CRA is the primary source of funding for the Canadian Government. The CRA is to act as an honest broker in gathering this funding. Our tax laws are enacted to provide that Canadians - individuals and corporations - are treated equitably and fairly in reference to their share of the costs of Government. Transferring this cost, by striking special reductions in special cases, imposes an unfair burden on those who don't receive special consideration. Making, or taking, a gift or gratuity in this regard, is abhorrent to the notion of fairness. The practice should be condemned and those doing it dismissed from the service.

News just broke that while KPMG was under investigation by the Canada Revenue Agency, their accountants were wining and dining CRA tax enforcers at a swanky Ottawa club that serves over-the-top delicacies like scallop ceviche and duck crostini. [1] This shocking news comes on the heels of reports that the CRA made a backroom deal to let super-rich KPMG clients involved in their tax dodging scheme off the scott free. [2] This scandal occurred under the leadership of Canada Revenue Agency Commissioner and CEO Andrew Treusch, a Harper-era appointee, and people are asking questions about how much he knew. But whether he was in on the scam, or just so out of touch that it could happen without his knowledge, one thing is clear: if Canada is going to crack down on tax dodging, we need new leadership at the CRA. [3] [1] CRA execs treated to soiree at private club amid KPMG probe (CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kpmg-canada-revenue-agency-receptions-conferences-1.3540285 [2] Canada Revenue offered amnesty to wealthy KPMG clients in offshore tax ‘sham’ (CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-revenue-kpmg-secret-amnesty-1.3479594 [3] KPMG introduced speech by CRA chief as firm faced offshore tax probe (CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kpmg-canada-revenue-agency-andrew-treusch-speech-1.3529023

WHEREAS In the last 12 months there have been three notable crashes on Seymour street between Dunsmuir and Pender (Cambie Hostel, mangled bike racks, window of A&W); WHEREAS The intersections at Dunsmuir and Pender streets are areas of high pedestrian traffic, with pedestrians occupying all corners throughout the day; WHEREAS Dunsmuir St is an arterial bicycle route that forms part of the AAA (all ages and abilities) bicycle network in downtown Vancouver and a public bike system is planned for Summer 2016; WHEREAS It is common to see drivers of motor vehicles attempting to enter the Dunsmuir separated bike lane when turning from Seymour St; WHEREAS There were 9 pedestrian fatalities in Vancouver in 2015; WHEREAS Traffic crashes are fixable problems, caused by dangerous streets and unsafe drivers; they are not accidents; THEREFORE, we the undersigned petition the City of Vancouver as follows: That the City of Vancouver conduct an assessment of current traffic patterns and possible traffic calming measures for Seymour street downtown in order to avoid pedestrian injuries or fatalities in the area.

Processing centres to screen Syrian refugee families are closed. This decision severely curtails options for many families who are desperately looking to resettle to Canada from the huge refugee camps in Jordon Lebanon and Turkey. Many communities are ready to receive these families. They have been through the application process with Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH). They have raised the funds needed. They are waiting to welcome these families with young children who in in great need.

The 2016 federal budget - the Trudeau government's first - is the perfect opportunity for the government to show that they're living up to a campaign promise to end massive subsidies for polluting oil, gas and coal companies. Canada's federal government hands out over $1.6 billion every year to fossil fuel producers. On top of this, Export Development Canada - wholly owned by the government - provides as much as $6 billion per year for dirty energy producers to continue fueling the climate crisis at home and abroad. Canada first promised to put an end to these wasteful and polluting subsidies in 2009 along with the rest of the G20. And yet, little meaningful action has followed. Even under the new Trudeau government, Export Development Canada just offered a $750 million bailout to fossil fuel companies. This is bad climate policy and bad economic policy. The last thing the country needs right now is to lock itself further into the volatile oil market that is wreaking havoc on livelihoods across the country. Bailing out oil producers is not the solution - the real answer is breaking our dependency on this boom and bust sector that is taking the climate down with it. It is high time for Canada to instead get serious about building the prosperous clean energy economy that must power this century. Now is the Trudeau government's chance to lead. China and the US are already moving, promising to establish a deadline for a fossil fuel subsidy phase-out, and Canada could show its true climate colours by leading by example with an ambitious 2020 deadline to end these reckless handouts. 2016 is set to be a promising year for Canadian climate action, but we can’t let it be undermined by continuing to use taxpayer dollars to fund the very problem we are trying to tackle. Let’s start the clock by signaling an ambitious phase out of polluter handouts by 2020 in your upcoming budget.

Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights record in the world, and is currently leading a nine-country coalition committing horrific violations against civilians in Yemen’s bloody civil war. The UN has accused Saudi Arabia of crimes against humanity for “widespread and systematic” attacks on civilians, including the relentless bombing of residential neighbourhoods, and treating entire cities as military targets.[2] Thousands of innocent civilians have been killed, and millions more injured or displaced in what rights groups are calling a severe humanitarian crisis causing immense human suffering. [3] Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper brokered this $15 billion arms deal to Saudi Arabia, despite widespread calls from civil society to drop it. Already it’s been found that Canadian-made combat vehicles have been used by Saudi Arabia to mobilize troops at its border with Yemen.[4] Like 48% of Canadians, the new Liberal government has stated it does not approve of the $15-billion arms sale to the Saudi government. But the Liberals have also said that they won’t do anything to stop it -- even though it is completely within its power to do so. [5] Canada should be taking a leadership role in the international arena, especially when it comes to respect for human rights and the protection of civilians in war. The Liberals have committed to “a new era” of Canadian foreign policy, but this arms deal falls in direct conflict with that goal. Last week, European lawmakers passed a resolution "to launch an initiative aimed at imposing an EU arms embargo against Saudi Arabia" over its alleged war crimes in Yemen. We need Trudeau to do the same here in Canada. [6][7] Sources [1] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/former-liberal-minister-calls-for-ottawa-to-revisit-saudi-arms-deal/article28944925/ [2] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/un-report-increases-pressure-on-ottawa-to-halt-saudi-arms-deal/article28425329/ & https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/09/yemen-the-forgotten-war/ [3] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/former-liberal-minister-calls-for-ottawa-to-revisit-saudi-arms-deal/article28944925/ [4] http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canada-has-the-ability-to-cancel-saudi-arms-deal-but-wont-despite-human-rights-consequences [5] http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/grenier-saudi-arms-deal-1.3469205 & http://www.cp24.com/news/trudeau-promises-new-era-for-canada-s-top-diplomats-1.2643723 [6] http://thetyee.ca/News/2016/02/25/Saudi-Arms-Sales-Questioned-After-EU-Ban/

We the undersigned submit this petition for the following reasons: The origins of the TPP are in the document " America’s Pacific Century" authored by then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2011. It is a manifesto for the US domination of the Pacific both militarily and economically. It is intended to isolate China militarily and diminish its economic presence in the region. To this end 60% of the US Navy is being re-assigned to the Pacific and the TPP was originated to isolate China economically. Given these origins the primary goal of the TPP is empire building and little to do with so called free trade. The TTP claims to be a partnership which it is not. The US is overwhelmingly dominate as the world’s largest economy. The other signatories to the agreement are much smaller and can only be considered satellite economies. The major benefits of such an imbalanced “partnership” will accrue to the dominate nation at the expense of the lesser partners. The Government of Canada has just signed on to the agreement after a less than acceptable and perfunctory review of the TPP. We feel there should be a much more thorough review of the social and economic impact of the TPP and other such agreements, including NAFTA. While the Government of Canada has promised a full Parliamentary review before ratification in two years time this is not sufficient as it is subject to the impulses of Parliament and partisanship. Given that these agreements are in fact constitutional in nature with potentially profound impacts on the country socially and economically it must go to a national referendum- much like the referendum on the Charlottetown Accord of 1992. If such agreements are to be ratified they must be the clear and unequivocal choice of the majority of Canadians. Given the propensity for various governments to pass such massive legislation with less than adequate scrutiny and in a preemptory manner we feel that henceforth all such agreements must be submitted to a national referendum for public ratification. This must become a statute in Canadian law. KNOW MORE ABOUT THE TPP, SCROLL DOWN TO "UPDATES" Important Notes: THE DEADLINE FOR SIGNING THIS PETITION IS SEPTEMBER 31st, 2016 This petition will also act as resource center where I will be posting more information on the TPP and our campaign. Keep in Touch. The September 31st, 2016 deadline was set to allow the government time to organize the requested cross country public hearings.

See Andy on youtube! Seach 'VHStaperipper' or follow the link of the left labeled 'campaign website' "These videotapes are a thing of the past and I think that smoking, which is closely associated with COPD, should be as well" says Andy Why is COPD an important conversation? More than 2.4 million people in Ontario – one in five – are diagnosed with a serious lung disease including more than 870,000 with COPD. One in four people in Ontario (27.6 per cent) are likely to be diagnosed and receive medical attention for COPD in their lifetime. COPD is one of the deadliest, costliest and most prevalent diseases in Ontario. COPD patients are heavy users of the health-care system with much higher readmission rate than other diseases and among the longest and therefore most costly hospital stays of any illness. While mortality rates of other chronic diseases are decreasing, deaths related to COPD are rising. COPD is expected to be the third leading cause of death by 2020. Mr. Andy Martin, the VHSTapeRipper, is doing something about this. In 2009 Mr. Martin lost his father to COPD and is inspired to bring awareness to this disease and the Ontario Lung Association so we can change the outcome for all Ontarians through research and programs. Mr. Martin has recently launched a YouTube channel, hoping to create “ buzz and raise awareness for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease”, which killed his father in 2009, by trying to set the first official world record for the most video cassettes ripped in half in one minute. Yes video tapes. But he has run into a snag. Guinness World Records is refusing to recognize his bid. Well that doesn’t sit well with us or Andy. This is why we are reaching out to you today. We need your help to help Andy and the OLA raise awareness about the effects of COPD by signing this petition asking Guinness World Records to consider adding the category acknowledging Andy’s attempt.

The 1995 siege at Gustafsen Lake, B.C. was the largest paramilitary assault in modern Canadian history against Indigenous peoples. Twenty years later, 83-year old Secwepemc Elder Wolverine is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Attorney General Jody Wilson for a national public inquiry into the Ts’Peten/Gustafsen Lake Standoff. In 1995, after a long history of peaceful attempts to have Secwepemc sovereignty respected, Indigenous people from the Secewpemc nation and their supporters took a stand on sacred Sundance lands at Ts'Peten, aka Gustafsen Lake. The incident began after a local white rancher, Lyle James began demanding that the sacred Secwepemc Sundance Camp leave land to which he claimed ownership. Approximately 24 Sundancers set up camp to defend Ts'Peten. Beginning in August 1995, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) surrounded the Ts'Peten Defenders. Over the next month police, politicians, and media escalated the situation to make the siege the most expensive and largest domestic military operation in Canada's history: armoured personnel carriers, .50 calibre machine guns, land mines, and an astonishing 77,000 rounds of ammunition were directed at the land defenders. For twenty years, the Ts'Peten Defenders have been calling for a national public inquiry. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says, “It is time for a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations peoples.” The injustice and brutal force faced by the Ts’Peten/Gustafsen Lake Defenders at the hands of the paramilitary forces of the Federal government must not continue to go unaddressed and unknown to the greater public. The time for this national public inquiry into Gustafsen Lake has come.

Because we need fuel for everyday life. Why allow yourself to be complacent about this any longer? If not let's use our own oil supplies...

According to www.cwp-csp.com, 1in 7 or 4.8 million Canadians are homeless. Poverty costs Canada as a whole between $72 billion and $84 billion annually.

To protect human rights and civil liberties, to end distress of families who have no clue to whats happening to their loved ones and save the image of our academia