Centre for Civic Governance

Local Elections Task Force Delivers its Recommendations

The BC Local Elections Task Force delivered its recommendations on improving local government elections yesterday. In their recommendations they highlighted the need for expense limits on local election campaign participants and the need for sponsorship information on all election advertising. Despite pressure from business groups the task force also recommended that corporations not be given a vote in local elections.

The  Centre for Civic Governance submitted its recommendations to the elections task force in April. Strengthening Local Democracy.

Alberta Liberals propose a Monetary Incentive to Vote

In an effort to increase turnout at the polls, Alberta Liberals are proposing a $50.00 tax credit for those who vote in the provincial election. The proposal is part of a 12 point strategy to increase accounatbility and effectiveness in government. Read article in Globe and Mail.

Local Elections Task Force Considering Giving Corporations a Vote In Municipal Elections

On October 2, 2009, Premier Gordon Campbell announced a joint Task Force to make recommendations for legislative changes to improve the electoral process for local government elections across B.C.

17 yr old film maker Slater Jewell-Kemper speaks at Parliament Hill rally

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVANr9S4m1c

Youth environmentalist and filmmaker Slater Jewell-Kemker speaks out at the Anti-Prorogation Rally at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada on January 23rd. 

George Heyman speaking at Vancouver's January 23rd rally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEery7EczUg&feature=related

George Heyman, Executive Director of Sierra Club BC, closes out the Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament rally with a stirring speech on what our democracy really means. Over 1000 people gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery January 23.

Beyond Copenhagen: what kind of bottom-up climate activism do we need?

As we move into 2010, the feeling of many people across this country seems to be that now is the time to give up on large-scale politics, and focus on small local-level solutions to the outstanding problems of our age, such as manmade climate change (the Transition movement [1], which began in Totnes and is slowly spreading worldwide, is an outstanding example of such 'localist' solution-seeking).

In Copenhagen, the New Radicals

A student in Copenhagen sees hope for the future of humanity -- but only if we're willing to fight for it.

[Editor's note: Last week, University of Victoria Environmental Law Professor Michael M'Gonigle wrote a two-part letter to a friend at the climate change conference in Copenhagen. That friend is student Jamie Biggar, who is attending conference as a member of the Canada Youth Delegation. This is Biggar's response.]

Hello M.M.,

Gibsons Named World's Most Liveable Community

The Sunshine Coast town of Gibsons has earned a Gold Award for liveability from the United Nations-backed International Awards for Liveable Communities.
Gibsons - pop. 4,200 - won in the Whole City category for towns with a population under 20,000 for best practice and leadership in creating a socially and environmentally sound community.
A 40-minute ferry ride from West Vancouver, Gibsons consists of the quaint fishing village of Gibsons Landing and the commercial-industrial hub of Upper Gibsons on Highway 101.

Councillor Skakun taking aim at HST

Coun. Brian Skakun has launched a campaign of his own to stop the harmonized sales tax.
Taking a page from the NDP playbook, Skakun has started a petition drive which he hopes to use to convince the rest of his city council colleagues to adopt a resolution to take to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention in September.