Posts tagged 'Anthony Rota'
Local First Nations support Liberals, endorse Rota
Anthony Rota, his wife Chantal, daughter Samantha and their dog – Ruby.
As the next federal election looms in 2015, local Liberals are preparing to put their best candidate forward to take back the riding of Nipissing-Timiskaming. First Nations in the area are working to play a pivotal role in the riding to ensure their priorities are reflected in the upcoming election campaign and in shaping the next government.
First Nation Liberal organizer, Bob Goulais, who has played an advisory role within the Nipissing-Timiscaming Liberal Riding Association, has announced that he has endorsed previous Member of Parliament and past Liberal National Caucus Chair Anthony Rota in his bid for the Liberal nomination.
"We desperately need experienced and effective representation in Ottawa. Eight years of Stephen Harper's bullying and a single term of Jay Aspen's muted and ineffective representation is enough," said Goulais, a member of Nipissing First Nation. "Anthony is the best candidate to win back the trust and hearts of the people in this riding."
Goulais has pledged to deliver the support of his home community of Nipissing First Nation and many other First Nations voters. Goulais and a strong team of Anishinaabe supporters and volunteers has consistantly delivered overwhelmingly one-sided polls to Mr. Rota in previous elections in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011.
"We are starting to see more and more First Nations people taking an interest in mainstream politics and wanting to make a difference. For our community, that means supporting Anthony and voting Liberal. That trend will continue with a lot of hard work and determination of our team," said a confident Goulais.
Bob has been a longtime advocate of increasing First Nations participation in the electoral process.
"It is essential that our people step up and lead the change we want to see in Canada. We can do that by voting, communicating our perspectives and priorities and playing a role within the system," said Goulais who led the development of the 'First Peoples Vote' campaign.
"Personally, I want to see more First Nations MPs, candidates, riding association executives, political staffers and volunteers from all indigenous walks of life."
Goulais has shared his priorities with Mr. Rota including immediate action on the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, working with First Nations to improving education and health determinants and strengthening critical environmental policies weakened under the Conservative government.
"Harper's approach to working with First Nations is so paternalistic that our people are frustrated and have become disillusioned with Ottawa. The 'Non-sense Revolution' needs to come to an end," concludes Goulais.
Goulais was an advisor during the Kelowna Accord, negotiated between First Nations, the Provinces and former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin. The Accord, it's objectives, funding and the tremendous goodwill associated with it were scrapped when the Conservatives came to power in 2006. Goulais has also participated in the Liberal Aboriginal Peoples Commission (APC).
Tags: Anthony Rota, federal election 2015, Liberal, Nipissing-Timiskaming
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Day 1: Five Candidates To Watch Out For
So the government has been defeated (hurray!!) and the election campaign is in full swing (oh no, not again?!). The question is: who should we support?
Having worked with many parliamentarians over the years, I've learned not to judge a book by their cover. After they're all good at shaking hands and kissing babies. Rather, as an Anishinaabe man, I like to make my mind up by getting to know them as a person. Through these personal experiences, I'm able to determine a candidate's integrity by the way their treat people. During candid moments, you're able to see how they speak about issues and people behind the scenes. Sure the Conservative Party has a few. You can really judge a party by their grass-roots candidates. Here's five candidates to watch out for:
Karen Mock
Dr. Karen Mock – Thornhill
www.karenmock.ca
Follow @KarenMock on Twitter
One of the most delightful and worthy candidates in the 905, Dr. Karen Mock is a lifelong advocate for race relations. I first met Karen in her capacity of Executive Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. She also served as National Director of the B'nai Brith and is considered a beacon in the Canadian Jewish community. A kind spirit, Karen always maintains a friendly, humbly demeanor. She is facing Conservative incumbent Peter Kent, who I consider a curt opposite of Karen. He has the polished exterior of someone who has read from a teleprompter all his life. Based on personality alone, Karen shines. Add in her skills and experience, Karen has the potential to be a strong and influential MP. Just as the Conservatives are courting the "ethnic vote" in their smug, disingenuous manner – Karen is a sincere representative of the people, elected or not.
Anthony Rota
Anthony Rota – Nipissing-Timiscaming
www.anthonyrota.com
Follow @AnthonyRota on Twitter
Anthony turns up at the most interesting places! It was a pleasure to see him at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto a couple of weeks back. I know Anthony fairly well, so I can personally vouch for his work ethic, values and commitment to his job as MP. He has certainly been an effective advocate for Nipissing-Timiscaming. He has stood up for the north, and in particular, ensuring that FedNor continues to contributing to the economic development of Northern Ontario. Anthony serves as the national caucus chair for the Liberals in Ottawa, and goes above and beyond for his constituents.
Ruby Dhalla
Dr. Ruby Dhalla – Brampton-Springdale
www.rubydhalla.ca
Follow: @MPRubyDhalla on Twitter
When compared with the partisan, mean-spirited values of some Parliamentarians across the floor, someone like Ruby Dhalla is a shining star. One of the youngest women ever to be elected to the House of Commons, she also made history as the first South Asian woman to be elected into public office in the western world. She is a strong and effective champion for youth and women's issues. But don't get me wrong, she can also be a tenacious MP. She would be an excellent Cabinet Minister when the Liberals ascend to government. Ruby is looking to hold on to her 905 riding she has held since 2004.
Christine Innes
Christine Innes – Trinity Spadina
www.christineinnes.ca
Follow: @ChristineInnes on Twitter
Christine is a breath of fresh air. Already one of the hardest working Liberal candidates in Toronto, she's looking to unseat Olivia Chow in Trinity-Spadina. She may live in the city, but she's got small town heart. Intensely loyal to her friends, Christine always means what she says. And boy… she Loves to talk politics! Anytime, anyday. She's got a strategic mind and would be a valuable part of the Liberal caucus in Ottawa. Christine also has an immense knowledge of Aboriginal issues, having served as Chief of Staff for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs for Ontario.
Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux
Cynthia Wesley-Esquimeax
cynthiawesleyesquimaux.liberal.ca
Follow @CynthiaWesley on Twitter
It was touch and go for a few weeks, as Cynthia explored the possibility of being Chief in her home community of Georgina Island. Luckily for the Liberal Party, Cynthia is ready for the race in York Simcoe. Cynthia, who worked as an Assistance Professor with the University of Toronto is one of the foremost experts on Aboriginal social issues. She routinely provides aboriginal awareness training to government and the private sector and has appeared as a regular panelist on TVO's The Agenda. Cynthia is also an honest, caring woman who would be an excellent MP and representative for her riding.
Tags: Anthony Rota, Christine Innes, federal election 2011, Karen Mock, politics, Ruby Dhalla
Category: Politics | 2 Comments