CFN – What a conundrum. These things called principles. There can be ironies as was the case when I received an urgent missive from Cornwall Ontario City Councilor and local Labour Board President Elaine MacDonald.
Some people think I and the good councilor have some sort of feud; but it comes down to me being personally offended at her choice to write a column on Our Home Town during the provincial election.
I voiced my concerns when that happened privately, but the good councilor chose to not discuss it.
My feelings were quite simple. CFN had been more than fair with the local NDP and Ms MacDonald prior and it felt like a disloyal slap to the face for her and her Campaign Manager Brian Lynch’s hope for Ms. MacDonald to earn the MPP seat require her to take such action.
Our Home Town is run by my former Contractor; Chris Savard who lost to Jim Brownell in the previous election. The little lizard and sneak represents to me the worst of what Conservatives are, and his record on City Council was not much better. He also worked for the Ms MacDonald’s competitor and now MPP Mr. Jim McDonell. We won’t even start on the Lift Off issues starting to come out into the public while Mr. Savard was at the wheel…
When the situation that took place on February 9th; a National sit in at MP offices, Ms MacDonald I believe knew that she what would most likely happen if she took this to Mr. Savard; that he’d warn his good friend Mr. Lauzon and the doors to his office would be locked when Occupied.
Thus our missive. The only other media to show up was the Standard Free Holder which is a Sun owned paper. Nuff said on that one 🙂
I could have chosen to continue celebrating our 3rd Birthday yesterday; something that Ms MacDonald did not even wish us greetings on in her first reach to us or during the event; but the fact is that I do care about Old Age pensions. I do care about how the Harper Government is stomping all over Canadians during his majority government.
So here Ladies, Gentleman; and local NDP clan is what happened Thursday. A scary cause for concern for me is that the police waited for we media to leave before entering the MP’s office, and clearing the protesters out. There was no shouting or confrontations; but having uniformed officers present certainly was intimidating as one of those present communicated to this scribbler.
Most of the people that occupied our MP’s Office ( he was not present and refused to come to the phone when office staff called him) were in fact closer to pension age than not.
Why The Labour Council Occupied MP’s Offices
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYsN756DmJU
MP’s Staff on how much our MP wants to hear from the public
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEftyPvYGDQ
Frankly I’m glad I went and documented this. The Labour Council is working a petition to bring to government and Mr. Lauzon’s staff said he wants to listen. Maybe everyone that reads this should make an appointment to meet with him so he can listen to their pension concerns?
Even with a Majority government in place people’s voices should still count.
What do you think Cornwall and Canada? You can post your comment below.
why did your story need such a preamble? I admit, it went places I didn’t see coming (knowing of your love for Mr Lauzon), but it was really distracting and took a lot of the wind out of the sails of your story. I think if you cared so much for the OAS cuts, you would have let that be the focus of your story, instead of the bitter feeings between you and Ms. MacDonald. just my two cents.
This group showed such a lack of respect for its fellow citizens. A friend of mine is currently interning at Lauzon’s office and she tells me people couldn’t even walk in to get help with government forms or if they had questions well, that’s too bad.
This group storming the MP’s office and thinking they are more important than the rest of us shows an absolute lack of class and respect for everyone else.
Looking past the typos and rambling in this article are hard enough, but I can’t understand how one can think that the presence of uniformed police would be excessive in comparison to the intimidating effect of a group of people bursting into someones workplace. The “Occupy” movements were peaceful protests on open-air public land which is hardly the same, even if the office IS that of a public servant.
Nick really, bursting! You saw this group. The only bursting that would happen there would be their bladders if they drank too much water and had to stand too long.
As far as a workplace goes, it is a constituency office for the people and paid for by the people. We have a right to go there in spite of what our MP and the ruling aristocracy might say.
To JM and others commenting on this issue.
I was part of this occupy movement at Guy Lauzons office yesterday and as the media and all members attending know and will say we did NOT storm into our MP’s office. We entered quietly and announced ourselves as a peaceful group there to express our displeasure with the Prime Ministers announcement to change OAS and pensions without his first consulting the House or Canadians..Is Mr Lauzon not our direct contact with the PMO? Our group was always peaceful, respectful and we only wanted our local MP to know that this issue is serious enough that we are not going to accept it lying down in any Conservative manner. If some think our protest was disrespectful than how do you feel about the disrespect Herr Harper and his Conservatives have shown for everyday hardworking Canadians and seniors.
Anyone who wanted to enter the office for passports or other issues were never blocked/ stopped or deterred as NO disruption from the goings on of the office were hindered by our group being there. After the media left Cornwall Police did show up as expected and they also found our group protest to be reasonable and peaceful If the intern there was disturbed by our little show of presence then I suggest she find another line of work away from the Conservatives as we still have to put up with 3 more years of Harper’s majority reign of terror and many more protests.
As a Canadian taxpayer of 40 years who also proudly served for our Country for more than 22 years as a peacekeeper and in the Gulf War in our Canadian Armed Forces I will NOT lay down down quietly to let Mr Harper destroy our country or hurt our citizens as Brian Mulroney once tried to do during his majority government.
Why should I have to wait 2 more years to get OAS a pension I have earned and worked for just to support Harper’s agenda and priorities for super jails, stealth jets that we don’t need and tax breaks for big corporate businesses to get richer when Canada’s poverty level is sky rocketing and seniors are getting the shaft from this Government?
Out of respect for the the people that Mr. Harper serves, would it not have been appropriate to consult the House and the Canadian people before announcing changes to pensions and OAS before making such an announcement (of all places) on foreign soil? My thanks go to all those who peacefully gathered at Mr. Lauzon’s Office (in fact a public office) to present this message to Mr. Lauzon for delivery to Mr. Harper. They did so in a respect-full manner, not only on their own behalf, also on behalf of their fellow citizens. Thank you for doing so, on your time, on your dime. Perhaps the conversation can now begin?
Hello,
I won’t weigh in on the topic at hand but I don’t think this group was anymore out of line the employee telling the protesters to use the internet and not come to the office! I am a conservative and enjoy speaking with both Jim and Guy!
However, I do believe that people do have a legitimate concern and unfortunately the majority of the members at Guy’s office were past NDP candidates or members which makes many Conservative’s see this protest as an NDP vs. Conservative affair when in reality it affects anyone looking to use OAS in the near future!
I hope Guy makes a public statement or truly addresses everyones concerns for the sake of our community!
Mike as a Conservative and supporter of CFN on many levels how do you feel about our MP and MPP boycotting not only CFN, but its viewers and sponsors by doing so?
Both Mr. Lauzon and Mr. McDonell are derelict in their duty by refusing to respond to queries from their riding’s largest online media. It’s almost as Rob Ford boycotting the Toronto Star.
While Mr. Lauzon may have some reason; based on his own weak behavior; what is Mr. McDonell’s excuse? Or does it all come down to obeying what Eric Duncan tell’s them? (Who btw, does grant interviews to CFN.)
I WAS going to write up a lengthy response to Mr Coffey explaining that some may find physical presence en-masse intimidating regardless of if those people are holding flowers and singing kumbaya, especially when those people are unannounced and bringing video cameras. Also that here in Canada everyone (even public servants) are entitled to a workplace free of harassment and intimidation. After all, it’s not up to you whether they’re allowed to feel intimidated, the fact is that if they thought your group posed any possible threat they were well within their rights to ask a police officer to monitor the situation.
I also considered explaining that I don’t particularly care about OAS because by the time I retire the system will be nonexistent anyway since it’s already broken and any efforts to fix it are met with resistance from everyone who thinks they’re entitled to every last penny they can get from it.
But THEN I saw something I couldn’t believe.
In the most over-moderated ‘news’ website I’ve ever seen someone was allowed to post a reply in which a likeness was inferred between our nation’s leader and HITLER???
REALLY???!!!
Well drawn out arguments are tossed aside on a daily basis because they don’t align with your views, but ‘Gary W. Samler’ is allowed to toss that gem into the arena unchallenged? Wow.
I… am… speechless.
Stay classy, CFN.