- Brant News Video by Eric Lloyd

A big thank you for all who attended the Local Ideas Tour on Health Care in and around Brant Riding last week.  NDP Health Critic Megan Leslie and I had a significant agenda for the day and each stop was fruitful with conversation and ideas on how to make Health Care better in this country.

Meetings included an informal chat on Health Care at the Station Coffee House and Gallery, a meeting at the Aboriginal Health Centre, a healthy lunch at local restaurant Stir It Up!, a meeting with PSW Canada/Ontario Association of Personal Support Workers and a meeting with the Association of Ontario Health Centres.

All of this was followed by an important Open Discussion on Health Care which packed the Senior's Resource Centre.

 Video Temporarily Removed

- Video by Brant News Videographer Eric Lloyd

More video will be available soon on our Youtube Channel.

The Expositor ran a front page article on the visit which you can read by clicking the image below.

- Article by Michael Allen Marion, Photo by Christopher Smith

Also check out Rogers Television all this week for more video from the event!

We heard the very real concerns of senior's, young people, families and service providers.

We heard that people believe good federal legislation can help the provinces deliver the best health care possible and that the Federal government does have a role to play.

We heard that people are struggling and still believe the Canadian ideal of health care is a valid one that needs defending.  People want their "old health care back."  Health care that provides better coverage for people.  People are tired of the threat of privatization.

So we look now to Tommy Douglas' vision for the second stage of health care where we KEEP our primary services but we also look to keep people well through prevention, education, health promotion and healthy lifestyles.

We look to ideas like:

- A National Pharmacare Strategy to reduce costs while giving Canadian's better and cheaper access to the drugs they need.  

- We look to the social determinants of health and focus on the things that make people sick like poverty, childhood obesity, housing, the environment etc.

- We help PSW's regulate so that they can have standards of employment and standards of care.

- We strengthen the mental health system so that it does not take such a hard toll on the physical health and wellness of the nation

- We ensure the government of the day understands that Canadians value their health care and that the Federal government has a role to play in ensuring fairness and accessibility to services across the country.

If you would like to discuss these ideas further or have any more ideas to bring to the table please contact me at anytime at marc@brantndp.ca

Thanks again Brant Riding for engaging in a new kind of politics,

-Marc Laferriere

Federal Candidate - Brant NDP

www.BrantMarc.ca

Photos From the Day courtesy Alex Denonville:

Blackburn to Support Laferriere at Innovative Campaign Event on August 28th.

Brantford – On Saturday August 28th from 1:00 – 3:00pm Former Brant NDP MP Derek Blackburn will be the special guest of honour at a Pay What You Can Picnic being held by Local Candidate Marc Laferriere and Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton on the grounds of historic Yates Castle (corner of Usher St & Rushton Ave) 

“I am pleased to fully endorse this young man.” Blackburn said in a prepared statement.  “Over the last few months as I have gotten to know Marc I see that he has all the tools to be a very effective voice for the people of Brant in Ottawa.  I expect winning things from him and his team and am asking those who supported me in the past to support Marc now and during the next election.

“He’s very keen, hard working, accessible and he understands that constituents are the number one priority.  That thought should be paramount for any politician; people before party and Marc already appreciates this.

“I’m very excited to visit and hope to see old friends and colleagues during this event."

Derek reached out to Laferriere with a phone call several months ago after hearing from several sources about all the work that had been done in the riding. This turned into regular calls between the two and a recent face-to-face visit at Derek’s home in Gatineau.

Photo:  Blackburn and Laferriere meet to discuss policy and Brant needs.  (August 6, 2010)

“Derek has been a great mentor. An hour on the phone with Derek is like a week of campaign school. It’s important to me to work with those who have been there before and Derek is in my mind and the minds of many here the most successful politician to ever serve this area,” Laferriere said.

Formerly a teacher in Paris Mr. Blackburn won a by-election in 1971 to represent Brant Riding in Ottawa. He went on to win the next 6 elections until his retirement from politics in 1993. Mr. Blackburn developed a strong reputation for his people-focused constituency work and his ability to work with people from all walks of life and all political persuasions. 

After his political career Derek accepted an appointment from then Prime-Minister Brian Mulroney to the Immigration and Refugee Board which is Canada’s largest independent administrative tribunal responsible for making decisions on immigration and refugee matters. 

Federal New Democrat Leader Jack Layton is looking forward to meeting Derek for the first time. “I’m very excited to meet Mr. Blackburn, and to honour his contributions to this riding and parliament. I understand he will be saying a few words. This is shaping up to be quite an event.”

Derek has fond memories of working with Jack’s father and former Progressive Conservative Cabinet Minister Robert Layton. “I got to know Robert in the House and he was a fine man. Despite belonging to different parties we had a lot of respect for one another. Both father and son are top notch in my book.”

The Pay What You Can Picnic is an event open to the public and is part of the Brant NDP’s initiatives to offer low cost and no cost events that are accessible to everyone. 

On the subject of accessibility Laferriere offered these comments, “We strongly believe that politics should be participatory. One of our goals when we started with these kinds of events was to find creative ways to change the culture of Federal Politics at the local level. We’re now seeing more open and unscripted events in and around the riding and couldn’t be more pleased. It’s about time and it has led to greater interest in local politics.”

Click the photo below to see the Facebook event page:

Read more about the event online in the Brant News and Expositor. 

Brantford – Local Federal New Democrat Candidate Marc Laferriere will continue his “Local Ideas Listening Tour” on August 19^th with a visit from the Federal New Democrat Health Critic Megan Leslie (2009 Maclean’s Rookie MP of the Year). 

About coming to Brantford, Megan Leslie said "I am excited to have the opportunity to meet the people of Brant Riding and look forward to having a thoughtful discussion about the health issues faced by this community.  We have seen gaps developing in our health care system and it is important to understand these from the perspective of Canadians."

Laferriere adds “Working professionally in the local health care system I see the strong need to make sure Ottawa knows what the reality on the ground is.” 

“We want to bring the experiences, opinions and solutions of our community to Ottawa.  Instead of having representatives who come into the riding to sell the political positions of the government we want to make sure local voices are represented in Ottawa.”  

“In 4 short years the federal and provincial governments will have to renegotiate the Health Accord and it’s important for those who care about Canadian Health Care to get in front of this issue.” 

The Brant NDP is asking anyone with an interest in this issue to come to an Open Discussion on Health Care at the Senior’s Resource Centre on August 19 beginning at 2:30pm. 

In addition to the event at the Senior’s Resource Centre Leslie and Laferriere already have confirmed meetings with The Aboriginal Health Centre, PSW Canada / The Ontario Personal Support Workers Association, and the Association of Ontario Health Centres. 

Brantford – Local Federal New Democrat Candidate Marc Laferriere is returning to Ottawa this week. The last time Laferriere visited Ottawa was during prorogation to discuss the needs of Brant Riding.

“People want to know that if I was elected I would work hard for the people in Brant. They don’t want their elected representatives or their candidates to just wait around for opportunities to come but to go out and search for them.” Laferriere said.

Laferriere is booked for several meetings on and around Parliament Hill including one he is most looking forward to with Former Brant NDP MP Derek Blackburn.

“Several months ago I received a phone call from Derek telling me that he was very impressed with the work we have been doing in Brant. Since that time he has taken an active role in our campaign and has made himself available for advice and mentoring.”

“Eventually the phone is just is not enough and Derek and his wife Monique have invited me to their home in the Ottawa Region to discuss issues in this riding, and to see how they can help in the next election. I could not be more pleased. ”

Mr. Blackburn may be best remembered for his focus on constituents and local issues which led him to 7 terms as the MP for Brant Riding from 1971 – 1993.

During the Ottawa trip the 29 year-old Laferriere has also been asked to be a keynote speaker for the launch of the Capital Region Young New Democrats. “It’s a pleasure to present to these young people on the dynamics of being a younger candidate. We need more youth participation in politics and more diversity in government including younger voices.”

Laferriere will also be meeting with MP Tony Martin (Sault Ste. Marie) to discuss the Poverty Elimination Act (Bill C-545) which has been receiving support across party lines, and will be meeting with MP John Rafferty (Thunder Bay – Rainy River) on his private members bill on pension protection (Bill C-501). Brant residents may remember Mr. Rafferty from his visit to the riding in January where both he and Laferriere held information sessions and community discussions about the unpopular HST that was later enabled due to Federal Conservative and Liberal votes in the House of Commons.