Who benefits from first the past post politics?

I found this at Paul Summerville’s web site. Paul was the Chief Economist of the TD Bank. He ran for the NDP in Toronto St Pauls. If you believe in Prop Rep, you might want to share this around.

Bloc — 1 seat for 30,432 votes
Conservatives — 1 seat for 43,313 votes
Liberals — 1 seat for 43,468 votes
NDP — 1 seat for 89,338 votes
Green — 0 seat for 665,940 votes

Phil Allt

Politics is not an election, it is a way of life.

It has been the most exciting end to a campaign that I have ever experienced. I have worked on campaigns since 1980 when I worked to elect Dan Heap in Spadina. That victory was based on the same sense of anger at Liberal corruption and disdain for voters that we have seen in 2006.

I thought that I would never again experience the same sense of excitement, and the same level of support for doing what is right and just. I discovered that this election, Canadians still care about the poor and the disadvantaged. I have discovered that Guelph is a city that cares deeply for all people regardless of religion, race, gender or age.

I have discovered the incredible Muslim community of Guelph - a community that wholeheartedly embraces the principles of social justice and charity – Zakah - as are outlined in the The Holy Qur’an.

I have also discovered the tremendous energy of the visionaries who live here in Guelph - people of all ages, from Georgia at the youngest, to Don Ewing at the more “senior level”.

This election is all about what matters - Guelph matters, people matter, the environment matters. Please vote tomorrow for a new beginning for Guelph and Canada. The NDP and I will not disappoint you.

The following is the text of my speech to the Exhibition Park All Candidates’ Meeting. I have included remarks about what we can do to keep good paying jobs right here in Guelph at Imperial Tobacco.

Phil Allt
Good evening. Thanks to all of you for coming out tonight.

In this election, there is only one issue: WHO DO WE TRUST TO BUILD THE KIND OF CANADA AND PROMOTE THE KIND OF GUELPH IN WHICH WE WANT TO LIVE?

Canada is a country built on values that include honesty, fairness, equality and compassion. Canadians support public health care, communities, small businesses, and family farms because it is right and just to do this. We support a Canada that builds economic, social and environmental sustainability into every decision.

Locally we have seen de industrialization occur at a breakneck pace. We want politicians to respond with creative ideas that generate value added jobs here in Guelph

Last week I proposed a wind turbine plant for ABB – a plant that is in Ward 3. Our community embraced this enthusiastically.

Today, I am here to propose that your MP must aggressively pursue a new manufacturer for the Imperial Tobacco site. I want to be that MP.

I want to be clear - I don’t like smoking and don’t support the tobacco industry. I don’t support the legal or the illegal manufacturing and sale of cigarettes by anyone in Canada and our government must crack down on the underground cigarette economy.

I do support workers being paid a dignified wage. The Imperial Tobacco site is perfect for a major food production facility or food terminal. Already it possesses a rail infrastructure – the environmentally sensible transportation alternative. It is well located in a growing area of over 600,000 people. The building is a sound facility built in 1958. This is a clean, smart use of this facility.

Bill Foster, President of the Imperial Tobacco Workers is supportive of this idea and thanked me for being the only candidate to respond to his emails and phone calls and embrace his offer to meet workers. I told him that though tobacco is bad, the workers deserve better than seeing their jobs sent to Mexico – never to return.

The facility I propose makes sense. It is already designated as an industrial food facility – believe it or not, tobacco is considered a food product for the purposes of production and must be produced in accordance with food safety standards. Re-employing these workers at such a facility makes sense because they are already skilled workers in the food production industry. Paying them good living wages makes sense. As Bill told me, every store in Guelph knows the Imperial Tobacco workers because they spend their money here.

Isn’t this economic activism what you want from an MP? Don’t you want an MP to think creatively and work with city and provincial officials to bring good paying jobs here? This is not a pie in the sky proposal; it is a realistic proposal like the ABB Turbine proposal. Let’s build on our strengths, lets use our human resources, let’s get those workers and others good paying long lasting jobs. Please support Phil Allt. I will work for you.