Federal

Implementation of Kelowna Accord (Federal) By : Lakehead University Young Liberals WHEREAS, the standard of living in Aboriginal Reserves is comparatively lower than the rest of Canada. WHEREAS, 60% of Aboriginal students on-reserve and 43% of Aboriginal students off-reserve have dropped out of high school, compared to 9.5% of non-Aboriginal Canadians WHEREAS, 7% of First Nations, 9% of Mtis and 4% of Inuit people have a university degree compared to 23% of non-Aboriginal Canadians WHEREAS, in 2007/2008, Aboriginal adults accounted for 22% of prison admissions, even though they represent merely 3% of the Canadian population WHEREAS, 17% of victims of homicide and 23% of those accused of committing a homicide between 1997 and 2004 were Aboriginal WHEREAS, the Government of Canada spends a substantial amount of money on foreign aid to other countries.
WHEREAS, the measures outlined in Kelowna Accord will improve the education, housing, and

economic opportunities of theAboriginal Community BE IT RESOLVED, that the Liberal Party of Canada implements the Kelowna Accord on its platform.

FEDNOR AS A STANDALONE MINISTRY (Federal) By : Lakehead University Young Liberals WHEREAS, FedNor (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario ) was a standalone ministry until 2008. WHEREAS, the Government of Ontario has a standalone ministry (Ministry of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry) looking after the issues of Northern Ontario. WHEREAS, the role of business and economic development throughout the North has grown substantially since the beginning of FEDNOR in 1987.

WHEREAS, the programs and services that FedNor offers to the communities of Northern Ontario have evolved and improved to a point where the MNR can no longer provide adequate funding to Northern Ontario development unilaterally. Whereas, since the amalgamation of FEDNOR with Industry Canada, Northern Ontario has been widely ignored by the Conservative Government. BE IT RESOLVED, The Liberal Party of Canada pushes the Conservative Government to include FEDNOR as a standalone ministry.

Provincial
Entrepreneurship Class in High School (Provincial) By : Lakehead University Young Liberals WHEREAS , the Government of Ontario provides only one Open credit Entrepreneurship course at High Schools in Ontario. WHEREAS, other University / College Preparatory business-related classes are provided by the Ontario Ministry of Education that doesnt cater specifically to entrepreneurial innovation. WHEREAS, youths in high school with business ideas do not have the proper resources to implement it into a real business setting. WHEREAS, knowledge of entrepreneurship leads to creation of more small business, innovation and creativity. WHEREAS, according to research from Ministry of Research and Innovation, Entrepreneurial venture can lead to new innovation and jobs in society. WHEREAS, the Ministry of Research and Innovation has previously provided support for university based Entrepreneurship Institutes. BE IT RESOLVED that the Ontario Government provides an option of University/ College level preparatory courses in Entrepreneurship.

GREATER ACCESS TO JOBS FOR NEW TEACHERS

Submitted by: Justin Tetreault Riding: Sault Ste. Marie

WHEREAS over 12,000 new teachers are certified by the Ontario College of Teachers each year; WHEREAS enrolment in Ontario schools declined by 90,000 students between 2002-03 and 2008-09; WHEREAS the Ontario Ministry of Education projects that enrolment is projected to decline by another 56,000 students between 2008-09 and 2012-13; WHEREAS lower enrolment in Ontario schools means fewer jobs for new Ontario teachers; WHEREAS current regulations allow retired teachers to collect a full pension and return to work for up to 95 days per school year in each of the first three years that they return to work and 20 days per school year in following years; WHEREAS this practice of double dipping takes available occasional teaching positions away from new teachers entering the job market, leaving some without jobs and without the opportunity to gain needed experience; BE IT RESOLVED THAT the OYL urge the Government of Ontario to increase access to jobs for new teachers by capping the number of days that retired teachers can return to work at 20 days per school year beginning in the first year that the teacher returns to work.

Reviving the Youth Action Alliance (Provincial) Michela Bitonti, North Bay In 2009 the Government of Ontario made a cut to an important program for the youth to become better aware of the harms of Tobacco use, and the manipulative ways of the Tobacco Industry through the creation of workshops, and community events. Alongside Smoke Free Ontario this program formerly known as the Youth Action Alliance assisted in the creation of by laws such as the one of removing the display of tobacco products in stores. It was deemed effective as the result of the program saw a significant decline in the death rate in relation to tobacco use. (An 810 thousand person decline within 3-4 years of operation). WHEREAS tobacco causes a great number of illness and death in Ontario.

WHEREAS youth should have the right to educational programs surrounding the severe effects of tobacco use. WHEREAS the tobacco industry targets youth to become familiar with tobacco use through marketing products like candy bars. WHEREAS this programs importance is greater in comparison to other programs offered in Ontario seeing immediate effects. WHEREAS the denormalization of these products is the best way to take down big tobacco products making known to youth that the Tobacco Industry only wants money and nothing else. WHEREAS this program should still be in effect through more of a collaborative method of funding, having the ministry of health and education come together to offset each others deficit.

To conclude this program is shown to be effective however only the ministry of health funded it at the time making it trying on the budget to be able to continue it. Making a change in funding should offset the costs making it a stronger more reliable program with having not only the ministry of health funding the program but the ministry of education funding it as well.

Subject: Strengthening Patient Care for Mental Health* Drafter: Connor Scott, Independent

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Cognizant that according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, individuals diagnosed with a mental illness are the most frequent users of health-care services and programs, Noting with profound regret that our health-care system is in its totality, ill-equipped to help them in the ways that they need, subsequently increasing the patients stress levels and those of their family and friends, Deeply concerned that for children under the age of 18, the distribution of mental health services are especially problematic, Fully aware that as youth transition to adulthood, they often drop out of the mental health-care system due to subjective and exclusionary eligibility criteria or because continued access is too complex to navigate, Conscious that for adults and youth alike, greater access to mental health care and service is desperately needed, Concerned by a 2003 Statistics Canada survey which indicated that of those needing mental health services in Canada, only about one-third receive them,

Taking into consideration the recommendations of the Ontario Medical Association, the preeminent representative body for physicians, nurses and medical practitioners within the Province of Ontario, this policy:

1. Encourages the merging of all mental health services (child/youth/adult/senior) under the auspices of one ministry. 2. Emphasizes the need for a comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy with timelines, targets and deadlines. 3. Urges for the implementation of policy that will allow physicians and psychiatrists access to a team-based care model when dealing with patients and their respective families. 4. Takes note that too many people with mental illness are simply not getting the care and support that they need. 5. Endorses the OMAs recommendation for enabling all primary care physicians to better support patients with serious mental illness by encouraging the creating of a wide array of educational initiatives that help to better instruct physicians in communicating and dealing with patients and their families. *A significant portion of the information contained within this policy proposal was taken from the recommendations of the Ontario Medical Association, as manifested within their 2011 policy platform report: Better care. Healthier patients. A stronger Ontario. Insights and recommendations from Ontarios doctors. For those interested in further examining issues relative to healthcare within the Province of Ontario, it is highly recommended that you consult this invaluable resource.