Trust in Government

Ask yourself. What do these two Guys Have in Common?

It gives us all a warm comfortable feeling when we can trust the government in power. A kind of secure feeling in the face of a world that too often seems like to be caught in a massive downward spiral.

I confess however, that it is becoming tougher and tougher to find that warm feeling these days. We are tested daily by more and more unlikely explanations from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet colleagues that truly test our ability to suspend our disbelief.

The list is so long it boggles our imagination,

•  the trough Tony Clement rolled for his constituents during the G8, 
• the untendered fighter jet contracts for aircraft that have become white elephants even before the first one comes off the production line,
• The in-out scandal
•  people concerned about our environment being compared to terrorists, 
• Citizens concerns about privacy being called supporters of child molesters,  
• A polling firm tied to the Cons called constituents in Liberal Irwin Cotler's Montreal riding their MP was about to or had resigned and that a by-election was imminent.
•  the supports of the gun registry being compared to Hitler. You know the list. I could go on and on. 

I never recall a government so arrogant.

Even hard line Conservatives are jumping ship.

It is reported in the Toronto Star that it has become so bad that a former Conservative member who was a director of Conservative electoral district association boards in the Ontario communities of Guelph and Kitchener-Center says he regrets every working for Harper’s Party.

Victor Pocaterra of, Kitchener says “They have gone against Canadian values and have made a joke out of our democracy.” He goes on to say “Canada is a great nation, built by a people who value hard work, taking responsibility for one’s actions and above all honesty. The government that sits in Ottawa values only power and cannibalizes its own in order to save face.

As someone who has seen what is talked about in the party, I can only say God help Canada in the next four years. Because it won’t be the country that veterans, like my grandfather fought so hard to protect.”

The last few days have revealed election fraud which Canada's former chief electoral officer says is unprecedented in the country's electoral history.

Elections Canada has traced fraudulent phone calls made during the federal election to an Edmonton company that worked for the Conservatives and for Harper.

During Question Period Monday, the Prime Minister claimed that he had no knowledge of any wrong-doing in the robocalls scandal, and challenged the opposition parties to prove his Conservatives were guilty. I wonder.

If he had his hands on all this, I am sure he would made sure there was a distance between him and who ever initiated the misleading calls in 40 closely contested ridings during the election. Like Tony Soprano, he wouldn't have to be specific. They boys knew what to do.

It is quite a stretch to imagine these that a control freak like Harper would not be aware of this stuff going on.  A massive campaign like this one is not the work of a couple of young over eager rogue part time workers. It smells like something much bigger. It is just how things look. If I am out on a limb here I apologize but let's wait to see what the RCMP have to say.

This contempt for the democratic process and for the people of Canada is too much for me to swallow and should be too much for most Canadians.

Let’s hope it it finally the beginning of the end.

Personal Tragedy Becomes a Contest

I always thought we Canadians lived within a caring society but the bottom line is that the fundamental responsibility for helping out the less fortunate and those in need lies within our social safety net. These days however we see the role of taking care of those less fortunate shift into the public forum. I can hardly buy groceries these days without being asked to donate a dollar for this and another for that. Since I shop every day it get a bit tedious but more than that it signals that the government isn't doing a very good job. Then I discovered that it was worse than I ever thought.

For a few Regina families real life took another step closer to the world reality entertainment this week as Rebuilding Dreams is pitting a group of families in desperate need, against each other, in an effort to "win" a house makeover.

In a move that I think is just about as crass as it comes, we are encouraged look on line and read about five families that are all facing very tough personal situations. Then we are asked to vote on line for the family that needs help the most. The last time I looked the Strong family was well into the lead which made me wonder how the Bridal or Nagy or any of the other families must feel.

All five families are facing a daunting struggle to survive within a social service system that is obviously very badly broken. We should be asking ourselves, even within what Brad Wall calls a boom economy, why do so many fall through the cracks.

I am intrigued as to why a community that elects right wing governments that barely maintain services, will support a contest where families have to "out tragedy" each other and ask you to donate on line. Surly, that is kind of like turning personal  hardship into a sport. The Romans were more civilized that that.

Facebook is all a Twitter.

The prize is a big one. The group says the family that "wins" will receive:

A brand new home customized to the family’s needs. The website says their home will be rebuilt and furnished for the family. This will be similar but not quite as extravagant as the popular television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Assuming there are lots of donations the prize pack could also include debt reduction for the family if the fundraising events are as successful as we anticipate.

The family that comes second may, if there is enough money donated, get some basic renovations that will help this family get by for awhile and provide for any of their urgent needs they may have.  

And if their fundraising far surpasses our expectations, the group says they will be providing a renovation package to a third family.

The group is hoping to raise $100,000. There is a very long way to go. So far they have raised $2,785.

Sponsors are lining up to provide goods and service to the family that wins. For example, Urban Sun provide the family with Tanning and Spa Services Package, Jump.ca is providing a couple of cel phones to the family and Group 5 Security will be providing secutity for the site during reconstruction.

It all just gives me a sick feeling in my stomach.

An Unprecedented Miscarrage of Justice

 
In an unprecedented miscarriage of justice the American government's trial against child soldier Omar Khadar started yesterday. The judge ruled yesterday that statements extracted from Khadar by the US military using torture will be allowed to be put into evidence. Khadar was 15 years old at the time.

Perhaps the Globe and Mail said it best in their editorial today. "It is difficult to imagine that a 15-year-old, handcuffed to a stretcher after surgery, bullet holes in his chest and his eyes full of shrapnel would feel anything but coerced during interrogation. Yet a U.S. military commission judge ruled yesterday that statements given eight years ago in those circumstances by the Canadian Omer Kader to U.S. authorities at a prison camp in Begram, Afghanistan, were reliable and not the product on coercion"

In her book Guantanamo's Child Michelle Sheppard reports that  he was bolted to the floor, hands and feet bound together. Left in that position for a long time, he eventually urinated on the floor. Guards poured pine oil on the puddle and then used Khadr as a mop. On more than one occasion, he was threatened with rape during interrogations

The very existence of  the Guantanamo prison, located on Cuban land occupied by the U.S. is a travesty in and of itself. Omar Khadar is the only remaining citizen of a western country held there whose government had not taken action to repatriate him.

Canadians should be outraged not only at the illegal actions of the U.S. government but at theshameful  inaction of our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.

Harper Supports Canadian Asbestos Sales Oversees

Sierra Club Canada is joining with the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Medical Association, the World Health Organization, other environmental and health organizations and many concerned Canadians in calling for an end to government funding of the asbestos lobby group the Chrysotile Institute. While Stephen Harper's government is cutting funds from women's groups and aboriginal healing programs, they will be providing $250,000.00 of taxpayers' money to fund an asbestos lobby group.

The use of most asbestos products is illegal in Canada. Canadian authorities say the product is simply too dangerous to our health for us to use. The material is still mined about 100 km south of Quebec City.

This Chrysotile Institute promotes asbestos in developing countries, telling them it can be safely used. Health authorities say the Institute's information is dangerous and false and will lead to an epidemic of asbestos disease and death in the developing world where it is sold.

Last week Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources and MP for the asbestos mining region of Québec, appeared before the Standing Committee on Natural Resources to defend the industry and the Conservative government decision to fund the lobby group.

Come on Harper, give your head a shake. This is all a bit beyond the pale isn't it. Will you go to any length to buy a few votes in this riding.

How Does She Read this Stuff with a Straight Face?

Stephen Harper usually doesn't have much truck with the Governor General presenting the speech from the throne. In fact, most of his government's Throne Speeches have been quite short. One was only seven minutes long. In a break from his tradition, yesterday's speech was described as being about the size of an Ottawa phone book which must have been a bit of an exaggeration but, it did run about an hour.

I listened to some of it yesterday. I can only stand to listen to so much bull in one sitting. I can't say that I was terribly impressed.

It made me wonder how long the bad taste will remain in the Governor General's mouth after having to participate in the charade. One of the toughest things about being the GG must be having to read that specious tome.

Some would say she deserves it after rubberstamping his prorogue request. Submitted by telephone no less.

The newspapers have analyzed the hell out of it so I won't bore you by going on and on about the speech but there were a few things worth mentioning.

First there was the observation by some commentators that Harper did less recalibration than he did regurgitation of policy and ideas. In typical fashion he rolled out some items in the speech that he has already rolled out two or three times before. The line was so good Iggy picked it up and used it in the Liberal release.

Then there was revelation made by several media outlets and by the Liberals that the thrust and title were stolen from a speech made by John Howard in Australia. It isn't the first time that Harper has been accused of swiping material from the Aussie PM. In 2003 he was accused of plagiarizing parts of a speech on Iraq. One of Harper's speechwriters resigned over it.

The Globe & Mail reports that Canada now ranks 25th on the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index. That is all a bit too distressing considering that in 2007 we were 18th and in 2006 we ranked 14th. Several groups have been quite vocal in accusing the Harper government pushing back gender equality but in this Throne Speech he shows us how he intends to make it right. The government is going to rewrite Oh Canada to make it gender neutral. The truly troubling thing is that many Canadians will buy into what Harper characterizes as progress.

Harper, never one to show any respect to people represented by trade unions announced yesterday that there will be a wage freeze on government workers' salaries. A legislated wage freeze flies in the face of the concept of free collective bargaining. It is one thing to say we will be going to the bargaining table with our employees' representatives and we will be holding the line on wage increases in these tough economic times. It is quite another to implement a government wide wage freeze. It shows a deep disrespect for the tradition of collective bargaining and laws of the land.

They will try to lower the bar when it comes to pensions in this country. Instead of moving to protect pensions this government will move to gut the pensions held by Federal government workers justifying it by saying that they are out of line and that Federal workers have to share in the pain. Anything to hold on to the votes of their grass roots members. It is shameless.

Now that the glow has come of our involvement in Afghanistan, even in the eyes of Harper's supporters the Government has cut funding military. Curiously, or perhaps just a smart strategic decision they didn't mention that in the Throne Speech at all.

Today we will hear about how Harper will pull us all out of this economic deficit we find ourselves in. Don't expect any mention of the fact that before any of the global economic down turn happened Canada was already in a structural deficit caused by Harper's rollback of the GST.

Fresh from all the free and fawning publicity given to Harper by CTV at the Olympics I am sure he thinks Canadians are ready to buy into his hocus pocus. I am not so sure. If these Olympics were the defining moment for Canadians that the media claims they were then perhaps we will stand up and say "Sorry Harper. Your definition of this country is quite different from mine." We can only hope.

Let's send this guy packing. We can't do it quickly enough for my liking.

This Torture Scandal Just Won't go Away

I thought for a while that I should just shut up about the torture scandal but, isn't that what the Harper government wants, for everyone to stop talking about it?

The latest of course is that former Canadian Ambassadors continue to add their names to a letter which criticizes the Harper government's shoddy treatment of a credible long time member of Canada's diplomatic service, Richard Colvin. By then end of the day it is expected that up to 50 of these retired diplomats will have signed the letter. Their action is unprecedented.

Today, Norman Spector, who was at some point Brian Mulroney's Chief of Staff, criticizes the former diplomats in a rather confusing piece in the Globe & Mail, saying that their letter is "a red herring" because at this point there are more Canadians that believe that Elvis is alive, than those who actually believe the Government on this matter. He says the ex-ambassadors really should be annoyed at that cocky, retired general Rick Hillier. He is the one who Spector says, trashed Colvin personally and "shredded" his testimony.

I am not sure Spector is right. That is not quite the way I remember things anyway.

• Hillier as, I recall, suggested that he had never seen the Colvin memos, questioned their accuracy and suggested that Colvin wasn't credible. Hillier came away from that testimony looking like retired army thug and Colvin, in my eyes anyway, wreaked credibility.
• Peter McKay, in an effort to discredit Colvin, as I recall, suggested that Colvin was getting his information from the Taliban instead of using credible sources.
• Some of the Conservative MP's on the committee aggressively questioned Colvin asking if he was sure about what he had said. Had he seen torture take place? Was he positive it had happened?
  

Colvin told the committee of MPs that many of the former prisoners were not Taliban but innocent farmers who just happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time. He testified that had talked to many former prisoners and that he had seen much physical evidence of torture after the fact.

The Tory MP's were inclined to believe that these former prisoners had acquired these wounds in circumstances which would be the equivalent of walking into a door, not at the hands their Afghan jailers.

The government's conduct in this matter is shameful. Can McKay survive? Will this hurt the Government come election time? Who knows.

The Canadian electorate has proven time after time that they have memories like goldfish. Perhaps that is what Harper is banking on.

So come election time keep your eye out for fireside Steve. You know, the "good" Stephen Harper. The one we only see after the writ is dropped. He'll tell you everything is fine. You'll probably believe him.

You Must be Joking Mr. Elliott

The Harper appointed RCMP Commissioner William Elliott asked us all a few days ago not to jump to conclusions about the actions of the officers the day Robert Dziekanski was tasered, and died. That is fair, and I like many Canadians have been trying to do just that.

What we have heard was that all four of the RCMP officers were afraid when Mr. Dziekanski grabbed the stapler. If that wasn't frightening enough, even worse, at least one of them testified that staples started coming out of that office implement of destruction.

I am not sure what happened in between the time that the four of them swaggered through the airport, loaded for bear, all decked out in bullet proof vests, batons, guns and tasers. There was so much testosterone in that group of four that I am sure if we looked at the video again, we'd see it dripping off them, onto the floor and leaving a trail behind them. So what happened between their arrival and the tasering that caused that sudden fear? Surly it would take more than one disoriented man with a stapler to signifigantly change the dynamics in the room.

So Mr. Elliott, I have thought about it. In fact I thought about it alot. I even went back and watched that awful video again but, to be honest, I still don't get it. Were they just lazy? Is it that it is just easier to taser someone than to try and talk someone down or, if things go wrong to try and wrestle someone to the ground, four on one?

We most likely won't ever know. To be frank, I don't have a great deal of faith in Government Inquiries so I don't have any hope that anything will come of it. Lets face it, there wouldn't even be an enquiry if the RCMP had their way. They assumed the "Deny, Deny, Deny" stance from the outset. If it wasn't for the fact that someone had a video camera and the foresight to record the actions of those officers that day, we probably would have forgotten poor Mr. Dziekanski by now.

So, I'm going to leave it to the court of public opinion to decide and frankly, I think the judge and jury within that process has already made a decision. Mr. Elliott's comments may play well within the RCMP but, to the Canadian public he just looks like another of Harper's hired fools.