Media.Knet.Ca

The upcoming federal election and the platforms of the different parties highlights the huge differences between people who are living comfortably in urban centres and those who are struggling in remote and rural communities. Very little discussion is being reported in the urban media that addresses the different priorities and needs of the people living in small communities across Canada. Clean water, adequate housing, fire protection, pollution, unemployment, forestry, resource management, economic and social program, education and health services as they relate to rural Canada seem to be non-issues to the media as they write about the different issues and statements being made by the party members and their leaders.

These differences are highlighted by yesterday's report that the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples' National Chief Dwight Dorey and National Vice-Chief Patrick Brazeau endorsed the Conservative party after meeting with Jim Prentice to discuss the Conservative Party’s policies on Aboriginal affairs. The Congress represents Aboriginal peoples living mainly in urban areas across Canada.

Meanwhile, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine said he's not satisfied by recent comments by Harper that the party supports the principles of the Kelowna native deal, but not the final agreement and dollar amount. "Any suggestion that one supports the objectives and the targets but not the approximately $5 billion allocated to these targets is of great concern to us because we won't be able to meet the targets without money,'' he said.

Other interest groups are recognizing the importance of some new presentations and the effect they will have on rural Canada.

• The Canadian Climate Coalition complained that the Tories were the only party that refused to respond to a questionnaire on the Kyoto Protocol, and accused Harper of moving Canada "into the same camp as U.S. President George W. Bush.''
• The Council of Canadians expressed concern about recent comments by Conservative MP James Lunney favouring bulk exports of Canadian water, and called on Harper to clarify his position on the issue.
• Sixty-six economists signed a joint statement warning that the tax breaks being offered by the major parties would leave a huge deficit in social services and hurt the poor. They took special aim at the Conservative proposal to eliminate taxes on reinvested capital gains, saying it would "deliver very large tax savings to a tiny group of high-income Canadians.''

It is important that EVERYONE in remote and rural communities across Canada gets out to vote on January 23. Please help encourage your neighbours, your friends, your co-workers, your family to vote next Monday!

EVERY VOTE COUNTS!