PRESS RELEASES

Sudbury Coalition for Social Justice Press Conference
September 24, 2001

Press conference in Sudbury on the occasion of the opening of the fall session of the Ontario legislature Now is not the time to give up our struggle Now is not the time to give up our struggle for social justice. This was the message delivered by the Sudbury Coalition for Social Justice to a press conference in Sudbury on September 24 on the occasion of the opening of the fall session of the Ontario legislature. The purpose of the press conference was to launch the Ontario Coalition for Social Justice’s “Mike Harris: Unfit to Govern” campaign. The Sudbury Coalition organized the press conference as part of a series of activities across Ontario this day including a silent vigil outside Premier Harris' office in North Bay, a gathering and a community meal in Sault Ste. Marie, a peaceful information picket outside the MPP’s office in Stoney Creek, a “Shun the Tories” manifestation at Queen’s Park in Toronto and other public moments in Cobourg, Burlington, Kingston, London and Peterborough. The press conference was chaired by Dave Starbuck on behalf of the Coalition. He read the Coalition’s statement entitled “The Harris government must go!”. The statement denounced the crimes of the Harris government against the workers and broad sections of the people in Ontario, especially the most disadvantaged and those least capable of looking after themselves: “The Harris government is a threat to the life and limb of the people of Ontario. The sad experience of the murder of Dudley George, the tragedy in Walkerton, the death of Kimberly Rogers here in Sudbury and of uncounted homeless, especially in Toronto, all unfortunately prove that this is true.” The statement announced the launch of the “Mike Harris: Unfit to Govern” campaign. This campaign will consist of two main parts. The first part is to “document the effects of the Harris government on Sudbury and to collect testimonial evidence from our fellow citizens.” Public forums where this evidence can be presented and discussed will be also be organized. The second part of the campaign is to ask the question “What does it mean to be fit to govern?” “We are beginning to realize that the problem is not just the policies of the Harris government but the whole political process which allows him to come to power and rule by decree. Modern society requires modern solutions. We are asking people to think about what they want to replace the Harris government with.” The statement concluded “Today the black clouds of war are darkening the political horizon. We do not think that now is the time to stop our struggle for social justice. Dudley George is demanding justice. Walkerton is demanding justice. Kimberly Rogers is demanding justice. We are all demanding justice. Freedom and democracy are not abstractions in the mouths of the politicians. Freedom and democracy must have real meaning. In Ontario, this means that the Harris government must go.” The press conference, which lasted over an hour, was then addressed by representatives of several supporting organizations. Kate Burns, of the Committee to Remember Kimberly Rogers, talked of how Kimberly Rogers has become a focus of the struggle of women for dignity at Take Back the Night! marches all across North America. However, Sudbury’s mayor and city council have been totally silent on this issue. “Why is this?”, she asked. Barb Stewart, of Sudbury Global Justice, explained why her organization which has grown out of the struggle against the FTAA and the Summit of the Americas, was also part of the struggle against the Harris regime. Madeleine, Mary and Sarah, representing an unnamed group of disabled Sudburians who have been fighting against the Harris’ government’s cutbacks to home care, spoke passionately about how these cutbacks were destroying their lives, making it impossible to lead independent lives. Suzanne Legault of the Students’ General Association of Laurentian University lucidly described the effects of the cut-backs to funding for post-secondary education and of increased tuition fees and restrictions to OSAP. Denis Boyer of OPSEU, Rolly Gauthier of CAW/Mine Mill Local 598 and Sandy Bass of the Sudbury and District Labour Council also addressed the conference. Boyer talked of how OPSEU members were often placed in the position of having to administer social services and described the stresses involved in working under these conditions. Gauthier explained how the Harris anti-labour legislation had affected his union and how they had to deal with scabs and strike-breaking companies for the first time since the days of the Pinkertons. Bass expressed the support of the Labour Council for the work of the Coalition. Representing the Ontario Common Front – Sudbury, Gary Kinsman described how and why his organization had come into being and announced their plans for the fall including a speaking tour in Sudbury on September 26, a memorial for Dudley George and Kimberly Rogers on October 18 and an action by the youth of Sudbury on October 23. Finally, Barb Riley, a native elder, spoke of the struggles of her people under the Harris regime and especially of the struggle waged by the George family to win justice for Dudley who died at the hands of the OPP and the Harris government. The press conference concluded with the reading of a resolution passed at the September general meeting of the Sudbury Coalition for Social Justice. It reads, in part, that “the Sudbury Coalition for Social Justice condemns the Harris government as illegitimate and unfit to govern and undertakes to: build up the people’s forces by developing unity in action of all those under attack by the Harris government work to remove the Harris government from power work to establish a government in which the decision-making power is in the hands of the people, and work to establish a society that respects the rights of all.

 

| Home | Abous Us | Mission Statement | Factsheet | Press Releases |
| What's New | Major Documents | Coming Events | Links | Contact Us |

Last updated December 22, 2001

Website maintained by Barbara Anello
Please email your feedback on the website