News

Welcome to MAINSTAGE 2008 and congratulations to the organizers, writers, directors, casts and crews of this year’s event. Designated as a Cultural Capital of Canada in 2008, it is fitting that Nanaimo is the proud host of MAINSTAGE this year.

High school grad issue

I am pleased to provide a brief update on some of the federal issues that are important to you. Please contact my office at 746-4896/1-866-609-9998 or jean@jeancrowder.ca with your questions, comments and ideas. I appreciate hearing from you, and the “Jean Team” is glad to help.

Celebrating Personal Achievement

Need for Gender Based Analysis

Challenges persist for women in Canada, and challenges facing Aboriginal women come with their own cultural nuances. So if we want to ensure that federal changes are relevant to the women who must live with them, engaging them directly is a vital step.

Kirby Edwards, one of Canada's 90,000 residential school survivors, is waiting for June 11 when Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to issue an apology on behalf of the nation for the residential school program.

He was strapped for speaking Hul'qumi'num, bound for writing incorrectly, and locked in confinement for dressing too slowly.
Now all Kirby Edwards feels is numb.

"The healing process is still going on," said the 46-year-old. "There's a little bit of numbness there."

Jean Crowder MP: Checking In

Getting Gouged at the Pumps?

As gas prices spike again, it’s hard to believe we were paying $0.56/litre just a decade ago. Add the recent finding through Access to Information that 1 in 20 pumps is not properly calibrated, and it’s no wonder I’m hearing from people who are tired of getting gouged at the pumps.

A year ago, New Democrats proposed the creation of an Oil and Gas Ombudsman to investigate consumers’ complaints relating to unfair practices of major oil and gas suppliers. Today, the government still refuses.

New Democrats Express Non-Confidence over Unbalanced Economics

Since the 2001 census, the median income for families in Duncan has increased by less than two hundred dollars. Statistics Canada released this grim news earlier this month.

North Cowichan fared a bit better with an increase by just over $2000 in five years. However, with the job losses that we’ve been seeing in forestry, these meagre increases are unlikely to continue.

Federally, New Democrats continue to work for fairness for ordinary Canadians. Our caucus has spoken out strongly on a range of important issues. These include:

-Taking the lead on climate change, continuing to push for meaningful legislation through Bill C-377;

-Calls for national strategies on affordable housing, forestry and post-secondary education;

-Voting against a federal budget that gives big tax cuts to oil and gas companies while letting the gap widen between the rich and poor;

Gouged at the Pumps

Less than a decade ago, Canadians paid an average of 55.7 cents a litre to fill up at the pumps. Today’s families are paying more than double - while big oil and gas companies see record profits.

A recent study confirms that Canadians are paying an extra 15-27 cents for every litre of gas directly into oil company profits. The study, published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, examines gasoline prices before and after Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. It concludes that the rules for pricing gasoline at the pump changed overnight.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the team at the Nanaimo News Bulletin in celebrating 20 years in publication.

A local community newspaper provides an opportunity to reflect matters of public interest, covering issues in our communities and beyond in a way that is accessible and relevant to its readers. Over the years, your award winning team has become an important part of our community and reading the Bulletin, whether in print or online, has become part of our routine.

John Little misses his Uncle Tony.

Little, in attendance at Monday's National Day of Mourning memorial at Nanaimo's Pioneer Plaza, said his uncle, Tony Schwartzenberger, died last year after many decades working as a plumber.

He said his uncle was sick for a few years before his death and a biopsy of his liver after he passed away revealed the asbestos he worked with as part of his job was likely the cause of his illness.