Folks,

We have just been bombarded with an eco-fee, and HST and the Gulf of Mexico is set to cripple our economy even further. Where is CAP in all this? I haven't heard one press release, seen one video or read one article where a "leader" or "prominent figure" in CAP has stepped up and defended the voice of the Canadian people.

I can appreciate everyone working on the 5 pillars, and this bill and that act, but the PEOPLE want a position on things that matter to them NOW.

CAP seems to just sit back, content with just being "another party". I believe there are many people on these forums and in CAP who do have an opinion, but who'd know?!

I wish I could tell family, friends and co-workers to check out the CAP website for our parties stance on eco-fee's or the HST, but I can't (it may win us a few votes, who wudda thunk it?).

Everyone seems to be so caught up in the red tape that the party has forgotten the world continues to spin without it...and who knows how much longer she's gunna spin for!

Thank you for your enthusiastic comments, InfoWarrior!

Your suggestions are very good ones, and I'd like to see those things too, but I already have a list of "to do for CAP" that's a metre long.

I'd like to point out that the best way a member can identify what they could and should be contributing to the party is by reflecting on what they personally sense is "missing." Don't be shy or discount either how much there is to do or how few people actually are trying to do it all with very little assistance from the membership...and it's all as volunteers. Pick the topics you consider most urgent, and write up what you'd like CAP to say about them! It wouldn't take long for the Leader and approval group to edit if needed, proof-read, and get them posted.

Any member is as capable and responsible as any other, to provide what they think is most needed. Everyone else is already doing necessary work, of those willing and able to do any of the huge workload, so if you sincerely want to help CAP, please write up exactly what you would like to see on CAP's website. We are sincerely eager to see what you have to offer! From what I've read of your posts this far, I think this is something you could do a great job on, and it would be so appreciated!

The "Action" in the Canadian Action Party has to come from its members, you know, there quite frankly is nowhere else for it to come from! If you want to see who can fulfill your fondest wishes for what you'd like your family, friends, and co-workers to see when they come to the CAP website, go take a good thoughtful look in the mirror, my friend. If every Canadian who wants something more from CAP would just contribute some solid, genuine efforts of their own, just think of the pot luck we would all be able to feast on and invite the whole country to share!

Send us your drafts for articles, position statements, press releases, or suggestions for videos! If you can imagine what is missing, you can create it! I have complete confidence in you and your fellow Canadians. Ask your friends to write up what they would like to see on CAP's website. There is so much creative potential out there! It's only if so many sit back, exhorting and chiding others, even criticising (though I know you'd never do that!) and expecting things to magically appear on their computer screens ~ and never do anything more creative than click a mouse ~ then it ain't gonna happen! I work often 16 hours a day, every day, for CAP, totally volunteer, and I still don't have time and energy to do everything I personally see needs doing and want to see done for the party. I'm just one person. We need hundreds of people to step up to the plate and offer whatever they believe is needed.


Politics is no longer a spectator sport, at least not in CAP! The party IS the members. Thank you for caring enough to speak up, and please help us satisfy your vision of what you want from CAP!

Very sincerely looking forward to hearing from you,

Doris Foster
CAP Membership Coordinator
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Doris said:

"Pick the topics you consider most urgent, and write up what you'd like CAP to say about them! It wouldn't take long for the Leader and approval group to edit if needed, proof-read, and get them posted."

In the past CAP had a very simple method for Policy Development. Policy proposals were submitted for inclusion on the Convention Agenda. There was no editing or approval by the leader or a nameless "Approval Group". Who is the "approval group" and what is their mandate under the Constitution ?

Doris was speaking on official communications from the party. If you would like to have a message or article sent to CAP members or placed on the website please send your item to any member of the National Executive. The committee will then review it for approval.
Or you can join the communicaitons and publicity committee and directly influence the image of the party. This committee also has the authority to approve items for the website or communications sent via blast email.
In between meetings there is an approval process which we have been using for about 6 months now. Four of the following 6 individuals must approve an item for it to be released: the Leader, Executive Director, Chief Agent, President, Chair of Communications and Publicity and the Chair of Public Relations. Currently the PR chair and president are vacant and we are actively looking for replacements.

As for Policy that is a completely different process. First policies are sent to the policy committee where they are debated at length. Any member of the party may join the policy committee. Then they are then approved by the NE and then sent to members either by referendum or national convention.
We are hoping to form a caucus which will be comprised of candidates, this will act as a second assembly to review the policies before they are sent to members. However the leader does have the authority to approve interim policies without going to the membership.

If you have any more questions about CAP and how you can be involved please don't hesitate to call me at 519 400 9517 or email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We're also looking for new members to join the Communications and Publicity committee which I chair. We will be having a teleconference meeting on Monday 26th and if you interested in becoming a member please let me know and I will add you to the list.

Thank you very much, Todd,

for catching this post before I did. Absolutely InfoWarrior was speaking of website posts and possibly position statements or press releases, which might refer in their text to current official policies, but nowhere did he or I mention anything about writing policies.

Many political parties respond to current events and domestic or foreign developments thorough a position statement or, when justified, an Interim Policy is possible, but that would be generated by the Leader and would have to be judged to be completely consistent with the current official policy statement.

Thanks again, Todd.

Doris

I was simply speaking to the past practice of policy development. Any member could propose policy for consideration at the convention. The role of the policy committee was to collate all input and combine related items to avoid redundancy. The leader and executive did not censor or suppress suggestions. Some proposals such as one from Paul Kemp were given 100% thumbs down at convention. This is democracy in action.

That the current NE desires to censor suggestions and massage ideas is a whole other issue.

My question remains, is there a policy committee which accepts policy proposals for debate at the national convention ?

I really don't think you can classify the current policy committee as a censorship organization. We encourage all members not only to submit policies but also join the committee itself. Any member may join the committee at any time.
If a policy cannot garner the support of a small group of members it would be unlikely to receive support at the Nationwide level.

Are there any specific policies that were rejected by the policy committee which you would like to see reintroduced?

What policy would you like to see sent to the membership via referendum or to the National Convention?

Many policies we receive need considerable work in order to make them presentable to the general public. Many time the intention of the policy does no sync up with how the policy reads. This is why a team of dedicated members from all over the party collaborate on making the policy the best it can be.

Phil, you're in luck, there is a policy meeting scheduled this Wednesday night over teleconference and all members are encouraged to join and discuss future and present policy. If you are a member you should drop by and voice your concerns there. We are open to all suggestion on how to best formulate policy for review by the membership.

If any member want to join or sit in on a meeting please let me know and I'll send you more details, I can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. We're also looking for members interested in joining the National Executive as there are many seats currently vacant. Running the day to day operation of the party is a lot of work and we are in need of more volunteers to move this party forward.

And for the record, and I may be mistaken on this, there was no policy committee prior to the last National Convention.

Quoting Todd,

"Many policies we receive need considerable work in order to make them presentable to the general public. Many time the intention of the policy does no sync up with how the policy reads. This is why a team of dedicated members from all over the party collaborate on making the policy the best it can be."

1. Does this nameless faceless group of "dedicated members" have names or emails ?

2. My point remains, in the past policy suggestions went to convention (or referendum). Even the idiotic ones (by conventional wisdom.) Why do a nameless faceless group find it necessary to censor ideas when in the past it was a simple matter to collate ideas and send them to the membership.

3. I remind you that not a single member of the current junta which calls itself the "National executive" was elected at convention.

4. Isn't it time it renew the process for the democratic collection of policy suggestions, instead of imposing the autocratic whims of an unelected junta.

Phil I'd be more than happy to help form a committee to review the progress of the current NE along with the policy committee please let me know when you are available to accomplish this.

Many of the members who were elected at the convention resigned... there would be no one to run the party if people did not offer their services. All of those who were elected at the convention agreed with the Communications and Publicity committee's suggestion of appointing myself as chair. I'm always open to a review of my time as chair. There is a C & P meeting on Monday the 26th, if you request it I can put such a review on the agenda.

The policy committee is not nameless or faceless but I can't give away contact info without their prior consent. However here are some members of the committee who have not qualms with their contact info being released

Psam Frank (Psam____AT____candianactionparty.ca)
Doris Foster (hazelbitsnaturals____AT____hotmail.com)
Todd Stewart (Todd____AT____canadianactionparty.ca)
Tim McCormick 902.472.3114

other members include:

Brenda Haller; Dawn Goyeche; Robert Aldred and Ted Fish

I've made repeated attempts, along with other members of the party, to reach out to you and discuss the issues you have with party's administration. However you've declined such invitations. I'd suggest that if you are serious about real change in the party you either attend a town hall meeting, join a standing committee which are open to ALL members, express interest in becoming a member of the National Executive, become and active candidate on the ODDS committee or pick up a phone/write and email to anyone of the volunteers who run the party. This invitation is to all members of the party!

To gain the most power as a member the best thing to do would be to form a riding association, I'd be more then happy to help you with this process. The party is committed to giving members as much power as possible. Having grassroots organizaitons such as riding associations is the best way to do that.

IMHO the party needs to do a better job at being a bottom up organization, this is why we need more organization at the local level. If anyone interested in forming a riding association in their riding, or another one, please contact me and I'll help you get in touch with other members in your area. This is of extreme importance to the survival and strength of the party.

Finally if you have a policy which you feel needs to be sent to the National Convention without alteration by any committee whatsoever please let me know and I will motion for it at a NE meeting. The next meeting is tomorrow night so I don't think there will be ample time to accomplish this. However please state why you think it is necessary that such a policy be sent directly to the membership without any review or support from other members.

If you have any suggestions on how such policies can be sent to members in the future please let us know in a more formal matter, a message board isn't always the best place to discuss motions.

Quoting Todd:

"Finally if you have a policy which you feel needs to be sent to the National Convention without alteration by any committee whatsoever please let me know and I will motion for it at a NE meeting. "

In the past, it was not necessary to have you or anyone else to "motion" it.

The party previously accepted that any member was entitled to propose policy.

The current NE put themselves above the membership, which is precisely my point.

Perhaps, the executive could focus more on the basics like filing the party financial statements for 2009, and re-registering the party, instead of carping with members about policy processes, and expecting them to cow tow to the junta .