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[OPIRG-EVENTS] Provincial Call To Action: Queens Park Cronies - Unfit to Govern





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+ Ottawa Planning Meeting           +
+ Tuesday, May 20, 2003             + 
+ Ottawa, Ontario                   + 
+ Location TBA                      + 
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** To be notified of location and time, please reply off-list. **

============ 
BACKGROUND 
============ 

PROVINCIAL CALL TO ACTION 

QUEENS PARK CRONIES - UNFIT TO GOVERN 

With the Tories and the Liberals tripping over each other to get tough on 
crime in a self-imposed competition to get more cops on the street faster, 
its hard to tell just whos who at Queens Park these days. 

Clearly concerned with their trailing position in the polls, the Tories 
throne speech was an exercise in pre-election banality.  The Liberal line 
was simply that the Tories are stealing their ideas.  With a the cutting of 
grass along provincial highways as a major budget highlight, its hard to 
say why anyone would even want to fight over who thought of such things 
first. 

It was however, only two weeks ago that a different Eves unveiled policy 
plans that included a two year limit on the receipt of welfare, an 
intensified crackdown on the homeless and the removal of the right of 
teachers to go on strike.  Not to be out-done, fellow Tory Bob Runciman is 
busy assembling a special police snatch squad and shopping for high 
security jails to deal with so called illegals and people seeking refuge in 
Ontario.  Already dubbed Common Sense Revolution II, their agenda is 
becoming clear - OURS IS CLEARER. 

In 2001, students, workers, First Nations, poor and homeless people 
organized in the spirit of decency, justice and compassion to defeat the 
common enemy in Mike Harris.  Now that Ontarians are finally rid of him, we 
have but one message not only for those who would follow in his 
footsteps, but also for those who would leave his damage unrepaired:  "GET 
OUT!"  Huge numbers of people have suffered immeasurably under the Tory 
Regime.  There have been no attempts at redress, nor anything serious from 
the Opposition to suggest but more of the same.  The time has come to take 
our resistance to their CONSTITUENCY OFFICES, their PUBLIC EVENTS and to 
the operations of their CORPORATE BACKERS. We need to mobilize a new level 
of opposition to the implementation of this agenda.  In Belleville, the 
Tenant Action Group has forced the County to step in and maintain hydro for 
hundreds and hundreds of families who Eves would have seen cut off. In 
Toronto, provincially owned buildings are being systematically identified 
and researched. 

Regardless of when Eves faces the inevitable and calls an election, a 
movement that is widespread, coordinated, capable of quick, decisive action 
and that has the Premier and the rest of the Queens Park cronies squarely 
in its sights, is called for right now.  Likewise, a movement 
that encourages communities to deal both responsibly and compassionately to 
the real and grievous issues long abandoned by all levels of Government and 
Parliamentary Parties is also needed  When a Government refuses to act in 
the best interest of such vast segments of the population on such basic 
items as food and shelters, at some point, it is incumbent on the people to 
act in their own best interest. 

We should also make clear right now that whatever the regime that follows, 
it will get no peace if it leaves the damage done by the Tories 
unrepaired.  The Ontario Common Front and OCAP will go to the next 
Government from the moment it's formed with our demands for: 

-HOUSING THAT IS SAFE, ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE, 
-a MINIMUM WAGE THAT IS A LIVING WAGE 
-and a SOCIAL ASSISTANCE SYSTEM THAT ENABLES PEOPLE TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY. 

We hope others will advance their just demands in the same spirit. Ontario 
Common Front Belleville, Kingston, Peterborough and elsewhere, we are 
making plans for a series of actions against the representatives of the 
Eves Government.  There are four immediate ways to get involved: 

1. If you live in Toronto and would like to work with OCAP directly, give 
us a call.  We would like to put you on a phone tree/e mail list that can 
be activated when Eves and accomplices show their heads in this City. 

2. If you live elsewhere in the Province, please join with local Ontario 
Common Front member groups who will be organizing the same kind of 'rapid 
deployment' mobilizing to go after local political figures.  Official 
election or no, there will be no baby kissing or other such events in 
Ontario anymore if we can help it. 

3. If you work in an area that gives you access to information on Tory 
plans and events we need you to feed us that information.  It's not ratting 
when the target is Ernie Eves.  Think of it as a morally superior version 
of Crime Stoppers! 

4.  Please watch for notice of a public meeting and other events coming 
shortly. 

We must not allow the Tories to prepare a second Common Sense Revolution. 
Whatever the political stripe of the Party, policies that serve to maintain 
hurt and hardship will not go unanswered.  The time to act is now. 

Ontario Common Front 
OCAP 
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