Revolution Solution

Questions asked and answered

2011-05-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

Questions:

1.What is your current occupation?
2.Do you have any previous political experience? If so what?
3.What do you feel are the top issues for this election in the Palliser riding and what are your views on these issues?

Answers:

1. My current occupation is Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan, and I am also a university student of Political Science at the University of Regina. Additionally, I am training to be a dance teacher and choreographer in modern and ballet.

2. I have plenty of political experience gained in recent years. As mentioned above, I am the current Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan, a position I was elected to in 2009. I have run as a political candidate many times, in elections at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government, as follows:
2006 federal election, Green Party candidate for Palliser
2007 provincial election, Green Party of Saskatchewan candidiate for Moose Jaw Wakamow
2008 federal election, Green Party candidate for Palliser
2009 Moose Jaw Municipal election, candidate for Councillor
2010 provincial by-election, Green Party of Saskatchewan candidate for Saskatoon Northwest
2011 federal election, Green Party candidate for Palliser

As a Political Science major, I have extensive knowledge of our political system and the policy solutions that are urgently needed. I have also served on a number of councils and committees, including the Green Party of Canada Federal Council, the Moose Jaw Advisory Committee on the Environment, the Young Greens of Canada Council, and the Saskatchewan Chapter of Fair Vote Canada. I am a strong supporter of changing our electoral system to proportional representation, to make every vote count.

I am an environmental and political activist. I have worked to stop development of the tar sands and nuclear power -- because there are greener energy and job options available. I am a strong supporter of small and locally owned businesses, the creative industries, organic farming, renewable energy, preventative healthcare, and eliminating poverty. I am actively involved with the arts community. I have devoted much of my research as a Political Scientist to studying our flawed electoral system and the democratic deficit Canada faces.

3. I think climate change is the biggest issue this election, since no action to lower greenhouse gas emissions has occured since the last federal election. Palliser voters are really interested in hearing about the Green Party's plan for job creation in the renewable energy sector, creative industries (the arts), eco-tourism, and more. These are solutions that will help restore our economy and environment at the same time.

Inaction on climate change can not persist. Time is of the essence. Our air, water, and soil need to be protected, and animal welfare must be respected and improved.

Another very important issue to Palliser voters is democracy. Our current electoral system is undemocratic because it allows an MP to be elected with only a minority of the votes in the riding cast for them and a majority cast for other candidates. I am a strong advocate of changing Canada's outdated winner-takes-all electoral system to one based on proportional representation so that every vote counts. In order for people to vote, they must feel as though their vote matters.

In this election, democracy was not met because the Leader of the Green Party of Canada, Elizabeth May, was not allowed in the televised leaders' debates. In the last federal election, nearly one million Canadians voted Green, yet not one Green MP was elected to Parliament because our electoral system is outdated and was designed for a two party system, not a four or five party system as Canada currently needs in order to represent all voters/parties.

Attack ads should be disallowed, and elections should be about putting forward policy solutions, not just about lawn signs and publicity stunts. Corporate media should not be deciding who voters get to see in the televised leaders debates -- that should be up to the people to decide.

So, democracy has been a big issue this election and must be restored so that issues like climate change and the environment, healthcare, affordable housing, childcare, and eliminating poverty can be addressed.

----------------------------It's time. Vote Green!------------------------------

Petition for nuclear waste ban presented in Saskatchewan Legislature today!

2011-04-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

This morning, a petition calling for a legislated ban on nuclear waste in Saskatchewan organized by the Coalition for a Clean Green Saskatchewan (CCGS) was presented in the Saskatchewan Legislature. More than 4800 signatures were collected and presented to government in support of a legislated nuclear waste ban in Saskatchewan, similar to legislation which the Governments of Manitoba and Quebec already have in place. NDP MLA Pat Atkinson presented the CCGS petition on our behalf, stating that she 'believes in democracy and the right for all constituents to have their voices heard as part of that democracy.' It was an exciting and interesting morning to be a part of.

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More blog posts on the way! Stay tuned for updates on the Palliser Green Party campaign. It has been a busy one! (a sign that the Green vote count in Palliser is likely to be great!)

It's time, Vote Green. Twitter: Larissa_Shasko

Green Party Platform Released Thursday! What the Networks Don't Want Canadians to Know: smart economy – strong communities – true democracy.

2011-04-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Media Release April 7, 2011 TORONTO – The Green Party released its platform at a press conference in Toronto on Thursday, April 7, 2011. The green book contains tax cuts for low income Canadians, tax splitting for Canadian families and real measures to clean up the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Our platform makes it clear. The Green Party of Canada has a plan for a smart economy, strong communities and true democracy. We have spent our time developing solutions - not engaging in partisan name-calling. We have solutions to help families and young people, to combat climate change, to create a national transportation strategy, strengthen our communities and to fix our democracy. We call it smart economy, strong communities and true democracy,” said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. The platform contains a suite of measures designed to be economically viable, create jobs, address poverty, protect our health care system, increase support for youth and seniors, respond to the climate crisis and clean up the environment. Each measure has been fully costed. “We will create thousands of jobs investing in renewable energy, expanding passenger rail, modernizing freight and retrofitting thousands of buildings,” added Ms May. ”We are also the only party so far in this campaign speaking to international issues and raising trade deals as a concern.” The Green Party Green Book is available at www.greenparty.ca/platform

Follow Larissa Shasko on Twitter!

2011-03-31T23:40:00.000-07:00

You can now follow me on Twitter! Larissa_Shasko or http://twitter.com/#!/Larissa_Shasko

Start following me on Twitter on April 1st for Fossil Fools Day posts on the tar sands, carbon capture, and nuclear.

Check out my newly updated facebook political page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Larissa-Shasko/26422620490

Provincial Budget Reaction -- Saskatchewan's 2011/12 Budget Released Yesterday

2011-03-24T10:51:00.001-07:00

The Wall Government has the audacity to brag about how they are improving public services in this budget, but just last year they cut 25% of the civil service as part of major budget cuts necessitated by Brad Wall's bad fiscal management over the 2009/2010 year, cuts that are still taking place and will continue to cut down our public service for another 9 years. With 15% of the civil service being cut over the next four years, how can Wall possibly be bragging about improving Saskatchewan's public services after his government is the one who has destroyed them? The SaskParty cut $25 million to the Department of Environment's budget last year and this year they brag about how good public services are? Our environment in this province has been deliberately left with inadequate protection by Premier Wall, a move that is common when one is running a corporatocracy instead of a democracy as Wall is doing.

Just like with Harper's federal budget, Wall's budget completely ignores the harsh economic times that many people in Saskatchewan are facing, times that are getting more difficult instead of better. Food prices are rising, way beyond what can be considered an affordable cost for food, and soaring gas prices are putting immense stress on everyday people who are already financially stressed to the max by what many are now calling the 'great recession.' Brad Wall likes to brag about Saskatchewan's growing GDP while ignoring how food bank usage has spiked in our province.

As with the federal budget, social spending is completely inadequate to meet the needs of Saskatchewan people who are struggling, some of whose quality of life is not that far off from third world countries. Why do we allow poverty to run rampant in our province while our Premier boasts about a good quality of living? Brad Wall, as usual, is out of touch with the reality of everyday Saskatchewan citizens. A Green Party of Saskatchewan Government would work to eliminate poverty in our province.

I am disappointed to see that healthcare spending falls far short from what is needed to provide good care to Saskatchewan people. This budget did not provide capital funding for the Moose Jaw Union Hospital, and any promises made by SaskParty MLA for Moose Jaw North Warren Michelson to include the capital funding for the Union Hospital in future budgets is not reliable considering there is a provincial election coming up in only a few months. The Wall Government had four years to make this project happen for Moose Jaw, and they have chosen not to, showing once again that the citizens of Moose Jaw do not take a high enough priority to Brad Wall and the Sask Party.

Wall's budget should have reinstated the universal chiropractic subsidy that Wall eliminated in last year's budget, as this is adding extra stress on our publicly funded healthcare system and is causing many people to live in pain instead of seeking medical treatment from a chiropractor as they used to. As Saskatchewan's first Green Premier, I would ensure that the universal chiropractor subsidy is reinstated and expanded, and I would take measures to create a similar universal subsidy for medical massage therapy. Furthermore, as your Green Premier, I would reinstate the school dental program as the first measure toward including dental services as part of our publicly funded healthcare system.

This budget fails to listen to the needs of students. Holding tuition increases to an average of three percent is not recognizing the extremely stressful economic circumstances post-secondary students in our province are facing. Where are the student loan debt relief programs? Why not provide and funding in this budget to freeze tuition increases and reduce tuition for Saskatchewan students?

This budget really lacks the innovation and sound fiscal management a Green Party of Saskatchewan Government would employ. The Green vision is for an economy that truly offers a good quality of living to all the people in our province. Unlike the Wall Government, we would actually make this happen, and not just give it lip service while turning a blind eye to those whose quality of life this budget does nothing to improve.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan's economic vision for this province is for a Decentralized Renewable Energy Economy, Making Saskatchewan World Leader's in Ecological Agriculture, and Innovating Saskatchewan's Economy through Investment in the Creative Industries. We will eliminate poverty and ensure everyone in our province has good quality affordable housing available to them. A Green Government will restore and protect our publicly funded healthcare system and we will ease the burden on our system through the addition of healthcare methods based on prevention.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan's economic vision is sustainable, for generations to come. Wall's economic vision for a boom to bust Saskatchewan is not the road we would take Saskatchewan down. We have learned from Alberta's mistakes and would not repeat them as Wall is doing.

Saskatchewan urgently needed a budget that would help those who are struggling the most right now in our province, and Wall's budget shows his government remains committed to the interests of corporations over citizens. For example, the slight reduction in the small business tax does very little to address that many small business have been forced to close because of large corporations who Brad Wall has invited and encouraged to come into our province since taking office.

Federal Budget Reaction -- Spring Election Likely!

2011-03-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

My first reaction to this budget is disappointment. A spring election looks inevitable, triggered because of the Harper Government's commitment to corporate interests over the interests of citizens. Food prices are rising, way beyond what can be considered an affordable cost for food, and soaring gas prices are putting immense stress on everyday Canadians who are already financially stressed to the max by what many are now calling the 'great recession.' Where are the personal income tax cuts for those on the lower and middle income end? The road back to balanced budgets requires that we raise corporate taxes, which have been trimmed down to practically nothing compared to what they once were. Why should the burden to pay down the debt be shifted onto citizens while corporations get a free ride? Small and locally owned businesses need serious support in order to protect Canada's local economy. We are talking about the lives of real people, real Canadians, but Harper and Flaherty just aren't getting it. They aren't listening, and so we will be back to the polls for another federal election.

The bright side is that Canadians can send Green M.P.s to Parliament this time around, and considering the embarassing state of Canada's environmental and human rights reputation thanks to Harper's leadership (or lack of leadership), Green M.P.s are urgently needed in Parliament!

In terms of social spending, this federal budget is, as usual, totally inadequate as to what is actually needed to meet the needs of Canadian people. This budget also fails to address the major flaw in Canada's taxation structure which is causing a serious financial shortfall in Canadian cities. Across Canada, cities like Moose Jaw and Regina are struggling to figure out how they are going to avoid huge property tax increases as their populations rise and infrastructure ages. A Green Party of Canada Government will listen to the request made by Canadian cities to have a portion of the the GST (1 cent) transferred directly to municipalities.

Greens are always ready to stand up for the democratic rights of Canadians, and so we are prepared for this election. I am pleased to offer the citizens of Palliser the opportunity to have a progressive, experienced voice of representation in Ottawa, a voice that will stand up for the needs of the people I represent while also standing up for the democratic rights of all Canadians. Your vote can make that happen.

Paying for and Powering the Moose Jaw Multiplex The Common Sense, Green Way!

2011-03-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

On March 12th, Saskatchewan Green Party Leader Larissa Shasko hosted a lively and informative public discussion at the Moose Jaw public library on how to pay for and power the Moose Jaw multiplex the common sense, Green way.

A number of subjects were up for discussion, including

- How we can pay for and power the new Moose Jaw multiplex and field house
- Investing tax-payers dollars in green energy capital projects that will reduce costly utility bills.
- Compare renewable and non-renewable energy options
- Pay down the multiplex debt faster while also lowering our city’s environmental footprint
- Become innovative leaders in green energy use
- Attract the renewable energy industry to Moose Jaw, creating new jobs and a stronger local economy.
- Solve Moose Jaw's transit problem by solving the multiplex parking problem

The local media provided the following coverage of the event:

http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/News/Local/2011-03-13/article-2326723/Talking-multiplex-and-a-green-future/1

http://www.discovermoosejaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16461&Itemid=399

Thanks to all those who attended!

News coverage in Leader-Post resulting from last Friday's GPS press conference on nuclear crisis in Japan

2011-03-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

The Green Party of Saskatchewan press conference held last week to address the nuclear crisis in Japan received solid coverage in the Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon Star Phoenix newspapers.

Read the full article "Nuclear crisis a grim reminder: Green Party" from the March 19, 2011 edition of the Leader-Post at

http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Nuclear+crisis+grim+reminder+Green+Party/4470032/story.html

(The same story in the Star Phoenix under the title, “Greens decry nuclear”.)

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Greens+decry+nuclear/4469760/story.html

The article begins,

The crisis unfolding at a nuclear power plant in Japan should be a wake-up call to Saskatchewan to step away from nuclear research and focus financial resources on renewable energy, the provincial Green Party said at a news conference Friday.

"Saskatchewan can lead the way in becoming world leaders in renewable energy," party leader Larissa Shasko said.

Shasko was "disappointed" in recent statements made by SaskPower Minister Rob Norris, who said that the nuclear events in Japan are further evidence of why Saskatchewan should contribute more to nuclear science, and continue research in areas such as materials science, medicine and small reactor technology.

"More science in nuclear is not the answer. More science in renewable energy is," said Shasko.

Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Nuclear+crisis+grim+reminder+Green+Party/4470032/story.html#ixzz1H4bSAtoz

Green Party Press Conference to Address Nuclear Crisis in Japan

2011-03-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

Press Release from March 16, 2011:

The Green Party of Saskatchewan would like to offer our support for the people of Japan following the events of last week. Larissa Shasko, Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan, will be hosting an urgent press conference in Regina this Friday, March 18, at the Saskatchewan Legislature (Members Dining Room) at 10:00am to address the Wall Government's position that the nuclear crisis in Japan is all the more reason to research and develop nuclear technology in Saskatchewan. The Green Party of Saskatchewan greatly disagrees with this position and the comments made by the Minister responsible for SaskPower, Rob Norris.

Minister Rob Norris is a former Vice-President of the University of Saskatchewan. In response to the nuclear crisis in Japan, Norris has chosen to defend the Government of Saskatchewan’s plan, (or is it the plan of Bruce Power?) to continue tax-payer funding of the industry. On March 3, 2011, the Wall Government announced they are giving $30 million of public money to the University of Saskatchewan with strings attached: the money has to be for the nuclear industry. It is as though there are no lessons to be learned from what is happening in Japan. It is as though the Public Consultations in 2009 never happened. Through the consultation process the citizens of Saskatchewan said “no” to nuclear in this province, yet the Wall Government has forged ahead with plans for the full nuclear industrialization of Saskatchewan. According to Green Party Leader Larissa Shasko, “Premier Wall has chosen to listen to the voices of the nuclear industry and ignore the voices of Citizens.”

Rob Norris said the tax-payers of Saskatchewan have an “ethical obligation” [1] to move forward with the industry. The nuclear events in Japan have triggered well-founded fear right around this small planet. The track record of “assurances” provided to the public by the nuclear industry and Government officials warn us to think for ourselves. What is our “ethical obligation”? Clearly it is to eliminate the cause of the fear. We need to stop the nuclear industry in Saskatchewan.

It is uncertain whether Japan will ever recover economically from the earthquake and tsunami disaster compounded by the nuclear explosions. “I wonder whether the citizens of Japan will thank Saskatchewan for our contributions of fuel for nuclear reactors,” states Shasko.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan is working to lead the way to a different vision for our province and the world, where renewable energy is providing safe and clean power and good jobs. And where nuclear and all of its risks are phased out permanently.

[1] Saskatchewan moves ahead with nuclear agenda despite crisis in Japan
Jennifer Graham, The Canadian Press
Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:19:00 CST

Press Release from March 8, 2011 -- Green Party Leader, Larissa Shasko: "Undemocratic alliance between the Government, the University and Cameco"

2011-03-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Released to the Press March 8, 2011

The people of Saskatchewan said, "No to nuclear. It is by far too expensive an option." The $30 million to further develop the Canadian Nuclear Studies Centre at the University of Saskatchewan merely trots Cameco, Bruce Power and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization in through the back door which is the University.

On March 2, 2011, Premier Brad Wall and Minister responsible for Innovation, Rob Norris, announced $30 million in public funding for a new nuclear research centre at the University of Saskatchewan. The announcement was greeted with great enthusiasm by University of Saskatchewan President Peter MacKinnon who said the new research centre will complement and strengthen the university's existing nuclear research infrastructure.

Quite the reverse: “Brad Wall's actions are having an adverse effect on the youth of this province whose universities are being turned into corporate research hubs funded by taxpayers’ dollars and rising tuition fees,” states Larissa Shasko, Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan.

Premier Brad Wall, in Grant Devine-style, has already ordered up an overall debt of $4.1 billion or $12.4 billion (depending on how you count it) for citizens to pay.[1] The history of the nuclear industry in Ontario and in New Brunswick is one of expensive electricity, decades of heavy interest on debt loads and cost overruns. This $30 million for the nuclear industry through the University is a very small down payment on what is to come when the Governments at both levels (federal and provincial), the nuclear industry and the University come up with a plan for the industry.

Conflicts of Interest: The merry-go-round between the Federal Government, the Provincial Government and Cameco:

Grant Isaacs, former Dean of the Edwards School of Business, U of S, becomes a senior Vice-President at Cameco
Rob Norris, Vice-President of the University runs for the Sask Party and becomes Minister responsible for Higher Education
Richard Florizone, Vice-President of Finance for the University, becomes Chair of the UDP Committee, the industry-stacked "Partnership" that puts forth Cameco and Bruce Power's plans for the nuclear industry in Saskatchewan
The Provincial and Federal Governments put up tax-payer money
University President Peter MacKinnon's term is up at the University
Prime Minister Stephen Harper appoints Peter MacKinnon to the Committee that will make recommendations to the Prime Minister on the civil service.
That leaves one seat vacant ... who now becomes the President of the University for the industry?

"The Green Party is, was, and forever will be supportive of energy sources that don't bankrupt the people of Saskatchewan. Jobs are abundant in the renewable energy sector," states Shasko.

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[1] http://www.leaderpost.com/life/take-your-best-shot/Advantage+Saskatchewan+Govt+revenue+soaring/4389731/story.html

The Leader-Post March 5, 2011

“Though critics point to a near-$400-million increase in Saskatchewan's overall debt in 2011, to $8.3 billion, all of that increase is on the Crown corporation side where money is borrowed to pay for business development and new infrastructure. The government's own "public" debt remains unchanged at $4.1 billion.”

Press Release from January 20, 2011 - "Green Party Says Premier Is Betraying Democracy with Plans to Build Small Nuclear Reactors in Saskatchewan"

2011-03-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Released to the press on January 20, 2011:

Green Party of Saskatchewan Leader Larissa Shasko is outraged by Premier Wall's announcement made yesterday of plans to build small nuclear reactors in our province. According to Shasko, "The Government has not listened to the public consultations in 2009 which overwhelmingly said 'we don't want the nuclear industry in our province.' In doing so, Brad Wall has completely turned a blind eye to our democratic rights as citizens."

Small nuclear reactor technology has already been rejected by the people of this province in the 2009 public consultations. Small nuclear reactors come with a huge price tag and do not make economic sense when compared to the alternatives of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy conservation. According to the Saskatchewan Greens, small nuclear reactors pose unnecessary safety risks, pollute our environment and are not needed. "As coal plants age, energy conservation and energy efficiency need to be maximized, and decentralized renewable energy needs to be implemented at a large scale," states Shasko.

Shasko also warns that building small nuclear reactors in our province would leave Saskatchewan wide open as a location for a nuclear waste dump in our province. Saskatchewan communities are currently being targeted by the nuclear industry for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. This has consequences for all people in Saskatchewan. According to Shasko, "We need legislation passed in our province immediately to ban the transportation and storage of nuclear waste in Saskatchewan -- to protect our province from becoming a nuclear waste dump site. If we build small nuclear reactors in Saskatchewan, we would then be creating nuclear waste here, so we would be even more heavily targeted as a site for a national or international nuclear waste dump. Brad Wall has been misleading voters on the nuclear issue, right from reactors to waste. Brad Wall's commitment to the nuclear industry over the democratic orders of Saskatchewan citizens has shown that the Sask Party can not be trusted by voters."

Shasko points out that the Green Party of Saskatchewan has a different vision for our province. "Jobs are abundant in the renewable energy sector," says Shasko, and the Green Party of Saskatchewan’s plan to create a decentralized renewable energy economy will put both power and money into the hands of Saskatchewan people. The Wall Government has projected that Saskatchewan’s energy needs will continue to rise drastically, regardless of a basically stagnant population and a worsening climate crisis, but the Green Party recognizes that if we want to survive as a planet, our energy needs must be reduced. Saskatchewan has barely seen energy conservation utilized, which is unfortunate because energy conservation is the most cost effective and fastest way to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of taking the climate crisis seriously, the Sask Party Government is going to let the rate of GHG emissions in this province grow drastically to allow for an increased pace and scale of resource extraction. The Wall Government wants to see every last bit of natural resources in our province taken out of the ground over the short-term future leaving nothing but ecological destruction behind for future generations. According to the Saskatchewan Greens, our resource royalities are grossly inadequate. Shasko notes that nearly all of the resources mined here are exported across borders and overseas where those resources pollute the air, water, and soil of other regions. "Under Brad Wall‘s leadership (or lack of leadership), Saskatchewan has become an exporter of climate change," states Shasko. She notes that Saskatchewan’s Minister of the Environment was sent to the Copenhagen climate conference to lobby against a deal from being signed that would interfere with the Wall Government’s plan to develop the tar sands in northern Saskatchewan. According to Shasko, "We can not continue on this path to eco-destruction. Millions if not billions of dollars will be wasted on small reactors that will utimately be used to supply power to the mining industry, as stated in the Government's Uranium Development Partnership Report. Nuclear powered tar sands is an absurd concept!!" The provincial Greens take the position that the mining industry's growing demands for power should not burden public taxpayers.

Shasko states, "Under a Green Government, we will become world leaders in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. As a province, we were leaders with healthcare; now it is time to lead the way in the 21st century to a decentralized renewable energy economy. Unlike the Wall Government, the Green Party of Saskatchewan has been listening to the concerns of those people in our province who are suffering during this time of economic hardship, and we know it doesn’t have to be this way if the voters of this province choose not to re-elect a provincial government who is committed only to the interests of big business while turning a blind eye to increased stress in the lives of the people who live here."

Yesterday's press conference statement-- where is the media coverage on this??

2010-10-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

The Saskatoon Northwest by-election press conference we held in Saskatoon yersterday was not attended by Global, CTV, or CBC, so I am publishing my comments directly to the voters of this constituency and the people of Saskatchewan (and beyond):

"Good morning and thank-you for attending. I am Larissa Shasko, leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan and candidate in the Saskatoon Northwest Provincial By-election. My purpose today is to provide an update on the by-election. A pamphlet has been delivered to all the households in the constituency. Canvassers have been talking and will continue to talk with voters up to election day.

I have a very important message for the voters of this by-election and for the people of our province. A nuclear waste dump is coming to Saskatchewan, and the voters of Saskatoon Northwest have the chance to stop it by voting Green on October 18th. My first act as MLA for Saskatoon Northwest will be to introduce a private members bill. We need legislation to ban the transportation and storage of nuclear waste into Saskatchewan. Manitoba and Quebec form the borders for Ontario. They already have such legislation in place.

Green Party canvassers have been told by a few people that they haven’t heard about high-level radioactive waste being imported into Saskatchewan for disposal. The public needs greater transparency from government and industry. Drilling test sites is already occurring. The Northern Saskatchewan communities of Pinehouse Lake and English River are the current targets for the high-level radioactive waste dump. And they are hearing one-sided industry promotions.

Through public consultations held in 2009 the people of Saskatchewan told government and industry “no” to locating a nuclear waste dump in our province. The Government of Saskatchewan has chosen not to listen. The Opposition NDP is not making it an issue. They will hear if they do not get elected. They will understand if they don’t receive votes in this by-election.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan is a member of a coalition that is about to launch a campaign to stop a nuclear waste dump from coming to our province. We want legislation similar to that in Manitoba and Quebec. It will stop the trucking of radioactive waste along our highways and through our communities. The decision on the importation of high-level radioactive waste from other jurisdictions into Saskatchewan affects all of us.

Manitoba passed the HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE ACT in 1987 following a test to determine the feasibility of burying the waste; it isn’t feasible. So now by law, high-level radioactive waste can not be imported into Manitoba. It can pass through Manitoba to us, but it cannot be dumped in Manitoba. Where is the Premier of Saskatchewan?

Where is the Leader of the Opposition? Why aren’t they taking action, in accordance with the expressed wishes of the people of Saskatchewan, to prohibit dumping of radioactive waste here?

In public consultations in 2009, the people of Saskatchewan told government “we don’t want the nuclear industry in our province.” Why isn’t the Premier listening? Why is the Leader of the Opposition silent on this issue? In a democracy, the people are supposed to be in charge. This Government will hear if they do not get votes on October 18th. They will hear if they do not get elected.

This by-election is a year before the next provincial election. This issue must be central to the 2011 Provincial Election. The governing parties are complicit with industry and are fast-tracking or stepping out of the way.

The nuclear industry’s plan is for the transportation of high-level radioactive waste into Saskatchewan for the next thirty years. The transportation of nuclear waste from Ontario and points elsewhere into a centralized site in Saskatchewan does not make sense. The only reason for centralizing the high-level radioactive waste is so that is it available for reprocessing. In the 2009 public consultations, the people of Saskatchewan specifically rejected reprocessing of nuclear waste along with the national security risks it imposes.

In the case of the shipment of radioactive waste through the Great Lakes en route to Sweden, seven U.S. Senators have told Canada to consider safer options to the transport of radioactive waste, such as on-site storage.

The voters of Saskatoon Northwest have the opportunity this by-election to ally with the one hundred communities that are opposing the transportation of radioactive materials.

This is a national issue, a provincial issue, and a local issue. The voters of Saskatoon Northwest are central to the outcome.

My first act as MLA for Saskatoon Northwest will be to introduce a private members bill for legislation to prohibit the transportation and storage of nuclear waste into Saskatchewan. With a five party split of the vote, the path is paved for a Green win."

By-election questions from the Star Phoenix, my replies as submitted

2010-10-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

(note which questions are relevant and which seem out of place, and note my effort at creative & meaningful responses anyhow)

Name: Larissa Shasko

Party: Green Party of Saskatchewan

Age: 28

Profession: Political Science Student, U of R

Years in Saskatoon: I am Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan and it is a political convention for the leader of a party to run in a by-election if not yet elected. I have proudly lived in Saskatchewan all of my life.

Past election political positions (if any): Elected as Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan in April 2009 and re-elected in May 2010. Was a Green Party candidate in the 2006 & 2008 Federal Elections & the 2007 Provincial Election. Also received over 2000 votes as a candidate in the 2009 Moose Jaw Civic Election.

Family (Name of spouse, name and ages of children) (Optional): Husband- Ryan

Favourite book: The Decline of Representative Democracy

What do you do to relax (in one or two sentences): I work to find solutions to the environmental crisis so that we all can relax! I am also actively involved with the arts community and get plenty of fresh air and exercise.

Top three issues (Please condense to three phrases or sentences):
1. Corporatocracy vs. Democracy
2. Improving our overburdened healthcare system by including prevention of illness as part of its mandate
3. A nuclear waste dump is coming to Saskatchewan & we want to introduce legislation to ban the transportation and storage of nuclear waste into our province.

What do you most often hear from constituency residents when going door todoor? (Please keep to two or three sentences.): Voters are unhappy with our democratic deficit and they are worried about the economy and our overburdened healthcare system. They are supportive of the nuclear waste ban legislation I plan to introduce, and they want to see a real plan for renewable energy in Saskatchewan. They do not want foreign ownership of Saskatchewan resources or land.

Why are you the best candidate to represent the people of SaskatoonNorthwest? (Two or three sentences please.)The people of Saskatchewan have already said "no" to a nuclear waste dump in public consultations (2009), but the Premier isn't listening and the Leader of the Opposition is silent on this issue. In a democracy, the people are supposed to be in charge. I will be accountable to the people and bring transparency to this government.

Website: www.saskgreen.ca & http://revolution-solution.blogspot.com

SK Greens put forward a plan to advert the hostile takeover of PotashCorp by BHP Billiton and to prevent foreign concentrated ownership altogether

2010-10-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE
Monday, September 13, 2010

The Green Party of Saskatchewan held a press conference in Regina this morning at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building to put forward a plan to advert the hostile takeover of PotashCorp by BHP Billiton and to prevent foreign concentrated ownership of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan altogether. The Green Party of Saskatchewan’s plan calls for Ottawa to use their power to stop the hostile takeover of PotashCorp by BHP. “Foreign concentrated ownership does not equate to a ‘net benefit’ to Canada or Saskatchewan,” states Larissa Shasko, Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan. “Under foreign concentrated ownership, profits would not be staying in Saskatchewan where they benefit our local economy, and foreign concentrated ownership leaves our local economy extremely vulnerable,” Shasko continues. The Green Party is concerned that the takeover of PotashCorp by BHP Billiton would result in profit-oriented actions such as wage freezes and requests to government to lower royalty rates. “Ottawa has an obligation to stop this takeover, and they have the power to do so,” states Shasko.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan plan calls for royalty rates to be raised substantially to ensure a fair portion of the wealth from potash production in our province goes to benefit all of our people and is also preserved for future generations. “As the people of Saskatchewan, our ownership of this resource is largely based on royalty rates, which are currently too low for Saskatchewan people to be realizing a fair portion of the sales of potash production occurring in our province,” states Shasko. According to Shasko, increases in royalty rates on potash are long overdue: “Had the Government of Saskatchewan raised royalty rates when potash prices spiked, PotashCorp may not be in the hostile takeover situation it is now in.”

The Green Party of Saskatchewan plan also suggests a new business model that invests in workers and communities. “A Worker Co-operative would have the potential to create local ownership of PotashCorp while bringing democracy into the workplace through the ‘one worker, one vote’ system, states Shasko. “Worker Co-operatives can empower workers and create healthier communities, and better decisions are made in areas such as the environment because the owners and decision makers are the very workers who are seeing the environmental destruction first hand,” Shasko continues.

The plan put forward by the Green party of Saskatchewan at this morning’s press conference also offers solutions for better decision-making practices in areas such as the environment and public health/safety. According to Green Leader Larissa Shasko, "Saskatchewan’s resources should not be depleted by aggressive foreign ownership, inadequate royalties, and lack of government protection."

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Green Party of Saskatchewan calls for an increase in resource royalties and an end to government subsidies to resource extraction corporations

2010-06-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release June 16, 2010

The Green Party of Saskatchewan held a press conference in Regina yesterday at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building to put forward policy solutions that will improve the current and long-term economic well being of our province. “The current pace of resource extraction in Saskatchewan is neither economically nor environmentally sustainable and is leaving nothing behind for future generations who will live here,” stated Larissa Shasko, Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan. “We take for granted that the generations of people who lived here before us left a wealth of resources in the ground. Our province is not a treasure to be ransacked. We have to think about the economic well-being of future generations, otherwise we will rob our province and its people of a secure future.”

The Green Party of Saskatchewan is calling on the Wall Government to raise royalties to ensure a greater share of the wealth generated from resource extraction that happens today will be preserved for future generations. According to Green Party of Saskatchewan Deputy Leader, Billy Patterson, "We must learn from the mistakes of Alberta and follow the example of countries like Norway." Alberta decreased royalties and regulations to the point that their natural resources were pillaged by private corporations, and the pay-off seems to have worn off after a $700 payout to every man, woman, and child. Norway on the other hand put its royalty revenues into an untouchable 'rainy day' fund. Norway's ability to tap into this revenue allowed it's currency, the kroner, to be the most stable in the world during the past few years of global economic recession. Both Norway and Canada have economies very heavily tied into domestic oil supply. The main difference between these petro-dollar economies is that the Norwegians know not to give it all away to private-interest corporations.

The Saskatchewan Greens are also calling on the Wall Government to eliminate government subsidies to resource extraction corporations. “These are for profit corporations; they do not need the public purse to turn a profit,” said Shasko. “We need to subsidize daycare, not resource extraction,” Shasko continued. The Green Party of Saskatchewan is calling on the Wall Government to take the millions of dollars saved by eliminating these corporate subsidies and reinvest it into a Guaranteed Livable Income. The Saskatchewan Greens would like to see a priority start of the program targeting the most vulnerable sectors of our province. Post-secondary students, seniors, people with disabilities, single mothers, parents who wish to be able to stay home with their children for the first five years, and parents and caregiver's of people with special needs. “The Guaranteed Livable Income will rejuvenate our economy at the local level and eliminate poverty for a number of children, mothers, seniors, students, and people with disabilities in Saskatchewan,” states Shasko.

This press conference is the first of a series of press conferences the Green Party of Saskatchewan will be holding this summer to put forward policy solutions that they would like to see implemented in the fall sitting of the Legislature.

Saskatchewan's Wildlife Habitat Protection Act lands are being put up for sale

2010-06-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release May 19, 2010

The Green Party of Saskatchewan is criticizing the Sask Party Government for rushing through legislation amending the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act. The changes to the legislation allow lands that are currently protected under the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act to be removed from the Act and put up for sale. Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan, Larissa Shasko, met with Minister of the Environment, Nancy Heppner, last week to discuss the proposed amendments to the W.H.P.A. The legislation amending the W.H.P.A. received its third reading in the provincial legislature today. “This legislation has been rushed through without giving adequate time for the people of Saskatchewan to be consulted about the changes to the W.H.P.A. The changes being made to the legislation will remove lands protected under W.H.P.A. from public ownership, yet few people in this province are aware of the changes being made, and environmental organizations have not had adequate time for public education efforts about the changes to the W.H.P.A,” states Shasko. The Green Party of Saskatchewan is concerned that important details resulting from the changes to the W.H.P.A. have been overlooked.

“The Wildlife Habitat Protection Act is the most cost effective way to protect wildlife habitats and important ecosystems in our province,” states Shasko. “Removing land from W.H.P.A. and putting it up for sale with Crown Conservation Easements attached will require a hefty budget to provide adequate regulation of W.H.P.A. lands that are sold off. Yet the Ministry of Environment’s budget was just cut by $25 million in the 2010/11 provincial budget.” Shasko is also concerned that the Crown Conservation Easements can be removed from protected lands at the discretion of the Minister of Environment if the lands are required for something in the ‘public insterest’. “‘Public interest’ is too broad of a term to provide strong and ongoing protection of wildlife habitat and sensitive eco-systems,” Shasko states. “It’s too much of a loophole to protect the W.H.P.A. lands that are being put up for sale.”

“The Green Party of Saskatchewan believes that the Government’s newly developed Crown Land Evaluation and Assessment Tool should have been used to identify unprotected Crown land that should be added to W.H.P.A. protection instead of using it to assign values to W.H.P.A. lands so that they can be sold off,” states Shasko. “Greens recognize that all W.H.P.A. lands have equal ecological value. If there are lands currently protected under the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act that have suffered a loss in bio-diversity, then those lands should be allowed to restore any loss of bio-diversity over time naturally and with the help of stewards of the land; they should not be put up for sale because of a loss in bio-diversity.”

According to Green Party of Saskatchewan Deputy Leader, Billy Patterson, "The context of this decision, in light of changes removing environmental regulation legislation and replacing it with an Alberta-style "code" as well as centralizing power over environmental enforcement with the Minister herself appointing the board responsible for enforcing environmental protection in the province, Greens are worried that the corporate-interest priorities reflected in the Uranium Development Panel and Enterprise Saskatchewan appointments will further the corporate agenda at the public expense."

Due to the Wall Government’s poor environmental record and ‘big business’ priority, the Green Party of Saskatchewan is extremely concerned that the changes to the W.H.P.A. have been rushed through so quickly, without the permission or trust of the people of this province.

Unpacking the Question:A presentation by the Green Party of Saskatchewan on how to best meet the province’s energy needs

2009-11-18T23:35:00.000-08:00

By Larissa Shasko, Leader of the Green Party Saskatchewan

Presented in Regina on October 8, 2009 to the Government of Saskatchewan Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies

The question we have been asked to answer in this energy inquiry is: “How should the government best meet the growing energy needs of the province, in a manner that is safe, reliable, and environmentally-sustainable, while meeting any current and expected Federal Environmental Standards and Regulations, and maintaining a focus on affordability for Saskatchewan residents today and in the future?”

To answer this question, we must begin by unpacking the question itself.

The question asks how the government should “best meet the growing energy needs of the province.” However, throughout my lifetime the population of Saskatchewan has remained stagnant hovering at just over or below one million people. So I ask this government, why are the energy needs of our province growing, especially when the problem of climate change demands that we should be reducing our energy consumption by maximizing energy conservation. This question is leading this process in the wrong direction. Perhaps it should read, “how can we best meet the growing energy needs of industry”.

The UDP Report proposed exporting 4-5000 MW of electricity to Alberta for tar sands production. At a lecture at the University of Regina Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy on June 18, 2009, Dr. Richard Florizone, Chair of the UDP stated that using nuclear power to “green up” the tar sands industry was a step towards addressing climate change. This statement is not only false, it is incredibly misleading. The reality is the opposite— Using nuclear power for tar sands production would actually be taking us closer to the “tipping point” of climate change catastrophe, and it was irresponsible of Dr. Florizone to state otherwise. The Alberta Tar Sands have recently been deemed the “most destructive project on earth” by Environmental Defence Canada[1] because the tar sands will single-handedly make it impossible for Canada to lower greenhouse gas emissions anywhere near what is needed to meet international targets. The Wall Government and Dr. Florizone continue to lead us down the wrong path, wasting taxpayers dollars and putting the people of Saskatchewan at risk to build a research reactor at the U of S.

Since the leaky old Chalk River reactor is too unsafe to operate and the failed MAPLE reactors have been abandoned due to escalating cost overruns and major safety problems, the federal government recently began accepting applications from other provinces and locations interested in producing medical isotopes for the Canadian market. While the Wall Government and the University of Saskatchewan have put in a $750 million proposal for a research reactor, the University of Winnipeg has put in a proposal to produce medical isotopes within three years using a cyclotron at a cost of $35 million.[2]

The nuclear industry implies that nuclear power is necessary if we want medical isotopes. The reality is that many currently used medical isotopes can be (and are) produced without nuclear reactors, using particle accelerators (cyclotrons). Although accelerators do create small quantities of lingering radioactivity, they do not pose the staggering high-level waste and proliferation problems associated with nuclear reactors, nor do they have any potential for catastrophic accidents of any kind, nor are they capable of producing weapons materials in militarily significant amounts.[3]

So why would Harper even consider Saskatchewan’s $750 million proposal to produce medical isotopes with a nuclear reactor when the University of Winnipeg can produce isotopes using a cyclotron for only $35 million? The UDP Report contains some answers.

The key figure at the University of Saskatchewan involved in the current proposal for a research reactor appears to be Dr Richard Florizone, Vice President of Finance at the U of S who was also the chair of the government sponsored and industry stacked Uranium Development Partnership.

As pages 81 and 109 of the UDP Report make clear, a research reactor at the U of S would not be used to research medical isotopes, but rather for other areas of research, including small reactor technology. There is interest in small reactor technology from mining companies looking to use small reactors for mining at remote locations, or in otherwords, for “nuclear powered mines”.[4] In the case of the tar sands, the main purpose of small reactors would be remote deployment – using nuclear power for tar sands extraction, reformation, and refining, which raises questions around emissions monitoring and regulation, waste transport and disposal, security risks, and preventing diversion of materials for use in nuclear weapons. Offering this technology to an industry already known for its appalling environmental record and its disregard of the rights of indigenous peoples would be a mistake, to say the least. The additional suggestion made in the UDP Report of developing small reactor technology so that small reactors could be used to provide power and heat to remote communities in place of diesel or propane generation is incredibly concerning. How could any government even think of powering remote communities, many of which have no access to emergency services, with a technology that destroys ecosystems and is proven time and time again to be unsafe? Subjecting remote communities to what the nuclear industry calls “first of a kind risk” would be a continuation of the violation of human rights of indigenous peoples. Since the research reactor at the U of S would be used to develop this technology, the Government of Saskatchewan’s proposal for this reactor should be abandoned. This technology is too expensive, too dangerous, and is not needed. There are safer alternatives.

“… in a manner that is safe, reliable, and environmentally-sustainable … and maintaining a focus on affordability for Saskatchewan residents today and in the future”

We can meet the province’s energy needs with simple, clean, and affordable power instead of using expensive and dangerous technology to produce more than we need. The Green Party of Saskatchewan opposes plans for building a nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan and for turning the North into a nuclear fuel waste dump.

The Government of Saskatchewan must develop an extensive energy conservation program and foster the creation and implementation of alternative methods of energy production. Why not a Research Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation at the U of S to foster innovation in green energy technologies?

There are a number of policy measures to take that will help meet the energy needs of the province in a manner that is safe, reliable, and environmentally-sustainable, such as
· Developing a province wide Smart Grid to increase the efficiency of power transmission and take advantage of increased renewable energy production.
· Having SaskPower pay for all excess power production produced by private citizens or co-operatives from renewable sources. To stimulate maximum interest and renewable energy production, the rate of reimbursement should be more than the commercial rate charged by non-renewable energy sources such as coal.
· Ending subsidies to all established nonrenewable energy industries, and transferring these funds to subsidize the purchase and development of renewable energy production by both small and large-scale producers.
· Passing legislation to ensure that all new houses and housing developments are designed to take advantage of Saskatchewan's abundant passive solar potential. This includes mandatory installation of solar hot water heaters, solar air heater and hot water heat recovery systems on all new houses, and mandatory installation of digital electrical control panels (ie. a Green Switch) that readily shows individual energy consumption as well as gives the ability to easily turn off all unnecessary power, in all new houses. The Government of Saskatchewan should also develop a program to retrofit all existing houses in Saskatchewan with such devices, including full funding provided to homeowners or renters who could not otherwise afford to.

We can meet the province’s energy needs with simple, clean, and affordable power -- green power!

Nuclear Power, on the other hand, is not “safe”, not “reliable”, not “environmentally-sustainable”, and not affordable.

Nuclear power is fiscally unsound. The Green Party believes that energy choices should be economically rational. The best energy choices to respond to the climate crisis should be those that deliver the greatest reduction of GHG per dollar invested. By this criterion, nuclear energy is among the very worst options. Reactors cost billions of dollars, take more than a decade to build, operate unreliably after about the first dozen years of operation, and only produce one type of energy: electricity. Even if the industry were “green and clean” as claimed by the pro-nuclear propaganda efforts, it fails on the economics. Nevertheless, it is neither clean nor green.

Nuclear waste cannot be stored, treated, or disposed of safely and remains toxic for hundreds of thousands of years.

A large amount of radioactive tailings accumulate as a result of uranium mining. These tailings can leak into groundwater and affect the surrounding area, leading to increased cancer rates.

Depleted uranium ends up in weapons such as missiles and anti-tank bullets.

Nuclear power is NOT emissions free. Large quantities of greenhouse gases are produced in the mining and refining of uranium as well as during the long construction period of the power plant.

A reactor’s fuel rods, pipes, tanks, and valves can leak. Mechanical failure and human error can also cause leaks. As a nuclear plant ages, so does the equipment, and leaks generally increase.

It doesn’t take an accident for a nuclear power plant to release radioactivity into our air, water and soil. All it takes is the plant’s everyday routine operation, and federal regulations permit these radioactive releases.

Nuclear power is not safe and not reliable. The following is from an article titled “Reactor design puts safety of plants into question” on Page A7 of the June 29th, 2009 edition of the Globe and Mail:
“Canadian nuclear safety regulators have underestimated the seriousness of a design feature at the country’s electricity-producing reactors that would cause them to experience dangerous power pulses during a major accident. If reactors are not shut down fast enough, their ability to keep radioactivity from escaping would be put to the test, according to an internal commission document. The document says Canada’s seven nuclear stations, which all use Candu technology, have a feature known as “positive reactivity feedback” in which their atomic chain reactions automatically speed up if the water pumped into the reactors to cool them leaks, one of the worst accidents possible at a nuclear station… The discovery prompted the regulator, the Nuclear Safety Commission, to warn that it may have to order plants to run at less-than-full power indefinitely to compensate for what it deems less-safe conditions at the stations. The commission and the three utilities that operate reactors – Ontario Power generation, NB Power, and Hydro-Québec – will likely have to spend considerable resources dealing with the safety issues related to the problem and still may not be able to resolve it fully... According to the internal commission document, commission staff have always known that Candu nuclear power plants have positive reactivity, but they conceded that they miscalculated the magnitude of the condition. For instance, they said they underestimated a number used to measure it by 50 percent.”

The Wall Government has wasted $3 million dollars on the UDP Report, which was overwhelmingly rejected by the people of Saskatchewan in the recent public consultations. The UDP was not about energy options for Saskatchewan, but rather it was about propping up the uranium industry. Since $3 million was spent on a feasibility study for just nuclear, which is not safe, reliable, affordable, or environmentally-sustainable, is this government prepared to allocate the same resources on feasibility studies for each of the following energy options that do meet these requirements: wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, small hydro, and first and foremost, energy conservation?

“… while meeting any current and expected Federal Environmental Standards and Regulations”

At Dr. Florizone’s lecture at the University of Regina Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy on June 18, 2009, Dr. Florizone said that nuclear “only becomes cost competitive when you have carbon pricing.” The first problem with this statement is that we do not have carbon pricing in Saskatchewan yet. There does not appear to be much support for the carbon tax from either Premier Wall or Prime Minister Harper. Many would say proposing the carbon tax in the last federal election single-handedly lost the election for the Liberals. If nuclear only becomes cost competitive when you have carbon pricing, then nuclear is not cost competitive in Saskatchewan at this time.

Furthermore, if a carbon tax policy is enacted at either the federal or provincial level, the purpose of the carbon tax is to make polluting less attractive. Considering the toxic radioactive waste pollution of nuclear power that cannot be stored, treated, or disposed of safely, it is completely unacceptable for the carbon tax to be leveraged as incentive for expansion of the uranium industry. Governments will never be able to successfully implement solutions to climate change if large final emitters are enabled to find innovative ways out of the carbon tax while actually profiting from it. Take the incredibly expensive and unproven technology of carbon sequestration. Footnote - I object to this government’s use of the term “clean coal”; there is no such thing as clean coal and never will be, and I ask this government to correct its greenwashing language.

The University of Regina Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) researches carbon sequestration, and the PTRC is heavily funded by large international oil companies who plan to use carbon sequestration for enhanced oil recovery. In otherwords, they plan to pump the sequestered carbon into dried up oil wells to change the viscosity of the dried up oil so they can pump thirty more years of oil out of the ground. Large oil companies are investing huge amounts of money into carbon sequestration at the PTRC so that if any money is lost due to a carbon tax increasing the cost of gas, they can compensate for this loss of profits by increasing their supply of oil through enhanced oil recovery. This is another case of an unacceptable abuse of a tax on carbon, which is a tool designed to reduce pollution. The carbon tax is not intended to fuel nuclear expansion or enhanced oil recovery.

The Wall Government’s plan for climate change is incredibly flawed. The youth of this province are depending on this government to come up with real solutions, and instead, this government has put all its eggs in one basket with unproven and incredibly expensive carbon sequestration. We only get one chance to fight climate change. We must not miss this chance to go green and to go renewable.

The youth of this province want green jobs. Why are so many people forced to work in unsafe conditions in jobs that run out when the natural resources do when they could be working in green jobs that do not require them to sacrifice their personal health and safety? A community-based green energy economy can meet our energy needs while providing long-term solutions to the current economic crisis. Energy retrofitting and the installation of decentralized renewable energy, such as wind turbines and solar panels, must be done at the local level, meaning the creation of many new jobs. We need to start building a sustainable energy future.

“… in a manner that is safe, reliable, and environmentally-sustainable”

According to Ecological Economist William Rees, “there is general agreement that no development path is sustainable if it depends on the exhaustion of productive assets.”[5] Rees argues that since “human-made capital is made from natural capital and requires natural capital to function, … natural capital is prerequisite to manufactured capital.”[6] The economy is dependant upon the environment for natural capital. If natural capital is exhausted, productive assets will be also. Long-term economic sustainability can not be secured without adressing the environmental crisis and focusing on sustaining nature first.

It’s called ecological wisdom.

Ecological Wisdom is a key guiding principle of the Green Party of Saskatchewan. Ecological Wisdom means that human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We must support a sustainable society that utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture that replenishes the soil, move to an energy efficient economy and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

“…today and into the future”

Just because we won the lottery by living in Saskatchewan doesn’t mean we have to spend all of our winnings in one generation. If we continue to be heavily reliant on extraction and exportation of non-renewable resources, what will be left of our province when these resources run out? What will be left for the people who live here?

To immediately address climate change, provincial government subsidies for the development and production of non-renewable energy resources, such as oil and gas, coal, uranium, and the tar sands must be redirected to energy conservation and the development of renewable energy alternatives that fully meet the criteria of sustainability.

Unlike non-renewable sources of fuel, the cost of renewable sources can be predicted into the future, as long as the wind blows and the sun shines.

“How should the government best meet the growing energy needs of the province…”

Biofuels -- an example of energy mismanagement by the Government of Saskatchewan:

The need for better energy management from the Government of Saskatchewan can easily be seen when one looks at biofuels production in our province.

According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives April 2008 edition of Saskatchewan Notes, when the former Calvert administration first announced that it would be assisting with the birth of a new ethanol industry in Saskatchewan eight years ago, rural economic development was the intention: “Farmers looking for a way to diversify were spun a vision of a huge new market for wheat and barley, spectacular growth in the livestock industry, and a province dotted with thriving ethanol/feedlot operations creating jobs and revitalizing rural communities” (Boyle). Yet eight years later, government of Saskatchewan biofuels policy has failed to have the outcome it was intended to since “the price of wheat has more than doubled, the livestock industry has contracted, and corporate-owned plants located in or near cities produce more ethanol than required under the Saskatchewan gasoline-blending mandate” (Boyle).

The Government of Saskatchewan’s biofuels policy encourages a renewable and alternative source of fuel to be developed in a way that is not sustainable.

SaskBIO is a four-year, $80 million provincial program that provides repayable contributions of up to $10 million per project for the construction or expansion of transportation biofuels production facilities in Saskatchewan.[7]

The Saskatchewan Ethanol Grant Program provides fuel distributors with a grant of 15 cents per litre for every litre of ethanol produced and sold in the province.[8] Saskatchewan has had a blending mandate in place since January 15, 2007 requiring fuel distributors in Saskatchewan to blend 7.5% ethanol into their total gasoline sales.[9] At this blend rate, the province is expected to use at least 105 million litres of ethanol a year.[10] At a subsidy of 15 cents per litre, this would mean that Saskatchewan taxpayers are subsidizing biofuels production at a minimum cost of $15,750,000 per year based on 105 litres of use provincially.

Only one of the four ethanol plants in Saskatchewan (a combined ethanol plant/feedlot located in Lanigan) has remained small and rural with production of 12 million litres of ethanol a year (Boyle). Two larger corporate plants produce 25 million litres a year (Weyburn) and 130 million litres a year (near Lloydminister).[11] These three Saskatchewan ethanol plants employ a total of sixty people (Boyle).

Recently, a fourth plant began producing biofuels in Saskatchewan. Located in Belle Plaine, Terra Grains began production in May of 2008 and is the largest wheat-fed ethanol facility in North America (Hall). The new plant employs 42 people and will “consume 15 million bushels of wheat a year to produce 150 million litres of ethanol” (Hall). With the new plant in full operation, Saskatchewan will be producing 30% of Canada’s ethanol, and Saskatchewan would be producing a surplus of 202 litres of ethanol above the amount required to meet the Saskatchewan gasoline-blending mandate (Boyle). This level of production will require 900,000 tonnes of wheat or 12% of an average provincial wheat crop, yet two ethanol plants in Saskatchewan have recently been unable to obtain enough wheat and have had to import corn from the U.S. to keep their stills going (Boyle). With wheat prices at a thirty-year high in early 2008, Saskatchewan farmers are “understandably focused on their core business of growing food,” not fuel (Boyle). A Saskatchewan biofuels industry has emerged, but not as it was supposed to. Under current Government of Saskatchewan policy, reviving rural economies through production of biofuels has failed.

In fact, interest in rural development of biofuels production appears to be inadequate or financially out of reach for potential investors. An announcement in February of 2008 of major changes to the SaskBIO program reduced eligibility requirements by lowering initial investments from 50% to 20% and expanding the area that an investor must live within from a 100 km radius of the project to anyone living in Saskatchewan.[12] These changes are clearly aimed at increasing interest from investors, but where does sustainability fit into the Government of Saskatchewan biofuels policy?

The Government of Saskatchewan justifies subsidies for biofuels by claiming that ethanol is clean, renewable and good for the economy.[13] To claim that biofuels are clean fails to factor in the greenhouse gas emissions generated and the petroleum based agricultural chemicals that are used to grow the grain. Although ethanol is renewable, it is far more sustainable when made from agricultural co-products (cellulosic ethanol) rather than growing grain to turn directly into ethanol.

This is especially true with regard to global food shortages. A critical analysis of the federal government’s ethanol policies by the C.D. Howe Institute published in July 2008 concluded that “Canadian households could expect to pay an additional $400-million a year for their food based on "misguided" federal and provincial policies aimed at boosting ethanol production, including incentives aimed at building ethanol plants”(Vieira).

Bio-ethanol can be made from agricultural crops (such as corn, wheat and other cereals, sugar and cane beets, potatoes, tapioca, etc.), or from oilseeds (such as soy, canola, and palm seeds) (Lens et al, 38). Ethanol can also be made from agricultural co-products (waste) such as straw, bran, corn cobs, etc. (Lens et al, 38). Under current practices, ethanol in Saskatchewan is produced using grain rather than agricultural co-products. This is not sustainable since the amount of energy used in the cultivation of the plants, transportation, and the energy intensive process to produce ethanol from grain is often greater than the total amount of energy yielded from the ethanol itself.

The fossil energy replacement ratio (FER) is the energy delivered to the customer over the fossil energy used (Lens et al, 42). The higher the FER, the less greenhouse gases produced per unit of energy delivered to the customer (Lens et al 42). Bio-ethanol made from corn has been found to have an FER of 1.4, while ethanol made from agricultural co-products has an FER as high as 5.3.[14] The FER shows us that using agricultural waste to produce cellulosic ethanol has far greater potential for addressing climate change than ethanol made directly from grain.

In their report on the alleged environmental benefits of biofuels entitled Biofuels: Is the Cure worse than the Disease?, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that even without considering agricultural use of land, only cellulosic ethanol produced from agricultural or forestry waste, sugarcane to ethanol in Brazil, and biodiesel made from animal fats or used cooking oil are capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions when compared to gasoline and mineral diesel.[15] Government of Saskatchewan biofuels policy must be changed to ensure biofuels production is not an environmental hazard, especially when it is being sold to investors and the public as clean and renewable.

Biofuels production could become more sustainable in the province of Saskatchewan through the following recommendations for changes to provincial biofuels subsidy programs:
The Government of Saskatchewan could change SaskBIO eligibility guidelines by implementing the following measures:
§ Require local agricultural or forestry co-products (waste) to be used to produce biofuels instead of using grain.
§ Re-establish the requirement of an investor to live within a 100 km radius of the project to ensure local economic benefit.
§ Establish sustainability program guidelines, including rural plant locations for all new biofuel production plants that receive funding from SaskBIO.

In order to receive the subsidy of 15 cents per litre of ethanol produced or sold in the province, the Government of could Saskatchewan establish eligibility guidelines for the Saskatchewan Ethanol Grant Program requiring fuel distributors to meet the Saskatchewan gasoline-blending mandate through ethanol produced from agricultural or forestry co-products.

Finally, the Government of Saskatchewan could immediately begin phasing out subsidies for the development and production of non-renewable energy resources, such as oil and gas, coal, the tarsands, and uranium, while immediately phasing in equal amounts of subsidies for sustainable renewable energy resources, including wind and solar power.

This brief study of biofuels management in Saskatchewan offers one example of how putting sustainability first could provide government with direction in energy policy-making initiatives. This example is but one example of many that show how the Government of Saskatchewan is failing to best meet the energy needs of the province, in a manner that is safe, reliable, and environmentally-sustainable.

[1] See http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/reports/pdf/TarSands_TheReport.pdf.
[2] “Manitobans tout low-cost isotope plan” Winnipeg Free Press, Aug. 1, 2009, Pg A4
[3] Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility. See, http://www.ccnr.org/isotopes.html.
[4] “Firm raises eyebrows with their suggestion of nuclear powered mines” - Montreal Gazette, Aug. 18, 2009
[5] See Achieving Sustainability: Reform or Transformation? http://jpl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/9/4/343. William E. Rees.Journal of Planning Literature, May 1995; vol. 9: pp. 343 – 361.
[6] See Achieving Sustainability: Reform or Transformation? http://jpl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/9/4/343. William E. Rees.Journal of Planning Literature, May 1995; vol. 9: pp. 343 – 361.
[7] See http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/SaskBIO.
[8] See http://www.saskethanolnow.ca/Default.aspx?DN=48f17e5a-79d7-4f67-9c00-b45fbd311022.
[9] See http://www.saskethanolnow.ca/Default.aspx?DN=48f17e5a-79d7-4f67-9c00-b45fbd311022.
[10] See http://www.saskethanolnow.ca/Default.aspx?DN=48f17e5a-79d7-4f67-9c00-b45fbd311022.
[11] See Boyle, Edward R. April 2008. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives- Saskatchewan. July 28, 2008 http://www.policyalternatives.ca/documents/Saskatchewan_Pubs/2008/SaskNotes_Biofuels.pdf. [12] See http://www.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?mediaId=410&PN=Shared.
[13] See http://www.saskethanolnow.ca/Default.aspx?DN=fed8966f-5f00-492b-ac9d-e6e2411273c9.
[14] For more information on the fossil energy replacement ratio (FER), see page 42 of Biofuels for Fuel Cells: Renewable energy from biomass fermentation. Ed. Piet Lens, Peter Westermann, Marianne Haberbauer, and Angelo Moreno. London, UK: IWA Publishing, 2005.
[15] See http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/51/17/40881598.pdf.

Sources for Biofuels section:

Biofuels for Fuel Cells: Renewable energy from biomass fermentation. Ed. Piet Lens, Peter Westermann, Marianne Haberbauer, and Angelo Moreno. London, UK: IWA Publishing, 2005.

Boyle, Edward R. April 2008. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives- Sakatchewan. 28 July 2008 .

Hall, Angela. "Production underway at Terra Grain. " Leader Post [Regina, Sask.] 9 Aug. 2008,D.1. Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies. ProQuest. Dr. John Archer Library, Regina, Saskatchewan.13 Jan. 2009 .

Vieira, Paul. "Ottawa still hot on pushing ethanol use; Good Politics. " National Post [Don Mills, Ont.] 11 Jul 2008,FP.1. Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies. ProQuest. Dr. John Archer Library, Regina, Saskatchewan. 13 Jan. 2009 .

Sound Fiscal Management

2009-10-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

Why is it so important to have green views and a voice of reason elected to Moose Jaw City Council this election? As a citizen of Moose Jaw, I have watched as democracy has taken a back seat in past terms of City Council, and I fully recognize the need for sound fiscal management. The current recession will require innovative thinking based on sustainability in order to find and implement long-term solutions. If the right decisions are not made now, future generations will pay. This is very true of decisions Moose Jaw City Council will be making in the upcoming term. I have the experience and necessary skills for the position of City Councillor, especially in the governance area of Finance and Administration.

So, where do we start?

The City must undertake a comprehensive overview of our current fiscal operating expenditures to see where money is being spent inefficiently. More efficient spending will allow improved city services and infrastructure upgrades without increased taxation.

Once this has been done, City Council must market Moose Jaw as a great place to raise a family and own a business (because it really is!).

City Council must also lobby the Federal Government for a commitment to one cent from GST to municipal governments as a reasonable approach to stable financing. Our Constitution was set up at a time when Canada was predominantly a rural country where fewer than one in 10 people lived in cities. The taxation system was set up to greatly favour the federal and provincial levels of government. Today 80 percent of Canadians live in urban areas. Taxes are collected disproportionately at the wrong level, and the municipal level of government which runs our buses, provides our water, and should be collecting our recycling is left with less than its fair share of Canadian tax revenue to provide these services with.

Urban Canadians want our garbage collected, good transit service, safe roads, and dependable water supplies. We also want new investment in green urban infrastructure including recycling, mass transit, energy efficiency upgrades to buildings, water conservation and community amenities like parks, sports fields and arts, culture and community centres. Underlying this is an urgent need to replace aging sewer systems, roadways and water pipes.

All of these are municipal responsibilities, but Canadian municipalities are constantly struggling with how to find enough money to do it all. According to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, 50 percent of Canadian tax revenue is spent on federal programs, 42 percent goes to the provinces and only 8 percent goes to municipal governments. Canada’s biggest fiscal imbalance is the imbalance between municipal governments and everyone else. City Council must lobby the Federal Government for a commitment to allocate one cent from GST on an approximate per capita basis to municipal governments.

Larissa Shasko will be your voice on City Council for sound fiscal management.

Vote for Larissa - Elect a youthful voice of experience to Moose Jaw City Council. A voice of reason, a vote for change.

2009-10-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

E-day is October 28th!

Moose Jaw is a beautiful city and a place I’m proud to call home, but we must address our City’s problems. We need real solutions and positive change today!

Due to changes in our global economy, industry has left Moose Jaw at a fierce pace, leaving far too many people without adequate paying jobs.

Our youth are also leaving Moose Jaw, seeking more education opportunities and brighter career paths.

Our small businesses are over-taxed.

We have no bike lanes, no plan for urban sustainability, and we have a very divided community.

This is not how things are supposed to be in the Friendly City. We need to rebuild community spirit in Moose Jaw, and we need to restore democracy on City Council.

I love this city because of its natural beauty and caring people, and because of the great potential our city has to become a vibrant and healthy community for the children of today, and tomorrow. I was married this summer, and my husband and I have chosen to stay in our home city of Moose Jaw to build our future. My commitment as a local activist and politician has always been to the people of Moose Jaw, first and foremost. I have gained much experience in recent years, and as a Political Science Student, I have gained great insight into the inner workings of our complex political system so that I have the ability and the necessary knowledge to get things accomplished as your Councillor. Sound fiscal management and restoring democracy are main priorities I will focus on. We need positive role models for our children in government, or they too will become apathetic young voters and disenchanted citizens.

If the right decisions are not made now, future generations will pay.

City Council must develop and implement a comprehensive plan for urban sustainability. For more on urban sustainability, including improved public transportation, a citywide program for recycling and composting, maximizing energy conservation throughout the city, more community gardens, a permanent farmers market for the purchase of locally produced food, bike lanes, a car share program, well-maintained sidewalks and walking paths, and ending urban sprawl while rebuilding core neighbourhoods.

In addition to supporting locally owned and small businesses, to revive our local economy we must foster the creation of green jobs by taking measures on City Council that will attract energy conservation and renewable energy industry to Moose Jaw. We can set an example for the rest of the province by meeting our energy needs through renewable energy sources and fully utilizing energy conservation methods. Energy retrofitting and the installation of decentralized renewable energy, such as solar panels, must be done at the local level, meaning the creation of many new jobs. And more students will come to Moose Jaw seeking training opportunities in Saskatchewan’s first potential off grid city.

The City also needs to lobby and partner with other levels of Government to (re)connect Moose Jaw with major centers and surrounding communities via passenger train. As the winter approaches, far too many commuters will have to face dangerous road conditions. Our close proximity to Regina and other cities is an asset that we are not fully utilizing.
As a first step, the City must work with STC to improve commuter bus service between Moose Jaw and surrounding centers, especially for students who live in Moose Jaw but attend the U of R or SIAST in Regina. As one of these students, I know first hand how inadequate public transportation for commuters between Regina and Moose Jaw is. This is adding to the ecological footprint of our city and to the gas bills of many commuters who travel between our two cities.

An important role of City Council is lobbying other levels of government to improve the lives of the people of Moose Jaw. This includes the greatly important task of lobbying the provincial government for critically needed hospital upgrades. As a dedicated and experienced activist, I will be a strong and capable voice for a hospital that is capable of serving the people of Moose Jaw with excellence. I am an experienced, well known, and respected lobbyist at the provincial level (and well known by provincial media), and I will ensure Moose Jaw is not ignored when the health of our citizens is at stake!

Sound fiscal management is also incredibly important. The City must undertake a comprehensive overview of our current fiscal operating expenditures to see where money is being spent inefficiently. More efficient spending will allow improved city services and infrastructure upgrades without increased taxation. Once this has been done, City Council must market Moose Jaw as a great place to raise a family and own a business.

To build a strong and healthy community, we must start by restoring democracy. We need a City Council that will set an example for the rest of Moose Jaw by being respectful and working together. In the many Councils and Committees I have been a part of, we aim to operate on a basis of consensus for the decisions we make. This means fostering adequate discussion between differing opinions until all those involved feel like their voices have been heard. Because we make our decisions using this method of striving for consensus, we are able to proceed on any issue with greater awareness of its potential problems, and we are also able to work together as colleagues instead of the great polarization we’ve seen happen amongst Councillors on the last City Council. As your Councillor, I will to bring this skill of consensus-based decision making to Moose Jaw City Council. I will represent your voices and raise your issues, because in a democracy, the people are in charge.

I will be a strong voice on Council for

-- Sound fiscal management

-- Safe and local food initiatives

-- Affordable housing

-- Locally owned & small businesses

-- Urban sustainability

-- The creation of Green Jobs

-- And Restoring democracy

On October 28th, I ask you to choose a voice of reason, and a vote for change.

Thank-you.

Moose Jaw Times Herald Q's & A's asked of all candidates (will be published in tomorrow's paper). My answers:

2009-10-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

1. What should the city to deal with the issue of affordable housing forlow-income citizens?

The City must partner with community organizations and other levels of Government to plan and build more affordable housing. Also, incentives should be offered to private developers such as a tax-free grace period for property that new affordable housing is built on and offering vacant city owned lots and buildings to affordable housing developers at little or no cost.

2. What do you propose should be done to mend the rift in the city createdby the multiplex debate?

We need to restore democracy in the Friendly City. We need a City Council that will set an example for the rest of Moose Jaw by being respectful and working together. This requires consensus-based decision-making. We can also bring together our divided city by embarking on a community-building plan for urban sustainability that everyone can embrace and take part in.

3. What should the city do to improve life for its young people?

We need youth leadership elected to Council to inspire more youth to make their voices heard. The City must strengthen the role of the Youth Advisory Committee, develop a plan for urban sustainability, and improve public transportation to other major cities. Council must foster the creation of Green Jobs and new training opportunities by attracting green energy industry to Moose Jaw.

4. How would you balance the need for providing and improving city serviceswith the maintaining the lowest tax rate possible, to help attract newbusinesses?

The City must undertake a comprehensive overview of our current fiscal operating expenditures to see where money is being spent inefficiently. More efficient spending will allow improved city services and infrastructure upgrades without increased taxation. Once this has been done, City Council must market Moose Jaw as a great place to raise a family and own a business.

5. What should be done to assist the city’s poorest people?

The City must create more affordable housing and ensure easy access to affordable food that is locally grown. We must rebuild a healthy community for all by making Moose Jaw a place for people instead of just cars through a plan for urban sustainability, and the city must advocate other levels of government to implement a Guaranteed Livable Income (www.livableincome.org).

What would a comprehensive plan for urban sustainability include?

2009-10-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

A basic definition of urban sustainability is "building cities for people instead of cars". Urban sustainability goes beyond environmental sustainability; it is about building healthy communities for today and tomorrow. A comprehensive plan for urban sustainability would include improved public transportation, a citywide program for recycling and composting, maximizing energy conservation throughout the city, more community gardens, a permanent farmers market for the purchase of locally produced food, bike lanes, a car share program, well-maintained sidewalks and walking paths, ending urban sprawl while rebuilding core neighbourhoods, and more!

New facebook group! Youth Matter to Moose Jaw

2009-10-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

I've just started a new facebook group called "Youth Matter to Moose Jaw" in response to a question asked by a sixteen year old at the all candidates forum last Thursday, Oct.15. The question she asked was "what are you going to do for the youth of Moose Jaw?" She said, "I know we're not old enough to vote", but we still matter. And we do! The youth of this city matter today and tomorrow. Afterall, we are the future of this city. How can we make Moose Jaw a better place to live for young people if there is no outlet to make our voices heard in this election and on City Council? Everyone talks about "why do so many youth leave Moose Jaw?", but we seldom actually ask our youth why they want to leave and what will make them stay here. We need to listen to and take leadership from the youth of this city. I will be maintaining this facebook group now and into the future as a place for Moose Jaw youth to make our voices heard on City Council.

If you live in Moose Jaw and are under the age of 30, please join this FB group at:
http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=177814971013

The purpose of this FB group is to foster input and discussion from the youth of Moose Jaw during the 2009 Civic Election and beyond. Just because someone is not old enough to vote doesn't mean their opinion shouldn't be heard! Moose Jaw youth, this FB group is the place to make your voice heard this election. City Council especially needs to hear the voices of those under 18, so please join today and invite your friends!

There are currently three topics posted for discussion to group members:

What would make Moose Jaw a better place for youth to live?

Do you plan to stay in Moose Jaw when you graduate?

Should we lower the voting age in Moose Jaw Civic Elections?

I just created this group last night, so please pass word on about this new FB group to as many youth in Moose Jaw as you can! E-day is October 28th!

Peace and Solidarity,

Larissa Shasko

Urban Sustainability and Affordable Housing

2009-10-17T02:32:00.000-07:00

The recent housing boom has left many renters in Moose Jaw with increased rents and little opportunity to purchase their own home. Recent fires, capital projects, and buildings badly in need of repair have left many low-income renters displaced. Meanwhile, Moose Jaw continues to grow outward and we continue to see missed opportunities to refurbish existing buildings, often heritage buildings. Affordable housing initiatives must take priority. Council must develop and implement a comprehensive plan for urban sustainability in Moose Jaw, meaning we need to start building the friendly city to be a place for people instead of just cars. Urban sustainability, including improved public transportation, a citywide program for recycling and composting, maximizing energy conservation throughout the city, more community gardens, a permanent farmers market for the purchase of locally produced food, bike lanes, a car share program, well-maintained sidewalks and walking paths, and ending urban sprawl while rebuilding core neighbourhoods.

A key part of urban sustainability is reviving core neighbourhoods through affordable housing initiatives. This requires Council to work with community organizations & follow their recommendations for improving low-income housing opportunities in Moose Jaw.
The City will have to partner with these community organizations and other levels of Government to plan and build more affordable housing, and where opportunities exist to turn city-owned properties or heritage buildings into affordable housing, these opportunities should be seized.

Urban sustainability is a step we must take today to foster a brighter tomorrow. If the right decisions are not made now, future generations will pay. On October 28th, Vote for Larissa Shasko, Vote for Tomorrow.

Tourism Moose Jaw survey

2009-10-17T02:29:00.000-07:00

Below are my answers for the Tourism Moose Jaw Survey sent to all candidates for Councillor in the 2009 Moose Jaw Civic Election:

1. Where do you place tourism in Moose Jaw’s economic future?

Tourism is clearly a key component of Moose Jaw’s economic future. Tourism creates jobs and is a substantial source of revenue for many of Moose Jaw’s businesses. Tourism knits this country together and enables Canadians to explore our historic and legendary city. To ensure a strong economic future for tourism in Moose Jaw, we must foster a green, low-carbon tourism industry and market it responsibly throughout the world. The city must help to provide exceptional tourist experiences by keeping our beautiful city parks and walking trails well maintained and bio-diverse. Our sidewalks and streets must also be well maintained to ensure a vibrant tourism industry in Moose Jaw. The fastest growing sector of tourism is Eco-tourism. To foster a vibrant and growing tourism industry, our city will need bicycle lanes (to capture on bicycle touring in the summer and to provide a greener way for tourists to explore Moose Jaw), and City Council will need to work with other levels of government to (re)connect Moose Jaw to major centres via passenger train service. Through our various approaches, Tourism Moose Jaw and the City of Moose Jaw can work together to create a sustainable and vibrant economic future for tourism in our city.

2. How do you foresee the future relationship between Tourism Moose Jaw and the City of Moose Jaw?

To ensure an even stronger and sustainable future for the tourism sector in the friendly city, the City must provide continued support to Tourism Moose Jaw, and we must work together with other levels of government to foster the creation of a vibrant sector of Eco-tourism through measures such as bicycle lanes and connecting Moose Jaw to major centres via passenger train. As the fastest growing sector of tourism, Eco-tourism can provide our community with increased revenues and new jobs. As we move into a time where sustainability must guide our actions in order to ensure long-term economic success, I foresee a growing importance of tourism to our local economy, meaning a strong and important future relationship between the City of Moose Jaw and Tourism Moose Jaw.

3. How important is outside marketing of Moose Jaw, either by the City or by Tourism Moose Jaw?

Outside marketing of Moose Jaw is very important to the creation of all sectors of a green economy in Moose Jaw. We must foster a green, low-carbon tourism industry and market it responsibly throughout the world. The City must also pursue outside marketing of Moose Jaw in order to attract green energy industry to our city in fields such as energy conservation and renewable energy technologies, which will create many new local jobs – Green Jobs.

Moose Jaw & District Labour Council Questionnaire

2009-10-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Below are my answers to the Moose Jaw & District Labour Council Questionnaire asked of all candidates for Councillor in the 2009 Moose Jaw Civic Election:

1) What concrete steps can the City of Moose Jaw take within the next 10 years to reduce its environmental footprint, specifically, the reduction of greenhouse gases, energy conservation and the adoption of cleaner sources of energy?

The City of Moose Jaw must immediately develop and implement a comprehensive plan for urban sustainability, including improved public transportation, a citywide program for recycling and composting, a recycling program for businesses, maximizing energy conservation throughout the city (especially in city owned buildings and in regard to our outdated traffic lights and overused streetlights), more community gardens, a full-scale farmers market for the purchase of locally produced food, bike lanes, a car share program, well-maintained sidewalks and walking paths (to encourage more pedestrians), and ending urban sprawl while rebuilding core neighbourhoods instead. A basic definition of urban sustainability is “building cities for people instead of cars”. In order to reduce Moose Jaw’s greenhouse gas emissions, we must rethink our one car per person mentality, but first, the City must take measures so that it is possible and convenient to live without a car in Moose Jaw.

Furthermore, the City of Moose Jaw must do all we can to attract renewable energy and energy conservation industry to our city. We can set an example for the rest of the province by meeting our energy needs through renewable energy sources and fully utilizing energy conservation methods. Energy retrofitting and the installation of decentralized renewable energy, such as solar panels, must be done at the local level, meaning the creation of many new jobs—Green Jobs. Students will also come to Moose Jaw seeking training opportunities in Saskatchewan’s first potential off grid city. Moose Jaw can reduce greenhouse gases and limit the size of our growing ecological footprint—but we need strong leaders elected to City Council who are committed to doing so. We have waited too long to take serious action, and future generations who will live here are depending on us to make our city sustainable now. Thank-you for asking this very important question.

2) What specific steps will you take to encourage residents to incorporate environmental sustainability into their daily lives? How will you ensure that all residents are made aware and are able to access new and existing environmental programs and services?

To encourage residents to incorporate environmental sustainability into their daily lives, the City must make environmental sustainability as accessible and as convenient as possible to those who live and operate businesses here. As mentioned above, this will require immediately developing and implementing a comprehensive plan for urban sustainability, including improved public transportation, a citywide program for recycling and composting, a recycling program for businesses, maximizing energy conservation throughout the city, more community gardens, a full-scale farmers market for the purchase of locally produced food, bike lanes, a car share program, well-maintained sidewalks and walking paths, ending urban sprawl while rebuilding core neighbourhoods, and more.

Public education is a key component of urban sustainability, and the Moose Jaw Advisory Committee on the Environment (M.A.C.E.) is ideally situated to foster this public education on how to incorporate environmental sustainability into the daily lives of the people who live here. I have served as Member at Large on M.A.C.E. since the beginning of 2009, and there is some solid action being taken by Committee members toward public education on waste reduction (composting, recycling, reducing, reusing, etc.). However, throughout my term, the focus of M.A.C.E. has been mainly on waste reduction (in order to achieve a concrete goal with limited resources and limited staff). In order to broaden this focus and improve the ability of M.A.C.E. to foster greater public education while also ensuring all residents are made aware and are able to access new and existing environmental programs and services, perhaps the City needs to devote more funding and more focus to M.A.C.E.

3) How do you see the transit system evolving to meet the needs of all residents and communities?

Moose Jaw’s transit system must be made more accessible by extending hours and days of operation and taking a comprehensive overview of current bus routes. As someone who does not own a car and gets around Moose Jaw by foot or public transportation whenever possible, I have a good understanding of how the transit system can evolve to meet the needs of all residents and all communities. Hours of service must be extended to include evenings, and bus service should be offered on Sundays and holidays. The current limited schedule does not allow those without a car to get to work if they work outside of regular work hours (‘banking hours’). Moose Jaw’s transit system is a great asset and a great step toward urban sustainability, but it is not realistically capable of taking the place of a car for someone living here. The operating routes, which currently work on a loop cycle, tend to make public transit somewhat less convenient. For example, it takes five minutes for me to get downtown by bus where I live, but nearly half an hour to get home. This is fine in a city the size of Regina, but in Moose Jaw, where it takes a maximum of ten minutes to get between any two points in the city, I believe this could be made more accessible/convenient, and doing so should attract increased use of our transit system.

I also think it is worthwhile to look into extending transit service to surrounding communities. Partnering with Saskatchewan Transportation Company may be an option to pursue. I currently commute two days a week to Regina for class at the U of R, and I take the bus whenever possible. But it is expensive (at $26 a round trip to Regina for students), and the schedule is pretty limited. There are many people and students who commute between Moose Jaw and Regina (and vice-versa) on a daily basis. The City must advocate for and partner with other levels of Government to (re)connect Moose Jaw with major centers and surrounding communities via passenger train.

4) What steps can the City of Moose Jaw take to provide safe and affordable housing that is integrated into the community?

The recent housing boom has left many renters in Moose Jaw with increased rent and little opportunity to purchase their own home. Recent fires, capital projects, and buildings badly in need of repair have left many low-income renters displaced. Meanwhile, Moose Jaw continues to grow outward and our City Council continues to find money for capital projects. Affordable housing initiatives must take priority. As noted earlier, Council must develop and implement a comprehensive plan for urban sustainability in Moose Jaw, and one of the main components of urban sustainability is reviving core neighbourhoods through affordable housing initiatives. This requires the City to work with community organizations and follow their recommendations for affordable housing in Moose Jaw. The City will have to partner with these community organizations and other levels of Government to build more affordable housing, and where opportunities exist to turn city-owned properties or heritage buildings into affordable housing, these opportunities should be seized.

5) How will you ensure that marginalized residents have increased input in community and social planning?

I will push for the (re)establishment of a Social Planning Advisory Committee to provide marginalized residents with the opportunity for increased input in community and social planning. I will also be fully available to meet with anyone from Moose Jaw who has input into community and social planning, and I will provide a strong voice on City Council for the issues raised and the input provided. We must work together to ensure a healthy community and happy lives for everyone in the Friendly City.

6) (a) What is your short and long term vision for the growth of Moose Jaw? How do you hope to balance new growth with the revitalization of downtown and addressing the infrastructure problems of other neighbourhoods?

The City must attract green energy industry to Moose Jaw in order to create many new jobs. I have watched with great concern as industry has left Moose Jaw over the past few years, and in order to stop people from leaving Moose Jaw, we must find ways to provide good paying, meaningful, and sustainable employment to those in need. Green Jobs will provide long-term growth for our city, including training opportunities.

City Council must take measures to end urban sprawl and to rebuild core neighbourhoods instead. The population of our city hasn’t changed much over the years, but our city continues to grow outward. Clearly this is not sustainable, especially as more businesses move to the outskirts of the city to be closer to those living in these newly developed areas. Meanwhile, our downtown struggles, our mall is too vacant, and our core neighbourhoods are plagued with deteriorating buildings, sidewalks, and streets. The City needs to make a commitment to grow our community, not simply the geographical space our community consumes. This is possible with the right leadership.

(b) How do you expect to fund this?

As a citizen of Moose Jaw, I have watched as some capital projects are implemented while others are overlooked. I am not sure what has guided these decisions, but as Councillor, I will be able to provide leadership in this process. We need to make sure crumbling infrastructure is not overlooked because “we can’t afford it” when are told we can afford a new multiplex. Sound fiscal management is my answer. However, overtaxing our small businesses and low-income residents is NOT an acceptable answer, and this must be addressed by the newly elected Council.

As Finance and Administrative Director of the Young Greens of Canada for the past two years, I have demonstrated the necessary skills to provide sound fiscal management concerning all decisions made by City Council. In my role as Finance and Administrative Director, I have managed an entire departmental budget, and with proper management of our finances, the Young Greens Council has been able to meet many more goals than we had originally hoped to, and we had a small surplus of funds left over at year’s end. I am also the Leader of a provincial political party that is debt free. We need sound fiscal management of this sort on City Council. If we can afford to build new neighbourhoods and commercial areas on the outskirts of our city, surely we can start spending these funds on rebuilding our core neighbourhoods and downtown area instead. We will not begin to lower our ecological footprint or to regain our sense of community unless we take measures to end urban sprawl.

7) What is your position on the full or partial privatization of public services and projects?

I favour public ownership and the long-term benefits it offers.

8) How do you see your role as a City Councillor being a support mechanism for workers?

I believe that in a democracy, the people are in charge. I will be fully accountable to the people of Moose Jaw, and I will fully represent the interests of our citizens and our workers. I will be a dedicated voice on Council for the interests of workers, and I will be available to meet with any worker who has an issue to raise with Council.

What can we do to grow Moose Jaw in both population and the economy while being world leaders in environmental-sustainability?

2009-10-12T00:17:00.000-07:00

In addition to supporting locally owned small businesses, we need to push for the creation of green jobs by taking measures on City Council that will attract energy conservation and renewable energy industry to Moose Jaw. We can set an example for the rest of the province by meeting our energy needs through renewable energy sources and fully utilizing energy conservation methods. Energy retrofitting and the installation of decentralized renewable energy, such as solar panels, must be done at the local level, meaning the creation of many new jobs. People go where the jobs are, and students will also come to Moose Jaw seeking training opportunities in Saskatchewan’s first potential off grid city. As our population grows, City Council needs to promote an end to urban sprawl and take measures to rebuild core neighbourhoods instead.

On October 28th, vote for sustainable solutions to Moose Jaw's failing economy. Elect Larissa Shasko as Councillor.

What can we do to make Moose Jaw City Council work better?

2009-10-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

We need to restore democracy on City Council. In the many Councils and Committees I have been a part of, we aim to operate on a basis of consensus for the decisions we make. This means fostering adequate discussion between differing opinions until all those involved feel like their voices have been heard. Because we make our decisions using this method of striving for consensus, we are able to proceed on any issue with greater awareness of its potential problems, and we are also able to work together as colleagues instead of the great polarization we’ve seen happen amongst Councillors on the last City Council. As your Councillor, I will to bring this skill of consensus-based decision making to Moose Jaw City Council. I will represent your voices and raise your issues, because in a democracy, the people are in charge.

It’s time to restore democracy in Moose Jaw. On October 28th, vote for real solutions. Vote for Larissa Shasko.

"No Nukes - Go Renewables" Rally and Parade - Today at 1 P.M. in Saskatoon!

2009-10-04T00:52:00.000-07:00

Gather at the Bowl at the U of S campus 1:00 for the Parade to the Vimy Memorial Bandshell (20th St and Spadina Cres) or simply come to the Bandshell directly where the program will start at 2 PM

Keynote speaker is Winona LaDuke, a renowned Native American envioronmentalist who is leading her community in a major renewable energy community development initiative to reduce fossil fuel consumption and to prevent nuclear expansion.

Other speakers and topics at the rally include medical isotopes, the economics of nuclear, nuclear waste issues, renewable energy and citizen involvement, with Larissa Shasko, Peter Prebble, Jim Harding, Ryan Mieli and others. Local musicians will also perform.

For more information please visit www.cleangreensask.ca or phone 373-8078 or join our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/?ref=sb#/pages/Coalition-for-a-Clean-Green-Saskatchewan/83935014222

"No Nukes - Go Renewables"
Rally and Parade
Sunday, October 4th in Saskatoon

It's time to get things done in Moose Jaw!

2009-09-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

Long before the nuclear debate heated up, and long before I was asked by members of the Green Party of Saskatchewan to run for the leadership of the party after Amber Jones stepped down as Leader, I had made the decision to run for Moose Jaw City Council. I moved to Moose Jaw five years ago, and I instantly found "home". I grew up in Regina and the nearby small town of Lumsden, so Moose Jaw is the perfect fit between the beauty of Lumsden and the amenities and buzz of Regina. Moose Jaw is such a great city that my new husband (Ryan Stusek) and I have chosen to stay in Moose Jaw and build our future in the "friendly city". But there is so much to be done to prepare Moose Jaw for the future, and this work is simply not getting done by recent City Councils. It's time for positive change in Moose Jaw, which is exactly why I am running.

I have seen too many idle Councillors who run and get elected to Moose Jaw City Council to get their own motives accomplished instead of working for the people of this city. As a student of Political Science and a dedicated political activist, I have real experience to offer on Council and the necessary tools to get real change accomplished to improve the lives of the people of this city.

I also want to see an end to the lack of democracy we have seen on City Council in recent terms. It will take electing Councillors who are really there to work for the people of Moose Jaw in order for democracy to return to Moose Jaw! Furthermore, electoral reform is needed at all levels, including Moose Jaw civic elections. Did you know that there are no election financing rules for Moose Jaw civic elections? This admittedly puts a university student at an unfair advantage to those who may be at the end of their careers or retired and who have already built their "nest egg". So to that note, donations to the campaign to elect Larissa Shasko are welcome! Please contact me at larissa.shasko@gmail.com to volunteer, to make a donation, or to request a sign.

So why is it so important to have green views and a voice of reason elected to Moose Jaw City Council this election? As a citizen of Moose Jaw, I have watched as democracy has taken a back seat in past terms of City Council, and I really recognize the need for good fiscal management. Resources are running out at all levels of government, both monetary and natural resources. The current recession will require innovative thinking based on sustainability in order to find and implement long-term solutions. If the right decisions are not made now, future generations will pay. This is very true of decisions Moose Jaw City Council will be making in the upcoming term. We need a voice of reason on City Council. I have the experience and necessary skills for the position of City Councillor. As a Political Science Major and dedicated political activist, I have the tools and the "know how" to get things done!

I will be a voice on Moose Jaw City Council for urban sustainability (building communities for people instead of cars), safe and local food initiatives, low-income housing, locally owned businesses, and the creation of much needed Green Jobs in Moose Jaw through doing all we can to support and attract the renewable energy sector.

On October 28th, I ask for your support as Councillor for Moose Jaw City Council.

To find out more about me, read this recent profile in the Sasquatch (an independent Saskatchewan newspaper): http://sasquatchnews.com/keen-green-on-the-scene/

Peace and Solidarity,

Larissa Shasko

-- Vote for the change you want to see in the world. --

Democratic Bankruptcy - Time for the Solution!

2009-09-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

In the 2008 federal election, a key focus of my campaign as the Green Party Candidate for the riding of Palliser was democracy, or rather Canada's lack of it. According to Fair Vote Canada, the votes of 50.7% of Canadians who voted in the 2008 federal election elected no one. The push for strategic voting did not work, and vote swapping failed to produce results. Canadians were left with another Conservative minority government that refuses to offer solutions to growing emission levels and irreversible environmental degradation. Stephen Harper won't feel the consequences from his failure to take action on climate change, but the youth of this country will.

In the 2008 federal election, more than 60% of Canadians voted against the Conservatives, yet they are now our ruling government.

All across the country, Canadians are calling for electoral reform. Our current electoral system is a glorified "winner takes all" game. Unfortunately, this has led to voter apathy. The last federal election marked the lowest voter turnout in Canadian history! Only 59% of eligible voters actually voted.

Stephen Harper was wrong; Parliament isn't dysfunctional, our electoral system is!

Canada's "first-past-the-post" voting system is outdated and is failing to produce results reflective of the general public. Democratic politics has evolved significantly in Canada, yet our voting system has stayed the same.
Both federally and provincially, our voting system was designed for a two party system, but we are now represented by multiple different and distinct political parties. An electoral system of proportional representation would make every vote count. Political parties would receive a percentage of seats in the House of Commons or Legislature based on the percentage of the popular vote they receive. Governments elected by proportional representation reflect the priorities of all voters.

Nearly one million people who voted for the Green Party of Canada in the 2008 federal election were ignored because the Green Party's national support is spread out broadly across Canada. At the same time, political parties with dense regional support wound up being over-represented in Parliament. In the 2008 federal election, the Green Party of Canada received 7% of the popular vote but did not receive a single seat in the House of Commons. Meanwhile, the Bloc received 10% of the popular vote and won 50 seats. Under a system of proportional representation, the Green Party of Canada would have received 23 seats instead of zero, and the Bloc would have received 28 seats instead of 50. Clearly, our electoral system is in need of reform. It could be considered unbalanced at best.

In the Saskatchewan, the Conservatives received 54% of the votes in the 2008 federal election, yet they won 94% of the seats (all but one). Since many people in Saskatchewan are tired of having their votes ignored, voter turnout in our province was only 49%! It is time to put an end to democratic bankruptcy; it is time to restructure our electoral system. We need proportional representation.

Our current electoral system turns candidates and political parties into competitors instead of colleagues. It is hard to get cooperative work done in government in a system like this. If we are going to take concrete action on climate change, Parliament will have to cooperate, and so will every province in this country and every country in the world. Proportional representation would reduce the overly partisan nature of our current political system that tends to make cooperation difficult. An electoral system of proportional representation would encourage collaboration and compromise so that elected representatives can stop fighting and can start taking action.

At an all-candidates forum held in Moose Jaw during the 2008 federal election, all four candidates in the riding of Palliser were asked if we would support an electoral system of proportional representation. Much to my surprise, all of us said yes. With another federal election call on the horizon, now is the time to push this issue; Canadians are ready for this change.

Electoral reform is the next step in the fight for democracy in Canada, and in Saskatchewan.

-----
Larissa Shasko,
Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan
2008 Green Party of Canada Candidate for Palliser
Treasurer of the newly formed Saskatchewan Chapter of Fair Vote Canada.

Founded in January of 2009, Fair Vote Saskatchewan is a multi-partisan organization open to supporters of all political parties as well as those without any political affiliation. Working together as colleagues, we foster public education on proportional representation and we advocate for the need to restructure our electoral system to be proportionate. For more information on the Saskatchewan Chapter of Fair Vote Canada, visit the website at:

http://fairvotesask.blogspot.com

Green Party of Saskatchewan UDP Stakeholder Presentation

2009-08-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Green Party of Saskatchewan UDP Stakeholder Presentation

Presented in Regina on June 23, 2009 at 10:00 am

Presentation by Larissa Shasko
Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan

The Uranium Development Partnership Report:
A lost opportunity to develop a sustainable energy future in Saskatchewan

The UDP Report is:
--Not socially acceptable
--Not environmentally appropriate

The Uranium Development Partnership public consultation meetings have drawn huge crowds of people, and the vast majority of people attending the UDP meetings have overwhelmingly rejected the idea of nuclear power and a nuclear fuel waste dump in Saskatchewan.

However, the UDP Report is not about "IF", but about "HOW" the items in the UDP Report will be achieved. The UDP Report is a business plan for expanding the uranium industry, and therefore, the environmental and public safety risks have been written off as externalities. They have not been properly considered or studied. The Government of Saskatchewan needs to immediately fund and release independent studies into the health and public safety risks and the environmental impact of nuclear power and uranium mining. Studies of this type are long overdue, and it is scary to think that the Government of Saskatchewan would propose expanding the uranium industry without a good understanding of the health and safety risks and the environmental impact.
Until such studies have been completed, expanding Saskatchewan’s uranium industry cannot be deemed environmentally appropriate or socially acceptable.

The UDP Report is biased.

The UDP Report is not about energy options for Saskatchewan; it is about propping up the uranium industry. Most of the members of the UDP are known to be proponents of nuclear development. Many of them work for the nuclear industry. Both the traditional political right and left in Saskatchewan would likely agree that promoting private gain at public expense is unacceptable.

Members of the UDP:
Duncan Hawthorne, President and CEO of Bruce Power

Jerry Grandey, President and CEO of Cameco Corporation
Armand Laferrere, President and CEO of AREVA Canada

Chair of the UDP:
Dr. Richard Florizone, Vice-President of Finance and Resources at the University of Saskatchewan

Is this a conflict of interest?

A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization has an interest that might compromise their reliability.

The CEOs of Bruce Power, Cameco, and AREVA, stand to benefit financially from the initiatives in the UDP report, and they have a duty to represent nuclear power and uranium mining in the best possible light. The Chair of the UDP is the Vice-President of Finance and Resources at a university that would obtain a huge amount of funding for the research and development that is proposed in the UDP Report.

Furthermore, the Uranium Development Partnership is composed of twelve men and zero women. Women are consitutionally guaranteed equality in Canada by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, yet the UDP is completely void of gender balance. There are different implications of nuclear power for women than there are for men, particularly in regard to our reproductive systems and in relation to our role as mothers. Public opinion polls have indicated that the women of Saskatchewan are against nuclear power.

At a press conference held at the Saskatchewan Legislature on April 17, 2009, Elizabeth May, the Leader of the Green Party of Canada said the following about the Uranium Development Partnership Report:
“The so-called environmental rep on the Uranium Development Partnership is a paid lobbyist for the nuclear industry. This is a sham. This is not the report on which government should base decisions. This is the equivalent of a report from lobbyists telling government how they want them to spend their money. This isn't the fox guarding the chicken coops. This is the fox report recommending how the chicken coops can best be consumed by the foxes.”
Elizabeth May said she was also disappointed that the report “never even bothered to look at alternatives.”

Climate Change: “a political certainty”

At a lecture at the University of Regina Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy on June 18, 2009, Dr. Florizone said that climate change has become a political reality and that the adoption of carbon pricing is now being viewed as a political certainty. The UDP Report uses climate change as a justification for nuclear power in Saskatchewan. Even if we did not export the nuclear power to Alberta for production of the tar sands as the authors of the UDP Report propose, nuclear power is not capable of having a big enough impact to make little more than a dent in the fight against climate change. Plus, the radioactive waste we would be left with for hundreds of thousands of years is not only bound to have devastating long-term health and ecological consequences, it would also put the people of Saskatchewan and surrounding areas in great danger in times of war.

There is a great amount of public “miseducation” about nuclear power amongst the people of Saskatchewan. For many, their knowledge of nuclear power been obtained from the uranium industry itself in large, overly simplistic, and incredibly misleading adverstisements and billboards. I am horrified by the amount of people that think nuclear is clean and green. It would be extremely dangerous to call a referendum on this issue any time in the near future due to the lack of balanced education the public has been exposed to about the benefits of nuclear versus the risks. Infact, the public can not be properly educated about the risks until the Government of Saskatchewan funds and makes public independant studies into the health and public safety risks and the environmental impact of nuclear power and uranium mining. How could the public possibly make an informed decision on the issue of nuclear power in Saskatchewan without knowing what the risks are? For that matter, how can $3 million be spent on a feasibility study without consideration of the environmental and health/public safety impacts of the initiatives proposed by the UDP?

The Government of Saskatchewan has a duty to end the public “miseducation” on nuclear power and uranium mining.

For example, nuclear power is NOT emissions free. Large quantities of greenhouse gases are produced in the mining and refining of uranium as well as during the long construction period of the power plant.

Each gigawatt of nuclear energy requires 170 tonnes of uranium. When the uranium is processed into fuel, 250,000 tonnes of carbon are emitted for every 1000 megawatts produced. Nuclear energy produces huge amounts of greenhouse gases. Recent studies also note that once the current high-grade uranium deposits are depleted, carbon emissions will greatly increase as low quality ores have to be refined.[1]

Renewable energy is relatively inexpensive, and its technical challenges are dwarfed by those of nuclear power, which, after more than half a century, still has no way to store its radioactive waste that remains toxic for one million years!

It is incredibly misleading to use climate change as a justification for nuclear power in Saskatchewan when the UDP proposes exporting 4-5000 MW of electricity to Alberta for tar sands production. The Alberta Tar Sands have recently been deemed the “most destructive project on earth” by Environmental Defence Canada[2] because the tar sands will single-handedly make it impossible for Canada to lower greenhouse gas emissions anywhere near what is needed to meet international Kyoto targets.[3] Using nuclear power for tar sands production would actually be taking us closer to the “tipping point” of climate change catastrophe.

At Dr. Florizone’s lecture at the University of Regina Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy on June 18, 2009, Dr. Florizone said that nuclear “only becomes cost competitive when you have carbon pricing.” The first problem with this statement is that we do not have carbon pricing in Saskatchewan yet. Carbon pricing is not being proposed by the SaskParty Government, and as a student of political science, I do not expect it to be proposed by either the SaskParty or the NDP in the next election. Many would say proposing the carbon tax in the last federal election single-handedly lost the election for the Liberals. There does not appear to be much support for the carbon tax from either Stephen Harper or Brad Wall. If nuclear only becomes cost competitive when you have carbon pricing, then nuclear is not cost competitive in Saskatchewan at this time.

Furthermore, the purpose of the carbon tax is to make polluting less attractive. Considering the toxic radioactive waste pollution of nuclear power that cannot be stored, treated, or disposed of safely, it is completely unacceptable for the carbon tax to be leveraged as incentive for expansion of the uranium industry. Government will never be able to successfully implement solutions to climate change if they allow large final emitters to find innovative ways out of the carbon tax while actually profiting from it. Take the University of Regina Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) for example. The PTRC researches carbon sequestration, and the PTRC is heavily funded by large international oil companies who plan to use carbon sequestration for enhanced oil recovery. They plan to pump the sequestered carbon into dried up oil wells to change the viscosity of the dried up oil so they can pump thirty more years of oil out of the ground. Large oil companies are investing huge amounts of money into carbon sequestration at the PTRC so that if any money is lost due to a carbon tax increasing the cost of gas, they can compensate for this loss of profits by increasing their supply of oil through enhanced oil recovery. This is another case of an unacceptable abuse of a tax on carbon, which is a tool designed to reduce pollution. The carbon tax is not intended to fuel nuclear expansion or enhanced oil recovery.

The UDP Report would head us in the wrong direction. We need green energy jobs, energy conservation, and renewable energy technologies. We need to start building a sustainable energy future.

According to Ecological Economist William Rees, “there is general agreement that no development path is sustainable if it depends on the exhaustion of productive assets.”[4] Rees argues that since “human-made capital is made from natural capital and requires natural capital to function, … natural capital is prerequisite to manufactured capital.”[5] The economy is dependant upon the environment for natural capital. If natural capital is exhausted, productive assets will be also. Long-term economic sustainability can not be secured without adressing the environmental crisis and focusing on sustaining nature first.

It’s called ecological wisdom. Ecological Wisdom is a key guiding principle of the Green Party of Saskatchewan.[6]

Just because we won the lottery by living in Saskatchewan doesn’t mean we have to spend all of our winnings in one generation. If we continue to be heavily reliant on extraction and exportation of non-renewable resources, what will be left of our province when these resources run out? What will be left for the people who live here?

COST:
“Spending billions of dollars on costly nuclear power would rob Saskatchewan of the chance to go green with clean and safe energy through increased energy conservation and renewable energy technologies. We only get one chance to fight climate change. This is our chance to go green and to go renewable.”
- Larissa Shasko, Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan

"The industry doesn't make sense. It will never survive without tremendous government subsidies," -
Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada

Nuclear “only becomes cost competitive when you have carbon pricing.”
- Dr. Florizone, June 18/09, U of R

The Green Party believes that energy choices should be economically rational. The best energy choices to respond to the climate crisis should be those that deliver the greatest reduction of GHG per dollar invested. By this criterion, nuclear energy is among the very worst options. Reactors cost billions of dollars, take more than a decade to build, operate unreliably after about the first dozen years of operation, and only produce one type of energy: electricity. Even if the industry were “green and clean” as claimed by the pro-nuclear propaganda efforts, it fails on the economics. Nevertheless, it is neither clean nor green.

Is Nuclear safe?
In addition to the risks of radioactive leaks and nuclear accidents, nuclear energy has an inevitable link to nuclear weapons proliferation. India made its first bomb from spent fuel from a CANDU reactor. As well, depleted uranium waste is increasingly and routinely used to coat bullets and missiles in “conventional” warfare, leaving a legacy of radioactive contamination as an on-going health and environmental threat to civilians post-conflict.
A reactor’s fuel rods, pipes, tanks, and valves can leak. Mechanical failure and human error can also cause leaks. As a nuclear plant ages, so does the equipment, and leaks generally increase.
It doesn’t take an accident for a nuclear power plant to release radioactivity into our air, water and soil. All it takes is the plant’s everyday routine operation, and federal regulations permit these radioactive releases.

It is scientifically established that low-level radiation damages tissues, cells, DNA, and other vital molecules causing programmed cell death (apoptosis), genetic mutations, cancers, leukemia, birth defects, and reproductive, immune, and endocrine system disorders.

A recent study commissioned by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in Germany and made public on December 10th, 2007 examined cancer rates in young children between 1980 and 2003.[7] It showed a 60% increase in solid cancers and a 117% increase in leukemia among children up to five years of age living within 5 km of 16 German nuclear reactors. It also found a 20 to 40% increase for all cancers in children living within a 50 km radius of the plants. These nuclear power plants were operating under normal conditions, with radiation releases well within levels allowed for civilian populations.[8]
This new evidence from Germany of an association between increased cancers and proximity to nuclear facilities raises difficult questions. Should pregnant women and young children be advised to move away from them? Should local residents eat vegetables from their gardens? And, crucially, shouldn't those governments around the world who are planning to build more reactors think again?

Remember Chernobyl?

I was only four years of age when Chernobyl happened, and even I remember Chernobyl. I remember it with fear.

Chernobyl: April 26th, 1986 - the world’s worst nuclear accident.

Chernobyl is located 80 miles Northwest of Kiev, the ancient capital of the Ukraine.

A routine test went wrong setting up a chain reaction, creating an explosion that blew off the reactor’s 1000 tonne steel and concrete lid.
It spewed out atleast 200 times more radiation than the bombing of Hiroshima. 600,000 clean-up workers were sent in. The first set of clean-up workers died within a few hours from radiation burns. Thousands of children and adults were stricken with radiation sickness, leukemia, and cancer.

Over 4.6 million hectares of agricultural land in the Ukraine was contaminated. Thousands of people have died as a result of Chernobyl. The victims of Chernobyl are still being born today.
Infant mortality in the Ukraine stands at twice the European average.
There has also been an increase of sterility in parents plus an increase in genetic damage and congenital deformities among their offspring.

Source: The Problem with Nuclear is the Danger of Accidents and Near Accidents (booklet), Compiled by Bill Adamson, Member, ICUCEC, Inter Church Uranium Committee Educational Co-operative, October 2008.

“First-of-a-kind risk”

Nuclear power plants of the type proposed for Saskatchewan are not in operation now, nor have they ever been tested anywhere. A precursor of AECL’s ARC-1000 (ARC-700) was withdrawn from U.S. licensing after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) predicted design/safety issues. (The NRC believes that during a loss-of-coolant-accident, power would surge rather than decrease.) Do Saskatchewan people want to be the subjects of a nuclear safety experiment?

At Dr. Florizone’s recent lecture at the University of Regina Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy on June 18, 2009, Dr. Florizone pointed to how Ontario has just decided to go forward with one of the reactor models proposed by the UDP for Saskatchewan. What he said was both shocking and horrifying. Dr. Florizone spoke of the “first of a kind risk” involved with a nuclear reactor that has never been tested before, and he said that “now we can learn from Ontario’s mistakes.” I do not think this is an acceptable statement for the UDP to be using as a selling point considering I have many young friends who live in Ontario, and they do not want to be the subjects of a nuclear safety experiment either. Why wasn’t the UDP talking about this “first of a kind risk” before Ontario approved the model that we could have been building first?

No insurance company in the world will insure nuclear power plants. If they are insured, it is by governments. In Canada, they are not insured.

Medical isotopes can be made without nuclear fission.

Although many radio-isotopes used in industry, medicine and scientific research can be produced inside a nuclear reactor, most of them (and many more besides) can also be produced inside a particle accelerator such as a cyclotron. Thus, even if there were no nuclear reactors in existence, there would continue to be an extensive use of a wide variety of artificial radio-isotopes produced in accelerators.

Although accelerators do create small quantities of lingering radioactivity, they do not pose the staggering high-level waste and proliferation problems associated with nuclear reactors, nor do they have any potential for catastrophic accidents of any kind, nor are they capable of producing weapons materials in militarily significant amounts.[9]

The market for cobalt-60 -- one of the major radio-isotopes currently produced in Canada is not expanding, but shrinking -- as a result of which AECL has had to lay off (in recent years) many hundreds of workers associated with cobalt-60 production. As safer alternative technologies take over and as even safer alternatives are developed, the use of cobalt-60 may be phased out altogether.[10]

It is seriously misleading to state that nuclear medicine or the use of radiation in industry and in scientific research depends in any essential way upon nuclear reactors. Such uses existed long before the first nuclear reactors were built and will continue to exist long after the last reactor is shut down.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan takes the position that medical isotopes are too important to rely on unreliable nuclear reactors for their production.

Recently, Thomas Ruth, a research scientist at Canada’s national particle and nuclear physics laboratory called on the federal government to look into ways of delivering radioactive medical isotopes without the need for nuclear reactors. According to Ruth, using nuclear reactors to the produce medical isotopes has not been able to meet the demands of hospitals.[11]

What’s the Rush?

Considering the long period of construction (which usually takes even longer than anticipated) and the overwhelming opposition from the people of Saskatchewan who have participated in the public consultation process, this is not a decision that should be rushed into by government. So, what is the rush? Isn’t a worldwide recession an incredibly bad time to be rushing into an enormous capital project? Many people who voted for the SaskParty in the last election did not know that the Government they voted in had plans to build a nuclear reactor and a nuclear fuel waste dump in Saskatchewan. The SaskParty was not talking about these plans during the last election, and the NDP was not either. The Green Party was the only party to raise the issue of nuclear power in the last election, and although we raised the issue repeatedly, the media were not willing to talk about nuclear in their election coverage, and the other political parties avoided questions on the subject. The issue has been kept out of the public eye during the planning phase, and now that it is in the public eye, this process has been so sped up that I’m worried many people in Saskatchewan will not even know about plans to build a nuclear reactor before the government makes their decision. I continue to talk to Saskatchewan people everyday who have not heard anything about the public consultations or the government’s plans, and the consultation process is nearly over! Furthermore, why were public consultations held at a time of year that is particularly bad for both post-secondary students and farmers?

The public is calling for feasibility studies into energy conservation and renewable energy choices before any decision on the energy future of Saskatchewan is made. The mandate of the UDP was simply to look at nuclear and uranium. They did not even consider the other options. When all the options are weighed equally (including renewable energy sources and energy conservation), the high cost, environmental impact, and public safety risks of nuclear power become extremely unattractive. The nuclear debate has exposed the long overdue need for energy conservation and renewable energy in Saskatchewan.

Due to the serious conflict of interest that exists for many members of the UDP, the absence of any recognized representative of the environmental community, and the complete absence of gender balance among the members of the UDP (twelve men and no women), the findings of the UDP Report are seriously misleading and are not representative of the citizens of this province, nor are the findings of the UDP Report in the best interest of the citizens of this province.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan is calling upon the Government of Saskatchewan to immediately fund and make public independent studies on the environmental and public safety risks of uranium mining and nuclear power, and we join the people of Saskatchewan in calling for full feasibility studies into energy conservation and renewable energy technologies before any decision on the energy future of Saskatchewan is made.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan opposes the location of any nuclear fuel waste dump in Saskatchewan, and we oppose any plans to build a nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan.

[1] Source: Vision Green http://www.greenparty.ca/en/policy/visiongreen/partone#_Toc179815139

[2] See http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/reports/pdf/TarSands_TheReport.pdf
[3] This is why Harper and Wall have chosen intensity based targets for GHG emissions instead of actual reduction targets
[4] See Achieving Sustainability: Reform or Transformation? http://jpl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/9/4/343. William E. Rees.Journal of Planning Literature, May 1995; vol. 9: pp. 343 – 361.
[5] See Achieving Sustainability: Reform or Transformation? http://jpl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/9/4/343. William E. Rees.Journal of Planning Literature, May 1995; vol. 9: pp. 343 – 361.
[6] GPS Statement of Principles: Ecological WisdomHuman societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society that utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture that replenishes the soil, move to an energy efficient economy and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.
[7] For more information on the KiKK study, see this summarized report at http://tekknorg.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/german-kikk-study-higher-cancer-risc-next-to-atomic-power-plants-unofficial-belarussian-children-cancer-data/.
[8] The full report can be downloaded in German at http://www.bfs.de/en/bfs/druck/Ufoplan/4334_KIKK.htm.
[9]Source: http://www.ccnr.org/isotopes.html
[10] Source: http://www.ccnr.org/isotopes.html
[11] Source: http://www.laka.org/info/publicaties/2009-heu.pdf

http://www.greenpartysask.ca/

Nuclear and uranium policy from the 2007 "Green Book":

The Green Party of Saskatchewan is opposed to nuclear power for the following reasons:

Nuclear power is fiscally unsound. The last nuclear power plant in Canada came in seven times over budget, costing $14 billion dollars. This does not include the high cost involved in decommissioning old power plants.

Nuclear waste cannot be stored, treated, or disposed of safely.

A large amount of radioactive tailings accumulate as a result of uranium mining. These tailings can leak into groundwater and affect the surrounding area, leading to increased cancer rates.

Depleted uranium ends up in weapons such as missiles and anti-tank bullets.

Nuclear power is NOT emissions free. Large quantities of greenhouse gases are produced in the mining and refining of uranium as well as during the long construction period of the power plant.

We will phase out uranium mining in Saskatchewan, compensating those affected during transition.

Green Party of Saskatchewan Nuclear / Uranium Policy Resolutions 1998-2007 (submitted and voted on by Green Party of Saskatchewan members):

1999.3. Uranium Mining: That northern Saskatchewan land claims with Aboriginal First Nations be given priority, and that a settlement giving First Nations control over northern resources be immediately negotiated. That a revenue sharing scheme between northern communities and mining companies operating in the north be immediately negotiated; if negotiations are not concluded in a timely manner, that such a scheme be legislated directly. That present environmental regulations around mining operations be aggressively monitored and enforced by Environment Department officials. That a full public inquiry be held into the end uses of Saskatchewan uranium. That provincial royalty rates on Saskatchewan mineral resources be raised to reflect the mining infrastructure costs incurred by the public over the last three decades. That taxation policy on mining companies be reviewed. That no new uranium mines be licensed to operate in this province. That present uranium mines be phased-out as new jobs are found for displaced workers.

1999.6. Nuclear Power The Green Party of Saskatchewan resolves: That no further provincial money be spent on nuclear power. The provincial government further directs all Department, Agencies and Crown Corporations to abandon any proposals to develop nuclear power programs for the Province. That the province direct all Departments, Agencies and Crown Corporations to categorically refuse to partner themselves in any way with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). That the province pass legislation prohibiting the transportation and/or storage of nuclear reactor waste across or within provincial boundaries

2003.29. Support United Nations disarmament effortsBE IT RESOLVED that the GPS will work with other interested groups to press the federal government to present a resolution to the UN General Assembly with the following objectives:a. To empower the UN to permanently employ international teams of weapons inspectors who are mandated to search for and destroy all weapons of mass destruction found in any national territory, and who will report to the UN General Assembly any cases of non-compliance with this resolutionb. To end all cultural, economic and political ties with any nation that continues to produce or maintain within its borders biological, chemical and/or nuclear weapons.

2006.11 Opposition to Uranium/ Nuclear in SaskatchewanBe it resolved that the GPS executive reaffirm our position to strongly oppose the development of the uranium mining and nuclear industry in Saskatchewan.

2007.10 Canada’s role regarding improper use of uraniumBe It Resolved, that the Green Party of Saskatchewan will lobby the federal government to enforce the non-proliferation treaty and discontinue the illegal sale of uranium to any country that uses it for nuclear weapons or depleted uranium weapons.

Platform 2003:
A Green Party of Saskatchewan government will oppose the location of any nuclear fuel waste dump in Saskatchewan and opposes any plans to build a nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan. The mining of uranium will be quickly phased out with a just transition for affected workers. A Green Party of Saskatchewan government will hold uranium mining companies accountable for cleanup of mining sites. Exports of uranium to countries with nuclear weapons and Depleted Uranium weapons will be halted immediately.

We need more Jellos

2009-08-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

It has been five years since I first heard Jello Biafra speak on one of his political spoken word albums. He is a political activist whose message touches and inspires many to get involved and take action, including Canadians. He has spoken at many universities, including the University of Regina, Saskatchewan where I am currently a student at. At 51 years of age, Jello has come a long way since the start of his musical career, and his political career as the lead singer of the 1978-1986 punk band, the Dead Kennedys. He has stayed involved in the music scene by collaborating with many talented artists and bands. Jello is founder and owner of perhaps the longest running underground record label that is still active, Alternative Tentacles. Since 1986, he has released many political spoken word albums that have been a source of inspiration and motivation to many.

Jello Biafra was born in Boulder, Colorado. His real name is Eric Boucher. When he was five, J.F.K. was assassinated and Jello saw Lee Harvey Oswald shot live on T.V. The Vietnam War was amongst other events that convinced him to fight against corrupt governments and corporations during 1969-1972. His stage name came from the Jell-O brand name and the country of Biafra which existed for less than three years before failing its attempt to secede from Nigeria in 1970. His stage name represents the brand of mass produced food products with little nutritional value and how hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people died of starvation when Nigeria blocked supplies from entering Biafra.

In the fall of 1979 at the age of 21, Jello ran for mayor of San Fransisco. He finished fourth out of ten candidates with 3.5% of the vote. His platform included both prank-like points such as forcing businessmen to wear clown suits, and serious points such as having police officers run for re-election with voters being residents in the neighbourhoods they patrol. He wore T-shirts to campaign in from a competing candidate's previous election. His supporters rallied with two memorable signs that said"If he doesn't win I'll kill myself" and "What if he does win?". In the 2002 DVD Dead Kennedys: The Early Years, Jello makes the following statement about his campaign for mayor of San Francisco, "For those of them who have seen my candidacy as a publicity stunt or a joke, they should keep in mind that it is no more of a joke, and no less of a joke, than anyone else they care to name." With Canada on the verge of yet another federal election, Jello carries an important message about the issues that are focused on during an election and the publicity stunts involved in campaigning.

His political career has included many challenges. He was on trial in 1986 for "distributing harmful matter" due to complaints by the Parents Music Resource Center for including a poster by Swiss surreal artist H.R. Giger entitled Landscape #XX (or Penis Landscape) with the Dead Kennedys album Frankenchrist. The case was not about the lyrics of the album. The focus was a poster that they deemed "harmful matter". The case ended in a mistrial. Jello believes the ordeal was politically motivated and that he was used as a warning to other musicians about offensive content.

While at a club in Berkeley, California in 1994, Jello was almost beaten to death by people who believed he was a sell out. The man who initially started the incident shouted, "Sellout rockstar, kick him." He spent much time in a hospital recovering. His plans for a Canadian spoken word tour and album had to be cancelled.

In 1998, Jello was sued by fellow former members of the Dead Kennedys for refusing to allow perhaps their most well known song, "Holiday in Cambodia", to be used in a Levi's Dockers commercial. He strongly disagreed with the sweatshop labour and corrupt ways of doing business of the Levi's corporation. Staying committed to his values cost him $200,000 which his other band-members took without shame.

However, the obstacles along the way seemed to have only strengthened his fight in the political world. In 2000, Jello Biafra was drafted for the Green Party presidential nomination, but was defeated by Ralph Nader. Jello has continued to be a member of the Green Party and encourages people to use their right to vote. He focuses on real issues and spreads the truth. He encourages us not to hate the media, but to become the media.

Jello Biafra is an excellent mentor for anyone interested in political activism. It has not been an easy path for him, nor is it for anyone. I hope there are others out there who will justify his injustices in the fight against corrupt governments and corporations by taking action of their own. This world would be a much better place if we had more Jellos.

Honoured!

2009-08-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

Even for a born optimist, there are admittedly days when it seems tough; when the world seems more like a cruel unfair battle that we may or may not be winning. Spending summer days leading up to my wedding fighting nuclear reactors and a nuclear fuel waste dump from being built in my beautiful home province of Saskatchewan was definitely not fair, and it was not easy either. But still, I had to persist; I'm not willing to give up on what is right even if it means difficult times and personal sacrifices. And then something comes along which makes it all worth it, which reminds me why I'm doing this and why I need to keep going. This is such a gift, and for me, this gift came recently from an independent Saskatchewan newspaper which is only in it's third edition called the Sasquatch http://sasquatchnews.com/. The article was written by Shayna Stock, Publisher. Writing is not in Shayna's job description, but she explained to me that she was writing this story for two reasons-- 1) because she still likes to write, and 2) because she felt there were some people in Saskatchewan that people ought to know about-- and I was one of those people. To say the least, I felt incredibly honoured. But the honour I felt when she told me why she was writing the story does not compare to the honour I feel seeing the finished full page profile entitled "Keen Green On the Scene", which can be viewed at the following link:

http://sasquatchnews.com/keen-green-on-the-scene/

To Shayna, I say thank-you, and keep up the writing-- you are gifted. To the Sasquatch you are living the words of my mentor, Jello Biafra who says "Become the Media". Jenn Ruddy, Editor of the Sasquatch, is not only amazingly good at what she does, she is also an incredibly gifted professor of political science. It is independent media that will save this society. We can not become informed citizens without access to important information from the media -- the most important agent of political socialization (where we get our information/values about politics from). For every story in mainstream media that only reports the half truth to the advantage of their main advertisers, there are new independent media outlets that are reporting the whole truth if you go looking for them. To subscribe to the print edition of the Sasquatch (which is well worth the $22.50/year) visit http://sasquatchnews.com/subscribe/.

Peace and Solidarity,

Larissa Shasko

Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan

Valley View should be kept open as long as possible, says Green Party Leader.

2009-07-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

A story in Saturday's Moose Jaw Times Herald has raised a number of concerns in my community, and I have sent a press release (below) to local media on the issue. The orginal story (that this press release is in response to) can be viewed at this link: http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=268458&sc=3

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 15, 2009

According to the Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan, Larissa Shasko, there is a disconnect between the patients at Valley View and the three advocacy groups, People First Saskatchewan, SACL, and Valley View Family Group, who recently signed an agreement to ask the Saskatchewan Government to close Valley View. During the last provincial election when she was the Green Party of Saskatchewan candidate for Moose Jaw-Wakamow, Shasko met with a group of patients at Valley View who had requested to meet with each candidate because they had heard rumours of their “home”, Valley View, being shut down. “At this meeting, the patients who were able to communicate told me all about Valley View-- what they got to do, where they got to go, how the food was (which they said was excellent, by the way), and that they liked it there. They were happy to be there, but they were really scared that they would be forced to leave their home. Valley View is their home, and we have a duty to respect that and to ask the provincial government to keep Valley View open as long as possible,” says Shasko.

“After touring Valley View and meeting with the people who live there and after talking with many people who've worked there, it is clear that the best opportunity for inclusion of the patients at Valley View in all aspects of our community is being provided to them at Valley View. Furthermore, it is my understanding that the patients of Valley View are free to go out into the community as they wish to,” continues Shasko. “They are certainly not asking to have Valley View shut down, and advocacy groups need to listen to those they are advocating on behalf of.”

Shasko says she made a commitment to the patients she met with at Valley View to work with the provincial government to keep Valley View open as long as possible, and she will be keeping that commitment. In the coming weeks and months, Shasko will be arranging meetings with the Saskatchewan Government on the issue, and she will also be requesting to meet with the three advocacy groups to encourage them to sign a new agreement-- to work with the Saskatchewan Government to keep Valley View open as long as possible and to improve the care the government currently provides to those with intellectual disabilities who are living in our communities now.

According to Shasko, the hearts of those in the advocacy groups are in the right place, but somewhere along the line, there appears to have been a disconnect between the advocacy groups and the people at Valley View they advocate on behalf of. “I encourage People First Saskatchewan, SACL, Valley View Family Group, and Premier Wall to tour Valley View and to meet with the people who live there and work there.”

Green Energy Solutions- It's time to go renewable

2009-04-30T01:21:00.000-07:00

Let's clear the record. Nuclear power will not be good for Saskatchewan's economy. It will cost us billions, and cost overruns are common practice. The Government of Ontario has a debt of $38 billion from nuclear power cost overruns-- a debt the taxpayers of Ontario are now on the hook for. Ontario residents pay an additional charge on their electriticy bills towards these nuclear cost overruns. Do you want to end up on the hook for Bruce Power's mistakes?

Nuclear will not create long term jobs, and nuclear will not help us fight climate change, especially when the electricity generated from the proposed nuclear power plant in Northern Saskatchewan would be used to power the tar sands (the world's dirtiest oil).

What will help our economy? Renewable energy technologies and energy conservation would create far more jobs than power generation from nuclear or coal would. People of Saskachewan, do you honestly feel safe investing billions of dollars into nuclear power when renewables would cost half as much as nuclear and would generate many more jobs (and jobs that would actually last)? Nuclear is an economic risk that I am not willing to take, especially in the midst of an economic recession.

Solutions: The first step is to invest in energy conservation technologies coupled with programs designed to make these technologies affordable for everyone in this province. If we make climate change solutions available only to those that can afford to pay, we won't get anywhere. Next, we go fully renewable. But this will only work if we invest proper money into a renewable grid instead of spending billions on making our grid nuclear ready. Energy conservation and renewable energy technologies are rapidly progressing as billions of dollars from China and the U.S. flow into the 'New Green Economy'. Canada is behind the times. We are definitely not stepping up to our place as world leaders when it comes to fighting climate change. We are holding the global community back with intensity based targets for greenhouse gas emissions. Think about it. This nuclear power plant would be built to provide power to the tar sands and to export power to the U.S. (and possibly Manitoba). The people of Saskatchewan do not need this power, we would just be footing the bill for infrastructure, upgrades to the grid, and who knows what else (because the SK Government won't be transparent with us).

Besides, their is only enough uranium left domestically to provide approx. 45 more years of nuclear power generation at the CURRENT rate of consumption, yet nuclear waste stays toxic for a million years, and no one has ever been able to figure out a safe way to store it.

Let's start the renewable energy discussion Saskatchewan! Let's democratize our energy and agriculture sectors.

Peace,

Larissa

The Green Party of Saskatchewan Elects Larissa Shasko as New Leader

2009-04-30T01:05:00.000-07:00

Above Image: Larissa Shasko (left) talking to Green Party supporter during the 2008 Federal election

Press Release -- April 27, 2009

Green Party of Saskatchewan held its annual general meeting last weekend in Yorkton. On the agenda was the election of a new Party Executive, policy resolutions, constitutional amendments and a presentation by keynote speaker Dr. Jim Harding concerning the raging nuclear debate in Saskatchewan. “Saskatchewan is in for both nuclear and coal; coal is needed for backup anyway,” said Dr. Harding. “We cannot solve the climate change crisis with a radioactive waste crisis. We need to leap into a renewable economy, which does not require resource extraction,” Dr. Harding continued. “The next two months of democratic activism are critical.”

Larissa Shasko, a 27 year-old student of Political Science at the University of Regina who lives in Moose Jaw is the newly elected Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan. Larissa Shasko has been a candidate for the Green Party three times in the past three years, twice federally in the riding of Palliser (2006 & 2008), and once provincially in the riding of Moose Jaw Wakamow (2007). She currently serves on the Green Party of Canada Federal Council and is the Young Greens of Canada Finance and Administrative Chair. “The Green Party of Saskatchewan is the only political party in Saskatchewan who stands united against nuclear,” said Shasko. “Despite flawed and biased UDP consultation processes and a complete lack of transparency from the Sask Party Government, we will fight hard to keep Saskatchewan nuclear free, and we will win,” Shasko continued.

According to Larissa Shasko, spending billions of dollars on costly nuclear power would rob Saskatchewan of the chance to go green with clean and safe energy through increased energy conservation and renewable energy technologies. “We only get one chance to fight climate change. This is our chance to go green and to go renewable,” said Shasko.

The Party passed 13 new policy resolutions and made 2 amendments to their constitution and by-laws. Policy resolutions passed at the AGM included increased energy conservation and renewable energy solutions, consumer goods packaging laws, car sharing as an alternative to ownership, and the establishment of an independent Citizens Science Council that would be charged with providing objectivity, accountability, and transparency in the researching of industry claims. Resolutions to maintain existing rail infrastructure while revitalizing and expanding the rail system for the transportation of both people and freight, as well as the construction of bike paths in cities, towns, highways, and bridges throughout Saskatchewan were also passed. “These new resolutions broaden the Green Party of Saskatchewan’s portfolio of Green Energy Solutions,” said Green Party of Saskatchewan Deputy Leader, Tory McGregor.

Moose Jaw Multiplex Referendum- February 25, 2009

2009-02-24T03:12:00.000-08:00

An Open Letter to the Citizens of Moose Jaw:

The time has come to vote, and yet there are many questions regarding the multiplex that remain unanswered.

For example, why did the Moose Jaw Chamber of Commerce send its members a letter encouraging them to vote YES on the multiplex? Isn’t a Chamber of Commerce supposed to be unbiased towards a referendum question?

Furthermore, why would Moose Jaw’s City Council continue to blindly press forward on building a new multiplex despite the start of a worldwide economic recession? Saskatchewan’s stability in the fragile economy is temporary at best. This is not a time for luxuries; this money could give our citizens so much more.

As of December 31st, 2007, the City of Moose Jaw had zero debt and no interest payments, but as of February 2009, Moose Jaw City Council has voted to borrow $63 million. Borrowing this sum will cost the City of Moose Jaw approximately $2.5 million in annual interest payments (the equivalent of a 16.25% municipal tax increase). Of the $63 million debt, $38.3 million is allocated to the multiplex, and the remainder is allocated to more pressing infrastructure upgrades.

Just think of what $38.3 million could do for the citizens of this city.

The most common argument that I hear for the multiplex is that it is progress, but exactly what is progress considered to be? Is it having paved roads that welcome tourists to our city? Is it upgrades to the hospital? Is it adding bike lanes to our streets and investing in renewable energy technology? Or is progress building a multiplex?

I am greatly concerned by the division in our community that the multiplex has created. It is hard to bring up the subject in the community because you never know if you are going to offend someone. Supporters of both sides of the issue have very strong feelings. This kind of division is not conducive to a healthy community. Has this multiplex been worth the damage it has already caused to our city?

For now, democracy will decide if we can put the multiplex behind us and begin to rebuild our community spirit instead. Moose Javians, don’t forget to vote!

Sincerely,

Larissa Shasko

Former Green Party of Canada Candidate for Palliser

Today's Youth, Tomorrow's Leader's

2009-01-13T22:55:00.000-08:00

After meeting a number of like minded youth over the past year, the following are similarities in the priorities of environmentally progressive youth I have noticed:

*We care about communities. We want to experience the caring relationships and sense of sharing that comes out of these sort of arrangements where we take care of each other. Not only are communities sustainable, they are an essential part of human nature that has been misplaced for generation X by the computer age and widely dispersed families of the modern day. We are coming together to form communities, and we are already benefitting remarkably by doing this.

*We recognize the responsibility of technology. We know that computers are a tool and must not replace people, or control our lives. We are beginning to see cell phones as a mistake for our health, the environment, and our pocket books. We know that natural is better than artificial, and that profit often overrides human rights. We may feel this way about technology as a whole because we are the generation that would have the hardest time going back to a computerless world. Technology has brought so much good to us that we recognize the importance of using and developing it responsibly.

*We are willing to change our materialistic upbringing, often drastically. It is easier to change our ways when we are still young, and since we have many years ahead of us, we feel the urgency perhaps even more than older generations do. For example, many of us have given up driving, even more of us have given up meat or are eating less of it to lower our ecological footprint, etc. We demand organic because it is healthier for our young bodies and our young minds. We are willng to live with less "things" and to replace material goods with good times and friendship.

*We know the power of freedom of speech, and we are not afraid to use it. Never has youth been so passionate about the causes we tackle. The world is finally turning green out of necessity, and today's young environmental activists will potentially see the hard work of activists from the past 30 years come to fruition in our own lifetimes. It is exciting! We are on the verge of a revolution. My generation recognizes this, and we want to fight that much harder. We see that despite all the hard work of incredible activists who came before us, things like the tar sands or palm oil plantations have not been stopped, and truthfully, we get scared by that. We feel that we must be that much braver, that much stronger, and that much louder than out predecessors. Amazing older activists will one day be passing the torch down to the younger generations, and we will be more than ready!

The Fight for Democracy in Canada

2009-01-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

This fall, I experienced just how unfair our electoral system can be. I have been a Green Party candidate three times in the last three years—twice federally and once provincially. It has become apparent that Canada is suffering from democratic bankruptcy.

Without democracy, we are not able to address climate change. The public is remote from those who make decisions in this country, and decision makers are remote from the environmental consequences of their decisions.

We must overcome the barriers of democratic bankruptcy in order to take urgent action on climate change.

With a new year comes a chance for new beginnings. I would like to invite you to help create a new beginning for this country. Let's bring back democracy!

Founding meeting of "Fair Vote Canada" - Saskatchewan Chapter
Sunday January 18th, 11:00 A.M.
Manitou Beach Hotel, (near Watrous, Saskatchewan)

If you are interested in learning more about electoral reform and standing up for democracy, please join us at the founding meeting of the Saskatchewan Chapter of Fair Vote Canada on Sunday, January 18th, 2009. This local Fair Vote chapter will be a great opportunity to foster public education on proportional representation. Carpooling is encouraged.

·According to Fair Vote Canada, the votes of 50.7% of Canadians who voted in the recent federal election elected no one.

·More than 60% of Canadians voted against the Conservatives, yet they were elected as the governing party anyway.

·In Saskatchewan, the Conservatives received 54% of the votes in the recent federal election, yet they won 94% of the seats (all but one).

Let This Be the Last Unfair Election in Canada!

Canada’s “first-past-the-post” voting system is outdated and is failing to produce results reflective of the general public. Democratic politics has evolved significantly in Canada, yet our voting system has stayed the same. Our voting system was designed for a two party system, but many political parties now represent the interests of Canadians, not just two. Canada, the U.S., and Great Britain are the only democracies in the world that do not have an electoral system of proportional representation.

While political parties with broad support across Canada are ignored by our current electoral system, political parties with dense regional support are often over-represented in Parliament. The Green Party received 7% of the votes in the recent federal election, yet they did not receive a single seat in the House of Commons. Meanwhile, the Bloc received 10% of the votes and won 50 seats. Under a system of proportional representation, the Green Party would have received 23 seats instead of zero, and the Bloc would have received 28 seats instead of 50. Our electoral system is clearly unfair. An electoral system of proportional representation would make every vote count.

Our current electoral system turns candidates and political parties into competitors instead of colleagues. Proportional representation would reduce the overly partisan nature of Parliament that tends to make cooperation difficult. An electoral system of proportional representation would encourage collaboration and compromise so that Parliament can stop fighting and can start taking action on the environment.

Supporters of all political parties stand to benefit from proportional representation. In the recent federal election, our electoral system ignored Conservative supporters in urban ridings, Liberal supporters in Alberta, NDP supporters in Saskatchewan, and Greens all across Canada. Plus, restoring democracy in Canada will be beneficial for all Canadians, especially the many young Canadians suffering from a severe case of voter apathy.

Anyone can join Fair Vote Canada at www.fairvote.ca

In solidarity,

Larissa Shasko

For Sale On eBay: Toxic Alberta Tar Sands Water Bottle

2009-01-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hello! What I have copied below is a press release from the Sierra Youth Coalition about a very unusual item up for auction on eBay. They did a brilliant job of writing this press release, so I have chosen to directly copy it below instead of paraphrasing. For more information about the Sierra Youth Coalition, contact Youri Cormier – National Director, Sierra Youth Coalition or visit www.syc-cjs.org.

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Press Release - for immediate release. For Sale On eBay: Toxic Alberta Tar Sands Water Bottle

CAUTION! ATTENTION! ACHTUNG! CUIDADO! This product is not recommended for human, animal or plant consumption.

January 12, 2009: The Sierra Youth Coalition, Canada's largest youth environmental organization, is selling a bottle of water from the Athabasca River on eBay. Proceeds from the sale will go towards a nation-wide campaign in high schools and universities to raise awareness on the ecological and social impacts of tar sands development in Alberta. The eBay webpage can be found by typing "Tar Sands" or "Tar Sands Water" into the search bar at: www.ebay.ca.

The bottle was filled by cyclists during SYC's To The Tar Sands bike trip in 2008. The cyclists pedaled from Fort McMurray to Calgary carrying such bottles for the ride, in order to engage with people along the way, as they noticed its brown and mucky bitumen sediments. The water, which is being directly contaminated by the growing mining and extraction of bitumen from in the northern regions of Alberta, has exceptionally high levels of mercury, arsenic, and volatile organic matter. The increasingly potent cocktail has be linked to a sudden surge in rare and virulent cancers in local downstream communities.

Sierra Youth Coalition National Director, Youri Cormier, describes the eBay initiative, "The sale of bottled water is something that SYC normally advocates against, because we find it wasteful, and we regard water not as a commodity, but a human right. But what if you are living in Alberta and the oil industry has destroyed your ecosystem to that point that not buying bottled water can kill you? We decided to turn this equation around for a try. We want Canadians to know what's happening to their beautiful wild lands and rivers. We want to give someone else in Canada the opportunity to touch this water, and imagine the everyday reality of living in an impacted community. It's a touch of history, a time capsule for this decade. It's something we'll all regret in 50 years, regardless, but really, we should be regretting it and fighting it right now."

Tim Murphy, SYC member, tar sands cyclist, and editor the book Journey To The Tar Sands adds, "Once you've seen the tar sands mines, you ask yourself: what on Earth are we doing to our planet? It's the biggest industrial project in the world already, and it could grow to be the size of Florida. It produces nearly as much greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in Canada combined, and frankly when you reached that that point, it's time to start setting limits, saying 'no more!' and at the very least, enforcing environmental protection laws... and even that's not being done."

Recent Headlines from the Globe and Mail

2008-10-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

‘Dead Zones’ killing marine life, scientists warn: Need to halt oxygen depletion caused by fertilizer runoff and sewage outflows. The 400 marine dead zones doubles every 10 years. Fish that swim into the zones die. August 15, 2008.

Greenland ice sheet melting faster than predicted, report says: A new study warns that the Greenland ice sheet could raise sea levels three times higher than predicted. September 1, 2008

Large Arctic ice shelf breaks away, now adrift in Arctic Ocean: The 50-square-kilometre Markham Ice Shelf broke away in early August. September 3, 2008.

Oil refineries underestimate release of emissions, study says: Test facility spewed 19 times more cancer-causing benzene than it reported. September 6, 2008.

Alberta oil spill kills hundreds of birds: On top of the 500 ducks killed in April 2008 on a tar sands tailings pond, a recent conventional oil spill has killed another estimated ducks and swallows. September 10, 2008.

Oil spills far exceed forecast, study says: Oil spills off Newfoundland have already exceeded estimates even though the projects will operate up to 15 more years. September 16, 2008.

Alberta’s reluctance may doom advisory group: Government refuses to follow CEMA’s recommendations on sustainable land use. CEMA is composed of oil companies, government agencies, natives and ecological groups. It studies the environmental effects of industrial development in the tar sands. September 18, 2008.

Black clouds on the horizon for birds of the world: From field sparrows to boreal chickadees, 20 of the most common species in North America are being decimated, report warn. September 23, 2008.

Humanity at risk: Are the males going first? The percentage of males being born is dropping, virility and fertility are down, testicular cancer is up. Scientists say males are more vulnerable than females to pollutants while in the womb. September 20, 2008.

World’s Shark and ray species at risk: Of 21 species surveyed, three-quarters are in danger due to overfishing. May 23, 2008.
World biodiversity drops by one-third: In the past 35 years worldwide biodiversity has dropped almost one-third due mainly to habitat loss. May 16, 2008.

We need a government whose first priority is taking immediate action on climate change! We must ensure that future generations do not pay the price for Canada's poor environmental record. We have to learn to cooperate and work together if we are going to make the necessary changes. Give us a future by protecting our environment now!

Our children deserve no less- the costs of nuclear outweigh the benefits.

2008-09-09T02:04:00.000-07:00

We must never forget about the consequences of our actions today on future generations, especially not when nuclear power is involved.

I just answered the following comment on a recent blog post of mine:

"Larissa, I agree with most of the positions that have been articulated by the Green Party. But I am particularly troubled by your dislike of nuclear energy. Nuclear, is, by no means, an optimal energy source, but in terms of radioactive pollution and radioactive waste, it is light years ahead of coal. If a nuclear reactor was proposed for the Moose Jaw area (at Lake Diefenbaker) to replace highly pollutting coal-fired power plants at Estevan or Coronach, would you be for or against such a development?"

There is unfortunately a lot of controversy with the nuclear issue, so I have posted my answer below for others:

At the current rate of usage without building any new nuclear power plants, we would be out of domestic uranium in 40 years! With the soaring price of uranium (approx. $10/pound in the 1990's to appprox. $170/lb these days) and with industry making false claims that nuclear is green, many new plants are proposed around the world and five new plants in Canada as well.

Each gigawatt of nuclear energy requires 170 tonnes of uranium. When the uranium is processed into fuel, 250,000 tonnes of carbon are emitted for every 1000 megawatts produced. Nuclear energy produces huge amounts of greenhouse gases. There is no safe way to store the radioactive waste produced. Nuclear waste stays toxic for one million years! It is highly carcinogenic, and so are the routine emissions of nuclear power plants.

Consider the following information quoted below:

"The KiKK study commissioned by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in Germany and made public on December 10th 2007 examined cancer rates in young children between 1980 and 2003. It showed a 60% increase in solid cancers and a 117% increase in leukemia among children up to five years of age living within 5 km of 16 German nuclear reactors. It also found a 20-40% increase for all cancers in children living within a 50 km radius of the plants. These nuclear power plants were operating under normal conditions, with radiation releases well within levels allowed for civilian populations."

I just lost my seventeen year-old cousin to cancer. When are we going to start taking responsibilty for our actions and start addressing any known causes of this cancer epidemic?! I have to represent our party's position on nuclear strongly, for Jen.

The quoted info above continues:

"The new evidence from Germany of an association between increased cancers and proximity to nuclear facilities raises difficult questions. Should pregnant women and young children be advised to move away from them? Should local residents eat vegetables from their gardens? And, crucially, shouldn't those governments around the world who are planning to build more reactors think again?"

I do not support and can not support a nuclear power plant being built in Saskatchewan, especially nearby. I hope you won't--can't, either.

As for coal, leave it in the ground! The health consequences from coal are completely awful too, and the effects to the environment from coal are HORRIBLE! That is why we must shift away from non-renewable resources (like uranium) and make the transition to a healthy, just and sustainable energy future.

All of Canada's uranium is mined in Saskatchewan, and 85% of it is exported to the U.S. In a recent book on the war in Afghanistan by Jack Warnock, he writes the following:

"Depleted uranium (DU) is produced during the uranium enrichment process. The U-235 used to produce fuel for reactors that generate electricity is removed, leaving the U-238 isotope. The remaining material is extremely dense and increases the penetration capability of weapons; it is used in the warheads of missiles and bombs. On impact the shell, with its uranium and traces of americium and plutonium, vaporizes, generating very tiny particles of radioactive dust. When this is inhaled it stays in the body, emitting radiation. The DU used in US weapons comes from the uranium mines in Saskatchewan.

Thousands of DU bombs and missiles have been used by US forces in the Afghan and Iraq wars. A typical bunker bomb contains 1.7 tons of depleted uranium."

I shudder to think of what we have done to the health of too many inncocent civilians in Afganistan, most of which are women and children. We all deserve a chance at a healthy life. This is not the legacy that I want Saskatchewan to have. We can't control the uranium mined here once we ship it south of the border. Nuclear is an international security threat and is destroying ecosystems too.

Plus, Saskatchewan's uranium is mined using dirty coal in Texas. How does this make nuclear better than coal? NEITHER should be an option, especially when we have more wind and solar power generating capacity than anywhere else in the world, right here in Saskatchewan!

I am a young women. I have to think of future generations. If I don't, who will? Certainly not Harper!

Can nuclear power meet our energy needs and be the solution to climate change? Not when one considers the cost, pollution and threat to global security associated with nuclear power.The Green Party believes that choices should be economically rational. The best energy choices to respond to the climate crisis should be those that deliver the greatest reduction of GHG per dollar invested. By this criterion, nuclear energy is among the very worst options. Reactors cost billions of dollars, take more than a decade to build, operate unreliably after about the first dozen years of operation, and only produce one type of energy: electricity. Even if the industry were “green and clean” as claimed by the pro-nuclear propaganda efforts, it fails on the economics. Nevertheless, it is neither clean nor green.

I'm sorry that we can not support nuclear to appease your opinion, but I can not lie to yourself or others about this issue. I am too honest by nature, and our children deserve no less.

Peace and Solidarity,

Larissa Shasko

Free transit in Moose Jaw Sept. 15-20: a good first step, but not enough!

2008-09-09T01:07:00.000-07:00

From Septmber 15-20, the city of Moose Jaw will be offering residents free bus service. Acting city transit supervisor, Darlene Noble, said the free bus week not only gives riders a chance to try out Moose Jaw’s new seven-piece transit fleet, but promote environmentalism as well. I say it's a good first step, but it's not enough.

It's a shame that our city's brand new garbage bins (that hold five bags) weren't accompanied by local blue bin service, which would create local green-collar jobs in Moose Jaw and help to make our city cleaner for the people that have to live here for many years to come. Becoming a zero waste city with local recycling facilities would mean even more new jobs in Moose Jaw.

Here's some more good news for the City of Moose Jaw: the Green Party would allocate one cent (1%) from the GST on a per capita basis to municipal governments for “Green Cities” initiatives, ensuring (through contractual agreements) that the funding is not used in ways that encourage urban sprawl, but instead to reduce sprawl and greenhouse gas emissions, conserve electricity and water, increase densification, expand convenient, safe, reliable and affordable public transit, and build cycling and walking paths.

But if you're looking for multiplex funding from this Green M.P., sorry! I do not consider it a fiscally responsible project. I was not consulted, were you? Is democracy lost in this country?

The Civic Centre would, however, be getting a federally funded facelift and "greening" including energy retrofitting which will actually provide the Moose Jaw Warriors with more money by reducing utility bills. This would be accomplished with the Green Party's Sports, Cultural and Recreational Facilities (SCRF) Fund to support the development of green recreational and cultural facilities and refurbish existing facilities. If a facility already exists, it should be refurbished. Why throw away a whole building with a great history and force the burden onto Moose Jaw taxpayers when we have not been asked first. This is not fiscally responsible. This is certainly not green. Plus, what's the harm in asking Moose Jaw taxpayers first?! The Green Party is a grassroots party and that means we stand for DEMOCRACY!

Public transit is a very important part of urban sustainability, but Moose Jaw's bus routes and hours of service need to be improved in order for public transit to be adequate here. Since public transit is being featured as environmentally friendly by the City of Moose Jaw, this means that it needs to be adequate enough for those that work outside of regular business hours to be able to bus to work or stores in the evening hours. Right now, the bus only runs on Thursday evenings and not at all on Sundays. If you can't take the bus on a Sunday, how are you supposed to spend the day with family or friends if you don't own a car and live too far away? Biking isn't an option for our city's seniors or for anyone here in the middle of winter! Our public transit system needs work, but this is a good FIRST step! I hope many people take advantage of this opportunity. Thanks to the city for offering free bus rides next week.

As your Green Party M.P., I would double existing funding to stimulate a massive re-investment in public transportation infrastructure in all Canadian towns and cities to make it convenient, safe, comfortable and affordable. With the money already spent on the new transit fleet, an equal amount of funding provided by a Green Party Government could be invested in more bus drivers for extended hours and days of service, meaning, once again, more new local jobs in Moose Jaw.

You have the power to make that happen Palliser! I'm pleased to be your Green Party Candidate.

Peace and Solidarity,
Larissa Shasko

Youth Have the Power!

2008-09-04T01:09:00.000-07:00

Young environmental activists are popping up everywhere! We have a different view on life, and unless you are one of us, you may not realize how frustrated we feel, or that it is not a hindrance for our lives at all, but rather, it gives us power!

Many people my age are not afraid to express either our insecurities or our frustration about the way things are today, infact we probably want and need to. I think it's healthy for us to express these frustrations, especially since we have inherited an unhealthy planet to raise our own children in someday.

It is important to recognize that the younger generations are being told from a variety of sources that we will be the ones who will someday feel the full effects of climate change and environmental poisoning, and the outlook is even worse for my generation's children. As a women, these thoughts obviously way heavily on my mind and heart. It is my view that many older environmental activists will find that their message will hit the younger age demographic hardest, more specifically younger women, and we will become not only afraid of the "what if's" laid out by environmentalists before us, but we will be angry that we have to either live with or try to fix a problem that we did not create, at least not by our own doing. As a young person, I feel that this anger is healthy, as we have been dealt a rough card.

But please don't worry about me or the rest of us Young Greens for a second! Our frustration, our fear, our anger--- that's what gives us power as youth to create the change that is needed. It may surprise older generations to hear that many young people today are willing to sacrifice the traditional role of youth as carefree, driven by fun, and apathetic. But my generation, Generation X, is different! We are coming of age, and we recognize that we do have the power to change this world for the better! If the older generations are prepared to hear our frustrations, our worries, and most importantly, our anger towards those out there with bad intentions who have made our futures that much more complicated, we will succeed even faster!

Generation X fights hard, but we laugh even harder! No one knows how important it is to take time off, to have fun, and to come together for good times and great memories than generation X does! When we tackle the things in this world that we as a generation have deemed unjust, we gain a feeling of empowerment and great joy that has, unfortunately, been lost by so many other people our age. We are more interested in stopping the tar sands or learning about the risks of nuclear than in what Lindsay Lohan is doing or how many children Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have now, and we wouldn't have it any other way! We are proud of who we are and what we are doing, and this empowers us with joy!

After meeting a number of like minded youth over this past summer, the following are similarities in the priorities of environmentally progressive youth I have noticed:

*We care about communities. We want to experience the caring relationships and sense of sharing that comes out of these sort of arrangements where we take care of each other. Not only are communities sustainable, they are an essential part of human nature that has been misplaced for generation X by the computer age and widely dispersed families of the modern day. We are coming together to form communities, and we are already benefitting remarkably by doing this.

*We recognize the responsibility of technology. We know that computers are a tool and must not replace people, or control our lives. We are beginning to see cell phones as a mistake for our health, the environment, and our pocket books. We know that natural is better than artificial, and that profit often overrides human rights. We may feel this way about technology as a whole because we are the generation that would have the hardest time going back to a computerless world. Technology has brought so much good to us that we recognize the importance of using and developing it responsibly.

*We are willing to change our materialistic upbringing, often drastically. It is easier to change our ways when we are still young, and since we have many years ahead of us, we feel the urgency perhaps even more than older generations do. For example, many of us have given up driving, even more of us have given up meat or are eating less of it to lower our ecological footprint, etc. We demand organic because it is healthier for our young bodies and our young minds. We are willng to live with less "things" and to replace material goods with good times and friendship.

*We know the power of freedom of speech, and we are not afraid to use it. Never has youth been so passionate about the causes we tackle. The world is finally turning green out of necessity, and today's young environmental activists will potentially see the hard work of activists from the past 30 years come to fruition in our own lifetimes. It is exciting! We are on the verge of a revolution. My generation recognizes this, and we want to fight that much harder. We see that despite all the hard work of incredible activists who came before us, things like the tar sands or palm oil plantations have not ben stopped, and truthfully, we get scared by that. We feel that we must be that much braver, that much stronger, and that much louder than out predecessors. Amazing older activists will one day be passing the torch down to the younger generations, and we will be more than ready!

What I've learned from other youth this summer has not only fueled my ambitions, but has also brought the importance of friendship and community back into my life. I hope this message has shown you how honored I am to fight for a Green and just future.

It may come as a surprise that a 26 year-old like myself has chosen to devote my time to being a Green Party Candidate, Young Greens Councillor, and an activist, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! The brilliance and the joy of activism is that you don't have to feel powerless, no matter what you have to face. The people I continue to meet everyday in this journey make my heart smile, and the memories that I'm making will last a life-time!

In Solidarity,

Larissa Shasko

Canada needs the Green Party more now than ever!

2008-08-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

The world is so rushed these days. Everyone has ten thousand things to do, and we are all running as fast as we can just to stay afloat. Inflation, rising gas prices, and Globalization only make matters worse. Are days of family, community, and happiness over?

According to the television, the only way to be happy in the year 2008 is to buy as many "wonderful new" products as possible and to be beautiful, even if it means plastic surgery, botox injections, breast implants, crazy and unhealthy diets, aspartame, hair extensions, tanning beds, and new teeth via lumineers.

As I see it, vanity is just another way for corporations to profit. They are counting on us to buy into it, to feel inadequate without looking like a star in a magazine (even though that star doesn't even look like their air-brushed picture in the magazine). And if you don't have the latest version of windows, then forget about having a life, hey?!

When did the world get so crazy, and why?

I am learning a lot about the economy this summer, and how to make it sustainable. I am taking a class in Ecological Economics at the U of R. We are in trouble with the current system of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which requires the economy to grow forever just to stay at the same level of quality of life for you and I. I would argue that our quality of life is actually decreasing as the economy grows. We are running out of what's called "waste sinks". In otherwords, the earth is running out of room for the waste that is created by growing the economy endlessy.

The Genuine Progress Indicator is a new and different kind of accounting method that provides a more complete overview of well being then the GDP does. The GPI measures areas such as housework, health, culture, fitness, family time, volunteering, literacy, water, air quality, farmland, forests, and employment. Perhaps under that system, we could lower our ecological footprint.

An ecological footprint represents the land and water it takes to provide us with the things we use and to absorb our waste. To calculate your own ecological footprint, click on this link:
http://www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/gallery/life_sciences/footprint_mx_2005.swf

The sad part is that even if we all change our individual lifestyles and, as Mike Nickerson would say, learn to live on this earth as if we want to stay, that would barely make an impact. For this problem to be solved, industry has to change. They produce huge amounts of waste compared to you and I. I'm not saying that it's not important to live as green of a life as possible (because it is), I'm saying that it's not enough. We need industry to change, and we need Green Party Governments elected around the world to legislate the necessary changes.

The shift to a green economy is actually a great thing all around. We NEED to use less energy and make less waste. To do this will require much more human energy, which translates into more jobs, including a whole new wave of green jobs for our generation and our kids. Poverty in third world countries will also be relieved through sustainable jobs and by stopping corporations from going into these countries to destroy entire ecosystems forcing the people that live there off their land by polluting the air and water beyond being liveable. We're allowing corporations to do that in Canada too, in Fort Chip, an Indigenious community located downstream from the Alberta Tarsands. They are experiencing huge increases of auto-immune illnesses, and they have lost too many of their people to extremely rare cancers.

Because of NAFTA, Canada must continue to develop the Tarsands in Alberta and Saskatchewan in order to maintain U.S. oil supplies (presently used for the U.S. war effort). Otherwise, Canada will be taken to a NAFTA tribunal, sued, and will be forced to develop the Tarsands anyway. The Tarsands will single-handedly cripple Canada's ability to meet Kyoto Targets, and therefore cripple the world's ability to meet Kyoto targets. As Nuclear power gets further utilized by corporations as a way out of carbon taxes by convincing people that nuclear is green and safe when it's NOT, AT ALL, Canada will have to continue exporting uranium mined in Saskatchewan, despite the increased cancer rates from Uranium tailings.

NAFTA must be killed, and only the Green Party of Canada will do that.

In 1997, Canada banned the import of a maganese compound gasoline additive called MMT. It was banned out of concern that the carcinogenic manganese contained in the octane enhancer could cause memory impairment, tremors, and in extreme cases, psychosis similar to that caused by Parkinson's Disease.

Through NAFTA, U.S. based Ethyl Corporation sued Canada for more than a quarter billion dollars (the amount they claimed they lost in profits and reputation by Canada's MMT ban). Rather than face a messy scrap, the Canadian government paid a reported $20-million settlement to Ethyl Corp., wrote a letter of apology and agreed to withdraw the ban on MMT. As a result, it is still counted as one of the many chemicals added to the gasoline we pump today.

It is cases like MMT and horrible acts against humanity like NAFTA that keep me fighting for what is right. It is issues like the Tarsands, uranium/nuclear, and palm oil that stop me from giving up. If I don't speak out, who will? I am an activist, and I can't sit by while my world, my future, crumbles. That is why I am the Green Party of Canada Candidate for Palliser. Canada needs the Green Party more now than ever.

Peace and Solidarity,

Larissa

STOP THE TARSANDS! Part 1

2008-07-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

From July 4-7, 2008, Canadian youth from coast to coast to coast gathered in Edmonton for a three day long climate summit. We came to form a united front of youth whose vision is to stop further development on the Alberta (and Saskatchewan) Tarsands with a transition to a just and sustainable energy future through Green jobs and renewable energy. We recognize that this will not be easy...

However, it is so worth it! Canada can't meet our Kyoto targets because of the Alberta Tarsands, and the world can't meet Kyoto targets without Canada. The Alberta Tarsands and the soon to begin development of the Saskatchewan Tarsands is an issue that affects everyone on this planet.

I found out about the National Youth Climate Summit only shortly before the event, yet I instantly knew that I needed to go. Three friends of mine also attended from Regina, and it was so much fun to carpool with them.

The summit started off with in-depth education about the Tarsands. We learned not only about the shocking statistics, but also about the people whose lives have been hurt so badly by them. Apparently, the Alberta boom is a lot like the Saskatchewan boom; only corporations, the very elite, and the extremely wealthy scum are benefitting from it. Two thirds of the people who find jobs created by the Tarsands are laid off after the construction phase. Families that have relocated to Alberta, and more specifically Fort McMurray, are faced with insanely high housing costs along with no income after these lay-offs. Fort McMurray has grown from a city of 40,000 to 65,000 practically over night! Forecasts from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo's Strategic Planning and Policy Division indicate that the city will reach a population of 100,000 by 2012. The rates of suicide, drug/alcohol addiction, and spousal abuse have gone way up in Fort McMurray. The city can not keep up with the housing and healthcare demands of such rapid growth. So, why are so many people moving to a place that is out of control? It's simple really. The answer is money.

As I understand it, average people from overseas and across Canada (especially from somewhat nearby cities like Moose Jaw) come to Fort McMurray to receive fantastic wages for working twelve hour-long shifts in extremely dangerous jobs. Sometimes their families come with them; sometimes they get left behind. The rows of little white crosses that line the surrounding overcrowded highways are a blatant symbol that far too rapid expansion simply for the sake of maximum profit is far more important to the oil and gas corporations than human life is.

Regina Ecoliving has an amazing article entitled "Canada's Highway to Hell" about the devasting effects of the Alberta Tarsands.

I strongly encourage you to read the full article here.

This article offers such vital information, especially for those of us in Saskatchewan who are about to be subjected to the same woes once the next sale (August 11) of Crown petroleum and natural gas dispositions, including oil sands exploratory permits begins.

A few Quotes from "Canada's Highway to Hell"-- by Regina Ecoliving:

"Most locals call it Hell's Highway or the Highway of Death. On any given day thousands of logging trucks, SUVs, semitrailers, buses, and tanker trucks form a frantic parade to and from North America's largest engineering project. Convoys of extrawide loads often block an entire lane of the highway with turbines, tires, or house-size coker ovens used in oil processing. In fact, Highway 63 ferries one of the highest tonnages per mile of any road in Canada.

This congestion encourages a certain do-or-die recklessness. Impatient drivers not only pass on solid lines on hills but do so at speeds of 140 miles an hour. As a consequence, road accidents tend to be fatal or bloodily spectacular: Every month as many as four tar-sands workers get decapitated, skewered, or incinerated."

"With nearly 175 billion barrels in proven reserves, the tar sands represent the biggest pile of hydrocarbons outside Saudi Arabia. Many experts suspect they hold eight times that much."

"Most Americans don't know it, but approximately 16 percent of their oil imports already come from northern Alberta. Plans drafted last year by the North American Energy Working Group, which is made up of high-ranking Canadian and U.S. officials, recommend boosting production from one million barrels a day to five million barrels in a "relatively short time span." So the tar sands could soon be topping up a quarter of the U.S. gas tank."

"The (Alberta Tarsands) project will eventually transform a boreal forest the size of Florida into an industrial sacrifice zone complete with lakes full of toxic waste and man-made volcanoes spewing out clouds of greenhouse gases. Are Canadians willing to create an environmental disaster in Alberta in order to provide the U.S. market with some of the most expensive oil in the world? The answer seems to be an emphatic yes."

Please visit the Regian Ecoliving website by clicking here to read the rest of this very informative article.

It doesn't have to be this way. It musn't be this way. It is hard to write about without tears in my eyes. What have we done?

And where is all this oil going?

In all honesty, it's going to kill civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's going to the U.S. war effort. With tankers that easily use one gallon of gas per mile, not to mention the huge amount of fuel needed for air power attacks. Alberta Tarsands production will soon be lifted from 1 million to 5 million barrels a day! Yikes! Producing 1 million barrels a day already uses as much natural gas as it would take to provide heat to 4 million homes! With 5 million barrels a day, that is equivalent to heating 20 million homes.

Forget about Kyoto, forget about a future for my generation's children and grandchildren.

But on with the "war on terror"!?

Announcement of Candidacy for Green Party Federal Council and Green Update from Larissa Shasko

2008-06-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the position of Councillor at Large on the Federal Council of the Green Party of Canada (GPC). The Federal Council Elections are held in conjunction with the GPC National Convention (AGM) held in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia on September 5-7, 2008. Voting packages have just been sent out. Voting can be done in person at the AGM or by e-mail ballot.

One of the main reasons that I am running for Federal Council is too increase the level of awareness, Green Party membership base, and environmental activism that exists in my home province. I was born and raised in Saskatchewan, and I made the choice to stay in this province to help make it a better place for everyone to live, now and in the future. In the recent GPC by-election, the Green Party of Canada received 13% of the popular vote in Vancouver and Toronto ridings. In Saskatchewan riding of the federal by-election, the Green Party of Canada received only 3% of the popular vote.

Saskatchewan residents are falling victim to acid rain from the Alberta Tarsands, we are at threat of a nuclear power plant being built here to provide power to the Alberta Tarsands and to the U.S., and we produce most of Canada's grain. We've also lost passenger train service within the vast majority of Saskatchewan and we produce more greenhouse gas emissions per-capita than any other province mainly because we rely on coal for power (even though we have endless sun and wind here). You'd think we would have many reasons for caring about the environment in Saskatchewan, but a lot of people haven't woken up to the facts yet. I will do all I can to raise awareness here, especially as Councillor at Large on GPC Federal Council.

The Green Party is doing incredible things and has an amazing vision. If you are not a member of the Green Party of Canada, please consider becoming one today. You have to be a member of the GPC in good standing to vote for Federal Council. I need your vote to get elected! There are no demands placed on you for becoming a member, it is not permanent, and you don't have to get involved in any way unless you want to. But you can help me to get involved on your behalf.

Click on the following link to join the Green Party of Canada: https://secure.greenparty.ca/membership.php?origin=Main_Join_Button

Green Party members residing anywhere in Canada can vote for the position of Councillor at Large.

I am the only candidate for Councillor at Large from the prairies.

Voting for Saskatchewan Representative is only open to GPC members that are Saskatchewan residents, so make your voice heard Saskatchewanians!

Click on the following link to join the Green Party of Saskatchewan: http://saskgreen.ca/join/

----------------------------------------------------

I'd also like to update you on where I have been devoting my efforts in the Green fight lately:

I am the Green Party of Canada Candidate for MP in the next federal election for my home riding of Palliser (as of March 2008). Palliser covers the southwest corner of Regina and all of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. I was also the candidate for Palliser in the 2006 federal election. I am thrilled to have a great Palliser team to support the campaign, including an Electoral District Association started up in 2006 by my Official Agent, Phil Boychuk. Phil is a great asset. We need all the help we can get, so don't hesitate to get in touch with myself or Phil Boychuk to offer your help as a volunteer or in the form of a tax deductible donation to the Palliser campaign.

To make a donation online to the Palliser campaign, click on the following link: http://ridings.greenparty.ca/index.php?module=article&view=232

Last fall, I ran as a candidate for the Green Party of Saskatchewan (GPS) in the provincial election for my home riding of Moose Jaw-Wakamow. I felt it necessary to run for the GPS to represent such issues as nuclear power that were being ignored by the other political parties and the press. I remain a committed Green party of Saskatchewan member. I have been offering my help to the new GPS executive for policy and other areas, and I will be coordinating the province's youth supporters, including Green Party Campus Clubs, during the summer and fall semesters.

I have been serving as Finance and Administrative Chair on the Young Greens of Canada (YGC) Council since February of 2008. The YGC is the entirely youth run wing of the Green Party of Canada consisting of all Green Party members from ages 14-29. I recently had the privilege of writing the very first YGC Budget Proposal which will potentially bring new resources to Green Campus Clubs and help to grow Green Party youth membership. The average age of a Canadian voter is 59! Youth can make a Green Party Government happen just by voting and bringing a friend or two! I am honoured to be on the YGC Council, and I plan to stay involved with the YGC until I am 30, and unfortunately, too old! My involvement on the Young Greens Council has inspired me to offer my services as Councillor at Large on the Federal Council of the Green Party of Canada. The people I have met (and continue to everyday) through the YGC share the same vision. We will win this fight. The planet and the future generations are relying on us. Government has an important role to play in protecting the environment from further damage and in creating policies that will help us to live on this planet as if we want stay.

I have been back at the University of Regina since Fall of 2007, and loving every minute! I am majoring in Political Science and minoring in Visual Arts. I am taking some great classes on environmental issues as well. I plan to study law at the University of Saskatchewan after I finish my degree. I am interested in Environmental Law and Charter Law (Charter of Rights and Freedoms).

Thanks so much for your time and your help in the Green fight to do what is right!

Peace,

Larissa Shasko

rissi1982@yahoo.ca or larissa.shasko@gmail.com

"Vision Green Eyes"- The Beauty and Integrity of Arts and Culture

2008-06-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Above: (Top)Wasabi, pencil (Bottom)Blind Contour Drawing, pencil

Below: 5 Minute Sketch, Charcoal

Above drawings were done by Larissa Shasko in winter 2008.

The Arts have never been as important to Canadian Society as in these times of increasing ugliness. Our beautiful natural landscape is being consumed by sprawling cities, growing suburbs, and resource extraction. Strip malls, parking lots, litter, and unwanted graffiti do not ennoble us as a people. On the other hand, beautiful and intelligent Canadian art has the ability to enrich our lives while bringing peace in times of pain. We live in times of pain that will only get worse: cancer, school shootings, job loss, climate change, futile war, auto-immune illnesses, world-wide food shortages, shall I go on?

Art has an important place in this crazy world, and Canada is home to amazing talent that must be embraced and celebrated. I am a Visual Arts Minor at the U of R partly because art offers a stress release from the demands of being a Political Science Major. My father, Orest Shasko, is a Canadian artist. His work is beautiful, but it is not well-known. He has had to spend his life working as a teacher and a carpenter instead. Like so many other talented Canadian artists, his art has often had to take a back seat to making money. This is a shame of epic proportions.

In addition to incredible visual art, many talented actors, and a booming film industry, Canada is home to amazing musicians such as Neil Young, Rush, The Tragically Hip, Arcade Fire, and Stompin' Tom---just to name a few. Their music elevates Canada around the world. They are more than musicians, they are Canadian embassadors, and they do us proud! This is the power of art: to heal, to represent, to unite, to educate, and to beautify.

Unfortunately, art appears to mean very little to the Conservative mindset. In his first budget, Harper's Government axed $4.6 million in funds for museum assistance. This was one of the many cuts in the September 25, 2006 budget delivered by the Conservatives which had a surplus of $13 billion! For more on the cutbacks in the 2006 budget, click here.

Now, Bill C-10 seeks to give the federal Heritage Department the power to deny funding for films and TV shows it considers offensive. Censorship does not belong in the world of art, especially not in Canada where such gems as SCTV have gained us world-wide recognition. Clearly, the Conservatives have the wrong approach when it comes to arts and culture.

The Green Party has a different vision. Government can create the right conditions to protect and support those who beautify and enrich the Canadian identity through their art. Today, over 600,000 Canadians are employed in the cultural sector.

Our Vision:

The Green Party understands that our future, our sense of who we are as a nation, depends on policies that ensure a thriving, diverse and socially responsible cultural community as part of an inclusive Canada.

We will continue and increase support for those cultural institutions that are within the Heritage Canada portfolio: Canada Council, the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), the National Film Board (NFB), and Telefilm Canada.

We will reverse the funding cuts of the Harper government for the exchange of artists and the performance of Canadian arts abroad as they are a vital aspect of effective diplomacy and artistic expression.

We plan to establish the equivalent of the Japanese National Treasure programme where outstanding individual artists are supported to perfect their craft.

Green Solutions:

Green Party MPs will:

Increase support for community arts programs and facilities across Canada by establishing stable base-funding at a set percentage of the federal budget.

Establish a grant programme that provides full costs of university, tuition, books, housing and living expenses for 200 students whose artistic promise is extraordinary

Protect Canada’s cultural identity during trade negotiations.

Increase support for regional arts festivals that bring Canadian art to a wider audience.

Provide stable base-funding for the CBC so it can continue to provide quality Canadian content
television and radio programming in both official languages to all Canadians.

Ensure that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to reserve more bandwidth for independent and non-profit stations.

Require cinemas and video chains to have 20 % Canadian content.

Adequately fund Canada’s heritage and artistic museums to protect our cultural heritage from decay and neglect.

A note from Green Eyes:

Art has been around for far longer than Conservatives have. Artists record the world, reveal hidden or universal truths, give visible or tangible form to ideas, philosophies or feelings, and help us see the world in new or innovative ways. Artists are experiencers, reporters, analysts, and activists. Art is truly an important part of life.

In my first art class, my amazing art prof, Seema Goel, taught us about landscapes. We are all familiar with landscape paintings: painted scenes of the great outdoors, generally absent of people. I learned that in landscapes, what is painted is what is considered to be temporary. We are familiar with European landscapes featuring rolling green hills, jagged mountains, lush waterfalls, or bone-chilling winter scenes. Inuit landscapes feature none of these things. For the Inuit, their scenery is constant. For them, temporary is the brilliant sky, the animals, and the people. With the polar ice caps melting, I sadly wonder if Inuit landscapes will start to include the snow.

Peace,

Larissa

Read Vision Green! Click Here

Rush Rocks Regina!

2008-05-26T00:42:00.000-07:00

Rush is one of the greatest bands ever, and I just had the chance to see them live in my hometown! Rush played Regina, Saskatchewan on Sunday, May 25th. This was the second time I have seen Rush in concert, both times on the Snakes and Arrows tour. I made the trek to Calgary to see them last summer. I did not believe they'd come to Regina on this tour! Their show in Regina was even better than Calgary was! It was also louder (and so was the crowd). Everyone had a great time, and the setlist was unbelievable! Subdivisions, 2112, Red Barchetta, and 3 hours beyond just those gems! Thanks Rush!

Rush is a Canadian (and proud of it) band. All three members: Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart, are world class musicians. They are also one of my absolute favorite bands.

I find it hilarious and odd that I get constantly questioned for being female and liking Rush. I have not faced too much opposition for being a female political candidate or pre-law student, but apparently if a girl likes Rush, all hell brakes loose!

Well, that's just too bad, because I think that Rush is one of Canada's greatest strengths. Great bands inspire society to become more involved with the arts. The Green Party has an amazing platform for enriching Canadian culture and improving the lives of the many very deserving and talented Canadian artists across the entire arts spectrum. I will write more about that soon in a new section called "Vision Green Eyes." It wil be my take on the Green Party of Canada Platform called "Vision Green."

It is too late to write more! Goodnight Regina Rush fans!

Murdering Our Closest Relative

2007-11-23T14:07:00.000-08:00

An article in yesterday's edition of the Guardian Unlimited reminded me of an earlier shocking Guardian article about the same subject. I first read about the horrible situation the Palm Oil industry has created in a Guardian article from March 25, 2007entitled "Five Years to Save the Orang Utan." The palm oil industry is rapidly on the rise as an alternative to trans fats, and it is found in one of every ten grocery products. The demand for palm oil as a biofuel, especially in the European Union, is also a key player in the Orang Utan crisis. Compared to 1995, Britain now imports twice as much palm oil amounting to one million tonnes per year. Indonesia and Malaysia produce 83% of the world's plam oil. Unfortunately, these two countries are also home to the natural rainforest habitat of man's closest relative. Orang Utans share 96.4% of our human DNA.

According to the March 25 article, "A United Nations report has found that illegal logging and fires have been overtaken as the primary cause of deforestation by a huge expansion of oil palm plantations, which are racing to meet soaring demand from Western food manufacturers and the European Union's zeal for biofuels." The Borneo Orang Utan Survival Foundation UK warns that by 2012, orangutans in the wild could be close to extinction.

More from "Five Years to Save the Orang Utan" follows:

"But the new UN report warns: 'Today, the rapid increase in [oil palm] plantation acreage is one of the greatest threats to orang utans and the forests on which they depend. In Malaysia and Indonesia, it is now the primary cause of permanent rainforest loss. The huge demand for this versatile product makes it very difficult to curb the spread of plantations.'

Displaced from their rainforest habitat, the orang utans struggle to survive in the oil palm plantations and are regarded as an agricultural pest. Mindful of the potential loss in profits, farmers have carried out a vicious extermination programme.

Michelle Desilets, director of the Borneo Orang Utan Survival Foundation UK, said: 'They are left hungry so they go in search of food in the plantations and destroy the plants. They become easy targets. Some plantation owners put a bounty of $10 or $20 on the head of orangutans, which is worth a few weeks' salary for the workers.

'Workers don't usually have guns: the orang utans that get shot are the lucky ones. We've seen them beaten to death with wood sticks or iron bars, doused in petrol and set on fire, trussed up in nets or tied up with wire which cuts through their flesh. Often a mother is killed and eaten while its baby is sold on or kept as a pet. In the local plantations where we're working, the managers have now agreed not to offer the bonus. But there's still a macho thing about bringing down an adult male.' "

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We can not allow our closest relative to become extinct, especially not by an industry deemed "environmentally friendly." I felt only some relief by the article in yesterday's Guardian entitled Palm Oil Industry Signs Up To Green Labelling Scheme. Yesterday, "a certification process designed to allow palm oil producers that meet environmental standards to label their products as eco-friendly was launched." The Round table meeting that decided the criteria was attended by producers (Proctor Gamble, Unilever) and environmental groups (WWF, Friends of the Environment).

After reading the following from the article, I worry about the enforcement of this certification process:

"Launching the certification process, Malaysian commodities minister, Peter Chin, accused environmental groups of harming palm oil's image, particularly in the UK – where it is estimated that one in 10 of all products sold contains palm oil. 'Using these [emotive] arguments, they often manage to pressure the rest of the supply chain towards giving support through the adoption of negative policies, as being the case with some major retailers in the UK,' said Mr Chin."

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Facing the environmental crisis we have created is not an easy path. Mistakes are being made along the way; palm oil and nuclear energy are examples of those mistakes.

A Sad Loss for Moose Jaw-North

2007-11-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

Above: Glenn Hagel (Sketch by Larissa Shasko)

The final results are in. NDP Glenn Hagel has been defeated by Sask Party Warren Michelson in the riding of Moose Jaw-North. I live in the riding of Moose Jaw-Wakamow, and I ran in the provincial election for the Green Party of Saskatchewan in my home riding. Moose Jaw is a small city with a population of 35,000. It is divided into two provincial ridings. Moose Jaw North consists of the entire section of the city located north of Caribou Street, which runs east to west. Moose Jaw has only one noticeably wealthy part of town. It is an area named Sunningdale, and it is located as far north in the city as possible. Of course there is a Wal-Mart and a Tim Horton's near to Sunningdale, and the SUV's are accompanied by at least a few Hummers. Typical...

I am a strong supporter of maximum wages. I don't like seeing those with excess money flaunt it over others as the government seeks to meet their every wish. That is largely why Warren Michelson defeated Glenn Hagel; the Sask Party promised the well-off citizens of Sunningdale even more money. Forget about that $1000 tuition break and a universal drug plan that even included unemployed adults (oh, the horrors!).

Instead, we elected a change. For Moose Jaw-North, that change somehow feels very wrong. Glenn Hagel has been MLA for that riding since 1986. He is the most personable MLA that I have ever met. I was very shocked by his defeat. He is quite respected in his community. I aspire to someday be as friendly and committed to my constituents as Mr. Hagel was. I didn't get a good impression of Warren Michelson. I felt him to be rather reserved. What a mistake for the city of Moose Jaw. What a mistake for Saskatchewan.

Corporations and large scale donations from Alberta financed the Saskatchewan Party campaign (which is actually pretty ironic, but is also deceitful and unfair to Saskatchewan residents.) The Sask Party, and our province's government, is now at the mercy of those whose donations got them elected. Hasn't anyone wondered why the proposed nuclear plant on Lake Diefenbaker or at Elbow is designed to split the power evenly between both Saskatchewan and Alberta!? Yet, you can't split the risks involved with a nearby nuclear plant that our province's citizens would have to endure. Why would I put our beautiful province at risk for gas guzzling Alberta? THANKS SASK PARTY! THANKS FOR TRYING TO SCREW UP MY GENERATIONS FUTURE JUST TO WIN POWER! Thanks...

The Green Party of Saskatchewan was the only political party in the election to oppose nuclear. We were almost completely censored by the gatekeepers of the media though. Don't believe the myths. Nuclear is not green! Please seek out truthful information; don't rely on the media or the government to tell you what is green or safe.

The Green Party did well. We went from .55% of the vote in 2003 to 2% of the popular vote in 2007. In Moose Jaw-Wakamow, I received 2.27% of the votes. In 2003, the riding received 67 votes. This was my first time running in Wakamow, and the Greens received 167 votes, exactly 100 more than the last provincial election. I felt the same frustration after running for the federal riding of Palliser. I received about 3.5% of the votes. This was around 1200 votes, up from approximately 800 votes in the previous federal election. Growth in a new party takes time. I was excited to hear about the results of the latest Strategic Counsel survey (for the Globe and Mail/CTV News). Page 14 shows that the Green Party, with 13%, has overtaken both the NDP (12%) and the Bloc Quebecois (11%) ! This is the first time this has ever happened and it is quite surprising. For the Green Party of Canada, 13% is quite a growth from receiving approximately 5% of the vote in the 2006 federal election. However, I do not view public opinion polls as overly reliable. Regardless, the poll is encouraging.

The campaign was decent. It is always a unique experience. I am quite burnt-out from the high stress and constant demand of being a candidate without a large campaign team or enough donations. Although I am very tired, I am glad I took the opportunity to stand up for an alternative to rhetoric. I did have fun. I enjoy the debates, and I truly believe in Green Party policies. I do believe we are the party of the future. However, I really wish that future could start today.

Political Song of the Week:

Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire

This song is definitely one of the greatest political protest songs. The lyrics are so full of meaning, and despite being from 1965, this song is extremely relevant to today's society.

The following lyrics are from the beginning of the song:

"The Eastern world, it tis explodin'. Violence flarin', bullets loadin'. You're old enough to kill, but not for votin'. You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin'."

Peace,

Larissa

Rhetoric

2007-11-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

Rhetoric can be defined as: Artificial eloquence; language that is showy and elaborate but largely empty of clear ideas or sincere emotion.

OR also as: Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous: His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric.

So what exactly is political rhetoric? I found this link to An English Primer. It is a glossary translating political rhetoric into plain English by Thomas Sowell. It appeared in National Review, Dec 31, 1985 v37 p17(1). Some examples from the glossary follow:

Crisis: Any situation you want to change.
Bilingual: Unable to speak English.
Non-judgmental: Blaming society.
Compassion: The use of tax money to buy votes.
Insensitivity: Objection to the use of tax money to buy votes.
Simplistic: An argument you disagree with but can't answer.
Rehabilitation: Magic words said before releasing criminals.
Demonstration: A riot by people you agree with
Mob violence: A riot by people you disagree with.
Etc...
Obviously, there is humour in Sowell's glossary.

It has been impossible to get around the rhetoric of anwers and issues in this election. The SaskParty wins first prize for the most rhetoric.

Here is what Brad Wall had to say in a recent story about Wall's promises to young people in the Moose Jaw Times Herald:
“The NDP tends to educate and export,” he said.
“We need a plan to train and retain. We are the only party whose platform includes long-term funding for post-secondary education. It includes all post-secondary institutions, including the Palliser campus of SIAST.”

The article continued:
“There are two tight races here in Moose Jaw,” he said.
“We’ve got two great candidates here and we want to support their efforts. They are excellent representatives for our party and would make excellent MLAs.”

What does this have to do with my life, and what does it mean? RHETORIC! (language that is showy and elaborate but largely empty of clear ideas or sincere emotion)

From my week

Cheers,

Larissa

Nuclear Is Never Good

2007-10-28T20:21:00.001-07:00

I just attended the non-nuclear potluck and Jim Harding's book launch for his book, "Canada's Deadly Secret: Saskatchewan Uranium and the Global Nuclear System." I have been insanely busy. This upcoming week is even worse. Just as I'm getting tired, Jim Harding gave me the extra drive I need to be even more passionate, more focused, and more driven in my Green Party campaign for Moose Jaw-Wakamow. I wish I could be writing about something that will put a smile on your face, but this is all too serious and all too real.

It is uranium, and we are the world's supplier. That's right! Friendly Saskatchewan, land of living skies, founder of Medicare, or supplier of ammunition being used to kill civilians in the Middle East and founder of undisposable radioactive waste that remains toxic for 800 genearations. 800 generations! Is Saskatchewan responsible for the future end of the world? This radioactive waste causes cancer, undoubtedly. We have no way to dispose of it. Saskatchewan people have a moral obligation to leave uranium in the ground. The only good that will come out of extracting it is money. Money is not worth it.

Please, get this book. Jim Harding said that the average person knows 2% about uranium and its nuclear use. He said that even he only knew 50% of what there was to know about it before writing this book, and he is an expert on the issue! There is no more important area that we as the generation of the future needs to educate ourselves on. I did get a copy. I can't wait to read it. However, I am afraid of what I will find out. I sense corruption beyond what I can imagine.

If you would like to learn more, visit the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility website. If you would like to get involved with the formation of a solid non-nuclear group in Regina, the first meeting will be this Sunday from 2-4 p.m. at the Cathedral Community Centre. I will be there.

I have more to add, but I am falling asleep. I will add to this post tomorrow.

Peace,

Larissa

Monday, Oct. 29th, 2007

A few days ago, I did a google search on building a nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan. I am sure Jim Harding's book will provide much more in depth info, but I did find a relevant and interesting leader-post article from October 26th, 2005. According to this article, former NDP deputy Premier, Dwain Lingenfelter, now currently a vice-president at Nexen Industries in Calgary (an Oil and Gas company) embarked on a campaign exactly two years ago to convince Saskatchewan residents that a nuclear reactor was an excellent economic venture for our province. He wants Saskatchewan to build a nuclear reactor across the border from the tar sands in Fort McMurray, Alberta. He says nuclear energy can be transmitted through super transmission lines to Alberta from Saskatchewan. His reason for the campaign? Alberta's oil and gas industry uses 30% of the oil reaped to create energy for the pumping of the heavy tar. They want Saskatchewan residents to foot the bill by building a multi billion dollar nuclear reactor. Nuclear Reactors are extremely dangerous to those living around them.

The Green Party also opposes uranium mining, which makes sense because if we continue to supply countries that have nuclear weapons and Depleted Uranium weapons with uranium mined in Saskatchewan, we are contributing to our own potential demise if that uranium gets into the wrong hands in another country. I can't believe we allow this to happen.

Anyway, back to Lingenfelter. According to the Leader-Post article from the day his campaign to build a nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan embarked, he has the support of Brad Wall (Sask Party Leader) and David Karwacki (Liberal Party Leader). His former NDP colleagues are uncomfortable with nuclear energy past building a refinery in Saskatchewan, but that too is wrong.

The Green Party Policy 2007 states the following on uranium:

GPS is opposed to nuclear power for the following reasons:

-Nuclear power is fiscally unsound. The last nuclear power plant in Canada came in seven times over budget, costing $14 billion dollars. This does not include the high cost involved in decommissioning old power plants.

-Nuclear Waste cannot be stored, treated, or disposed of safely.

-A large amount of radioactive tailings accumulate as a result of uranium mining. These tailings can leak into groundwater and affect the surrounding area, leading to increased cancer rates.

-Depleted uranium ends up in weapons such as missiles, and anti-tank bullets.

-Nuclear power is NOT emissions free. Large quantities of green house gases are produced in the mining and refining of uranium as well as during the long construction period of the power plant.

*We will phase out uranium mining in Saskatchewan, compensating those affected during transition.

---------------

The above is why I had to run in this election for the Greens. I am doing all I can on my campaign. I did the first hour in a new online election concept, Electronic Grill for the Moose Jaw Times Herald website. I was actually the very first candidate to have participated in this new concept. People could post a question to a candidate and the candidate responds through a moderator (Jim Small, City Editor). Only two people asked questions, but the moderator provided me with plenty of great questions instead. It was intense, but fun.

This evening I did a debate held by the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour. In today's paper, the SaskParty said they'd be there. Tonight, they were a no-show. They left a letter in between two doors at the SFL office (which is not staffed or open full-time). And this was one or two days ago (I will confirm that detail). As a result, they got their ass kicked. It was offensive, undemocratic, and unwise. The PC candidate was there. It was a civil and good debate. It was wrong of the SaskParty to do a purposeful no-show. Are they getting overconfident from public opinion polls? Mayble the Sask Party should take Political Science 230-Canadian Politics!

Political Song of the Week:

Instant Karma by John Lennon

For lyrics, click here.

Peace,

Larissa Shasko

Green Party Candidate Moose Jaw-Wakamow

Green is the Colour

2007-10-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Above is a photo taken by my mother on a recent trip to Vietnam. She said the pollution was so horrible that you could not see anything more than a block and a half away. This is why we need the Greens. Is this how Canada could end up?

The Green Party of Saskatchewan has had a busy start to their campaign. We have nearly a full slate of candidates, and a there is a last minute flurry to achieve the goal of a full slate. I am running for Moose Jaw-Wakamow, where I live, but I am working as part of the team of Regina area candidates. Already, we have had four meetings, a press conference, and a fundraiser. I have been a slave to my computer otherwise: answering e-mails, doing interest group surveys, coordinating with the local media, etc. I will start my door knocking on Tuesday, and I am organizing a schedule for meet the candidate opportunities tomorrow. Green Party candidates do so much more work than the others. That is because we lack resources but have excess passion for our aims. We are not doing this for power, we are doing this for our future, for everybody's future!

For some odd reason a lot of people were wearing green shirts today. ( I'm just kidding; go Riders!) This link to a Leader-Post story on the Green Party of Saskatchewan press conference on Friday morning relates the growing interest in and support for the Green Party to the growing support and interest in the Riders. More people are realizing that it is now or never. In relation to Stephen Harper's Throne Speech date of 2050 for a 50% reduction in emissions, I have only one thing to say, "WAKE UP MR. HARPER!"

This is the Riders time to shine. It is also time to start supporting environmentally friendly methods of transportation and renewable energy sources. I am amazed that the other parties are fighting about what the other has done recently while ignoring what the Greens are saying about the risks of nuclear energy and why we should stop uranium mining in Saskatchewan. My next blog will be related to the subject of nuclear energy. I am frustrated how little is being said about the nuclear issue in the media. The Green Party is talking about it a lot, and it is not being passed on to all of you. Noam Chomsky, I feel for you. This is bulls**t. We have to stop the powers enshrined to the gatekeepers of society through mass media consolidation, and now!

I want to know what you think about building a nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan, a nuclear refinery, and uranium mining. I want to know how much you know about nuclear energy and its problems. I need to educate people on this subject, but I need to find out what common knowledge exists. Thanks to all who answer this question!

Political Song of Last Week:

The Monkey Who Became President by Tom T. Hall.

This song was written in the 1970's. In the last line, the lyrics say, "Would you rather have a monkey up in Washington, D.C. Or have those people making monkeys out of you and me?"

Take a look at the song's lyrics to see the full message!

Political Song of This Week:

Right Wing Pigeon by The Dead Milkmen.

This song's lyrics answer my question of how anyone can be right wing. The chorus goes:

"They're just right wing pigeons from outer space
Sent here to destroy the human race
They don't give a damn about you or me
They just buy guns and watch TV
Let's go!"

Check out the rest of the lyrics of this humorous political punk song!

Cheers!

Going Green!

2007-10-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

The Green Party- Not the Same Old Hippo Shit!

Above drawing by Larissa Shasko

Hi everyone! I have decided that the best way to have a voice in the upcoming provincial election is to renew my commitment to the Green Party, and to run as a Green Party of Saskatchewan candidate for the riding of Moose Jaw-Wakamow. Otherwise, I'll have no one to vote for!

My ultimate goal of revolution through solution can be best achieved within the Green Party as part of a team.

Stay tuned for a different kind of political campaign!

Cheers,

Larissa

Political Song of the Week

2007-10-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

The average age of a Canadian voter is 59. The low voter turnout of our youth is a threat to Canadian democracy. Considering less than 3 percent of the members of Canadian political parties are under the age of 25, other methods of sparking political interest among youth are needed. Music has been used as a political tool by many musicians and bands. It is an effective method of rebelling against the dominant norm of society. Music is also more appealing to most youth than joining a political party is.

Many political messages about real change have been recorded in songs over the years. Sometimes, their original meaning is even more relevant today. Every week I will recommend a song with an important political message. If you have songs to suggest, please share them!

My first recommended Political Song of the Week is "War" by Bob Marley.

On the Oct. 3, 1992 episode of Saturday Night Live, Sinead O'Connor sings a unique version of Bob Marley's "War" ending with her ripping up a picture of the Pope.

Click here for the link to the youtube video of that performance.

Saskatchewan Needs Change, Not "A" Change

2007-10-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

When the Premier has lunch at the U of R to chat with students, an election call must be near. I hope there were many who took the opportunity to speak with him. I did not attend the lunch, but I did make a point of stopping in at the tail's end of the event to see what was going on. I was slightly surprised to see Premier Calvert talking with a few students in a very casual manner. He showed a great sense of humour and sincerely engaged in conversation with the students. His experience as Premier does show. He managed to stay on message, to be personable, and to be open to critique.

I plan on doing some public speaking during the upcoming provincial election. I am hoping to encourage people, especially youth, to use their right to vote. I was able to ask the Premier for an important message that I could speak about that he would like to share with the public. He was more than willing to answer, and he encouraged my public speaking as an effective method of increasing young voter turnout. In addition to increasing the youth vote, I am also hoping to encourage voters to be informed voters. I would like to lessen the media's control of the election agenda by raising real issues. I want to create change.

One important point Premier Calvert raised in discussion is that he recognizes change is very necessary for society. However, he said that change just for the sake of change is not always good. "A" change doesn't necessarily mean a change for the better. I commend the Premier for recognizing the need for change. The type of real change needed in this province is not one that will be fixed by a Sask Party government. Will the Saskatchewan Party address poverty? Their leader's background does not convince me that poverty will be high on the agenda.

After earning his degree at the University of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall moved to Ottawa and worked for a backbench M.P. in Brian Mulroney's PC government. Upon returning to Saskatchewan, Wall worked as a ministerial assistant during the final years of the Grant Devine Tory government. He ran and lost as the conservative candidate for Swift Current MLA in the 1991 provincial election. When the Saskatchewan Party formed in 1997, Wall was Director of Business Development for the city of Swift Current. He ran for the Sask Party in the 1999 provincial election, and he won the Swift Current riding. As MLA, he served as the Sask Party's Justice Critic and was later appointed as Critic of the Crown Corporations. Brad Wall was re-elected in 2003, and he became leader of the Saskatchewan Party in 2004.

I do not feel confident in electing a Premier who once worked for both Brian Mulroney and Grant Devine. I don't think ending poverty is a priority of a former Director of Business Development. I do not think the Sask Party will do a better job than the NDP has. I am not agreeing with what the NDP government has done and would do if elected again, but they are closer than the Sask Party is to being able to achieve government change that benefits society as a whole.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan has the best action plan for reducing poverty. Their platform statement on poverty actually calls for REAL action, much more than the NDP's minimum wage increase will do. It is unfortunate that our "first past the post" electoral system does not allow the Greens to win a voice in the legislature. Our current system allows many Canadian elections to be won by parties who received less than 50% of the votes cast. It only matters that they have the most votes over the other parties. There may be more votes cast against them than for them. Those who didn't vote for the winner do not matter at all; they are not represented in the government. Proportional Representation could change this. The Sask Green Party has an excellent position on the Saskatchewan Elections Act. They favour proportional representation and other changes to the act to make elections more democratic and fair.

But until a system of proportional representation can be achieved (if ever), the reality is one of two outcomes in the provincial election: NDP or Sask Party. The recent announcement of the NDP's planned increase in the minimum wage will enable a full time minimum wage worker to meet the poverty line. This is a step, albeit a small step.

Immigration Marriage Fraud

2007-10-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Canada's Department of Immigration is not doing its job. Immigration marriage fraud is not just a movie plot, is happens in reality to many Canadians.

When a Canadian citizen marries a foreign resident, they must sponsor their new spouse (and children) for three to ten years and pay their plane ticket(s) over here. Unfortunately, some are abandoned by their new spouse and family once a permanent resident card is received, which unlike the U.S. with a mandatory three year waiting period including visits to ensure legitimacy, is issued almost immediately upon arrival with no visits or investigations. The Canadian sponsors are oblivious to the scam being pulled over on them because they truly believe they are in love. To make matters worse, once the immigrant has their permanent residency card and leaves their sponsor, this sponsor is still responsible for supporting them for three to ten years. If the immigrant and their children access the welfare system, the heart-broken sponsor has to pay Canada back for all welfare received. Immigration fraud is illegal in this country, but unfortunately it is not enforced. Why is that? I encourage you to learn more about immigration marriage fraud in Canada here.

Is inadequate staffing within the immigration department to blame? Changes must be made to ensure that immigration laws are enforced, especially when Canadian citizens are so obviously victimized. In many ways, our system allows immigration marriage fraud to happen. I find it hard to believe that Canada's immigration department is on the right track.

U of R Free Knowledge Day

2007-09-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

It took little guessing which room Free Knowledge Day was being held in. A paper 'carpet' with the words Free Knowledge brightly painted on it stretched out into the halls at the U of R Ridell Centre. The room was not as full as I expected it would be, but it was lunch time. The speaker for the What is R.P.I.R.G.? workshop was still setting up. I took the opportunity to look at the various booths around the room.

A lady from the Tetra Society of North America explained how they built custom designed assistive devices for people with disabilities. These products are not available commercially. Volunteer engineers and technicians make the devices to suit the specific needs of those with disabilities. Their representative at Free Knowledge Day, Terri Sleeva, is having a page turner built for her because she does not have use of her hands. What an innovative and useful organization! Terri is trying to get a Regina Chapter established, but she needs volunteers. If you are interested, please contact her, or if you happen to know anyone with a disability that could benefit from their services, please pass on Terri's contact info:

Terri Sleeva

Regina Chapter Coordinator

306-545-7378

k.t.sleeva@sasktel.net

I continued around the room and picked up a pile of handouts on nuclear energy, The Council of Canadians, and Fair Trade. It will take me a while to read through my trip to this 'political candy shop'. The Fair Trade booklet was made by a Grade 8 classroom, and it is surprisingly loaded with great info on our local Fair Trade scene. The handouts definitely made Free Knowledge Day worthwhile for me.

But wait! The speaker hadn't even started yet! I saw a familiar political science face in the crowd and took a seat. The sound system had more echos than perhaps it should have, and the speaker could have pulled the audience into his presentation a bit more, but the essential info I came for was certainly delivered.

P.I.R.G.'s started in 1970 with Ralph Nader advocating students to take a more involved role in public affairs. The initials stand for Public Interest Research Group, and the first R in What is R.P.I.R.G.? stands for Regina. The Regina group is the first in Saskatchewan and are new as of last spring. They are looking for volunteers who are interested in making a difference in their community. They have funding available for research projects. This would be a great group for students interested in positive social change in the environment, labour, human rights, equality, and democracy.

The R.P.I.R.G. also needs students interested in being on their Board of Directors. Elections will be held mid-October. Since last spring, they have lost four of their eight board members. They have also changed their name form S.P.I.R.G. to R.P.I.R.G. with Saskatchewan changing to Regina. They are now seeking a new logo. There is a contest, and if you are good at graphic design, you might be the lucky winner of a gigantic compost box! This is certainly a unique prize!

If you are interested in learning more about the R.P.I.R.G., there is a meeting at the U of R at 4:30 p.m. this Monday. As a political activist, I would love to get involved. I hope many others do.

Free Knowledge Day is a worthwhile event at the U of R. I wish more students would take a half hour out of their busy days to take part. I was glad I had the chance.

Good Deed by Conservatives for Rural Communities

2007-09-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

The Conservative federal government is on the right path with an effort to increase rural sustainability in Saskatchewan. They announced $27.3 million in funding for the Regional Rural Water Supply Systems (RRWS) project. The funding was supplied through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF). Palliser M.P., Dave Batters, made this statement in a recent discovermoosejaw.com news report, “Funding for these regional infrastructure projects proves our Conservative government’s commitment to the sustainability of Canada’s rural communities. We want to ensure a healthy and vibrant rural sector for generations to come.” The article can be seen here.

I would not say this proves their commitment, but it is a good first step. What rural Saskatchewan needs badly is a high speed passenger train system that would link our towns and cities province wide. My home city of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan would benefit greatly considering our unemployment rate has gone up by a whole percentage point due to Worldwide Pork Packers and Raider Industries shutting down. Saskatchewan workers would not be the only ones to benefit. Many more post-secondary students would be able to live at home and commute to school. Maybe more of our young people would chose to make Saskatchewan their home. Keeping our youth in the towns and cities they grew up in, instead of handing them to Alberta on a silver platter is important to the rural sector for generations to come.

The Florida Bullet Train Project demonstrates the benefits on their website. High speed trains are not only better for the environment, but they can travel from 200 to 320 kilometres per hour. In a province as geographically spread out as Saskatchewan, this couldn't make more sense. This is a project I would like to see built across all of Canada. Yes, it would be an expensive one, but I stand for maximum wages. And the excess money our wealthy people make (and I mean wealthy which is far worse than rich), would be able to be put directly into projects like this one, benefiting everyone.

We Need More Jellos

2007-09-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

It has only been three years since I first heard Jello Biafra speak on one of his political spoken word albums. He is a political activist whose message touches and inspires many to get involved and take action, including Canadians. He has spoken at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan a few years ago, where I am currently a student. At 49 years of age, Jello has come a long way since the start of his musical career, and his political career as the lead singer of the 1978-1986 punk band, the Dead Kennedys. He has stayed involved in the music scene by collaborating with many talented artists and bands. Jello is founder and owner of perhaps the longest running underground record label that is still active, Alternative Tentacles. Since 1986, he has released many political spoken word albums. His latest album In The Grip Of Official Treason, released in 2006, goes in depth about Iraq, the New Orleans flood, voter fraud and so much more. Jello Biafra reminds me as a Canadian that in the current day corrupt U.S.A., there are still many Americans who are unwilling to tolerate what is becoming of their home and unwilling to give up the fight for ultimate justice. His message on corporations is also quite relevant in Canada where many of our retail outlets are mass conglomerates and are often owned by Americans.

Jello Biafra was born in Boulder, Colorado. His real name is Eric Boucher. When he was five, J.F.K. was assassinated and Jello saw Lee Harvey Oswald shot live on T.V. The Vietnam War was amongst other events that convinced him to fight against corrupt governments and corporations during 1969-1972. His stage name came from the Jell-O brand name and the country of Biafra which existed for less than three years before failing its attempt to secede from Nigeria in 1970. His stage name represents the brand of mass produced food products with little nutritional value and how hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people died of starvation when Nigeria blocked supplies from entering Biafra.

In the fall of 1979 at the age of 21, Jello ran for mayor of San Fransisco. He finished fourth out of ten candidates with 3.5% of the vote. His platform included both prank-like points such as forcing businessmen to wear clown suits, and serious points such as having police officers run for re-election with voters being residents in the neighbourhoods they patrol. He wore T-shirts to campaign in from a competing candidate's previous election. His supporters rallied with two memorable signs that said"If he doesn't win I'll kill myself" and "What if he does win?". In the 2002 DVD Dead Kennedys: The Early Years, Jello makes the following statement about his campaign for mayor of San Francisco, "For those of them who have seen my candidacy as a publicity stunt or a joke, they should keep in mind that it is no more of a joke, and no less of a joke, than anyone else they care to name." With Saskatchewan on the verge of an election call, Jello carries an important message about the issues that are focused on during an election and the publicity stunts involved in campaigning.

His political career has included many challenges. He was on trial in 1986 for "distributing harmful matter" due to complaints by the Parents Music Resource Center for including a poster by Swiss surreal artist H.R. Giger entitled Landscape #XX (or Penis Landscape) with the Dead Kennedys album Frankenchrist. The case was not about the lyrics of the album. The focus was a poster that they deemed "harmful matter". The case ended in a mistrial. Jello believes the ordeal was politically motivated and that he was used as a warning to other musicians about offensive content.

While at a club in Berkeley, California in 1994, Jello was almost beaten to death by people who believed he was a sell out. The man who initially started the incident shouted, "Sellout rockstar, kick him." He spent much time in a hospital recovering. His plans for a Canadian spoken word tour and album had to be cancelled.

In 1998, Jello was sued by fellow former members of the Dead Kennedys for refusing to allow perhaps their most well known song, "Holiday in Cambodia", to be used in a Levi's Dockers commercial. He strongly disagreed with the sweatshop labour and corrupt ways of doing business of the Levi's corporation. Staying committed to his values cost him $200,000 which his other band-members took without shame.

However, the obstacles along the way seemed to have only strengthened his fight in the political world. In 2000, Jello Biafra was drafted for the Green Party presidential nomination. He lost to Ralph Nader, who will be speaking at the University of Regina on September 19, 2007 in the Education Auditorium at 7:00 pm (tickets are $15 and available at the Conexus Arts Centre). Jello has continued to be a member of the Green Party and encourages people to use their right to vote. He focuses on real issues and spreads the truth. He encourages us not to hate the media, but to become the media.

Jello Biafra is an excellent mentor for anyone interested in political activism. It has not been an easy path for him, nor is it for anyone. I hope there are others out there who will justify his injustices in the fight against corrupt governments and corporations by taking action of their own. This world would be a much better place if we had more Jellos.

Sask Labour Allowing Slave Labour?

2007-09-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

I was born and raised in this beautiful prairie province, and I made the decision some time ago to build my future here. Perhaps that is why I am drawn into the political culture of Saskatchewan and Canada as strongly as I am. When I see obvious shortcomings in government policies, I want to see them changed. This is particularly relevant in regards to the policies and standards of Saskatchewan Labour.

I believe that a Labour Board should be there to protect the rights of workers not covered by unions. In some cases Sask Labour does this, and in others they simply don't, choosing to represent the employer's needs and wants. Our province's apparent economic boom can only worsen the problem.

According to the Saskatchewan NDP, Sask job numbers are at a record high. This next paragraph is from their website's Issues section. The full story can be seen here.

More people are now working in Saskatchewan than ever before. Our unemployment rate is consistently among the lowest in the country. Youth employment numbers are way up and more and more young people are choosing to pursue their careers and build their futures right here at home.

In contrast to the NDP website which represents that our workers have never been in a better situation, the Green Party of Saskatchewan represents this issue differently in their platform. They seek improvements to the Labour Standards Act. More in depth information on their policy can be found here.

The Sask Party's Guiding Principles include Economic growth and job creation through the private sector, not government, as the engine of the economy. I feel their party policy demands stronger protection for Saskatchewan employees since private businesses, not government, will be in the driving seat.

Many of us are lucky enough to never have a complaint against the labour practices of our employer. The subject for this post was brought to light in my eyes when a friend of mine who works in the retail sector made the brave step to stand up for his rights. His employer refused to give him two consecutive days off in a week, changed his schedule almost daily without the required one week notice of a change to schedule, refused to pay him overtime after eight hours, did not allow lunch or rest breaks, and threatened employees that if they should quit they will not get another job because he 'knows' everyone in the industry. He does not provide safety equipment, and does not follow food safety regulations for there is mold covering the walls and some of the ingredients used! I was sure that once the Labour Board was called in to investigate that action would ensue. I was shocked to hear that his employer was issued a permit allowing him not to pay overtime unless the employer has worked more than 44 hours in a week (nevermind the 5 am to 6 pm shift). He also seemed to find ways around every labour standard within our current system that he wasn't following. And as a final insult, my friend's hours were cut back because he refused to sign the Averaging of Hours Permit. Sask Labour states that no employee can be punished for filing a complaint. Obviously this is not true, at this point why would he even try to file another complaint? What good would it do?

Businesses with less than ten employees are not required to follow many of the labour standards. Employees in certain careers up North are not protected by labour standards. And there are permits, licences and variances available from Sask Labour for businesses that are not exempt. It appears that our government's labour policies are ultimately aimed at protecting the employer over the employee. Perhaps the Sask Party's guiding principle on economic growth and job creation will fit in perfectly with the NDP Government's current legislation.

On this issue I strongly agree with the Saskatchewan Green Party that our worker's rights must be protected and must come first. Until changes to the Labour Standards Act are made, do you think Saskatchewan is a great place to live, work, and raise a family, for all?