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Fw: Update on Motion 604 -- Action to fight homelessness
For those interested, here is an update on Libby Davies' motion to fight
homelessness (an update to mail sent in May):
July, 1999
Dear friends,
Re: M-604 – a motion to fight homelessness
First, I want to thank you for adding your voice to the growing movement to
fight homelessness in Canada. I have been very gratified by the outpouring
of support from across the country for M-604, my private members’ motion
calling for a national housing strategy.
I have received copies of hundreds of letters, e-mails, faxes and petitions
sent to Liberal Homelessness Minister Claudette Bradshaw. I especially want
to thank those who took the time to provide personal, heart-felt
descriptions of how homelessness affects your community.
Thanks to all of you, I know that Minister Bradshaw and the Liberal
government is beginning to get the message. The challenge now is to keep
their attention until they deliver on concrete action to address Canada’s
homelessness disaster.
M-604 was originally scheduled for debate in late June. The bad news is that
the House of Commons recessed early, and the motion has been postponed.
The good news is that M-604 is now scheduled for debate shortly after the
House resumes sitting in the fall, which means we have a couple of more
months to organize even wider support for a national housing strategy.
I am enclosing an updated notice on M-604. Please circulate it as far and
wide as possible. We must maintain the pressure and the momentum for action
on homelessness.
Strong pressure is coming from Canadian municipalities. In June the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities blasted the federal government for its
lack of action on homelessness.
And across the country front line service workers, community organizations,
churches, and concerned individuals are making their voices heard. I
especially want to thank the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee for its
heroic work at making action on homelessness a truly national campaign.
The debate on M-604 will be another opportunity to press the federal
government for action. Although it won’t be put to a vote, it will focus
national attention on homelessness and it will compel the government to
state its position.
At this stage we don’t know exactly when the House will resume sitting, or
when M-604 will be debated. It could come up in late September or early
October, and I will keep you posted when we know more.
In the meantime, keep those cards and letters coming! Minister Bradshaw and
her colleagues in the federal cabinet need to know that we won’t let up.
Again, thank you for speaking out for a solution to Canada’s homelessness
disaster.
Sincerely,
Libby Davies, MP
Vancouver East
NDP critic for social policy
p.s. M-604 is the result of a cross-Canada tour I held earlier this year. If
you haven’t yet seen a copy of my report from that tour, please contact my
office and ask for: Homelessness: An Un-Natural Disaster.
__________________________________________
Libby Davies, M.P.
Vancouver East
483 West Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 992-6030
Fax: (613) 995-7412
e-mail: daviel@parl.gc.ca
Summer, 1999
UPDATE ON M-604
MOTION TO FIGHT HOMELESSNESS
SCHEDULED FOR DEBATE THIS FALL
As federal NDP spokesperson for social policy, I have introduced a motion to
fight homelessness that is now scheduled for debate this Fall in the House
of Commons. The Motion (M-604) reads:
That, in the opinion of this House, the government should adopt a national
housing strategy and housing supply program, in co-operation with the
provinces, that recognizes housing as a human right and meets the goal of
providing an additional 1% of federal budgetary spending to meet basic
housing needs in Canada.
I need your help to rally support!
Please get anyone you can to e-mail, fax or send a letter to Liberal
Homelessness Minister Claudette Bradshaw to solicit her support for M-604.
Ms. Bradshaw can be reached at:
e-mail: bradsc@parl.gc.ca
fax: (613) 992-8083
mail: The Hon. Claudette Bradshaw
House of Commons;
Ottawa, Ontario; K1A 0A6 (It’s postage free!)
Also, please send me a copy of your message. Send e-mail to
daviel9@parl.gc.ca., faxes to (613) 995-7412, and letters (also postage
free) to Libby Davies, MP; House of Commons; Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6.
Please contact my office for more details if you have any questions, or if
you would a copy of Homelessness: An Un-Natural Disaster, a report from my
cross-Canada homelessness tour earlier this year.
The louder our voices, the greater the chance that we’ll achieve our common
goals!
Libby Davies, MP
NDP Spokesperson for Social Policy
July