“Bear Nicholas said she’d like the provincial government to introduce a program called mother-tongue medium (MTM) education, which has been used in other parts of the world so indignenous languages are not lost forever.

The First Nations language expert said this change would bring the provincial government into compliance with international linguistic rights standards, “which are routinely violated in Canada where First Nations children are concerned.”

Not only would this policy change help young people keep their languages, she said it would ameliorate other social problems.

“In the first place, it could avoid the expense and effort involved in addressing the poverty in First Nations communities associated with high dropout rates,” Bear Nicholas said.

“These include such social and financial costs as welfare, addictions, suicide, incarceration, and poor health. As one analyst has put it, it would cost far less to provide a private tutor in the mother-tongue to a child for nine years than it would cost to keep a person in prison for one year.”"

The National Assembly elections in Venezuela, which will take place on September 26, will mark a turning point for the Bolivarian revolution. What is at stake is not only who will have a majority in the National Assembly, but the future of the revolutionary process itself. Hands Off Venezuela is organizing an International Day of Action in support of the revolution for 17th-18th September. In Canada, there will be solidarity events in four cities–Fredericton, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. As well, please sign the petition of support at www.handsoffvenezuela.org .

Party says $210M can be saved by stopping last-minute spending each fiscal year | CBC News NB

“The approximately 100 workers are members of the United Steelworkers. The union represents Delta Brunswick hotel housekeepers and kitchen staff, as well as maintenance workers in the Brunswick Square mall and parking lot attendants in the attached garage.

The strike issues include union representation during meetings, as well as workload.

Union representative Mario Fortunato said hotel room cleaners are typically responsible for 14 rooms a day, but managers are asking for more.

“What the union wants and what the workers want is something that’s sustainable, because after a while it becomes leverage against the workers,” he said. “If you’re not a favourite or if you cause a stir, suddenly you’re cleaning 16 double rooms or you’re cleaning 16 suites and they can’t sustain it.” Some workers are getting tendinitis, he said.”

Despite grim financial realities, tight race kicks off in a flurry of photo-op retail politics | G&M

“New Brunswick must begin arresting the dramatic growth in health-care spending or the province may risk becoming insolvent, says a former health minister.

Dennis Furlong, a family doctor in Dalhousie and a former Progressive Conservative health minister, says in an analysis for CBC News that politicians and voters must stop the normal election debate over health funding.”
-The shocking thing is that the NB NDP under the direction of Dominic Cardy were the first party to start fanning the flames of debt hysteria. Are we not at a stage in the development of the productive forces of society that we can look after the health of workers and ensure that each New Brunswick family has a family doctor? The answer is obviously that our productive forces are sufficient for this, and if capitalism can’t provide a doctor to each family at this stage, then to hell with the system!

32-day campaign now underway | CBC | The next New Brunswick government will likely have to slash services and raise taxes to avoid an economic crisis, no matter which party wins the Sept. 27 election, according to a public administration expert.

“The New Brunswick Lung Association is raising health concerns about the plumes of gritty dust released from the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John, N.B., three times in the past week.

Barbara MacKinnon, president of the association, said even if the material itself isn’t toxic, breathing it in could cause health problems.”

“New Brunswick’s four universities, non-profit organizations and the provincial government are teaming up to fund a new social research institute intended to deliver advice on critical policy issues.

Former Fredericton Liberal MP Andy Scott, the senior fellow in social policy at the University of New Brunswick, will serve as the executive director of the New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network, which will give government and policy makers access to research at the province’s four universities.

The new research centre will even allow for requests for specific studies on issues that are impacting the province.

“It will cause the work that is being done outside of government to have greater impact on public policy and it will build better relationships between academics and government not-for-profit [organizations],” Scott said.”
–An academic right-wing think tank for the province?

“The review was suggested more than two years ago by a judge who had studied the salaries of provincial politicians. In March, the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives both promised they would follow through on the judge’s recommendation.

MLAs boosted their pension funds by 85 per cent in the spring of 2008 when they eliminated some tax-free allowances and increased their basic salary. Retired justice Patrick Ryan had recommended those changes but also said there should be a review of their impact on pensions.

For more than two years, nothing happened.

Now, a committee of Liberal and PC MLAs has appointed the independent panel.”
-Undoubtedly an attempt to take the wind from the sails of the NDP election campaign.

Stay tuned for details from the NB Media Co-op.

Where: Centenary-Queen Square United (storefront) Church, 215 Wentworth Street, Saint John
When: 8 a.m., Wednesday, August 18, 2010
What: Presentation on pay equity and poverty, and a chance to hear the party’s platform on pay equity legislation in the private sector.

With:
NDP – Matt Doherty, Wayne Dryer, Jeremy Higgins and organizer Margot Cragg
PC – Margaret-Ann Blaney, Trevor Holder, Dorothy Shephard and Blaine Higgs
LIB – Hon. Mary Schryer, Victoria Clarke, Ed Doherty and Dan Joyce
Green Party – Sharon Murphy-Flatt

With representation from Saint John Common Council, the Sisters of Charity, Centenary-Queen Square United (storefront) Church, Union, NB Advisory Council on the Status of Women, Canadian Federation of University Women, and UNBSJ students. In addition, several members of the hosting Regional Committee will be present and the Anglophone Vice-Chair of the NB Coalition for Pay Equity from Fredericton.

“Woodlot owners say J.D.I. lowered its price earllier this year and changed its specifications for private wood, making it harder for woodlot owners to sell to them…

“The cost for them to produce wood on Crown land in large operations with big, mechanized equipment is reasonably low,” he said. “And that’s what would be their preferred way of acquiring their wood.”"

- See Capital Vol 1: The Labour Process and the Valorization Process. The value of a product is determined by the socially necessary labour time that inheres in the product. “Moreover, the time spent in production counts only in so far as it is socially necessary for the production of a use-value. This has various consequences. First, the labour-power must be functioning under normal conditions. If a self-acting mule is the socially predominant instrument of labour for spinning, it would be impermissible to supply the spinner with a spinning-wheel… otherwise the spinner would spend more time than socially necessary in producing his pound of yarn”. (page 303).

–A step forward for Fredericton.

–Embarrassment.

“New Democratic Party Leader Roger Duguay held a news conference Wednesday promoting what he called the “20/50″ bill.

The proposed bill would reduce MLA salaries by 20 per cent and restrict a number of their pension benefits.

It would eliminate supplementary pension allowances, eliminate bonus pensions paid to cabinet ministers and party leaders, and drastically reduce severance pay when MLAs quit or are not re-elected.”

-The NBNDP releases an attack ad featuring a photoshopped image of David Alward with fries stuffed in his mouth, and calling for reductions in pay and pensions for MLAs.

CBC | Financial assistance to create 40 jobs with expanded packaging line, new equipment and more warehouse space.

“A Fredericton road worker quit his job after he was forced to urinate in his pants while directing traffic because his company failed to provide a break.”

Outrageous.

“Fredericton Anti-Poverty Organization co-ordinator Dan Weston said it makes eight to 10 trips to the landfill a week, costing around $30 a visit.

It’s not only because people are dropping off junk. He said there is just a surplus of stuff.

“You can only take so much of anything. You can only have so many toys (before) you don’t know what to do with them,” Weston said. “We also get stuff that is totally useless, like couches that are totally beat and past their prime, appliances that don’t work, all sorts of things like that.”"

A new newspaper is starting up in southeastern New Brunswick that promises to cover only good news in a market dominated by Irving-owned publications. | CBC

Weeks after mothballing a tidal energy research project, Irving Oil Ltd. has withdrawn its application for environmental approval to build a biodiesel refinery in Saint John.

“The group intends to argue that Downtown Fredericton Inc.’s actions violate its right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press and that the small claims court should issue a cease-and-desist declaration.

It’s citing a 1993 Supreme Court of Canada decision that ruled in favour of an Ontario musician who was charged with putting up posters advertising his band in Peterborough.

Downtown Fredericton Inc. counters that such a cease-and-desist order isn’t within the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court of New Brunswick.

In its filing, Downtown Fredericton Inc. stated that the claims against McCormack are frivolous and vexatious and should be dismissed with costs.”

The local food movement is growing careers in New Brunswick as young farmers head back to the land, and reap the profits.