text:
User talk:Hostin

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here are some pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 11:19, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
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title: User talk:Hostin


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Comments:UN inspectors banned from North Korean nuclear facility

sigh.....Korea not letting UN weapons inspectors into it's nuclear plants? Anyone Remember Iraq?

 * Yeah we all remember the reason we went in. But if we do invade we can hand the keys too the South Koreans and hope to God, China dos not want extra land. --66.229.17.181 13:14, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Excellent!! North Korea, Iran, and such victims of USA are not alone anymore. Evidently, the U.N is absolutely useless crap, all it has done is; provided cover to real wrong USA actions. Nuclearophobic USA has no place in the world now. USA has the worst nuclear track record, but USA's fears are its own problem, other nations "do" think of the peaceful use of atomic power, and they shall make such use at all cost for the betterment of their countries. So the answer for USA is: STFU! Hail Pyongyang!!!

 * This user is the anti American idiot who most Likely live in a free country (which the US most likely free) But easily forget North Korea dos not give it's people food while they man a million man army. Or Iran who foreign policy is to wipe Israel off the face of the world and while they hang homosexuals and banned anything but Islam. But like a typical person on the internet, stfu and gtfo.--KDP3 (talk) 18:29, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * KDP3, you have just made yourself look like a complete & total dumbass. The article says that the reason why North Korea did this way because the USA didn't complete it's side of the agreement. So, basically, they called our bluff and, as a result, we lost. Therefore, you are the Bush-brainwashed dumbshit who probably NEVER questions ANYTHING that King George does. It is people like you, Bush, Bush supporters, & his administration that is the reason why the rest of the world hates the US. So, just like you said, KDP3, STFU & GTFO. And, please, don't respond to this unless you can act intelligent & mature (basically meaning, taking your head out of Bush's ass) in your arguing. 24.15.89.68 19:32, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * This User can't stand people don't agree with him and after looking up Mr.Hail a communist country (which my family hails from one) think anyone that stand with their country think they are a a bush supporter. So gtfo nub.--KDP3 (talk) 19:56, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * This user has no mind of his own. I thought I told you not to respond to this unless you could act intelligent & mature. The article clearly states that N. Korea restarted their nuclear program after the US failed to follow through with removing N. Korea from the state-sponsored terrorism list. So, in the essence, it's our fault that N. Korea doing this. So, apparrently, YOU, not me, are the who can't stand people not agreeing with him. I support this country when it does the right things. However, I do NOT support our current president. So, you should be the one to gtfo. You are the nub. And, I hope you heed my words this time. Please, PLEASE, don't respond again unless you basically can think for yourself. If that's too much to ask, then it shows where your intelligence, maturity, & everything else lie. 24.15.89.68 20:13, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * This user forgot that part of the deal is that the DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS was to vote to remove North Korea off from the terror list within a 40 day period and like always they seem to sabotages this idiot of president and make him worse of a leader then he is.--KDP3 (talk) 20:18, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * These users just lost the game, and apparently what was left of their dignity. --Smackdat (talk) 13:21, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

The articles says the US didn`t follow through with it's agreement to take North Korea off the national list of state-sponsored terrorism supporters. So the articles seems to blame north korea first and than talk about why they did it last. This detail should be mentioned at the top of the article and even in it`s title. If you are north korea and the US didn`t follow the agreement, wouldn`t it be logical for you to stop following it. The US started it and we are not blaming american but north korea?!?!?. --132.207.50.196 18:52, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Plz no flaming in the opinion section. And also avoid starting comments with " This user ", It targets the users and not the content of the message and It provokes flaming by enraging users. I think the first one to start was -KDP3, but it doesn't matter , don't flame here and only comment on ideas, contents and opinions , not on particular users. --69.157.175.13 00:31, 26 September 2008 (UTC)
 * This user has a good point —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.100.25.133 (talk) 03:48, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

Politics
This is all politics. The U.S. simply has to adjust its policies to its status as equal, not superior to other nations. If you break agreements, agreements are broken. That is how international relations have always worked. The U.S. has neglected to train people and give them practice for anything other than the application of force for so long they have lost all talent for negotiations. It takes a careful approach to make sovereign nations agree on anything, much less to actually do what they agreed. North Korea is willing to destroy its program in exchange for aid, it destroyed a year's worth of development while the deal was valid, that shouldn't be overlooked by anyone. The party at fault here is the U.S., maybe the next negotiations should not involve them at all. 72.154.55.191 09:09, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
User:WJBscribe

Hi, welcome to my userpage. Please leave me any messages here. Will

title: User:WJBscribe


text:
User:Okino

Please, see my English Wikipedia user page. My main base is the Czech Wikipedia.

cs:Redaktor:Okino

title: User:Okino


text:
Seventh Guantanamo Prosecutor resigns over ethical issues

September 26, 2008

Lieutenant Colonel Darrel Vandeveld, a prosecutor in the Guantanamo Military Commissions resigned Wednesday, citing ethical issues.

Vandeveld had recommended to his superiors that a plea bargain be offered to Mohammed Jawad, the Pakistani youth he was prosecuting. He felt that it was appropriate for Jawad to receive an early release, and be offered assistance in re-integrating into civilian life. His superiors had over-ruled him, and wanted to seek a life sentence.

Vandeveld has not spoken publicly about his concerns. Jawad's defense counsel, David Frakt, plans to call upon him to testify that the Prosecution had been withholding potentially exculpatory evidence.

Jawad was a minor at the time of the incident; Jawad had been subjected to sleep deprivation through Guantanamo's frequent flyer program; Jawad had testified, during his 2004 Combatant Status Review Tribunal that he had accepted a job clearing land mines, only to have his employers drug him, and use him to carry objects he was later informed were bombs. Two other individuals had confessed to throwing the grenade Jawad was being tried for throwing. Their confessions had been withheld from Jawad's Defense counsel.

Although his four-page resignation letter has not been officially released, Carol Rosenberg of the Miami Herald, and other journalists have quoted from it.

Vandeveld wrote:

Current Chief Prosecutor Colonel Lawrence Morris asserted: “All you have is somebody who is disappointed that his superiors did not agree with his recommendation in a case.”

Four Prosecutors resigned in 2004 over scandalous promises made by Chief Prosecutor Fred Borch. Three of Borch's subordinates wrote letters to Borch's superiors, asking to be reassigned from the Office of Military Commissions because Borch had told them: All the exculpatory evidence would be classified, so the suspect's Defense counsel would never get to see it; All the Commission members who would be serving as the judges were to be picked from officers who could be counted on voting for conviction.

Robert Preston, John Carr, Carrie Wolf were reassigned. Fred Borch resigned from the military. Thomas Hemingway, Legal Advisor to the Convening Authority, the civilian head of the Office of Military Commissions, asserted that Borch's resignation was unconnected to the memos from his subordinates. Borch was subsequently rehired as a civilian after he resigned from the military.

In 2005 Stuart Couch resigned from prosecuting Mohamedou Ould Slahi. Couch stated that even though he suspected Slahi had played a role in activities that otherwise were triable offenses, he should no longer be tried, because he had been subjected to extreme interrogation techniques.

In 2007 Guantanamo third Chief Prosecutor, Morris Davis, resigned after publicly challenging the role Legal Advisor Thomas W. Hartmann was trying to play in choosing cases to try. Davis had argued that choosing the cases to prosecute was his role, and that Hartmann had an obligation to remain objective, because he was also supposed to give advise to the head of the Office of Military Commission about the performance of the Defense. Hartmann's role required him to give objective advice after the Commissions made their rulings -- and his objectivity would be in doubt.

An inquiry looked into Davis's concern, and directed Davis to follow Hartmann's orders. Davis resigned from the Office of Military Commissions shortly thereafter.

Hartmann was called to testify before three of the Military Commissions, over his role in choosing cases to prosecute, where he testified he thought he was doing his job, and where he stated that he refused to resign.

Hartmann was reassigned a more junior role on September 20, 2008.


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Talk:Seventh Guantanamo Prosecutor resigns over ethical issues

Sources?
sources are still not fixed. --Brian McNeil / talk 14:39, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * Is there any way you could see your way to clear to be more specific about your concern? It has been six months or more since I worked on wikinews, and I have only worked on a handful.  I am honestely mystified by your cryptic notes.  Geo Swan (talk) 15:17, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * Sorry, I find these two edits totally unhelpful.

 * Please make a good faith attempt to explain what is wrong. Please place that explanation here on the talk page.  Please don't leave cryptic notes in the edit summary.  Edit summaries are poor place in which to conduct a discussion.

 * In particular, someone arbitrarily removed a bunch of sources. Aren't they under an obligation to explain why?  Additionally, whoever asserted the sources needed formatting didn't say what formatting changes were needed.

 * Candidly, Geo Swan (talk) 21:18, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Wikinews does not link to nonexistent pages, the author parameter is not wikilinked and the template handles other wikilinking. A cursory inspection of other articles such as the leads would make this apparent. --Brian McNeil / talk 21:22, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * Have you ever read anything about "human factors". I suggest what you claim is obvious falls into the class of things that are only obvious to those who already understand them.  I am sorry, but I am very disappointed you didn't make the effort to leave your explanation earlier.  Geo Swan (talk) 21:32, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * User:DragonFire1024 arbitrarily removed a bunch of sources. I think it is really their responsibility to explain themselves.  But, If you can guess at why, I would be grateful if you could explain.  Geo Swan (talk) 21:35, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * I removed no sources. I moved and formatted them correctly. They were then rearranged to the state they were in previously. Please see the style guide for the correct fomatting. Also see the clickable links just below the edit summary box. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 22:53, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * All sources should also be arranged from newest to oldest. Gopher65talk 06:45, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

Review
A single "20th" to "20" should have been corrected by the reviewer, not given as cause to fail. This is what collaborative effort means. I agree that 21 sources seems far too many, if the story can be told with less (much of the problem seems to be providing sources to back up facts about previous prosecutors cases -- we don't have a firm policy on that, should you need to provide sources for facts already verified on WP,e tc) Sherurcij 22:05, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * I changed about half a dozen dates in the sources here.

 * I added a couple of categories.

 * Cheers! Geo Swan (talk) 22:27, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * @Sherurcij - If you actually LOOKED at the article, I didn't fail it because of "20th" to "20" because I don't care about that (And didn't even notice). I cared about the half the sources that were in the format of YYYY-MM-DD. -- Shakata Ga Nai  ^_^ 22:44, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * @GeoSwan - If you feel that this article needs all 21 sources - then I'm fine with that. Just when I see so many I just get curious if someone has been linking to any and every article related, regardless of if they provide anything new or not. -- Shakata Ga Nai  ^_^ 22:44, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

 * I honestly don't know how much verification is generally required here on wikinews. If the amount of verifying sources is related to how controversial the topic is, maybe it would be best to leave them all in.

 * I honestly don't know how much provision is made for readers who are interested in further reading on the topic(s) of the article.

 * I spent over an hour going through the wikipedia articles on the six earlier individuals to resign, verifying the urls were still live, and changing them from the wikipedia cite format to the source format. But this should count for nothing if there is a policy problem with them.

 * Is there a policy problem with them?

 * Cheers! Geo Swan (talk) 23:23, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * The only concern here is that the sources are useful & unique. If you tell me there is one factoid from every source - I'm happy.  Occasionally we have people that believe the sources should contact every link to a topic they can find - even though many of these sources don't bring any new facts to the table.  That is all I'm trying to prevent. Does that make sense? -- Shakata Ga Nai  ^_^ 23:50, 25 September 2008 (UTC)


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Nine children abandoned at hospital emergency room in Nebraska, USA

September 25, 2008

A man has abandoned his nine children at a hospital emergency room in Nebraska, but will not be prosecuted under Nebraska state law.

The children, whose ages range from 1 to 17 years old, were dropped off by their unnamed father at Saint Joseph Hospital at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha on Wednesday evening. Authorities are still trying to find the children's mother.

According to Nebraska's 'safe haven law', the parents or caretaker of any children aged 17 and under are allowed to abandon them at any facility that has a valid license with the state. As a result, the parents would not be prosecuted for doing so. Originally the law was to prevent infants from being abandoned, but was recently amended to include toddlers and teenagers.

Since the law was changed, at least 14 children have been abandoned at hospitals and police stations in Nebraska. State law says that all facilities must keep a monthly count of all abandoned children.


text:
Voluntary sterilization of poor women proposed by Louisiana state legislator

September 25, 2008

A Louisiana representative has proposed a controversial solution to "generational welfare," which would pay women on welfare to get sterilization. Republican John LaBruzzo said he thought of the idea because of his constituents' outrage over paying for welfare.

"You have these people who are just fed up with working their buns off to try to provide for their own family and being forced by the government [to] provide for others’ families who just want to have unlimited kids", he commented. He is currently working with Baton Rouge to gather data in support of his proposal.

The idea, which LaBruzzo has not finished forming, would award any woman on government assistance a check of $1,000 if she gets a tubal ligation operation. LaBruzzo is also considering rewarding sterilization in poor men and giving tax incentives for higher-income families to have more children.

LaBruzzo, who is pro-life, said that the people "on the other side of the political spectrum are pro-choice. Well, let's give these people the ability to choose."

While LaBruzzo has stated that he has received an outpouring of support over his idea, the ACLU spoke out against the proposal and called it a "meanspirited attempt to eliminate the poor." Planned Parenthood representative Julie Mickelberry called it a "bribery", suggesting a solution which attacked the root of the problem was needed and that the representative needed to "go back to addressing issues of education about unintended pregnancy and opening healthcare access."


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Talk:CanadaVOTES: Liberal Sandra Gardiner running in Perth—Wellington

RAW TEXT
Response Inbox		X Reply to all Forward Reply by chat Filter messages like this Print Add to Contacts list Delete this message Report phishing Report not phishing Show original Show in fixed width font Show in variable width font Message text garbled? Why is this spam/nonspam? info@sandragardiner.ca to me show details Sep 24 (1 day ago) Reply Your name: Sandra Gardiner Political party: Liberal Party of Canada Riding: Perth-Wellington

New candidates: Why are you running for political office, why at the federal level, why this party, and why in this riding? I am running for office because I care about Canada and my fellow Canadians. I am worried about the future we are leaving behind to our children. I am running for Member of Parliament because it is Canada?s top level of government that carries the responsibility of overseeing which path we take in dealing with the following issues: the direction we chose for our Economy and ensure it stays on course; the way we chose to deal with the Environment; protection of our Universal Health Care System and many other issues. The Federal Government sets the tone for the rest of the Country to follow. I want to be a part of how we shape the future. The Liberal Party of Canada has come to match my values best. I support our plans addressing the following issues Economy, Environment, Healthcare, Poverty Reduction, continued support for our Arts and Culture Community, our policy on immigration and our role Internationally. I have just touched on just a few of the reasons I have come to embrace the ideas of the Liberal Party of Canada. I am running in this riding because I have been a resident here for almost 20 years. As a result I have first hand experience with some of the issues here locally. I am passionate about my community.

New candidates: Previous to this campaign, have you been politically involved? How will you apply your previous work/volunteer/life experience to serving your constituents? I became politically active when my children?s child care centre was threatened with closure 4 years ago. I organized a group of parents from the Day Care and we were successful in preventing this closure. This lead me to become involved in many other activities. I think that having first hand experience working within the Health Care System will be a crucial part to my work as a Member of Parliament and making decisions when it comes to Health Care. Being a woman and a mother also contributes to how I will make my decisions. Finally I am a creative thinker. I am always coming up with new solutions for old problems. I believe that Canadians are looking for politicians with ideas and a vision for the future. Canadians want a Prime Minister who cares about the future of Canada and cares about all Canadians. I think Canadians are tired of the negative attack ads and rhetoric. As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding? The Economy which would include job losses we have experienced and the ripple effect that has been felt as a result. How well agriculture has been performing is also a part of our local economy here. We have the third largest pork producing region in Canada. Their industry has suffered greatly over the last few years. The beef industry has also experienced hard times. Agriculture is the largest movement of economic activity in and out of this riding daily. 1 in 3 jobs are tied to agriculture in this riding. We have watched a large number of manufacturing jobs leave this riding over the last couple of years. We have the local issue funding of the University of Waterloo Site in Stratford. The Federal Government has not committed to the $10 million requested to assist with the project. This is a contentious issue for local residents. Funding of the University will have a profound economic effect on this region. Arts and Culture is the second issue that has been brought up at the door. Many are deeply concerned over the cuts to the programs in recent months. They are also concerned about the future of Arts and Culture under the Harper government should he be successful in winning a majority government. I have to say I have had a number of comments over the timing of the election and constituents not feeling that the election was necessary. They would state that they felt that parliament was working and the election could have waited until the fixed date October 2009. Most are undecided in how to vote or there is a sense of voter apathy. What would you and your party do to address these issues? We have come out with an exciting, comprehensive platform to address all of these issues mentioned except Stephen Harper breaking his own law of a fixed election date. I can state that I will come through with the funding portion of the Federal Government for the University of Waterloo site in Stratford, provided we are governing party. I think that hosting an ongoing open dialogue with your constituents is key to representing your riding and also working collaboratively with your partners in both the provincial and municipal levels of government. One needs to be versed and vocal on the issues, be honest in what they can promise and follow through on.

Is there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform? There are 2 misconceptions that we have had to contend with so far. One is that our leader, Stephane Dion is perceived as being a weak leader. My response to that question is that Stephane is a man of integrity and honesty; by no means is he weak as a leader. I will remind those that view Mr. Dion as weak that he united Canada with the Clarity Act and stood by this. Despite all the death threats he and his family received during this time. Secondly there have been many lies by the Conservatives during this campaign such as the Liberals will raise the GST back up to 7% and that the Liberals will repeal the Universal Child Tax Benefit. Both statements are absolutely 100% false. The Conservatives have also panned and widely dismissed our Green Shift Plan. Stating it is a plan to simply raise taxes and that there would be a great number of job losses associated with this plan and it would cause everything to go up in price. Never before have we had such consensus amongst Environmentalists and Economists; all agreeing this is the right plan for both the Economy and the Environment. We will have income tax cuts and we will create a tremendous amount of jobs for this country. Please visit www.thegreenshift.ca for further details.

There's a more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience?

I am using the web and facebook. I am still finding though that good old fashioned meeting people appears to be the most effective way to communicate the messages of the Liberal Party and for constituents to know who I am and why they should vote for me.

Warm Regards,

Sandra Gardiner

519-573-6610 1-888-573-6610 www.sandragardiner.ca


text:
CanadaVOTES: Liberal Sandra Gardiner running in Perth—Wellington

September 26, 2008

On October 14, 2008, Canadians will be heading to the polls for the federal election. Liberal Party candidate Sandra Gardiner is standing for election in the riding of Perth—Wellington. A Stratford resident for the last 17 years, she has worked as a Registered Nurse for the last 14, in hospital, long term, and community care settings. She is a member of Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, Canadian Association of Physicians concerned about the Environment, FarmGate5, Common Action for the Restoration of the Environment, Autism Ontario, the Planning Committee for Rotary Respite House, and board member of Optimism Place, the local women's shelter.

Wikinews contacted Sandra, to talk about the issues facing Canadians, and what they and their party would do to address them. Wikinews is in the process of contacting every candidate, in every riding across the country, no matter their political stripe. All interviews are conducted over e-mail, and interviews are published unedited, allowing candidates to impart their full message to our readers, uninterrupted.

The riding is currently held by Conservative Gary Schellenberger, who was also MP for the previous riding, Perth—Middlesex. Perth—Wellington includes the County of Perth, and the Town of Minto and the townships of Mapleton and Wellington North in the County of Wellington. Also challenging Schellenberger are John Cowling (Green), Irma DeVries (Christian Heritage), Julian Ichim (Marxist-Leninist), and Kerry McManus (NDP).

For more information, visit the campaign's official website, listed below.

Interview
Why are you running for political office, why at the federal level, why this party, and why in this riding?
 * I am running for office because I care about Canada and my fellow Canadians. I am worried about the future we are leaving behind to our children.  I am running for Member of Parliament because it is Canada?s top level of government that carries the responsibility of overseeing which path we take in dealing with the following issues: the direction we chose for our Economy and ensure it stays on course; the way we chose to deal with the Environment; protection of our Universal Health Care System and many other issues.  The Federal Government sets the tone for the rest of the Country to follow.  I want to be a part of how we shape the future.  The Liberal Party of Canada has come to match my values best.  I support our plans addressing the following issues Economy, Environment, Healthcare, Poverty Reduction, continued support for our Arts and Culture Community, our policy on immigration  and our role Internationally.  I have just touched on just a few of the reasons I have come to embrace the ideas of the Liberal Party of Canada.  I am running in this riding because I have been a resident here for almost 20 years.  As a result I have first hand experience with some of the issues here locally.  I am passionate about my community.

'''Previous to this campaign, have you been politically involved? How will you apply your previous work/volunteer/life experience to serving your constituents?'''
 * I became politically active when my children's child care centre was threatened with closure 4 years ago. I organized a group of parents from the Day Care and we were successful in preventing this closure.  This lead me to become involved in many other activities.

 * I think that having first hand experience working within the Health Care System will be a crucial part to my work as a Member of Parliament and making decisions when it comes to Health Care. Being a woman and a mother also contributes to how I will make my decisions.

 * Finally I am a creative thinker. I am always coming up with new solutions for old problems.  I believe that Canadians are looking for politicians with ideas and a vision for the future.  Canadians want a Prime Minister who cares about the future of Canada and cares about all Canadians.  I think Canadians are tired of the negative attack ads and rhetoric.

'''As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding?'''
 * The Economy which would include job losses we have experienced and the ripple effect that has been felt as a result. How well agriculture has been performing is also a part of our local economy here.  We have the third largest pork producing region in Canada.  Their industry has suffered greatly over the last few years.  The beef industry has also experienced hard times.  Agriculture is the largest movement of economic activity in and out of this riding daily.  1 in 3 jobs are tied to agriculture in this riding.  We have watched a large number of manufacturing jobs leave this riding over the last couple of years.  We have the local issue funding of the University of Waterloo Site in Stratford.  The Federal Government has not committed to the $10 million requested to assist with the project.  This is a contentious issue for local residents.  Funding of the University will have a profound economic effect on this region.

 * Arts and Culture is the second issue that has been brought up at the door. Many are deeply concerned over the cuts to the programs in recent months.  They are also concerned about the future of Arts and Culture under the Harper government should he be successful in winning a majority government.

 * I have to say I have had a number of comments over the timing of the election and constituents not feeling that the election was necessary. They would state that they felt that parliament was working and the election could have waited until the fixed date October 2009.  Most are undecided in how to vote or there is a sense of voter apathy.

What would you and your party do to address these issues?

 * We have come out with an exciting, comprehensive platform to address all of these issues mentioned except Stephen Harper breaking his own law of a fixed election date. I can state that I will come through with the funding portion of the Federal Government for the University of Waterloo site in Stratford, provided we are governing party.

 * I think that hosting an ongoing open dialogue with your constituents is key to representing your riding and also working collaboratively with your partners in both the provincial and municipal levels of government. One needs to be versed and vocal on the issues, be honest in what they can promise and follow through on.

Is there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform?

 * There are 2 misconceptions that we have had to contend with so far.

 * One is that our leader, Stephane Dion is perceived as being a weak leader. My response to that question is that Stephane is a man of integrity and honesty; by no means is he weak as a leader.  I will remind those that view Mr. Dion as weak that he united Canada with the Clarity Act and stood by this.  Despite all the death threats he and his family received during this time.

 * Secondly there have been many lies by the Conservatives during this campaign such as the Liberals will raise the GST back up to 7% and that the Liberals will repeal the Universal Child Tax Benefit. Both statements are absolutely 100% false.

 * The Conservatives have also panned and widely dismissed our Green Shift Plan. Stating it is a plan to simply raise taxes and that there would be a great number of job losses associated with this plan and it would cause everything to go up in price. Never before have we had such consensus amongst Environmentalists and Economists; all agreeing this is the right plan for both the Economy and the Environment.  We will have income tax cuts and we will create a tremendous amount of jobs for this country.

'''There's a more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience?'''
 * I am using the web and Facebook. I am still finding though that good old fashioned meeting people appears to be the most effective way to communicate the messages of the Liberal Party and for constituents to know who I am and why they should vote for me.


text:
Talk:CanadaVOTES: CHP candidate John M. Wierenga running in Yellowhead

RAW TEXT
1. I'm running for political office because I'm concerned about the direction our nation is heading. We are becoming more and more secular. By secular I don't mean neutral; secularism is also a religion and it seeks to drive out all other religions from the public square. While we've never been a perfect country, but we were the envy of many and had become a safe haven for many without religious freedoms. CHP wants to return to the Judeo-Christian values upon which this nation was founded, which have influence every area of government, from fiscal to moral. The Christian Heritage Party is a federal party only. The Yellowhead EDA has been my home since birth and want to represent it. 2. I have run for M.P. in the 2006 election as well and can hopefully built on that experience. Locally I have served on a Prolife board and presently serve on our Church Council. In these positions commitment to tasks at hand are important as well as service to others. 3. Three hottest topics: 1. Global Warming/Environment/Kyoto The CHP would offer real protection for our air and water; solutions that encourage good, proactive stewardship practices. We should not be involved in Kyoto, 'cap and trade', 'carbon-credits', or in carbon taxes. We should increase research into non polluting energy sources. Let's solve the real problems of water, air and soil pollution. Panic over so-called climate change, which many scientists say is not man-made, (scientists often ignored and belittled by mainstream media mind you) could cripple our economy, cost billions and achieve nothing. Instead, let's promote and reward clean, renewable energy initiatives. 2. Solutions for the Economy: The CHP would put Canada back to work with a nationwide infrastructure stimulus package that would fix our cities, our highways, hospitals and water and sewage treatment plants. The CHP would channel dollars to research and development to look after a real environmental threat to our health - man made pollution. Eliminate the income tax and implement a 'Fair Tax' that would boost the economy and put Canadians in charge of the tax they pay. 3. Healthcare: The CHP will overhaul the health care system, improve delivery of services and revamp hospital design for better health outcomes. And the Christian Heritage Party is not afraid of private delivery of health care services. Neither do we treat entrepreneurship and visionary private-sector leadership as evil when it comes to implementing health care reforms. 4. Once misconception about our party is that we are a one issue party, namely, prolife. While true that this proudly sets us apart from every other party in Canada, we do have policies on almost every issue facing Canadians: infrastructure, taxation, healthcare, immigration, debt and deficit. For a broader description of these policies - see www. chp.ca 5. While we tend to continue to use traditional methods to advertise, we understand fully the importance of the new media. a. Mainstream media with their bias tend to ignore our party, we have found it to be extremely essential in getting our message out. b. Today's youth are turning more and more to these methods of news delivery. They are our future!


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CanadaVOTES: CHP candidate John M. Wierenga running in Yellowhead

September 26, 2008

On October 14, 2008, Canadians will be heading to the polls for the federal election. Christian Heritage Party candidate John M. Wierenga is standing for election in the riding of Yellowhead. A journeyman welder with a company in Neerlandia, Alberta, John is an active member of the Neerlandia Canadian Reformed Church. Serving on his church council, he actively volunteers in the community, serving a partial term on the Pembina Pro-Life Board.

Wikinews contacted John, to talk about the issues facing Canadians, and what they and their party would do to address them. Wikinews is in the process of contacting every candidate, in every riding across the country, no matter their political stripe. All interviews are conducted over e-mail, and interviews are published unedited, allowing candidates to impart their full message to our readers, uninterrupted.

Since 2000, the riding has been represented by Conservative Rob Merrifield, originally a Canadian Alliance member. Besides Wierenga, other challengers for the riding include Melissa Brade (Canadian Action), Mohamed El-Rafih (Liberal), Ken Kuzminski (NDP), and Monika Schaefer (Green).

For more information, visit the campaign's official website, listed below.

Interview
Why are you running for political office, why at the federal level, why this party, and why in this riding?
 * I'm running for political office because I'm concerned about the direction our nation is heading. We are becoming more and more secular. By secular I don't mean neutral; secularism is also a religion and it seeks to drive out all other religions from the public square. While we've never been a perfect country, but we were the envy of many and had become a safe haven for many without religious freedoms. CHP wants to return to the Judeo-Christian values upon which this nation was founded, which have influence every area of government, from fiscal to moral.

 * The Christian Heritage Party is a federal party only.

 * The Yellowhead EDA has been my home since birth and wish to represent it.

'''Previous to this campaign, have you been politically involved? How will you apply your previous work/volunteer/life experience to serving your constituents?'''
 * I have run for M.P. in the 2006 election as well and can hopefully built on that experience. Locally I have served on a Prolife board and presently serve on our Church Council. In these positions commitment to tasks at hand are important as well as service to others.

'''As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding?'''
 * 1. Global Warming/Environment/Kyoto:
 * The CHP would offer real protection for our air and water; solutions that encourage good, proactive stewardship practices. We should not be involved in Kyoto, 'cap and trade', 'carbon-credits', or in carbon taxes. We should increase research into non polluting energy sources. Let's solve the real problems of water, air and soil pollution. Panic over so-called climate change, which many scientists say is not man-made, (scientists often ignored and belittled by mainstream media mind you) could cripple our economy, cost billions and achieve nothing. Instead, let's promote and reward clean, renewable energy initiatives.

 * 2. Solutions for the Economy:
 * The CHP would put Canada back to work with a nationwide infrastructure stimulus package that would fix our cities, our highways, hospitals and water and sewage treatment plants.

 * The CHP would channel dollars to research and development to look after a real environmental threat to our health - man made pollution.

 * Eliminate the income tax and implement a 'Fair Tax' that would boost the economy and put Canadians in charge of the tax they pay.

 * 3. Healthcare:
 * The CHP will overhaul the health care system, improve delivery of services and revamp hospital design for better health outcomes. And the Christian Heritage Party is not afraid of private delivery of health care services. Neither do we treat entrepreneurship and visionary private-sector leadership as evil when it comes to implementing health care reforms.

Is there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform?
 * One misconception about our party is that we are a one issue party, namely, prolife. While true that this proudly sets us apart from every other party in Canada, we do have policies on almost every issue facing Canadians: infrastructure, taxation, healthcare, immigration, debt and deficit.

 * For a broader description of these policies - see www.chp.ca

'''There's a more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience?'''
 * While we tend to continue to use traditional methods to advertise, we understand fully the importance of the new media.
 * Mainstream media with their bias tend to ignore our party, we have found it to be extremely essential in getting our message out.
 * Today's youth are turning more and more to these methods of news delivery. They are our future!


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Talk:CanadaVOTES: CHP candidate Henry Zekveld running in Durham

RAW TEXT
Download the original attachment

Your name: Henry Zekveld Political party: Christian Heritage Party of Canada Riding: Durham New candidates: Why are you running for political office, why at the federal level, why this party, and why in this riding?

Incumbents: Why did you choose to run for office, and why do you wish to continue as an MP?

Canada’s Judeo Christian foundations have made Canada to be a land of freedom and prosperity. These foundations must be retained for the continued good of Canada. Because the Christian Heritage Party of Canada is the only federal party which bases their policy and platform on Biblical principle, because these values are important to me and because I love God and my country, I am running as candidate for the CHP in the EDA where I live, Durham. New candidates: Previous to this campaign, have you been politically involved? How will you apply your previous work/volunteer/life experience to serving your constituents? Incumbents: Are you satisfied with your time as MP? What would be the biggest highlights of the roughly two years since the last election? The biggest disappointment? The Christian Heritage Party has been my party of choice from 1987 on. I have been actively involved in it since then. I am accountable to God in all that I do and I take seriously my stewardship over the earth as a farmer, for my wife and family, serving my local church, and serving my country, Canada. The greatest virtue as a politician serving my constituents would be selflessness. My experience in the list above has taught me the importance and joy of giving for the benefit of others – I would like to use this to the benefit of my fellow Canadians.

As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding? What would you and your party do to address these issues? The Durham electoral district has a high percentage of farmers and is a bedroom community for manufacturing. a) Manufacturing is a top concern for our electorate as General Motors and its suppliers are a major employer. I believe the emphasis should shift from funnelling funds to General Motors in its present state and looking futuristic. Car manufacturing should be focusing on renewable energy sources such as cars powered by water, air, or electricity. Funds should reward invention and inventors. Canada could be on the leading edge of technology and manufacture would again thrive. b) All Canadians are concerned with food safety. In Canada we have high standards for our agricultural products. Our safety standards include employee safety, pesticide and herbicide standards, and quality standards. Canada has high standards to protect the health of its citizens. Imports with lower standards should not be allowed into Canada. Not only does it compromise the health and welfare of Canadian citizens, but also it undermines our farmers as many imported food products are produced here already. These imports also need inspection using our tax dollars to do so. Canadians expect safe food. Due diligence must be given. c) Accessibility to healthcare. First the Christian Heritage Party sees healthcare as a provincial matter. The federal government should not be controlling any province’s jurisdiction in healthcare. Money should be transferred without “strings attached.” The Christian Heritage Party’s policy involves adding private services to help alleviate backlog. Not only would Canadians receive quicker service, but also better service. Competition would create better service, shorter waiting time, and cost efficient delivery of services.

Is there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform? The Christian Heritage Party of Canada is often seen as being religious. We are no more religious than the Conservatives or Liberals. Every person is religious whether we acknowledge it or not. It may be Christian, Hindu, Muslim, or Secular Humanist. Everyone has a belief system and this belief system influences thoughts, words, and actions – no one excluded. The Christian Heritage Party has the vision Canada’s Founding Fathers had as written in the preamble of our constitution, “The supremacy of God and the rule of law.” The rule of law is based on God’s law in the Ten Commandments and elsewhere in the Bible. These standards are time tested and have given direction to Canada since its inception.

There's a more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience? We’re starting to realize the importance of technology. The “tried-and-true routes” are still effective but the internet is a tremendous asset.


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CanadaVOTES: CHP candidate Henry Zekveld running in Durham

September 26, 2008

On October 14, 2008, Canadians will be heading to the polls for the federal election. Christian Heritage Party candidate Henry Zekveld is standing for election in the riding of Durham.

Born in Lindsay and raised on a dairy farm, Henry studied at Woodstock's Fanshawe Agriculture College in 1987, the same year he joined the Christian Heritage Party. A farmer for the last 11 years, he is an active member of a local church, serving as deacon and, currently, an elder. He is a member of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and serves on the local board of the Christian Farmers' Federation of Ontario. He ran for office as a CHP candidate Huron-Bruce (1993) and Durham (2006).

Wikinews contacted John, to talk about the issues facing Canadians, and what they and their party would do to address them. Wikinews is in the process of contacting every candidate, in every riding across the country, no matter their political stripe. All interviews are conducted over e-mail, and interviews are published unedited, allowing candidates to impart their full message to our readers, uninterrupted.

A riding from 1904 to 1968, and since 1988, Durham includes Newcastle, Scugog, Uxbridge, Scugog Indian Reserve No. 34, Whitby north of Taunton Road, and Oshawa north of Rossland Road and some other allowances. Conservative Bev Oda currently holds the riding; she is the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, as well as Minister for International Cooperation. Looking to take this riding from Oda are Zekveld, Stephen Leahy (Green), Andrew McKeever (NDP), and Bryan Ransom (Liberal).

For more information, visit the campaign's official website, listed below.

Interview
Why are you running for political office, why at the federal level, why this party, and why in this riding?
 * Canada's Judeo Christian foundations have made Canada to be a land of freedom and prosperity. These foundations must be retained for the continued good of Canada. Because the Christian Heritage Party of Canada is the only federal party which bases their policy and platform on Biblical principle, because these values are important to me and because I love God and my country, I am running as candidate for the CHP in the EDA where I live, Durham.

'''Previous to this campaign, have you been politically involved? How will you apply your previous work/volunteer/life experience to serving your constituents?'''
 * The Christian Heritage Party has been my party of choice from 1987 on. I have been actively involved in it since then. I am accountable to God in all that I do and I take seriously my stewardship over the earth as a farmer, for my wife and family, serving my local church, and serving my country, Canada. The greatest virtue as a politician serving my constituents would be selflessness. My experience in the list above has taught me the importance and joy of giving for the benefit of others – I would like to use this to the benefit of my fellow Canadians.

'''As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding? What would you and your party do to address these issues?'''
 * The Durham electoral district has a high percentage of farmers and is a bedroom community for manufacturing.

 * Manufacturing is a top concern for our electorate as General Motors and its suppliers are a major employer. I believe the emphasis should shift from funnelling funds to General Motors in its present state and looking futuristic. Car manufacturing should be focusing on renewable energy sources such as cars powered by water, air, or electricity. Funds should reward invention and inventors. Canada could be on the leading edge of technology and manufacture would again thrive.
 * All Canadians are concerned with food safety. In Canada we have high standards for our agricultural products. Our safety standards include employee safety, pesticide and herbicide standards, and quality standards. Canada has high standards to protect the health of its citizens. Imports with lower standards should not be allowed into Canada. Not only does it compromise the health and welfare of Canadian citizens, but also it undermines our farmers as many imported food products are produced here already. These imports also need inspection using our tax dollars to do so. Canadians expect safe food. Due diligence must be given.
 * Accessibility to healthcare. First the Christian Heritage Party sees healthcare as a provincial matter. The federal government should not be controlling any province’s jurisdiction in healthcare. Money should be transferred without “strings attached.” The Christian Heritage Party’s policy involves adding private services to help alleviate backlog. Not only would Canadians receive quicker service, but also better service. Competition would create better service, shorter waiting time, and cost efficient delivery of services.

Is there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform?
 * The Christian Heritage Party of Canada is often seen as being religious. We are no moLre religious than the Conservatives or Liberals. Every person is religious whether we acknowledge it or not. It may be Christian, Hindu, Muslim, or Secular Humanist. Everyone has a belief system and this belief system influences thoughts, words, and actions – no one excluded. The Christian Heritage Party has the vision Canada’s Founding Fathers had as written in the preamble of our constitution, “The supremacy of God and the rule of law.” The rule of law is based on God’s law in the Ten Commandments and elsewhere in the Bible. These standards are time tested and have given direction to Canada since its inception.

'''There's a more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience?'''
 * We’re starting to realize the importance of technology. The “tried-and-true routes” are still effective but the internet is a tremendous asset.


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Talk:CanadaVOTES: CHP candidate Pastor George D. Campbell running in Dartmouth—Cole Harbour

RAW TEXT
My name is George Campbell

My party is the Christian Heritage Party of Canada

I am running as a candidate for Dartmouth/Cole Harbour

I am running as a candidate because I see the Moral Fibre of Canada slowly deteriorating through poverty, violence, family breakdowns, education system, justice system, environmental issues as well as the moral issues that government refuse to research and put to the people of Canada once and for all. We certainly need to address our Armed Forces and the role they are to play within the nations and that they are well equipped and provided for in their ongoing duties of peace keeping. I am running at the federal level because I am more familiar with the way the federal government works and as a past employee on many levels I am familiar with its inner workings. I am running in Dartmouth/Cole Harbour because it is where I live and pastor a church and drive a school bus.

2.

I have never been politically involved other than being a member of a political party. I believe that my past 45 years wok experience in many professions and areas of volunteering has given me much wisdom and insight to the struggles and needs of the majority of hard working Canadians. I can also identify with their everyday needs whether at home, at work or in school.

The three top issues that I have encountered are: 1. The economy (high prices of basic needs) 2. Not having any candidate or M.P. meet personally to talk about issues 3. Our troops in Afghanistan I believe our party's platform completely outlines our attack on the economy and the answers to providing a relief from much of the economic pressures suffered by Canadians. One being the change to the income tax structure. In reference to a one on one with peoples representatives in Ottawa, periodic mail outs are good by does not answer questions and concerns. As a representative of the people in my riding I would hold a quarterly town hall meeting in various locations in the riding to be available to the people. In regards to our troops, I believe Canada has long been regarded as a peace keeping nation by the world and we need to return to our profile as first and foremost peace keepers but also be ready to defend those who are persecuted due to racial or ethnic origins and who suffer because of war.

I believe that there are no misconceptions about myself, I am who I declare I am and hold dearly to my personal convictions as I also believe our leader does and, our party and platform.

From my experience, the best way to get the message out is through word of mouth.


text: Talk:Cancer trial patient dies after hospital computer system error


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CanadaVOTES: CHP candidate Pastor George D. Campbell running in Dartmouth—Cole Harbour

September 26, 2008

On October 14, 2008, Canadians will be heading to the polls for the federal election. Christian Heritage Party candidate Pastor George D. Campbell is standing for election in the riding of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour.

Wikinews contacted John, to talk about the issues facing Canadians, and what they and their party would do to address them. Wikinews is in the process of contacting every candidate, in every riding across the country, no matter their political stripe. All interviews are conducted over e-mail, and interviews are published unedited, allowing candidates to impart their full message to our readers, uninterrupted.

Michael Savage of the Liberal Party won the riding's first election in 2004, and serves as the Liberal critic for Human Resources Development. (Note that the riding, with different names and boundaries, has existed in some form since 1968. Its current size includes the Dartmouth and Cole Harbour areas of the Halifax Regional Municipality.) Along with Campbell, challengers for the riding include Brad Pye (NDP), Paul Shreenan (Green), and Wanda Webber (Conservative).

For more information, visit the campaign's official website, listed below.

Interview
Why are you running for political office, why at the federal level, why this party, and why in this riding?
 * I am running as a candidate because I see the Moral Fibre of Canada slowly deteriorating through poverty, violence, family breakdowns, education system, justice system, environmental issues as well as the moral issues that government refuse to research and put to the people of Canada once and for all. We certainly need to address our Armed Forces and the role they are to play within the nations and that they are well equipped and provided for in their ongoing duties of peace keeping.

 * I am running at the federal level because I am more familiar with the way the federal government works and as a past employee on many levels I am familiar with its inner workings. I am running in Dartmouth/Cole Harbour because it is where I live and pastor a church and drive a school bus.

'''Previous to this campaign, have you been politically involved? How will you apply your previous work/volunteer/life experience to serving your constituents?'''
 * I have never been politically involved other than being a member of a political party. I believe that my past 45 years wok experience in many professions and areas of volunteering has given me much wisdom and insight to the struggles and needs of the majority of hard working Canadians. I can also identify with their everyday needs whether at home, at work or in school.

'''As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding?'''
 * The three top issues that I have encountered are:
 * The economy (high prices of basic needs)
 * Not having any candidate or M.P. meet personally to talk about issues
 * Our troops in Afghanistan

 * I believe our party's platform completely outlines our attack on the economy and the answers to providing a relief from much of the economic pressures suffered by Canadians. One being the change to the income tax structure.

 * In reference to a one on one with peoples representatives in Ottawa, periodic mail outs are good by does not answer questions and concerns. As a representative of the people in my riding I would hold a quarterly town hall meeting in various locations in the riding to be available to the people.

 * In regards to our troops, I believe Canada has long been regarded as a peace keeping nation by the world and we need to return to our profile as first and foremost peace keepers but also be ready to defend those who are persecuted due to racial or ethnic origins and who suffer because of war.

Is there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform?
 * I believe that there are no misconceptions about myself, I am who I declare I am and hold dearly to my personal convictions as I also believe our leader does and, our party and platform.

'''There are more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience?'''
 * From my experience, the best way to get the message out is through word of mouth.


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Talk:New study claims Stonehenge was a place of healing

If a large number of injured corpses in an area makes it a place of healing, Agincourt must have been a place of healing, as well. As the article provides no evidence that could not be interpreted that Stonehenge was a place of either battle or where humans were sacrificed, I'm going to rename the article. Jade Knight (talk) 04:20, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

 * "claimed to have found evidence that" . This piece was about evidence they found, not a study that was conducted.  I can find evidence of a person living in my house, there is no "study" involved in that proccess.  If you wanted to rename it to say "New evidence suggests Stonehenge might have been a place of healing" - that would have made more sense.  This new title does not. -- Shakata Ga Nai  ^_^ 04:27, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

 * But that fact of the matter is that the new evidence does not suggest that it was a place of healing; that is pure speculation on the part of the authors. Jade Knight (talk) 00:10, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

Typo
editprotected "Independant" => "Independent" Van der Hoorn (talk) 12:04, 24 March 2009 (UTC)
 * ✅ --SVTCobra 22:09, 2 April 2009 (UTC)


text: Talk:Nine children abandoned at hospital emergency room in Nebraska, USA


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Customize this infobox .

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Talk:CanadaVOTES: NDP candidate Don Davies running in Vancouver Kingsway

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Your name: Don Davies Political party: New Democratic Party (NDP) Riding: Vancouver Kingsway

Why are you running for political office, why at the federal level, why this party, and why in this riding?

=
I'm running for office as I believe that I have the necessary commitment to my community and country, that I have the integrity to remain true to the ideals and values that I believe in and am presenting to the constituents, and the proven ability to work hard and effectively for what is right.

I'm running at the federal level, as these are the issues that most interest me, and where I have acquired the most experience from my professional career as a lawyer. I also believe that the federal government plays a critical role in making our community stronger.

I'm running for the New Democrats as they are the party that represent my values; the party that works for the rest of us and not just the elite, the party that best protects the most marginalized in our society, and the party that will best protect our healthcare system, our environment, our affordable housing, and the many other things that matter most to us.

Previous to this campaign, have you been politically involved? How will you apply your previous work/volunteer/life experience to serving your constituents?

=
I first became interested in politics in my university days, where I was heavily involved in student politics. I have been a member of the NDP for over 20 years. I worked in the Alberta legislature as a researcher and then executive assistant to the Leader of the Official Opposition at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, where I gained essential experience in the legal needs of the business community as well as in government, writing legislation, analyzing budgets and developing sound public policy. I am currently the Chair of the Parent Advisory Council at Mount Pleasant school and a Director of the Meridian Cultural Society, a non-profit group that provides community space for daycare, church and refugee respite services.

My professional career as a labour relations lawyer is directly applicable to serving the needs of the constituents; dealing as it does with human rights, and the safety and security of working people and their families. I have won hundreds of cases, protected thousands of jobs and returned millions of dollars to working people and their families. I have also worked with many businesses to establish positive labour relations and served on many public bodies ranging from transportation policy to regulatory reform. This experience will serve me well as I address constituents' issues such as CPP, EI, visas and other immigration issues, business and community grants, and many others. I am already proven to have the experience and ability to get results for my constituents.

As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding? What would you and your party do to address these issues?

=
The three topics that people are raising with me are:

affordability - the rising costs of living, housing, energy, university tuition, etc coupled with little or no increase in real wages is making it hard for the typical constituent to make ends meet.

healthcare - particularly around the cost of prescriptions, care of the elderly, increasing privatization, etc

childcare, education, environment, transit - okay that makes more than three issues in total, but theses are all critical and interrelated. If we want to give people the option of not driving their cars for work and shopping we must provide an affordable and usable transit system. And of course there is no point in addressing any of these issues if we have already destroyed our environment.

I would be a strong voice in Ottawa for all of these concerns, using the solid NDP platform as the base from which to amplify the voice of the constituency of Vancouver Kingsway.

The NDP would reverse some of the $50 billion in corporate tax cuts brought in under the Conservative government. Jack Layton's plan to move Canada forward starts with protecting good jobs and fostering new ones in a new energy economy. This is a plan for change that tackles the growing gap between the rich and the rest — with policies that'll help families like ours make ends meet.

The NDP has already launched a plan to phase in universal prescription drug coverage to protect today's families from soaring costs — including measures to reduce drug costs at source. The NDP have exposed and challenged Harper's failure to stop US-style privatization — calling for reliable federal funding linked to provincial commitments not to subsidize the expansion of for-profit care. Jack Layton has consistently advocated more long-term care spaces and expanded home care coverage — to offer seniors dignity in their later years and take pressure off scarce hospital beds.

The NDP would invest $1.45 billion in a national child-care network from coast to coast. Jack Layton noted that "[e]very day, families across our country struggle to find good quality child care they can afford. You shouldn't have to worry about whether your child is going to be safe and get good care…" The NDP would offer provinces and territories a binding commitment to stable, long-term funding for post-secondary education through a dedicated transfer, in return for an equally binding commitment to better access and lower tuition fees.

The NDP would create a cap and trade system to help combat global warming, which would ensure "that big polluters pay their fair share, and it makes it possible for more people to afford green solutions," explained Jack Layton.

The NDP plan to dedicate one cent a litre of the federal gas tax to transit would mean $100 million for Vancouver transit over four year and Vancouver's share of the transit revenue from our cap-and-trade plan would mean an additional $106 million over four years.

Are there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform?

=
The single most persistent misconception about our party is that it is fiscally irresponsible. However, a 2005 federal government report (http://www.fin.gc.ca/frt/2005/frt05_e.pdf) shows that NDP governments have the best fiscal track-record among all parties, balancing the books more than twice as often than Liberal governments. Manitoba's NDP government has posed surpluses every year it has been in office and Saskatchewan's NDP government posted 11 consecutive balanced budgets after ending a decade of Conservative mismanagement and corruption.

There's a more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience?

=
Both the "traditional" and the new media approaches are essential in any modern campaign.

Leafleting and lawn signs are effective at getting out your message, while phoning and knocking on doors is essential if you want to identify your supporters. However, these approaches are costly and/or time consuming relative to the new media.

A website is absolutely essential to allow people to check out, on their own initiative, your background, your stand on the issues, and how to contact you. It also allows for people easily to ask questions, donate, or get involved in the campaign.

Other tools, such as YouTube, Facebook, twitter, etc, have also entered the mainstream. They provide a relatively inexpensive method of reaching the digerati and online supporters, and often provide an opportunity for feedback. The new media may let you measure how many people are receiving your message, but they do not yet track what impact that actually has on their opinions and voting decisions. Web 3.0, perhaps? - Show quoted text -


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CanadaVOTES: NDP candidate Don Davies running in Vancouver Kingsway

September 26, 2008

On October 14, 2008, Canadians will be heading to the polls for the federal election. New Democratic Party candidate Don Davies is standing for election in the riding of Vancouver Kingsway.

A lawyer, he has spent the last 25 years fighting for human rights. A two-time student government representative, Davies was involved in the anti-apartheid, third world and peace movements. Admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1989, Davies and family moved to Vancouver in 1991, where he became the Director of Legal Resources for Teamsters Canada (Local 31), the next year. He is a long-time volunteer for children's charity Variety, is Chair of the Parent Advisory Council at Mount Pleasant school, and a Director of the Meridian Cultural Society, among other things.

Wikinews contacted Don Davies, to talk about the issues facing Canadians, and what they and their party would do to address them. Wikinews is in the process of contacting every candidate, in every riding across the country, no matter their political stripe. All interviews are conducted over e-mail, and interviews are published unedited, allowing candidates to impart their full message to our readers, uninterrupted.

The riding is vacant, after Conservative Minister of International Trade David Emerson's resignation. Emerson was elected in 2004 as a Liberal, serving as the Minister of Industry. Two weeks after re-election in 2006, he crossed the floor to join then-new Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who had won a minority government. Emerson was the first MP in Canadian history to cross the floor before a new government was sworn in. He has stepped down, after pressure from other parties.

Besides Davies, major party candidates include Liberal Wendy Yuan, Conservative Salomon Rayek, and Green Doug Warkentin. Also putting their hat in the ring are Matt Kadioglu (Libertarian), Kimball Cariou (Communist), and Donna Peterson (Marxist-Leninist).

For more information, visit the campaign's official website, listed below.

This Saturday at 11 am, Davies will host NDP leader Jack Layton in the Commodore Ballroom at "rally4change".

Interview
Why are you running for political office, why at the federal level, why this party, and why in this riding?

 * I'm running for office as I believe that I have the necessary commitment to my community and country, that I have the integrity to remain true to the ideals and values that I believe in and am presenting to the constituents, and the proven ability to work hard and effectively for what is right.

 * I'm running at the federal level, as these are the issues that most interest me, and where I have acquired the most experience from my professional career as a lawyer. I also believe that the federal government plays a critical role in making our community stronger.

 * I'm running for the New Democrats as they are the party that represent my values; the party that works for the rest of us and not just the elite, the party that best protects the most marginalized in our society, and the party that will best protect our healthcare system, our environment, our affordable housing, and the many other things that matter most to us.

'''Previous to this campaign, have you been politically involved? How will you apply your previous work/volunteer/life experience to serving your constituents?'''
 * I first became interested in politics in my university days, where I was heavily involved in student politics. I have been a member of the NDP for over 20 years. I worked in the Alberta legislature as a researcher and then executive assistant to the Leader of the Official Opposition at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, where I gained essential experience in the legal needs of the business community as well as in government, writing legislation, analyzing budgets and developing sound public policy. I am currently the Chair of the Parent Advisory Council at Mount Pleasant school and a Director of the Meridian Cultural Society, a non-profit group that provides community space for daycare, church and refugee respite services.

 * My professional career as a labour relations lawyer is directly applicable to serving the needs of the constituents; dealing as it does with human rights, and the safety and security of working people and their families. I have won hundreds of cases, protected thousands of jobs and returned millions of dollars to working people and their families. I have also worked with many businesses to establish positive labour relations and served on many public bodies ranging from transportation policy to regulatory reform. This experience will serve me well as I address constituents' issues such as CPP, EI, visas and other immigration issues, business and community grants, and many others. I am already proven to have the experience and ability to get results for my constituents.

'''As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding? What would you and your party do to address these issues?'''

 * The three topics that people are raising with me are:

 * affordability - the rising costs of living, housing, energy, university tuition, etc coupled with little or no increase in real wages is making it hard for the typical constituent to make ends meet.

 * healthcare - particularly around the cost of prescriptions, care of the elderly, increasing privatization, etc

 * childcare, education, environment, transit - okay that makes more than three issues in total, but theses are all critical and interrelated. If we want to give people the option of not driving their cars for work and shopping we must provide an affordable and usable transit system. And of course there is no point in addressing any of these issues if we have already destroyed our environment.

 * I would be a strong voice in Ottawa for all of these concerns, using the solid NDP platform as the base from which to amplify the voice of the constituency of Vancouver Kingsway.

 * The NDP would reverse some of the $50 billion in corporate tax cuts brought in under the Conservative government. Jack Layton's plan to move Canada forward starts with protecting good jobs and fostering new ones in a new energy economy. This is a plan for change that tackles the growing gap between the rich and the rest — with policies that'll help families like ours make ends meet.

 * The NDP has already launched a plan to phase in universal prescription drug coverage to protect today's families from soaring costs — including measures to reduce drug costs at source. The NDP have exposed and challenged Harper's failure to stop US-style privatization — calling for reliable federal funding linked to provincial commitments not to subsidize the expansion of for-profit care. Jack Layton has consistently advocated more long-term care spaces and expanded home care coverage — to offer seniors dignity in their later years and take pressure off scarce hospital beds.

 * The NDP would invest $1.45 billion in a national child-care network from coast to coast. Jack Layton noted that "[e]very day, families across our country struggle to find good quality child care they can afford. You shouldn't have to worry about whether your child is going to be safe and get good care…" The NDP would offer provinces and territories a binding commitment to stable, long-term funding for post-secondary education through a dedicated transfer, in return for an equally binding commitment to better access and lower tuition fees.

 * The NDP would create a cap and trade system to help combat global warming, which would ensure "that big polluters pay their fair share, and it makes it possible for more people to afford green solutions," explained Jack Layton.

 * The NDP plan to dedicate one cent a litre of the federal gas tax to transit would mean $100 million for Vancouver transit over four year and Vancouver's share of the transit revenue from our cap-and-trade plan would mean an additional $106 million over four years.

Are there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform?
 * The single most persistent misconception about our party is that it is fiscally irresponsible. However, a 2005 federal government report shows that NDP governments have the best fiscal track-record among all parties, balancing the books more than twice as often than Liberal governments. Manitoba's NDP government has posed surpluses every year it has been in office and Saskatchewan's NDP government posted 11 consecutive balanced budgets after ending a decade of Conservative mismanagement and corruption.

'''There's a more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience?'''
 * Both the "traditional" and the new media approaches are essential in any modern campaign.

 * Leafleting and lawn signs are effective at getting out your message, while phoning and knocking on doors is essential if you want to identify your supporters. However, these approaches are costly and/or time consuming relative to the new media.

 * A website is absolutely essential to allow people to check out, on their own initiative, your background, your stand on the issues, and how to contact you. It also allows for people easily to ask questions, donate, or get involved in the campaign.

 * Other tools, such as YouTube, Facebook, twitter, etc, have also entered the mainstream. They provide a relatively inexpensive method of reaching the digerati and online supporters, and often provide an opportunity for feedback.

 * The new media may let you measure how many people are receiving your message, but they do not yet track what impact that actually has on their opinions and voting decisions. Web 3.0, perhaps?


text:
CanadaVOTES: NDP incumbent Wayne Marston running in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek

September 25, 2008

On October 14, 2008, Canadians will be heading to the polls for the federal election. New Democratic Party incumbent Wayne Marston is standing for re-election in the riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek.

Marston ran in the former federal riding Hamilton East three times, in 1993 and 1997 election and 1996 by-election, losing to prominent Liberal Shelia Copps. Prior to his winning election campaign in 2006, Marston was President of the Hamilton and District Labour Council, serving for 11 years. He was also a School Board Trustee (Ward 5) for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board from 2000 to 2006.

Wikinews contacted Wayne, to talk about the issues facing Canadians, and what they and their party would do to address them. Wikinews is in the process of contacting every candidate, in every riding across the country, no matter their political stripe. All interviews are conducted over e-mail, and interviews are published unedited, allowing candidates to impart their full message to our readers, uninterrupted.

This riding consists of the part of the Hamilton lying north of the Niagara Escarpment and east of Ottawa Street. It was formed in 2003 from parts of the old ridings Hamilton East and Stoney Creek. Wanting to take Marston's seat from his are Liberal Larry Di Ianni, Green David William Hart Dyke, and Conservative Frank Rukavina. A candidate from the newly formed Progressive Canadian party, Gord Hill, as well as independent Sam Cino are also running.

For more information, visit the campaign's official website, listed below.

Interview
Why did you choose to run for office, and why do you wish to continue as an MP?

 * Forty years ago, I moved to Hamilton. I've lived and worked there ever since. I quickly became involved in the union and held many positions over the years.  In 1995 I retired from Bell Canada and served as the President of the Hamilton and District Labour Council for 11 years.

 * During this time, we saw growth and then we saw the loss of good paying manufacturing jobs. This scarred our community.  Hamilton is a city that has so much potential. Unfortunately, we saw the loss of thousands of good paying that could have supported a family; and no one stepped up to help us.

 * I wanted to give something back to this amazing community which has helped me raise my children and grandchildren, so in 2000, I decided to get involved in politics. I realized that our families needed more than empty promises from their elected representatives.

 * This led me to run in 2006 as the NDP's candidate in the federal election.

 * I have strived to ensure that my office works for its community, cares and brings fairness and honesty to Canadians.

 * In 2006, I didn't run to become the typical politician who leaves for Ottawa and forgets about the people and organizations that elected them; or the politician who uses this position for their own gain; that's not what this community needs or deserves.

 * As an MP, I will continue to fight for the issues that are important to Canadian families, to ensure that my neighbours are getting the help they need from their government.

'''Are you satisfied with your time as MP? What would be the biggest highlights of the roughly two years since the last election?'''

 * I am proud of the issues that I have been able to address in the House of Commons and in my community. I seconded Jack Layton's Environmental Protection Bill which tackles climate change and sets measurable targets to reduce carbon emissions every year.  I introduced a bill on Amateur Sport Financing to give athletes a helping hand and worked on the Subcommittee on International Human Rights to address abuses such as the case of Omar Khadr, Huseyincan Celil and Japanese Comfort Women.

 * In Hamilton, I have worked to help families with CPP, EI, Immigration and Revenue Canada issues, had funding restored to local youth programmes through Canada Summer Jobs, helped eligible constituents collect over $750,000 through the Disability Tax Credit and hosted seminars to help people apply, co-hosted a public forum to raise awareness for Turtle Ponds, the environmentally sensitive wetlands, started a petition and postcard campaign in support of Billy Mason's family and demanded that the Conservative Government establish a National DNA Databank for Missing Persons, ensured that the entire Pakistan Team could attend the 2008 World Kabaddi Tournament held in Hamilton this August

 * The biggest disappointment? It is difficult to be in opposition and watch the Conservative Government and the supporting Liberal Opposition push through legislation that actively works against ordinary Canadians. People elect a representative to help them, not hurt them.

'''As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding? What would you and your party do to address these issues?'''

 * I have heard from a lot of people that their big concerns are the economy, health care and the environment.

Is there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform?
 * I think the biggest wall the NDP comes up against is that people are disenfranchised from politics because Conservatives and Liberals claim "The NDP has no chance of forming a government, so don't waste your vote on them." However, in the last two elections, 1.5 million more Canadians voted NDP - more than doubling the NDP's representation in the House of Commons. Liberals on the other hand, have lost almost 800,000 votes and over 40% of their caucus. A vote for the NDP elects an NDP MP.  People said the NDP could never win in a Liberal stronghold in Montreal, but in September 2007, that's exactly what we did with Thomas Mulcair in Outremont.

'''There are more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience?'''
 * We are so pleased that these new and accessible forms of media are making waves in the traditional campaign strategies. They provide information to so many more people than we could reach by phone or foot and it reaches out to a greater number of young voters.  We have a website, a Facebook page, I've just finished taping a video that we will be putting up on YouTube and of course the NDP has launched a new multimedia site called the "Orange Room" which features the NDP's videos, pictures from the campaign trail, applications for facebook pages, blogging tools and links to the latest news about the NDP.  It is definitely a medium that we are plugged into.


text:
Talk:CanadaVOTES: NDP incumbent Wayne Marston running in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek

RAW TEXT
Thank you very much for this opportunity.

Your name: Wayne Marston Political party: New Democratic Party of Canada Riding: Hamilton East - Stoney Creek

Incumbents: Why did you choose to run for office, and why do you wish to continue as an MP?

Forty years ago, I moved to Hamilton. I've lived and worked there ever since. I quickly became involved in the union and held many positions over the years. In 1995 I retired from Bell Canada and served as the President of the Hamilton and District Labour Council for 11 years.

During this time, we saw growth and then we saw the loss of good paying manufacturing jobs. This scarred our community. Hamilton is a city that has so much potential. Unfortunately, we saw the loss of thousands of good paying that could have supported a family; and no one stepped up to help us.

I wanted to give something back to this amazing community which has helped me raise my children and grandchildren, so in 2000, I decided to get involved in politics. I realized that our families needed more than empty promises from their elected representatives.

This led me to run in 2006 as the NDP's candidate in the federal election.

I have strived to ensure that my office works for its community, cares and brings fairness and honesty to Canadians.

In 2006, I didn't run to become the typical politician who leaves for Ottawa and forgets about the people and organizations that elected them; or the politician who uses this position for their own gain; that's not what this community needs or deserves.

As an MP, I will continue to fight for the issues that are important to Canadian families, to ensure that my neighbours are getting the help they need from their government.

Incumbents: Are you satisfied with your time as MP? What would be the biggest highlights of the roughly two years since the last election?

I am proud of the issues that I have been able to address in the House of Commons and in my community. I seconded Jack Layton's Environmental Protection Bill which tackles climate change and sets measurable targets to reduce carbon emissions every year. I introduced a bill on Amateur Sport Financing to give athletes a helping hand and worked on the Subcommittee on International Human Rights to address abuses such as the case of Omar Khadr, Huseyincan Celil and Japanese Comfort Women.

In Hamilton, I have worked to help families with CPP, EI, Immigration and Revenue Canada issues, had funding restored to local youth programmes through Canada Summer Jobs, helped eligible constituents collect over $750,000 through the Disability Tax Credit and hosted seminars to help people apply, co-hosted a public forum to raise awareness for Turtle Ponds, the environmentally sensitive wetlands, started a petition and postcard campaign in support of Billy Mason's family and demanded that the Conservative Government establish a National DNA Databank for Missing Persons, ensured that the entire Pakistan Team could attend the 2008 World Kabaddi Tournament held in Hamilton this August

The biggest disappointment? It is difficult to be in opposition and watch the Conservative Government and the supporting Liberal Opposition push through legislation that actively works against ordinary Canadians. People elect a representative to help them, not hurt them.

As you campaign around your riding, it's likely that some issues are mentioned more often by voters, than other issues. What would you say are the three hottest topics this election, in your riding? What would you and your party do to address these issues?

I have heard from a lot of people that their big concerns are the economy, health care and the environment.

Is there any misconceptions about you, your leader, or your party and platform? I think the biggest wall the NDP comes up against is that people are disenfranchised from politics because Conservatives and Liberals claim "The NDP has no chance of forming a government, so don't waste your vote on them." However, in the last two elections, 1.5 million more Canadians voted NDP - more than doubling the NDP's representation in the House of Commons. Liberals on the other hand, have lost almost 800,000 votes and over 40% of their caucus. A vote for the NDP elects an NDP MP. People said the NDP could never win in a Liberal stronghold in Montreal, but in September 2007, that's exactly what we did with Thomas Mulcair in Outremont.

There's a more ways than ever to get your message out, from the traditional campaign fliers and lawn signs, to new media like websites, Facebook, and YouTube. The tried-and-true routes get the message out to the masses much easier, but digital alternatives are much more measurable in how many are seeing or interacting with your campaign. What seems to be the most effective, from your experience?

We are so pleased that these new and accessible forms of media are making waves in the traditional campaign strategies. They provide information to so many more people than we could reach by phone or foot and it reaches out to a greater number of young voters. We have a website, a facbook page, I've just finished taping a video that we will be putting up on YouTube and of course the NDP has launched a new multimedia site called the "Orange Room" which features the NDP's videos, pictures from the campaign trail, applications for facebook pages, blogging tools and links to the latest news about the NDP. It is definitely a medium that we are plugged into.


text:
User talk:24.15.89.68

Welcome
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If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 19:43, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Note
Hi ,

I really appreciate your edit here but unfortunately I had to revert it per Wikinews' archiving policy as the edit was made over two days after the publication of the article.

Don't worry, this is an easy mistake to make, as other projects like Wikipedia do not have this policy.

Thanks for taking the time to edit Wikinews,

Anonymous101talk 20:23, 12 October 2008 (UTC)

title: User talk:24.15.89.68


text:
User talk:208.127.248.166

Welcome
Welcome!

208.127.248.166, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews:
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Style guide - how articles should look before publishing
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Here are some other hints and tips:

 * I would recommend that you get a username. You don't have to log in to read or edit articles on Wikinews, but creating an account is quick, free and non-intrusive, requires no personal information (not even an e-mail address), and there are many benefits of having a username.  (If you edit without a username, your IP address is used to identify you instead.)

 * When using talk pages (the "collaboration" tab at the top of the page), or the comments pages (tab "opinions"), please sign your name at the end of your messages by typing four tildes (~~). This will automatically produce your username (or IP address) and the date.

If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 19:44, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

title: User talk:208.127.248.166