RCMP Fundraiser, Policing-Retirements-Jails, Gomery, CPAC, Fifth Estate, UN - Frechette, TO's Ford-Sister Shot, Face Time-PM, McKenna-Security & More

Maintain The Right Wristband fundraiser

Wristbands honour Mounties -- help families of slain mounties Chris Gerritsen, Calgary Sun, Mar. 31, 05

Last week, TD Canada Trust teamed up with Alberta radio stations in the Newcap Broadcasting group to launch the Maintain The Right Wristband fundraiser.
Wristbands are black, with the RCMP's motto, Maintain The Right, impressed in bold letters. They are available at any Calgary TD Canada Trust location for two dollars apiece.

The campaign aims to increase both awareness and money for the RCMP K Division Slain Peace Officers Fund to help families of RCMP officers who lose their lives in the line of duty. [. . . . ]

It looks as though you need to be able to go to the bank for this. Perhaps an online address would be helpful.




Cops bowing out -- Homicide detectives, Mark Mendelson and Det. Sgt. Mike Davis March 31, 2005, Joe Warmington, Toronto Sun

[. . . . ] "Over the years I've seen the value of human life drop dramatically. People kill for no reason now. You try to make sense of it but you can't."

Mendelson says he's not sure if there is a solution but "I don't know if the court deterrent is where it needs to be -- two or three years for manslaughter is not a huge price to pay considering somebody died."

Perhaps the feds should be the first client [. . . . ]

Update: UN -- Nair, Sevan, Frechette

Dileep Nair, Inspector General for U.N. cites how oil probe blocked Betsy Pisik, Mar. 31, 05

[. . . . ] "I was blocked by the deputy secretary-general from putting my reports into the Security Council," said Mr. Nair, who himself is being criticized by investigators for his handling of the oil-for-food account.

"I wanted to put my reports to the Security Council so it will get visibility and accountability," Mr. Nair said. "But Benon [Sevan] turned it down. And Louise Frechette said no, I shouldn't do it." Mr. Sevan is the former administrator of the oil-for-food program. [. . . . ]

Search: did not recall, reports to


UN scandal inquiry has Frechette questions March 31, 2005, Greg Weston, Sun Ottawa Bureau

[. . . . ] Finally in frustration, the chief spending watchdog announced in late 2000 that future audits would be sent over Sevan's head, directly to the UN Security Council.

This time, it was Frechette who intervened. The Volcker inquiry reports that Frechette personally telephoned the head of audits, "denying this proposal."

"(The auditor) then abandoned the effort to report directly to the Security Council on (oil-for-food) related matters." [. . . . ]

Search: Reid Morden




Gomery Inquiry

Guite a regular guest at corel box Gomery inquiry Hubert Bauch, March 31, 2005, CanWest News Service

[. . . . ] Ms. Cumming said she was unaware that a loge at Ottawa's Corel Centre rented in the company's name and used to woo clients for the firm was paid for by the federal government for two years. The loge cost the government $130,000 in rent and thousands more for catering costs, all the money coming from the sponsorship program.

Ms. Cumming said she saw nothing wrong with the fact that Mr. Guite was a regular guest at the box, even though it is illegal for public servants to accept such favours.

[. . . . ] What she did find unusual is that her boss, agency owner Gilles-Andre Gosselin, did not tell her the rate at which he was billing the government for her work on projects, something that was done at other firms where she has worked.

Note that the luxury box was at the Corel Center in Ottawa not in Quebec where the excuse was national unity. A luxury box in Ottawa paid unknowingly by taxpayers had zip all to do with national unity. Also notice not leaving a paper trail comment at the Inquiry and the shredding of evidence on the oil for food program at the UN were similar -- getting rid of evidence.





Wendy Cumming, an executive at Gosselin didn't know how she was paid, although she knew at her previous employer's. At Gosselin she knew nothing?

Ad executive [Gilles-André Gosselin ]denies engaging in contract 'payola' CBC News, 30 Mar 2005

[. . . . ] The inquiry also heard that Gosselin Communications was charging commission fees of 25 per cent for securing sponsorship money for the Canadian Tourism Association. The firm would then charge the government another 12 per cent fee if it managed the sponsorship project.

[Wendy ] Cumming said she saw no clear conflict of interest in this.
Cumming admitted the firm overbilled for work on a sponsorship project for the Ottawa Senators. The firm charged the Public Works Department for more than 126 hours work, while Cumming said she spent no more than 35 hours on that project. [. . . . ]

Search: donate to the Liberals, "Jean-Marc Bard, the right-hand man of then public works minister Alfonso Gagliano", relationship building




INDEPTH: Sponsorship Scandal

Gomery Inquiry: Public paid exec to watch games -- Gomery inquiry Andy Riga, Mar. 30, 05, CanWest

MONTREAL - Sitting in a private box in Ottawa's Corel Centre, Mario Parent watched dozens of Ottawa Senators hockey games, three days of circus performances, Neil Diamond in concert, and professional wrestling.

Taxpayers didn't know it but they were footing the bill for Parent's time -- 414 hours at $150 per hour, for a grand total of $62,100 in 1998 and 1999, with the money coming from the federal sponsorship program, the Gomery commission heard Tuesday. [. . . . ]

Search: $133,000, catering costs, $600,000, lists, hide the fact, former federal Liberal ministers Don Boudria and Alfonso Gagliano, former Liberal minister Denis Coderre, temporary publication ban




Update -- UN Conference at U of Waterloo

Scroll down or search this page for "UN Conference at U of Waterloo" and Frechette.

Find out more about the Perimeter Institute where the UN Conference will begin with a speech from Canada's Ms. Frechette. You may download a .pdf file overview on this institute. Note that Research in Motion's founder has a connection. Perhaps he started it. He did donate money, I believe, to his alma mater.




Face Time with the PM for $5,000 -- and more soirees are planned

What benefits accrue to such expenditure?

Check (Toronto Sun? Globe and Mail?) for the story of a $5,000 a plate get together with our PM at a private home in the Toronto area. Now that the political process financing act is in place, is this kind of fund raising allowed? I assume that, if the top amount an individual may donate is $5,000, these people will not be donating any more. (I was going to add "above the table" but that might constitute a hate crime in touchy Canada. Is it thought crime?) Are occasions like this creative financing and somehow, okay? Is it big bucks for meeting the PM? Getting your wishes across? Do the little guys get face time with the Big Lad for lesser money? How do they gain power and influence? Apply for a business grant? An industry partnerships program? Ah, forget it.

Keep digging little guys and throw money at Ottawa. Keep busy and you'll never know what is going on. Should you want to find out a bit about what has gone on in the past -- and of course, nothing like this is happening with our new, squeaky clean government, check these.

Go here for rebroadcasts of some CPAC.ca Gomery Inquiry programs.

Saturday, April 2 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT
Rebroadcast of proceedings from March 29, 2005.

Witnesses:
Josée Thibeau-Carrier, former employee of Gosselin Communications
Huguette Tremblay, chief of Special Projects with Public Works & Government Services Canada
Mario Parent, coordinator of the Advertising Program with Public Works & Government Services Canada

Sunday, April 3 at 8AM ET / 5AM PT
Rebroadcast of proceedings from March 30, 2005

Witnesses:
Gilles-André Gosselin, former president of Gosselin Communications
Wendy Cumming, former employee of Gosselin Communications

Now that the Gomery Inquiry is not public for a while, check the other offerings from CPAC.

CPAC: Stephen Harper's speech at the Conservative Convention

For those of you who did not have the opportunity to see the [Conservative Party of Canada] Leader’s speech at the convention, or for those of you who would like to see it again, I would encourage you to view it at the following link courtesy of CPAC:

Thanks to the one who gave me this link.


They pull billions out of thin air -- and our security is in their hands?

McKenna backs Canada's cattle farmers, debunks terrorism myths on U.S. show -- and more Mar 30, 05, Beth Gorham

According to Hansard March 23, 05, (Scroll down.) Minister Cullen, Parliamentary Secretary (to Deputy Prime Minister and minister responsible for Canadians' security, Anne McLellan), mentioned that the government had spent $9-billion on security; yet, previously, it had been $8-billion, the accuracy of which is suspect since $3-billion went into / is slated for replacing equipment deemed functionally obsolescent. Now, Canada's newly-minted Ambassador to the US, Frank McKenna, tosses out within the week the figure of $10 billion--up $2 billion from that recorded in Hansard earlier (check), just how much is being spent on security? Will it rise to $15-billion shortly? And will the mainstream media check any of these figure? Challenge them? Have any new security officers been trained? Hired? Does anyone get a whiff of the barn here -- that cut through everything smell?

I must add that Ambassador McKenna was undercut by principals in the government he represents on whether Canada is or is not part of the US missile shield initiative (I may have that term wrong; check.) so there is the possibility he has been misinformed or left out of the loop on this funding figure. He has been vetted by those who create Prime Ministers so . . . . . . anything can happen. Is it simply public relations for the Americans? For us?

"The northern border, and it's the only one I can speak about, is not terrorist friendly at all," McKenna said Wednesday. "We've spent $10 billion Cdn ourselves as a country to make sure the border is safe."

"Don't forget, we've also shown up on al Qaida's list of countries and we
take our security seriously."

[. . . . ] Ottawa is considering retaliatory measures over the law and may announce sanctions against the United States in coming days.

Fortunately, there is Hansard.

Hansard March 23/2005 Question Period

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 eduction 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]

Do the words "over five years" fit in somewhere? Check previous Hansard excerpts on this website?





A Prof [Hamid Dabashi] Tangles the Truth -- or here Daniel Pipes, FrontPageMagazine.com, March 31, 2005

Those of us who watch Middle East studies at Columbia University differ as to which professor of that lot is the most egregious. Joseph Massad, with his malign theories and intemperate extremism? Rashid Khalidi, with his roots as a PLO flak, his funny-money chair, his strange ideas, and his false gravitas? No, my favorite is Hamid Dabashi, that paragon of purple prose, male hysteria, and – now we learn – trouble telling the truth about his own biography.

This news comes from the "Columbians for Academic Freedom" website, where a student named Aharon posted an item titled "Press Rules." In it, he notes that Dabashi told a radio interviewer on March 6, 2005, that he "stopped speaking publicly because of a rash of threatening phone calls that go way beyond academic arguments." Then Dabashi played one of those allegedly threatening calls: [. . . . ]

Maybe The UN's Problem Is Mathematical Illiteracy

Maybe The UN's Problem Is Mathematical Illiteracy Captainsquarters, posted by Captain Ed

CQ reader Marc Landers thinks he's discovered why the United Nations can't keep track of the money it gets, allowing so much of it to wind up in the pockets of its own managers, such as Benon Sevan, and tyrants like Saddam Hussein. It may not happen through maliciousness -- it might be that they just don't know how to do simple math . [. . . . ]

The above led to Marc Landers' post Iraq - Children 'starving' Thursday, March 31, 2005

"Looking for the truth in a sea of deceit" I try to go behind the headlines, soundbites, media bias and spin meisters to find the truth. . .

That's the headline from this BBC article. Whenever you see a headline like this from the BBC you can be sure it's completely false. The BBC do not even bother to check the "facts" as presented by the UN Human Rights Commission. Why should they? Well for one thing the commission has some interesting members such as China, Cuba and Saudi Arabia. [. . . .]

Search: Pravda




Lebanon and Syria -- Al Gordon has some background here.

Interview with Francois Hachem on CHQR Talk Radio

Then click on this link for the video Interview with Francois Hachem of CCD on Lebanon





Can't find major crooks but . . . . .

Montreal man fined $2,110 for putting up meeting notices CanWest, March 30, 2005

Mr. Montagano's neighbourhood association attached posters to lamp posts, telephone poles and bus shelters in late January to advertise its Feb. 2 general meeting. [. . . . ]

Fifth Estate: Sticks and Stones -- CBC and FoxNews

Last night I watched a re-run of Sticks and Stones on CBC. You may listen to it /watch the video. Do -- and form your own conclusions.

Is CBC balanced in its reporting? Is Fox as bad as it seemed? I have read that those who watch it like it.

Fifth Estate Schedule -- Check the site for re-runs. I like re-runs, contrary to most opinion. It gives me a chance to hear about programs and then watch.

CBC Television
Wednesdays, 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Canada

CBC Newsworld
Thursdays, 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. EST Canada
Fridays, 1:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. EST Canada
Fridays, 4:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m. EST Canada
Sundays, 3:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. EST Canada

Fifth Estate: Sticks and Stones

[. . . . ] The new gladiators are commentators like Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter and their forum is the television studios of networks like Fox. It's loud, it's raucous, but does it have anything to do with the truth? [. . . . ]

Visit the web page to learn more and to watch this story online -- entire documentary online There is much more on the webpage.





Crime's down

Woman shot in face -- Sister of T.O. city councillor April 1, 2005, Kim Bradley and Zen Ruryk, Toronto Sun

A PROMINENT Toronto city councillor's sister was shot in the face yesterday, possibly in front of her children, by two men who police believe escaped in her mother's Jaguar. Councillor Rob Ford . . . .

[. . . . ] Ford -- now serving his second term as councillor for Etobicoke North (Ward 2) -- has earned himself a reputation as city council's penny pincher.

A critic of city council's left-wing leanings [. . . . ]

Wake-up call coming? March 30, 2005, Peter Worthington, Toronto Sun

After seven years as ombudsman for the Canadian Armed Forces, Andre Marin is moving on to become Ontario's ombudsman, replacing Claire Lewis.

[. . . . ] Marin feels the choice of the next military ombudsman will indicate how seriously DND views the role. He suspects the brass will be relieved to see him gone, and the system may shift to automatic pilot and the activist role of the ombudsman downgraded. [. . . . ]

Military says Akbar Tried to Overpower Guard Gilbert Baez and The Associated Press

According to an Eyewitness News source close to the investigation, Akbar grabbed a pair of scissors off a desk and stabbed the MP in the neck and shoulder area. It's unclear what type of injuries Akbar received, but according to the statement, both Akbar and the MP received medical attention.

Akbar is accused of stealing grenades from a Humvee and using them and a firearm in a March 2003 attack on fellow members of the 101st Airborne Division, days after the start of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. [. . . . ]

Why Johnny can't code via Ghost of a Flea Joe Tucci, March 3, 2005

Imagine being the parent of a 15-year-old sophomore at an elite high school who comes home with a report card ranking him near the bottom of his class in math.

Knowing your child will soon enter the same job market as his classmates, would you be concerned? Would you work with him to improve? Would you begin to question the way math is taught in school?

[. . . . ] Consider what has happened over the last generation. [. . . . ]

Search: 25 percent to 30 percent who teach math or science in K-12 . . .




Complete text of the Supreme Court of Canada's rulings on minority language education in Quebec:

Okwuoki v. Lester B. Pearson School Board; Casimir v. Quebec (Attorney General); Zorilla v. Quebec (Attorney General), 2005 scc 16 2004: March 22; 2005: March 31

Gosselin (Tutor of) v. Quebec (Attorney General), 2005 scc 15 2004: March 22; 2005: March 31

Solski (Tutor of) v. Quebec (Attorney General), 2005 scc 14 2004: March 22; 2005: March 31

Quebec government must revamp its school rules, says top court Jim Brown, CP

[. . . . ] But eight francophone families, who wanted to ensure their children become bilingual by sending them to school in English, were rebuffed by the Supreme Court of Canada.[. . . . ]

The French language, particularly demands for its use to serve those who demand it and keep pushing for more, in communities with very few French speakers, but particularly the promotion of French and claim of rights, no matter how unreasonable -- these trump just about everything else in Canada. That is about all you need to know.

Read the details for yourself, the tweak here and there, the media' variations on the same story, but think . . . . . individual rights vs group rights (francophone) -- jobs for the minority who speak French -- mustn't diminish the language czar's department . . . . . you know the drill, no matter how it is spun. Rights are two-tier in Quebec; francophone parents vs anglophone parents. Look up the sorry details. Then there is TROC and . . . . . Bah! Humbug!




Longer jail terms for fraud urged March 30, 2005, Brodie Fenlon, Toronto Sun

CONVICTED scammers face only a "slap on the wrist" in a $3-billion fraud industry that hurts seniors the most, Canada's Association for the Fifty-Plus says. In a report released yesterday, CARP called for mandatory sentencing guidelines and stiff penalties as part of a series of recommendations aimed at cracking down on scams and frauds.

[. . . . ] Many seniors are too polite to disengage from fraud artists or telemarketers, who use high pressure sales tactics to bilk their targets, Morgenthau added.

The association called for wide promotion of PhoneBusters, the fraud reporting centre run by the Ontario Provincial Police.

It can be contacted anonymously and toll-free at 1-888-495-8501.

Search: WATCH OUT FOR THESE AGE-OLD SCAMS, TOP FRAUDS

There is much information there.



Updated April 1, 05 pm

Search on for guns at 2 jails March 30, 2005, Antonella Artuso, Queen's Park Bureau Chief

TWO PROVINCIAL jails were locked down and scoured for days last week after inmates alleged they'd seen weapons and drugs on the range. A source told Sun Media that the inmates claimed to have seen pen guns and substantial amounts of drugs in the institutions.

[. . . . ] Maplehurst Correctional Complex . . .

[. . . . ] Toronto West Detention Centre [. . . . ]