1999 Saint John Spring Convocation
Graduation Address
Delivered by: MacMillan, John Francis
Content
"Convocation Address." (May 1999). (UA Case 67, Box 3)
Chancellor, Members of the Board, UNBSJ employees, Graduates and members of the Labour movement.
Today I have been honoured by UNBSJ in the oldest incorporated city in Canada, Saint John. I accepted this honour on behalf of my family and those persons who I worked with in the labour movement to bring economic and social justice to working men and women. Abraham Lincoln said "God must have loved the little people, he made so many of them." The same people are with us today.
At this time I want to pay my respects to the late Dr. Peter McGahan of UNBSJ who published my autobiography entitled "The Boy from Port Hood," assisted by professor Emery Hyslop. Their kindness will always been remembered by my family.
Today, you the graduates of UNBSJ will enter into work day life of Canada, or go on further in the Academic life that you have chosen. I want you to know that over 46,000 seniors in New Brunswick will qualify for the low income benefit of $100; seniors living below the poverty line. What are you prepared to do that will give seniors greater economic security?
Today, in Canada there are 1,000,000 unemployed and 1,000,000 under employed. What role can we expect you to take in bringing greater social justice to these Canadians?
Today, there are more Canadians at soup kitchens and food banks then there were during the Dirty Thirties Great Depression.
Today, one of every five children go to bed hungry, or to school. Thousands of Canadians live on the street; low income families need better housing. What are you prepared in your lifetime to undertake to change such conditions?
Today, Medicare is under attack, lack of doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, orderlies, and other staff to properly care for persons needing hospital and nursing home care. What is your interest in seeing that Canadians have a National Medicare System fully funded by the Government of Canada?
Today, education is under-funded. Graduates, after years at University, have a Debt Load it will take years to pay, if ever. Some will declare bankruptcy, the corporate way of doing business. What attention are you going to give to education of the future?
I recently watched a discussion on American television regarding the cost of education in that Country. The cost of "Desert Storm," it was said, would pay the cost of educating every American child from kindergarten through university. This was only a 30-day conflict.
I was born in 1917 during WWI. I served in the Canadian Navy in WWII. These were WARS to end all Wars we were told. Why is it that there is always money to fight Wars? I saw the Model T Ford go by, the cure for polio, Penicillin, Heart Transplant, Hip Replacement, the Pacemaker, Viagra, but no cure for Cancer, the number one killer. Man has gone to the moon and the History of the World is on the CHIP.
In closing, I want to say something about the lack of N.B. Labour Legislation to protect organized labour and those who wish to be unionized. No anti-scab legislation. Employers can hire scabs to take the jobs of workers on a legal strike. No legislation to settle first agreement disputes by arbitration. No legislation to keep the courts out of labour disputes. Workers on strike are prohibited in New Brunswick from passing out pamphlets of information at a place of business that is selling goods produced by scabs, where a legal strike is taking place. Lowest compensation payments in Canada to injured workers. Recently I watched Saint John lawyer Mr. David Brown on CPAC TV argue before the Supreme Court of Canada that the legislation in New Brunswick that prohibited strike workers from passing out information, by the way upheld by the Courts in this Province, was in Contravention of The Charter of Rights. Let me say here and now, that we do not need the advice of a Mr. Black or White, that Right-to-Work Labour Legislation be enacted in New Brunswick, this is 1999, not 1899.
I hope that you who graduate here today, will not become for some political party the "Spin Doctors of Tomorrow."
Chancellor, Members of the Board, UNBSJ employees, Graduates and members of the Labour movement.
Today I have been honoured by UNBSJ in the oldest incorporated city in Canada, Saint John. I accepted this honour on behalf of my family and those persons who I worked with in the labour movement to bring economic and social justice to working men and women. Abraham Lincoln said "God must have loved the little people, he made so many of them." The same people are with us today.
At this time I want to pay my respects to the late Dr. Peter McGahan of UNBSJ who published my autobiography entitled "The Boy from Port Hood," assisted by professor Emery Hyslop. Their kindness will always been remembered by my family.
Today, you the graduates of UNBSJ will enter into work day life of Canada, or go on further in the Academic life that you have chosen. I want you to know that over 46,000 seniors in New Brunswick will qualify for the low income benefit of $100; seniors living below the poverty line. What are you prepared to do that will give seniors greater economic security?
Today, in Canada there are 1,000,000 unemployed and 1,000,000 under employed. What role can we expect you to take in bringing greater social justice to these Canadians?
Today, there are more Canadians at soup kitchens and food banks then there were during the Dirty Thirties Great Depression.
Today, one of every five children go to bed hungry, or to school. Thousands of Canadians live on the street; low income families need better housing. What are you prepared in your lifetime to undertake to change such conditions?
Today, Medicare is under attack, lack of doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, orderlies, and other staff to properly care for persons needing hospital and nursing home care. What is your interest in seeing that Canadians have a National Medicare System fully funded by the Government of Canada?
Today, education is under-funded. Graduates, after years at University, have a Debt Load it will take years to pay, if ever. Some will declare bankruptcy, the corporate way of doing business. What attention are you going to give to education of the future?
I recently watched a discussion on American television regarding the cost of education in that Country. The cost of "Desert Storm," it was said, would pay the cost of educating every American child from kindergarten through university. This was only a 30-day conflict.
I was born in 1917 during WWI. I served in the Canadian Navy in WWII. These were WARS to end all Wars we were told. Why is it that there is always money to fight Wars? I saw the Model T Ford go by, the cure for polio, Penicillin, Heart Transplant, Hip Replacement, the Pacemaker, Viagra, but no cure for Cancer, the number one killer. Man has gone to the moon and the History of the World is on the CHIP.
In closing, I want to say something about the lack of N.B. Labour Legislation to protect organized labour and those who wish to be unionized. No anti-scab legislation. Employers can hire scabs to take the jobs of workers on a legal strike. No legislation to settle first agreement disputes by arbitration. No legislation to keep the courts out of labour disputes. Workers on strike are prohibited in New Brunswick from passing out pamphlets of information at a place of business that is selling goods produced by scabs, where a legal strike is taking place. Lowest compensation payments in Canada to injured workers. Recently I watched Saint John lawyer Mr. David Brown on CPAC TV argue before the Supreme Court of Canada that the legislation in New Brunswick that prohibited strike workers from passing out information, by the way upheld by the Courts in this Province, was in Contravention of The Charter of Rights. Let me say here and now, that we do not need the advice of a Mr. Black or White, that Right-to-Work Labour Legislation be enacted in New Brunswick, this is 1999, not 1899.
I hope that you who graduate here today, will not become for some political party the "Spin Doctors of Tomorrow."
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