[van-announce] Fw: Penticton Demo Against The BC Liberal Convention, October 26th

[Jim Brown]

Community Organizations issue call to Oct. 26 protest in Penticton
October 09, 2002, Penticton, BC

Community organizations from across BC issue call  to October 26 protest in
Penticton to remind Liberal convention delegates about impact of cuts An
organizing committee including representatives from more than 10 BC Interior
communities agreed Saturday to issue a call to concerned citizens across the
province to travel to Penticton October 26 to remind Liberal Party
convention-goers about the economic and social impact of budget cuts on BC
communities. "We're losing forest jobs, hospitals, schools, court houses,
women's centres and every other critical service thanks to government cuts,"
said Barb Burke, President of the South Okanagan Boundary Labour Council.
"We want to remind everyone in this province -- specially the Liberal Party
delegates --about the strength and spirit of our communities and hold them
accountable for the crisis that is emerging."

The organizing meeting, which included representatives from community
coalitions, students, seniors, labour, women's and citizens' groups, agreed
to organize leafleting of convention delegates followed by a "parade of lost
services" that will culminate in a rally. The emphasis is on dialogue, not
confrontation, and an affirmation of the importance of resource communities
and their need for critical services and infrastructure to survive. The B.C.
Federation of Labour is endorsing and supporting the day's activities as
part of its Campaign BC program of action. · "I just had to use the hospital
and the care there was exemplary," said Dora Stewart, a senior living in
Peachland. "There is no doubt in my mind that private care would cost more
money and the quality would go down.We'll end up with one kind of health
care for the rich and another for the poor."
· "Thank goodness softwood lumber isn't all we have in Penticton," said UFCW
1518 member Don Fordyce. "Even in a town with a diverse economy like ours,
people are shopping the sales. While everyone is stocking up for hard times,
Gordon Campbell is spending tax dollars on TV ads to convince us everything
is OK."  · "Liberal government plans to privatize the Coquihalla highway are
generating intense controversy in the north Okanagan. We've paid for the
highway with tax dollars and tolls and we're opposed to the sale of this
vital economic infrastructure, especially when the revenues it generates
could fund health and education," said Richard Dickens of the People's Voice
Coalition in Kamloops. · "The Liberal government - from day one - has
attacked women with their anti-woman agenda," said Debra Critchley of the
Vernon Women's Centre.
"Women across BC should come to Penticton to let these delegates know that
we simply will not accept that." · "The Government of British Columbia
continues to deny our Aboriginal Title and the right to direct economic
benefits from the
resources of our territories. This denial has contributed to the growing
economic marginalization and poverty within First Nation communities
throughout British Columbia," stated Chief Stewart Phillip, Chief of the
Penticton Indian Band and President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs.

The organizing committee has already had commitments from groups as far away
as Prince George and the West Kootenays who are planning to attend. Full
details of the day's events can be found at www.campaignbc.ca.

For more information contact:

Geoff Meggs, Communications Director, BC Federation of Labour (604-220-0739)
Barb Burke, President, South Okanagan Labour Council (250-493-4666)
Dave Doran, President, North Okanagan Labour Council (250-763-5050
Trudy Ames, CARES Vernon Community Coalition (250-309-1773)
Richard Dickens, People's Voice Coalition, Kamloops (250-573-3690)
Cindy Zobac, Salmon Arm Community Coalition (250-675-2988)
Jim Waldie, West Kootenay-Boundary Community Coalition (250-304-9035)