"Billions for Housing, Not for Weapons" Protest, 11 Oct 07, Ottawa

[The Bread Guy]

Media Advisory
Low-income tenants and homeless move furniture to Ottawa Recruiting Centre, just 5 days before Throne Speech
News release, 9 Oct 07
News release link
"Billions for Housing, Not for Weapons" flyer (.pdf)

MONTREAL, Oct. 9 /CNW Telbec/ - Hundreds of low-income tenants and homeless people will move furniture in front of the Canadian Armed Forces Recruiting Centre, situated right in the middle of downtown Ottawa, not far from the Office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. This action is intended to
denounce the growing disproportion between the federal government's humungous military expenditures and the meagre investments aimed at responding to the basic need of housing. The Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU), a Quebec housing coalition of 130 local organizations, including the Outaouais group, Logemen'occupe, are organizing this event, just five daysbefore the Throne Speech that will decide the future of the Harper government, particularly on the issue of whether or not to continue Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan.
    Date : Thursday October 11th 2007
    Time : 1:30 p.m.: Gathering point and furniture move in front of the
    Canadian Armed Forces Recruiting Centre, 66 Slater Street (corner
    of Elgin), in Ottawa. Media Availability and Speeches on site
    followed by a march to the office of Prime Minister Harper, at the
    Langevin Block, corner of Wellington and Elgin.

    N.B. Interviews are possible before the demonstration, during a community
lunch which will take place at 11:30 a.m. at the Centre Père-Arthur-Guertin,
16 Bériault Street in Gatineau.

And from their web page (smoothed out GoogleEnglish translation from French):

The Harper government: all for armament, nothing for housing

In a published study in May 2006, the Polaris Institute Ottawa evaluated that, between fall 2001 to March 2006, the total cost of the military directly linked operations to Canada's mission in Afghanistan in Afghanistan had reached $4.1 billion.  The institute foresaw that this cost was going to increase by at least $1 billion in 2006-2007 for a total bill of $5.1 billions. 

These expenditures on the war in Afghanistan inflated the already elephantine budget of the Department of National Defence.  In 2007-2008, its expenditures should be $17.8 billions, which represents an increase of 69% in comparison with 1996-1997.  The military budget represents 8.5% of federal program spending.  As if this wasn't enough, in June 2006, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper announced that it would consecrate (spend?) $15 billions during the next years for the purchase of military equipments. 

During this time, the expenditures of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the federal corporation dealing with housing, is expected to be $1.98 billion in 2007-2008, which represents an increase of barely 0.6% in comparison with 1996-1997.  The expenditures linked to housing assistance account for no more than 0.9% of federal spending. 

Excluding $800 million placed in trust for provincial affordable housing, because of a voted law under the previous government, the conservative government did not announce the investment of an additional penny for more social housing.  Also, an investment of $270 million was announced in December 2006 for to assist the homeless, but there are still no rules regarding the use of this funding, which is not enough and one-time only.

Nevertheless, according to the last available data, Canada counted close to 1.5 million households having pressing housing needs, of which 351 800 are in Quebec.  Also, there are an estimated 150,000 who are homless. 

Original French:  Le gouvernement Harper : tout pour l'armement, rien pour le logement

Dans une étude publiée en mai 2006, l'Institut Polaris d'Ottawa évaluait que, de l'automne 2001 à mars 2006, le coût total des opérations militaires directement reliées à la « mission » canadienne en Afghanistan avait atteint 4,1 milliards $. L'Institut prévoyait que ce coût allait augmenter d'au moins 1 milliard $ en 2006-2007 pour une facture totale de 5,1 milliards $ .

Ces dépenses entraînées par la guerre en Afghanistan sont venues gonfler le budget déjà éléphantesque du Ministère de la défense nationale. En 2007-2008, ses dépenses devraient être de 17,8 milliards $, ce qui représente une hausse de de 69 % par rapport à 1996-1997 . Le budget militaire représente 8,5 % de l'ensemble des dépenses fédérales de programme. Comme si ce n'était pas suffisant, en juin 2006, le gouvernement conservateur de Stephen Harper a annoncé qu'il consacrerait 15 milliards $ au cours des prochaines années pour l'achat d'équipements militaires.

Pendant ce temps, les dépenses de la Société canadienne d'hypothèques et de logement, la société fédérale chargée l'aide au logement, devraient être de 1,98 milliard $ en 2007-2008, ce qui représente une hausse d'à peine 0,6 % par rapport à 1996-1997. Les dépenses reliées à l'aide au logement ne comptent désormais plus que pour 0.9 % de l'ensemble des dépenses fédérales de programme.

Si on fait exception des 800 millions $ qu'il a dû placer en fiducie en 2006 pour le financement de logements dits abordables par les provinces, en raison d'une loi votée sous le gouvernement antérieur, le gouvernement conservateur n'a pas annoncé l'investissement d'un sou supplémentaire pour de nouveaux logements sociaux ou même abordables. Tout au plus, a-t-il annoncé en décembre 2006 un investissement de 270 millions $ en deux ans pour la poursuite de l'aide aux sans-abri, mais il n'a même pas encore statué sur l'utilisation exacte de ces sommes insuffisantes et non récurrentes.

Pourtant, selon les dernières données disponibles, le Canada comptait près de 1,5 million de ménages ayant des besoins impérieux de logement, dont 351 800 au Québec. De plus, on évaluait à 150 000 le nombre de sans-abri.

 

[GAP]

Oh, so their argument is to let the Afghan people survive under the Taliban, and in many cases die under the Taliban just so they can have more, better housing?

Okkaaaayyyyy......next!

 

[Infanteer]

Maybe they should join up; then we can give them a weapon and some housing....

 

[The Bread Guy]

Oh, so their argument is to let the Afghan people survive under the Taliban, and in many cases die under the Taliban just so they can have more, better housing?

Okkaaaayyyyy......next!

Gee, I thought you'd see it their way  ;D

 

[George Wallace]

Quite a Recruiting Drive.  Join the CF and EARN a Wage; and be able to afford Rations and Quarters.  Have the opportunity for travel and to meet people in foreign lands and.................

 

[The Bread Guy]

Quite a Recruiting Drive.  Join the CF and EARN a Wage; and be able to afford Rations and Quarters.  Have the opportunity for travel and to meet people in foreign lands and.................

....help those needing help, and deal with those who don't want them to get the help? 

 

[COBRA-6]

Maybe they should join up; then we can give them a weapon and some housing....

:rofl:

 

[blacktriangle]

We don't need any more lazy, leetching, find-a-way-to-be undeployable pers do we ? 

 

[George Wallace]

We don't need any more lazy, leetching, find-a-way-to-be undeployable pers do we ? 

They can run the Butts on the Grenade Range.

 

[George Wallace]

In all seriousness, how many will even show up, given they have to bring their own lunch?  The usual twenty or so will show up and then proclaim they were hundreds or thousands.  CBC film crews will film them from angles that will give the impression that there were more than there actually were.  The Press will outnumber the mob.  The City will allow the Police to close down several intersections, and not worry that these people may not have a permit to march/demonstrate.  Perhaps we will even see a NDP candidate or two.  What else is new in our Nations Capital?

 

[Franko]

Ummm...why aren't they going after the provincial reps on the eve of a big election?

My 0.02 donkey dollars worth.

Regards

 

[George Wallace]

The Province doesn't have a Defence Budget that these jokers think they should have put towards Housing.  The Feds do. 

 

[Franko]

The Province doesn't have a Defence Budget that these jokers think they should have put towards Housing.  The Feds do. 

Well seeing that some joker wants to spend tax dollars on private schooling.....well, you see where I'm going with this.         

Regards

 

[beach_bum]

Maybe they should join up; then we can give them a weapon and some housing....

What?  Expect them to actually work and earn money to get housing for themselves?  C'mon!  That's not fair!  It should be free.  How else can they continue protesting?

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Speaking of the homeless...

Go to this website and scroll down till you see the title "Ayn Rand Day - 50th Anniversary of Atlas Shrugged" and click on the video underneath.

http://rjjago.wordpress.com/

 

[karl28]

    I don't mean to sound stupid but how is  it leagal that these people can protest by  placing furniture in front of the CF Recruiting center sounds like there blocking access witch would be tresspassing no ? and you would think that would also be a fire hazard also in blocking the entrance  ? 

 

[ArmyRick]

Shaking my head at the left wing clown-ness

 

[R.O.S]

     I don't mean to sound stupid but how is  it leagal that these people can protest by  placing furniture in front of the CF Recruiting center sounds like there blocking access witch would be tresspassing no ? and you would think that would also be a fire hazard also in blocking the entrance  ?   

and I will add to this by asking were are these people getting this furniture from? ???lol

 

[CF_Enthusiast]

and I will add to this by asking were are these people getting this furniture from? ???lol

From the homes they supposedly don't own. 

 

[prom]

Low Income does not mean no income, though it can include that.

ill give you some prespective, Min wage in NL is $7.50/h, most jobs are at this rate, or as much as 50 cents more, working full time 40h/week the income after tax in the lowest tax bracket (excluding natives) $1037 a month. (based on Bi-weekly) in rural areas you will get access to houses for 500-700 a month plus groceries heat and light and transportation. You easily eat the income from your work. I know famailes that have both parents working and one of them is working a second job just to keep everything together.

Don't get me wrong, I dont think that Billions should be shoved into programs like this, as it will get abused, however I do beleive that and know that there are very hard working people that do need programs like this so they dont end up increasing that number of homeless.