May is Childcare Month in BC, an important time to recognize the hard work and dedication of so many who care for and educate our youth. I rose in the House on May 4th to mark the occasion. Below is a transcript of my remarks, and you can view a video here.

Excerpt from the Official Report of DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY(Hansard)

M. Elmore: As we celebrate May as Child Care Month, we extend our appreciation and thanks to all child care providers, early learning educators, professionals in the field, advocates and, of course, parents for their commitment and dedication to performing the essential work of nurturing and supporting our most precious and valuable resource — our children.

As well, we recognize the rights and important role that children themselves play in our society. As per the United Nations convention on the rights of the child, we are reminded that children have rights in early childhood and that young children are active social participants. Further, children are positive, participating citizens who are entitled to a full share of society’s resources, meaning that they have a right to make claim on the government and receive services that support them. 

A key foundation of lifelong learning, with long-term implications for prosperity at the societal level, is good-quality early childhood education and child care. This valid concept is embraced by many, including social scientists; policy experts; economists, including business leaders; and, of course, parents and grandparents.

As such, it’s disappointing that British Columbia in Canada has the dubious distinction of ranking last out of OECD countries in terms of spending on child care and early learning. B.C. also has the worst poverty rate in Canada for the sixth straight year. More than ever, we need a quality, affordable and universally accessible early childhood education and care system.

Such a system is important to support children because it assists children in reaching their full potential and builds a strong knowledge-based society that supports family, especially parents who are in the workplace. It’s also an essential part of gender equality that allows women to fully participate in social, civic and economic life. Such a system builds equity in quality of life and social infrastructure for rural, northern, remote and First Nations communities and also children with special needs. It’s essential to reduce the poverty level.

As we mark Child Care Month, let us affirm that an early childhood education and care system builds social inclusion, and it is indeed the best way to support our children.

Mable Elmore, MLA for Vancouver-Kensington today expressed outrage over the illegal arrest and detention of 43 health workers and doctors, known as the “Morong 43”, in the Philippines.
 
The Morong 43 were abducted around 6:15am from a conference facility in Morong, Rizal last February 6th.  They were participants in a First Responders Training sponsored by the Community Medicine Foundation (Commed) and the Council for Health and Development.  They were taken by 300 heavily armed elements from the 202^nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army and Rizal Philippine National Police to Camp Capinpin in Taytay, Rizal.

“These kinds of shocking events and blatant human rights violations are a black eye and an embarrassment for the Philippine government,”  says Elmore, who also expressed her concern to President Arroyo and other government officials.

In her letter to President Arroyo, Elmore cites her alarm over reports that the detainees were subject to various forms of torture and sexual harassment.

According to the Health Alliance for Democracy, the detainees were handcuffed and blindfolded for 36 hours after being brought to Camp Capinpin.  At the Camp, they were confined in dark cells and forced to listen to gunfire.  At night, the detainees recounted that men would enter their cells to punch them and take their pictures.

Further, relatives of the detainees and the Commission for Human Rights were initially denied access to the detainees by the military at the Camp.

“These are all very disturbing violations of the basic rule of law (such as invalid search warrant,  denial of access to legal counsel and a doctor) and fundamental human rights,”  said Elmore.

“This event is inexcusable and combined with the massacre in Maguindano, it’s important that we all speak out and advocate for these victims.  We need to take steps to ensure everyone’s basic human rights are observed,”  she added, noting reports of how the Arroyo administration often tramples on the rights of those who criticize it.

Along with Elmore’s correspondence to President Arroyo, she also forwarded her concerns to the Canadian government and is calling on Canada to condemn the illegal arrest and immediate release of all detainees.  As well, she noted how the international community needs to increase pressure on the Philippine government to take immediate and concrete steps to stop and prevent such human rights abuses and election-related violence.

Elmore concluded by announcing that the upcoming International Observers Mission (IOM) for the Philippines’ national elections in May is an opportune time for Canadians to become involved in efforts to safeguard democracy and human rights in the Philippines.

Locally, the Canada Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights is organizing a Canadian contingent, which will include legislators and other advocates, for this IOM.

Our thoughts are with the people of Haiti as they recover from this devastating earthquake. I hope you will take a moment to make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross in support of the people of Haiti. You can donate here.

Have a safe and happy holiday season, from Mable Elmore and her staff.

Please note that our office will be closed from December 21st to January 4th. We will re-open for regular hours on Monday, January 4th.

I was recently interviewd for the exciting new Queer History Project, which is being organized by Out On Screen, a non-profit organization that presents the annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival and the province-wide Out in Schools educational program. They are working on documenting the diverse and amazing work being done by the queer community. In my interview, I talk about my history in queer activism and how I try to integrate that into my work now.

Dear friends,

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Work has launched an appeal for support oftea workers in India. Over 1000 tea workers in West Bengal, India are on the verge of starvation because of a management lockout. The workers crime? They challenged the decision to deny an 8 months pregnant women maternity leave. The IUF has launched an online campaign of protest, noting that the company — which produces the world famous Tetley teas — is a member of the “Ethical Tea Partnership” and has thereby committed itself to treating its workers a lot better than this. I hope you will take a moment to show your support by visiting: http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=455.

Last week, as part of the budget estimates process, I had a chance to question the Hon. Mary Polak, the Minister for Children and Family Development, about her lack of action on childcare.  I asked her about her decision to cut the minor capital grant and about the fact that she was going to let the number of childcare spaces shrink while demand grows, as well as other issues. What became clear is that this government has no plan for childcare, will create no new spaces, and has no new support for families. You can find a transcript of the estimates debate here.

Dear friends,

October is Women’s History Month, and I want to take this opportunity to share with you this story about the struggle of our American sisters for the right to vote:

This is the story of women who were ground-breakers. These brave women from the early 1900s made all the difference in the lives we live today. Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote. The women were innocent and defenseless, but when, in North America, women picketed in front of the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote, they were jailed.

And by the end of the first night in jail, those women were barely alive. Forty  prison guards wielding clubs and their warden’s blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of ‘obstructing sidewalk  traffic.’

They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed  her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the  women.

Thus unfolded the ’Night of Terror’ on Nov. 15,  1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson’s White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women’s only water came from an open pail. Their food–all of it colorless slop–was infested with worms.

When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

All women who have every voted, have ever owned property, have ever enjoyed equal rights need to remember that women’s rights had to be fought for in Canada as well.  Do our daughters and our sisters know the price that was paid to earn rights for women here, in North America?   

2009 is the 80th Anniversary of the Persons Case in Canada, which finally declared women in Canada to be Persons.

The Filipino people are now reeling from the massive destruction wrought by Typhoon Ondoy.  As of October 6th, 295 people have been killed, over one million people are displaced and almost four million people have been affected. 

Devastation to the country’s infrastructure and agriculture is estimated at approximately P9 billion with the CALABARZON region (comprised of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces) recording the worst damages.

During this traumatic period, I sympathize greatly with all of those affected.  Like many, I will always remember the images of babies and children trapped on rooftops awaiting rescue.  I recall the pictures of the elderly scrambling to hang onto makeshift floating devices and I hear the anguish of the families still searching for loved ones.

But as well, I see the heroic efforts of ordinary Filipinos to help their neighbours.  In the Philippines and abroad, I know that many organizations and individuals are acting fast to address this great calamity.   

In Vancouver, our office has already received numerous reports of the different groups undertaking fundraising efforts in behalf of various non-government and non-profit organizations.  As such, we are calling on all of our kababayans and all concerned Canadians to also answer the cry of the Filipino people during this time of their great need.

For your reference, my Community Office has compiled a list of local groups that have contacted me regarding their fundraising drives.   I strongly encourage everyone to make a donation to one of these groups. You can view the list by following this link.

There are also upcomming fundraising events that you can view on our events page.

The British Columbia Youth Parliament’s 81st Parliament will be held in Victoria at the Provincial Legislative Chambers from December 27 to 31, 2009. The Youth Parliament is a province-wide non-partisan organization for young people ages 16 to 21. It teaches citizenship skills through participation in the December parliamentary session and in community service activities throughout the year.

You can register for the Youth Parliament online at http://www.bcyp.org/. I highly encourage you to apply, or to pass along the application to someone who you think will be interested.

- Mable