Dear Stephen Harper,
Tomorrow Canadian voices rejoice in song –
“Bye, bye Mr. Harper goodbye. With your psychopathic ways and your evil eye, if you had your way you’d bleed Canada dry. As a leader you don’t qualify, so Mr. Harper goodbye.”
Tag Archives: Stephen Harper
Secret Little Harper Scandal
Do the names Bruce Carson or the Canada School of Energy and Environment (CSEE) ring a bell? I’m guessing not.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper made convicted fraudster Bruce Carson a top adviser and point person on sensitive files including the oilsands and Afghanistan.
Stephen Harper is well acquainted with Carson, a man the RCMP describe as “one of the Prime Minister’s longest serving advisers”. From 2009 – 2011 Carson, Nigel Wright (Harper’s Chief of Staff who resigned in 2013 over the Mike Duffy Senate scandal) and a cluster of energy industry CEOs ran CSEE at the University of Calgary.
In 2007 the Conservative government budgeted $15 million tax payer dollars to the University of Calgary for creation of a university “think-tank” exploring smart energy research. University president Harvey Weingarten and climate change scientist David Keith had pitched the idea to Harper’s senior policy adviser Bruce Carson. (who happened to be on loan to Environment Canada, mending fences in the wake of Canada’s refusal to honour the Kyoto Protocol on climate change). Fast forward a year – Carson leaves the Prime Minister’s office for his new position at U of C, executive director of CSEE. Never mind his lack of energy or academic credentials, apparently a fruitless international recruitment search deemed Carson the best man for the job.
Immediately apparent was a “centre of excellence for Canada research, policy and advice”, supposedly focused on developing clean energy and protection of the environment, doing nothing of the sort. Carson steered CSEE away from clean energy research, setting the stage for what ” became a front for industry lobbying and government propaganda at taxpayers expense’. Clean energy research, replaced by flagrant partisan objectives to rid public perceptions of “dirty oil”.
Bruce Carson was known for referring to himself as the”mechanic”, a “political fixer who got things done in the corridors of power”. Stephen Harper wasn’t bothered by Carson’s criminal past, a good mechanic is worth their weight in gold. The Law Society of Upper Canada disbarred Carson in the 80s for defrauding clients of countless dollars. In 1990 Carson pleaded guilty to defrauding a car rental agency and bank out of thousands more dollars. Of note – 9 of the 15 million dollar federal operating grant for CSEE was allocated towards Carson’s salary, travel and operating expenses.
Carson’s latest criminal charge, “influence peddling” has gone to trial and is waiting judgement. Pull up your panties Canada, it’s about to get juicy.
Between 2010/11 Ottawa water filtration company H2O Pros wanted to sell filtration systems to First Nations people. (You know, those aboriginal communities who’ve had to boil drinking water for 17 years). For Carson’s assistance in the matter, a cut of H2O sales would go to Michelle McPherson, Carson’s 22 year old fiancee, a former “escort” worker 44 years younger than Carson. Carson who worked with Indian Affairs and Northern Development and co-chaired a task force on native land claims pleaded not guilty, electing for trial by judge not jury. Below, excerpts of Carson’s statements to RCMP following his arrest –
“There was nothing done here that was in my view untoward at all and to end up being in this situation where the time of a whole lot of people is being taken up because of this, I’m profoundly sorry, I am just sick over the whole thing,” he told two police interrogators in a meeting arranged by his lawyer McCann.
“I never thought when Michele mentioned this to me we would ever be in this kind of a situation,” said Carson, now unemployed. “The whole thing completely threw me.”
Michele McPherson: at age 22 she became Bruce Carson’s live-in girlfriend and business partner selling water filtration systems to First Nations reserves. The business collapsed when RCMP charged Carson with influence peddling.
Obvious doesn’t need to be beaten on the head – stop Stephen Harper. Read the full story written by Andrew Nikiforuk in The Tyee.
http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/10/05/Canada-Biggest-Unheard-Political-Scandal/
VOTE
Canada –
Spare the “I’m not voting because no candidate inspires me” and “I’m going to spoil my ballot in protest”. Stop professing your conscience, or state of apathetic delusion somehow justifies an act of superior fictional morality.
Look at the face of Stephen Harper, ask yourself if all the highfalutin excuses in the world are worth keeping this man in power.
Put aside the asinine notion that “not voting” somehow makes you a folk hero. Grow up Canada, this election determines the future of our once great nation. This man has done everything possible to keep young voters away from the polls, prove him wrong. Vote to stop Stephen Harper.
(This is not an endorsement for the Liberal Party of Canada, their logo just happened to be attached to the image I wanted – vote strategically and make it count. Anything to stop Harper)
Liberals Attacked in Ming Pao
Any who doubt how low the Conservative party of Canada will go – ponder Liberal attack ads placed in Ming Pao. Attack ads claiming a Liberal election victory would unleash legalized prostitution, complete with brothels in every neighborhood. Drug injection sites and the horror of legal marijuana sold to children.
Ming Pao is a Chinese language publication. According to a 2011 survey, this Hong Kong based “economic and political” publication is read by over 277,000 Vancouver citizens a day.
The fact Justin Trudeau, the Liberal party, nor a single Liberal candidate has ever expressed such nonsense, has apparently been deemed irrelevant with an election to win. Text below from a post by Larissa Cahute –
“Liberals want to legalize marijuana, would allow children easier access”
According to Liberal.ca, the party’s stance on marijuana is that it plans to “legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana,” which it also describes as a way to “ensure that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children.”
The platform goes on to state: “We will remove marijuana consumption and incidental possession from the Criminal Code, and create new, stronger laws to punish more severely those who provide it to minors, those who operate a motor vehicle while under its influence, and those who sell it outside of the new regulatory framework.”
So while the Liberals would like to legalize marijuana, they still plan to regulate and restrict its access, especially to minors.
“Liberals want to install illegal drug injection sites in your neighbourhoods.”
While we couldn’t find anything on Liberal.ca covering the party’s stance on safe injection sites, Justin Trudeau has previously said that, yes, he is in favour of safe injection sites — along with the New Democrats and a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that said Insite saves lives, according to an article published in the Globe and Mail in August 2015.
Located in Vancouver, Insite is the only legal supervised drug injection site in Canada where visitors can inject themselves with heroin, cocaine and morphine.
And according to an article published in The Georgia Straight earlier this year, Trudeau also addressed the topic during a visit to UBC in March:
“I disagree with loosening any of the prohibition on harder drugs,” Trudeau said. “I think that there is much that we can and should be doing around harm reduction. Insite is a great model of that, and I certainly want to see more safe injection sites opened around the country. And I am firm on the fact marijuana needs to be controlled and regulated and that prohibition isn’t working. But I’m not in favour of loosening restrictions on harder drugs.”
So while Trudeau doesn’t appear to have concrete plans to open another safe injection site “in your neighbourhoods,” he does openly support Insite.
The office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper weighed in on the ad Tuesday evening, saying “Justin refuses to acknowledge the damage that drugs do to families and communities. He wants to allow the sale of marijuana in corner stores and increase the number of heroin injection sites, dangerously misguided policies that would only make drugs more accessible to our children.”
“Liberals want to legalize prostitution, have them open brothels in your neighbourhoods.”
An email to The Province from a Tory representative defends this claim by referencing Trudeau’s vote against Bill C-36 (which criminalizes the purchasing of sex) in October 2014. However, we haven’t found anything on Liberal.ca that addresses opening “brothels in your neighbourhoods.”
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Below, English translation at CTV News site –
“Liberal Party wants to make marijuana a legal drug that can be easily accessible for our children,” reads a translation of the ad provided to CTV News. “Liberal Party wants to set up legal drug injection sites around your alley.”
“Liberal Party wants to legalize prostitution and allow it in your community. This message does not match our [Conservative] value.”
http://bc.ctvnews.ca/fact-or-fear-conservative-attack-ad-raising-eyebrows-in-vancouver-1.2610195
My head hurts. Please Canada – stop Stephen Harper.
Renounce Your Heritage
Since June of 2011, Nigerian born Ubaka Ogbogu has been an Assistant professor at University of Alberta in Edmonton. Cross-appointed to the Faculties of Law and Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. A member of the Faculty’s Health Law Institute, his interests center on science and health policy, bioethics and bio-medicine, health law, public health law, legal history of public health and health care in Canada and the law of medical malpractice and health care torts. Currently he’s researching the history of smallpox vaccination policy in nineteenth century Canada. Below – a link to his professional and academic credentials.
http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Ubaka-Ogbogu/895104311
Ubaka Ogbogu strikes me as a man we’re fortunate to have. Thoughtful, intelligent, engaged, ethical and forward thinking. Heck, he even has a poetry blog. A family man with two Canadian born children, Ogbogu clearly enriches our nation.
Ponder the knock on his front door a few days ago. Face to face with James Cumming (Conservative candidate in Ogbogu’s riding) a perfect opportunity to question Cumming on Conservative support for Bill C-24. Officially the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, C-24 would allow government to revoke Canadian citizenship from dual-citizens convicted of crimes such as terrorism. Cumming began by “reiterating speaking points”, Ogbogu tossed back a hypothetical “what if I was implicated in a serious crime, would my Canadian born daughters be sent back to Nigeria”. Allegedly, Cumming responded with candid advice, Ogbogu should “renounce his heritage”.
“Just to make sure I wasn’t crazy, I asked him … and he repeated himself,” Ogbogu said. “It was a moment of real honesty.”
“He then said to me if the law was a concern to me, I should renounce my heritage and I’ll be OK,” he said. “Those were his exact words.
“I was dumbfounded”
Ogbogu said he asked Cumming how long his ancestors had been in Canada. On learning Cumming was a second generation Canadian from Britain, Ogbogu replied, “how are we different?”.
Interviewed by Huffington Post on Wednesday, Cumming denied saying any such thing, issuing the following statement –
“The statements attributed to me are completely false.
I merely explained to the individual that Bill C-24 only allows for revocation of citizenship from individuals convicted of the most serious acts of disloyalty to Canada (terrorism, treason, spying, or taking up arms against Canada), and that unless he was planning on committing those acts, he had absolutely nothing to worry about.”
Now what? Do we take the word of a door knocking Conservative, the politician whose leader banks on “old stock Canadians”, or the immigrant law professor? Which one is most likely to misinterpret context? What chance is there Cumming knew he was speaking to a Law Professor? Why would Ogbogu ask Cumming to repeat his comment? Did Ogbogu seize an opportunity to falsify facts for personal gain, or did Cumming carelessly spill back-room party sentiment?
Many questions, only one answer – stop Harper and his army of Conservative dingbats before it’s too late.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/james-cumming-conservative-bill-c-24-1.3260212
Barbaric Cultural Practices Hotline
The moment core disgust for Stephen Harper simmered to a dull roar, the Barbaric Cultural Practices Hotline ambushed one of my last nerves.
On November 5, 2014 Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced the tabling of legislation aimed at strengthening Canadian law to ” prevent barbaric cultural practices from happening on Canadian soil.”
The Act would amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), the Civil Marriage Act and the Criminal Code. It would provide more protection and support for vulnerable immigrants—primarily women and girls—including:
- Creating a new inadmissibility under IRPA that would render permanent residents and temporary residents inadmissible if they practise polygamy in Canada;
- Strengthening Canadian marriage laws by amending the Civil Marriage Act to codify the existing legal requirements, at the national level, for “free and enlightened consent” and establishing a new national minimum age for marriage of 16;
- Helping to protect potential victims of early or forced marriages by creating a new specific court-ordered peace bond to be used where there are grounds to fear that a person would commit a forced or early marriage offence, including the mandatory surrendering of a passport to prevent a child from being taken out of the country to facilitate a forced marriage;
- Criminalizing certain conduct related to early and forced marriage ceremonies in the Criminal Code, including the act of removing a child from Canada for the purpose of such marriage;
- Limiting the defence of provocation so that it would not apply in so-called “honour” killings and many spousal homicides; and
- Including consequential amendments to the Prisons and Reformatories Act and the Youth Criminal Justice Act to include the aforementioned peace bond.
These changes build upon existing federal initiatives that are providing vital support, protection and services for newcomers to Canada, specifically women and girls.
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=900399
Fast forward 11 months to Harper’s election strategy. It seems “old stock Canadians” (term used by Harper when asked about his plan to reduce health benefits for immigrants) overwhelmingly support the Conservative ban on niqab at citizenship ceremonies. Be that fact or fiction, a perfect storm of anti-Islamic sentiment was brewing. On October 2, 2015, Harper seized Islamophobia by the horns – an RCMP tip line to report “Barbaric Cultural Practices Against Women and Girls” was official.From the official Conservative website –
- We will establish a new targeted program to prevent child and forced marriage in the world’s conflict zones, particularly among refugee girls who have been displaced by war and who are at risk of forced marriage. The program will cost $12 million over 4 years and the first year of funding will be targeted at preventing child and forced marriage among girls impacted by the conflict in Iraq and Syria.
- An RCMP tip line will be established that citizens and victims can call with information about incidents of barbaric cultural practices in Canada or to notify authorities that a child or woman is at risk of being victimized.
- RCMP integrated units will also be created in Canada’s major cities – including Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver – to enforce the changes made to Canadian laws under the Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act and to support victims. This is addition to a new $8 million commitment to establish integrated RCMP anti-human trafficking teams in those same cities[1].
- We will invest $20 million to renew the Human Trafficking Action Plan for an additional 5 years.
“The Conservative Government has been an international leader in bringing attention to the issues of child and forced marriage, and in combating barbaric cultural practices that violate the rights, health and security of girls and women.
Every year, 15 million girls are forced into marriage worldwide. Complications from childbirth are the leading cause of death among these child brides[2]. Physical abuse, sexual slavery, and so-called ‘honour’ killings are also carried out daily against girls and women around the world. A brutal practice carried out in some African and Middle Eastern countries is female genital mutilation, which has impacted more than 125 million girls and women alive today[3].
In the last year, the atrocities committed by ISIS against girls and women have also horrified the world. Girls who fall into the hands of ISIS are regularly raped and sold into sexual slavery. Media have recounted the harrowing stories of girls who have escaped from ISIS having been ‘sold’ in slave markets.”
The above website pushed my crock of shit meter into vomit inducing overdrive. Harper doesn’t loose a wink of sleep over the rights of women and children. Propaganda of fear seals votes, “barbaric culture” is another name for Islam. Remember Jamila Bibi Mr. Harper? The 63 year old Saskatoon woman you deported to Pakistan last year? You rejected her refugee claim, ignored her lawyer and thumbed your nose at an investigation by the UN Committee Against Torture. Bibi had ties to the community and followed the rules – you arrested and deported her five days later to face trumped up adultery charges. Her story linked below –
https://notestoponder.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/shame-on-you-canada/
Where is Harper’s concern for aboriginal women, or women and children of the Bountiful polygamist colony in British Columbia? Exactly what does Immigration Minister Chris Alexander mean by “we need to stand up for our values”? Conservatives don’t value marginalized women in Canada, they don’t value the plight of desperate women and children in Syrian families risking lives to escape tyranny in the Middle East.
The only thing Harper values is steely cold manipulative fear. Securing another term by any means necessary is not a Canadian value. Snap out of it Canada! We aren’t afraid of police officers in turbans, why the niqab? Don’t let Stephen Harper decimate true Canadian values. Remember Canada before Harper, have faith in a nation liberated from Stephen Harper’s racism and fear.
Ethical Harper?
I’m taking it upon myself to remind Canadian voters why we need to stop Stephen Harper. Lets call it a polite plea not to overlook Conservative shenanigans simply because they fade from media babble. Tonight I’m pondering Ethical Oil.
Early last year Canadian non-profit organization Ethical Oil filed a complaint with the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency). It seems Ethical Oil took exception to the activities of seven non-profit environmental organizations, claiming “political activities” exceeded the allowable parameters of charitable organizations. Within days, the David Suzuki Foundation, Tides Canada, West Coast Environmental Law, The Pembina Foundation, Environmental Defence, Equiterre, and the Ecology Action Centre were being audited by the CRA.
What the heck Ethical Oil, why are your panties bunched? Skipping over to Ethical Oil’s website deepens the mystery until a click on “about” reads –
Welcome!
“We at EthicalOil.org encourage people, businesses, and governments to choose Ethical Oil from Canada, its oil sands, and from other liberal democracies. Unlike Conflict Oil from some of the most politically oppressive and environmentally reckless regimes in the world, Ethical Oil is the “fair trade” choice in oil.
Countries that produce Ethical Oil uphold human rights and have high environmental standards. They ensure economic justice and promote peace. By contrast, Conflict Oil countries oppress their citizens and operate in secret with no accountability to voters, the press, or independent judiciaries.
Some Conflict Oil regimes even support terrorism.
Currently, we still require growing amounts of oil. Businesses, governments, and even YOU have a choice to make: Do we continue to buy Conflict Oil from politically oppressive and environmentally reckless regimes or do we support Ethical Oil that is discovered, produced, and transported responsibly from the Canadian oil sands?”
Oh shit, I’m starting to feel sick – who are these people? (Stay with me because this is good) Started by former staffer of Harper and previous employee of the AEI (American Enterprise Institute) Alykhan Velshi created Ethical Oil with founding directors Thomas Ross (senior partner in Alberta law firm specializing in tar sands) and Ezra Levant ( mouthpiece, author, journalist and former intern at right wing Fraser Institute and Charles Koch Foundation).
Ponder Velshi and the AEI website claim –
“many AEI scholars and fellows are or have been directly engaged in practical politics and policymaking as government officials, advisers or members of official commissions.”
Who is AEI, and why should we care about a right wing American think tank? In 2008 AEI offered $10,000 to scientists and economists willing to write studies criticizing the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Exxon-Mobil reportedly contributed $1.6 million in funding, former Exxon-Mobil CEO Lee Raymond was on their Board of Trustees, and David Koch is current co-chair of their National Council.
Back to Canada. In the 2008 federal budget, Harper ear marked $8 million to investigate –
“concerns raised that some charities may not be respecting the rules regarding political activities” and “the extent to which they may be funded by foreign sources.”
What the frack! Let me get this straight – AEI puppet Ethical Oil says jump and Harper asks how high, the CRA targets seven reputable environmental charities and Canadians are expected to politely accept them as “powerful outside interests manipulating our public debate around oil sands development.”
Canada, read the link below before casting a vote on October 19. We have to stop Stephen Harper.
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/02/24/Foreign-Interests-Canada/
Hidden Agenda
Conservative candidate Joe Daniel seeking re-election in the Toronto riding of Don Valley, fears Arab nations have a secret “agenda”. At a recent BBQ for Tory faithful, Daniel warned of a secret Muslim agenda to bring Muslim refugees to European nations, changing those countries in significant ways.
“So I think there is a different agenda going on in terms of these refugees,” Daniel says in the recording. “Whereas at the same time Saudi Arabia is putting up money for 200 mosques in Germany. So I think the agenda is to try and move as many Muslims into some of these European countries to change those countries in a major way.
“That is something I certainly don’t want to see happening in Canada.”
Holy crap Joe, now you have me pondering. You of all people, a immigrant from Tanzania should understand Canadian multiculturalism and inclusion. Is fear of a hidden Muslim agenda your brainchild or that of the Harper government? Do you speak for Harper’s vision of Canada, a “warrior nation” hell bent on striking fear, suspicion and racial profiling into the fabric of our country? Did you actually think intelligent Canadians would swallow your paranoid propaganda?
The truth is it doesn’t matter how Joe Daniel explains himself, Canada is over Stephen Harper. October 19, 2015 will go down in history as Harper’s strategic defeat, the election voters crossed party lines to achieve a common goal – stop Stephen Harper. If you live in Daniel’s riding of Don Valley, vote Liberal to ensure he doesn’t warm a Parliament seat. For other ridings, click the link below.
http://www.strategicvoting.ca/alldistricts.html
No Charge
A video all Canadians should ponder – stop Stephen Harper.
Vote
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper chose today to call a Federal election. On October 19, 2015 Canada votes for the first time since Bill C-23 (Harper’s reformed Fair Elections Act) became law. Before moving on, take a moment to read my post on the Act –
https://notestoponder.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/fair-elections-act/
Legislated restrictions banning Elections Canada from encouraging citizens to vote has me pondering – would a high voter turnout spell disaster for the Conservative party? Why did the Act abolish “vouching” for voters lacking proper identification? Could it be that Harper’s reign depends on the demographic responsible for his baffling success? Might Canada look a whole lot different if young or marginalized citizens bothered to vote?
The Fair Election Act is anything but. We can stop Harper, all Canada has to do is vote.
notestoponder 