Here's the post I made today (Monday, February 19th/2007):
Title: Topic: Lost Canadians: the need to Update the Citizenship Act of 1947
'Hi everyone, while on mid-term break today, I caught a newstory on CTV News this morning titled "Lost Canadians": which basically said that because our current citizenship act is archacially 60 years old, there are up to 100,000 to 200,000 canadians who could lose their citizenship upon turning 20 because:
1. They were born out of wedlock
2. They were born before 1977
3. (a)Because one of their parents had to give up their Canadian Citizenship to become an American citizenship
(b) Which has sometimes occured because (as one individual on CTV testified), their father had arthritis and needed to head to the warmer climates of some parts of the US to help their condition
4. The current citizenship act classifies persons with disabilities, lunatics, and criminals as all being in the same category
So basically, this is an issue that not only affects Canadians, but Newfoundlanders as well: I mean if someone can lose their citizenship at age 20 and spend 35 years turning to get it back, what does that mean for people to immigrate into Canada and decide to stay in NL? Is it possible that such individuals might be deported from the country while their Canadian Citizenship is being processed in our overburdened bureaucracy?
Questions and comments? By the way, you should be able to find the Citizenship Act of 1947 at http://www.parl.gc.ca and search "The Citizenship Act of 1947"'
. . . . .
My two later replies to the same topic today:
"Hi, I went on the website and contacted the Parliamentary Library to discover that you can learn more about any legislation regarding citizenship by going to http://laws.justice.gc.ca
Then of course, you can choose to read it in either English of French
Then, you can click "Laws" (if an "Update Notice" comes up, click on the link at the bottom provided to bring you back to the site)
So ya, I searched "Citizenship" and found the "Citzenship Act of 1985" at this link: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/C-29//20070219/en?command=home&caller=SI&fragment=Citizenship%20&search_type=all&day=19&month=2&year=2007&search_domain=cs&showall=L&statuteyear=all&lengthannual=50&length=50"
"So ya, according to this, there is no mention of those being born out of wedlock, in military bases overseas,etc... as being Canadian citizens (just as CTV said, but hey, I wanted to make sure that spin wasn't being put on the story!)
So, there you have it: questions and comments?!"
Monday, February 19, 2007
Recent Federal Political Issues that've come up that relate to the Goals and Missions of the NLF Party (and how we should respond)
Here's the post I made February 17th/2007:
Title: The issue of Electoral Reform, whether it's in NL's best interest and the current political atmosphere for Electoral Reform in the Federal Parliament:
'So ya, i'm not sure if many of you are aware, on the NL First Party's webpage, it states that,
"The Newfoundland and Labrador First Party is committed to presenting a united front to the Federal Government and the people of Canada on issues of extreme importance to our future. Beyond the Fair Deal our provincial government has made with the Atlantic Accord, there are still issues to address:
.... • Federal political reforms to increase equity among the provinces and territories"
So ya, what, may you be asking, does this have to do with Electoral Reform? Well, I found out that on the NDP's website (http://www.ndp.ca/page/4051) titled "Electoral reform: make every vote count", they quote some statistics showing some flaws within our current Federal Electoral System and provide some background on them, as well as stating the following, "Leading the way to a fair system
On February 19, NDP MP Catherine Bell will table a motion to get the ball rolling on electoral reform. This motion mandates Parliament to consult with Canadians and choose a fairer voting system like proportional representation.
The last Parliament actually adopted NDP MP Ed Broadbent’s reform process, but the Liberal government broke its promise to move forward.
Make sure votes aren’t wasted any longer - urge your member of Parliament to support the NDP’s campaign for a fair voting system."
Also, this should open the door for debate on the issue of Electoral Reform. So, what do you guys stand on the issue of Electoral Reform?: would you rather see the Federal Electoral System changed to another form of Representative Democracy and/or Proportional Representation, or would you rather things to remain the way they are for now?
So ya, if you want, you can sign the online petition that they have on their website and/or write your Federal MP as to ask them to support and/or amend this motion accordingly if you feel so inclined!
Also, this should open the door for debate on the issue of Electoral Reform. So, what do you guys stand on the issue of Electoral Reform?: let the debate begin!
. . . . . .
Title: The issue of Electoral Reform, whether it's in NL's best interest and the current political atmosphere for Electoral Reform in the Federal Parliament:
'So ya, i'm not sure if many of you are aware, on the NL First Party's webpage, it states that,
"The Newfoundland and Labrador First Party is committed to presenting a united front to the Federal Government and the people of Canada on issues of extreme importance to our future. Beyond the Fair Deal our provincial government has made with the Atlantic Accord, there are still issues to address:
.... • Federal political reforms to increase equity among the provinces and territories"
So ya, what, may you be asking, does this have to do with Electoral Reform? Well, I found out that on the NDP's website (http://www.ndp.ca/page/4051) titled "Electoral reform: make every vote count", they quote some statistics showing some flaws within our current Federal Electoral System and provide some background on them, as well as stating the following, "Leading the way to a fair system
On February 19, NDP MP Catherine Bell will table a motion to get the ball rolling on electoral reform. This motion mandates Parliament to consult with Canadians and choose a fairer voting system like proportional representation.
The last Parliament actually adopted NDP MP Ed Broadbent’s reform process, but the Liberal government broke its promise to move forward.
Make sure votes aren’t wasted any longer - urge your member of Parliament to support the NDP’s campaign for a fair voting system."
Also, this should open the door for debate on the issue of Electoral Reform. So, what do you guys stand on the issue of Electoral Reform?: would you rather see the Federal Electoral System changed to another form of Representative Democracy and/or Proportional Representation, or would you rather things to remain the way they are for now?
So ya, if you want, you can sign the online petition that they have on their website and/or write your Federal MP as to ask them to support and/or amend this motion accordingly if you feel so inclined!
Also, this should open the door for debate on the issue of Electoral Reform. So, what do you guys stand on the issue of Electoral Reform?: let the debate begin!
. . . . . .
More Recent Discussion Topics I authored from the Facebook Group:the "NL First Supporters Site"
Here's the thread I posted in the facebook group on February 13th/2007:
Title:What can and/or will you do to help out the party?
'So ya, now that this group is starting to take off, i'd like to ask, what would everyone like to do to help out the party: become a membership? tell your friends about it? Help sign the petition to get the party federally registered? Willing to become an officer/moderator for this group?
If you're interested in helping out the party,post a response in this thread and i'll see what can be done!
. . . . . . .
Here's another post I made on the Facebook Group of the same name on February 14th/2007:
'Hi everyone, while I was reading the local NL paper "The Telegram", I found an editorial on A6,A7 or A8 titled "a page from Quebec's Books" which was written by a fellow from St.John's about how Newfoundland and Labrador is being pushed and shoved around by the rest of Canada. (To see the article, google http://www.thetelegram.com)
He also talks about how two years ago, he saw the NL First Party as a way of changing this. However, he seems to think the NL First Party is dead, but it's not. This forum and the NLF blog I plan to start is living proof it's still alive!
. . . . . .
(my later reply to this same thread the next day)
Not to mention, my friend James U. is doing some exploratory work into establishing a youth wing here at MUN for the NL First Party.
In addition, i'll probably be starting my "NL First Blog" over mid-term break and such just as soon as I let Ellsworth Penney and James U. know about it
!
So ya, this party is alive and well: just due to the fact that the executive of the party are doing their work for the party on a volunteer basis, they need to work jobs as well. As you'd expect, this means they have more commitments than say, any Leader of the Opposition has ( I mean, how many do you hear of who are working a 2nd job at the same time as being a Leader of the Opp. or party leader: although Danny Williams is probably the exception seeing as he still owns a company or two... I think!
But anyway, we're trying to get people to join the NL First Party and to help the Party get Federally registered, and maybe if we're lucky, we'll be registered in time to get federal NL MP Candidates for the Next Federal Election!
Any Questions or comments you'd like to make?'
. . . . . . .
Here's an excerpt from the Facebook group about a Meeting I had with James at what was originally supposed to be 1pm (that Later become 5:15p.m):
Title:My upcoming meeting with James at 1pm Today
'Remember how i've been saying that this group is for those who want to put NL First and to learn about the NL First Party and to support it?
Well, James will be giving me some NL First Party Memberships Forums (as well as Elections Canada forms to confirm your a Member of the NL First Party and to ratify that you want the party to become Federally Registered). So ya, if anyone studying at MUN (or elsewhere) is interested in becoming a member of the party, let me know and I can arrange to give you the forums in person (or to direct you to where on the nlfirst website to go to print them off yourself as well as where to mail them).
Last, the first 400 members of the NL First Party can join free of charge (because we'll be waiving the normal fee) in an attempt to help make the party more accesible to those interested regardless of income level and such!
So ya, Questions and comments? And ya, i'll be updating this site with more about our meeting!'
. . . . . . .
(my later update that same day as to how the meeting actually went)
Anyways, the meeting actually went ahead at 5:15 p.m. So, here's a list of things we discussed:
1. The Forms for Application to Register the Party (The NL First Party) NOT Membership forms
What does this mean, you ask? It means that someone can fill out a form to register the NL First Party Federally WITHOUT being a Member of the NL First Party (getting people officially registered and on file as members will happen once the party is Federally Registered!)
2(a) However, [James does want me to] keep a contact list of those who want to become members [of the NL First Party when we start officially registering interested people as official members of the party]. This is because the party will need [this list] because once we have at least 200 forms filled out to have the party federally registered, Elections Canada will be mailing a package to each individual to ratify that they actually filled out these forms and to ratify this: once at least 200 people have ratified these forms, the party will be federally registered! () Membership [cards] won't be distributed until after the party is [Federally] Registered.
(b) [I'll also be] keeping a list of those who wish to become members [of the NL First Party]: so, if your interested, let me know as a reply in this thread or PM me!
3. We can't Rush [getting federally registered] just to try to be ready for a possible Federal Election: we need to focus on gettingregistered among other things, next comes membership (then [we can start thinking about other things such as having conventions to adopt official party policies,etc..)
4. The NL First Blog
> James or Ellsworth will tell me what they want for me to put up on it [as this'll serve as the Official Party blog due to technical difficulties with getting the Official Party's website updated].
So ya, any questions or comments?
. . . . . . .
Title:What can and/or will you do to help out the party?
'So ya, now that this group is starting to take off, i'd like to ask, what would everyone like to do to help out the party: become a membership? tell your friends about it? Help sign the petition to get the party federally registered? Willing to become an officer/moderator for this group?
If you're interested in helping out the party,post a response in this thread and i'll see what can be done!
. . . . . . .
Here's another post I made on the Facebook Group of the same name on February 14th/2007:
'Hi everyone, while I was reading the local NL paper "The Telegram", I found an editorial on A6,A7 or A8 titled "a page from Quebec's Books" which was written by a fellow from St.John's about how Newfoundland and Labrador is being pushed and shoved around by the rest of Canada. (To see the article, google http://www.thetelegram.com)
He also talks about how two years ago, he saw the NL First Party as a way of changing this. However, he seems to think the NL First Party is dead, but it's not. This forum and the NLF blog I plan to start is living proof it's still alive!
. . . . . .
(my later reply to this same thread the next day)
Not to mention, my friend James U. is doing some exploratory work into establishing a youth wing here at MUN for the NL First Party.
In addition, i'll probably be starting my "NL First Blog" over mid-term break and such just as soon as I let Ellsworth Penney and James U. know about it
!
So ya, this party is alive and well: just due to the fact that the executive of the party are doing their work for the party on a volunteer basis, they need to work jobs as well. As you'd expect, this means they have more commitments than say, any Leader of the Opposition has ( I mean, how many do you hear of who are working a 2nd job at the same time as being a Leader of the Opp. or party leader: although Danny Williams is probably the exception seeing as he still owns a company or two... I think!
But anyway, we're trying to get people to join the NL First Party and to help the Party get Federally registered, and maybe if we're lucky, we'll be registered in time to get federal NL MP Candidates for the Next Federal Election!
Any Questions or comments you'd like to make?'
. . . . . . .
Here's an excerpt from the Facebook group about a Meeting I had with James at what was originally supposed to be 1pm (that Later become 5:15p.m):
Title:My upcoming meeting with James at 1pm Today
'Remember how i've been saying that this group is for those who want to put NL First and to learn about the NL First Party and to support it?
Well, James will be giving me some NL First Party Memberships Forums (as well as Elections Canada forms to confirm your a Member of the NL First Party and to ratify that you want the party to become Federally Registered). So ya, if anyone studying at MUN (or elsewhere) is interested in becoming a member of the party, let me know and I can arrange to give you the forums in person (or to direct you to where on the nlfirst website to go to print them off yourself as well as where to mail them).
Last, the first 400 members of the NL First Party can join free of charge (because we'll be waiving the normal fee) in an attempt to help make the party more accesible to those interested regardless of income level and such!
So ya, Questions and comments? And ya, i'll be updating this site with more about our meeting!'
. . . . . . .
(my later update that same day as to how the meeting actually went)
Anyways, the meeting actually went ahead at 5:15 p.m. So, here's a list of things we discussed:
1. The Forms for Application to Register the Party (The NL First Party) NOT Membership forms
What does this mean, you ask? It means that someone can fill out a form to register the NL First Party Federally WITHOUT being a Member of the NL First Party (getting people officially registered and on file as members will happen once the party is Federally Registered!)
2(a) However, [James does want me to] keep a contact list of those who want to become members [of the NL First Party when we start officially registering interested people as official members of the party]. This is because the party will need [this list] because once we have at least 200 forms filled out to have the party federally registered, Elections Canada will be mailing a package to each individual to ratify that they actually filled out these forms and to ratify this: once at least 200 people have ratified these forms, the party will be federally registered! () Membership [cards] won't be distributed until after the party is [Federally] Registered.
(b) [I'll also be] keeping a list of those who wish to become members [of the NL First Party]: so, if your interested, let me know as a reply in this thread or PM me!
3. We can't Rush [getting federally registered] just to try to be ready for a possible Federal Election: we need to focus on gettingregistered among other things, next comes membership (then [we can start thinking about other things such as having conventions to adopt official party policies,etc..)
4. The NL First Blog
> James or Ellsworth will tell me what they want for me to put up on it [as this'll serve as the Official Party blog due to technical difficulties with getting the Official Party's website updated].
So ya, any questions or comments?
. . . . . . .
All the other posts from the Facebook group of JWL's making the "NL First Party Supporters Site"
The Vision of the NL First Party and other further discussions (Originally posted January 30th/2007)
A quote from the Facebook group which quoted the NLF Party Website,
''NLFirst
OUR VISION is to realize a Newfoundland and Labrador that is healthy, prosperous and a sharing society with our future in our own hands.
OUR MISSION is to found a new Federal and Provincial political party, the Newfoundland and Labrador First Party, for the purpose of realizing our vision.
We will research issues, poll the public, engage in open debate, critique government policies and practices, present our own, and, when our members decide, we will stand for Federal and Provincial public office in Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Parliament of Canada.
Our first objectives are to fight for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador from within the Province and to recover control of Newfoundland and Labrador's rich natural resources and their revenues, from the federal government of Canada.
February 10, 2006'
[Note: I was speaking with the president of the party, Tom [Gene] Hickey about the party and he told me they've been trying to update the website for some time, but, they've had some technical difficulties. So, you can expect the site to be updated sometime in the future. Otherwise, anyone interested in joining the party can e-mail nlfirst@admin.com [see the website for details]
. . . . . . .
Another post from the same group on the same day:
Title:Information on how to become a membership and to help the NL First Party register as a federal party
Quote from the NLFirst website,
'NLFirst
HOW TO CONTACT US:
by e-mail: info@nlfirst.ca
by mail: NLFirst
P.O.Box 21423
St.John's, NL, A1A 5G6
by telephone: 709-722-NLFP (709-722-6537)
Our standard membership fee is $20 per year. However, we do accept a minimum of $5 for students, seniors and other circumstances. For example, many couples provide $20 for two memberships. For those sending payment by mail, please give your name and address including postal code as a minimum. E-mail addresses and telephone number would be very much appreciated. Minimum age is 16 years. Please indicate any particular talent or service that you may have to offer, e.g. membership drive, fund raising, committee work, mail delivery, etc. We will send a membership card by return mail.
Our beautiful new lapel pin for the party has arrived. It is metal and its design is of the flag, as you see it on this webpage. Please contact us if you are a current member so you can receive one. Pins will be given to new members when they sign up. The pins are $5.00 for non members wishing to acquire one.
Two Steps for Membership:
Click here for (Membership Application.html) or here for (Membership application.pdf). You can print the application, fill it out the section "for office use" and mail it to the above address.
To help us registrar the party federally, please send along a signed declaration form with your cheque if you are using mail. Click here (EC20225_p6.pdf) to download this form. Please print the form, fill it out and send along with your cheque.
We will also be having ?meet and greet? opportunities at various locations on a regular basis. Let us know if you want to drop in on one.
To reach all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at home and abroad, we need your help and participation. It?s time to roll up our sleeves and work together in a concerted fashion.
If you can contribute time, talent or treasure in growing our organization and creating a political alternative that will work for Newfoundland and Labrador, please contact us at info@nlfirst.ca
February 12, 2006'
. . . . .
Another Post from the Same group on February 2nd,2007:
Title:An Upcoming Youth Conference that a rep from the NL First (James) will be attending
Hi,everyone, i've now signed some forms that'll make me a member of the party tonight after having met Mr.Penney and James (on the Executive-Youth) and we've discussed matters such as possibly having a membership drive in the future,etc... However, right now, they told me that becoming a federal registered party is key (see the NLFirst website link and then click "Contact Us/Membership for more details"
In the meantime, Mr.Penney gave me a copy of the e-mail he was sent on the event, here it is:
" Here is our formal invitation letter.
January 31,2007
Ellsworth Penney
NL First Party
Dear Sir/Madam:
FINALY! is developing an exciting youth event for the Clarenville area, entitled, 'ROCK THE VOTE: Music, Politics and Leadership', happening Friday, February 16,2007, at the Clarenville Winter Games Complex. This will be a fun and free event, designed to get local youth, ages 15 to 30, interested in voting, politics, and leadership.
We want this event to answer the question "Why should I care?" for youth in the Clarenville area. We want to show youth how becoming engaged in how their town/province/country is run-- and by whom-- directly impacts their personal success and happiness. We want to show them how their voices CAN be heard and DO MATTER.
A number of speakers from all levels of government will be in attendance, including municipal leaders from across the province as part of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities board of directiors gathering. The event will also include a fun and informal question-and-answer session between attendees and participants.
We would like to extend to you an invitation to join us and address the crowd from your personal experience on the theme of leadership and politics and inform youth why it is important for them to become involved. The events runs from 7pm to 12am, but our aim is to have most of the formal activities concluded by 10pm.
We also invite you to consider sponsoring/ advertising at this event in the amount of 75$- your contribution will be publicly recognized at the event and we would be happy to provide you with opportunities to promote your party, as you deem appropriate.
Futures in Newfoundland and Labrador's Youth- or FINALY!- is a dynamic youth driven organization that empowers youth to become active participants in decision making and implementation. FINALY!'s involvement in social and economic issues provides an opportunity for youth to build a viable future in Newfoundland and Labrador. We are attaching a brochure that will provide you with a better picture of who we are and what we do- or you can visit our website @ www.finaly.ca.
Please Contact us at your earliest convenience to let us know if you are interested and available in attending ROCK THE VOTE in Clarenville, or if we can provide you with any further details.
Sincerely,
[Jennifer S.]
( I left out this contact information for privacy reasons, as it can be obtained online or upon request)
My reply to this (an update on february 8th/2007):
I just found out today that this event just postponed until March when I was talking to Ellsworth (the vice-pres of NL First)!
. . . . . .
An Entry from the Facebook Group the "NL First Party Supporters Site" from February 11th,2007:
'Hi everyone,
i'm sure you've noticed that this the first new topic i've put on this group in awhile: sorry about that! It's official: my meeting with James U. on the Exective-Youth of the NL First Party is tomorrow and ya, we'll be talking about the party, what's coming on and such. If you guys already aren't aware, the media has been saying for the last 3-4 days that the federal government will be tabling its federal budget around March 20th/07 or so.
What, do you ask, does this have to do with the NL First Party? Everything! How you may ask? Because the NL First Party is trying to reach a goal of having 400 officially registered members of the Party so that the Party can become Federally Registered (and if the Minority Conservative Federal Government gets brought down on the Federal 2007 budget and/or a 'non-confidence motion' by the Opposition Parties, there could be a spring election: if we can get the Party Federally Registered before the budget is tabled, the party will be in decent shape to run candidates in the next federal election.... I hope!
Anyways, i'll update this group about my meeting with James tomorrow,k?
. . . . . . .
(A later update from after the meeting on the same day!)
Basically, James told me that it's his goal to get 12 people to sign the petition to get the NL First Party Federally Registered and such. So ya, other than that, I brought up the idea of creating a NL First Party blog to allow for monthly updates that just aren't happening on the main site due to internal issues.
Other than that, we;ve just been straightening out some other stuff as well!
A quote from the Facebook group which quoted the NLF Party Website,
''NLFirst
OUR VISION is to realize a Newfoundland and Labrador that is healthy, prosperous and a sharing society with our future in our own hands.
OUR MISSION is to found a new Federal and Provincial political party, the Newfoundland and Labrador First Party, for the purpose of realizing our vision.
We will research issues, poll the public, engage in open debate, critique government policies and practices, present our own, and, when our members decide, we will stand for Federal and Provincial public office in Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Parliament of Canada.
Our first objectives are to fight for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador from within the Province and to recover control of Newfoundland and Labrador's rich natural resources and their revenues, from the federal government of Canada.
February 10, 2006'
[Note: I was speaking with the president of the party, Tom [Gene] Hickey about the party and he told me they've been trying to update the website for some time, but, they've had some technical difficulties. So, you can expect the site to be updated sometime in the future. Otherwise, anyone interested in joining the party can e-mail nlfirst@admin.com [see the website for details]
. . . . . . .
Another post from the same group on the same day:
Title:Information on how to become a membership and to help the NL First Party register as a federal party
Quote from the NLFirst website,
'NLFirst
HOW TO CONTACT US:
by e-mail: info@nlfirst.ca
by mail: NLFirst
P.O.Box 21423
St.John's, NL, A1A 5G6
by telephone: 709-722-NLFP (709-722-6537)
Our standard membership fee is $20 per year. However, we do accept a minimum of $5 for students, seniors and other circumstances. For example, many couples provide $20 for two memberships. For those sending payment by mail, please give your name and address including postal code as a minimum. E-mail addresses and telephone number would be very much appreciated. Minimum age is 16 years. Please indicate any particular talent or service that you may have to offer, e.g. membership drive, fund raising, committee work, mail delivery, etc. We will send a membership card by return mail.
Our beautiful new lapel pin for the party has arrived. It is metal and its design is of the flag, as you see it on this webpage. Please contact us if you are a current member so you can receive one. Pins will be given to new members when they sign up. The pins are $5.00 for non members wishing to acquire one.
Two Steps for Membership:
Click here for (Membership Application.html) or here for (Membership application.pdf). You can print the application, fill it out the section "for office use" and mail it to the above address.
To help us registrar the party federally, please send along a signed declaration form with your cheque if you are using mail. Click here (EC20225_p6.pdf) to download this form. Please print the form, fill it out and send along with your cheque.
We will also be having ?meet and greet? opportunities at various locations on a regular basis. Let us know if you want to drop in on one.
To reach all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at home and abroad, we need your help and participation. It?s time to roll up our sleeves and work together in a concerted fashion.
If you can contribute time, talent or treasure in growing our organization and creating a political alternative that will work for Newfoundland and Labrador, please contact us at info@nlfirst.ca
February 12, 2006'
. . . . .
Another Post from the Same group on February 2nd,2007:
Title:An Upcoming Youth Conference that a rep from the NL First (James) will be attending
Hi,everyone, i've now signed some forms that'll make me a member of the party tonight after having met Mr.Penney and James (on the Executive-Youth) and we've discussed matters such as possibly having a membership drive in the future,etc... However, right now, they told me that becoming a federal registered party is key (see the NLFirst website link and then click "Contact Us/Membership for more details"
In the meantime, Mr.Penney gave me a copy of the e-mail he was sent on the event, here it is:
" Here is our formal invitation letter.
January 31,2007
Ellsworth Penney
NL First Party
Dear Sir/Madam:
FINALY! is developing an exciting youth event for the Clarenville area, entitled, 'ROCK THE VOTE: Music, Politics and Leadership', happening Friday, February 16,2007, at the Clarenville Winter Games Complex. This will be a fun and free event, designed to get local youth, ages 15 to 30, interested in voting, politics, and leadership.
We want this event to answer the question "Why should I care?" for youth in the Clarenville area. We want to show youth how becoming engaged in how their town/province/country is run-- and by whom-- directly impacts their personal success and happiness. We want to show them how their voices CAN be heard and DO MATTER.
A number of speakers from all levels of government will be in attendance, including municipal leaders from across the province as part of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities board of directiors gathering. The event will also include a fun and informal question-and-answer session between attendees and participants.
We would like to extend to you an invitation to join us and address the crowd from your personal experience on the theme of leadership and politics and inform youth why it is important for them to become involved. The events runs from 7pm to 12am, but our aim is to have most of the formal activities concluded by 10pm.
We also invite you to consider sponsoring/ advertising at this event in the amount of 75$- your contribution will be publicly recognized at the event and we would be happy to provide you with opportunities to promote your party, as you deem appropriate.
Futures in Newfoundland and Labrador's Youth- or FINALY!- is a dynamic youth driven organization that empowers youth to become active participants in decision making and implementation. FINALY!'s involvement in social and economic issues provides an opportunity for youth to build a viable future in Newfoundland and Labrador. We are attaching a brochure that will provide you with a better picture of who we are and what we do- or you can visit our website @ www.finaly.ca.
Please Contact us at your earliest convenience to let us know if you are interested and available in attending ROCK THE VOTE in Clarenville, or if we can provide you with any further details.
Sincerely,
[Jennifer S.]
( I left out this contact information for privacy reasons, as it can be obtained online or upon request)
My reply to this (an update on february 8th/2007):
I just found out today that this event just postponed until March when I was talking to Ellsworth (the vice-pres of NL First)!
. . . . . .
An Entry from the Facebook Group the "NL First Party Supporters Site" from February 11th,2007:
'Hi everyone,
i'm sure you've noticed that this the first new topic i've put on this group in awhile: sorry about that! It's official: my meeting with James U. on the Exective-Youth of the NL First Party is tomorrow and ya, we'll be talking about the party, what's coming on and such. If you guys already aren't aware, the media has been saying for the last 3-4 days that the federal government will be tabling its federal budget around March 20th/07 or so.
What, do you ask, does this have to do with the NL First Party? Everything! How you may ask? Because the NL First Party is trying to reach a goal of having 400 officially registered members of the Party so that the Party can become Federally Registered (and if the Minority Conservative Federal Government gets brought down on the Federal 2007 budget and/or a 'non-confidence motion' by the Opposition Parties, there could be a spring election: if we can get the Party Federally Registered before the budget is tabled, the party will be in decent shape to run candidates in the next federal election.... I hope!
Anyways, i'll update this group about my meeting with James tomorrow,k?
. . . . . . .
(A later update from after the meeting on the same day!)
Basically, James told me that it's his goal to get 12 people to sign the petition to get the NL First Party Federally Registered and such. So ya, other than that, I brought up the idea of creating a NL First Party blog to allow for monthly updates that just aren't happening on the main site due to internal issues.
Other than that, we;ve just been straightening out some other stuff as well!
Posts from the Facebook Group "The NL First Party Supporters Site"
Originally posted Jan.20th/2007 in the Facebook Group the "NL First Party Supporters Site:
Quote from the mainpage of the NL First Party,
'NLFirst
The Newfoundland and Labrador First Party
-The People's Party?
Of the People, by the People, for the People
We envision a Newfoundland and Labrador to be proud of for generations to come.
The Newfoundland and Labrador First Party will work on both the Provincial as well as the Federal fronts on order to make the difference that we as Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans all deserve. We will work hard:
> to restore government services in rural communities
> to stop out migration
>for rural rights
> maintain our way of life and culture
> restore our traditional hunting and fishing rights
> for joint management of our fishery
The Newfoundland and Labrador First Party is committed to presenting a united front to the Federal Government and the people of Canada on issues of extreme importance to our future. Beyond the Fair Deal our provincial government has made with the Atlantic Accord, there are still issues to address:
>Utilize Article 76 of the Law of the Sea to extend the current 200 mile limit to 350 miles
>Joint management of the Fishery
>A plan to rebuild the cod stocks
>Integrated transportation and tourism initiatives
>Development of the Lower Churchill in keeping with section 92 and 92 A of The Constitution Act, 1867/1982
>Federal political reforms to increase equity among the provinces and territories
The work is just beginning. We Must Not Back Down. We call on every Newfoundlander and Labradorian to take action. Pride alone cannot effect change. We must work together towards our common goal of a Fair Deal.
If we should fail to strike a Fair Deal, we will aggressively pursue an independent Newfoundland and Labrador.
If you share this vision, join us in our quest to rid Newfoundland and Labrador of its have-not status?
We must act now.
NL First: It's time.
email: info@nlfirst.ca'
Quote from the mainpage of the NL First Party,
'NLFirst
The Newfoundland and Labrador First Party
-The People's Party?
Of the People, by the People, for the People
We envision a Newfoundland and Labrador to be proud of for generations to come.
The Newfoundland and Labrador First Party will work on both the Provincial as well as the Federal fronts on order to make the difference that we as Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans all deserve. We will work hard:
> to restore government services in rural communities
> to stop out migration
>for rural rights
> maintain our way of life and culture
> restore our traditional hunting and fishing rights
> for joint management of our fishery
The Newfoundland and Labrador First Party is committed to presenting a united front to the Federal Government and the people of Canada on issues of extreme importance to our future. Beyond the Fair Deal our provincial government has made with the Atlantic Accord, there are still issues to address:
>Utilize Article 76 of the Law of the Sea to extend the current 200 mile limit to 350 miles
>Joint management of the Fishery
>A plan to rebuild the cod stocks
>Integrated transportation and tourism initiatives
>Development of the Lower Churchill in keeping with section 92 and 92 A of The Constitution Act, 1867/1982
>Federal political reforms to increase equity among the provinces and territories
The work is just beginning. We Must Not Back Down. We call on every Newfoundlander and Labradorian to take action. Pride alone cannot effect change. We must work together towards our common goal of a Fair Deal.
If we should fail to strike a Fair Deal, we will aggressively pursue an independent Newfoundland and Labrador.
If you share this vision, join us in our quest to rid Newfoundland and Labrador of its have-not status?
We must act now.
NL First: It's time.
email: info@nlfirst.ca'
The First Entry of the Official NL First Blog
So hi everyone, i'm not sure how many of you have ever heard of the NL First Party. However, The NL First party came into existence into the Fall of 2004 in response to an Editorial that was posted in the daily NL paper "The Telegram" posing the question of whether we ought to be putting NL First. A member of the Executive-Youth James Upshall told me that Mr. Tom Hickey (the current president of the NL First Party) and 4 or 5 other people meet to discuss what they were going to do: were they going to be an advisory or lobbyist group, or were they going to be a political party?
It was decided in late 2004 and early 2005 that they were going to be a Political Party that was going to be a Federal Party party within Canada. With the issue of the re-negotiations of the Atlantic Accord deal coming up in 2005, the NL First Party threw it's support "100% behind the 100%" [as the NL First Party website put it!]
From there, the party began to get members, elect people to the executive and soon on.Sadly, the 1st president of the NL First Party had to resign for personal reasons: it was at this point that the NL First Party elected Tom Hickey as president of the party in 2005/2006.
In January 2005, the NL First Party leader/president Tom Hickey, with the consent of the NL First Party, was elected the 2nd president of the NL First party. In January 2006, under Tom Hickey's leadership, the party proceeded to succesfully register as a Provincial (NL) Political Party in order to run a candidate in a provincial by-election in ' Placentia-St. Mary's' when Independent Conservative MHA Fabian Manning vacated his seat to successfully run as the Cons MP for the Avalon Peninsula in the January 2006 Federal Election.
It was then decided in late January that since noone else stepped forward as a candidate, NL First Party president Tom Hickey put himself in the 2006 provincial by-election as the NL First Party candidate: although mr.Hickey lost (since the vote split between the Independent Candidate, the PC Candidate, the Liberal candidate, the Green Party Candidate and himself, PC Candidate Felix Collins was elected to the seat in 2006.
However, the NL First Party then decided to use the new publicity the party received as a result of the Provincial by-election to focus on registering the party federally (although it missed an opportunity to do so before the 2006 Federal Election for 2 reasons: 1. the executive of the party thought they had to deposit a $1000 fee in order for the party to become federally registered (this was later discovered to be false as this fee is only needed for a candidate to run by a political party, NOT for a political party to register) and 2. the membership cards that the NLF Party was giving out before didn't meet Elections Canada standards.
In the last year or so, the NLF Party had spent most of its time organizing a Federal Organization Committee to organize the Federal Branch of the NLF Party (in preparation for registering it federally) with two goals: 1. getting the party Federally Registered and ignoring the Provincial front until it has done so (because the original mandate of the party was to be a Federal Party, with the Provincial part of the Party being only a new idea as some people would only join the NLF PArty if it was a Provincial Party as well, 2. To fill out 200+ forms to get the NLF Party Federally registered (although 420 was recommended to make sure enough people ratified this decision by filling out a special Elections Canada package that each person will receive).
So ya, where do you ask did I (JWL) come on the screen of this party? In the middle of January 2007 to be exact! When I checked out the NLF Party website, I realized it hadn't been updated for a whole year. So, I decided to e-mail the party: getting a response from the NL First Party President Tom Hickey, a follow-up e-mail by Ellsworth Penney ( a member of the party and on the Federal Organization Committee of the party) who told me there was someone by the names of James U. on the executive who also lives in St.John's and whom I ought to meet. So, upon having my meeting with them, I vowed to leave the YLC (which I had sent in my membership for 2-3 weeks earlier) to Join the NLF party and to fill out a form to help them register. Since then, I contacted my P/T O (Provincial/ Territorial Organization) of the YLC/LPC and told them that I was giving up my memberships in the YLC in order to join the NLF Party.
So ya, since then, i've started 2 groups of the name the "NL First Party Supporters Site" on both Facebook and Hi5 in order to give youth people like myself (i'm only 18) a chance to learn about the party, to help the party get federally registered, to discuss issues,etc.. ( I noticed that in November of 2006, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May had successfully use new technologies such as YouTube and Facebook in order to help her get 22/25% of the vote in an Ontario Federal by-election): this convinced me that the NLF Party could take advantage of the same technologies to help build up the party. After meeting them, I was also told that James U. was going some exploratory work at MUN to establishing a Youth Wing HQ on the 6th floor of MUN for the party as well.
So ya, here I am: letting people know that even though some people who're writing into "The Telegram" Think the NL First PArty died in 2005, this party is still alive and well: with the 2 groups on Hi5 and Facebook, organizing work within the party and this blog as living proof that this party is far from dead!
It was decided in late 2004 and early 2005 that they were going to be a Political Party that was going to be a Federal Party party within Canada. With the issue of the re-negotiations of the Atlantic Accord deal coming up in 2005, the NL First Party threw it's support "100% behind the 100%" [as the NL First Party website put it!]
From there, the party began to get members, elect people to the executive and soon on.Sadly, the 1st president of the NL First Party had to resign for personal reasons: it was at this point that the NL First Party elected Tom Hickey as president of the party in 2005/2006.
In January 2005, the NL First Party leader/president Tom Hickey, with the consent of the NL First Party, was elected the 2nd president of the NL First party. In January 2006, under Tom Hickey's leadership, the party proceeded to succesfully register as a Provincial (NL) Political Party in order to run a candidate in a provincial by-election in ' Placentia-St. Mary's' when Independent Conservative MHA Fabian Manning vacated his seat to successfully run as the Cons MP for the Avalon Peninsula in the January 2006 Federal Election.
It was then decided in late January that since noone else stepped forward as a candidate, NL First Party president Tom Hickey put himself in the 2006 provincial by-election as the NL First Party candidate: although mr.Hickey lost (since the vote split between the Independent Candidate, the PC Candidate, the Liberal candidate, the Green Party Candidate and himself, PC Candidate Felix Collins was elected to the seat in 2006.
However, the NL First Party then decided to use the new publicity the party received as a result of the Provincial by-election to focus on registering the party federally (although it missed an opportunity to do so before the 2006 Federal Election for 2 reasons: 1. the executive of the party thought they had to deposit a $1000 fee in order for the party to become federally registered (this was later discovered to be false as this fee is only needed for a candidate to run by a political party, NOT for a political party to register) and 2. the membership cards that the NLF Party was giving out before didn't meet Elections Canada standards.
In the last year or so, the NLF Party had spent most of its time organizing a Federal Organization Committee to organize the Federal Branch of the NLF Party (in preparation for registering it federally) with two goals: 1. getting the party Federally Registered and ignoring the Provincial front until it has done so (because the original mandate of the party was to be a Federal Party, with the Provincial part of the Party being only a new idea as some people would only join the NLF PArty if it was a Provincial Party as well, 2. To fill out 200+ forms to get the NLF Party Federally registered (although 420 was recommended to make sure enough people ratified this decision by filling out a special Elections Canada package that each person will receive).
So ya, where do you ask did I (JWL) come on the screen of this party? In the middle of January 2007 to be exact! When I checked out the NLF Party website, I realized it hadn't been updated for a whole year. So, I decided to e-mail the party: getting a response from the NL First Party President Tom Hickey, a follow-up e-mail by Ellsworth Penney ( a member of the party and on the Federal Organization Committee of the party) who told me there was someone by the names of James U. on the executive who also lives in St.John's and whom I ought to meet. So, upon having my meeting with them, I vowed to leave the YLC (which I had sent in my membership for 2-3 weeks earlier) to Join the NLF party and to fill out a form to help them register. Since then, I contacted my P/T O (Provincial/ Territorial Organization) of the YLC/LPC and told them that I was giving up my memberships in the YLC in order to join the NLF Party.
So ya, since then, i've started 2 groups of the name the "NL First Party Supporters Site" on both Facebook and Hi5 in order to give youth people like myself (i'm only 18) a chance to learn about the party, to help the party get federally registered, to discuss issues,etc.. ( I noticed that in November of 2006, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May had successfully use new technologies such as YouTube and Facebook in order to help her get 22/25% of the vote in an Ontario Federal by-election): this convinced me that the NLF Party could take advantage of the same technologies to help build up the party. After meeting them, I was also told that James U. was going some exploratory work at MUN to establishing a Youth Wing HQ on the 6th floor of MUN for the party as well.
So ya, here I am: letting people know that even though some people who're writing into "The Telegram" Think the NL First PArty died in 2005, this party is still alive and well: with the 2 groups on Hi5 and Facebook, organizing work within the party and this blog as living proof that this party is far from dead!
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