Letter of the Week

From "Moncton This Week" and "Riverview This Week"

Published Saturday November 10th, 2007

Appeared on page A2

To the editor:

It was with some concern (but sadly not surprise) that I read the November 3rd column from the Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe [On the Hill, Brian Murphy, This Week, Nov. 3, p. 7].

To state, as he did, that the Liberals inaction over the past number of weeks was in the best interests of Canadians was the very height of gall.

It is for purely self-serving motives that the Liberals have decided to abstain from voting on key measures in the House.

By doing so they have handed Mr. Harper a blank cheque to govern as if he had a majority, knowing that Mr. Murphy and his cohorts will sit on their hands when push comes to shove.

We've seen this already, not only with the throne speech, but with the Government's corporate tax-cutting measures that will see the squeeze continue to be put on working families.

The majority of Canadians did not vote for a Conservative government, and for the Liberals to take themselves out of the game and subvert that wish is an affront to democracy.

For Mr. Murphy to further state that the NDP is somehow irresponsible for opposing the Conservative agenda (something Mr. Murphy himself was elected to do) is laughable.

The NDP has consistently stood in opposition to Mr. Harper and what we feel is the wrong direction he wants to take the country in.

The blatant truth is that the Liberals are running scared from any confrontation due to their own weakness and ineptitude.

They have a wildly unpopular leader, a veritable revolt in their Quebec wing, a financial crisis and some very public internal strife.

These are the reasons they have gladly sacrificed any pretense of principle rather than face the electorate.

Shame on Mr. Murphy for trying to spin this into anything else and in the process insulting the intelligence of his voters.

Perhaps if the Liberals and their hapless leader are unwilling to fulfill their Parliamentary duties, the time has come to relieve them of it completely.

David Hackett

Vice President

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe

NDP Riding Association

Thanks!

Thank you to everyone for all the hard work that went into the campaign.

Thanks to Joe for the wonderful signs.

Thanks to Kathy for help with the fliers.

Thanks to George, Joe, Andrew and Jim for putting the signs up so quickly.

Thanks to Gerard for the translations.

Thanks to Andrew, Joel, Helene, Gerard, Joe C., Joe B., Ian, Greg, Pat, Jim, Dave, Shannon and Val for coming out to canvass.

Thanks to the scrutineers for taking time out to help.

Thanks to all the donors whose financial contributions made this campaign live and breathe.

Huge thanks to my wife and family who put up with a lot during the course of the campaign and did it with a smile.

And finally thanks to all the people who came out to vote. I deeply appreciate the confidence you showed in me and hope together we can continue working towards the betterment of our community in other ways.

It was a great ride and I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me soon.

-Thanks

VOTE!

Well everyone, E-Day has arrived and my volunteers are working hard pulling the vote and preparing for tonight. I'll be around all day offering rides to the polls and then waiting with family and friends for the results to come in. This is what it's all about. I'm tremendously excited and can't wait to see how it all turns out.


VOTE!!!!

The Momentum is Building!

We're just having the most fantastic responses at the door! It's been a heavy week for canvassing, visiting neighborhoods around Highfield, Cabot, Magellen, Edgett, Vail and more in the last few days. At the same time, I was able to attend a very useful meeting on the City's master recreation plan and kick around some exciting ideas for the growth of Moncton's park system. I also got to celebrate May Day (i.e International Workers Day) with some old friends and make several new ones. Somewhere along the way I also managed to snag a ticket for the White Stripes concert and spent some much needed time with my family.

This weekend the machine continues to roll. After enjoying Free Comic Book Day at both Gamezilla and Mad City Comics, I'll be back on the campaign trail, knocking on as many doors as we can in the final days. Hopefully one of them will be yours!

E Minus 7!

We're getting into crunch time with only one week left in the campaign! Things are moving at a fast pace now. We'll be all over the Ward and the City in the coming days, attending meetings and events, and of course, meeting all the people we can!

We had a great time up in Pine Tree today (if a little wet), and laid some groundwork for the Election night machinery. Tomorrow we're back on the doorstep for most of the day before heading off to celebrate International Workers Day down at the Lion's Centre on St. George Street.

Before I sign off for the night, I'd thought I'd post the next YouTube Link dealing with the Wastewater Treatment Plant. How a community manages it's sewage is something that concerns everybody and it's high time our city, in conjunction with our neighbors, began the process of upgrading our facilities.

Let's Talk about Taxes...

It seems to me we do things a little backwards sometimes. When the capitol budget rolls around, the city estimates what kind of services it needs to provide for the year then sets (or maintains) a property tax rate in line with this.

The problem is that shortly after that, the Province does its property assessments (which, to put it mildly, have tended to be high in recent years) and the net effect is that property taxes are significantly increased even if the tax rate remains flat.

So let's bring accountability back to the city. I propose we put forward a mini-budget to get us through to the timeframe after the assessments are in and then set a fair tax rate based on the current years assessments. So, if the assessments drive the taxes up the city can off-set this with a lower rate. This will take the guesswork and surprise out of the process and give people a fair and reasonable tax system.

Geeks on Ice!

Hey all,

Taking a quick break from the campaign to mention the "Geeks on Ice" Tournament going on all this week to help raise funds for the United Way. Its a great event for a good cause and there's lots of hockey and non-hockey related events to take in. Stop by at Geeks on Ice Tournament and give if you can.

The organisers work amazingly hard at this all year and its exciting to see how much their hard work pays off.

A Successful First Week!

Dear Friends,

What a week it’s been!

The signs are up and I've had nothing but positive comments on them so far. They are really catching people's attention. Lawn signs are now available as well. Drop me a line if you'd like one.

We've also been on the doorstep in force this week and the response has been tremendous. People are excited about injecting fresh ideas into council and making a real difference.

I'm also pleased to unveil my next YouTube Video, discussing improvements to our city’s parks, a subject I'm sure is as important to your family as it is to mine.





This weekend look for me at the Farmer's Market as well as at the Nazareth House Trivathon fundraiser on Sunday.

As always, I'll be on the doorstep and hope to see you there.

-Dave H.

Signs of Things to Come

Had a great day yesterday with the sign team, getting the signs up around the Ward. These guys always work so hard and do such a tremendous job.

We're the first campaign to have our signs out and get visibility in the Ward.

Thanks to George, Joe, Jim, Andrew and Jack for the fantastic effort. Their hard work really shows!

1 Hour to Kick Off!

Dear Friends,

It's been a busy week, and the campaign machine is revved up and ready to go. The signs are in, the nomination papers are ready and we've shot some great video segments.

Tomorrow, I'll be filing my papers with the returning officers and everything will be official.

In the coming days look for signs to go up, canvassing to begin and a few surprises as well.

I'll also be introducing a series of YouTube videos to outline some of the ideas I have for our neighbourhoods and our city.

For Example:





Expect even more in the coming days.

See you on the doorstep.

-Dave H.

Snow day!

Hey all,


Just playing around with the the new layout.

Here's a gratuitous family snapshot.

Change of Scenery on the Way

Dear Friends,

As some of you already know, I'm taking the plunge into municipal politics and seeking the seat for Moncton Ward 4 in the the May 5th byelection. I'll be retooling this blog and updating it regularly very soon. Look for a new coat of paint and some exciting new ideas for our city. I'm quoting the Times and Transcript article that ran today below. There was also an announcement on local radio. Stay tuned, lots more to come.....

David Hackett to seek Moncton Ward 4 seat

Published Wednesday March 14th, 2007

Appeared on page A3

West Lane resident David Hackett confirmed yesterday he would seek the vacant Ward 4 seat on Moncton city council in a byelection scheduled for May 7.

The married father of a five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son works for Moncton's Whitehill Technology.

Hackett was the New Democratic Party candidate for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe in last year's federal election when he impressed a number of Metro Monctonians by running a particularly energetic campaign in that contest and doubled the number of votes his party received in the previous federal election.

Hackett said, "it wasn't an easy decision" to pursue the council seat instead of trying to carry the NDP torch again in an anticipated federal election this year. It was however a goal he's long wanted to pursue.

"I had municipal aspirations looking forward to 2008, but this has sped things up a bit."

Hackett's decision came to light in a letter sent to NDP members saying he wouldn't be offering federally.

The Ward 4 byelection became necessary when councillor Chris Collins resigned last month to make his ultimately successful bid to represent Moncton East in the provincial legislature, replacing former premier Bernard Lord. The other councillor for the ward is Rene (Pepsi) Landry.

Nominations for people wishing to represent the ward will begin April 5, and run until April 20 when nominations close. Five days have been scheduled for advance polls beginning April 28 until May 3.

The sprawling ward's southern boundary is Mountain Road from the east side of Mapleton Road to the west side of Universite Avenue. It follows the west side of Wheeeler Boulevard from Universite Avenue to the north side of Morton Avenue and extends east as far as Elmwood Drive. The northern edge of the ward runs along the Trans Canada Highway from Mapleton to McLaughlin Road, but extends north of the highway between McLaughlin and Elmwood, going out to city limits north of Royal Oaks.