words from the 'burbs.

Incumbent BC Liberal candidate Linda Reimer seems to have a knack for making rooms full of voters gasp out loud.

During a debate hosted by the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce in the BC riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam Thursday night, Reimer surprised many when she said she supports privatizing healthcare “for those who are able to afford it” – in other words, the wealthy:

“I do support the privatization to a certain extent of our healthcare system. I think that choice is always good for people and I myself have had a surgery in the private healthcare system […] and so I do support some choice for those who are able to afford it.”

In response, BC NDP candidate Rick Glumac blasted Reimer’s support for two-tier healthcare, arguing that prioritizing patients “just because they have more money” goes against “my Canadian values”:

“That right there, if there’s no other reason to not vote Liberal, that’s it right there because that is frightening.”

The Liberal Party of Canada is a Centre-Left party (although it can be argued that they’re becoming more Centre-right under Trudeau). It is a federal party.

The BC Liberals have no relationship to the Federal Liberals. They are a Centre-Right to Right Wing party.

-Trudeau is pushing an infrastructure bank, which is going to privatize public infrastructure.

-Trudeau selling weapons to Saudi Arabia.

-Trudeau approving 3 huge oil pipelines and happy about Donald Trump’s approval of Keystone XL.

-Despite making it pretty clear before the election that communities and First Nations would need to give consent for projects, Trudeau has backtracked and now says that this is no longer true.

-Justin Trudeau bailing out Bombardier with millions, doesn’t care that their CEO’s are getting huge bonuses as they’re laying off thousands of workers.

-Their Marijuana legislation is filled with harsh penalties, and it is not true legalization. There will be limits on the amount you can grow and carry (and if you exceed these limits you can be arrested or charged), and new harsh penalties related to youth & driving under the influence.

-Justin Trudeau’s government is refusing to pay First Nations children equally, despite the Human Rights Commission sending him notices saying he has to.

-Justin Trudeau’s government is still underfunding First Nations education.

-Justin Trudeau supports Donald Trump’s bombing of Syria.

-Justin Trudeau is in favour of Regime Change in Syria, which many feel could escalate violence in that region.

-Justin Trudeau has not ruled out sending the military into Syria.

-Justin Trudeau is refusing to change the ‘Safe Third Country’ agreement to help refugees fleeing the USA.

-Justin Trudeau is refusing to fund a basic income pilot project on PEI.

-Justin Trudeau abandoned electoral reform and has stuck with the First Past the Post system (a system the Conservative Party of Canada also supports).

-Justin Trudeau refuses to decriminalize marijuana in the meantime. Cops will arrest thousands more people for marijuana possession before 2018.

-Justin Trudeau is refusing to pardon anyone for marijuana possession despite knowing full well how harmful this can be for people job searching or crossing the border.

-Justin Trudeau is not in favour of a $15/hour minimum wage.

-Despite his feminist rhetoric, Status of Women Canada received no new funding in the 2017 budget.

-Justin Trudeau broke a campaign promise to close a tax loophole that largely benefits millionaire CEO’s.

-Justin Trudeau is breaking indigenous rights to consent with permits given on the Site C Dam and Kinder Morgan Oil Pipeline.

-Justin Trudeau’s tax cut for the middle cut, benefits the top 10% of income earners the most. Those making under $40,000 per year get nothing.

-Justin Trudeau still hasn’t changed or repealed the draconian anti-terrorism bill, Bill C-51.

-Despite a push from the NDP, Trudeau is refusing to expand our healthcare system to cover things like Pharmacare.

-Justin Trudeau is maintaining Stephen Harper’s cuts to healthcare transfers.

-Justin Trudeau is maintaining Stephen Harper’s weak climate change targets.

-Justin Trudeau wants to delay a promise to cut methane (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions for 3 years or more.

Justin Trudeau’s party is a party of centrists. They dabble in the right, and a bit of the left. But they’re far from Canada’s most progressive major party.

The more progressive Canadian parties in Canada are the NDP (New Democratic Party) and The Green Party. I like the NDP a lot, and unlike the Greens they have enough public support that they could get elected as a government.

The NDP proposes things like: $15/minimum wage, changing our electoral system to proportional representation, free college tuition, opposition to oil pipelines, strengthening labour rights, expanding Canada’s healthcare system (to cover things like medicine or dental or mental health), taxing the rich more, stronger anti-poverty policies, a national affordable childcare programs, LGBTQ & Women’s rights and more.

“I saw this posted on the mailbox in front of my apartment in the McGill Ghetto (on University). If you see one around campus or anywhere in the city, please tear it down. This sort of bigotry/ignorance/hatefulness/grossness will not be tolerated. (The websites on the poster have been covered so as to not publicize whatever racist campaign these people have going on).”

Posted in facebook.com/SpottedMcGill/

Submitted by purplespacecats.

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The Birth of Venus (1483-1485), Sandro Botticelli (Italy)

Watch: Comedian Aamer Rahman’s explainer of reverse racism is still requisite viewing.