NEWS
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To the editor,
Somewhat reluctantly, I find myself in the position of have to write once again to correct the misinformation provided by my MP, Pierre Poilievre, in his column printed in your Dec. 20 edition. In his article, Mr. Poilievre correctly points out that Bill C-377, a private members bill, was passed by the government in early December. In fact, the bill was passed with such unprecedented haste that there was not sufficient time for debate or for the parliamentary budget officer to complete a full analysis of the cost of the bill to Canadians. In a letter to the parliamentary finance committee the budget officer agreed with the Canada Revenue Agency’s estimate of $2,100 per organization or union required to report. He did not agree, however with the number of organizations (1,000 according to the CRA), pegging the number at 18,300. One has to wonder if some of my neighbours in Mr. Poilievre’s riding who are losing their jobs due to cutbacks appreciate this additional spending of over $38 million – and to what end? Mr. Poilievre also points out that labour organizations, like charities, receive a benefit from the people of Canada. What he fails to tell us in his article is that many employer organizations and professional organizations such as the Canadian Bar Association and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce also receive similar tax benefits. Again this leaves me wondering if the purpose of the bill is to ensure that those who benefit from tax advantage disclose how they spend their money and why the rules were not expanded to all organizations. In fact, the Liberal party proposed an amendment to the bill that would have required both
employee and employer organizations to report. However, Mr. Poilievre voted against the amendment as did the rest of the Conservative MPs. So if not about transparency, what is this bill really about? This bill is driven by ideology and is aimed a tying labour organizations in unnecessary red tape. Most provinces and territories already require unions to provide audited financial statements to their members. At least two provinces (Ontario and Quebec) have written to Ottawa to express concerns. Ontario described this bill as “inexplicably intrusive.� The fact that the bill is ideologically driven is evidenced by the inflammatory comment in the House of Commons by a Conservative MP (Mark Adler) who agreed with a statement that union meetings were “exotic trips to communist get-togethers for union officials�. I was there – I heard it with my own ears and still don’t believe it! Finally, I take issue with Mr. Poilievre’s assertion that many of his constituents support this legislation. I am a constituent. I have requested a meeting with Mr. Poilievre to discuss this issue and have not even had the courtesy of a reply. Hopefully, the Senate will reconsider this ill-conceived legislation and place it in the trash where it belongs. That’s not likely. In spite of the Harper Conservatives’ promise to reform the Senate, they have been busy appointing their friends to ensure they can push forward their agenda. Unions are all in favour of accountability and transparency but it appears that this is not necessarily the case for Mr. Poilievre and his colleagues. More a case of do what I say not what I do. Bob McGahey Nepean
M
y husband and I set out for a trip to Pinecrest Mall. Destination: Ikea. But we got distracted. There’s a new store in town called Terra20. It calls itself the first of its kind in the world. Founded by Ottawa entrepreneur Steve Kaminski, Terra20 is an eco-friendly department store. If you live in Ottawa, you no longer need to rely on boutique shopping for ecofriendly baby items on the one hand and household cleaners on the other. Terra20 has everything from clothing to shampoo to stationary under a single roof. The worst thing about Terra20 is that it is a big box store, primarily accessible by car. It is a paradox – telling people to consume responsibly, while providing everything in mass quantities. At the same time, Terra20’s decision to mimic the big box model will likely be the secret of its success. Here’s why: boutique green stores are just that -- boutique stores. They are destination locations, often found in
BRYNNA LESLIE Capital Muse small, walkable neighbourhoods in the city. And no offense, but they’re not exactly mainstream. The people that have committed their lives to opening an eco-friendly baby store in Westboro or a natural food store in the ByWard Market – and their customers – are fringe groups. But Terra20 brings green into the mainstream. It is a distraction for the Ikea shopper – you know, the 95 per cent of us who consume cheap plastic goods made in China because we feel we have no choice. This is why, my friends, it may just make the biggest leap in green since the blue box program was introduced in the 1980s. A few weeks ago, I saw an interview with Jon Dwyer on TVO’s The Agenda. The chief executive of Flax Energy
in Toronto, Dwyer is another green entrepreneur who sees the value of not reinventing the wheel when it comes to making a transition to a green new world. Flax Energy makes about six different products out of flax seeds, everything from animal food to flax diesel. The beauty of it is you don’t need a special vehicle or a modified tank to use Flax Energy’s fuel product. Any vehicle that runs on diesel can use flax diesel instead of regular diesel. Dwyer said the goal was to find and manufacture a green alternative to petroleum without asking consumers to change the way they consume. That means selling the product from a privately-based firm – without government subsidies paid for by taxpayers – and selling the product at the
same price as the product it’s replacing. Normally, when it comes to green, says Dwyer, “we’re asking people to change their habits. But if you really want something to be sustainable, it has to mimic the item it’s replacing. Our business is fundamentally predicated on the economics of oil. “It’s probably the best economic model in history,� he said. As Dwyer tells it, flax, like petroleum, has one input and multiple outputs. There’s lots of it available and when his company is harvesting flax, it’s using combines running on its own flax diesel, and shipping those seeds by trucks running on, you guessed it, flax diesel. The hardest thing in the world is to change human behaviour. Dwyer knows it, and Steve Kaminski at Terra20 knows it too. They want to change the world, but they know the only way that will happen is if they can encourage consumers to change without making them feel like they have to sacrifice something to get there.
Nepean’s museum honours volunteers for years of work EMC news - More than 2,500 volunteer hours contributed by a total of 50 volunteers is an achievement to be recognized. Volunteers at Nepean Museum and Fairfields met on Dec. 8 to enjoy a lunch and receive awards at Nepean Museum’s annual end of the year Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Several volunteers were recognized for their numerous years at the museum, including Marg and George Burbidge, who have always been ready to help for over 10 years, and Bruce Campbell and Richard Malott who have served on the board of trustees for years; Malott for over two decades. Helen Roddick has faithful-
ly visited the museum to help each Tuesday afternoon for the last eight years. Michelle Bourget was recognized for her work creating the exhibit entitled Faces and Places: War of 1812, which can still be seen in the museum’s gallery. Abigail Doris and Wendy Gallant were recognized for contributing a combined total of 585 hours of hard work to the museum. “Nepean Museum appreciates the hours of work these individuals have contributed for the museum,� said volunteer co-ordinator Katie Graham. She acknowledges that many projects and events could not be successful without the
contributions of volunteers. Are you interested in volunteering for Nepean Museum?
Contact them at 613 723 7936 or by email at reception@nepeanmuseum.ca.
Dr. Raya Fatah DENTAL OFFICE I personally invite you to come and try our dental services, and I look forward to meeting you and your family. – Raya Fatah
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Nepean Medical Centre 1 Centrepointe Drive, Suite 405
Tel: 613-224-6355 Nepean-Barrhaven EMC - Thursday, December 27, 2012
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MP misses the mark in recent column
It’s easy becoming green with eco-stores
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