Radio interview with Tom McConnell of CKTB 610 AM Newstalk radio

Here is an audio clip of my interview on Thursday, May 31, 2018 shortly after noon with Tom McConnell of CKTB 610 AM NewsTalk radio

Success in entering Chamber of Commerce debate, best audience response

After a social media, email and phone-in campaign succeeded in getting the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce to include me in their St Catharines candidates debate after initially excluding me, the St Catharines Standard reported that I got the best audience response:

"Waziruddin got the most enthusiastic response from the small audience when he said the Tories' health care plan is like Donald Trump tax returns: "It might never be released.""

From https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news-story/8640455-few-attend-lackluster-st-catharines-riding-debate/

I am grateful to the Chamber for agreeing to include me in the debate. The Chambers of Commerce of the neighboring Niagara ridings have always included all candidates and St Catharines voters are entitled to the same.

Communist party represented in St. Catharines riding

From https://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/8637564-communist-party-represented-in-st-catharines-riding/

12:45 PM by Scott Rosts Niagara This Week - St. Catharines

Saleh Waziruddin will once again be carrying the Communist party banner in St. Catharines.

The St. Catharines resident has previously ran twice in the riding provincially and federally, and continues to be passionate about the party’s platform and advocate or change.

“I am running because we need MPPs who represent the majority of us conscripted into poverty and unemployment, starting with defending and extending the new minimum wage and labour standards” said Waziruddin.

“The Liberal government has already taken away holiday pay from part-time workers, saying it's not fair to full timers, but that's not true — it doesn't affect full-timers,” he added. “If you work you should be paid for the holiday, that's the point of having stat holidays.”

He is also advocating for the elimination of “deeming” deductions of minimum wage from injured workers' compensation because they are assumed or “deemed” to working a minimum-wage job.

Waziruddin has also set his sights on reform to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board. He says the board should be replaced, part of a special resolution the Communist party called for in June 2017.

“They're supposed to be protecting the environment,” he said, adding they appear more focused on economic development. “They're giving away land which will choke off the few remaining wetlands we have left in the world. By treaty obligations there is supposed to more consultation with First Nations, which has not been done.”

Waziruddin encourages residents to familiarize themselves with the party’s plan at http://communistpartyontario.ca. From electoral reform job creation, to expanding health care to include full coverage of services such as dental care, vision care, pharmacare, mental health care and long-term care, to developing a new funding program for a proposed, single, secular public school system, he said there are many planks that appeal to electors in Ontario. There is also a pledge to build 200,000 affordable housing units over four years, the introduction of free public child care available 24 hours a day, transit expansion and enhanced municipal funding.

The party, he said, will finance its platform through doubling the corporate tax rate, which Waziruddin said would still be low for industrialized countries, and restoring the corporate capital tax which was dropped to zero in 2010.

“Instead of giving away the wealth we create to corporations which were sitting on the money instead of investing it, we should take it back for our basic needs,” he said.

Waziruddin says he hopes residents will see the benefits of a Communist choice at Queen’s Park.

“Look at our platform. It’s policies which take care of all peoples’ needs,” he said, adding voters who want to “make their vote count” should look to the Communists.

Great day putting up lawn signs in Niagara

It was a great day canvassing and putting up Vote Communist signs in Niagara!

MEDIA RELEASE: Saleh Waziruddin is the Communist Party candidate for St. Catharines, Running to Defend and Extend new Minimum Wage and Labour Standards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 19, 2018

MEDIA RELEASE: Saleh Waziruddin is the Communist Party candidate for St. Catharines, Running to Defend and Extend new Minimum Wage and Labour Standards

ST CATHARINES, ON – Saleh Waziruddin is the Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) candidate for the St. Catharines riding, one of 12 candidates the party is running in the Ontario election. “I am running because we need MPP's who represent the majority of us conscripted into poverty and unemployment, starting with defending and extending the new minimum wage and labour standards” said Saleh Waziruddin.

“The Liberal government has already taken away holiday pay from part time workers saying it's not fair to full timers, but that's not true it doesn't effect full timers. If you work you should be paid for the holiday, that's the point of having stat holidays!” said Saleh.

“Autoworkers, including people who make parts or store them in warehouses, are excluded from getting 10 sick days without expensive doctor's notes because the government is telling us autoworkers have it made. That's just not true, they've made lots of concession and now we have 2^nd and 3^rd tier workers who won't even make a regular wage for 10 years.”

Saleh also wants to get rid of “deeming” where the minimum wage is deducted from injured workers' compensation because they are assumed or “deemed” to working a minimum wage job. “Working a minimum wage job often makes the injuries worse, as we've seen from cases right here in St. Catharines” Saleh argued.

Saleh is also campaigning to replace the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board, which the Communist Party called for in a special resolution on June 11, 2017 (http://communistpartyontario.ca/special-resolution-on-the-niagara-peninsula-conservation-authority/). “They're supposed to be protecting the environment but instead they say their job is economic development which is not what the law says. They're giving away land which will choke off the few remaining wetlands we have left in the world. By treaty obligations there is supposed to more consultation with First Nations which has not been done” complained Saleh.

The Communist Party, Canada's second oldest party, has elected two Ontario MPP's before, and will finance its platform through doubling the corporate tax rate, which would still be low for industrialized countries, and restoring the corporate capital tax which was dropped to zero in 2010. “Instead of giving away the wealth we create to corporations which were sitting on the money instead of investing it, we should take it back for our basic needs” Saleh explained.

Saleh Waziruddin lives in St. Catharines where he previously worked at a call centre for nine years. Saleh has run twice in the riding provincially and federally. He has two years of management experience in municipal government and has an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and Public Policy & Management from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the executive committees of the Canadian Network on Cuba and Canadian Peace Congress, and has been involved in local campaigns for raising the minimum wage and labour standards, as well as for Indigenous and Palestine solidarity.

Today I pledge to Fix Our Schools and Not a Second Longer to improve health care

Today I was the first St Catharines MPP to sign the pledge to Fix Our Schools, and also signed the pledge for Not a Second Longer for fully funded health care: fully public health care expanded to dental, vision, pharma, and mental health and long term care matched to needs not what's left over after giving over corporate tax cuts to the rich.

My 2 minute spot on YourTV Niagara after the debate

YourTV Niagara (formerly Cogeco) excluded me again from the main debate after including me in an earlier election. They gave me a 2 minute spot which aired immediately after the debate where I was able to raise many of the issues I am campaigning on.

The 2 minute clip is also on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYtSyjHImEE&t=45s

I am officially nominated!

I am grateful to comrades, supporters, friends, and voters in the St. Catharines for nominating me for the ballot!

Success in getting included in health care debate after being initially excluded!

Although every other (8) health coalition in Ontario is inviting "ALL" candidates, the local health coalition, together with the local Council of Canadians, Retired Teachers of Ontario, and CARP (formerly Canadian Association of Retired Persons) groups, decided to exclude me. I was included earlier in 2015 and also in 2011, although after campaigning after being initially excluded. My campaign leafletted the meeting and I protested as the meeting was starting, and won overwhelming support from the attendees as well as the other candidates. After doing a vote count the organizers agreed to include me! I am grateful to attendees, voters, and candidates for your support.