Donna Hansen - Letter on Arts & Culture

NDP Candidate on Support for the Arts in Ontario

Letter to the Editor:

Re: Investment in the arts matters: Tory, The Beacon Herald, August 10, 2007

I found it interesting to read this article and be informed of the Conservative’s newfound interest in arts and culture. I very clearly remember the Harris/Eves’ regime and the destructive legacy it left in its wake. They created a debacle for theatres and museums and for everyone working in the arts. They didn’t stop there – they went on to put an end to the careers of many public and separate schoolteachers who specialized in music, library and theatre arts. Slashed funding and no governmental support for the arts and no one left in the schools to encourage and coach budding artists. Their actions spoke volumes about their real attitude regarding the value of artists’ work in our society.

The Liberals are no better. In the 2003 election campaign Dalton McGuinty promised that, within the first two years of his mandate, he would enact Status of the Artist Legislation and other measures to improve the lives and incomes of Ontario’s artists. He broke that promise. In a hurry to try and enact a Status of the Artist bill before an election, the Liberals presented a bill that was woefully inadequate and was criticized roundly by arts organizations and unions alike. And yet when the NDP presented amendments to the bill at the Finance committee, both Liberals and Conservatives voted them down.

Howard Hampton and the Ontario New Democratic Party, on the other hand, have never needed to be prompted to see the need for and the value of the arts to our society. The NDP position on the Status of the Artist legislation agrees with the demands that Actors’ Equity is calling for. Some of the those demands are:

- Protection for child performers;
- Access to training and professional development programs and funds;
- Tax measures favourable to artists
- Protection for senior artists;
- Consultative processes leading to the creation and enactment within 24 months of an appropriate labour relations mechanism encompassing a collective bargaining procedure for all professional artists and producers in the province of Ontario.

The NDP believes that the Ontario Arts Council budget must be increased and arts education in Ontario schools be revitalized.

I know that the NDP will work, whether as the government or in the opposition, to support the cultural industry in Ontario – not because it is expedient and makes good headlines – but because the NDP understands that arts and culture are vital to our society and define us as a people. Support for the NDP at the ballot box will ensure support for arts and culture in Ontario.

Sincerely,
Donna Hansen, NDP Candidate, Perth-Wellington

Donna Hansen to refuse MPP pay raise

NDP Candidate will donate MPP pay increase to

under funded organizations in riding

August 7,2007

Mitchell- Perth-Wellington provincial NDP candidate, Donna Hansen announced today that, should she become the MPP for Perth-Wellington, she will not be accepting the pay raise that the MPP’s voted themselves last Christmas. Ms. Hansen described the raise as an embarrassment, “when Mr. McGuinty rushes through a pay raise for himself in just 8 days but expects Ontario’s working poor to wait 3 years for a significant increase to the minimum wage, it is just shameful,” she said.

Ms. Hansen will do what the other NDP MPP’s have done and donate the difference in pay (approximately $22,000 a year) to organizations and charities in the riding that are struggling to fund their programs. “It will be a wonderful feeling to be able to help out worthy causes and programs in Perth-Wellington that, due to the last two governments, are in difficult financial situations,” said Donna Hansen.

Donna Hansen pledges bill on pesticides

Perth-Wellington NDP Candidate promises action on cosmetic pesticide use

July 16, 2007

Stratford - Perth-Wellington’s NDP candidate, Donna Hansen, announced today that when elected on October 10th she plans to introduce a private member’s bill to ban the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes in private homes and public spaces. This has been a hot button issue in Stratford in recent weeks and Ms. Hansen wants to add her voice to the growing number expressing concern over the use of these dangerous chemicals. “We know now the serious effect these chemicals have on our environment and our health and it is time for some regulation into the use of these cancer causing pesticides for non-essential purposes. Environmental policies and health are inextricably linked and with cancer rates (and their associated costs) soaring, I feel it is time for the provincial government to step in,” said Ms. Hansen. “While I understand and sympathize with those wanting a green lawn, the health of our children and grandchildren and the detrimental effect it has on our soil and water must take precedence.”

Ms. Hansen’s bill would mirror a similar federal motion introduced a year ago by Jack Layton. “Perhaps if all levels of governments can come together, we can finally see some action on this issue of such importance to the health of our communities,” Donna Hansen said.

DONNA HANSEN ACCLAIMED AS PROVINCIAL NDP CANDIDATE

Local NDP pinning its hopes on Hansen

By Laura Cudworth Staff reporter

(From the Beacon Herald)

“This is opening night. There’s no time to rehearse anymore. This is it.”
By the time she reaches “closing night” on Oct. 10, Donna Hansen hopes to have led the local NDP to victory in Perth-Wellington.
“If we don’t win, we’re going to scare them,” she said after the nomination meeting.
However, many were optimistic she could win, including the feisty rookie MPP Cheri DiNovo who won the byelection in Parkdale-High Park nine months ago. She’s best known for her Living Wage bill calling for an immediate raise of the minimum wage to $10 an hour.
“Donna, I’d vote for you in a heartbeat. You embody, as a person, all that is wonderful about the NDP,” she said in front of about 40 party faithful at the Optimist Hall last night.
Ms. DiNovo said the party has the best chance it’s had since Bob Rae formed a government in 1990. The lowest the NDP has been in the polls is 20 per cent, she said.
Even if that 20 per cent doesn’t multiply, this could be the most critical campaign the NDP ever runs. The ballot will also ask voters to vote for or against a major change to the system. That change, proportional representation, could mean parties that get a decent proportion of the popular vote could send more candidates to Queen’s Park. Germany, Scotland and New Zealand have proportional representation.
“It’s important to all of the smaller parties. It’s important to get us into the Legislature. People will stop saying, ‘What’s one vote?’ because it will make a contribution,” Ms. Hansen said.
However, she and Ms. DiNovo called the 60 per cent it will require to change the system undemocratic.
“A majority is 50 plus one,” Ms. DiNovo said.
Ms. Hansen previously ran for the federal nomination, which went to Keith Dinicol, in 2006. She works at the Huron-Perth Centre for Children and Youth to end violence against women. She lives on a small scale farm with her husband in Mitchell and one of the things she’d like to see is help from the government for rural families to get off the grid. The cost of a wind turbine is prohibitive for many families, including her own, she noted.
She also expressed concern about the average age of farmers and the inability of young people to start up because of the exorbitant costs. A combine is the price of a house, she said.
Ms. DiNovo, a former United Church minister and entrepreneur, got members riled up with a passionate speech.
“It takes (the Liberals) three years to give the poorest workers $10 an hour but eight days to give themselves a 31 per cent raise,” she said, calling it the “McGuilty” government.
She noted NDP members have donated the raise back into their communities.
In contrast, the government “gave” Magna International Inc. $51 million, she said, adding the average corporate CEO now makes $9 million a year.
The theme for the NDP campaign will be fairness, Ms. Hansen said.
Ms. Hansen outlined the issues in her acceptance speech and acknowledged there are many, including protecting universal health care, reaching Kyoto targets, improvements to education including tuition freezes for colleges and universities, building and renewing affordable housing and raising income levels for the poorest people in the province.

HAMPTON MEETS NDP AT BREAKFAST MEETING

Hampton meets NDP members at weekend breakfast meeting

(From The Stratford Gazette)

Provincial NDP leader Howard Hampton, in town to address the International Association of Machinists AGM, dropped by a Stratford restaurant on the weekend to talk to local riding association members.
About 20 members of the riding executive and election planning committee crowded around a large table at Joe's Diner to share ideas and to raise issues that are important to the community, states a press release. Past candidates Jack Verhulst and Keith Dinicol along with provincial candidate-hopeful Donna Hansen participated. Dave Jasper, Labour Council president, filled in Hampton on the job losses and plant closures in the area.
After spending an hour or so with the group, Hampton said he felt the underlying theme of the discussion was the issue of fairness and gave as an example the MPPs' recent, immediate and hefty pay raise as opposed to making hard-working Ontarians wait three years for a significant raise to the minimum wage.
"In the NDP's view this is, simply put, unfair," states the press release.
"With an election around the corner, it was wonderful to have this time with the leader, to exchange ideas and information in a relaxed setting and to get a glimpse of the campaign ahead," said Donna Hansen, candidate for nomination. The nomination meeting will be held June 14 at the upper Optimist Hall.
Hansen said, "For nearly four years we have watched as the Liberal McGuinty government broke promise after promise. Dalton McGuinty has kept the citizens of Ontario waiting for more affordable housing, significant raises to Ontario Works and ODSP and for clean, safe power generation. I have grown impatient with our provincial Liberal government and, for that reason, I have decided to seek the nomination to run for the NDP in Perth-Wellington in the October provincial election."

Election Planning Underway

From The Gazette (Dec. 15)

NDP plans for next year's elections

Last weekend, the Perth-Wellington NDP began preparing for the elections expected to be held in 2007, states a press release. The election planning committee held its first meeting to plan and strategize for the next election and to launch its search for a candidate to lead them in the upcoming provincial and federal elections. A provincial election is set for October 2007 while a federal election could happen as early as the spring.
"It's never too early to start planning," said riding president Emma Dinicol, in the press release.
"We had a very dynamic first meeting with some new people on board who have come with fresh ideas and new energy. I feel confident that we're going to be able to put together two excellent campaigns."
Since the election in 2000, the NDP has grown substantially, garnering 18.6 per cent of the vote in the 2006 election.
"We've been building steadily over the last few elections, which is really exciting and we want to keep building. Our first task is to find two candidates who can help us continue the building process."

Perth-Wellington NDP pushes for Museum funding

This is from the Stratford City Gazette this week.

Perth-Wellington NDP wants museum funding
Nov 3, 2006

The Perth-Wellington NDP are urging MP Gary Schellenberger to heed last week's vote in the House and reinstate the $4.6 million in cuts the Conservative government made to the Museum Assistance Program, states a press release.
In September the Museum Assistance Program (MAP) was one of the cuts the government made after a review of expenditures. Last week, an opposition motion calling for the reinstatement of the MAP funds that were cut, passed with all Opposition parties voting for it and the Conservative's voting against it.
Schellenberger, who is the Chair of the Heritage committee and has been a vocal supporter of small museums in his riding, voted along with his party against rescinding the cuts.
"We were disappointed to find out that Mr. Schellenberger voted the way he did," said NDP riding president, Emma Dinicol, in the press release. "But perhaps even more worrying, is that apparently, the government has no intention of abiding by the majority vote and plans to go ahead with this cut anyway."
Many museums in Canada operate on a shoestring and have had much difficulty accessing the MAP funds due to bureaucratic roadblocks and red tape. NDP Heritage critic Charlie Angus has launched a national campaign to get every museum in the country to put pressure on their local members of Parliament.
"The Conservatives broke a promise to the museum community. They have taken advantage of the bureaucratic malaise within the Heritage Department and they have attempted to throw the blame for problems on the people who carry out the invaluable work of telling our national story," said Angus, in a statement made last week. "This is an unacceptable situation."

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