The Lambton Compass - Sarnia—Lambton

The Lambton Compass
Charting a new course for Liberals in Sarnia-Lambton
MARCH 2014
Message from the President
There can be no denying the dedication and enthusiasm of the Sarnia
Lambton Federal Liberal Association. In the coldest winter on record
some ten members attended the Montreal Biennial Policy Convention
from February 20 to 24th and you will hear from them in this newsletter.
There they witnessed the passage of a National Transportation Policy
which we co-authored with six other ridings as well as one of the best
keynote addresses ever delivered at a convention by our leader, Justin
Trudeau.
They, and we, have taken the message of hope and hard work to heart.
Your association continues to improve the website, plan activities, raise
funds, and prepare for the election in 2015. And we could never do it
without your continued encouragement and support. Thank you!
We look forward to seeing you at our pub nights on the first Thursday
of the month and also at our AGM on June
10th at the Guildwood. An official notice
will be sent out.
Enjoy this edition and remember that you
too can contribute items if you wish. After
all, this is YOUR Compass!
Yours in Liberalism,
Eileen Viola—President, SLFLA
2014 Pub Night Schedule:
SLFLA Pub Nights are held the first
Thursday of each month from 5:00
p.m. until 6:30 p.m. They are hosted
by a volunteer member and the intent is to provide a gathering place
for our members, supporters and
friends to meet and socialize. It’s
informal and fun. Email announcements will arrive in your Inbox approximately 2 weeks prior to each
event. If you don’t use Email please
mark your calendars and come on out
and join us.
Date
April 3
May 1
June 5
Venue Location
Ups & Downs, Sarnia
Rondos, Bright’s Grove
Bad Dog, Corunna
CHECK US OUT ONLINE:
Website:
http://sarnia-lambton.liberal.ca
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/
SLFedLiberals
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/
SLFedLiberals
Fundraising
Your fundraising team would like to offer a sincere “Thank you!” to all
contributors for your ongoing support.
Thanks to the generosity of members,
our 2013 year end fundraising blitz
helped the Sarnia-Lambton Federal
Liberal Association bank account reach
its highest balance in history. Congratulations to everyone!
Some might say that our local association is very nearly ready to fight the
next Federal election campaign. We
are not quite there yet, but we can
move forward with confidence that we
will be ready to fund a modern and
effective election campaign in the year
2015.
possible. As we look forward to 2014,
we expect to deliver some exciting
fundraising events with top flight
speakers to inform and inspire Liberals
in Sarnia-Lambton. Please stay tuned
for more details and we hope that you
will respond as positively as you have
in the past with your support and your
attendance.
While you are waiting for more information about upcoming speakers,
please consider becoming a monthly
contributor through the VICTORY
FUND. It is easy to do on-line at
https://action.liberal.ca/en/
victoryfund and $20 per month qualifies you to be recognized in our local
Mackenzie Club.
HOW TO DONATE:
If you are interested in helping us
continue to promote the Liberal
Brand in Sarnia Lambton, please
make your cheque payable to
“SLFLA”, and mail it to PO Box 737,
Brights Grove, Ontario, N0N1C0.
If you cannot recall how much you
have already donated this year,
you can call Joe Viola (519-8694268) or Alex Palimaka (519-9089028) and we can help.
VICTORY FUND:
As a political organization, we want
to be ready for the 2015 election
and ensure that an MP from Sarnia
-Lambton will join Justin Trudeau’s
government.
It is also important to remember that
your support also makes it possible to
fund the activities of this association as
we build the Liberal Party both locally
and nationally. The hope and hard
work that our party will deliver to Canadians is seen throughout this newsletter and your funding has made that
Our goals are realistic and achievable only with constant support
from the people of this great riding.
People like you, who donate their
time and money, ensure that the
SLFLA continues moving forward.
What is the best way to support
the SLFLA?
If you have a fundraising idea, or if you
would like assistance to make a financial contribution, please do not hesitate to drop Alex Palimaka a line at
[email protected]
Alex Palimaka & Joe Viola
JOIN THE VICTORY FUND.
This small, tax deductible, monthly
contribution will allow us to plan
our programs and expenses effectively.
To learn more, visit https://
action.liberal.ca/en/victoryfund
ROAD CLEANUP
DEMOCRACY WORLDWIDE--AND IN CANADA
Democracy is a fragile entity in a volatile
world. According to the annual ECONOMIST'S INTELLIGENCE UNIT DEMOCRACY
INDEX:

Only 15% of 165 studied countries in
the world are "full democracies"

Nearly twice as many of those countries are under the control of authoritarian regimes

The U.S., which ranks 21st overall,
scores lowest on political participation
amongst the 5 criteria used to measure
the health of democracies.
The report also notes that authoritarian
regimes are becoming more effective controllers, while many democracies in the
west are struggling, owing to political infighting, declining participation, and the
sacrifice of civil liberties in the name of
national security.

Canada's overall ranking of 8th belies
some shocking realities: (from other
sources)

95% of Canadians do not belong to any
political party, so all of the candidates
for whom people eventually vote are
originally selected by only 5% of the
population

Only 10% of Canadians donate any
time, money, or energy to political
process; this essentially means that,
with 3 major parties, our whole Liberal
foundation is financially supported by
only about 3% of our citizens.
Perhaps the very least any of us could do is
encourage every friend, relative, and
neighbour to join a political party of any
stripe. They could at least play a role in the
candidate selection process for their own
community, AND we could all recall Justin
Trudeau's recent suggestion that in the end
we are all neighbours. Spirited participation from any dimension of society will
eventually make our country and our democracy stronger. Our world is too fragile
to do any less.
As part of our community outreach
initiative, the SLFLA participates in the
Lambton County Adopt-A-Road Program. A stretch of London Line 5.7km
long between Mandaumin Road and
Camlachie Road is the portion of road
we adopted. Our first clean-up took
place in October of 2013, with six members (Lin Burr, Al Burr, Earle Woolaver,
Doug Kerr, Andrea Smythe, and Patrick
Lai) taking part. Lots of experience was
gained from this first outing. A key
learning was a team of 12 would be
optimal for efficiency.
The next clean-up is planned for Saturday, May 24, 2014, right after the SLFLA
executive meeting at Huron Oaks.
Please mark your calendar for both the
executive meeting and the adopt-aroad clean-up on that day. If you are
able to participate, please let Kim Fyfe
or Patrick Lai know. Instructions on how
to prepare will be disseminated ahead
of time.
Patrick Lai
Bob Sutton, Democracy Committee Chair
PROPOSED 2014 SOCIAL
EVENTS
Wine & Cheese Social
Strawberry Social
Summer BBQ
Duc d’Orleans Lunch Cruise
Dinner Theatre
Toonie Hot Dog Meet & Greet
Victoria Playhouse Production
Please feel free to contact the following committee members with any suggestions or
comments you wish to share. If you’re interested in “hosting” a Pub Night please contact Lin Burr below (looking for hosts for July through December 2014):
Lin (Linea) Burr [email protected] or @ 519-542-4289
Andrea Smythe [email protected] or @ 519-867-2882
Gloria Cayea [email protected] or @ 519-869-6326
Diane/Doug Kerr [email protected] or @ 519-869-8824
Membership Report:
Please don’t forget to renew your
membership. To renew or become
a member, simply go to https://
action.liberal.ca/en/membership
and follow the instructions.
You will need to renew your membership to vote or stand at the next
AGM in June.
THE BACK PAGE...
MONTREAL 2014 – LIBERAL BIENNIAL CONVENTION
From February 20 to 23, over 3,000 attendees joined the Liberal Biennial Convention in Montréal.
Justin Trudeau is offering “Hope and
Hard Work”. That is our slogan, and
we hope you want to work with us
to make a better Canada!
On the evening of February 20, our party leader, Justin Trudeau, gave an inspiring speech to a
convention hall packed with delegates, media and members of the public. He touched on the cynical approach of both the gover nment and
opposition to senate reform, and the serious questions our country faces: building a sustainable economy that reconciles eco nomic development with environmental sustainability; helping our young people get a good start in life and good jobs, thereby contributi ng to a better
future for all of us; helping Canadians who are strangled by their debt and who have no savings for retirement; making it possible for the
poorest to join the ranks of the middle class; and raising the necessary capital to invest in the new infrastructures our country so desperately
needs.
On Friday and Saturday, over one hundred policy proposals from our fellow Liberals in riding associations across the country were discussed
by the delegates; sessions concentrated on the economic advantage of effective care; a stronger middle class for a stronger economy; Canada as a leader in governance; working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples; sustainable resource development; a fair and compassionate
society and building a more competitive economy. On Sunday morning, the most supported two policies from each session were reviewed
by the delegates, leading to ideas and policy proposals focused on economic growth, infrastructure investment, post-secondary education,
and trade.
Delegates also elected a new National Board that will help build the Liberal Party of Canada team for the 2015 federal election. Anna Gainey
replaces Mike Crawley as LPC President, and Leanne Bourassa is the new membership secretary.
A broadcast of Trudeau’s speech is available here: http://www.liberal.ca/newsroom/blog/justin-trudeaus-opening-speech/
Broadcasts of keynote speakers and panel discussions are available at (hit the blog tab): http://www.liberal.ca/newsroom/
Vernon Chiles, Executive Vice President | Kim Fyfe, Vice President Communications
SLFLA YOUNG LIBERALS
SLFLA had three youth delegates at the convention in Montreal. As youth, we also attended the Young Liberals Commission. During this
session, we heard from Premier Stephen MacNeil of Nova Scotia and Rob Silver, a regular contributor on CBC Power and Politics.
Silver discussed how much unity he is observing within the party. In his view, there has been no better time to be a young Liberal. This
theme of unity resonated through the weekend, not just among young Liberals, but all Liberals.
Trudeau’s speeches energized members’ discussions in policy workshops. Young Liberals showed that youth can make a difference through
key resolutions which reached the convention floor. Having co-sponsored the Death with Dignity resolution with the National Women’s
Liberal Commission, youth were very encouraged to see their resolution become policy. Highlighting the LPC’s commitment to Canadian
youth, resolutions concerning youth unemployment, higher-education costs, and the energy industry were passed in the non-Plenary sessions.
James Dubinsky, Jonathan Krall,
Tristan Laycock
Website:
http://sarnia-lambton.liberal.ca
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SLFedLiberals
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/SLFedLiberals