Sunday, December 4, 2011

Hershey's Bill needs your help to succeed!


We are asking for your help.

As you may have heard a tri-party supported Hershey's Bill was introduced in the House of Legislature November 30th by PC MPP Randy Hillier. The Bill is co-sponsored by NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo and Liberal MPP Kim Craitor! This is huge.. it is rare to have a Private Members Bill sponsored by all 3 parties!

Please visit this website and sign the petition. 

Please consider sending a Christmas card to your MPP asking them to support Randy Hillier's Bill 16 to repeal the "pitbull" ban. Second reading and debates are February 23, 2012.


It would be most helpful for the Ontario government to witness the overwhelming support in favor of repealing the ban!


Bill 16 seeks to repeal all breed specific portions of the Dog Owners Liability Act. For a bit of background, the ban was originally implemented by the McGuinty Liberals in August, 2005. The ban targeted 3 purebred breeds, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Pitbull Terrier plus the "pitbull" which is a slang term for an appearance of dog. This appearance has nothing to do with the genetic makeup of the 3 named purebreds as they are all very rare. There are less than 1000 dogs of all three purebreds combined in the province of Ontario but yet the common short haired mutt is one of the most common mutts in the province. There have been roughly over 6000 dogs killed in Ontario since August 2005, not based on behavior but looks. Many of these dogs included puppies that were deemed "pitbulls". The purebreds are rarely seen and most people have never actually met one. That being said, it is highly likely the common short haired mutt is likely a blend of a multitude of  crosses constituting of what are likely the more common breeds. In other words the purebreds named in the law are physically unable to parent the massive majority of the provinces common short haired mutt. These are dogs of unknown lineage and there is no way of determining the breed makeup of a cross bred dog. What I am presenting to you is fact and can be supported by hard evidence. What is my opinion is that this law is insane; however I think if you have any logic at all, you would have to agree with my hypothesis.

What Bill 16 will achieve if it successfully passes through the legislature is;

1. To keep DOLA intact but returning it to its original form keeping the stiffer penalties it now contains.
2. To remove all references to breeds but instead have the law apply to ALL dog owners equally.

Essentially what we dog owners want is FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT UNDER THE LAW.

As it stands now in an overly simplified view;
If your dog is deemed a "pitbull" or you own one of the purebreds, you are open to warrant-less entry of your property, reverse onus (prove your dog is not a "pitbull" but you cannot prove a negative), search and seizure in public, restrictions on mobility (cannot travel through the province), dog must be muzzled, leashed, spayed, neutered and if you own a dog falling under the law born after November 29, 2005 it is prohibited. The penalty of being found guilty means your dog is seized/killed/or sent for research. 

The law is harsh, cruel and irrational. There is NO scientific evidence to support dogs are dangerous by breed. There is NO scientific evidence to support that you can breed dogs for aggression since aggression is a learned behavior. There IS scientific evidence to support that banning breeds of dogs DOES NOT increase public safety!

Countless family pets have been seized from homes or picked up while out on an accidental neighborhood joyride, only to be killed or thousands spent on legal fees fighting for the dog's life! Very few cases have involved actual threatening circumstances! In many cases the owner signs the dog over to be killed because they cannot afford to defend themselves in court. 

The law targets dog owners for owning a certain "look" of dog and is not based on behavior of the owner or dog but simply on how the dog "looks". 

It is irrational to think that if someone's dog bites someone in Thunder Bay, someone in Ottawa should be punished. 

All dogs have the ability to bite. That being said, dog bites are not common, however dog/s reside in nearly half of all family homes. Statistically 96% of all dog bites happen at home with the family dog or an adjacent property. Your chances of being bitten by a dog or by a strange dog are really quite remote! 

Public Health do not record dog bites by breed.  Public Health is the only entity that records all bites that require medical attention but only collect dog/human incidents. Therefore if you are hearing bite stats by breed in Ontario, it is safe to assume the stats are inconclusive. Toronto Animal Services collect bite stats of their own accord but they only have access to bites they are called to, which is only a fraction of the overall bites. They record all bites whether dog/human, dog/dog or dog/domestic animal. The are recorded by breed but the breed determination is their own and AC officers have been deemed in court NOT to be experts. Ontario animal control licencing programs sit on an average of licensing only between 10 - 15% of dogs in any town/city therefore they really do not know how many dogs reside in Ontario.

The original DOLA protects the public from dangerous dogs and their incompetent owners; however it must be enforced. The Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw in Calgary is a model on a municipal level that is tried and true for the past 2 decades. They have virtually eliminated bites, have a 97% licensing program and run a revenue neutral, state of the art facility that keeps dog owners and non dog owners happy. Calgary has NO breed specific provisions, no pet limits and no mandatory spay/neuter. They reward owners for "good" behavior and enforce penalties on those who are not!

I hope that you will join us by supporting this important move to end discrimination of dog owners in Ontario based on what type or look of dog one owns. Please join us in the movement to FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT UNDER THE LAW. 

Help us PUSH Dalton McGuinty to support the repeal of the breed ban in Ontario.





Friday, December 2, 2011

An interview with Cheri DiNovo on CBC radio

NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo did an interview on CBC's Metro Morning. Jane Hawtin was sitting in and did the interview.


Cheri did a great job with the interview. Here is a link to the podcast.


Thank you Cheri for being the voice of reason, and a strong voice for fair and equal treatment under the law, for Ontario's dog owners.


Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Bite stats remain constant in Ontario so NO the ban doesn't work!

A couple weeks ago Global News did a series of short news stories on dogs. The first of the series led the viewer to think that bite stats in Ontario are down since "pitbulls" were banned. 


Well, they were wrong. Not only were they wrong they did not tell the truth about where they got the numbers from. They claimed they got the numbers from Public Health yet when my colleague at Caveat contacted PH they clearly stated they do not keep bite stats by breed. 


The Star's columnist, Yvette Van Veen, did a great article last Saturday. 


Read up.. both Caveat and Yvette did a bang up job digging for the truth.. The truth is, the numbers state what we have been telling people all along. Breed bans DO NOT work and have never worked in any jurisdiction. The Liberal government was given this information before passing the ban here in Ontario but they chose the path of lies and grand standing over implementing common sense which would have done more to protect public safety than the insane law that is breed specific legislation in Ontario!



Legislation was introduced to repeal the "pitbull" ban in Ontario!





Today PC MPP Randy Hillier tabled a bill to repeal the "pitbull" ban here in Ontario. What is special about this time is there is TRI PARTY AGREEMENT, which means the bill has been tabled by MPP's from all three provincial political parties. 

PC MPP Randy Hillier
NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo
Lib MPP Kim Craitor

This is the best chance we have had since Dalton McGuinty passed the amendment to DOLA and ARA in August of 2005.

The first reading was today. The bill will be debated in the house February 23/2012 and we want to fill the legislature and then some!

Once the bill passes second reading it will go to committee hearings. There were committee hearings when the ban was brought in. There were 102 presentations spread over 4 days in 2004/2005. A whopping 86 of the presentations were against the ban! The foundation of this law is discriminatory, evil and built on a foundation of sand (or bull shit) depending on how you want to describe it. We have always presented the facts and when a foundation is built on the truth it will one day prevail. 

This is the best chance we have had to get this law repealed since August 2005. We are happy and hopeful. 


Heartfelt thank you to Randy Hillier, Cheri DiNovo and Kim Craitor!

Here we go!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Beyond the Myth coming to a Canadian city near you!


If you know of or represent a venue that might be interested 
in hosting a screening of Beyond the Myth, 
please contact Lori at dlccevents@gmail.com
For more information about the film visit

Monday, November 14, 2011

Is it possible Edmonton rethinks BSL?

Council reopens contentious debate on breed-specific bylaw



EDMONTON — Edmonton city council Monday reopened the contentious debate on pit bulls and breed-specific dog bylaws.
Mayor Stephen Mandel asked animal control staff to report back in January with recommendations on whether the current restrictions are warranted.
“Breed-specific legislation might not be justified,” said David Aitken, the city branch manager responsible for bylaw enforcement. “There’s a train of thought that suggests it’s not the animal, it’s the owner that has the issue. Therefore, you can’t hold specific breeds responsible for actions.”

Monday, November 7, 2011

Beyond The Myth Toronto was amazing!


The DLCC was very pleased to have hosted the Toronto screening of Beyond the Myth this past weekend. Writer/Producer/Director Libby Sherrill and her sidekick Bob were in Toronto for the screening. There were 2 screenings, one Saturday and Sunday. 

At the screening on Saturday we were pleased to have NDP MPP for Parkdale/High Park Cheri DiNovo there. Cheri offered words of encouragement that Hershey's Law will one day soon come to fruition. 

Libby Sherrill and Cheri DiNovo

Beyond the Myth is a film that enlightens, melts your heart, breaks your heart and leaves you laughing and crying then ignites or re-ignites a fire in your soul to do the right thing and fight this discrimination with all your might. Those of us who have been touched by the discriminatory law, based on how your dog "looks", know all to well the emotional roller coaster that you fall into. Beyond the Myth captures the insanity that is the foundation for BSL or breed specific legislation.


We feel fortunate to have met Libby and applaud her undertaking. We support Libby and feel Beyond The Myth is a film that needs to be widely viewed. 



The insanity of BSL is a deep wound in the heart of every person touched by it's cruel discrimination. We stand strong, proud and united. We will continue this fight until we have ended this insanity. 


I encourage you to read Desiree and Coco's story from Beyond the Myth website. An example of the cruel reality of what BSL means to people's lives.




It is not a matter of if BSL will be repealed but WHEN BSL will be repealed!

Hershey's Law will become a reality in Ontario. We will not back down until this becomes our reality.


As an add on...


I heard from Libby this morning and she relayed a message from her friend Bob who traveled to Toronto to help with the screening. 





Bob is not a dog owner himself but supports the project because he disagrees with BSL.



Bob's comment after coming to Toronto and meeting we Canucks...


Bob thought the people who hosted and attended the screening were among the most passionate that he'd met after attending 10 screenings. 
Wow what a compliment! Thanks Bob!! We are so happy to have met you and a warm thank you to you for helping out and supporting "the cause"!


7th Annual SOAR Christmas Party


Southern Ontario Animal Rescue
7th Annual SOAR Christmas Party
Where:
St. Judes Anglican Church
1000 Central Park Drive
Brampton, ON

Driving Directions

When:
Saturday November 26, 2011 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM EST
Add to my calendar


Tons of fun for everyone!

New this year:
Doggie Kissing Booth! Donate a Twoonie & get a kiss from one of our amazing doggie volunteers!

Pictures with Santa Paws!

Amazing Raffle Table!

Great Food & Refreshments!

Home made Baked Goods, including some great vegan items!

and much, MUCH more!


ALL Breeds Welcome! This is a muzzle-free event!
All dogs must be dog-friendly, leashed & up to date on vaccines
NO FLEXI-LEADS, PLEASE

Click on the link below to register or RSVP.
Get more information
Register Now!
I can't make it
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely,
Southern Ontario Animal Rescue
info@soardogrescue.ca
(905) 450-5992

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Beyond the Myth coming to Toronto November 5, 6th

We, the Dog Legislation Council of Canada, along with Cover Y'All Productions are pleased to announce the Premiere screening of Beyond the Myth November 5, 6th at Fox Theatre in Toronto.


Fox Theatre


2236 Queen Street East


Screenings


November 5, 2011 7:00 pm


November 6, 2011 4:00 pm


Tickets are $10.00



Purchase tickets here




Beyond the Myth is a film about 'pitbulls' and those who love and defend them. It explores the contributing factors behind the public's generalized fear of 'pitbulls' and examines the conflict existing between advocates and opponents of Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). It also investigates the myths associated with the breed and asks the question, what exactly is a 'pitbull'? 


Viewers are taken on a journey to four U.S. cities where Breed Specific Legislation focusing on "pit bulls" has profoundly
impacted people and animals: Denver, Miami, Cincinnati, and San Francisco. 



Beyond the Myth Canada Premiere is Sponsored by Soft-Pull Leashes and the Dog Legislation Council of Canada (DLCC).

The documentary intelligently explores the contributing factors behind the public's generalized fear of  "pit bulls", and examines the conflict existing between advocates and opponents of breed discriminatory laws, commonly referred to as breed bans. It investigates the myths associated with these breeds, challenges the idea that they are inherently vicious, presents eye-opening research regarding the media's role in influencing people's opinion on dog attacks.

Both before and after the film you may mingle in the lobby with members from both organizations, purchase merchandise and pick up informational materials. Please plan to arrive early (doors open at 6pm Saturday and 3pm on Sunday) as we are expecting a large, possibly sold out crowd. 



   

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Reason # 43 McGuinty MUST GO!


Honestly if any person even considers voting for the low life, dishonest Liberals, you seriously need your head read!
Christina Blizzard (love her) revealed another unbelievable tidbit.
Voters are opening up their mail this week to find “Accounting summaries” that set out payments made to them for the HST transition payment and the Ontario Energy and Property Tax credit paid to seniors.
One person who contacted me had received an “accounting” for more than $200: $100 for the third part of the HST rebate — sent out in June — and $139 for the Energy and Property Tax credit.
Another person, west-end Toronto resident Ala Gettlich discovered the letter when she picked up the mail for her elderly mother.
Dated Sept. 27, the notice included a partisan political message from Premier Dalton McGuinty — just days before the provincial vote.
It’s on Government of Ontario letterhead and gives the return address as Sudbury.
“Ontario’s tax changes will help create almost 600,000 new jobs by making our province more attractive for new business investments and provide tax relief with personal income tax cuts. As part of that plan, the federal and provincial sales taxes were merged into a single sales tax — the HST,” says the note.
“To help you through this transition, you are receiving the third payment of the Sales Tax Transition Benefit. This is in addition to personal income tax cuts that started in 2010.”
The letter lists the provincial Ministry of Revenue website and is signed, “Sincerely, Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario.
“Your payment of $100 has been direct deposited into your bank account,” it goes on.
Except the credit was made in June and these notices were sent out just a couple of days ago.

Reason # 42 McGuinty MUST GO!


An article from the National Post today.
While attending an Energy Probe board of directors meeting almost a year ago (we are both directors), several of us around the table - as might be expected - discussed the Ontario government's Green Energy Act and wondered aloud about the hidden costs associated with the act. Some speculated that the act might lead to a doubling of Ontario's power rates. Could that possibly be true?

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Bryant; No repentance but close!

So is Bryant dating Nikki Holland?


Bryant's pit bull legislation bites back

Finally, some proof of canine karma.
As attorney general in 2005, Michael Bryant banned pit bulls in Ontario. But now he’s separated from his wife and dating a woman who told him she “doesn’t know if she can get past it.”
“She’s a dog lover,” said Bryant, insisting he is, too.
While Bryant says he wouldn’t change his decision to ban pit bulls, he regrets the fallout at the time.
“I think some people got demonized by their own neighbours by virtue of owning a pit bull,” he said. “And that was never the intention.”

Read on



Monday, October 3, 2011

Durham couple spend $15,000 in court over dog bite

A woman in Durham spent $15,000 fighting in court for her dog's life. The owner of a lab was charged under DOLA after a bite incident at her home. 


Whitby woman spent $15,000 fighting dog's death penalty

The party was winding down when it happened. The young woman had shown up at Lindsay Olender's Brooklin home at about 3 a.m. as a guest of someone else. Visibly drunk, she'd been lying on the living room floor playing with Ms. Olender's nine-year-old dog, a yellow lab named Symba. 
Then something happened. The dog bit the young woman, and all of a sudden there was blood pouring from a wound on her face. A friend rushed her to the hospital for treatment. Ms. Olender was assured in a phone call the young woman would be OK.

YASIR NAQVI, OTTAWA CENTRE 'RESPONDS' TO OUR SURVEY

Guest author Caveat wrote this educational and informative response to Liberal candidate Yasir Naqvi Ottawa Centre.


Mr Naqvi sent along the canned reponse prepared for all candidates by Big Daddy Dalton.  Heaven forbid a candidate should actually voice their own opinion!  I decided to respond to Mr Naqvi because that's the kind of person I am.


Yasir and Bella!

Dear Mr Naqvi,
Thank you very much for responding to the Dog Legislation Council of Canada's survey on a topic important to informed dog owners with a form letter prepared for all candidates by Dalton McGuinty.  For your information, he did the same thing last time and it was just as risible. 
While I understand that Mr McGuinty runs a tight ship (a ship from which the largest of the rats have already exited), I would expect a more thoughtful response, especially from a fellow dog owner such as yourself.  I fully realize this is difficult, since Mr McGuinty has a policy which forbids boat-rocking of any kind.  This includes speaking on behalf of constituents rather than supporting Mr McGuinty's interests.  Ah, the hollow shell we call democracy these days is but a shadow of its former self.
But I digress.
Thanks for sending along a picture of you with your dog, Bella.  It always pleases me when we receive these pictures because it gives me a chance to educate.  Education is what I'm all about, and I'm not even a member of a union.  I do it for nothing.  Go figure.
Anyway, I note that you seem to own a 'husky' type of dog, either purebred or of mixed, and therefore unknowable, ancestry.  You must be unaware of the fact that the number one dog in Canada for fatalities, including fatalities involving children, is the 'husky' type.  It was 24 dead at last count, dating back to 1983 only.  In comparison, there has been one fatality reliably attributed to a 'pit bull' type, occurring in 1995 in Toronto.
Now, obviously, packs of slavering 'huskies' aren't running through the streets bent on mayhem, randomly attacking passers-by.  
No, these fatalities, like all dog bite-related fatalities and in fact all dog attacks, can be traced to human error.  It's the conditions under which dogs are kept and how they are managed that leads to bites and attacks.
There's no such thing as a 'husky'.  It's a slang term for a shape of randomly bred dog - a mutt, if you will - a dog of mixed, and therefore unknowable, ancestry.
Much like a 'pit bull'.
Now, stop me if you already know this:  There's no such thing as a 'pit bull'.  It's a slang term for a shape of randomly bred dog - a mutt, if you will - a dog of mixed, and therefore unknowable, ancestry.
You look like an intelligent person, if a bit keen for my liking, considering what you are representing.  
Tell me how a mixed breed dog of who-knows-what ancestry can possibly exhibit 'breed' characteristics.
Tell me how a mixed breed dog can be identified by someone who has been bitten and is likely not a dog person, by a newsie, by an animal services person, by anybody, anywhere, when all dogs are alike genetically, be they the most highly prized purebreds or the lowliest pariahs in the street.
Tell me why three purebred dogs have been banned in Ontario when 1) they are so rare that most people will never see one and b) there has never been a reported bite by a member of any of those three breeds.
It is interesting the way Mr McGuinty and his minions like to cherry-pick.  He's managed to scrape up two supposed 'pit bull' attacks over the past four years.  Bravo!  This just goes to prove to those of us who think rationally that per usual, so-called 'pit bulls' are as safe as all other dogs, mainly because they ARE just dogs:  Short-haired mutts that people love just as much as I love my Griffons or you love your 'husky', Bella.
Contrary to the mythology promulgated on both sides of the issue, one cannot breed dogs to be aggressive, to like humans and not like dogs, to be a good 'family' dog or any of the rest of it.  Dogs can only be conditioned to be so.  You cannot breed for behaviour, you can only transer physiological characteristics that might make certain behaviours easier to shape.   That is what the science says and trust me, I've been delving into it deeply since the summer of 2004 when this disgusting witch hunt began.  As my esteemed colleague says: "If we can breed dogs for behaviour, then why aren't we breeding them to heel?". 
It would be interesting to read through a list of all the dog-on-dog attacks that have taken place over the past seven years but I know full well that information will remain closeted, just like the information we requested regarding how much money the government has wasted on its useless, discriminatory "pit bull" ban.  I know how much we spent going through the courts so I expect they blew at least ten times that amount, based on past behaviour by this government.  You know, 'the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour' and all that jazz.
Here's a fact for you:  99.9% of all dogs will never bite anybody.
My objections to the legislation have little to do with dogs, much as I care for them, and a lot to do with dog owners' rights.
Here are a couple of cases for you to consider:
- A middled-aged accountant in Brampton had his front door kicked in and his unoffending dog abducted because Animal Services were on a vendetta against perceived 'pit bulls' in that city.  The same thing happened to a woman in her 70s up the street.  Both dogs were at the pound for three months, were identified by AS's own vet as not 'pit bulls' and were released back to the owner in not such great shape.  Guess who won't be voting Liberal in this election?
- A young Vietnamese man in Mississauga took his dog to be neutered at a new clinic and was ratted out to Animal Services for owning a "pit bull" that was too young to be in Ontario. Two years of pain and thousands of dollars later, the court found his dog was NOT a "pit bull" but a Boxer cross as he had stated from the beginning.  Guess who won't be voting Liberal this time?
I could go on and on, I am contacted daily by people, usually young men from visible minorities or those who have low incomes, to help them save their beloved dogs from this horrendous situation in Ontario.
Mr McGuinty, in the face of overwhelming opposition by experts, dog owners and members of the general public, went ahead with this legislation which has failed (and largely been repealed), everywhere it has been tried.  The Committee process was perverted and turned into an Inquisition - go figure.  He whipped the vote, as he likes to do, because even members of his own caucus were uncomfortable with the idea of legislated discriminatinon, a two-tiered justice system.
In Ontario, we now have warrantless entry into a residence on a pretext, warrantless search and seizure in public, restrictions on mobility, reverse onus - in this case a defendant must prove an impossible negative, that their dog is NOT a 'breed' that doesn't exisit - discrimination based on the physical appearance of otherwise universally legal property, overbreadth and vagueness to the point of creating a reign of terror among dog owners in this province.
That is what you support when you parrot Mr McGuinty's campfire tales for the weak of mind.
As a Canadian, I believe that legislation should govern behaviour, not physical appearance.
Here's a tip for you:  If you have to have your dog in a strangle-hold in order to have her picture taken, she needs much more exercise and some good obedience training.  A 'husky' type is built to be an endurance breed so a walk around the block isn't going to be enough.  You might consider a treadmil, although the animal rights/liberation crew that lobbied Mr Zimmer so successfully might brand you a dog-fighter if you own one, so be careful.  Bring it in at night.
I hope I have given you something to think about and I thank you again for your response to our survey.  It made my day.
Regards,
Selma Mulvey
Somebody else who won't be voting 'Liberal' 



Friday, September 30, 2011

Response from candidates Sharon Clarke and Trevor Westerhoff NDP


1. If the amended Dog Owners' Liability Act (2005) came up today for a free rather than a whipped vote as happened in 2005, would you vote in favour of banning breeds as an effective way to protect people from dog bites? Please explain.
ANSWER: No.
2. Please tell our readers why you think the 'pit bull' ban enacted by the McGuinty government has or has not been successful in protecting the public from dog bites.
ANSWER: It has not been successful—breed specific legislation simply does not work. See explanation below.
 3. Would you be willing, if elected, to work to rescind the breed-specific regulations in Ontario's amended Dog Owners' Liability Act (2005) andreplace them with an existing, easily implemented Canadian system that has been effective in the control of negligent pet owners, that is supported by all responsible pet owners and that once established is fully funded by dog and cat owners rather than through general revenue taxation? Please briefly explain your response.
ANSWER: Yes we would rescind the breed-specific legislation. New Democrats support responsible dog ownership. Breed-specific legislation does nothing for public safety but it unfairly targets many innocent dogs and their responsible owners. 
4. Is there anything you'd like to add?
Ontario’s New Democrats voted against the Dog Owner’s Liability Act in 2005 and NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo has introduced legislation, multiple times, that would have repealed the flawed and ineffective breed-specific regulations. We continue to stand behind our record on this issue.

Trevor Westerhoff NDP candidate Ancaster-Dundas 


Sharon Clarke NDP candidate Algoma Manitoulin

Thank you for your response Trevor and Sharon. Good luck on October 6th!
DLCC

Response from Dufferin-Caledon candidate Karen Gventer NDP


I apologize for my tardy reply.  We have a very small campaign team in my riding, so I answer all of my own surveys, while carrying out the other duties of a candidate and also continuing to work full time.
This issue is one I have spoken about for many years whenever the issue came up with friends and acquaintances.  Some of the nicest dogs I've met were pit bulls, doberman pinschers, rotweillers, or german shepherds.
I have attached my answers to your survey.
Sincerely,
Karen Gventer
NDP Candidate, Dufferin-Caledon
Thank you for your response Karen. Good luck on October 6th!
DLCC

Response from Halton candidate Nikolas Spohr NDP


Nov.21 027
Thank you for your response Nikolas. Good luck on October 6th!
DLCC

Reason # 41 McGuinty Must Go!


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Thanks to Dalton McGuinty: Ontario Up Yours for the ad above


Today's news is Dalton McGuinty blaming Tim Hudak for placing cigarettes in Ontario children's mouths.. while his Lieberal staffer was the one bribing voters at the shelter with cartons of cigarettes. 
Lest we forget David Caplan was a smoker while Minister of Health.. huge faux pas for Ontario's least favorite - worst - premier "DAD". 

Smokes-for-votes comment 'completely unacceptable': McGuinty

Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty says the smokes-for-votes comment made by one of his campaign officials was "completely unacceptable."
”Completely unacceptable comment on the part of my worker. It was a bad joke in poor taste. She apologized for it,” McGuinty said in Brampton, where he was touring a Chrysler plant.
Nikki Holland, operational vice-president for Ontario’s Liberals, was taped making comments about bribing the homeless with smokes during a campaign training session on July 16.
Joke? I doubt it.. she got caught. Holland also tried to say the other parties use this tactic as well. Those are some strong allegations when bribing for votes is illegal!
On October 6th vote for the candidate most likely to toss the Lieberal to the curb!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Bryant's former employee caught giving cigg's to people in shelter for votes


According to the Toronto Sun, Nikki Holland, Michael Bryant's former communication director, was caught saying in an audio recording...
 "I have done crazy things," Holland says. "Like ... and if anyone repeats this I'll deny it (until) the cows come home ... I have gone to a shelter in the riding of St. Paul's with a carton of smokes and said, 'I'll give you them after you vote.' I have done that ... but they were already smokers."
Holland was apparently on Bryant's "speed dial" after he ran over Darcy Sheppard August 29, 2009.  The Star printed a story about the identity of the woman who brought a suit and shirt and tie down to Metro Toronto Police so Bryant could spruce up before his media conference.
The act of handing out smokes in exchange for votes is otherwise known as electoral fraud
Shame on you.. How low will you go? 
Hey Ontario Liberal's.. don't bother answering that question. We already know the answer!

Reason # 40 McGuinty Must Go!


Four days before Christmas 2006, McGuinty gave Ontario MPP's a 25% pay raise. The base salary for an MPP went up by $22,000, giving each elected representative $110,000 annually. Cabinet ministers got an extra $31,000 to earn $157,633 a year and the premier got a $39,000 raise, making McGuinty's annual pay cheques $198,620.
In a time that we were going into a recession, which Ontarian's have still not recovered. People were out of work, took pay cuts but yet the cost of living has gone up considerably. 
The disregard for taxpayer's money is discusting. 
On October 6th vote for the best candidate to beat the Liberal in your riding!

Reason # 39 McGuinty Must Go!


A company that planned to build a series of huge wind farms in Lake Ontario is suing the provincial government for $2.25-billion, claiming it unfairly cancelled all offshore wind projects earlier this year.
Trillium Power Wind Corp. spent millions of dollars over many years planning its projects, and had dutifully followed the government’s application processes, the suit claims, but the rug was pulled from under its feet when the province said it would not consider any offshore development until more scientific studies were done.

Reason # 38 McGuinty Must Go!


The Liberals' promise of $10,000 tax credit for employers offering training and a first job to new Canadian professionals who have been in the country for under five years has been a bone of contention from the start of the election.
Initially, the Liberals were forced to admit it would only apply to very few people given that it is almost impossible to become a Canadian citizen in much less than five years.
McGuinty brushed off the suggestion that his government would in fact be discriminating against permanent residents with the proposed program however all aspects of this promise are discriminatory and will be sure to open up yet another court case against the McGuinty Liberals on human rights grounds.
The court system is certainly benefiting from McGuinty's stint as the worst premier in Ontario's history. The cases keep mounting up.

Response from Oshawa NDP candidate Mike Shields


1. If the amended Dog Owners' Liability Act (2005) came up today for a free rather than a whipped vote as happened in 2005, would you vote in favour of banning breeds as an effective way to protect people from dog bites? Please explain.

ANSWER: No.

2. Please tell our readers why you think the 'pit bull' ban enacted by the McGuinty government has or has not been successful in protecting the public from dog bites.

ANSWER: It has not been successful—breed specific legislation simply does not work. See explanation below. 


3. Would you be willing, if elected, to work to rescind the breed-specific regulations in Ontario's amended Dog Owners' Liability Act (2005) andreplace them with an existing, easily implemented Canadian system that has been effective in the control of negligent pet owners, that is supported by all responsible pet owners and that once established is fully funded by dog and cat owners rather than through general revenue taxation? Please briefly explain your response.


ANSWER: Yes we would rescind the breed-specific legislation. New Democrats support responsible dog ownership. Breed-specific legislation does nothing for public safety but it unfairly targets many innocent dogs and their responsible owners.


4. Is there anything you'd like to add?
Ontario’s New Democrats voted against the Dog Owner’s Liability Act in 2005 and NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo has introduced legislation, multiple times, that would have repealed the flawed and ineffective breed-specific regulations. We continue to stand behind our record on this issue.
-- 
Mike Shields Campaign
Ontario's New Democrats

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Dalton McGuinty's response to election survey


September 26, 2011 
Dog Legislation Council of Canada 
Dear Ms. Prothro and Colleagues: 
Thank you very much for your letter and survey on behalf of the Dog Legislation Council of Canada. I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond. To answer your questions, I enlisted the help of our number one policy expert: our family dog, Mikki. Unfortunately, a squirrel got her attention and I am forced to answer on my own.  
I am a firm believer in the rewards of pet ownership. Having Mikki in our lives ensures that Terri and I get out for regular walks and exercise. Her companionship helps us relax at the end of a stressful day. Simply put — our family adores her and we don’t know what we’d do without her.  
As a pet owner, I also know that dog ownership is, first and foremost, a responsibility.   
A few years ago, Ontario Liberals made the decision to restrict pit bulls. After a series of horrific accidents around the province, we decided that the interests of public safety would be best-served by restricting that particular breed.   
At the same time, we also toughened the penalties for the owners of any dog that poses a danger to the public.  
• Fines for offences under the Dog Owners’ Liability Act were increased to a maximum of $10,000 and allow for jail sentences of up to six months for people who allow any kind of dog to bite, attack or pose a menace to the safety of a person or domestic animal.  
• Fines were increased up to a maximum of $60,000 for corporations owning such dogs.  
• Also, judges can now order restitution to be paid in relation to an offence under the act.   
Because of the new legislation, today there are fewer opportunities for serious pit bull attacks — ensuring that the people who are most vulnerable to these attacks are out of harm's way. 
I believe we need to maintain our efforts, because the remaining restricted pit bulls continue to pose safety issues. For instance:  
• April 13, 2011 — Ottawa — An un-muzzled pit bull tore out the throat of a threeyear-old Shih Tzu that was being walked by his teenaged owner.  
• April 27, 2011 — Orillia — a pit bull attacked and killed a small dog outside an Orillia apartment building. The pit bull was wearing a muzzle that came off during the attack.  
Our position is that repealing this legislation would be a step backwards. We understand these changes may have presented challenges for some dog owners, but we are confident that all Ontarians want what is in the best interests of public safety.  
I want to thank you for taking the opportunity to write to me and appreciate the opportunity to answer your questions. Please accept my best wishes. 
Yours truly, 
Dalton McGuinty  
Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party 
Premier of Ontario