Pay Attention Canada

I noticed an important story in the Hill Times today, unfortunately ignored by most of the mainstream media, at least so far.

We remember Pat Stogran the veteran's ombudsman  who is being drummed out of his position by the Harper bullies for having the gall to actually do his job. To speak up, forcefully on behalf of veterans and to voice some of the concerns raised to him by those he considered his constituents and he brought to light the shoddy treatment many of them felt they were getting under the leadership Conservative government.

Harper loved the ready access the military provided for photo-ops and the like but when he was needed to provide support to people wounded or traumatized by Afghanistan little Stevie pulled the political equivalent of a "cut and run."

Real support is so much much more than a photo-op Stephen.

Perhaps the most telling thing he brought to light was when he confided that he was told by a senior civil servant   " … that it is in the government’s best interests to have soldiers killed overseas rather than wounded because the liability is shorter term.” The former senior military officer was shaken to the bone by the comment. “

Now Stogran has revealed that says he believes that the Veterans Affairs Department may have improperly accessed and shared his medical files and other information after he brought forward his concerns and was speaking out on behalf of  veterans.


Mr. Stogran said he first raised the issue after discovering there had been as many as 400 “improper inquiries” into his personal file at the Veterans Affairs Department. At first he didn't worry too much about thinking that people in the department were just curious about who he was but Mr. Stogran became more concerned when
another high-profile veteran, Sean Bruyea, told CP last week that  he obtained information that his personal information and medical files had been spread around within government and used in attempts to discredit him.  It was at that point that Stogran  became aware he may also have been a target. "It was apparent that more people had been in my file than had any business being in my file" Stogran said.

Doesn't this just piss you off? I hate where we seem to be going as a country. Our government is out of control and in the face of it all, Harper is up in the polls.

Give your head a shake Canada. Is this what you want.

Telling it Like it is

Tory Senator Nancy Ruth is getting a lot of flack these days and I am not sure it is warrented. She was just telling it like it is, a rare trait amoungst politicians.

A few days ago Ruth, a former United Church minister and lifelong activist, was speaking to a group on Parliament Hill that had gathered to discuss the declining importance women's right has within the Harper government's foreign policy. She was putting forth the argument that with this government at least, the more you push the more backlash there will be so, she was suggesting that the women’s groups just layoff the issue of including funding for abortion in Canada's G8 plan. She told them it would be best if they just "Shut the fuck up."


Her advice seemed to me to be strategic not philosophical. In other words, she was suggesting if you fight these guys and they will pay you back. Of course she is right. There is a mean spirit running through that gang in Ottawa who call themselves our government these days. The Harper gang are not the "Turn the other cheek" kind of religious zealots they come for the "Eye for an eye" camp.

So no surprise today when the news came out that the Conservatives thugs have cut funding to 14 women's groups in the last two weeks. As an example, MATCH Canada, a group which works to help women around the world have a say about their lives and their country, was told Friday that its federal funding, $400,000 a year will not be renewed.

What more can we say. This government has to go.