Concerned Citizens of Ontario's Declaration Statement of 25 Principles

Concerned Citizens of Ontario's Creed:

"I'll stand not for what is right over what is left, rather for what is right over what is wrong, and stand firm as Ontarians with conviction within that knowledge and move forward democratically for the betterment of organized society."



Concerned Citizens of Ontario's Declaration Statement of 25 Principles:

1. We believe in affirmation of our own commitment to the Province of Ontario as an equal province within the Dominion of Canada, which itself is one nation indivisible, and to our vision of Canada as a reformed Confederation balanced with equal provinces, combined territories and its citizens within.

2. We believe in affirmation of our own commitment to the rule of the law in Ontario, and to the concept that the government and its executive, legislative and judicial branches are not above the law.

3. We believe in affirmation of our own commitment to the idea that political parties should be guided by stated values, ideals and principles which are shared by their grassroots members and rooted in the political beliefs of Ontarians.

4. We believe that Ontario's distinct identity, tradition and vision for the future should be rooted in and inspired by a new and fresh appreciation of our land, water and air and the supreme importance to our well being of exploring, developing, renewing, preserving and conserving our natural resources and physical environment.

5. We believe that the people of Ontario are this province's most valuable resource, and that the nurture, research and development of human knowledge, skills and relationships are the keys to full participation in the knowledge based service economy of this twenty first century.

6. We believe that the creation of wealth and productive jobs for Ontarians is best achieved through the operations of a responsible, broadly based, free enterprise economy in which private property, freedom of contract, and the operations of free markets are encouraged and respected.

7. We believe that every individual, collective and region in Ontario is entitled to fundamental justice, and that fundamental justice entitles the people of each region to benefit equally, without discrimination, from participation in Confederation within the Province and from the programs, revenues and expenditures of the Government of Ontario.

8. We believe that in Ontario whatever is physically desirable and morally right should be made financially possible for those seeking individual self independence and determination.

9. We believe in a reformed Confederation balanced best by an effective federal government which equally respects provincial areas of jurisdiction and efficiently limits its functions to a clear line of division that is essential to a working organized society between Ontario and Canada.

10. We believe that Ontarians have an individual and collective responsibility to care and provide for the basic needs of people who are unable to care and provide for themselves.

11. We believe that security with freedom is essential in Ontario, material security alone is not enough as each individual must be secure in the knowledge that they are worthy, respected, loved, equal and free, and that the freedom to choose their destiny is an inalienable right.

12. We believe in freedom of religion, conscience and spirituality, and the right of Ontarians to advocate, without fear of intimidation or suppression, public policies which reflect their most deeply held values, ideals and beliefs.

13. We believe that public policy in organized society should reflect the will of the majority of Ontario citizens as determined by free and fair elections, referenda, and the decisions of legally constituted and representative Parliaments, Legislatures and Assemblies elected by the people.

14. We believe in the value of initiative, opportunity and enterprise, and that the Ontario government have a responsibility to foster, promote and protect an environment in which initiative, opportunity and enterprise can be fully exercised by individuals and collectives.

15. We believe that the individual is the most important factor in organized society, and as a divinely created being, with spiritual, mental and physical potentials and needs, has certain inalienable rights which must be respected, protected and preserved in Ontario.

16. We believe that Ontario public money should be regarded by the government as funds held in trust, and that governments should practice in fiscally responsible actions, in particular, the responsibility to balance expenditures and revenues within a governmental budget and the reduction of governmental debt whenever and wherever possible.

17. We believe that Ontario public service through governments, civil servants, judges, politicians and political parties exist to serve the people, and that they should demonstrate this service commitment at all times.

18. We believe that the major function of democratic government in organized society is to secure for the Ontario people the results the people want from the management of their public affairs as far as such results are physically desirable and morally right.

19. We believe that the interest of minorities and the people of the under populated regions of Ontario should be safeguarded by constitutional guarantees and parliamentary institutions which effectively balance representation by population with regional representation.

20. We believe in the choice of change towards common sense of the common people of Ontario, their right to be consulted on public policy matters before major decisions are made, their right to choose and recall their own representatives and to govern themselves through truly representative and responsible institutions, and their right to directly initiate legislation democratically for which substantial public support is demonstrated.

21. We believe that the legitimate role of democratic government is to do for Ontario people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all or do as well for themselves, individually or through collective non governmental organizations, while allowing minimal governmental intrusion in the lives of the people.

22. We believe in the accountability of elected representative members to the Ontario people who elect them to office, and that the duty of elected representative members to their constituents at home should supersede their obligations to their political parties every time.

23. We believe in constructive and dynamic change, in a progressive renewal of the reform tradition, within our classical political system here in Ontario.

24. We believe in affirmation of our own commitment to the value and dignity of the individual person and the importance of strengthening, preserving and protecting the family unit as essential to the well being of both Ontarian individuals and their organized society.

25. We believe in affirmation of our own commitment to the true equality of each Ontarian citizen, with equal rights, responsibilities and freedoms for all.



Concerned Citizens of Ontario's Golden Rule:

"Always remember to do unto to others as you would have them do unto you!"

Concerned Citizens of Ontario believe in Electoral Reform which Democratically Represents all Ontarians

Ontario Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform, a Democratic Renewal Secretariat production, is likely the most important assembly of grassroots citizens in the province's 139 years of history with a honest opportunity to make Ontario a better province after it finishes than before it started. Like the promise kept on fixed election dates and creation of its brand new ministry for Democratic Reform, the Ontario Liberal Government truly give us a chance to choose a change in the way Ontarians elect their representatives democratically, something every citizen of the province should take very seriously. We applaude and congratulate them on this long overdue push to make every voice and vote count next time around, something many of us have been politically working toward for the past decade plus, we of the Concerned Citizens of Ontario call it believing that yesterday’s Electoral System needs Electoral Reform today.

Concerned Citizens of Ontario believe in Electoral Reform which democratically represents all Ontarians, therefore we endorse Alternative Vote Preferential Balloting (AVPB) also known as Instant Runoff Preferential Balloting (IRPB) or Majority Representation By Riding (MRBR), to replace the old First Past The Post (FPTP) way of ballot voting. The reasoning in our support of AVPB is because of its unique free, fair and equal use of preferential representation which allows each constituent to select from first to worst who they really want in yet still end up electing their representative democratically from their own electoral district by a majority vote of 50%+1 via preferential ballotting to democratically represent them within their own electoral district.

We hope the Ontario Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform listens closely to our solution, think upon it with reason and sober thought and act accordingly, as the Concerned Citizens of Ontario believe all people in Ontario must be heard on this very important matter of political initiative, which is why the Alternative Vote Preferential Balloting is our solution to the Electoral Reform problem because it simply makes every voice and vote in Ontario count next time around.

There's more to recover in Ontari-ari-ari-o!: Concerned Citizens of Ontario

365 days left until the next provincial election with the prospects nil to none of a heavyweight political contender suddenly appearing to challenge the colluded Big Three at Queen's Park, so we felt it was time for the debut of "There's more to recover in Ontari-ari-ari-o!" which is the weblog for Concerned Citizens of Ontario, a non-partisan group of political activists, looking to give the taxpayers, citizens and people of the Province of Ontario what they believe that Ontarians need right now through a province wide grassroots petition you can join us in signing for a better tomorrow, a real principled and competitive governing alternative to the Liberals politically in place for October 2007.