Monthly Archives: February 2011

A Look at the Canadian Parliament in February 2011

Perhaps now would be a good time to do some evaluation of what the Canadian Parliament is all about.

We all know the concept that MPs are elected by the people of Canada to act on their behalf and to represent Canada to the world.

Is it working?

From my perspective as one of those people of Canada it is not.

We no longer have representation in Parliament, rather we have political parties which tell us what they will do for us and do not complete on those promises. One reason for this is that those parties respond to lobbyists and financial backers but not to the people.

We have a government now which is thinly disguised as Conservative, but is actually the Reform/Alliance coalition party and destruction is what they are doing to Canada and the Parliamentary structure. When Peter MacKay was elected leader of the Conservatives it was with the written agreement that he would not join with or amalgamate with the Reform/Alliance party, however he did so within months because the Reform/Alliance party needed a marketable name and he needed a cabinet seat. Talk to or read David Orchard on this subject, as he was the one who negotiated this agreement during that leadership convention.

This duplicity is still very much in evidence today, because it is the original foundation of the Reform party.
Lets look at the name Reform…Re…form.

What in their view has to be reformed?

The country? Yes
The concept of people having a say in government? Yes
Accountability to the people? Yes
Freedom without accountability for multinational and domestic corporations? Yes
Increased power to ministers (really the prime minister) to destroy what has been built up over the years? Yes
Destruction of any safeguards built into the system of government regardless of the wishes of the people? Yes
Change the Rule of Law? Yes
Build up police and military presence to achieve a police state? Yes
Removal of personal liberty to say and write the truth as seen? Yes
The ability to look after our own health using natural real foods and herbs? Yes
Acceptance and harmonization with anything American as we HAVE to join them and become part of them? Yes
Destruction of our rivers, lakes and the very lives of our indigenous people by mining and oil corporations, not only here but around the world. ( This has been going on for years so there is no change in policy here except the rate at which it is happening, and the deregulation of environmental concerns) Yes

Why does this all have to happen?

That is the question that can only really be answered by those who are doing it. However I think it is all to do with financial greed and power.

Perhaps the question should be more why are we allowing it to happen?

We no longer control our country, our destiny or our lives. Oh yes we can still go out and buy a new car, house, groceries etc., because the banks are manufacturing money out of nothing and allowing us the use of that money. But jobs are still shrinking, value for work done is not rewarded in any meaningful way, pride in country is at an all time low unless we win the world championship in something of course. What we will win a championship for is indifference to our country and our world. The security council fiasco showed that clearly.

It is a gloomy picture I paint, but as long as we are RULED, and allow ourselves to be RULED, by a man who is full of contempt, and I often think hatred, for anything Canadian we are faced with this gloom.

We have the power in this country to recover from almost anything except the destruction of our liberties. Our Parliament can be changed to represent the wishes of the people and thus free democracy can be returned to Canada. As long as we have an adversarial party system that allows hate and even fear mongering along with outright lies at election times and then allows it to become part of the process in the House of Commons we will not have any form of democracy, nor will we have people who want to take part in it. This apathy due to lack of real choice will complete the destruction of Canada as we know it.

Provided we have freedom to do so we can achieve anything.

Those very freedoms are under attack by the Reform/Alliance coalition party because these freedoms are so dangerous to them.

At the time of re-writing this (I originally did so about 6 months ago), there is a series of freedom movements going on in the middle east, peaceful and democratic in intent and where force has been used, as in Libya, it has been condemned by the world, which watches to see what will happen. This government is unable to respond in a positive way, because it does not know how to deal with people anywhere, only Israel, corporate lobbyists and their bosses.

There is a lesson here for the Canadian people who are tired of all this hypocrisy; we can take our country back if we want to. We can do it through the voting system or we can take to the streets. It is up to us to choose whilst we still can.

Respectfully

Jeremy Arney

Letter to Minister of Justice for Canada

I am tired of the antics of the Canadian Minister of Justice who seems to think that he is the only person in Canada who is interested in and working for the victims of violent crime. This is obviously not so and I decided to look at his crime bills, designed to fill the new prisons which his government is building, and his claim that he is protecting victims.  There is the premise which he doesn’t seem to grasp which is that there are no victims until the crime has been committed so in order to protect potential victims the crime must not happen.  That I believe is way to deep for this excuse for a Justice Minister to understand. It is also curiuos that he is getting so excited about crime when crime is diminishing in Canada inspite of him.

Here is the letter I wrote challenging him.

 

Rob Nicholson
Canadian Minister of Justice.
Ottawa.

Dear Minister,

I have watched you in amazement in committees and in the House demanding, posturing, spitting and exploding at the opposition parties and members of the House of Commons who were not instantly passing your Bills, which you claim are hard on criminals and helping victims; You are attacking and accusing the opposition of being soft on criminals, and uncaring about victims. It would make good theatre if it were not so out of place, misleading and factually untrue even in this current parliament, run by a government as arrogant, secretive, deceptive, divisive and dysfunctional as it is.

So I looked up all the bills you currently have before either house and there are 23 of them:
S-4, S-6, S-7, S-9, S-10, C4, C5, C16, C17, C21, C-22, C-23, C-23a, C-23b, C-30, C-39, C-48, C-50, C-51, C-53, C-54, C-59, and C-60. Of these 7 belong to the Minister of Public Safety but are in the same field as your bills.

I have attached a separate list in case you have forgotten some of the catchy, jingly names you have ascribed to these bills.

Bill S-7
(Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act)
gives victims the right to sue if they can wade through the complicated formula required to do so after the act itself.
Bill C-21
(Standing up for Victims of White Collar Crime Act)
Has provisions for restitution if there is any money recoverable.
Bill C-39
(Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act)
Gives victims the right to speak at parole hearings, is this really a benefit?

With the exception of Bill C-60 all the rest have absolutely nothing in them for victims, increased jail time maybe and less parole options for prisoners maybe, but for victims nothing at all.

Bill C-60
(Citizen’s Arrest and Self-defence Act)
finally allows an attacked person to protect their property and themselves without fear of being arrested and put in jail themselves for doing so. About time too.

So, Minister of Justice, I am calling your bullshit and bluster and asking you to tell me where these victims’ benefits are in these Bills which you demand be now passed through Parliament at breakneck speed even though you have been sitting on some of them for many moons, even years.

Jeremy Arney
CAP candidate for SGI in 2008

Bills before the Canadian Parliament from Justice and Public Safety that are supposed to protect victims.

S-2. An Act to amend the Criminal Code and other Acts
(Protecting Victims From Sex Offenders Act)

S-6. An Act to amend the Criminal Code and another Act
(Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act)

S-7. An Act to deter terrorism and to amend the State Immunity Act
(Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act)

S-9. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (auto theft and trafficking in property obtained by crime)
(Tackling Auto Theft and Property Crime Act)

S-10. An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts
(Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act)

C-4. An Act to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts
(Protecting the Public from Violent Young Offenders))

C -5 An Act to amend the International Transfer of Offenders Act
(Keeping Canadians Safe (International Transfer of Offenders) Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-16. An Act to amend the Criminal Code
(Ending House Arrest for Property and Other Serious Crimes by Serious and Violent Offenders Act)

C-17. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (investigative hearing and recognizance with conditions)
(Combating Terrorism Act)

C-21. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sentencing for fraud)
(Standing up for Victims of White Collar Crime Act)

C-22. An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service

C-23. An Act to amend the Criminal Records Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Eliminating Pardons for Serious Crimes Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-23A. An Act to amend the Criminal Records Act
(Limiting Pardons for Serious Crimes Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-23B. An Act to amend the Criminal Records Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Eliminating Pardons for Serious Crimes Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-30. An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-39. An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-48. An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to the National Defence Act
(Protecting Canadians by Ending Sentence Discounts for Multiple Murders Act)

C-50. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (interception of private communications and related warrants and orders)
(Improving Access to Investigative Tools for Serious Crimes Act)

C-51. An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act
(Investigative Powers for the 21st Century Act)

C-53. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mega-trials)
(Fair and Efficient Criminal Trials Act)

C-54. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sexual offences against children)
(Protecting Children from Sexual Predators Act)

C-59. An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Abolition of Early Parole Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-60. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen’s arrest and the defences of property and persons)
(Citizen’s Arrest and Self-defence Act)

Canada is loosing the Rule of Law

I have pointed out previously that one of the many dangers that Bill C-36 – now the misnamed Consumer Product Safety act – had hidden within it was the ability of a minister to avoid the courts by issuing “notices of violation” in a place of business with monetary sums attached rather than laying criminal or civil charges, and the only opportunity for objection was by review at a Ministerial review board.

Whilst both I and much more learned people such as Shawn Buckley, a constitutional lawyer, were ignored by all MPs and most of the Senators our fears that this would indeed be the beginning of change the rule of law in Canada are being borne out,

This is from the Canada Gazette, Part 1 of 29th January 2011 and clearly shows that the Minister of Transport is adopting the same process now it has been cleared by the House of Commons and the Senate as an “acceptable” means of avoiding the protection of the Canadian Courts in cases of suspected wrongdoing.

Highlighting in the main text is mine.

International Bridges and Tunnels Act.

Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations

(International Bridges and Tunnels)

Monetary penalties can only be applied to “designated provisions”

in the proposed Regulations. Where there has been a contravention

of such a provision, the Minister of Transport would

decide on the amount of the fine to be charged. Before sending a

formal notice of violation to the offender, the Minister may enter

into discussion with the individual or corporation to try to have

them comply with the provision. If this attempt is unsuccessful,

the Minister has the authority to issue a notice of violation, identifying

the violation and the monetary penalty. Details concerning

the timeframe for payment and how the payment can be made

would also be included. If the payment were made as specified,

there would be no further proceedings under the Act with respect

to that contravention. However, if the individual or corporation

objects to the notice of violation, they have the right to request a

review by the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada.

So I suppose my question is this:

Is this the way this dysfunctional Government will do away with the court system here in Canada and issue violations instead of arrests to violent criminals et al, which will lead to them filling their proposed super jails without the need to bother with courts? After all if the courts have not been involved in the process they can hardly be involved in any parole hearings can they?

Behind my supercilious question there lies a real worry that this government, to whom the people of Canada – their employers – mean absolutely nothing, really might be heading this way. Clearly the rule of law is under attack here in Canada as the Ministers of a dysfunctional government will soon be in charge of all “violations” and “penalties”.

One has only to observe the Minister of Justice to see that his blustering buffoonery when he is in the House, or at a parliamentary Committee, is just a façade to cover his removal of the rule of law and his rejection of the Canadian Bill of Rights, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and indeed our constitution. Not only that but he is telling us what a wonderful fellow he is to be doing it and wildly criticizing anyone who does not agree with him!

Is this what we want to leave for our children and grandchildren? I know I do not nor do I give my approval to what my employees are doing.

If you treated your employer this way how long would you have your job?

Please help me send them a clear message about this and speak up now.

Jeremy Arney

Indigenous peoples and this Canadian Government

It occurred to me the other day that the main reason for the long delay in this Canadian government signing the UN Declaration of Rights for Indigenous peoples could very well have been that they would have to recognise that the Palestinian people are indigenous to the area occupied by Israel.
Since this conservative government specifically have stated that no matter what Israel does they will support them, then obviously they cannot support the position of the Palestinians that they have some right to land in the area in which they have lived for thousands of years. Our own First Nations people know what that’s like.
It is also regrettable that this government refuses to recognise a legally and democratically elected government simply because they do not like the elected party and their opposition to Israel’s pugnacious and criminal attacks upon themselves. It shows that the belief in democracy in this Canadian government is dead because of their apparent hatred of Hamas. Why can they not see that Hamas is the choice of the Palestinians, and we should respect that. I certainly do. Lets face it the present government of Canada has a minority not only in the seats, but also in the volume of the votes cast, and actually has less right to rule that do Hamas. Do I like what they are doing? No. However under our system I and all Canadians are stuck with them.
In the debate in the House of Commons last night concerning the problems in Egypt, MP after MP stood to protect the rights of Israel to peace, and I could not but help wonder what they were thinking. This is not about Israel – probably second in terrorism and aggression only to the USA – anymore than the Gaza Strip (heaven help us if anyone mentioned that pathetic little besieged country) or Jordan or Iran; no, this is about Egypt and the Egyptian people and their wish for democracy. Let us hope they choose a much better model than we have here in Canada where democracy is as totally dysfunctional as is our government and so, by their constant devise actions, is our parliament and parliamentary system.
You know maybe the youth of Egypt are showing the youth of Canada something. The established Canadian government is not working for them, it is working for big business, so I say to our Canadian youth, take to the streets and take your country back. It will be yours soon anyway, but my advice would be to take it back now while there is still something Mr Harper hasn’t sold or given away.
Jeremy Arney