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Jagmeet's Halifax town hall meeting, Oct. 2

9/26/2019

I had the great pleasure of attending the town hall meeting with the leader of Canada's NDP, Jagmeet Singh at Leeds campus of the NSCC on Sept. 23. In addition to Jagmeet, other luminaries included NDP federal candidates from Nova Scotia, NDP MLAs, Alexa McDonough, not to mention many Kings Hants NDP members who accompanied from Kings Hants.

There was a tremendous amount of excitement and pride in the room, especially given the high praise Jagmeet received for his comments following revelations of Justin Trudeau wearing blackface.

Jagmeet spoke about the NDP's health care platform, which includes a national pharmacare program and expanding universal health care to dental, eye, mental health , and seniors care.

As the Chronicle-Herald reported,

Holding a town hall meeting in the lobby of the Nova Scotia Community College’s Leeds Street campus, the party leader and MP from Burnaby, B.C., spoke to a crowd of more than 200, who also voiced concerns about climate change, housing, child care and education

Singh says getting universal access to medication would ensure a greater number of Canadians could stay healthier longer, and put less strain on clinics, emergency rooms and hospitals.

He also outlined a dentacare plan to provide dental treatment for families that earn less than $70,000, at a total cost of $856 million, which he considers a drop in the bucket compared to the billions of dollars that the Trudeau government gave to corporations in the fall economic statement.

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Student Climate Strike, Acadia University, Oct. 20

9/24/2019

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A great crowd was on hand at Acadia on Oct. 20 to participate in the one of the many student climate strikes taking place throughout the world. I was on hand to take part, talk to the crowd, hand out some of the NDP's climate change strategy flyers, and to give a pre-scheduled interview with Todd Battis of CTV News. My daughter Eve was on hand which prompted this email message from a new Wolfville resident:

"My daughter, who is deeply interested in politics, is attending Wolfville School (grade four) and came home to tell me that a fellow classmate was away from school participating in a climate change strike. She wants to be involved as well. Upon further questioning, it was evident that this girl's father was running for MP. While we had been undecided in which way to vote for this election, both my husband and I thought it remarkable that a candidate would take the issue of climate change seriously enough to have his daughter be both informed and engaged in taking action. We desperately need that kind of commitment and leadership in the times ahead. We will be voting NDP in this election."

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Reactions to latest Trudeau controversy: My take; Jagmeet's take

9/20/2019

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One of my proudest days as a New Democrat was when Jagmeet Singh became the official leader of Canada's NDP.

For me, it reflected how we as a party truly walk-the-walk when it comes to inclusion, tolerance, and social justice.

For the first time, a major national political party in Canada has a leader who is a person of colour and a religious minority.

He is a role model to young people in Canada like they have never had before.

Having grown up in Richmond, B.C., I went to school with a number of boys belonging to the Sikh religion and I can tell you they were by far the most frequent targets of bullying, harassment, and violence.

The bullying, discrimination, and other injustices Jagmeet has faced throughout his life make him uniquely qualified to become the Prime Minister of a country that prides itself on diversity, tolerance and inclusion.

And make no mistake, Jagmeet has to work twice as hard to gain the trust and support of Canadians compared to the other two major party leaders.

Jagmeet's moral leadership and his own message of love, peace, and tolerance is even more important given the exposure of Justin Trudeau's past racist antics.

Trudeau not only repeatedly engaged in racist acts, he did not even have the moral courage to admit having done so and now only apologizes because he has been caught.

Perhaps it is Karma that the leader of the opposition NDP represents all those who were mocked and stereotyped by the Prime Minister.

As Jagmeet said in his response, ultimately what needs to come out of this episode is healing and reassurance for those people who have experienced the pain of racism.

"There are millions of people in Canada – kids, young people, newcomers to our country – who have been bullied, hurt, attacked, and insulted because of who they are. These photos bring that into focus.

I faced racism growing up. And I dealt with it by fighting back – sometimes with my fists. But not everyone is able to do that. Many feel powerless – intimidated into a sense of not belonging.

I want to say to the people who’ve felt that pain – you are loved, you have value, you have worth – and we can and will do better for you.

Today I want to ask Canadians not to lose faith in our great country. The last 24 hours have been difficult and so will the coming days. But, remember this – you belong, and together we can fight for a Canada that rejects racism and discrimination. Together, we can fight for a Canada where we are celebrated for who we are, and where we take care of each other.

So I ask, please talk to those around you, check in on your loved ones and all those affected by this. We are stronger together, and united in our opposition to discrimination and hate."

As New Democrats, we know how important it is to come together and take care of one another.

Help us make Jagmeet Singh the next Prime Minister of Canada and send a message to the Liberals, Canadians and the world that Canada is truly a nation of tolerance and inclusion and not racism and ignorance!

Thank you for whatever support can provide for me, Jagmeet, and NDP!

Stephen Schneider

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Official Campaign, Official Candidate: Vote for the Most Qualified!

9/13/2019

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We have just heard from Elections Canada: I am now officially the NDP candidate for Kings-Hants!

Among the recent formalities was notarizing and submitting our official papers to the Elections Canada Kings-Hants Riding Office (located in the basement of the Canada Post building in Kentville).

I am actually the first official candidate in the riding and, apparently, Melinda (my campaign manager) cast the first official vote at the Elections Canada Riding Office/Polling Station.

Melinda declined to telling me who she voted for, but she did let me know that this polling station is open for continuous voting up until Oct. 21. So I would encourage all our members and supporters to get out an vote early (no doubt you will be hearing more from us on this).

We have also hit the ground running in what will assuredly be a very competitive race in Kings-Hants.

I have been very busy canvassing and attending public events we have a great election team in place, our campaign office is fully functioning (don't forget about our official opening on Sept. 14, 1 to 4 pm), and we will be busy putting up lawn signs over the next few weeks (make sure to put your order in now while supplies last!).

Our local campaign theme is Vote for the Most Qualified Candidate!

Much of my career and volunteering has been dedicated to public service.

Some of you already know of my background and accomplishments.

I live in Wolfville with my wife Meg and daughter Evangeline.
I serve the community as a Wolfville Children's Centre board member and Acadia minor basketball coach.
I teach criminology at St. Mary’s University and am recognized as a national expert in crime prevention and organized crime.
I have written five books and over 40 research reports for federal government agencies.
I have spent 25 years as a community development activist helping numerous neighbourhoods throughout Canada grow stronger, safer and more prosperous
I have implemented tutoring & mentoring programs for at-risk youth, preparing them for a brighter future

As the M.P. for Kings-Hants, some of my priorities will include the following:

Promoting local economic innovation in traditional industries and new green technology and jobs.
Protecting our natural habitat by working to reduce green-house gas emissions and through greater conservation efforts.
Increasing infrastructure spending to repair roads and expand high-speed Internet
Creating more child care spaces.
Helping to address our health care crisis by advocating for a national Pharmacare program, expanding universal coverage to dental care, eyes, and mental health care, and ensuring people in Kings-Hants have access to local health care services
Creating more affordable housing & long-term care beds
Helping seasonal workers access employment insurance benefits
Implementing tutoring/mentoring programs for disadvantaged children.
Working with First Nation's to ensure their rights and culture are respected and celebrated

I am honoured to be the NDP candidate for Kings-Hants and I hope I can count on your support.

Having my official nomination papers notarized (at the local Legal Aid office) and then off to the Elections Canada Kings-Hants Riding Office (basement of the nearby Canada Post in Kentville).

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Labour Day Picnic, Memorial Park, Kentville, Sept. 2

9/2/2019

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Thanks to the Annapolis Valley Labour Council for sponsoring another successful Labour Day picnic at Memorial Park. It was a beautiful day and there was a a great turnout from various unions, their representatives, and working families.

As I have mentioned in other posts, I come from a union family (my father was in the Operating Engineers for more than 35 years, many of them as a shop steward) and I myself have had jobs that brought me into at least four unions (including my current stint as a member of the Saint Mary's University Faculty Union).

There is no doubt that organized labour is central to the prosperity that many Canadians enjoy. It is no coincidence that the decline of a living wage for many as well as the staggering growth in income inequality in Canada is partially the result of the decline in organized labour especially in the private sector. On this day we should also remember all those workers who do not enjoy a living wage or collective bargaining rights.

Last and not least, we should not forget about all those federal civil servants who have had their pay disrupted significantly (for at least five years now) because of the botched Phoenix payroll system (with no end in sight). The Liberal Government has made little progress in addressing this problem and many civil servants are owed thousands of dollars in back pay!

Helping to ensure all Canadians receive a livable wage will be one of my priorities as a Member of Parliament. I am in favour of a $15/hour minimum wage; a federal minimum wage of $15/hour would give an immediate raise to approximately 67,000 workers across Canada, from bank tellers, truck drivers and telecommunications workers to airport staff and broadcast journalists outside major cities. An NDP government would also increase the minimum each year so no federally-regulated full-time worker lives below the poverty line.

During the 2015 election, Justin Trudeau attacked the idea of a $15 per hour federal minimum wage and later told a business audience that he opposed raising it because "it's not just about putting a little more money in peoples' pockets."

It was also the Trudeau Government that forced Canada Post employees back to work after they legally walked off the job. In 2010, Justin Trudeau voted in favour of scab legislation while in opposition and in 2016, the Liberal Government voted down NDP legislation that would ban the use of replacement workers to replace those on strikes.

The NDP is committed to modernizing sections of the Canadian Labour Code (neglected by the Liberals) to provide greater protections for workers, including by banning the use of replacement workers in labour disputes and delivering fair compensation for part-time and contract workers.

The growth of low-paid, insecure work is the result of decades of decisions by Liberal and Conservative governments – from scrapping the federal minimum wage in the 1990s to telling Canadians to “get used to” short-term, precarious work.

New Democrats know that good jobs that treat people fairly make a real difference to Canadian families. We’re committed to making sure that hardworking people get the fair wages and good working conditions they deserve.

Me and Kentville Mayor Sandra Snow and the Labour Day Picnic

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Stephen Schneider's Candidate Blog

Jagmeet's Halifax town hall meeting, Oct. 2

Student Climate Strike, Acadia University, Oct. 20

Reactions to latest Trudeau controversy: My take; Jagmeet's take

Official Campaign, Official Candidate: Vote for the Most Qualified!

Labour Day Picnic, Memorial Park, Kentville, Sept. 2

Stephen Schneider

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