Sunday, January 11, 2009

Daily Digest January 10 - 11, 2008


The DAILY DIGEST: INFORMATION and OPINION from ST. JOHN'S to VICTORIA.
ARCHIVED at http://cdndailydigest.blogspot.com/


January 10

'Seinfeld' election exposed media flaws
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/568478

Tories' EI test may have enriching results
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1100071.html

Let Ignatieff do his own thing
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/let_ignatieff_do_his_own_thing.html

Canadians should enjoy liberal-leaning Obama
http://www.vancouversun.com/columnists/Canadians+should+enjoy+liberal+leaning+Obama/1162251/story.html .

Ethno-realism
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=1161547

Flaherty must do all he can to throw Canadians a lifeline
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/568477

 Unrealistic unions must change in uncertain economic climate 
http://www.thestar.com/Opinion/article/568480

Why Canada backs Israel over Gaza
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/568476

Our harmful one-sidedness on Israeli-Palestinian issue
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1099973.html

 Jewish dissenters speak out over Gaza 
http://www.thestar.com/Opinion/article/568482

 Calling Israel 'Goliath' misrepresents Gaza situation 
http://www.thestar.com/Opinion/article/568479
EDITORIAL PAGEs

CHARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN -
Tightening the loop around organized crime
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=209197&sc=103

CAPE BRETON POST -
Atlantic region should plug in print this article
http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?sid=209034&sc=151

MONTREAL GAZETTE -
RCMP promises are no longer good enough
http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorials/RCMP+promises+longer+good+enough/1161826/story.html

OTTAWA CITIZEN -
A terrible shame
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/op-ed/terrible+shame/1160789/story.html

KINGSTON WHIG STANDARD-
Senate posting fails smell test
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1379966

TORONTO STAR -
Rediscover John A.
http://www.thestar.com/Opinion/article/568527

Tory's new seat Ontario's gain
http://www.thestar.com/Opinion/article/568514

GLOBE & MAIL -
Forward, if briefly downward
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090109.weJobs10/BNStory/specialComment/home

NATIONAL POST -
Moral clarity on the Middle East
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=1161477

K-W RECORD -
John Tory still faces a hard political road  
http://news.therecord.com/Opinions/article/469839

SUDBURY STAR -
The look-alikes: Grits and Tories
http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1382439

THUNDER BAY CHRONICLE JOURNAL -
Hi, you won't believe this, but...
http://www.chroniclejournal.com/stories.php?id=157176

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS -
Pictures deceive, but facts don't
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/pictures_deceive_but_facts_dont.html

SASKATOON STARPHOENIX -
Job numbers show need for an EI fix
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/forum/story.html?id=e72cdc91-9a30-4ad8-bc0e-ce80579b41fa

CALGARY HERALD -
Russia's denial about its past is harmful in the present
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/theeditorialpage/story.html?id=226823d9-941f-4196-9fc0-396db07e5310

Tax break plea for those who give should be heard
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/theeditorialpage/story.html?id=1c214b4c-ad07-4131-bf85-b31cd4cb01de

GRANDE PRAIRIE DAILY HERALD TRIBUNE -
Being fit improves brain function: Study
http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1381107

EDMONTON JOURNAL -
War epic proves Canadian films can hold their own
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/opinion/editorials/epic+proves+Canadian+films+hold+their/1165412/story.html

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN -
An unusual war, everyone wins
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20090109169202/opinion/editorials/an-unusual-war-everyone-wins.html


ISSUES

ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS -          
A new drink-house afflicting Aboriginal reserves
http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Finfo.branchez-vous.com%2FNationales%2F090111%2FN0111112AU.html&sl=fr&tl=en&history_state0 =


AFGHANISTAN -
U.S. hopes to supply victory
http://www.ottawasun.com/Comment/2009/01/11/7983861-sun.html

US will grab power from British in Afghanistan
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5489583.ece

Afghan supply routes become a prime target
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=265821&version=1&template_id=46&parent_id=26

MPs Propose New Methods to Reduce Drug Production
http://quqnoos.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2367&Itemid=48


CANUSA/USACAN -
Obama will visit Canada first
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/568959


ECONOMIC AFFAIRS -
Automakers pin hopes on electric cars
http://www.wheels.ca/autoshow/article/495193

Canadian investment industry set for unveiling of national securities regulator
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090111/national/securities_regulator


FOREIGN AFFAIRS -
Petraeus: Iran Ain't So Bad
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/01/petraeus-iran-a.html

Canada, U.S. should leave Afghanistan: expert
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090111/afghan_colonel_090111/20090111?hub=Canada


JUSTICE SYSTEM -
Court to hear appeal of ethics ruling on lobbyists
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090111.wlobbyists0111/BNStory/politics/home


FEDERAL POLITICS -
New Nanos National Poll - LP 34%, CP 33%, NDP 19%, GP 7%, BQ 7%
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/7479

Quebecers want coalition, ROC wants election if budget defeated: Poll
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090111/national/poll_coalition


PROGRAMMES -
Probe launched into claims Tory MPs interfered in Wheat Board vote
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090110.CWB10//TPStory/National

Ottawa signs $274M contract for Texas-made military trucks
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=1161527

Canada's aerospace industry angry at missing out on billions in contracts
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=1161474

Passport agency phasing in criminal checks, years after scathing audit
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090111/national/passport_security

SNC Lavalin to lead $50M Afghan dam repair project
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090111/dam_repair_090111/20090111?hub=CTVNewsAt11
 
A $49 MILLION EQUIPMENT PURCHASE THAT SLIPPED DND'S MIND
http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/archive/2009/01/10/a-49-million-equipment-purchase-that-slipped-dnd-s-mind.aspx


OPINION AND INFORMATION -
Welcome to the new nationalism Michael Ignatieff

http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=1161549

LUMBER'S CHINA GAMBLE
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=1161513


INFOS -
Coalition: le Québec et les autres Canadiens divisés
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/200901/11/01-816647-coalition-le-quebec-et-les-autres-canadiens-divises.php

Passeport Canada présente encore des lacunes
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/national/200901/11/01-816653-passeport-canada-presente-encore-des-lacunes.php

Le Canada devrait travailler pour la création d'un Etat palestinien
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/national/200901/11/01-816621-le-canada-devrait-travailler-pour-la-creation-dun-etat-palestinien.php

Abolition des subventions aux partis: l'opposition promet de risposter
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/200901/10/01-816419-abolition-des-subventions-aux-partis-lopposition-promet-de-risposter.php

Le budget devra passer trois tests pour obtenir l'appui d'Ignatieff
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/200901/09/01-816277-le-budget-devra-passer-trois-tests-pour-obtenir-lappui-dignatieff.php

Les libéraux d'Ignatieff seraient à égalité avec les conservateurs
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/200901/09/01-816298-les-liberaux-dignatieff-seraient-a-egalite-avec-les-conservateurs.php

Santé mentale et prison: un mélange explosif
http://www.ledevoir.com/2009/01/10/226707.html

Forces canadiennes: un contrat de 274 millions à une firme américaine
http://www.ledevoir.com/2009/01/10/226688.html

Une nouvelle boisson-maison afflige les réserves autochtones
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/090111/N0111112AU.html

Le Canada sera le lieu de la première visite officielle de Barack Obama
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/090110/N011094AU.html


BELOW(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)30)(30)(30)(30)(30)

A QUESTION FOR DEFENCE MINISTER Mac KAY

To: The Globe and Mail <Letters@GlobeAndMail.com>

Dear Editor,

Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, Canada's top military commander in Afghanistan blamed bad luck for the large numbers of Canadians killed and wounded in southern Afghanistan recently: "It's not a linear process. There things unfortunately come, and there are spikes and valleys". (1)

Defence Minister Peter MacKay sees things differently. He "is counting on the arrival of more American troops in Afghanistan to help stem the number of Canadian deaths in the war-torn country."  (2)

That there were no deaths for several months prior ten in the last month supports Thompson's view that it will be the Fates or Lady Luck determining the number of  Canadian deaths in coming months.

10,000 U.S. troops coming to Kandahar will demand a 400% increase in transport of supplies coming along the roads where our men have lost their lives patrolling.

Just how, Mr. Minister, will this lessen the threat of more deaths from improvised explosive devices?

Yours truly,

Joe Hueglin
5838 Mouland Avenue
Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Tel. 905-356-3901

(1) Deadly December just bad luck: Military
   www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1366629

(2) MacKay hopes U.S. troops will curb Canadian losses
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090110.MACKAY10//TPStory/National


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From: alan heisey <hize@earthlink.net>
To: "joe hueglin, daily digest" <joe.hueglin@bellnet.ca>
Subject: worm, note the nifty first letter! cz
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:42:15 -0500


Publisher is Alan Heisey, 38 Avoca Avenue, L.P.H #6, Toronto, ON, 
Canada, M4T 2B9
Phone 416 923 5381, <hize@earthlink.net> Emailed from Toronto.

I published this important table on 416 206/8 Elections Canada
results in larger type in a newsprint political pamphlet, "The
Plaintive Squawk" at the Winnipeg Convention. Copies left!

Publisher comments

New "party" calendar repeats excesses of last year's!

Four comments from recent "policy lite" event

How are National Councillors to access our membership?

New "party" calendar repeats excesses of last year's!

In my last edition I noted that there were (only) four photos of S on 
the front page of the party's website, and commented it was a much 
restrained montage from the 2008 calendar sent a year ago!
I spoke too soon!

A few days later a so-called "Conservative Party of Canada 2009 
Calendar" arrived in the mail. I confess that I consider the 14 photos 
of the boss, resplendent with his unidentified cabinet colleagues on 
the inside front cover, and then again, and again, and again, as 
appearing to morph the great party I play hard in, into one man, the 
president, in a presidential system.

The "party" calendar devotes near-total attention to the leader of our 
collective and really not even a passing mention of its other, vital, 
sustaining elements.

 Four comments from recent "policy lite" event

A certain anti-climactic feeling followed the successful Winnipeg 
party convention last November, so I tried to convene another "policy 
lite" meet between Xmas and New Year's. Coffee, cookies and three 
controversial topics roused two members of Tri-Spa, four members of 
St. Paul's, Jillian Saweczko, candidate of record for Parkdale-High 
Park, Jonathon Watson, "advisor" to Senator Bert Brown, and myself as 
host.
We discussed lessons from Winnipeg, strengthening the roles of 
backbenchers, an elected senate and how to strengthen the party in 
416. A legit criticism from a participant was that I, as participant 
and scribe, would be getting the last word!
To address that I invited all participants to send me their comments 
for publication, unedited, and three did.

First in was Doug Lowry, prezzie of Tri-Spa and a great booster of 
lite policy discussions:
Lessons from the Convention
Understanding there was an election in September which was the most 
important thing going on in the party, this meant the organization for 
the convention was shorter for everyone. Although I congratulate the 
organizers for pulling the convention together, there were by all 
accounts some flaws.

From a personal perspective, I do not think the party has determined 
what policy conventions should result in, although by the constitution 
they are mandatory. This was seen in the lack of media access (which 
is both good and bad); and a very short time frame for delegates to 
access and understand the policy proposals,

I noticed many associations, going over the proposals including those 
with members who sat down with their delegates and went over the 
proposals. The discussions I heard were passionate, sincere, 
thoughtful, but for many a lack of understanding of the issues. I 
heard the comment, I do not understand the issue so I am not voting.

For some who studied the proposals more than I did, including Doug 
Hawkins, who because he was running for national council, spoke to 
many riding associations.  He told me his riding sent up 20 proposals 
and none made it to the final cut. While Thunder Bay sent in 7, Mr. 
Hawkins complemented the Thunder Bay group, but they were not happy 
because the wording and intent had changed.

In contrast, a proposal submitted by Trinty Spadina was to have a 
National Securities Regulator which I spoke to, was passed and a 
couple weeks later I saw the Minister in the paper talking about the 
need for the National Securities Regulator so it became party and 
government policy. In that sense I do not understand why secrecy is 
encouraged.

While I recognize somebody has to go through and group similar 
resolutions, which is proper, part of the history of the Conservative 
Party has been its divergent views under a broad umbrella. In my view, 
submitting ideas which to me should not be accepted is part of the 
process and is important. The idea of a policy convention is the 
discussion and process. If they are not above board the whole process 
falls short.

In many ways the process fell short, just as the party fell short 
during the campaign when its platform was released in the final weeks 
of the campaign..

Resolved:  the platform passed by delegates has to be implemented by 
the party whether we are in power or not.

Second was John Have, delegate from Tri-Spa, who was attending his 
first national convention:

 Hi Alan, Thanks for organizing the event. My main comments:

Lessons from Winnipeg:
Policy sessions while interesting could have been organized better.
Sometimes no one from the riding who originated the proposed policy 
change were present.  In that absence should have been at least 2-3 
paragraphs in writing for and similarly against.  Occasionally when the policy change
depended on facts those were missing or misrepresented. Example: "we 
already have had an actuarial report on Canadian Health Care".  Fact: none has 
ever been produced.

Backbenchers' role:
As per examples given they can explore issues which are not at the 
forefront but still are important to the Canadian public.  Example:  I believe, 
Paul McCrossan and Reg Stackhouse were also responsible for the bill which
required Banks etc to publish their fees and admin charges.

Elected Senate:
I voted for an elected senate but for a senate which should not only
represent regions but also other sections and interest groups of our
country.  This is necessary since the Senate has taking on an 
important role of exploring public policy issues from a "political / Canadian society"
vantage point compared to the administrative vantage point of the 
various government departments.
Example: various segments of society such as the older population, 
academia, industries such as agriculture, forestry, auto etc ... etc.
I know from my own background that farmers, for example, feel that 
they have no voice politically in Ottawa.  The same can easily be said for other
groups.

At the same time, I don't believe, that we have made a very good case 
for an elected Senate.  This can only be accomplished by developing clear 
roles for the Senate in a meaningful way.

Obviously the above ignores how we would accomplish this from a
Constitutional vantage point.

John Have

Third comments were by Jon Watson, a full-time professional on this 
issue, from his role with Senator Bert Brown. Entertainingly, Jon's 
recollections of the informal vote we had favoring an elected senate 
or not, were not unanimous in favour as he recalled, but rather five 
in favour, two opposed, and one undecided!
I choose to publish one of the three columns he forwarded, balance 
available from Jon, for sure.

Al,  Paul H. Lemay wrote in the Hill Times 17.11.08 "Politics has 
sometimes been described as a battle of ideas. But in democratic 
politics one non-partisan idea, above all others, is supposed to rule 
supreme: those who govern derive their moral authority do so only with 
the consent of the governed, and such consent comes through free and 
fair elections."

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss Senate Reform in Canada and 
the progress that Sen. Brown and I have made in traveling across 
Canada and meeting with the various Premiers and their 
representatives. We are much closer to having a reformed Senate than 
many would believe and I can confirm this based on my first hand 
knowledge.

Attached please find three columns representing the 'Staircase to 
Senate Reform' that I invite you to consider publishing as a series in 
your next three earthworms.

Should you or any of your readers have questions concerning the Senate 
and our proposed reforms, please contact me at watsoj@sen.parl.gc.ca.

Sincerely,

Jon Watson, Advisor to Sen. Bert Brown

Ps. I thought the vote we had on Senate Reform was unanimously in 
favour!


R. J. W. W.
Jon. Watson, Advisor
Hon. Bert Brown, Senator


Step 1 on the Staircase to Senate Reform

Why Don't We Just Abolish the Senate?

By Senator Bert Brown
A significant number of ordinary Canadians have expressed their 
opinion that the Canadian Senate should be abolished. Their opinion is 
not much different from that of some pundits who routinely vilify the 
institution in their columns and the national press which regularly 
paints the Senate as useless.
Certainly an argument can be made for this position, especially as 
many believe the Senate is only filled by old party bag men anyway.
Unfortunately, abolishing the Senate may be much more difficult than 
anyone realizes.  Constitutional experts disagree on exactly how 
Canada could get rid of its Senate, with some saying it cannot be 
abolished because it is ­ along with the Supreme Court, the Bank of 
Canada, and the House of Commons - one of the major institutions of 
government. Some also argue that it cannot be abolished without the 
unanimous consent of all the provinces and the parliament itself; 
others claiming that it requires only seven of ten provinces to agree, 
plus the House of Commons.
But those are all technical details.
Fortunately, the argument in defense of retaining the Senate may not 
be as difficult as the media and public believe.
First, a little historical perspective: The Fathers of Confederation 
expected the Senate to play two key roles:
       Provide a counterbalance to the democratically elected House of 
Commons.
       Protect regional interests (including Quebec's diverse cultural 
interests).
Appointed by the Prime Minister through the Governor General, Senators 
were expected to provide sober second thought to decisions reached in 
the House of Commons, which would otherwise have gone unchecked. It 
was also expected to represent the interest of the propertied class ­ 
the landed gentry ­ hence the requirement that its members own $4,000 
worth of real property. As well, to be considered for the Senate, an 
individual had to be at least thirty-five years of age.
The Senate's second role was regional representation. Both Quebec and 
the Maritime colonies feared that because Ontario had a majority of 
the population its interests would predominate in the House of 
Commons. The Confederation Fathers designed our system of government 
to give the three regions of Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes an 
equal number of Senators. This ensured that the concerns of Canada's 
French speaking minority - which formed a majority in the province of 
Quebec - would be heard, and provided the Maritimes, with a smaller 
population, with a forum where they shared an equal voice with Ontario 
and Quebec.
The Senate has taken on two other roles not explicitly laid out in the 
Constitution.
        Non-ideological, revising chamber that picks up flaws in legislation 
that weren't noticed during the bill's passage through the House of 
Commons.
       The investigation of social and political issues facing the country.
But no matter the intentions of the Fathers of Confederation, and 
because they are appointed by the Prime Minister and the fact that the 
appointments can be continuous from age 35 to 75, the Senate has come 
to be viewed as "illegitimate" without the right to amend or defeat 
bills.
In fact, however, under the constitution senators do have the power to 
amend and/or veto on any bill emanating from the House of Commons.  
Like it or not, the vote of a senator is equal to the vote of a member 
of parliament.  By law, both senators and MPs are members of parliament.
So the question turns to why changing the Senate is necessary at all?
Besides the fact that the majority of Canadians (when asked if they 
wanted to elect future Senators, 79 per cent said yes) have opted to 
put their collective voice behind fixing the Senate) the most 
fundamental reason is the failure of the appointment system to 
recognize the principle of fairness in the political composition of 
the Senate.  Since the end of World War II, one political party has 
been in power for 42 of the 53 years.  Successive prime ministers have 
become addicted to rewarding party workers and other party loyalists 
with seats in the Senate.  Consequently, the existing Senate has a 
three to one majority of one party over the other.
Since the recent election of a minority government, the majority of 
Senators have morphed into an unofficial opposition to the government 
in the House of Commons.  Their party discipline has become so 
compelling, they automatically oppose any bill, ignoring the fact that 
the official opposition to government policy exists in the three 
opposition parties in the House of Commons.
Some Senators have openly declared that their job is to oppose 
government policies.  This anomaly occurs because of the failure to 
appoint an equal number or close to an equal number of Senators from 
each party.
Democratic elections by provinces of their future Senators would bring 
more diverse political philosophies to the representatives in the 
Senate and very possibly change the focus of its members into the 
realization that the constitution states Senators are there to 
represent the provinces at the federal level.
Interestingly enough, that's exactly what the current prime minister 
is trying to do ­ return more power to the provinces, both in the 
House of Commons and by giving the provinces an opportunity to fill 
the 18 vacancies in the Senate with elected Senators.
Future columns will look at the redistribution of seats and power in 
an elected Senate and finally at preserving the supremacy of the House 
of Commons
Please send your comments or questions to brownb@sen.parl.gc.ca.

As the publisher of this rag I throw in a few comments from this 
"policy lite":

I will never be persuaded that the work of the constitution committee 
could not be released a lot sooner so that regional meetings of 
electoral district associations could have chewed them over before the 
grand event.

I want to hear the proposed allocation of seats in any elected senate 
before I give it my support. Jon Watson made clear that that key 
number is not anywhere on the table yett, we are to endorse an elected 
senate in the seven comparatively smaller populated provinces 
expecting that that will create pressure on the holdout, most populous 
provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

I want to know the proposed seat totals because I am still unpersuaded 
of the proposal which the Progressive Conservatives narrowly adopted 
in their august 2002 convention in Edmonton: 24 seats for B.C. and the 
northern trritories; 24 for the three prairie provinces, 24 for 
Ontario, 24 for Quebec and 24 for the Atlantic provinces. My bigger 
problem is the inevitable struggles for more authority between an 
elected, population-unbalanced senate and our house of commons. So I 
am not sold on these present, early process stages. whatsoever!
I particularly liked  Jillians's endorsing of more frequent public 
meetings in her own riding and across the city.

How are National Councillors to access our membership?

There was progress when the party's web site, late, published the 
names, titles and email addresses of all the members of the National 
Council about two weeks ago. I set up a file of their emails and quite 
recently sent a copy of the last "earthworm" to those who I don't seem 
to already have on this mailing list.

In the process I fell to thinking about just how am I supposed to be 
kept well informed by the four Ontario councillors who were elected by 
Ontario's delegates.

The party is passionate about the need for total secrecy on the names 
of party members, whereas I would favour two categories of membership: 
those passionate about total privacy except for dunning mails from 
h.q. looking for dough; and those, who like myself, who find the 
inadequacies of  an unpredictable web site quite inadequate as the 
main link between the party, as such, and the individual member, and 
who could cope with more communications "in".

Someone wrote recently that there are 180,000,000 web sites in the 
world, which cannot include those tiresome blogs some are entranced 
with. Web sites and blogs are a lot harder to maintain than the simple 
email, with the major exception of the challenges of building and 
maintaining a file of addressees.

As an aid to urban communication, when our party organizer insists 
that similar information cannot be released, I intend spending quite a 
lot of effort in the first six months of this new year in refining and 
re-publishing my spread sheet of the 47 GTA district associations 
board members. I include it with the next issue but advise that it is 
comparatively easy to tell which presidents want to act as gatekeepers 
for all communications to their boards because they provide no 
information! If 416 and 905 had a published spread sheet listing all 
the membership convenors and policy directors, to pick two 
illustrations, there could be direct communication between the 
membership directors with one another and similarly with policy, 
surely desirable matrixing organizationally, meaning a lot better 
communications - and I intend working on that bigtime!

===================================

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