Since our last update in April, we have received 1395 signatures from you, concerned citizens with the courage to stand up for your rights. Your support is invaluable.
CLICK HERE to download the petition.
The summer holidays are proving to be productive and we are receiving petitions every week from Belleville, ON to Vancouver, BC. You’ve all been working hard despite the recent heat waves sweeping the country. Thank you!
As of today, the NHPPA has 88,338 petition signatures.
The Charter of Health Freedom was first introduced almost four years ago. The NHPPA has aimed, since that time, to make this petition the largest in Canada’s history. Our goal is to enlist the support of 10% of Canada’s population by collecting 3 million signatures. Yet petitions with far less signatures have helped move legislation. So how does the Charter of Health Freedom compare to other Canadian petitions?
CANADA’S LARGEST FEDERAL PETITIONS
- At 85,421 signatures, the largest single petition to be presented to the House of Commons in Ottawa in the last 2 years was for the extension of medical benefits through the Employment Insurance Program (June 21 2011)
- At 92,572 signatures, the largest petition in the last 5 years was a series of petitions against the cruelty of animals (February 19 2007)
- At 96,065 signatures, the largest petition in the last 15 years was a series of related petitions against Child Pornography (April 27 1999)
With 88,338 signatures we are 91% of the way towards the largest federal petition in 15 years.
Our goal is to collect more signatures than the largest Canadian petition in history presented on Feb 9 1949, with 625,510 signatures asking for the creation of a Bill of Rights!
You may be interested to hear that the NHPPA has on-going conversations with the Parliament of Canada regarding Paper vs Online petitions. In the last few days we had a conversation with the Clerk of Petitions that shed some light on the issue.
We found the following entry on the Parliament of Canada website highlighting the Special Committee that presented recommendations for accepting online petitions:
“In February 2005, the Clerk, accompanied by other House officials, appeared before the Committee to present the key issues involved in using the Parliament of Canada Web site for this purpose, including the authenticity of signatures, the uniformity of the rules and practices that apply to paper petitions as well as to electronic petitions, the level of interactivity with and participation by citizens, the culture of petitions, and the cost and infrasctructure.”
Ultimately the government did not accept the idea and the debate has not been reconsidered since then.
In our conversation, the Clerk of Petitions did mention that some Members of Parliament have recently wanted to re-open the debate. Specifically, Kennedy Stewart, the MP for Burnaby Douglas in BC, has put forward a motion in favour of electronic petitions that includes details on criteria of acceptance. Some consider that online petitions may allow the public and organizations to have a greater reach and collect more signatures.
CLICK HERE to read our Paper vs Online Petitions post
CLICK HERE to print out an information handout: WHY A PAPER PETITION?
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SET UP A PETITION STATION!
Since the launch of NHPPA’s Store Support Action Kit we’ve been hearing about your successful petition stations. Some of you have even sent us photos! If you are a store or a clinic and have not yet seen our brand new comprehensive Store Support Action Kits CLICK HERE
At the NHPPA, we want everyone to have the opportunity to add their names to this national petition demanding the freedom to choose natural health products and the right to pursue vibrant health. By setting up a petition station and by talking about the issues to the people you know, you are participating in one of the most powerful movements in this country.
To those who have questions about setting up your petition station – we’re here to help. The best way to contact us is through email.
The NHPPA continues to collect the completed petitions. Please send them to this address: 5070 Fountain Street North, Breslau, ON N0B 1M0.
Here are two ways citizens can make a difference.
1) To download a printable version of the Charter of Health Freedom petition, CLICK HERE. Ask everyone you know – your family, friends, colleagues, classmates and customers – to sign the petition.
2) Make a point to download a printable copy of the Charter of Health Freedom itself and send or take it to your Member of Parliament. The next campaign we will be rolling out will require that your MP understands the Charter. Add a note that you will be following up in a few weeks to seek your MP’s thoughts. Be persistent! Follow up!
CLICK HERE to download the Charter and CLICK HERE for Shawn Buckley’s interactive video guide, so that you fully understand the Charter before discussing it with your MP.
