Ottawa 2012-04-17 minutes

For the purposes of future readability, the Ottawa-minutes page will use headers to layout the essential agenda of the evening and separate topics. Please be generous while we establish for more useful system for displaying these publicly. Thank-you. ( -Shawn R Gray )

Osgoode Trade & Home Show
Background: The Osgoode Trade & Home Show, held in Osgoode, Ontario on April 20th & 21st, 2012 serves as a location to showcase goods & services to residents in the area. Admission to the trade show is free for all ages. Nepean-Carleton Candidate David Ascroft has booked a booth for the Pirate Party of Canada. He has previously requested assistance of Ottawa-area pirates.

Discussion:


 * Ottawa-Orleans Candidate Robert McGrath & PPCA Member Shawn R Gray will be assisting on the Saturday, as both are unable to get out to Osgoode on Friday
 * Ascroft will be manning the booth on Friday, and will be in the building Saturday
 * The booth will host an 8' inflatable pirate ship on Friday. If this works well, it will continue to be in place on Saturday
 * Gray to forward template for registration forms to Ascroft before Friday so some can be on hand
 * Ascroft to bring the pamphlets & bumper stickers in his possession & some of the PPCA badges
 * McGrath to bring scissors & tape
 * Gray to bring PPCA Flag, pamphlets, bumper stickers & Kopimi Pyramids templates (to be built at the show)
 * Attendees encouraged to familiarize with rural-issues, ie patents on farming techniques

Electoral Riding Changes
Background: Early in the 2012 Parliamentary Season the Government of Canada overwhelmingly approved the creation of new ridings in order to better reflect the changing population of Canada.

Discussion:


 * The | Ottawa Citizen recently published an article examining the possibility of Nepean-Carleton riding being split up.
 * Given its size and rate of growth, this is a likely possibility
 * Ascroft will remain on in one of the two ridings, whichever he falls within after the redistribution
 * This may make room for another candidate in the area, time to work on recruitment

German Pirate Party Manifesto
Background: The German Pirate Party, which has made huge in-roads in government and is now polling around 13%, recently released an English version of their manifesto which covers a broader area than the central three pillars of Pirate Parties across the globe. Although not everyone in attendance had the chance to read through all of it, some discussion was held.

Discussion:


 * The first few sections are very interesting and apply quite well. Also, great satifaction in seeing a professional document.
 * Why doesn't the PPCA have a truly comparable document? The only PPCA "manifesto" available greatly feels like it was written by children as it is immature and non-specific in nature.
 * Minor questioning on point 12.2
 * There is concern that this may lead to many countries ejecting their LGBT populations because of the requirement for them to be accepted for political asylum
 * If political asylum is granted on these grounds alone, how else would we have to expand political asylum
 * Also, there are many non-governmental agencies that discriminate and push for the expulsion of these groups in all countries. Makes the implementation of the point problematic at best.

Rideau-Carleton Raceway
Background: The Raceway holds a Sunday fair every week, indoors during inclement weather. A table costs only $6/week, which could enable occasional displays for the party in its riding. The population in attendance during the fair is generally older and female.

Discussion:


 * More information will be required to properly assess:
 * Do they allow political booths?
 * What riding is it in? (Nepean-Carleton)
 * Would it be a worthwhile investment for the party?
 * What topics would we need to be familiar with for a booth to be beneficial?
 * Gambling?
 * Health Care, primarily the affects of patents
 * Pension reform
 * Ascroft & McGrath promise to donate 50% of their Parliament pensions to charities, should they be elected
 * Who would be able to man the booth?
 * What should we prepare to be displayed?

Taxation Practices
Background: Tax season is upon us and people are rushing to seek help or simplifying software to complete their returns. It has recently come to light that some tax-software companies have been lobbying to make the taxation policies more complicated so people will be forced to rely upon their software.

Discussion:


 * Taxes should be straightforward, simple & transparent

Legalization & Taxation
Background: The supreme court recently struck down laws forbidding brothels. Do we have any position on this locally?

Discussion:


 * Officially the party has no position.
 * Generally we are in approval of the move as this provides sex trade workers some measure of protection and safety
 * Much like our local approval of Marijuana legalization, we believe that income should be taxed as a business
 * This would bolster public coffers while increasing safety of people that are in this line of work

Election 2015
Background: With Robert McGrath planning to run for Ottawa-Orleans, David Ascroft running in Nepean-Carleton, and Shawn Gray mulling a run in Ottawa-South (depending on whether he relocates to Hong Kong in 2013), there is a demand to get local pirates organized and running to raise awareness.

Discussion:


 * Gray to send Ascroft & McGrath a copy of the general wordpress template used by candidates this past election so they can start getting their sites in place
 * Ascroft & McGrath have been advised to copy the donation page on Gray's | election site since we do not have official riding associations and an election is not currently in place
 * Some questions were raised about whether some of the funds raised in advance to the party through candidates electoral pages could be funnelled back into the candidates campaign in 2015, even if at a rate of 10%
 * Currently there is a special rule of order in place forbidding the party from providing funds to launch a candidates campaign
 * Will need to raise this issue with the Executive Board

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