Author Archives: iamjema

Whats up Stephen? I tried to warn you.

In the year 2008, at a town Hall meeting on Salt Spring Island during the federal election, I accused both the Conservatives and Liberals of being short sighted concerning the economic health of North America and posed the question to everyone there

What is your back up plan for when the economic crunch hits?

I was naturally laughed at, specially by Gary Lunn of the Reform/Alliance coalition, yet just a few months later after a huge panic , proroguing of parliament to maintain the government of apparently paralized non believers (or outright liars) , and a large budget that just could not have been produced in the time it took from denial to presentation in parliament, this government produced a direction with which I have never agreed.
They had an opportunity to change the face of Canada and reestablish Canada as a productive nation.
Since FTA and NAFTA we have been bleeding manufacturing companies, plants and jobs to Mexico, USA and of course Asia.
So here was a chance to spend money with two purposes instead of just one.
What we got was a huge spending spree largely in Conservative ridings or ridings they wanted to win, to fix up bridges, roads, arenas etc., none of which created long term full time jobs with benefits; in fact I would argue that very few new jobs were created through this program anyway. What we have had is an increase of part time, non-benefit jobs which are neither sustaining nor productive.
What we could have had as I even proposed during that election campaign of 2008, was to start production of such things as solar panels made in recently closed saw mills or pulp mills, or manufacturing pre cut log homes to export all over the world, instead of just exporting raw logs. Production of recycled wood, or even using pine beetle killed lumber to produce presto logs for burning in fire places – in fact now we in BC import presto logs from Washington State.

To give an example if I may, we have almost finished a $24 million overpass on the #17 highway here on Vancouver Island at the Victoria Airport exit. Apparently the business plan says it will pay $144 million over 20 years so it is a good business plan. My question was who will be making that $144 million, and it turns out that it is ICBC (Insurance Corporation of BC) who will benefit from the apparent lack of accidents cost. Well dear lord this was one of the safest intersections on the highway so surely a better business plan would have encouraged any of the other intersections to be replaced. I was unable to get from the Minister of Transport how many, if any, new jobs were created by this $24 million, bearing in mind that job creation was supposed to be the main reason for the spending of this stimulus money. I also got no answer about how many full time jobs would result after the completion of this job, so obviously it was an excuse to spend money in a weak riding of a junior minister of state

What has happened is that the government has turned its back on real production here in Canada; innovation and foresight are gone, to be replaced with the destruction of our ecology for the sake of oil, gas, gold and coal mines etc., The fracking process to extract gas is now established in the north east of BC with no regard for what it is doing to either the rivers lakes or streams or worse yet the aquifers which are all being contaminated by toxic waste water forced into the earth under extreme pressure. Nothing else matters but the ravaging of our country for the sake of exports of natural resources to both the USA and China. Unfortunately none of the companies involved in this exporting business are Canadian owned so we are actually not getting any real benefit from this raping of our earth, the destruction of aboriginal ways of life and the giving away of our commons.

I do believe that as long as we avoid the concept of producing real things here in Canada for consumption here and abroad, we will be a small bit player eating on the crumbs thrown our way by the real economies around the world.

I hear again and again from this government that we are through the recession which was not of our making, and that we didn’t bail out our banks – what? I make it a $75 billion bailout.

“The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced the Government will purchase up to an additional $50 billion of insured mortgage pools by the end of the fiscal year as part of its ongoing efforts to maintain the availability of longer-term credit in Canada.

This action will increase to $75 billion the maximum value of securities purchased through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) under this program. The Main Wire, November 12, 2008

and they were still trying at that time to say that there wasn’t a problem !

On top of that we were told by Harper:

At the height of the election campaign, Prime Minister Harper stated emphatically that: “this is not a bailout… it will cost the government nothing.” (CBC News, October 10, 2008).

So who paid for it Harper? Your fairy godmother?

Another lie is that we are the best in the G20 – oh come on get real here, how can we be the best if we don’t make anything, if we have a huge and growing unemployment problem, homeless everywhere, sick and mentally ill not getting any attention, and an alienation of our aboriginal peoples, a growing debt problem and reduced income levels due to huge tax cuts to high profit corporations?

This is the best in the G20? Who is kidding who here?

We are rapidly sinking into a “have not” country so that it will be easier for USA to swallow us up, just as Harper has wanted ever since he became prime minister.

At the same time as this money was being spent on ‘infrastructure’, we purchased:
Army trucks and rescue planes:
Our government is going to spend 274 million dollars buying 1,300 “heavily armoured” trucks (that’s $210,769 each – presumably US $ at that) for “domestic” use by the Canadian army from the USA, and then another 3 billion buying Italian planes, also to be made in the USA, to replace the aging fleet of Buffalo rescue planes on the west coast.   from my letter to the local paper editor.

As a result of that army trucks purchase from the USA, the International Harvester plant in Chatham laid off many workers which was of course a loss of jobs and tax revenue to both levels of government…Good job MacKay, trustworthy as ever I see, and how you could not see that coming is beyond me.

Navistar sent out 500 layoff notices to its Chatham workforce last week, with another 200 expected in the spring. thestar,com Wednesday Jan 14th 2009

For Air Sea Rescue planes, Viking Air of Calgary, Aberta and Sidney, BC, both in Conservative ridings. lost out to the US made Italian design even though they told MacKay they could do a better job ….didn’t cut any ice with him of course, and Canadian jobs were not a priority….!

We won’t even get into the costly new one engine stealth fighter from the US when the Russians have one every bit as good, ready now at less money one would have thought. Any way what are we doing putting our flyers at risk in the north with only one engine?

There is a sickness about this particular government that I find very hard to understand. The verbal stuff we hear from it is pro Canadian, and yet the practice is totally the opposite. Such is the control by the prime minister he might as well be the dictator he imagines himself to be. “I make the rules” does not fit with a democratic form of government and it bothers me that there are still some people in this country who cannot see what he us up to and actually support his desire to destroy Canada as we have known it.

It is obvious to me that as long as we reduce our income, and waste a fortune of public money on partisan advertising, very bad purchasing of material stuff, gross mismanagement of major portfolios, a dysfunctional government which has been challenged on parliamentary contempt more than any government on our history we will not be able to stand on our own feet much longer.

What have you done Stephen and is your mother proud of you?

Jeremy Arney

The Harper Government, how low can you go.

What follows is an angry comment on what is happening in our Canadian parliament to destroy Canada as we have known it and replace it with a corpocracy, controlled by some unknown forces outside our borders, and the latest attempt by our Prime Minister to undermine the Canadian Parliament.

I have said it before and I will say it again.

Our Canadian parliament is in a total shambles.

The prime minister of Canada is a heartless soulless metronome responding to the corporate interests of the world and not to the people who elected him in his riding, nor those who elected him to lead his party and therefore the country. His contempt for the people of Canada, their future, the country’s sovereignty, the parliament of Canada, and anything that is non Israelite is absolutely astounding. And WE put up with it.

We put up with it because we do not absolutely demand from our elected representatives that they speak and act for us and remove this megalomaniacal son of Alberta from office.

The right hand man to all this is not the government House leader John Baird because he is simply a thick skinned idiot who can stand in the House of Commons and repeat ridiculous statements and falsehoods without blinking an eye. Rather the right hand man is a bumbling, buffoon who miss represents the Law in his position as Minister of Justice, but who probably has to ask permission to fart in the night.

As the Minister of Justice it is his responsibility to ensure that the Canadian Bill of Rights is not trampled on by any Bill prior to it becoming law in Canada.
When the Minister of Justice allows a Bill (Bill C-36) to proceed that removes the courts of Canada from any position in a proceeding of wrongdoing except only for a JP to provide an e-warrant to allow a swat team to enter a home on the suspicion of a civil servant that there might be a violation taking place; and then there is no further action by the courts as from that point on any wrong doing is a “violation” subject only to the kangaroo review board set up by a minister in charge of the swat team, we know that is not in the best interest of the people of Canada and is therefore a violation of the Bill of Rights. This stupid hand maiden to the Prime Minister can argue all he wants that he doesn’t see anything wrong, but he is the same man who is proclaiming so loudly that he and his government are acting in the best interest of victims of crime, and has yet to actually say or show what he is in fact doing for those victims.

Having established his stupidity and treasonous action towards the people of Canada, this fool is allowing his party’s dictator, who thinks he is a king, to change the name of the Government of Canada to The Harper Government. Yes, in the past in both writings about governments and speaking about governments, all governments have been referred to as “Chretien”, “Mulroney” etc., governments which is simply a description of the government of the day. However never before has this been done on official government letter head without the permission of either the House of Commons,  the yes men controlled Senate,or the people of Canada whose government this is. It does not belong to Harper even though his mind might have difficulty realizing this; he is slimply a caretaker until he is fired just as he fires all whistleblowers and people who disagree with him..
Damn the man he is totally unacceptable.

If I receive any correspondence from this “Harper Government” it will be trashed as I do not recognize its legitimacy.

After a couple of days I thought over the above and thus:

After an initial reaction of anger and revulsion for such a treasonous act at a time of very opaque transparency, no openness at all and the spendthrift direction for everything not to Harpers liking I started to think this is actually funny. I mean really how can anyone take this fellow seriously?
Should we take him seriously anymore?
He is supposed to be a Prime Minister so what went wrong?

Let’s take the next steps:

Harper’s Taxes:
None for the corporations, increases only for the minimum wage milieu.
Harper’s crown:
Wild rose of Israel
Harper’s scepter:
A glass of water to ease his throat when he lies
Harper’s hairpiece:
Replaced by a crown
Harper’s court:
Yes men of the Privy Council:
Harper’s Jester:
John Baird and the cabinet
Harper’s money:
Doesn’t exist because he is overdrawn at the banks
Harper’s credit:
All the corporate directorships he is line for
Harper’s supporters,
Stupid and terrified of him it seems.

There could be many more and I invite you to come up with your own, but the point here is that like so many weak men with inferiority complexes before him he is suffering from delusions of grandeur. This state of mind I think is caused by the inability to understand that we are trying to move forward in this country, not backwards to some sort of medieval feudal system, and Harper is too mentally structured towards absolute control to change.

Harper is not king material nor for that matter, lord of the manor, squire, town mayor or store keeper material. He has shown he is just a homophobic, bigoted, red neck idiot who uses his religion as an excuse.

At a time when the world is watching people power removing dictators he is trying to assume the title of dictator here in Canada.
Can he really be so stupid or are we?

It is definitely time we thought seriously of taking to the streets all over the country and then getting rid of this mental case and consign him to feeding the pigs at a farm in southern Alberta.

My grandchildren wonder why I am so upset with our current crop of pathetic politicians, and I suppose this is a prime example. At a time when we need leadership we are getting petty partisan bullshit, and an implosion of Canadian values.

Jeremy Arney

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

Shelley Ann Clark a Canadian hero on FTA whistleblowing

Shelley Ann Clark

I was watching on CPAC yesterday a replay of a House of Commons committee meeting on Bill C-17 (Combating Terrorism Act) and the main witness of that meeting was the Minister of Justice, Nicholson.
As usual as I watched this pompous verbose buffoon of a bully, I wondered how anyone in their right mind could take him seriously. This in itself is a problem as he is the Attorney General of Canada, supposedly the keeper of the law in our country.
At one point he advised a member of the committee from the Liberal side whose question he had avoided as usual, “that if he listened to the answer he wouldn’t have to ask the question again!” He interrupted the questioner to say this, whilst he listened politely to Reform/Alliance coalition questions for which he thanked them as they were so supportive of him. (I actually lost count of the number of times he interrupted, overrode and spoke over the Liberal members of the committee, and fat out refused to give them an answer). Then he repeated his call for all opposition members to support him because what he wanted to do was right and the only way. We are really supposed to take this man seriously?
This Bill C-17 is to do with bringing back part of the Criminal Code that was introduced in response to a UN request after 9-11 and sunsetted back in 2007. Now suddenly nearly 4 years later it is a panic. Funny how all the crime bills Nicholson brings forward are a panic isn’t it? Must be something to do with empty jails and falling crime rate so he has to fill the jails whilst there is still crime !
Nicholson seems to believe he is above the law and that the Canadian Bill of Rights does not apply to anything he or his department looks at. I still maintain that what was Bill C-36 and is now the Consumer Product Safety Act is so against the Bill of Rights, that if I had the money I would be challenging it myself.

So what does this have to do with Shelley Ann Clark?

Shelley Ann Clark is one brave woman who was right there and tells the story of whistleblowing about the two versions of Mulroney’s FTA deal, about keeping the provincial premiers out of the real loop and the total give away of Canadian Sovereignty by Mulroney. There was a real version and another for Canadian consumption and the efforts Mulroney went to keep the real version away from Canadians is extraordinary. After years of persecution, including being poisoned by an ambassador in Europe it would appear, and being refused access to a Canadian or US doctor by that same ambassador, loosing her home, car and position illegally before being hired back at entrance level work and pay, Shelley Ann Clark had what was supposed to be a fair hearing before the Human Rights Tribunal and got royalty shafted in that she could not even call any witnesses, nor get permission to have an affidavit from someone out of the country admissible.
If the Human Rights Tribunal is so unjust what is happening there and why? The Ottawa Citizen had a piece http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Human%2BRights%2BTribunal%2Bturmoil%2Bunion/4060837/story.html
by Katherine May on Jan 5th 2011 in which she documents the employees of the Tribunal leaving in droves completely disgusted with the attitude of the Tribunal towards its own mandate and employees, and even more damning, unable to get satisfaction of their own problems. Nicholson’s response was to send the problem to another totally dysfunctional body called the Privy Council Office, otherwise known as Harper’s toy. Nothing has happened yet to solve the problem and Canada’s protector of the Bill of Rights and Freedoms simply passed the buck upwards to Harper. Surprise !

Shelley Ann Clark has been treated as if she was a traitor, when the real traitors are those who make a mockery of our Canadian Parliament and its checks and balances and have made the committees in both Houses of Parliament totally dysfunctional. They work for us and we allow them to do this to us!

Meanwhile we are being subjected to complete imprisonment by the USA in this stupid perimeter deal to be signed this month, again in secrecy, without the approval of parliament or the Canadian people, because that’s Harper’s Way. Open, transparent government? Not from this Prime Minister because he knows that 90% of his decisions would not be approved if the Canadian people knew what he was really doing to them and our Country.

Whilst Mulroney was trying to give Canada away to Reagan, I remember hearing John Turner saying: “We must never give up on Canada, never, never, never.”
Well Mulroney gave away the first piece and Harper is trying to finish the job by surrendering our borders to the USA and our remaining businesses to The European Union through CETA. What is with these Conservatives even if it is not the same party any more?
What are we doing about it? Eating more toxic food, drinking more toxic sodas, taking more drugs and allowing ourselves to be traded off for a silver piece or two.

Will we wake up and say, “never, never, never” before it really is too late?

Jeremy Arney

Shell Ann Clarks web site:  THE SWORD – THE FIGHT FOR CANADA,  http://shelleyannclark.wordpress.com/

Is it truth as one man sees it or just his opinion presented as the truth?

Sometimes there are editorials or journalistic pieces that grate on my nerves because they give the impression of stating as fact the writer’s opinion of what has, is or will happen. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and that I will never deny, but to state that that opinion is the only one and the ultimate truth is as misleading as FOX news.

In the January 19th edition of the Peninsula News, under the heading of “Recall desends into ugly farce” Tom Fletcher of the Black Press group wrote just such an article prompting this response from me.  Way too long to be published I am sure but I had to say it.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/peninsulanewsreview/opinion/114133009.html

*********

I really must protest that you are publishing such biased drivel as written by Tom Fletcher for your January 19th Edition under the heading of: “Recall descends into ugly farce.”.
It is of course perfectly OK for Fletcher to have his opinion on any matter, even if it is unbalanced in anyone else view, it is still his opinion.  Would you have anyone on staff who has the opposite view to balance this out?  It is also regretful that such pieces are written as if they are the only truth instead of one reporter’s opinion and version of perceived “facts”.
 
Fletcher’s view of the recall of Ida Chong seems to be that of any good party membership paying B C Liberal supporter who believes that no cabinet minister or MLA is to blame for anything specially the HST because, after all, it is only the people who object to it, and we all know the people do not matter in BC.   If the people should get mad enough to object and say, “wait a minute here” , then it is up to the Fletchers of the BC media to try to put out that fire. 
Ida Chong is a good MLA?
Has everyone forgotten her role in the Coleman donation of crown lands  to Western Forest Products and the re-zoning of them?  Who held that up until it was too late?   Is that what makes a good MLA or is it what makes a good servant to the Premier?  How does she, as a local resident, really justify claiming more for her meals than many people make in a year here in BC?   This is not only about the HST this is about people’s dissatisfaction with their elected employees.
I do not approve of hate mail in any form but, contempt breeds contempt so that such action could easily be a result of extreme frustration; in today’s manipulative world it could also be the action of paid party puppets. It is to be regretted that Graig James has been subjected to this, but perhaps this “mild-mannered legislature clerk” should have also abided by the rules and forced Campbell to act under the law of BC and recall the legislature to appoint a new Chief Electoral Officer instead of leaving him, James, holding the bag. Whole thing stinks of manipulation to me.
Then come the Tea Party type attacks.
Hysterical complaints against Vander Zalm and Delaney about Big Corporate Media and about “the Fight HST clown car of conspiracy theories”:
Europe taking over Canada? when the proof of CETA, as much as we know about it, is there to be read by anyone who can read. If European companies do not have a say in local Camnadian purchasing even at the municipal or school board levels, including the right to bid to control our local water supply, then “no deal” by Europe.  Looks more like another Harper give away to me than a conspiracy theory.
World government? If its for the people and by the people  I have no problem. If it’s corporate world government then I do have a problem as the world would then be run by the bottom line, with people as pawns and totaly expendable.
 
Read the reports Fletcher before you label these as a conspiracy theory.
 
As far as BC Hydro is concerned Fletcher obviously has not examined the finances of BC Hydro or he could tell they are very nearly broke by the ridiculous costs and policies loaded onto them by Campbell.  If there is an economist of any note at the Black organisation let him refute the figures. Google “Face to Face with Jack Etkin and Eric Anderson”.  Go on line amd look at the annual reports. How does Fletcher explain the constant rise in hydro costs occurring in every household in BC?  How much has it gone up in the last 6 months and how much will it go up in the next 6 months?  It has nothing to do with supply, it is all to do with debt incurred by Campbell dictate through the ROR projects and exhorbitant prices paid for unused power from them. I would be careful what you say about Rafe Mair,  Fletcher, he IS a real BC supporter and I have never heard him talk of Campbell damming the Fraser River.  Chuck Strahl of the federal government has the power through the Navigable Waters Act to make that happen, not Campbell.
 
It seems to me that Fletcher, who has the pulpit to preach from, is one of those who believes that Campbell is a god and we are sooo lucky to have had him to ruin our Province for us.  Sugar coat the facts as much as you wish but our economic deficit position, outsourcing to relieve the province of income through profits (or less costs because no profit has to be made), unemployment, closing of businesses of real size, child poverty, First Nations relations in a shambles, homelessness, health care creaking, seniors in financial and health trouble, education under funded, foreign owned fish farms destroying wild salmon stocks, forests being cut to export raw logs as we no longer have the ability to process them here in BC, a Green Plan which includes drilling for oil and gas off our coast inspite of the fault lines here and the constant seismic activity in the whole area, destruction of the water sheds in NE BC by the hydraulic fracking process, out of control mining for coal, gold and copper and the resulting toxic water from them too, environmental policy in a shambles or even non existent now , and finally the growing mistrust of the people of BC towards their MLA employees in Victoria.  Does this indicate a healthy province left by a god?
 
I am an old man who tries to speak up for my grandchildren as I really fear for what we are leaving them, not only on the planet, but also in the way we treat each other.  What we are getting from all our elected employees is lies, hateful and vitriolic talk and this example is spreading outwards to encompass way too many of us causing distrust, fear and even hatred of our fellow man.
Where is your hope for the future Fletcher?
 
Jeremy Arney

Health Canada about Marigold Natural Pharmacy

 

On 14th June 2010, Health Canada, RCMP and the BC College of Pharmacists attacked Marigold Natural Compounding Pharmacy of Courtney BC, arriving with a UHaul type Van and just removed anything they wanted and closed down the pharmacy.  The BC college of pharmacists apparenly has control over the compounding side of the pharmacy.

Thus I was prompted to write this letter to see what proof Health Canada had obtained to justify their invasion, and in essence destruction, of a legitimate business concerned with wellness.

 

Ms. Glenda Yeates,
Deputy Minister of Health,
Health Canada.
 
I am writing to ask for some information about Marigold Natural Pharmacy of Courtney BC. I have tried phoning several times and get shunted from one extension to another until I eventually get a voice mail. I have left messages but not surprisingly I have not receiving a call back.

 

This is from your release of 23rd  July  2010
The issue
Unauthorized health products manufactured and sold by Marigold Natural Pharmacy Ltd. may pose a risk to health and safety of Canadians. These products were made available to Canadians via the company’s pharmacy in Courtenay, British Columbia and via their  website. Marigold Natural Pharmacy Ltd. is not authorized to manufacture, package, label or import any drugs or natural health products in Canada.
A number of the unauthorized products (listed below) pose specific risks to the health and safety of Canadians: one unauthorized health product indicates that it contains Kava Kava. Kava Kava products contain kava lactones which have been associated with severe liver damage. In addition, two unauthorized health products indicate that they contain ingredients that legally require that they be sold with a prescription because they are used to treat serious diseases or may have side effects that require monitoring by a health care practitioner.
What Health Canada is doing
Health Canada has taken steps to mitigate the risk posed by these products and will continue to monitor Marigold Natural Pharmacy Ltd. Should Health Canada become aware that the company is continuing to sell unauthorized health products that may pose a risk to the health and safety of Canadians, Health Canada will take immediate and appropriate action.
 
My questions about all this now you have had almost 6 months to examine what has been done are these:
Exactly how many customers of Marigold Natural Pharmacy have been damaged in any way by the products they purchased from the compounding side of the business?

You claim that one health product contains Kava Kava, which MAY cause severe liver damage.   How many of Marigolds clients have actually suffered with this damage as a result of Marigolds products?

How many of Marigolds concoctions do you have sitting on a shelf somewhere waiting for a DIN # which you have no intention of supplying?

How can a company get authorization when you will not even look at the products?
Do you have any proof that Marigold deliberately set out to hurt anyone?

Do you accept and agree that Marigold’s business should rely on the permission of the BC College of Pharmacists whose training in natural remedies is nil?

Do you accept that an immediate health problem can ONLY be treated by dangerous and toxic drugs with the possibility of multiple side effects or death and to which you have given your approval, rather than being allowed to be treated with a mixture of natural products created with knowledge, loving care and real wellness in mind?

How can you allow such toxic unproven and untested vaccines such as Gardasil and H1N1 to be administered to the people of Canada when you know very well that they both have side effects and even deaths related directly to them, and yet you ban natural products which you think may perhaps cause some damage? 

Are you really interested in the health of Canadians or the wealth of the Pharmaceutical companies?

This is also from your web site:
Health Canada is the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, while respecting individual choices and circumstances.

How can you claim this to be your role when you are doing the exact opposite??

Health Canada is part of the Ministry of Health which is a Federal Ministry of the Government of Canada. The Government of Canada is employed by and elected by the people of Canada, as is the opposition.  The purpose of the government of Canada is to serve the people of Canada and act in the best interests of their employers, those same  people of Canada.
When Health Canada acts in the interests of the pharmaceutical companies rather than the interests of the people of Canada, then they are betraying the people of Canada.
If that is allowed to continue then are not both the Minister of Health, the Cabinet and Prime  Minister equally responsible for that betrayal?

I await you answers to my questions with interest.
Jeremy Arney

My address to CRD of Victoria BC on Tanning Bed Bylaw

Chair, vice chair, board members, thank you for hearing me today on the tanning regulations bylaw 3711, and I also wish to acknowledge the Songhees people on whose traditional territory we are today.

 

My name is Jeremy Arney and I live in Central Saanich.

 

Whilst I accept that there are some who seem to think that tanning in any form is not good, I would ask them if they also think that Vitamin D is unnecessary or are they willing to get it only in supplement form from a drug company, because there are no natural food products that have been approved by Health Canada to supply everyone’s need for Vitamin D.

I am an ugly enough old man who has been using tanning beds for over 30 years to help with SADS, I do not have skin cancer and I am told I do not look 70 years old.  I do not get sick with colds, flu or any such things as my immune system is just fine thank you,

because Vitamin D is one of the most powerful immune system builders we have available, and naturally created by a reaction from UV rays….

The Cancer Society is a bit confused about this, even though there does not appear to have been any real update in their position since 2007, according to their website. On the one hand they say that UV rays might cause skin cancer and premature aging appearance, on the other they are admitting that it is necessary for the human body to have Vitamin D because, to quote the site ‘it has proven to be effective in fighting cancer”. In fact what they are not saying is that Vitamin D is a fantastic immune builder and as such is not good for their business of being a money collector for Big Pharma.

However, I am more interested in another subject arising directly from this proposed bylaw and that is the ability of the present young generation to make choices for themselves, with or without parental help, as opposed to being directed and controlled by the state.

One young woman wrote to the local excuse for a daily paper recounting that she, along with some of her friends, had appeared at CRD hearings in support of this bylaw and I believe she was the young woman who told me at the last meeting of this board that she did not feel able to make decisions for herself. I suggest that that very decision and the actions she has already taken to speak her mind refute that, and it is an interesting way to avoid peer pressure. A powerful decision for any young person I would suggest. What I regret is that she is wanting the tanning decision to be made for her, when there are decisions that really should be being made on her behalf but are not, such as eating at fast food places like MacDonalds, where the food is of no nutritional value and has been shown to cause obesity and irrational behavior changes in both young and old wherever they have set up businesses in the world. By the same token the vaccination of Gardasil with the vague promise of cervical cancer prevention 25 years down the road of her life is not proven and not a good bet when compared with the side affects and deaths already shown to have occurred in young girls after being vaccinated.  Nor was she being protected from the recent untested, unproven H1N1 vaccination against a fake swine flu pandemic.  By surrendering her ability to choose for herself, she is allowing herself to be a guinea pig for the same pharmaceutical companies that produce Vitamin D drugs which cannot compare with the real thing. 

 

Come on Emily you are worth so much more than that. If you want parental control or teacher guidance for your actions that’s OK ask for it, but please do not surrender your freedoms to the state.

 

This is where I am concerned. 

Are we not teaching our children to make decisions for themselves any more?  Do we have to think for them now?  Driving is OK at 16 (making multiple choices per mile), but to tan or not is a choice they can’t make?  I am convinced young people like Emily can and do make choices for themselves every day, and we should be encouraging that not stopping or controlling it.

There is another woman who is, I am sure, here today who told me she would like to see no one be allowed to make any choices until they are 30, which presumably includes driving, enlisting in the armed forces, police, fire fighting or ambulance services or even what career to pursue as well as voting, smoking, drinking and not getting married until 30.  That last one might be a good thing.

To quote from her letter to the TC: “our chief medical health officer tells us indoor tanning is like sunbathing without protection at the equator”.  I gather he has never been in a tanning bed nor to the equator.

 

Both these women state that tanning is a known carcinogen but fail to also mention that they are free to eat French fries and drink beer which are perhaps 100 times worse, and cause a secondary effect of obesity.

 

One of our problems today I think is to admit that others have opinions which may differ from our own but have equal value in the scheme of things. If we are not willing to listen and learn then what message are we sending to today’s young people? They will soon be running the world and I would rather they were used to making decisions based on all the known facts and asking for help, and not just based on fear, dogma, corporate control or indifference to others’ opinions.

 

In conclusion I would say that the concern I have with this bylaw is that it is a red herring to hide too many of our real unaddressed health problems, and I would like to see those problems addressed with the same thoroughness and passion as this particular bylaw, which reminds me of Bill C-36 now the Canadian Consumer Product Safety Act  –  an unnecessary  and  misnamed act which only deprives Canada of her sovereignty in making laws and regulations, and Canadians of their rights, freedoms, rule of law and the ability to use the courts for protection against unwarranted invasion of their homes and privacy, whilst doing absolutely nothing new about consumer product safety.

 

Please, let’s not emulate a dysfunctional federal government, but instead make sensible rules with understanding and compassion which fit the peoples’ educated choices.

Thank you.