Mulhern, Doyle run for federal NDP nomination
Well-known labour activist James Mulhern and community activist Barbara Doyle are throwing their hat in the ring to win the Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock nomination. NDP members will have the chance to vote for their candidate for the 2019 federal election during a nomination meeting on Feb. 23 at Community Care Village Housing in Lindsay, at 1 pm. The event is open to the public but only registered party members are eligible to vote.
Mulhern, who is president of the Lindsay and District Labour Council, has lived in Lindsay for most of his life. He has worked in a number of fields from general labourer, painter, security, food service, health care, and presently, as a custodian.
In his supplied biography he notes he has been a member of the Lions Club, City of Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee, and have been an executive member of the Lindsay and District Labour Council from treasurer to the last 15 years as president.
Mulhern says it will be important to protect our national publicly-funded not-for-profit health care system from any effort to privatize.
“We must do everything possible to protect our environment from every from of pollution. We need a just transition with green jobs for our environment. We need to work to eliminate the need for food banks nationally. When there is two cities that have eliminated homelessness then why can’t we do it on a national level?”
Mulhern believes we need to create an environment to eliminate precarious part-time jobs, to improve the Canadian labour laws, well-paying jobs, safe working conditions, scheduling protection, equal pay for equal work and to bring back the federal minimum wage.
Barbara Doyle grew up in Lindsay and got involved politically once she realized how “every single thing we do in our lives is touched and impacted by our government.”
“Healthcare touches our entire lives, from the moment we are born until the day we pass. Nothing is more important than ensuring we have the best and most affordable healthcare services,” she says in a press release.
“I am committed to improving our local health care supports and as a result co-founded the Kawartha Lakes Health Coalition and rallied against the merger of RMH and PHRC. We must fight to maintain our universal healthcare system, free from private insurance and corporate interests while establishing a national Pharmacare system. Every country that has a universal health care system offers drug coverage; it’s time to take that leap.”
Doyle says she has watched government funding get stripped away in education and has witnessed the impact of slashed budgets, austerity and how government agendas “even change the content of the curriculum that our children are being taught.”
Doyle says she went to college as an adult and was the first person in her family to graduate with her oldest son graduating a month later. With a daughter in college now, she is very aware of the costs of education.
“Well-funded schools, superior teachers, well-trained support staff are essential to our children’s growth and well-being. Offering every child the ability to go to post-secondary school should be our goal. Witnessing the impact of arts and culture in education programs while serving on the Board of the Victoria County Historical Society for the Olde Gaol Museum has also enhanced my appreciation for how this important industry affects our children interest in the arts and history.”
Doyle has also been involved on multiple committees about domestic violence. She believes no Canadian should ever go hungry, go without appropriate medical treatment or medications, be without basic legal services, or think they have to stay in an abusive relationship because they don’t know how to afford the rent or have a safe place to go. “This is also one of the reasons I support a Universal Basic Income. Basic stability and safety are a human right.”
Affordable housing, skilled trades, and a clean economy are also critical to her, for all Canadians.
Doyle also shared her meet and greet schedule, as well as contact information.
Jan. 26th , 2-4pm, Meet & Greet, Boiling Over’s Coffee Vault in Lindsay
Feb. 9th, 3-5pm, Meet & Greet, Olde Gaol Museum
Feb. 10th, 2-4pm, Meet & Greet, Malcom MacLean Radio Hall, Haliburton
Feb. 13th, 5-7pm, Meet & Greet, Olde Gaol Museum
Reach her through www.barbaradoyle.ca.
While I find I often agree at least in theory with some of the traditional NDP views I often find them fiscally unrealistic. I have voted NDP in the past but not as often as I have voted for the two other major parties.
Having said that though, although I don’t know Barb really well I do know her enough to know that she stands for what she believes in (whether I agree or not, lol) and she is just a good person. She and I have discussed policies in the past and I’m really glad to see that she is running. I just hope that the inevitable crap that will undoubtedly be thrown at her should she be the successful candidate will not break her spirit.
Barb will definitely have me giving her party a serious thought again next election, but I am always torn between voting for the MP I like best, or the potential leader I like best..they often don’t line up….at this point Jagmeet Singh does not look like a Prime Minister to me just yet.
Good on you Barb, and best of luck!
Craig.