Aug 312013
 

By Kyle Buott, President, Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council and member of Solidarity Halifax.

powertothepeopleEmera’s corporate empire is growing again – paid for by rate hikes on Nova Scotians.

Emera, the corporation that owns Nova Scotia Power, just announced it plans to buy three natural gas power plants. One in Connecticut, one in Rhode Island and one in Maine.  Must be nice.

In part, this will be financed with the $126 million in profits Nova Scotia Power raked in last year by charging us some of the highest rates in the country for electricity.  Not to mention the major rate hike they just got.

Today in Nova Scotia, the money we pay for electricity leaves the province to fund the growth of Emera’s corporate empire.  Our electricity bills generate Emera’s profits.  This is the problem – private, for-profit ownership of electricity.

This is outrageous.

Nova Scotia is one of only two provinces without some form of public energy utility.  The other is Alberta.  Alberta never had one, and we were the only province foolish enough to sell ours.  Today, we are paying dearly for that mistake.

The only solution to this problem is to correct the mistake we made in 1992.  We need to return Nova Scotia Power to democratic, public ownership.

Power to the people.

Originally published on HalifaxLabour.ca

Note: Articles published by Solidarity Halifax members do not necessarily reflect positions held by the organization.

 

 

Aug 262013
 

In the lead up to the upcoming provincial election, Solidarity Halifax invites you to a panel discussion exploring how the left, and in particular the anti-capitalist left, should orient itself towards electoral politics in these times of crisis.

Speakers:
Roger Rashi, Québec solidaire
Jackie Barkley, Solidarity Halifax

Roger Rashi is a founding member of the political party Québec solidaire and sits on the steering committee of the riding of Mercier which first elected Amir Khadir to the Quebec National Assembly in December 2008 and reelected him with a bigger majority in 2012. The party, which was formed in 2006, currently holds two seats in the Quebec legislature.

Jackie Barkley is a long time activist and member of groups working against racism, poverty and capitalism over a 45 year period – while continuing to work in electoral politics as part of that struggle. She is a founding member of Solidarity Halifax.

The tensions:
While systemic change rarely comes from elections, is there still a need for radicals to participate in electoral politics? Can electoral politics be used to shift public debate toward an anti-capitalist analysis? Are social movements and revolutionary politics fundamentally at odds with electoral politics? Or can political parties or left groups with political wings still be used to grow social movements and our ability to take collective action?

 

Part 1

 

Part 2

 

Q&A

 

Aug 242013
 

Kyle Buott

Dave Bush speaks with Kyle Buott, President of the Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council (and both members of Solidarity Halifax), about trade unionism and worker activism. Kyle addresses the political importance of local labour councils in regional labour movement struggles and building solidarity between workplace issues and social movements. Produced by Rank and File.

CLICK HERE FOR PODCAST.

 

Note: Opinions expressed by Solidarity Halifax members do not necessarily reflect positions held by the organization.

Aug 232013
 

Max Haiven Enjoy the following interview and video essay from past guest speaker Max Haiven. His comments on collective memory and the importance of the “commons” are of particular relevance to Solidarity Halifax’ upcoming A People’s History of Nova Scotia Conference.

Memory and the Radical Imagination

Financial Totalitarianism: The Economic, Political, Social and Cultural Rule of Speculative Capital