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Dear Friends,
The Straight Facts on Proroguing Parliament.
You've seen many stories recently quoting attacks on the Prime Minister and the Conservative Party by the Opposition parties, regarding the Government's decision to prorogue Parliament.
You deserve to have all the facts about the situation. The Opposition won't provide these facts, unfortunately, because they want to push their political agenda. That's why I have taken the liberty of writing this letter to help clear the air.
You will recall how, almost a year ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced Canada's Economic Action Plan. It represents one of the most comprehensive stimulus packages in the industrialized world.
Today, all of the stimulus and budget measures have been adopted and implemented. While the continued delivery of the Economic Action Plan remains a top priority, the fact is that the economic landscape today is fundamentally different than a year ago.
That's why the Government believes it is now time to consult with Canadians, recalibrate its agenda and set new priorities. That was the purpose of prorogation-a purpose entirely consistent with the past practice of all federal governments.
Over the coming year, the Government will be focusing on (1) completing implementation of the Economic Action Plan, (2) returning to balanced budgets once the economy has recovered, and (3) building the economy of the future.
You can expect the reports about the prorogation to continue. Unfortunately, many media stories on this topic neglect to mention one undeniable truth: in Canada, prorogation is a routine, constitutionally-legitimate process. It has occurred 105 times in the last 143 years. It was used by former Liberal Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien a total of 15 times.
Parliament was scheduled to return from the winter break on January 25. It will now return the first week of March, an extension of just over one month.
Contrary to what radical critics of the Government have said, prorogation does not enable the Government to avoid parliamentary scrutiny. Indeed, when Parliament returns, the Government will face immediate - and unavoidable - confidence votes in the House of Commons.
Sincerely,
 John Carmichael
john@johncarmichael.ca
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Meet the Minister - Saturday February 13
 You are invited to meet the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism to talk about the issues that matter to you. Date: Saturday February 13, 2010 Time: 10:15 am - 12:15 pm Place: Thorncliffe Banquet Centre, 45 Overlea Blvd (at the back of the mall) Courtesy shuttle buses will leave from Flemingdon Plaza in the parking lot across from McDonalds at 9:45 am and 10:00 am. They will return after the event at 12:25 pm and 12:40 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Event Poster |
| In the Community
The Nutcracker Ballet
 "It was awesome!"
"What a fantastic evening!"
These were just a few of the comments heard on Wednesday, December 16 at the National Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker in Toronto
Kerry and I took 50 children to see the traditional family Christmas show which has thrilled audiences of children for years.
We just felt that there were a lot of children in our community who would enjoy this wonderful show, but who otherwise wouldn't have been able to have the experience. Seeing the look on the children's faces made it all worthwhile.
Tickets were offered to community groups and public schools in Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park who then arranged for distributing them to the children.
You can see more photos on my website and my facebook pages.
New Circles Community Services
In December, Kerry and I dropped off many bags of clothing at New Circles Community Services. The clothing was donated by our team at City Buick Chevrolet Cadillac GMC.
Executive Director Jane Craig informed us that more winter clothing is currently needed. Anyone can drop off clothing, including footwear, Monday to Friday between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. They are located at
10 Gateway Blvd in Flemingdon Park.
New Circles is a not-for-profit social service agency that helps residents of our Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park communities. Their primary service is the clothing bank which provides free new and gently used clothing for men, women and children. They also provide specialized programs such as volunteer employment opportunities, holiday gift-giving program, seniors' mobile mall, assessment & referral to other needed agencies and resources, and job and life skills training with professional consultants.
Skating at Leaside Memorial Gardens
 We had a tremendous turnout of families to our skating event at Leaside Memorial Gardens on Sunday February 7. Friends and their families came from across Don Valley West to enjoy some ice time, hot chocolate and coffee. A fun time was had by all and several lucky people left with door prizes! You can see more photos on my website and my facebook pages.
Building a Second Ice Pad at Leaside Memorial Gardens
I am joining a committee to raise funds for the expansion of Leaside Memorial Gardens. This project requires the raising of significant funds before construction can begin. On February 26, 2010, there is a Yuk Yuk's comedy night, "Laugh Out Loud in Leaside" fundraiser happening for this purpose. Here are the details.
Date: Friday February 26, 2010
Time: 7:30 pm
Place: William Lea Room, Leaside Memorial Gardens, 1078 Millwood (at Laird)
Price: $60.00
How to get tickets: charlene@charlenekalia.com, 416-953-1226
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President's National Prayer Breakfast
I attended the "President's National Prayer Breakfast" in Washington DC on Thursday February 4 and joined some 3500 attendees, guests from 140 countries, leaders from the Senate and Congress to hear from President Barack Obama, keynote speaker, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other leaders as they addressed the audience representing all faiths. This event is in its fifth decade of operation and is both a stimulating and sobering time of reflection at this most challenging time of global issues. I was honoured to be in attendance.
Following the breakfast and related events, I had the opportunity to visit and tour the Canadian Embassy and spend a few minutes with our 23rd Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Gary Doer.
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| Vancouver Olympics 2010 - The Most Exciting Sporting Event of our Time!
Canada is soon to welcome the world to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics on February 12 The last time Canada had the opportunity to host the world at the Winter Olympics was 1988, over 20 years ago in Calgary. It was at those games that we realized how strong a nation Canada is competitively in winter sport. Since its inception, the Vancouver organizing committee has been working with Sport Canada, The Canadian Olympic Committee and the various winter sport organizations to ensure a plan is built and executed upon which will ensure Canadians win more medals and stand on more podiums than at any time in our winter Olympic history. I am particularly excited about our proposed medal performances, but more importantly, I am excited about the facilities and legacy that will remain when the Olympic and Paralympics games are long over. As a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, I attended a Canadian Olympic Committee meeting in Vancouver in February 2009 and had the opportunitiy of visiting the Richmond Oval, the sight of Olympic speed skating events. This facility was awe-inspiring! While the ice and our skaters will produce the excitement of those games, what is even more incredible is the number of sports that will be impacted with the legacy of this facility. The Richmond Oval will be the home, not only to future speed skating events of local, national and international renown, but will also house sport science facilities that will change the face of a multitude of sporting organizations in Canada, and most specifically, those on the West Coast. As a rower and past President of Rowing Canada Aviron, I'm particularly excited that the Oval will play host to a 'state of the art' indoor rowing tank. Additionally, this facility will provide related health sciences needed for national team athletes, as well as club athletes, to measure progress, performance and development of up and coming athletes. Simply stated, there will be no other facility that meets the needs of rowers to the extent that this facility will provide for future performance. Similarly, other sports will enjoy specific opportunities to use the Oval facilities to the benefit of their sport as well as for community use. For example, when the ice is out, the facility can be set up with 16 full size basketball courts, and volleyball, tennis, lacrosse and a multitude of other sports could all make use of this building in similar ways. The success of the Winter Olympics/Paralympics will certainly be measured by the number of medals and podium finishes that our athletes are able to achieve. But when all is said and done, the conversion of any legacy facility such as the Richmond Oval, The Athletes Village (which will become affordable housing in the downtown core of Vancouver), Whistler ski facilities, Mount Seymour snowboard courses, will all provide future development sites for athletes of all skill levels to help young people improve, develop and bring their dreams to a reality. I look forward, as will most Canadians, to cheering for our Canadian athletes as they compete in their various sport. New national heroes will emerge from these Games: Cindy Klassen (Speed Skating), Brian McKeever (Cross Country Skiing in both the Winter Games and the Paralympics), Hayley Wickenheiser (Hockey), Chandra Crawford (Cross-Country Skiing), Jasey Jay Anderson (Snowboarding), Pierre Lueders (Bobsled) and so many more including our Canadian Mens' and Womens' Hockey teams. Opening Ceremonies for the Vancouver Winter Games are on February 12 and events will continue through the end of February. In March, Canada will celebrate the opening of the Vancouver Paralympic Games with the opening ceremonies on March 12 and continue to March 21. Official Website
Go Canada GO!
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Harper Government Supports Allied Veterans and their Families
Minister Thompson promotes new changes to the War Veterans Allowance Act
Vancouver - Low-income Allied Veterans and their family members who live in Canada may now apply for support, thanks to changes to the War Veterans Allowance Act that have taken effect.
The Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, held a roundtable with members of the Korean-Canadian community in Vancouver today to promote awareness of the changes that took effect with the New Year.
"Allied Veterans fought alongside Canadians in the same quest to provide peace and freedom," said Minister Thompson. "These deserving men and women have earned the right to the same services and benefits our other Veterans already receive."
 Allied Veterans who live in Canada may be eligible to receive services and benefits, including payments back to October 14, 2008, if the application is received by December 31, 2010. For those who apply after December 31, 2010, payments will be effective from the day they applied.
Changes to the War Veterans Allowance Act provide low-income Allied Veterans of the Second World War, who live in Canada and have for at least ten years, with access to War Veterans Allowance and associated assistance and health benefits. Eligibility was also expanded to include those who fought for Allied Forces in the Korean War who live in Canada now and either lived in Canada before the war or moved here after the war and have lived here for at least ten years. Family members may also receive benefits.
For more information or to request an application form, visit www.vac-acc.gc.ca or call 1-866-522-2122 (service in English), 1-866-522-2022 (service in French) or 1-800-465-7735 (TTY/ATS).
Countries Allied to Canada During Second World War
Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, El Salvadore, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Union of the Soviet Social Republics, United Kingdom, United States, Yugoslavia
Countries Allied to Canada During the Korean War
Australia, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Greece, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
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Canadians Providing Aid to Haiti
January 26, 2010
On Monday, during the Ministerial Preparatory Conference on Haiti in Montreal, Prime Minister Stephen Harper rallied the international community to a strategic and coordinated effort to help rebuild Haiti.
The Prime Minister outlined three principles to guide the work of Haiti reconstruction:
* Sustainability - the world must commit to Haiti for the long-term.
* Effectiveness - resources must be directed to where they are most needed.
* Accountability - the commitments we make must be firm and lasting to ensure Canadian tax dollars are used effectively.
Last week, our Government was proud to announce Canada will provide an additional $80 million for humanitarian aid and assistance in Haiti. This brings our total response to a potential $135 million. [Update: Canadians have now donated over 130 million dollars!]
Furthermore, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Laureen Harper recently visited the Canadian Red Cross office in Ottawa to make a personal donation towards the relief efforts in Haiti. Our Government is reminding Canadians that cash donations are the fastest, most efficient way to get help to people living in a disaster zone. We encourage all Canadians to contribute to the registered charity of their choice to help in the earthquake relief. In order to avoid potential fraud, we urge everyone to ensure that their charity of choice is a registered charity. More information can be found at: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/donors/index.html
To acknowledge the generosity of Canadians, our Government has also announced that we will match, dollar for dollar, Canadians' charitable contributions to registered organizations for disaster assistance in Haiti. Thus far, over $30 million has been donated. This is in addition to the $5 million preliminary emergency contribution announced earlier this week.
To date, Canada has provided rapid response to the current situation in Haiti:
* A Canadian Forces DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) team has been sent to Haiti.
* Canadian Forces aircraft are being dispatched daily to bring such things as emergency supplies, personnel, and search and rescue helicopters.
* These same planes are being used to bring Canadians home. To date, almost 1000 people have been brought safely back home.
* Within a short time, we will have approximately 2,000 men and women, seven helicopters and two ships contributing to rescue, recovery and reconstruction efforts in Haiti.
* The HMCS Halifax and HMCS Athabaskan, two Canadian naval ships loaded with food, bottled water, medical equipment and humanitarian supplies, have left for Haiti.
* A Canadian field hospital is now operating in Haiti.
* We are setting up expedited immigration procedures for Haitians with family in Canada.
* The Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince continues to provide emergency support to Canadian citizens in need.
Our Government offers our most sincere condolences to those who have lost friends and family in this terrible event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people, as well as those who are worried about the safety and security of their loved ones.
Friends and relatives in Canada seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be in Haiti should contact the Emergency Operations Centre by calling 1-800-387-3124. They may also send an email to sos@international.gc.ca.
Updates on the situation in Haiti are available at: http://www.international.gc.ca/humanitarian-humanitaire/earthquake_seisme_haiti.aspx.
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Staying Connected!
I spent the last month and a half tackling Facebook and am feeling pretty confident about my online expertise! Now, it's onto Twitter so click on the Twitter image below to start following my "tweets"!
Join me on these networks by clicking on the images below.
   
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| Join the Campaign!
 We had a strong and dynamic volunteer team during the last Federal Election, and we look forward to repeating that same success. I hope you will consider getting involved.
Here are some ways in which you can help starting today!
- host a gathering at your home of 10 people that are not currently Conservative voters so that I may meet them and they can learn about me and our party
- tell us now that you would like a lawn sign so that we can install it on the very first day of the campaign
- identify key people that you would like me to meet with
- tell us about community meetings and events that you think I should attend
- share your ideas on how we can win in 2010
- tell me what is happening in your neighbourhood
- send us photos that you took on past campaigns
- tell us what issues matter to you and what you think should be done
- connect with me on Facebook and Twitter and invite your friends and networks to do the same
You can call me or my campaign manager, Gord Moore at 416-444-3336 or email me at john@johncarmichael.ca at any time.
Volunteers are crucial to a campaign's success - please join me on the road to victory so that we are ready for whenever the next election happens to be!
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