US-CA & Whistleblowing, Hansard - Border Insecurity: Gun Registry, MP's Kevin Sorenson and Richard Marceau

Border Insecurity

If there were effective whistleblowing legislation in Canada, former RCMP Cpl. Read and former Staff Sgt Stenhouse would still be working. The legislation would protect the whistleblower, instead of the government, which is the case with the legislation proposed in Canada.

Border Patrol Agrees to Reinstate Whistleblowers Jeff Johnson, CNSNews.com, May 4, 2002

WASHINGTON – Two Border Patrol agents disciplined for revealing weaknesses along the U.S.-Canada border after the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks have been vindicated in an independent investigation.

U.S. Special Counsel Elaine Kaplan found "reasonable grounds to believe" that actions taken and proposed against Border Patrol Agents Mark Hall and Robert Lindemann violated the Whistleblower Protection Act and the First Amendment. [. . . . ]

"The northern border," Hall told the newspaper, "has been basically abandoned by the government."

Now, read on and consider the Canadian government's reaction to information presented in the House of Commons by various MP's on the insecurity of the border -- from the Canadian standpoint.





Scrap the gun registry March 9, 2005

How is it that Canada has spent $1-billion on a gun registry, yet just suffered the most violent gun attack on the RCMP in 120 years? . . . .

The government has refused to talk about the registry's colossal failure in this case . . . . And now, after one of the worst acts of gun violence since the 1989 Montreal massacre of 14 women, the government hides behind -- what? Privacy considerations? Whose? The killer, Jim Roszko, is dead. His privacy rights in this matter have been extinguished.

Everything needs to be opened up. [. . . . ]

Search: $85-million




Mathematics 101 -- where a net decrease is an increase according to government math -- tailored for those with aspirations to become government stars -- perhaps Ministers of the Crown

Government Math 101 requires a certain je ne sais quoi -- the ability to keep a straight face, perhaps.

* The government mentions, ad nauseam, $8-billion dollars for security.

* It does not mention that that figure is spread over a five year period.

* It is now the second year and the most $$$ available is 40% of that, or $3.2-billion.

* Yet, Minister Cullen adds another $1-billion in his speech and the media dutifully report that figure. Did they check? Is it correct?

* Actually, much budget money is going toward the deferred maintenance and functional obsolescence of equipment that should have been replaced years ago.

If the government hired actual thinking, intuitive human beings for the border and other security services, how would the government be able to steer contracts toward its friends?

Remember Paul Champagne and his wife? Late of the Turks and Caicos? Ah, yes, that one. Take a little trip down memory lane.

Government sues former DND employee Aug 11 2004, CBC News

OTTAWA – A former Defence department employee and his wife are being sued by the government and Hewlett Packard Canada.

A statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court accuses Paul Champagne of using falsified invoices to steal more than $100 million from the government. Those invoices were tied to a contract between DND and Hewlett Packard Canada. [. . . . ]

Champagne and his wife are now living in the Turks and Caicos Islands. [. . . . ]

Our government's concept of security is not what you think!

To the government, security means speeding goods across the border. When the government mentions money for "security", that actually entails using the money for bridges, customs warehouses, and roads. Speedy movement of goods between Canada and the US is stretching the meaning of "security" a bit, is it not?

It is human beings with intuition buttressed by experience and knowledge that are necessary. How many human beings have been hired? Remember, it was Ahmed Ressam's perspiring when questioned, not a computer, that triggered an alert customs agent to check further.

There have been numerous reports on vehicles just zipping through the undermanned--or is it unmanned?--border posts.

Furthermore, have you seen a photo of the type of weapon pictured below in the mainstream media? -- the type of weapon Roszko used in murdering four RCMP officers. Since Canadians might question the utility of our gun registry, the mainstream media, conveniently, have neglected to post a photo of it. Our gun registry tracks the firearms of ordinary citizens -- farmers, duck hunters and target shooters, not this.




H&K, HK91, Caliber 308
Semi Automatic Assault Rifle
Cat.# ZZ10304...$2795


The government's assurances are bogus. Crooks and terrorists do not register guns; they do not play by any rules of polite society. Our government is "misspeaking" itself every time it assures us that our security is up to par. It is not; building infrastructure with money which should go for human beings with all that they can bring to security is just wrong. We have fewer RCMP officers now than we had 12 years ago. Why, Minister McLellan. Who benefits?






This is the type of illegal weapon--unregistered by criminal types--which our security services officers may face.


The following excerpt concerning the Canada-US border comes from a House of Commons exchange reported in Hansard March 23/2005 Question Period: Border Security, Sponsorship Program, Terrorism posted on Frost Hits the Rhubarb in the compilation Mar. 20 - 26, 05.

Border Security

Mr. Kevin Sorenson (Crowfoot, CPC): Mr. Speaker, in 2004 thousands of vehicles entered Canada without reporting to customs. In one three-week period, 17 vehicles blew through a major border crossing in Quebec. Quite obviously, law-abiding citizens were not behind the wheels of those vehicles.

Despite these statistics the Liberal government insists on shutting down border RCMP detachments in Quebec. My question is for the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Why?

Hon. Roy Cullen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Lib.): . . . this will improve and enhance the safety and security of Quebeckers and Canadians.

. . . . This is an operational decision of the RCMP. . . .

. . . . We are going to build capacity as we go forward.

Mr. Kevin Sorenson (Crowfoot, CPC): Mr. Speaker, concerned front line RCMP officers, in direct contradiction of the commissioner of the RCMP, insist that the closure of these detachments will result in more criminals crossing the border into Canada illegally.

Will the minister prevent the closure of the nine RCMP detachments along the U.S. border in Quebec as recommended by the justice committee and front line officers and allow the RCMP to simply do its job?

(1440)

Hon. Roy Cullen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the member opposite must have been at a different committee meeting than I was yesterday. The commissioner of the RCMP, Commissioner Zaccardelli, said very clearly that this consolidation of RCMP resources in the province of Quebec is going to increase the security and safety of Canadians and Quebeckers.

I should point out that the commissioner is obliged under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act for the effective and efficient enforcement of the laws and the administration of the force. This is an operational decision of the RCMP that will enhance the security of Quebeckers and Canadians.

[Translation]

Mr. Richard Marceau Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, BQ): Mr. Speaker, it is rather ironic to learn that the Canadian border has become a real sieve, as the Prime Minister is this very day meeting with presidents Bush and Fox and this matter will be at the heart of their discussions.

How will the Prime Minister be able to justify to his counterparts that the best decision to ensure a safe border is to cut manpower by closing down nine RCMP detachments?

Hon. Roy Cullen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have already said this on a number of occasions in this House.

[English]

This is not a reduction of the capability of the RCMP in Quebec. In fact, there is no reduction in the head count whatsoever. To put it in context, 71 million people were processed by the Canada Border Services Agency at land border ports of entry last year.

Since 9/11 this government has invested $9 billion for the security and safety of Canadians. As I said earlier, in budget 2005 close to half a billion dollars has been invested in the Canada Border Services Agency.

[Translation]

Mr. Richard Marceau Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, BQ): Mr. Speaker, not only have they closed down nine detachments, but the customs officers themselves are saying that they lack the resources to do their job and as a
result thousands of cars cross the border illegally and unquestioned.

How will the Prime Minister justify to his counterparts the contribution these decisions have made to turning the border into a veritable sieve?

Hon. Roy Cullen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Lib.): . . . a need to restructure and redeploy RCMP personnel in order to more effectively fulfill the RCMP's mandate as the federal law enforcement agency in that province. Resource allocation is an operational matter, and the commissioner needs to be able to deploy his available resources so as to fulfil the RCMP's mandate as effectively as possible.

---

Question:

Why do the media meekly print the government's line or pass on its press releases? My suspicion is that they are protecting the status quo. Remember, mainstream media, to placate the party in power and maintain their positions, must please the government -- so Canadians have news imbalance, omissions, bias, passing on government press releases without further investigation -- the usual inadequate journalism. For instance, those "scary" Western Conservatives might change the situation so . . . . . Memo to staff: demonize Conservatives as gun crazed, wild-eyed, Bible toting, anti-gun registry, pro law and order . . . . Must keep Libs in power. Must not look underneath anything. Must keep job. NJC