What is integrity in government worth to you? -&-$30-Billion Pieces of Silver -- Etc.

Bumped up; there is a new post below this section.


Trial

Media Advisory - Trial to begin on government's $30B plunder of federal public service pension surplus quote.com Nov. 14, 05

OTTAWA, Nov. 14 /CNW Telbec/ - The litigation trial involving the federal government's $30.2-billion expropriation of the federal public service pension surplus will begin tomorrow. The lawsuit is the most significant case of its kind in Canadian history. [. . . . ]

A copy of the Statement of Claim [. . . . ]

1. By 1999, the pension plans of federal public sector workers (public service, RCMP and Canadian Forces employees), had accumulated a combined surplus of $30.2 billion.

3. On September 14, 1999, Parliament passed the Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act (Bill C-78), which introduced amendments to the laws covering the three pension plans, allowing the federal government to grab the $30.2-billion surplus. The federal government is exempted from the Pension Benefits Standards Act, which limits employer access to any surplus in federally registered pension plans.

And Paul Martin and Team are promising . . . Scroll down for this phrase: " $30-billion in additional tax relief yesterday " -- not connected, I suppose, but the amounts are similar, ironically.




Canada Plans to Cut Taxes as Budget Surplus Rises to C$13 Bln -- "triple a February forecast of C$4 billion " . . . "Surpluses through 2010 are projected to total C$97 billion."

C$97 Billion!

At this time, do you really want to give your vote so cheaply that the same gang from the Liberals (not including "the only saint in the brothel" [1.], just all the others that he knows nothing about) can offer more advertising and other contracts to their friends, et cetera. It's your money.

Since Finance Ministers Ralph Goodale / Paul Martin were so good at forecasting budgets in the past. . . should we trust this?

The government also forecasting its debt will fall to 20 percent of gross domestic product by 2020, down from a previous estimate of 25 percent of GDP by 2015.

1. I am indebted to Rex Murphy for this turn of phrase. Thanks Rex. These words join Hedy Fry's "burning crosses" on the lawns "in Prince George, as we speak" and Diane Francis' "Little guy from Shenanigan".

Should we run a contest? In the comments section, leave your creative offering. No IP numbers are tracked in commenting, to my knowledge. Google / Blogger simply avoids the automatic advertising / selling bots by requesting that you identify a few letters of the alphabet which requires a second human intervention after commenting and is, therefore, a great idea to end the comments bots were entering . . . make money . . . probably by doing nothing. Of course.



Related: Macleans

PM's tax cut: Will you vote for more of this? or "Why our scandal is worse...............", Newsbeat1

The line between government and party was erased. And with it, so was the distinction between government and organized crime. Electoral financing was done under the table, with government contracts effectively sold in return for donations to the party.

Look at some older scandals.

Corbeil had responsibility for several ridings, including Chrétien's. And what did the inquiry into the role of his bosses in the affair reveal? There hasn't been one. Ditto for Shawinigate.

How much of a tax cut will buy your vote?

Liberal mini-budget doles out tax relief NP, Nov. 15, 05

The minority Liberal government promised Canadians $30-billion in additional tax relief yesterday as Finance Minister Ralph Goodale delivered what in everything but name is a pre-election budget. [. . . . ]

There is a new poll up on the National Post about the influence of the "tax cut". Vote.


Don't go spending refund just yet Nov. 15, 05, NP, Jonathan Chevreau -- very informative

OTTAWA - The difference between the document released by Finance Minister Ralph Goodale yesterday as a federal budget and as a 400-page Liberal campaign pamphlet is the wild week ahead. [. . . . ]

Poll results for yesterday's National Post

Common sense Canadians speak out!

How influential will the Liberal tax cuts be in the upcoming federal election?. . .

Will be the main focus 20.76 %
A large influence 24.35 %
A small influence 47.84 %

There is a new poll up today to which you may respond.



PM & Team "Priorities"

Parties agree to give four bills priority Alan Woods, CanWest, Nov. 15, 05

- Bill C-53 [. . . . organized criminals and property ]

- Bill C-54 -- an act to allow First Nations to manage and regulate oil and gas management currently being carried out on their behalf by the federal government.

- Bill C-55 [. . . . workers employed by companies that go bankrupt ]

- Bill C-66 [. . . . home-heating rebates ]

Search: Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine

Why do I think Bill C-54 so important? Think about it. Aboriginals, mining, North, oil, gas? Water purification? Culture and language for northen natives? Is the following in any way related?

Why was Minister of Languages (Heritage) Dyan Adam (Dyane?) visiting China in the last year or so? Canadians to learn Mandarin or one of the Chinese dialects? Aboriginal languages and culture? Expansion of French language services? . . . Oh, and her department expands with it? Expansion of English language services? Don't be daft. Or was it, in reality, an absolutely crucial check of embassy language(s) services . . . and a shopping trip? Pesky questions.



Public Accounts of Canada 2004 - 2005 Transfer Payments -- some numbered recipients or accounts -- and more interesting reading

Contributions in support of the Ethanol expansion program component of the climate change: emission reduction package / Contributions à l'appui du Programme d'expansion de l'éthanol, une composante de l'initiative changement climatique : Train de mesures pour la réduction des émissions 31,159,694

Husky Oil Operations Ltd Calgary Alta / Husky Oil Operations Ltd Calgary Alb 7,800,001

Noramera BioEnergy Corp Moose Jaw Sask / Noramera BioEnergy Corp Moose Jaw Sask 1,359,694

Suncor Energy Products Inc Calgary Alta / Suncor Energy Products Inc Calgary Alb 21,999,999

A Husky Company

Today, in the Financial Post: White Rose pumping oil Claudia Cattaneo and Jon Harding

CALGARY - Husky Energy Inc. . . . its $2.35-billion White Rose project offshore Newfoundland has started producing oil, [. . . . ]

[. . . . ] "Because of White Rose production, we'll be producing about half of Canada's light sweet crude,"

[. . . . ] Husky has a 72.5% stake in the development, located in the Jeanne d'Arc Basin, 350 kilometres east of St. John's. Its partner is Petro-Canada.

[. . . . ] The project will boost Husky's production by 20% next year. The company, controlled by Asian tycoon Li Ka-shing, is a major producer of heavy oil in Western Canada, light oil in offshore China, owns gasoline stations, and wants to become a top oilsands player. [. . . . ]

Search: Ruud Zoon, East Coast vice-president at Husky , Premier Danny Williams





French bank BNP Paribas -- Canadian "Affiliate"

Update to this post from Nov. 14, 05 FHTR Nov. 14, 05: "More international banking info here: Inquiry names major firms in Iraq bribe scandal -- US report reveals 2,253 firms gave Saddam's regime kickbacks on humanitarian good shipped to Iraq

The French bank BNP Paribas, which was supervised [sic] the escrow account for the program on behalf of the United Nations, came in for detailed criticism.

BNP faced a clear conflict of interest [. . . . ]

On the way to looking up something else, I found there seems to be a connection between Canada's Power Corp and Pargesa. Check the meaning of "affiliate". Language is so elastic these days.

Power Corp. -- Paul Desmarais Jr. -- Chairman and Co-CEO -- Pargesa Laval Univ. website as of Oct. 12, 05 -- entitled "Gives One Million Dollars to Université Laval Univ. . . " as part of 'De toutes les révolutions' fund raising

Power Corporation of Canada is a diversified management and holding company with interests in leading financial services and the communications sector throughout North America. Through its European-based affiliate Pargesa Group, it also holds significant positions in major media, energy, and industrial companies. [. . . . ]

For more information, try a Google Search: Desmarais or Desmarest , donated



Bedtime Reading

As an aside, no wonder the UN wants to control the Internet. Its very usefulness is anathema to many UN members. It might be productive to search the Public Accounts of Canada 2004 - 2005 Transfer Payments for more information than I have time to post right now. Check ACOA grants . . . and much more. Curiosity: why are some recipients identified with numbers?




Kinsella "Bite!" -- PM-Iraq & Keith Boag

Warren Kinsella: Latest Musings

November 11, 2005

[. . . . ] "I really think Canada should get over to Iraq as quickly as possible." - (Paul Martin, North Bay Nugget, April 30, 2003). [. . . . ]

November 11, 2005

[. . . . ] On the question of how the CBC decides which pundits get airtime, Keith [Boag] answered that you always want to have balance on the panel, one mouthpiece from each party etc. [. . . . ]

So, um, who do I call at CBC to complain about Keith Boag regularly warning A Certain Firm about unhelpful journalistic inquiries coming their way?

It doesn’t really make sense for him to be pretending he’s still a journalist and all that, does it?

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