CFUW WEST VANCOUVER NEWSLETTER

FROM THE EDITOR: Exerpts from newletters

Report on February Meeting

Adrienne Carr, leader of the BC Green Party spoke on "Political Winds"
Speaking passionately for an hour without notes or prompts, Ms Carr described the Green Party's philosophy and her personal initiative to establish a mixed Proportional Representation electoral system in BC. Ms Carr compared the current Liberal government in BC to "a squall," cold and blustery but blowing over quickly. She likened the Green Party to the "westerly winds" which are temperate and constant and typical of BC. She likened the possibility of electoral reform to the "Chinook" -"winds of change."
Adrienne Carr was raised in the Lower Mainland and the Kootenays and graduated from Burnaby North Secondary School in 1970. She earned a Master's Degree in Geography from UBC. At Vancouver Community College, Langara, for 12 years, she taught Geography and Economics courses and chaired the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. In1990 Adrienne began working for Western Canada Wilderness Committee. She was one of the negotiators of an agreement between environmental groups, First Nations and MacMillan Bloedel that helped resolve 17 years of conflict over logging in Clayoquot Sound.
In 1983 Adrienne co-founded the Green Party of BC. Under her leadership in 2001 the BC Green Party achieved12.4% of the province-wide vote, with 7 candidates achieving 20% or more. Since then, the party has risen in the polls province-wide.
In the Fall of 2001 Adrienne, as a private citizen, launched an initiative under BC's Recall and Initiative Act to establish a mixed Proportional Representation electoral system in BC. Through the help of 4,000 volunteer canvassers, over a 90-day period, Adrienne garnered petition signatures of 98,165 BC voters. One month later, the BC government established a Citizens Assembly to recommend whether or not BC should change its voting system. If the Assembly recommends change, their recommendation will go to referendum at the May 17, 2005 BC general election.
Adrienne spoke about the advantages to Proportional Representation including increased diversity, more women, and legislation that is representative and durable. When describing her party's political philosophy, Adrienne said it is based on the recognition that there are limits to growth. Natural resources must be protected for future generations. The promotion of "social equity," small local businesses, and local control of natural resources results in more stable, economically viable communities.

GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION

CFUW Director of Legislation, Monica Cullum, has asked that all CFUW clubs inform members of the CFUW policy on Gun Control. The following is from a fact sheet circulated from her.

• 1990-1994 - CFUW passed a resolution in support of Gun Control in 1990 and 2 further ones in 1994.
• 1997 - CFUW joined the Coalition for Gun Control.
• 2001 - CFUW affirmed its membership (at AGMs).
• Successive Directors of Legislation and Status of Women and Human Rights have worked to support Gun Control and CFUW has backed this legislation through the passage of the Bill and into the registration phase.

The Auditor General did not address the effectiveness of the law- only the costs. The use of firearms is a major safety and health problem in Canada.

Firearms take 1,000 Canadian lives annually and for everyone killed many more are injured or traumatized.

There is no doubt that gun control is a gender issue. Women’s groups across the country have backed the legislation. 86 % of gun owners are men, and more than 30% of gun victims are women.