Prince Edward-Hastings NDP Riding Association

My years as a school teacher brought me in close contact with the families in our riding. Spending each day with their children clearly showed me the results of the hardships caused by poverty and lack of opportunity endured by many Canadians. Awareness of these hardships, standing in stark contrast to Canada's abundant wealth, are what developed my political thinking, and led to me to become a New Democrat.

I am seeking the nomination because I want to address the growing gap between rich and poor in Canada. I am troubled by the rich using our political system to boost their personal wealth while social services are neglected. I am offended by corporations plundering the wealth of this land while a large fraction of our people are hungry. The lack of affordable housing, homelessness and an untenable minimum wage are a direct result of government policy. I want to do something about it. I want to see a national minimum wage. I want to see a national housing policy. I want to see that all Canadians can easily get quality health care and that all have access to excellent educational opportunities.

I remember when Canada was seen by the world as a peacemaking nation. I am angered by the Conservative liaison with George Bush, and the harm Stephen Harper has done to our international reputation. I want my Canada to be independent and free.

As a candidate, my teaching career will serve me well. I have been speaking and educating for 30 years, answering questions, and explaining ideas. My Science and Technology interests and qualifications will be especially important in this campaign, as public awareness of Global Warming has made the environment a priority.

The present atmospheric CO₂ levels are changing our planet. The evidence is irrefutable and alarming. Our stated goal must be to stop adding more CO₂ to the atmosphere. Reducing emissions merely delays catastrophe. Ruin in 50 years or 150 years is really the same.

Oil sand development is the exact opposite of what is needed, yet Harper and his Western constituents are planning on a five-fold increase in production, while the industry is given a $1.4 billion tax break. The real Conservative intent regarding Climate Change was shown early in their term. It has not changed. They pretend to have a new awareness and conscience only because they have seen the polls, and realize how important this matter is to Canadians. Liberal inaction on the Kyoto commitments is well known.

Eliminating CO₂ production will be a huge challenge, but we can do it. A shift in thinking is needed, as well as the way we do things. This will require thoughtful leadership, education, incentives, and regulations. There is a need for transportation, but not necessarily gasoline. We need warm homes, but not necessarily fuel oil. We need light in our homes, but not necessarily large central power stations. We need planning and development rules that encourage efficient use of transit systems rather than require the use of cars. We need building codes that are appropriate to our climate and minimize our energy needs. There should be a significant difference in the appearance of a house built in Belleville and one built in Florida.

There is a critical shortage of doctors in Canada. There are thousands in our riding who cannot find a physician. A visit to a public clinic or emergency ward takes many frustrating hours. Staff is overworked. Facilities are overloaded.

Wait time guarantees pursued by the Conservatives are not the solution. I'm very familiar with a similar endeavour. The standardized testing program adopted by our schools measures, and holds up to public scrutiny, the scores of "literacy and numeracy". These get the resources and support. The students' scores improve. But what about the other subjects? They are not reported. They become less important. Less time is devoted to them. The same result occurs in health care. Procedures not on the wait time guarantee list will become less accessible take longer to attain. I remember walking past a neighbourhood barbershop in my childhood. The sign said "3 barbers - no waiting". I had no trouble understanding this idea. This is the only way to reduce wait times. (Imagine the consequences of legislating haircutting times with too few barbers.)

From a young age, my neighbour wanted to be a doctor. She worked diligently, but sadly there was no room for her in a Canadian medical school. Fortunately, she did not give up, and was admitted to one in St. Kitts & Nevis. She is interning in the USA. Will she eventually set up her practice here? I don't know.

There was a time when I thought that the high marks required for admission to medical schools was to select only those students who could succeed. I was wrong. The admission requirements simply prevent most students from applying for the very small number of places available.

There has been some progress. Ontario recently opened a new medical school, which will provide some relief when the first graduating class begins to practice. But it is a small start. Conservative Alberta's plan was not to use its windfall fortune to build medical schools. They thought it more businesslike to advertise in South Africa, plundering the poor country of much needed medical staff. While we need to recognize the skills and qualifications of our immigrants, it is wrong to deliberately remove the doctors that are needed to serve the needs of their own countries. The proper course is to expand our medical schools so that we can produce our own physicians.

The long term care shortage is causing major problems in our hospitals. Beds are occupied by people who don't really need them, but lack suitable accommodation. This situation will get worse. Our senior population is growing. We can see the crisis coming. We must be prepared.

After the last election, national child care was demolished, continuing the hardships faced by Canadian working families. A silly, useless scheme was put in place by the Tories, one that was designed to not work. I look forward to seeing the creation of a national system of affordable, high-quality, learning-oriented child care that offers all children a strong educational foundation and that can provide options for parents who work or study. Finding child care should be no more difficult or expensive than enrolling a child in kindergarten.

I was privileged to be your Candidate in the last election. It was cold! I fell on the ice in Lake St. Peter. I froze my toes in Bird's Creek. But I really enjoyed discovering, from time to time, that the person at the door had once been in my classroom. I worked hard, and delivered our message to the people of our riding. Knocking on doors brought me face to face with our citizens as they told me what they wanted and needed from our Government. I was pleased that in these two Eastern Ontario counties the NDP was able to achieve the same percentage of the vote as was achieved nationally. With your support, I look forward to being once again the face of our Party in the coming election. I look forward to telling the people what Jack Layton and the New Democrats in Ottawa have done and will do for Canadians, such as protecting us from outrageous service charges by banks that are making record profits; such as forcing Stephen Harper to withdraw and re-write his deeply flawed Clean Air Act. And with your active help, I look forward to being the voice of our riding in Ottawa.

Michael McMahon