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Joyce Murray
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For Immediate Release January 13, 2013 DAVID MERNER SUPPORTS JOYCE MURRAY VICTORIA, BC – Joyce Murray, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra and candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, today gratefully accepted the endorsement of former prospective Liberal leadership candidate David Merner, the first prospective candidate to bow out of the race and endorse another candidate.“David has worked extremely hard for many years encouraging real renewal in the Liberal Party of Canada,” said Murray. “David ran an impressive campaign based on ideas and substance advocating for the building of a broad cooperative movement riding by riding. I agree wholeheartedly with David that the time has come to replace the name-calling, voting splitting and partisan games enabled by our current electoral system and political culture with a new politics of respect, cooperation and engagement. I am very proud to receive his endorsement and his ongoing support as a key member of our campaign team.” Merner, who most recently served as President of the Liberal Party of Canada British Columbia prior to announcing his candidacy for the Liberal leadership, has engaged Canadians and Liberals on issues including political cooperation and democratic reform, legalizing cannabis, and building a sustainable future. “Joyce is committed to the cooperation movement, to democratic reform, and to building a sustainable economy. Her priorities are my priorities,” said Merner. “I came to know Joyce during the early stages of the leadership race as an extraordinary person who treated me and others with respect and generosity. She is the only candidate in the race with Cabinet experience – and she is from British Columbia – and the Liberal Party needs more British Columbia! As a Western Canadian, Joyce is most likely to be able to rebuild in Western Canada and create a truly national party. That’s essential if we are to prevent Stephen Harper from winning yet another Conservative majority in the 2015 general election.” -30- For more information:
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An Open Letter
Dear Friends,
I am writing to let you know that I will not pursue the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. This was a difficult decision because Canadians want to transform the way our democracy works and the leadership race presents an opportunity for us to take three crucial steps toward that transformation.
The Liberal Party is taking a first step by enabling all Canadians to sign up online and vote for the new leader. The second step is to replace the name-calling, vote-splitting and partisan games with a new politics of respect, cooperation and engagement. So far, the Liberal leadership race reflects this new politics.
The third and biggest step will be for Canadians from all walks of life to change the way our democracy works before the next general election in 2015 by getting involved. To engage Canadians again, the Liberal Party will need to transcend partisan politics, return power to riding associations, and build a broad, cooperative movement riding by riding.
Over the last six months, I have worked to develop a leadership campaign built on these ideas, including cross-party cooperation and democratic reform. To those who are not yet involved in the democratic life of our country, I say: “Go to www.liberal.ca, become a Liberal supporter, help choose the next leader of the Liberal Party, and shape the future of Canada.”
To the thousands of committed Canadians who are opening their homes and sharing their hopes in this leadership race, I say thank you for your generosity and dedication to Canada. The past six months have been inspiring and I will treasure the memories for the rest of my life.
Lastly, I say thank you to my family, friends, volunteers, and donors who worked so hard to make a campaign possible. Our work is not yet done and let's continue to work together -- through politics, community work, and in other ways -- to advance the ideals we share.
Sincerely,
David
It's Time for an Environmental Bill of Rights
Canada is a spectacularly beautiful country, blessed by waters, forests, wildlife, and natural wealth that are a global treasure. Yet, at a time when scientists are warning us about irreversible climate change, Canada lags behind other countries in the way we treat our environment.
The Conference Board of Canada’s comprehensive index of environmental performance indicators ranks Canada 15th out of 17 large, wealthy, industrialized countries. Simon Fraser University researchers ranked Canada’s environmental record 24th out of the 25 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Our magnificent natural heritage is at risk.
One of the reasons for Canada’s weak record is the absence of environmental protections in our constitution. From Argentina to Zambia, the right to a healthy environment enjoys constitutional recognition in over 100 nations. As David Boyd has demonstrated in his new book entitled ‘The Right to a Healthy Environment’, constitutionally recognized environmental rights and responsibilities are a catalyst for stronger environmental laws, better enforcement of those laws, and enhanced public participation in environmental governance.
Most importantly, countries with constitutionally recognized environmental protection are more likely to demonstrate superior environmental performance compared to countries that lack such protection. Nations with green constitutions have smaller ecological footprints and their citizens are breathing cleaner air, drinking safer water, and living in healthier environments.
Over ninety percent of Canadians believe that governments should ensure legal protection of their right to live in a healthy environment. Given the increasing severity of global environmental problems, now is the time to lay the groundwork for constitutional recognition of environmental rights and responsibilities. Let’s start by enacting a federal Environmental Bills of Rights as a stepping-stone towards the ultimate goal of constitutional reform.
Enshrining environmental rights and responsibilities in the constitution is not a magic wand that will instantly solve Canada’s complex ecological challenges. A change in government in 2015 would be a first, urgent step for all Canadians who care about the environment. However, an Environmental Bill of Rights would help to make sustainability a priority, lay the legislative foundation for future reform, and ultimately result in a better world for both current and future generations.
