What Canada do you want in 2016?

Details: Published on Monday, 18 January 2016 18:00; Written by editor

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Dear Friends,

As another year passes – what kind of Canada, what kind of governments and big businesses do you want to pass on to the next generations in your family – to your kids, nieces, nephews or grandchildren?

What kind of country do you want Canada to be in 2 years when we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday?

Do you want your family to continue to live in a Canada run by the many dishonest, unethical, secretive, unrepresentative and wasteful governments and... big businesses we have now? Your family deserves better, and you can help make things better for them by supporting efforts right now to help make Canada more democratic and fair.

Yes there is more hope now than in a long time that politics as usual in Canada will change for the better – yet history shows clearly that politicians make big promises but need to be pushed to keep them, especially promises to be honest and ethical and restrict their own powers and make themselves more accountable to you!

Stephen Harper and the Conservatives promised 60 changes to clean up federal politics in 2006 – then they broke most of their promises and Harper abused his unchecked powers again and again. See details here and see further below about how Democracy Watch will continue to hold the Harper Conservatives accountable for their past abuses.

Your support helped Democracy Watch win big in 2015 as Justin Trudeau and the Liberals promised 75 changes to democratize federal politics – the most ever by any political party (and the NDP also promised 75 changes in their election platform).

However, the Trudeau Liberals promised nothing to stop dishonesty, unethical decision-making or secret lobbying by powerful big businesses, and nothing to protect whistleblowers or strengthen enforcement of key democracy laws. See details here and here.

The Trudeau Liberals will have to be pushed as much as the Harper Conservatives to keep their promises and do even more to finally clean up federal politics – and with your support Democracy Watch will ensure they do everything that needs to be done! Democracy Watch is supported only by donations from people like you, and offers you 4 low-cost, easy ways to support democracy in Canada now.

Just think about how much money people would have saved if governments had made the changes Democracy Watch called for years ago to stop corruption and waste in the Senate, in military spending projects, in Ontario’s power projects and health care companies, in Quebec’s provincial and city construction projects, and to stop many other similar government and big business boondoggles in every province and territory.

Think about how many unfair decisions governments and big businesses have imposed on us all -- often without even asking what we think -- decisions that have taken Canada backwards, polluted and killed, or hurt people and communities.

The democracy changes Democracy Watch and its allies win for you and yours save you money by making government more honest, efficient and effective – and help save the environment, our public health care system, jobs and lots of other things you care about -- and help save you and your family from abuses and ripoffs.

How does Democracy Watch do all this for you? By working smarter, harder, and more efficiently and effectively, than any other group in Canada – this past year, next year, and every year since 1993.

The key changes we win for you stop governments from selling out Canada in secret, corrupt deals with big businesses, and stop gouging and other unfair business practices.

You are receiving this email because you are one of the tens of thousands of people, and more than 100 organizations, across Canada who have joined the Democracy Watcher Network and helped win key changes for honest, ethical, open, representative and waste-preventing governments and big businesses.

Democracy Watch has been dedicated and pushing and winning for more than 20 years for you and yours the many changes needed to have a fair and democratic Canada. Democracy Watch guarantees you a bigger bang for your buck than any other group in Canada – and has won for you more than 120 changes so far since 1993 (more than any other citizen group in Canada). See details about what Democracy Watch has done for you and yours here.

Not only has Democracy Watch won more changes for you than any other group since 1993, it also wins national and local media coverage several times every month for free, coverage that informs millions of Canadians about key problems and issues. Democracy Watch’s campaigns were in the news headlines almost 400 times in 2015 – that’s twice a day – and they receive media coverage like this year after year. See details here.

Democracy Watch has very low office costs, doesn’t spend thousands of dollars on fundraising consultants, appeals or advertising, and stays independent by not taking money from governments or big businesses – your ongoing support is needed to help keep our democracy and corporate responsibility campaigns going – see 4 low-cost, easy ways to give now.

If you can give just $10-20 per month right now you will help win key democracy and corporate responsibility changes across Canada.

So please help Democracy Watch win even more democracy for you and yours in 2016 by becoming a supporter today. See the top 7 reasons to give for democracy in 2016 set out below – and please send this message on to anyone you think may be interested.

All together we can make Canada the world’s leading democracy! (See details below)

Thank you very much for your support, and happy holidays,
Duff, Brad, Marilou, David and Josephine
on behalf of the many volunteers and supporters across Canada who make Democracy Watch’s work possible, and successful
(thank you very much to all of you!)

P.S. Democracy Watch needs $75,000 to keeping pushing for, and winning, many key democracy and corporate responsibility changes for you in 2016 -- please click here to give now, and see the key campaign actions your donation will support listed below:

just 625 people giving just $10 per month (less than a cup of coffee a day) = $75,000
or just 312 people giving just $20 per month (still less than a coffee a day) = $75,000

And if you like send an email when you give to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and list which campaigns you want your donation to support -- you can also help out as a Democracy Watcher in other key ways – for details click here.

A very important year of key democracy changes

In 2015, Canadians across the country witnessed scandals involving many federal, provincial and city politicians and government officials, and many big businesses.

Democracy Watch has been there watching for you from 1993 right through 2015 -- pushing all governments and big businesses to clean up their act -- and with the support of people like you across Canada, Democracy Watch will continue to push through 2016.

Many more changes are needed to make Canada fully fair and democratic.

You can be sure Democracy Watch makes every dollar you donate count. Please your support is needed right now here for the following key 2016 campaign actions that will cost $75,000:

Nationwide campaign to strengthen rules and enforcement to stop fraud spending by politicians across Canada – see details here;
Prosecution of the Harper PMO for bribing Senator Mike Duffy (after the Duffy trial is over), and pursuing ethics complaints against everyone involved – see details here;
Prosecution of the Harper Conservatives for the 2011 election fraud robocalls – see details here;
Nationwide letter-writing campaign for key changes to stop politicians doing secret deals with big businesses that make them a lot of money, but hurt you and your community – see details here;
Pursuing a key ethics complaint against City of Toronto councillor Rob Ford – see details here.
Helping push for a democratic voting system in elections across Canada – see details here.
Helping push to free and empower MPs to represent you and your concerns – see details here.

Yes, that’s right, Democracy Watch only needs $75,000 to do these 7 very effective campaign actions to win key democracy changes for you. Why? Because Democracy Watch is committed to delivering more to you for less.

Democracy Watch uses your donations to support effective complaints, lawsuits, media and letter-writing campaigns that corner politicians and force them to make key, progressive changes, or embarrass themselves publicly by dodging pointed questions or hiding scandals.

Democracy Watch is the only group in Canada pushing for all 7 key democracy and corporate responsibility changes listed below, and we need to raise another $75,000 to keep pushing for these important changes:

To restrict the powers of the Prime Minister and provincial premiers to stop unfair abuses, and make government decision-making much more democratic – see details here;
To require everyone in politics to be honest (finally) – see details here;
To require every big business to act responsibly in every way – see details here;
To stop dangerous government secrecy, and protect people who blow the whistle on wrongdoing that hurts you – see details here;
To require the big banks to serve everyone fairly and well at fair prices, and to loan and invest in responsible, sustainable ways – see details here;
To require all political donations to be made public, and ban anyone from using money to influence politicians or government officials – see details here, and;
To create citizen-run watchdog groups for every big industry -- including oil and gas industry, phone and cable TV, forestry, mining, airlines and financial industry – see details here.

So please help Democracy Watch raise the $150,000 it needs to keeping pushing for the more fair and democratic Canada you want by clicking here to give now.

Thank you very much for your support!

P.P.S. Please pass on this message to anyone you think may be interested – thank you again :-)

r37