Compilation 1

Ethics chief, RCMP consider investigations -- Harper says he trusts MP's goal was to expose Grits Anne Dawson and Allan Woods, with files from James Gordon and Grant Robertson, CanWest, Jun. 2, 05

[. . . . ] Mr. Martin said he condoned the secret talks between his chief of staff Tim Murphy and Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and Mr. Grewal about his joining the Liberals, but maintained he did not authorize any offer to be made to him. [and we believe him, of course, . . . don't we? The man who is desperate? ]

"I essentially said to members of the government and my staff that they could pursue discussions, but that under no circumstances could any offer be made and no offer was made," he told a raucous House of Commons.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper pounced on the slight shift in Mr. Martin's story.

"Now he admits he did authorize his senior people to engage in discussions," he snapped. [. . . . ]

Search: Dr. Cheema, a former B.C. MLA who quit provincial politics to run for the Liberals




The big job in the suburbs -- Driving out to work: Industrial, traffic congestion grows on cities' outskirts Cathy Gulli, National Post, Jun. 2, 05

[. . . . ] "The city is expanding geographically and that means that not only the jobs are moving to the suburbs but people are also moving to the suburbs," said Sebastien LaRochelle-Cote, co-author of the report released yesterday.

"It is reflective of a trend that we see in all [major cities] and that may be indicative of what we'll be seeing in the future," he said.

According to Statistics Canada, the average distance of jobs from the downtown core rose in nearly every major city across the country, from an average of 10.4 kilometres in 1996 to 11 km in 2001. [. . . . ]

Stating the obvious

Government report finds Canadians think federal prisons are like 'resorts' Jack Aubry, CanWest, Jun. 2, 05

I'll bet $$$ were paid for this report. Does our government ever canvas ordinary Canadians when they phone the local constituency office? Ever check with police on the disconnect between the crime and the punishment? I'll bet this would be free information to any MP wanting to find out.




Premium or punishment? Defendants in class action forced to fund $1-million 'tip' for other side's lawyers Sandra Rubin, Senior Business Writer, Financial Post

An order by an Ontario judge requiring the defendants in a class action to pay a $1-million "tip" to the other side's lawyers is a troubling development that will put additional pressure on corporations to settle such suits, some defence practitioners warn. [. . . . ]

Ontario Superior Court Justice Sidney Lederman acknowledges in his reasons there is no precedent for his order in class action case law, but says there is in other areas and "there is no reason why the [same] principles ... would not apply." [. . . . ]

Danier was the first case in Canada to deal with the statutory cause of action for misrepresentation in a prospectus and, under the 1999 retainer agreement, Lerners stood to get 25% of any damage award plus its disbursements repaid out of the winnings as well as 100% of any costs recovered from the defendants. [. . . . ]

Search: Harvey Strosberg, one of the pioneers of class actions in Canada

Does this kind of judicial activism--in this case for the law establishment--bother you? Are these guys out of control?




Making daycare work: The View From Montreal Montreal Gazette, June 1, 2005

Instead of blaming the proliferation of operating deficits in Quebec daycare centres on bad management, the provincial government would do better to get more involved in improving centres' budget-balancing skills. [. . . . ]

Police break up drug pipeline to the north -- 43 arrested in Montreal-based marijuana ring -- "charges including drug trafficking, money laundering and gangsterism." Paul Cherry, CanWest News Service, Jun. 1, 05

MONTREAL - A marijuana pipeline running from Montreal to some of the northernmost reaches of Canada has been cracked, the RCMP says.

[. . . . ] Forty-three people were arrested and two others were being sought yesterday as more than 200 police officers carried out an operation targeting people suspected of shipping marijuana from Montreal, as well as the people suspected of dealing it in such places as Nunavik, a northern Quebec Aboriginal community east of Hudson Bay.

. . . . able to move four to six kilograms per week, RCMP Corporal Patrice Gelinas said. In the distant northern Inuit communities, the marijuana could be sold for $50 a gram.

[. . . . ] The investigation began in 2004 after the RCMP squad based at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport was tipped off by the Kativik police in Northern Quebec about suspicious packages that were being flown into their community from Montreal. The Aboriginal Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, a joint task force, was formed in September 2004. It includes the RCMP, Surete du Quebec and the First Nations Chiefs of Police.

The man believed to be the head of the organization, Marcello Ruggerio [. . . . ]

[. . . . ] supplied by a Quebec-based biker gang. [. . . . ]

Several are from 12 Aboriginal communities in Northern Quebec and Nunavut. [. . . . ]

Now that is positive collaboration! Is Ruggerio Irish-Scottish? We wouldn't want to target the obvious . . .




Canada's new subs 3 years away from being seaworthy -- Navy's top man speaks out: Vessels plagued by delays, mechanical faults and fatal fire Chris Wattie, National Post, Jun. 1, 05

Canada's trouble-plagued new submarines will not be fully operational for at least another three years, the head of the Canadian navy has told the National Post.

Vice-Admiral Bruce MacLean, the Canadian Forces' chief of maritime staff, said while at least two of the Victoria-class submarines will be cleared to go to sea beginning this summer, it will take until late 2008 or early 2009 until they are "full, all-up operational."

"I'll be very frank: there's no question that we've had some scheduling delays which were not anticipated when these submarines were actually re-activated," he said. "We are behind and there is no doubt about that. We're going to have to work through that." [. . . . ]

"It's just been one thing after another for those boats," he said. "They were laid up for so long, it takes a while to get them back."

A House of Commons committee determined last month that an over-politicized procurement process contributed to the delay, deterioration and expense of the submarine program. [. . . . ]

Military equipment -- compliments of the people who brought the Liberal Sponsorship scandal to Canadians. And MP's of conscience voted to keep the Liberals in power? For more of the same? Boggles the mind.




Never Forget By Claudia Rosett, The Wall Street Journal (Opinion Journal and European Edition), June 1, 2005

[. . . . ] It is sobering in the extreme to hear the names, to see the photos and to wonder--as each image flickers past--whom they loved, what dreams they held dear, what jokes they told, and, above all, how they found the will and courage and conviction to risk the lives they lost. We all know why it led to hot debate when "Nightline" aired a similar honor roll last Memorial Day of the 721 troops who had died the previous year in Iraq (though not those who died in Afghanistan). To focus on the world destroyed, with every human life given up, is to raise big questions about why. Especially among many of the U.S. policy and media elite, the unspoken implication is that it was their own government that killed them, sending them off to deal with quarrels far removed from the comfortable living rooms where on Memorial Day we sit down in front of our television sets to watch the ceremonies. [. . . . ]

Those interested in the environment and energy, along with sustainability, might want to check these.

EECO Environment and Energy Conference May 25-27, 2005 -- You may download four pdf files from this site.

There were many sponsors including government input.

These are just a few ideas to search:

Export Development Canada
"Climate Change Technology Development Group, Office of Energy Research and Development, Natural Resources Canada"
"Director of Energy and Environment, Office of Research, Sustainable Technologies and Environment Energy Secretariat (SENER),Mexico City,Mexico"
Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Home Depot Canada
hybrid vehicle
Enbridge
North American Affairs
Emissions Trading Association

Two sample quotations:

"This interactive lunch will put you face-to-face with critical funding partners who will help you understand how to tackle specific financial obstacles and leverage available public expertise, fiscal mechanisms and financing."

[. . . . ] market potential for environment and clean energy
companies.. . . . opportunities and long-term prospects within the energy and environment sectors.

[. . . . ] Being successful requires creativity, business savvy, and at times, the influx of capital. This interactive lunch will put you face-to-face with critical funding partners who will help you understand how to tackle specific financial obstacles and leverage available public expertise, fiscal
mechanisms and financing.

There is much more and there will be another conference in 2006 (See the end of the article for information.). Your tax dollars at work. Could the rest of Canadians who don't have the money forsuch august gatherings and conferences find out a bit about how to leverage whatever it is to get financing?



ACOA

This year ACOA wrote off $15-million in loan repayments that could not be collected. (check CP for the story) Search: ACOA Communications Officer, Richard Gauthier who said "That amount has been the average write-off for the last three years." The agency "expects the same losses this year."

Just so you know how your tax dollars have been spent.



Canadian OXFAM cited for rank hypocrisy Judi McLeod, June 2, 2005

Toronto, ON-- Fred Strong, son of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan right hand man Maurice Strong, is involved with OXFAM Canada, one of the charities recently accused of "rank hypocrisy" for doing business with Chinese sweatshops while campaigning for "fair and ethical trade".

[. . . . ] Guess government-funded liberal charities campaigning against poverty want to Make Poverty History everywhere--except that is for thousands of workers in Chinese sweatshops. [. . . . ]

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