Vote for a Change Coalition says tax cuts threaten Canada

'We'll make sure that every candidate gets the message - we're voting for social justice, not tax cuts.'

Toronto (16 Jan. 2006) - Canada cannot afford U.S. style tax cuts when there are so many social needs unmet, says a new national coalition of citizens groups including major churches, unions, student and anti-poverty groups.

The Vote for a Change campaign includes the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) and numerous prominent Canadians such as Maude Barlow, Ed Broadbent, June Callwood, Avi Lewis, Naomi Klein and Linda McQuaig. The group is calling for voters to invest in "The Canada We Want!"

The coalition says the federal government is failing to meet its national responsibilities. "It is not doing enough to provide affordable housing, health care, education, and protection for children and seniors," it says in a statement.

"And it is failing to keep its promises to the world on issues like climate change and international aid."

The campaign is calling on Canada's next government to:

• Improve public health care for everyone, not just those who can afford it.
• Keep Canada's promise to the world on climate change, instead of just talking
• about it.
• Meet our obligations to the U.N. on aid and making poverty history.
• Remove barriers to new Canadians in our communities and workplaces.
• Keep post-secondary education accessible to lower and middle income students.

"We want Canadians to vote for candidates and parties that reflect these priorities," says David Langille, director of the Centre for Social Justice.

"They can help set the agenda for the new government in Ottawa. We'll make sure that every candidate gets the message - that we're voting for social justice, not tax cuts."

Other spokespersons for the group include Marvyn Novick, a professor of social policy at Ryerson University; Cathy Crowe, street nurse and representative of the National Housing and Homelessness Network; Shamini Selvaratnam of the Canadian Federation of Students; Mary Corkery, executive director of Kairos: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiative; Tam Goossen, Community Social Planning Council; Maylanne Maybee, Anglican Church of Canada; John Argue, Ontario Coalition for Social Justice; Micky Fraterman, Canadian Association of Food Banks, and Liyu Guo, Campaign 2000.

Besides NUPGE, coalition partners include Anglican Church of Canada, Campaign 2000, Campaign Against Child Poverty, Canadian AIDS Society, Canadian Association of Food Banks, Canadian Auto Workers, Canadian Child Care Advocacy Association, Canadian Federation of Students, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, Canadian Labour Congress, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Centre for Social Justice, Communications, Energy and Paperworker's Union, Community Social Planning Council of Toronto, Council of Canadians, Disabled Women's Network Ontario, Kairos, National Anti-Poverty Organization, National Association of Women and the Law, Ontario Coalition for Social Justice, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, Public Service Alliance of Canada, Toronto and York Region Labour Council, Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care, Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, United Church of Canada and Urban Alliance on Race Relations. NUPGE