NPD Letter from the President

Anne McGrath,
President
Jack Layton’s
New Democrats

My Fellow New Democrat,

If I asked you who voted to claw back the rights of working women to please his corporate friends, Stephen Harper or Michael Ignatieff – what would you say?

The answer is they both did.

If I asked you who voted to give away billions to their friends in the Tar-Sands while ignoring the working families being thrown out of work? Who would you think of?

Once again, the answer is both Harper and Ignatieff.

And who was among the first to support George Bush’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Yes, you’re right – both Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff publicly came out in support of these wars in the early days. If either of them were Prime Minister at the time, there’s no question that Canada would be in Iraq today.

And what if I asked you who’s on record supporting the use of torture in Bush’s war on terror? Actually, even Stephen Harper never went that far.

But Michael Ignatieff did.

Why am I telling you this? Because an election is just around the corner, and these two leaders are on the wrong side of the issues that matter to most everyday Canadians.

I know you agree – it’s not enough to simply replace Stephen Harper in the next election. Not when Michael Ignatieff shares so many of his views. Everyday families are looking for real change – the type of change that they can believe in.

That’s why Jack Layton has launched the challenge to all New Democrats. We have 90 days to build a movement for change across this country – one that can defeat Stephen Harper in the next election. But also one that’s based on the values that you and I believe in.

Today, I’m asking you to be a part of it.

It’s clear that Stephen Harper has turned his back on everyday people. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that Michael Ignatieff’s Liberals aren’t the answer – not if we want to build a Canada where today’s families come first.

And not if we want a Canada that is a strong voice for peace in the world.

There’s just too much at stake.

Why you can’t trust Stephen Harper

As Jack Layton toured the country this summer, he met with mayor after mayor who told him the same thing: the stimulus money just isn’t flowing. Desperate to save his job, Stephen Harper promised everyday families that he’d be there for them. He’d provide the stimulus needed to get them back to work.

So why is only 20% of the promised money out the door?

The answer is simple. Harper never intended to keep his promise. He doesn’t believe in what he’s doing. In fact, he’s spent his entire career fighting to stop governments from stepping in and helping people in need.

When the Liberals approved the Conservative budget, they believed that Stephen Harper had seen the light. But you and I know better – when it comes to standing up for everyday Canadians, Stephen Harper just can’t be trusted.

The Liberals aren’t the answer.

It didn’t take long for everyday Canadians to lose hope in Michael Ignatieff. His first act as Liberal Leader was to support Harper’s failed Conservative budget. And just last week, Ignatieff’s Liberals propped up the Conservative government for the 79th time in a row.

Instead of standing up to Harper, Ignatieff has been busy attending big money fundraisers organized by some of the richest corporate executives in Canada. Is this in exchange for his support for Big Oil in the Tar-Sands and his vote to claw back the hard-fought gains of working women?

The more today’s voters see of Ignatieff, the more they discover that he just doesn’t share their values.

I don’t blame them for not wanting this man as their Prime Minister. Ignatieff was one of the first supporters of George Bush’s war in Iraq. He’s written that “to defeat evil, we may have to traffic in evils: indefinite detention of suspects, coercive interrogations, targeted assassinations, even pre-emptive war.”

These aren’t the values of this great country of ours. That’s why it’s just not enough to replace Stephen Harper. Together, you and I have to fight for real change – change that we can believe in.

Your special donation today will go to fund three concrete actions to help us defeat Stephen Harper in the next election.

First, you’ll help win the imminent by-elections, including holding the New Democrat seat of New Westminister-Coquitlam. Stephen Harper is throwing everything he has at this by-election in the hopes of showing Conservative momentum. Together we can stop him in his tracks.

You’ll help us catch up to the big money Conservative fundraising. It won’t be easy – we fund our campaigns with the help of everyday Canadians, not Corporate CEOs. But we have to show that we can go toe-to-toe with Harper in the coming election.

And you’ll help us build the biggest New Democrat campaign in history. This summer, we’ll train more campaign workers and engage more volunteers than ever. And at our Convention in Halifax, we’ll learn from winning New Democrats like Premier Gary Doer and Premier Darrell Dexter as well as key members of Barack Obama’s inner-circle, eager to lend a hand to those standing up for working families.

The next election can’t be about whose conservative ideas are better. Or who is friendlier to Big Oil. And it certainly can’t be about how fast Canada can abandon its reputation for peace on the world stage. That’s why we need to be ready, and that’s why I need your help today.

Thank you for being a part of it.

Sincerely,

Anne McGrath
President
Jack Layton’s New Democrats