Final Election Results

Here are the result of the Ottawa West Nepean race:

Polls In: 287/287

Candidates		Total Votes
Bob Chiarelli	41.6%	18,492
Randall Denley	39.3%	17,483
Wendy Byrne	14.8%	6,578
Alex Hill	3.3%	1,485
John Pacheco	0.9%	396

I want to thank all of my campaign supporters and donors.  Results are lower than we were hoping for, but during an election where the economy is the number one issue, smaller parties like the FCP suffer.  That's been my experience.

The FCP will continue to highlight and promote principles and policies which help support the natural family.

John Pacheco

FCP Candidate

Ottawa West Nepean

Metro Article on Smaller Parties

...John Pacheco, running in Ottawa West-Nepean, is one of three Family Coalition Party candidates in Ottawa.

“Our approach is to look at everything through the lens of the family,” said Pacheco. That includes taxation, education and “respect for human life.”

“The big drawback from smaller parties like ours is that you’ll find voters, even people who are conservatively minded, say ‘It’s a wasted vote,’” he said. If people voted their principles, instead of strategically, it would impact the policies of the mainstream parties, he said.... (Source)

The State Does Not Grant Children’s Well-Being

"Children do not derive their psychosocial and emotional well-being from legal rights granted to them by the state. Rather, a child's well-being is optimally nurtured within a stable family setting with parents who are loving, affirming, protective, directive, and committed to one another. It is true that the state can augment such a setting, but well-being must first begin within the home." (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Ontario Deserves Better

Which brings us to Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak. We wanted to endorse him today.

From the start of this campaign we waited for him to come out swinging against big government, high taxes, runaway debt and greedy public sector unions.

But his platform — while better than his opponents — is not the robust, fiscally conservative agenda Ontario needs in these difficult economic times. It fails to curb provincial deficits or balance our budget until 2017/18, mimics McGuinty polices we can’t afford, like all-day kindergarten, and increases health care and other spending.

That’s why we are not endorsing any of the three party platforms. (Source)

 If the Toronto Sun's editorial is reflective of the mood in the general population, non-establisment political parties like the FCP might stand to do better than in the past this election.

Forcing Liberal Agenda on Kids

Pope Benedict XVI on what the principal focus should be for Catholic voters

Details here.

Vote outside the box: Pacheco

It’s time for Ontario to return to traditional family values, said John Pacheco, Family Coalition Party candidate for Ottawa West-Nepean.  Ontario families need support from the government to cover the costs of child care, at-home care for seniors and private education or home schooling, said the 42-year-old Ottawa accountant. “I believe we need an alternative voice in the province – that’s why I’m running with the Family Coalition Party, because I agree with its principles,” said Pacheco. “It’s important for family issues to front and centre in any policy we put forward to the public.”
...
Many of Ontario’s problems stem from having an aging population with a low birth rate, leaving the province without enough young people to enter the workforce to provide tax revenues to sustain seniors’ benefits.
“It’s what I call a culture of death,” said Pacheco. “All of this is in part because of our reticence of the government to not promote strong family values.”
...
“If (voters) want a real change, then they need to send a message real change, and that’s to vote outside the box,” said Pacheco.

Read the entire article here.

Correction to EMC Report

In a report on my candidacy, EMC falsely reported the following:

"Married to Lara for 5 years, Pacheco has four daughters who range in age from 5 to 13."

I have been married for 15 years not 5.  Readers may wish to notice the significance of the error.  I have contacted the paper and have requested a correction.

My Remarks at Last Night's Community Forum, Sponsored by Pinecrest-Queensway Community

Campaign Ad #4 - Pro Life

Click here to listen to all of our ads.

Campaign Ad #3 - Education

Listen to the first three Ads here.

Stop the Corruption of our Children

Being Pro-Life in Pro-Abort jurisdictions is not necessarily a lost cause.

If it can happen in Finland, it can happen here in Ontario.

"As MPP, what model of health care would you support to best serve the Province  which includes a large number of seniors in need of care as well as new families moving to the area looking for doctors in the community?"

The Family Coalition Party believes that seniors should be at home or with family, not in institutions.

Yet a recent report on the Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN’s) by Dr. David Walker says that the Ontario health system prefers to place seniors in nursing homes. He says the lack of rehabilitation and home care options for seniors leads to more frequent hospital admissions. When in hospital, the lack of rehabilitation means seniors stay longer, block hospital beds and surgeries for patients who need them, absorb huge medical resources inappropriately, and get sicker so that eventually they do need to be placed in nursing homes. He says seniors and families should have more care and rehabilitation options open to them reflecting the level of care they need; home should always be first choice; but other non-hospital options need to be opened up as well. He says primary care physicians (family doctors) should be more available to maintain seniors and their families at home, and forestall crises that lead to placement in facilities.

We agree with these solutions. But this is not a new problem, it has existed for decades. My question is, why have the LHIN’s, in their six years of existence, costing vast amounts of scarce budget ($300 million this year) not moved to solve this problem already? Instead they have closed hospitals and Emergency Departments, which may have contributed to the death of a 13 year old girl in Niagara Region recently. Hamilton now has only two ER’s, both in the East End of the City, leaving Flamborough and adjacent areas with long trips through downtown Hamilton.

FCP believes that the problem is that the health care system is stuck and cannot break out of old habits. The LHIN’s are part of this, and are immobilized by lack of ideas, certainly, but also by entrenched bureaucratic and deferential ways of operating.

St. Joe’s in Hamilton recently employed Toyota workflow experts to reorganize their ER, which at the time was working very ineffectively. Toyota did a great job, and now the work gets done efficiently and staff are enthusiastic and work as an effective team. The initiative was led by the CEO of St. Joe’s, Dr Kevin Smith, but the operational design and implementation was all Toyota.

FCP believes that the LHIN’s should be disbanded and replaced by new organizations with new ideas. They should be led by innovative health system experts, accountable to the community, but who are willing to expand “outside the box” to employ new ideas and organizational designs to save money and increase effectiveness, as was done at St Joe’s. The redesign there was on a smaller scale but used principles and methodologies developed in the private sector to address the very problems encountered in the complex health care sector.

What Dalton Did

Received by e-mail:

PLEASE READ, PASS ON AND REMEMBER NEXT ELECTION....

• Here is what our Premier has done for Ontario in the past seven years.
  Remember...he had a no tax increase election message/campaign.
• He has increased all the licensing fees from your car to your boat including fishing and hunting.
• He introduced the health care premium (not called a tax) and some couples pay as much as $1,500.00 a year.
• He has put an ECO tax on many containers such as paint cans and window washer fluid.  And people still don't realize it until they see the bill - he kept that one real quiet.
• He put a disposal tax on all electronics..when you purchase new ones...so true..
• He put the disposal tax back on tires.
• And now he has passed the HST tax - the largest tax on the province ever and the only other tax in Ontario that ever came close to this in the past was the health care premium. He passed this bill even though 76% of the people in Ontario were against it.This HST will provide the Province with an additional THREE BILLION dollars a year.
• Then on July 15th, we all got our S.M.A.R.T. Meters on which we have to pay perpetual rent and will end up doing our laundry in the middle of the night. We are also going to pay big time for air conditioning from now on because when we need it the most it will be in the prime time of usage.
• Let us not forget the E-health scandal with 1.2 billion dollars wasted and paid out to friends and relatives. What was Mr. McGuinty's answer to this? ?Well, if the people of Ontario don't like it, they can show it in the next election.? Nice attitude. This after he fired the CEO and then gave her a severance package of $300,000 - not bad for only being on the job for seven months.
• And what about the SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS windmill power plant contract that he awarded to KOREA ? One would think there was some place in Canada or North America that could have built these.
• He also closed the emergency rooms in Port Colbourne and Fort Erie because there is not enough money. There have been two deaths since then because by the time they got to St. Catharine's it was too late.But he then awards a hospital in Toronto three million dollars - of course, that was in the riding where there just happens to be a by-election to replace George Smitherman!
• He has taken the richest most prosperous province in Canada down to one of the 'Have-Nots' and, over the past six & one half years, has increased the budget deficit from $5.6 Billion dollars to TWENTY SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS and he still has a half to go.
  And don’t forget his nice little salary increase of $40,000.00 a year - millions of people in the province don't earn even half of that.
• Have we forgotten all the MP'S who also got a 14% increase? And now that they've had their increases he comes out with a new budget to freeze all provincial employees wages for two years - a bit late don't you think.
• He increased the hydro tax by 10% in April of 2010.
• He has increased the tax on liquor and wine by 10% in May of 2010.
•  Also, do not forget that Dalton wanted to built a 900MW Gas Fired power plant less than 1km from homes and schools in Oakville. After wasting millions to try and push this through and blaming it all on his policy of defeating NIMBY attitudes, the power plant was suddenly cancelled. By a miracle yet to be properly explained, Ontario suddenly had an energy surplus and no longer needed the plant.

 

But, Mr. McGuinty will retire with his nice comfortable pension and all his benefits paid.   I hope this gets passed around the province of Ontario and everybody remembers the way we got screwed by Mr. McGuinty and the Liberal party and - remember - not one Liberal MPP had enough guts to vote against any of the above.

Wake up Ontario!! 

And all pensioners got no raise at all over the past 18 months!!!!!

PS// He also is going to award companies  $10,000.00 tax credits  to hire immigrants..PLUS..consider the $30 million program to subsidize tuition for foreign students. 

Radio Spot Ads

The following ads will run on CFRA 580 Talk Radio from Monday Sep.26 to Tues. Oct. 4.  The frequency will be four times a day around the traffic reports.

Ad #1


Ad #2

The Miracle of Life

Environmental Farm Plan Program

“How will you work to establish a fair system that recognizes agriculture's contribution to ecological services that all Ontarians enjoy, thereby reducing costs to farmers for their investment in best management practices that provide these services? And, will you commit to ensuring, where needed
that ecological services are paid for by public funds?"

The Family Coalition Party understands that Ontario farms are critical to nourishment of Ontario’s people. We support the family farm, and want to keep farmers free of any irrelevant regulation and red tape. We endorse regulatory tiering (i.e., irrelevant regulation should not apply) and self-management of farm ecological practices. Our Party also understands that there is a public benefit from good ecological management, and so farmers should not be expected to absorb all the costs of their environmental efforts.

This candidate endorses the current Environmental Farm Plan Program (EFP) administered jointly by the federal and provincial governments under the Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program. The EFP provides educational tools, and pays back to farmers some of the costs of developing and implementing a Best Practices Management Plan (BMP).

However, currently not all farmers who apply can gain access to the payment plan because these funds are administered annually on a first come first served basis until they run out. I would work with the federal government to expand the program so that more farmers have access each year, and so that the amounts available increase.


Farmers have demonstrated that they are willing and able to keep up with ecological Best Management Practices. By last year, 70% of farmers had completed an ecological plan to ensure that safe and healthy environmental practices are implemented on their farms. I commend their efforts and would advocate strongly for further expansion of the program and further benefits to farmers for their participation.

For the Natural Law

A breath of fresh air...clearing out the hot air that politicians normally breath.

The Pope warned the German lawmakers:

Where positivist reason considers itself the only sufficient culture and banishes all other cultural realities to the status of subcultures, it diminishes man, indeed it threatens his humanity. I say this with Europe specifically in mind…. with the result that Europe vis-à-vis other world cultures is left in a state of culturelessness and at the same time extremist and radical movements emerge to fill the vacuum.

The Family Coalition Party is the only Party in this election that rejects positivist political philosophy and embraces the Natural Law tradition.

A Vote of Influence

Back in 1990, I was the Chief Financial Officer for two campaigns in the Kingston area (city and township).  During the election, one candidate attracted close to 1500 votes (5.4% of the vote) and the other candidate received over 2,000 votes (6.9% of the vote). Several candidates received over 10% of the popular vote (the best was 13%).

Some time after that, I remember going to an FCP meeting where our leader at the time, Don Pennell, told those gathered that the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party had contacted him about getting together for a chat.  They indeed met and the PCs asked Don, "what it would take to make us (the FCP) to go away".  Don said that he proposed many policies and they didn't see a problem with any of them, except, of course, the abortion issue.

Why is this an important story?  It's important because it shows that if people were to just vote for their fundamental principles, instead of worrying about "wasting their vote", they actually can have more influence over the political establishment than they would otherwise have in just "settling" for the mainstream political parties and compromising their beliefs as well.

I can guarantee you that the FCP's vote would multiply ten-fold and more if the people who believe in what the FCP stands for would actually get out and vote that way.  And if that happened, we'd be getting another phone call from the Conservatives...or at the very least, they would have to start to adopt socially conservative policies if they wanted to pick up more our votes.

Therefore, far from wasting a vote with the Family Coalition Party, it's actually the exact opposite.  It's a vote that counts and it's a vote of influence.

But that's not true by voting for the Progressives conservatives:  if you vote PC, you're voting for the same kind of "conservatism" that we've had to endure for decades.  Nothing gets better. It just gets worse.

Therefore, don't waste your vote by being a "yes-man" to the social liberals of the Ontario PC Party. 

Invest in influencing them to change.  Vote FCP.

EMC Report on Campaign

...He believes present taxation laws discriminate against families who would prefer to have one spouse work only part-time or stay at home full-time and advocates for a transferable child care credit that follows the child. Pacheco is also campaigning for reformation of the public sector, reducing the deficit by a minimum of $2 billion a year, offering independent school choices to parents and supports policies allowing families to choose the care for their seniors that are best suited for their family situation.... (Source)

Liberal MPP ‘misspoke’ over carbon tax

A Liberal candidate’s carbon tax slip-up has the party fending off accusations that the Grits intend to bring in the same kind of tax that is adding more than a nickel to every litre of gasoline sold in British Columbia.

Brant MPP Dave Levac said twice during an online live chat with Toronto Sun sister paper, the Brantford Expositor, that the provincial Liberal government is reviewing the possibility of a carbon tax.

At the end of the chat and later in an official statement, the energy minister’s parliamentary assistant corrected himself, saying he confused “carbon tax” with a “cap and trade” system.
During a stop at a cereal company in Belleville Wednesday, Premier Dalton McGuinty said he has no intention of bringing in a carbon tax.

Even his cap and trade plan, which he believes would benefit Ontario, is likely years away and would not happen if it threatened the economy, he said.

“We can’t go there right now because we have no partners, no other people who want to engage in the trading system right now,” he said. “At the end of the day, if it’s not something that serves to benefit our economy, we’re not going to do it.”

B.C.’s highly controversial carbon tax is supposed to be revenue neutral, with all money returned to businesses and individuals in tax cuts.

A carbon tax is essentially a levy on greenhouse gas emissions, while a cap and trade system sets a gradually lowered limit on emissions and allows businesses that come in under that cap to sell their polluting room to other companies. 

Levac’s online comments were greeted with barely concealed glee by Progressive Conservatives, who have been accusing the Liberals of having a secret carbon tax scheme.

“I’ve known Dave Levac for over 10 years. We’re from different parties but I like Dave Levac,” PC Leader Tim Hudak said. “I think he’s just being honest — a little too honest for the McGuinty team. There’s no doubt that Liberals want to bring in a carbon tax.”
Hudak shrugged off Levac’s denials, saying McGuinty and the Liberals twice won election campaigning on a no-tax hike platform and twice went back on that pledge once in office.

And he pointed out Liberal cabinet ministers such as Glen Murray and John Wilkinson have spoken fondly of the carbon tax proposal in the past. 

“If they love the carbon tax so much and they have so many of these guys that are cheerleading for it, just be honest with people,” Hudak said. (Source)

Cap & Trade, Carbon Tax, Eco Tax...it's not about if McGuinty will tax us, but what he'll call it and how much he'll extort from Ontario Taxpayers.
And for what?  A failed Green Utopia?  Ontario's families deserve better than radical social and environmental engineering.

Wind Turbines Are A Disaster

From an FCP Supporter:

I attended a showing of the documentary film “Meredith, NY” in Blyth last night.  Excellent.  It basically tells us that the large wind turbine companies are coming into an area and they scout around, then offer people $5,000 to approve of a turbine on their property and “don’t tell the neighbors”.  Eventually, the neighbors find out that others have these contracts.  This pits neighbour against neighbour and the local municipal planning boards against their own citizens or vice versa.  Municipalities need money, but they really don’t get enough for even a new municipal pickup truck.  They showed the size of these turbines…… almost 500 feet high to the top blade tip.  Tip speed 178 mph.  How many buildings are there in Canada that tall?  Only 65 in all of Canada.  Imagine living on the 49^th floor?  The noise of the wind up there is huge. Noise levels are constantly changing and the harmonics of sound difficult to process. The low grade noise drives some people insane.

The concern that I saw visually was the flicker effect.  Picture reading the newspaper at the breakfast table, with a black shadow moving over the page constantly.  Picture eating food, with a shadow moving constantly over your food.  Doing dishes at the sink with shadow flicker, and the reflection  turning of the blades on the TV so you can’t play WII….  Until the sun changes direction and it comes from the other side of the house. 

I have spoken out forcefully against it ( Arthur and Alma) also because of the cost to install, and build them, they are not green.  They are trouble to remove after 10 -15 year lifespan, the large companies are being subsidized by our government – which is picking winners and losers… Think also of the green credits that a company such as Enbridge is getting from the installation of wind, which they can use to offset pollution elsewhere.  It is a negative industry too.  They burn, when struck by lightning, 500 feet up, they explode when malfunctioning, they throw ice in winter and its proven that bat lungs explode because of atmospheric pressure changes.  What about worms?  Land is too hard to work….  Shall I go on?  That’s enough ammunition for now….check out http://www.windconcernsontario.wordpress.com/  It is quite a concern in the rural areas…

Campaign Update

To Campaign Supporters:

Many thanks to all of you who have offered your moral, financial and spiritual support. It is most appreciated. I want to share with you some campaign developments which have transpsired thusfar.

1) Debates: In past campaigns at this point in the campaign period, I would have likely completed 2-3 debates by now. However, for some inexplicable reason in this campaign I have effectively been shut out of all the debates. There was a debate this past Monday at Algonquin College which I was not invited to. And there have been others too. Even Rogers TV did not invite me to the All-Candidate's debate this year, unlike the past campaigns. Instead, I received an offer to present a 2-minute platform statement, which I grudgingly accepted after I found out that I was not permitted to join the debate. Apparently, Rogers made the decision not to invite candidates whose Parties were not present in all of the 107 electoral districts in Ontario. I have discovered that other FCP and other smaller Party candidates are experiencing the same cold-shoulder in All-Candidates' debates across the province. It's very disturbing and it does not bode well for fair-play in the political arena. I do, however, have an invitation to attend a Community Health symposium next week.

The Rogers Debate for Ottawa West Nepean is scheduled to air tomorrow evening (Thurs. Sep. 22 @ 7PM on Channel 22). I won't be in it, of course, but my 2 minute platform presentation will be aired before or after the debate.

 2)  Signs: My campaign has focused on talking about all of the FCP's policies which have as their base, the natural family of father, mother and children. Almost all policies in an election have a "family angle" to them, and if they don't have a direct one, they have an indirect one.  So we're not just talking about abortion anymore, although we still are the only pro-life Party in the province, and, of course, we do raise the issue, but tactfully and within the appropriate context.  In line with this new approach, the campaign signs have a fresh, bright look which makes the other Parties' signs look stale and worn by comparison. I am very happy with how they turned out and the compliments which I have received confirm my own impression:

I have 20 of these 32X48 signs around Ottawa West Nepean along with 50 smaller lawn signs.

I do, however, still have a few of the old signs from the last campaign in strategic voting areas:

Needless to say, both the old and the new signs are still the most vandalized of all the candidates.  The vandals knock them down in broad daylight. We put them back up. And on and on it goes for the whole 30+ days of the campaign. Up. Down. Up. Down. It's quite a drama for the motorists, as they ask, "Are they up this morning or down?"  It's the best kind of advertising...because it's kind of a conversation.

3) Radio Ads: I intend to broadcast 30-second spot ads on CFRA in the coming week. The more money in donations the Campaign is able to secure, the more of the ads you will hear. So keep the money flowing! When the ad is ready to go, I'll be sure to post it here on the Campaign Blog.

Be sure to keep up to date with what's going on in the Campaign and the issues at my blog:

http://www.johnpacheco.ca/
Thank you all once again for your continued support!

John Pacheco
FCP Candidate
Ottawa West Nepean

My Rogers TV 2 Minute Platform Statement

Good Evening Everyone,

My name is John Pacheco. I am the Family Coalition Party Candidate in Ottawa West Nepean. 

The FCP believes in putting families at the forefront of all our policies.

·         Choice in Child Care which provides for child care tax credit for stay-at-home-parents or family members.

·         Tax Reduction by allowing married couples to split their income, allowing  young families the opportunity to have one parent remain home to raise and nurture their children.

·         Health Care Savings by reducing or eliminating non-essential costs which have more to do with sexual lifestyles and social engineering than they do legitimate health care.

·         Tax rebates for renovations of granny/grandpa suites on existing homes to accommodate for an aging family member which encourages families to care of their own.

To find out more about the Family Coalition Party of Ontario, I encourage you to visit my campaign website at johnpacheco.ca.

The FCP approaches the question of government policy always through the lens of what is best for the natural family.

It is the natural family which is the basic building block of our society, creating a personal, safe and loving environment for children, which then ensures the future prosperity of society.

No government social program or policy can make up for the adverse consequences of family breakdown.

Moreover, an aging population means higher labour costs, pension costs, and health care costs which are principally a result of a society which needs to recognize the necessity of larger families.

Simply put, family breakdown and fewer children is bankrupting us.  No government social or financial gimmick is going to fix what is a fundamental problem.

The best social and financial program going is the natural family not government .

On October 6, make your vote count and vote for the family. Vote FCP.

The Green Rain in Spain is a Pain

But today’s leaked document reveals that even the socialist Spanish government now acknowledges the ruinous effects of green economic policy.

Unsurprisingly for a governmental take on a flagship program, the report takes pains to minimize the extent of the economic harm. Yet despite the soft-pedaling, the document reveals exactly why electricity rates “necessarily skyrocketed” in Spain, as did the public debt needed to underwrite the disaster. This internal assessment preceded the Zapatero administration’s recent acknowledgment that the “green economy” stunt must be abandoned, lest the experiment risk Spain becoming Greece.

The government report does not expressly confirm the highest-profile finding of the non-governmental report: that Spain’s “green economy” program cost the country 2.2 jobs for every job “created” by the state. However, the figures published in the government document indicate they arrived at a job-loss number even worse than the 2.2 figure from the independent study. (Source)

Abortion leads to mental health problems

Depression. Alcohol abuse. Suicidal behaviors. These are a few of the mental health problems researchers are tying to abortion. In a meta-analysis published Friday in the British Journal of Psychiatry, 81 percent of females who had an abortion were found to be at an increased risk for mental health problems.

The study, "Abortion and Mental health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995-2009" by Priscilla Coleman, Ph.D., took into account 22 studies and over 877,000 participants over the 14-year period. 

"Dr. Coleman's research reveals the indisputable truth that abortion is bad for women's mental health. The fact that Coleman's study found 81 percent of women who have had an abortion to be at increased risk for significant mental health problems is proof of this. The study also reveals that as many as 10 percent of all mental health problems are directly attributable to abortion," says Jeanne Monahan, director of the Family Research Council's Center for Human Dignity.

With this information, Monahan says doctors now have a valid and unbiased synthesis of the current research available on the relationship between abortion and women's mental health. Because it is a meta-analysis the research is much more thorough and reliable than any other single study or review to date.

"Women need to know this information; they have the right to informed consent before choosing abortion," Monahan says. "Abortion not only takes the life of a baby but it often causes much emotional harm to the mother." CharismaNews 9/02/11

The Family Coalition Party is the only pro-life, pro-family political Party in Ontario.  It is the only Party to acknowledge the medical facts.  The other parties believe in false political propaganda and are subject to feminist ideology alone.

Affordable Housing

The FCP does have, within their policies, a plan for modular micro-homes. These pre-assembled units are very cost effective. Modules can be added during initial construction, or at a later date when needed.

It is important to address this, but at the same time we must ask where will the funds come from when we consider that provincial debt which is increasing at a rate of 59 million dollars per day just to service the debt costs), and it is our children who, as unregistered co-signers will be responsible for this.

One of the primary reasons for the lack of affordable housing is an increased need in supply due to family breakdown. According to Stats Canada single parent families are 12 times more likey to fall below the poverty line and be on social assistance.

As the demand for housing increases the demand for government dollars increases. Family Coalition Party is taking a long-term approach to the problem.

First of all, the increase family breakdown can, to some degree, be attributed to government policies that lead families to make decisions that are not necessarily in their best interests. We have policies designed to strengthen the family - empowering families to make decisions that are best for them. In addition we have incentives for families to engage in family finance courses, and marriage encounter seminars designed to build communication skills and relationship.

FCP Leader Phil Klees to be interviewed by Coren

Party Leader Phil Lees has been invited to an interview with TV personality Michael Coren. The show is going to be taped on Tuesday, September 20th at noon, and will be aired at a later date. Phil plans to share our new party vision and points from our platform that show our desire to build strong families in Ontario.

____________________

I will be doing a 2 minute taping at Rogers TV here in Ottawa on Wednesday.   Recording to be aired at a later date.

Response to Canadian Secular Alliance Questionnaire

Canadian Secular Alliance 2011, Ontario Election Questionnaire

By FCP Leader Phil Lees

1. Do you support saving the province a minimum of half a billion dollars every year by amalgamating the public and Catholic school systems into a single, secular taxpayer funded school system for each language?

No, I do not support a forced amalgamation of the secular and Catholic systems for the following reasons: 

1)      The amalgamation of school boards in the province during the Harris days did not lead to significant savings. There is little evidence that amalgamating Catholic and secular school systems will achieve significant savings.

2)      If the goal of an education system is academic achievement, the Catholic systems consistently perform above the secular public systems on the government standardized tests. Why would we close the system that performs well? We should  learn from it.

3)      The amount we spend on education has little to do with academic achievement – but parental choice does. Since 2003 spending on education has increased 53%, yet school populations have decreased. Spending more money on education has not lead to achievement, however, choice in education does.

Consider the research by Caroline Hoxby and the results of the Edmonton Public School board that proves that children in an environment that their parents value consistently perform better in school  (than in a one-size-fits-all education system). Further Hoxby and the Edmonton experience demonstrates that such choice actually results in lower education  costs. 

Before we talk about amalgamating to cut costs, we need to assess will this lead to increased achievement. Why cut a system that is doing well – learn from it.

If government’s first priority is for the education of all children. An important part of such interest must include ‘respect for the input of parents into the education environment they feel their children would learn best’. 

FCP supports the following options: 

a)  alternatives within the publicly funded systems that children would learn best within.  This could be based upon a certain teaching pedagogy (Montessori, traditional structured classroom environment, etc), a subject emphasis (arts, science, sports, etc.) that the child relates; etc.

b)  independent schools – Should a parent deem their child would learn best in such an environment and is willing to sacrifice financially for such, as a government we need to be committed to get the child to school.

c) home education environment – Long term, longitudinal studies demonstrate that children who are home schooled, generally do better in life than those who are educated in secular public, publicly-funded Catholic, or private schools.  If government’s first priority is achievement, then we must not discriminate against such choices and, at the very least, provide a tax benefit for the cost of materials incurred.

2. Is it acceptable to allow religious leaders of any denomination conduct prayer sessions on public school property during school hours?

The publicly-funded education system claims to operate from a neutral secular position. – not imposing any religious beliefs.  However secular humanism (the operating principle of school systems), takes the position that there is no spiritual being, no life after death, etc. Supreme Court of the United States in the Watkins case agrees that secular humanism is a religion.  A system that makes decisions that are consistent with only one set of values, is not neutral, and as such leads to pushing-out all other faiths.

If our public school environment is to be truly inclusive, then it will allow for such activities, within the limitations outlined in the the Education Act.  The Education Act does not allow for ‘devotional’ activities to be organized by school staff (this could be seen as imposing a particular value/faith by the system) nor during school hours /instructional time. 

Therefore all faiths should be allowed to have prayer/devotional study during non-instructional time (before school, after school, lunch), with the support of parents, and they are not being organized by a staff person.

3. Should students in publicly funded Catholic schools be allowed to form Gay-Straight Alliance groups?

The school should be accountable to parents to provide the educational environment they wish for their children. All children in publicly funded schools must be respected, and such value should be enforced. However, the state should not impose a sexual agenda on schools if the parents don't want it.

4. The Ministry of Education took two years filled with extensive public consultations to create a current, relevant, and appropriate sex-ed curriculum. Do you support implementing the recommendations that the provincial government proposed in 2010?

The consultation on this curriculum did not include a broad spectrum of input.  The Ministry of education admitted this.  Once again, children should not be exposed to curriculum materials that parents do not agree with – hence we need to have choice in education. 

5. Do you support amending the Assessment Act to remove the requirement that municipalities must grant full property tax exemptions to religious organizations, even though other charitable organizations are entitled only to a 40% rebate?

Religious organizations often provide very cost-effective space for community events and organizations (Scouts, Cobs, Guides, Brownies, etc) and are often the centre of community activity and support.  FCP sees such organizations as an important resource.  We would encourage greater participation of such groups in assisting with the meeting of the needs within their community.   

6. Do you support eliminating all religious invocations at the start of legislative sessions?

No. This would suggest that the imposition of one faith (humanism), trumps all others. This is not consistent with our heritage, nor is it an inclusive solution. 

The Tax Man Strikes Again...After the Election

If this is true, it's just more evidence that McGuilty must go:

Buried on a footnote on page 1-102, of volume 2a of the 2010 Ontario Public Accounts is a revelation that Dalton McGuinty's Minister of Energy quietly approved a request from the Independent Electricity Systems Operator to apply to the Ontario Energy Board for a new tax called Smart Meter Service Fees.

Page 13 of the Independent Electricity System Operator's 2011-2013 Business Plan confirms that the Dalton McGuinty Liberals are already budgeting to collect $33 million per year in Smart Meter Service Fees beginning in 2012. Over the next four years, this would cost Ontario families $132 million to run the smart meter super computer. This new Smart Meter Tax will be applied to smart meter hydro bills above and beyond the higher costs of 'time of use pricing'. Already under Dalton McGuinty, hydro rates have gone up 84 percent and 150 percent for homes with a smart meter, not to mention the $1 billion ($200 per household) price tag that came with installing smart meters.

What Daycares Can Never Do

John Bowlby, a British psychoanalyst, and the father of attachment theory, emphasized the significance of our first bond with the mother (or substitute) in an historic study in Attachment and Loss.[2] Attachment is essential in developing trust and empathy and is the root for establishing meaningful relationships with others. It is a necessary prerequisite to a successful learner and is learned within a safe, secure and stable home with a consistent caregiver.
The recent explosion in neuroscience research can now show that these developmental changes are neurologically and biologically based. For example, The Canadian Institute of Child Health in Ottawa reports that the brain at birth is highly underdeveloped. While billions of cells are built into the physical structure, the "wiring" between them will be laid out by environmental stimulation. This triggers a cascade of biochemicals that affects everything from emotions to movement to memory and learning. Simple interactions like a mother’s touch triggers the neurons to grow and connect into complex systems, and with repetition, become well defined. This wiring will become the foundation for functioning as it shapes the neural architecture that will be indelibly coded for life. [3]
These findings are extremely significant, not only in developing healthy children prepared to learn in school, but in preventing the growing social problems in children and youth. For example, a trend in the violent crime rate among young people in Canada shows an increase of 12% in 10 years, and 30% since 1991, with homicides in 2006 reaching their highest point since data was first collected in 1961. [4]
(Source)

The Family Coalition Party is the only provincial political party which has coherent principles and policies which support the family. Present taxation laws discriminate against families who would prefer to have one spouse work only part time, or remain home full time to care and nurture the children. The FCP would provide the following changes in taxation law:

• Transferable Child Care Tax Credit –The provincial daycare tax credit suggests to families that the only option for child care after a maternity/paternity leave is for both parents to return to work and place your child in daycare. The FCP advocates for choice in Child Care – in the home with a stay-at-home parent, with a family member, or daycare – through a transferable child care credit that follows the child. This approach recognizes the value of each alternative, and encourages the family to make the best choice for the family.

• Income Splitting – The FCP would provide for a tax plan that allows legally married couples to income split on taxes, saving families money, and allowing more for young families the opportunity to have one parent remain home to raise and nurture their children.

Liberal Government To Fund IVF

TORONTO, Ontario, September 14, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – As Ontario’s debt load continues to grow unabated, the Minister of Health in Premier Dalton McGuinty’s government says they are still considering funding the controversial in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure with taxpayer dollars through the provincial health plan. “We are not closing the door to it. … We’re taking some important steps,” Deb Matthews told QMI Agency Tuesday....Further, they warn that it reduces newly-formed human life to the status of a commodity.  Interestingly, the panel’s report criticized the federal Assisted Human Reproduction Act because it restricts the commercialization of human sperm, eggs, and embryos. At the same time, the Ontario government pays the full cost for many thousands of Ontario women to abort their unwanted babies each year. Consequently, the number of babies available for adoption is very low and it is very difficult for childless Ontario couples to find a child to adopt. (Source).

The Family Coalition Party opposes the public funding of all non-essential medical procedures which would include IVF "treatments".

Ontario's Energy Boondoggle

During the spring months in Ontario, the winds blow a lot. For companies in the wind-power business, that’s good news. For the province’s electricity consumers, though, it’s another financial disaster that, on an annual basis, drains up to $400-million out of consumers’ pockets. But that money doesn’t directly fund green electricity for Ontarians who pay for it. Instead, the bulk of wind power is essentially surplus power that is exported to the United States and out of province at rock-bottom prices. Ontarians are paying $135 for units of power that are dumped on the export market at prices as low as $20. Sometimes, Ontario has to pay other jurisdictions to take the surplus off its hands.
...
Based on our reconstruction of official data from the IESO, the average price paid for wind in May was $21.62, about 16% below the average market price of $25.89 for all electricity — and about 85% below the mandated wind price of $135. In the end, the $38-million paid to wind power producers in May generated only $6.2-million on the market, creating a $32-million subsidy overpayment for wind power the province doesn’t need.

(Source)

Denmark's experience:

Alberta Schools Have Been Liberated from Government-Think

Great article here.

This is the FCP's approach and we need to start implementing it here too.

Long Term Care

From Neil Ford, FCP Candidate Prince Edward - Hastings.

 

Today I received a message from the director of a long term care facilty in my riding who is frustrated with the conditions her workers and residents must put up with. The place is understaffed, and overworked to te detriment of all. I sent her the folllowing e-mail :

Thank you very much for writing in to express your concerns. Rest assured that the Family Coalition Party respects human dignity from conception until natural death, so this includes our senior citizens, who are so often neglected in our youth oriented society.

My wife works as a PSW, and I myself have taken the course, so I am well aware of some of the conditions in which people in long term care are subjected, as well as the strain and pressure under which PSWs must work in order to serve their clients as required.

The Family Coalition Party has come up with some potential solutions which will simultaneously relieve some of the pressures PSWs face in their quest to provide quality care to those they serve, and to offer more choices for families insofar as to where and how care can be delivered.

I am attaching a PDF file which is our policy brochure which outlines briefly some of the ideas we have to help the situation. If you want more specific details, please ask, and I will get you as specific information as I can.

The bottom line is, our seniors built this country, and we owe it to them to allow them to live as dignified human beings regardless of the challenges they face, and we recognize front line workers, and their families as the best means to deliver the care needed, and will work with them to find the best way to do this, and to make more choices as to the best kind of care for each individual and family available. We also believe that Seniors have much experience to offer in our communities. This important, under-utilized resource needs to be an integral part of our community. They need places to go, to work, and to share their knowledge, skills, and experiences. The FCP advocates for integrating seniors centres and programs with schools and co-operative education programs using the UK model, teaming youth with seniors for support and skill-building projects. We believe that this is therapeutic for the seniors themselves, and will improve their health and quality of life, and instill in our youth -oriented society a healthy respect for seniors in terms of their life experiences, and their value as membrs of that society.

I trust that I have at least provided enough information on wheich we can begin a dialogue, since we offer our ideas, which can be improved on through input from concerned members of the community such as you.

Time To Rethink Education

In Canada, government schooling operates on the basis of extortion. That's a well-established fact. Parents who choose other options for educating their children still have to pay, through their taxes, to keep the doors of these government schools open. They pay to educate their own children and they pay for the child care and crowd control services for the other children in their community.

Dalton's Affirmative Action

Dalton McGuinty is going to give $10,000 to employers in the form of a tax credit when they hire skilled immigrants.

It's Affirmative Action by any other name.  Affirmative Action doesn't work. It's inefficient. And it's not fair. It pits one group of Canadians against others.

Canadians need to be treated equally by their government and not be subject to another failed policy based on "positive rights".

The Family Coalition Party officially rejects "positive rights" as a matter of principle:

Restriction of Positive Rights - Government should be restricted, by constitution, from issuing laws and policies with regard to the so called "positive rights", which imply involuntary servitude, whereby one individual or a class is forced to serve others.

In the face of public criticism, Dalton has started to backtrack and has begun to put bizarre and restrictive conditions on receiving the money.  He's making it up (and reacting) as he goes along. But the question is: will Ontarians be fooled a third time by electing him as Premier?

When he gets in, it will be an Affirmative Action bonanza.

If you're a skilled white male who's been unlucky to be born in Ontario, you won't find a job if Dalton has anything to do with it.

Justice demands equality of opportunity for all, not Affirmative Action.

The FCP's Proposals for recognizing the Family in solving our problems

Ontario`s families are the environment in which our future generation is raised. Research shows a very strong correlation between a strong, stable Traditional 2-parent home life, and children who are happier, healthier, less likely to be involved in addictions, criminal activity , and are more likely to be independent, self reliant , and not needing to depend on government programs. 

Strong, independent families raising the next generation will lead to a stronger Ontario. For this reason policies must encourage families to make decisions that are best for them, not best for the government.

In the last 30 years this has not been so. Institute for Marriage and Family Canada, through Stats Canada information, identifies that present government policy and taxation discriminate against the family, preventing them from choosing what is best for them, putting families in higher risk of family breakdown - contributing to increased poverty levels and dependence on social assistance, in addition to contributing to placing our next generation in an environment where it will be more difficult to succeed.

A practical example of government policy limiting choices, is the present provincial government policy related to childcare. After a maternity/paternity leave, parents need to decide how they will raise and nurture the child. Present government policy says this: "you go back to work and we will provide a daycare tax credit." Alternative choices for raising children are not on the government radar, nor are they hinted at by provincial government policies. However research continually demonstrates that children raised in a stable, traditional, 2-parent, nurturing environment perform better in school, are less likely to be involved in drugs, and alcohol abuse, become self reliant and less dependent on government programs. A stable nurturing environment is more effectively achieved when one, or both spouses reduces their workload to put time and effort into raising and nurturing the child(ren). This is understood and accepted by most, but often forgotten by government.

FCP does not propose one method for raising children. However, government policies must provide choice and balance, encouraging families to make decisions about child care and other family related issues that are best for them - not limited by government policy.

For the above reasons FCP would institute the following policies that support the environment in which children are raised:

Income splitting up to $60,000: Income splitting has the potential of reducing the tax burden of families raising children by up to $1200. This, along with other considerations, encourages some families to consider the option of one spouse reducing their work load to put time into raising and nurturing their children, or to care for an aging senior member.

Choices for Child Care:  FCP policies would encourage families to choose the form of childcare that is best suited for them. If going back to work is the best for the family, then there will be a daycare tax credit. If the family chooses to sacrifice to have one spouse remain home more to raise and nurture the children, then FCP would provide a similar-value daycare tax credit. If there is a family member living down the street who chooses to help by offering to care for the children while the parents are at work, they deserve the tax credit.

Extended Family Care: tax rebate for renovations (e.g. granny suite) made to existing homes to accommodate for an aging family member encouraging families to care for their own.

Family Building Courses: If we want to strengthen families to reduce family breakdown we must encourage families to invest in themselves. Just as we encourage people to take self-improvement courses, or community college courses, often with the benefit of a tax credit, we will encourage families to invest in their relationships through community seminars designed to improve family relations; marriage seminars and family finances.

The Family as the solution to our problems

The family is the basic building block of society. If families are strong, they are less dependent on government. The result... the cost of government programs go down. To raise our next generation of citizens and leaders, we must understand the needs of the family. All other parties claim to be concerned about the family, but continually pass legislation that discriminates against the family - placing stress on the family, leading to increased family breakdown. The FCP has a platform with policies that empower and strengthen families: childcare that best suits the family; respecting the education decisions of all parents who choose education that best suits their child, encouraging families to choose family-supporting senior care options that work best our aging family members.

The FCP also desires to get government spending under control - reducing our bloated bureaucracy and provincial debt. Present fiscal policies have led to significant government debt. This interferes with the freedom of our children who will suffer with our mismanagement.

When it comes to education, consider we have spent 53% more on education budgets since 2003, with little or no improvement. Please do not blame the teachers - most are doing all they can. 

There is another factor that leads to positive results - parents valuing the program. Why is it that the Catholic system consistently does better than the secular public on provincial tests - it is becuase more of the parents value the system and that value is transferred to the student.

Even the controversial Equity policy talks about students needing an education environment they are comfortable in. The need, however, is for an education environment that leads to better learning - not one designed by the politically correct police, or specifcally to address the needs of a special interest group, that the system forces upon our students - a one size fits all that actually does not fit most students.
The education system needs to listen to the parents and develop programs that the parents and children value. This has happened in Edmonton Public School Board where they offer 32 altervative programs that parents and students value (alternative programs that emphasize a subject area, language, or accommodate for a faith). Parents decide which alternaitve best fits their needs and then select. Student achievement increases, costs of programs actually decrease (less graffiti, materials last longer, etc.). How many families take advantage of this - 55% of the students attending Edmonton Public Schools attend a program of choice , not their local community school. 

Research demonstratess that students in an environment that their parents value, perform 1.4 grade levels higher on standardized tests.

FCP has a plan for improving education. It involves far more thought, strategy, and maturity than "let's make everyon think we are doing somethin by spending more money." Listen to your FCP candidate. Visit the FCP website for more details.

Government policies do not allow families to do what is best for them. These policies are designed to lead people in the direction that supports government ideology. Taxation policies are designed to get everyone to work, maximize the tax dollars paid to the province, and this leads to increased stress and family breakdown (Institute for Marriage and Family Canada). For example, after a maternity leave government policy says, "Go back to work and we will provide you with a tax credit for your daycare costs.

Government policies need to encourage families to do what is best for them. If after a maternity/paternity leave the best next step for your family is to go to work, then here is your tax credit. If the best next step is to have one or both parents reduce their work hours to care and nurture the children, then that family deserves the same tax credit. This is a no-cost option as it opens a place in the workforce for someone who may is on employment insurance and they will be paying the taxes.

McGuinty Doubles Our Debt in Just 8 Years!

The $125 billion dollar government debt that was accumulated from 1965 to 2003 was successfully doubled to $250 billion in 8 years! Our debt is accumulating at the rate of $59 million per day!

This government has taken-out a co-signed loan without the co-signer's (our kids') authority. We have significantly interfered with the freedom of the next generation - to satisfy the greed of this bloated bureaucracy.