends - especially the pro-prorogue ones. Discuss it with your kids, your partner, the gang at the pub. Think of what some next steps could be. Get involved, with a donation, with some action. Make change happen, one step at a time.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An Open Letter to the Democratically Elected Members of Parliament,

As concerned citizens of Canada, we write this letter in direct response to the recent decision of the Prime Minister to prorogue Parliament.

While prorogation is the usual means of bringing a Parliamentary session to a close, it has traditionally happened once the sitting Members have worked their way through the agenda set out in the Throne Speech. In contrast to its normal use, Prime Minister Stephen Harper twice now has sought to prorogue Parliament despite having accomplished less than half of the business laid out before the House of Commons. Indeed, within a month of the delivery of the Speech to the Throne in the fall of 2008, Mr. Harper was seeking haven from potential defeat at the hands of the majority of the House. Again, on December 30th, 2009, Mr. Harper has prorogued a Parliament in the middle of its agenda, delaying the accountability of his government to the House.

We are dismayed that prorogation should be used for such political gamesmanship. Furthermore, we interpret these prorogations as a suspension of our democratic rights to be represented by our duly elected Members of Parliament. We soundly reject the assertion made by Mr. Harper that it is merely “business as usual”. In actual fact, such prorogations are not seen in any of the British style parliaments of Australia, New Zealand, Scotland or the United Kingdom.

  I mentioned these events in a previous post - always well run, big crowds, lots of fun, and suitable for couples or those on their own too. For this one, some will bring a Valentine, or find one there (preferable not someone else's) , some might worry it's an event with a little more pressure but I can assure you there's also many of us at these events that go just to have fun.

Here's Barry's latest invite -  

Update - summer 2010 - some artists did step up and show initiative and leadership - good news for Ottawa. We're currently doing this as Ottawa Urban Arts. More on my site too, here.

I sent the following as a letter to many of my contacts in Ottawa, as well as Toronto and Montreal - artists, BIA/s, police, councillors, youth groups. Feedback from several of them is the same. Many years of opposition and indifference from the conservative Ottawa "establishment" drove out the developing artists that were ready to get more serious about their work and dedicate more time and focus on it, take a more business-like approach. Maybe with time two or three will emerge from the current artists to take over this role again. Has to come from them, we can't force it. 

Feel free to offer comments or suggestions.