June 04, 2005

Weekend Reading #2 -- & --Saturday Night Sleaze

MSD Wisdom The Monarchist, June 01, 2005

Please take careful note of MSD's description of "the Liberal method", toward the end. He is bang on the money. If it sounds like a protection racket, that's because it is very much like one. And note what a recent and shining example we have: the Libranos confiscate Atlantic oil money, then propose - when they are sinking politically - to give (some of) it back. And presto - an entire region wants to avoid an election, so as not to run the risk of scuppering their "deal".

[. . . . ] One of the ways the federal Liberal Party has ensured its own perpetuation (other than by taking taxpayers' money) is by nurturing a culture of dependency amongst the citizenry.This is done in any number of ways and is by no means unique to Atlantic Canadians. The basic principle is that the government takes our money then gives it back to us with all sorts of strings attached. Once everyone is a recipient of some form of government largesse, the party in power can then use the threat of taking it away (usually by claiming the opposition will if they're elected) to spook the electorate.

The Liberal Party method is both devious and subtle, or has been up to this point.





Thy Name is Regicide May 31, 2005

[. . . . ] For although in her own regal way the Governor-General has in many respects been a great foil for monarchy, her disturbing disapproval last week (no doubt with the tacit understanding of the federal government) of the Alberta Premier’s desire to have the Queen grant Royal Assent to a piece of provincial legislation, confirmed for me what I and many have suspected all along: that Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson doesn’t see herself as our country’s viceroy (she has never, insofar as I have heard, used the word publicly); doesn’t see herself as representing the Crown in Canada (she routinely refers to herself as the “Head of State”); doesn’t see herself in a subordinate role to the sovereign (she declares, for example, on the vice-regal’s website that she’s the “Commander-in-Chief” of the Canadian Forces); doesn’t even see herself as acting in the name of the Queen (under the government’s recent amendment and with her concurrence, she now sends our Canadian ambassadors abroad in her own name and not that of Her Majesty); and now, on the public record of refusing to permit the Queen of Canada to grant Royal Assent to a piece of Alberta legislation because it would be "unprecedented and would not be consistent with the longstanding 'Canadianization' of our institutions". [emphasis added]

And so I asked myself: under what constitutional authority is she acting. [. . . . ]



Simply a Must Read

What is the Best Way to Prevent Abortions? by Nathan Tabor, May 26, 2005

Nathan Tabor is a conservative political activist based in Kernersville, North Carolina. He has his BA in Psychology and his Master’s Degree in Public Policy. He is a contributing editor at www.theconservativevoice.com.

Young people rarely consider the fact that about 30 sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are running rampant through our post-Christian society. The Centers for Disease Control has called these STDs a "hidden epidemic" because they infect between 8,000 and 10,000 teenagers DAILY. Because the symptoms either are not evident or are misunderstood, 85 percent of teenagers infected with STDs don’t even know it. [. . . . ]






The Tragedy of the United States Marine Corps Euphoric Reality, by Kit Jarrell (Filed under Current Events, Military, 2 Lt. Ilario Pantano )

North-South energy links are growing even tighter -- While most Americans believe OPEC is their biggest supplier, Canada is No. 1 and growing in importance Patrick Brethour, Globe and Mail, May 21, 2005, B18

Search: the North American free-trade agreement severely restricts , Export trends , Mackenzie Valley pipeline , Gateway pipeline , Terasen pipeline expansion , Keystone pipeline , Fort McMurray oil sands , Liquefied natural gas



Prosecutors drop terror investigation 2 June 2005, Swissinfo

The Swiss authorities have halted a three-and-a-half-year investigation into a now-defunct Swiss-based financial firm suspected of ties to al-Qaeda.

The decision follows a court ruling in early May that federal prosecutors had to bring charges by the end of the month or drop the case.

"We did everything we could," said Claude Nicati of the Federal Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday, referring to the aborted investigation of Nada Management, formerly known as al-Taqwa.

The US government had accused al-Taqwa, which was founded in 1988 by its Egyptian managing director, Youssef Nada, and his Syrian associate, Ali Himmat, of helping to fund Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. [. . . . ]


There were problems -- no information from the Bahamas.




You have to be really bored and ready for a sick laugh to read this crap . . . but it will tell you where the Prime Pinata is going. Pour yourself a drink first.

Address by Prime Minister Paul Martin in Montreal, June 2, 2005

The fact that our world, which is currently dominated by the United States, Europe, Russia and Japan, will soon be seeing two new economic giants join in this ascendancy: China and India.

And what I would like to speak about with you this evening is precisely how this will affect Canada.


Should he rephrase that to "how it will affect Bombardier, Power Corp, and the usual crowd"?

Between them, China and India represent over one third of the world’s population. As you know, they are going through a meteoric economic rise that will give birth to a new middle class of over a billion consumers.

For many industrialized countries, the emergence of China and India is a source of both promise and peril. For Canada, given our small domestic market and our enormous export capacity, I believe that in spite of increased competition, the new reality will provide us with unprecedented opportunities.

On one condition.

For us, as a nation of 32 million, we need to rely on our strengths and be in the forefront of change if we want to succeed among these Titans. We need to make sure that our country is ready at all times to face the new challenges, and that is what I want to speak about this evening.

How can we do this?

We have to begin by protecting our fiscal integrity.


PM, how about the borders? The ports? The integrity of the documents which Canadians carry? Our security?

[. . . . ] And that is the background to what I would like to speak to you about – my government’s plan to build for the future. But first, I would like to say a word about the sponsorship issue.

When we speak about public finances, what we are talking about is the taxpayer’s hard-earned money. What happened in this affair is unacceptable. The taxpayer’s money was badly used and badly spent. I understand the disappointment of Quebecers. I also understand the disappointment of Liberals.

We, the Liberals, put our government finances in order. And we didn’t do it so that a group of people could tarnish the reputation of our Party and cause people to lose confidence in our country’s political class.

That is why I am determined to get to the bottom of this.
[. . . . ]

He's a hoot . . . as long as you realize that you have no power in the face of the Liberal juggernaut who take your money to buy . . . well, votes . . . and there is nothing you can do about it, in the face of a man who refuses to admit that he lost the confidence of the House.

Check the business connections--or perhaps one should call them the sons' connections.

[. . . . ] Third, re-investing in Canada means investing in innovation. Since 1997, we have doubled support to research in universities and hospitals. For example, we have invested in the creation of 34 new research chairs at Quebec universities. The laboratories of our universities in Montreal, Sherbrooke, Quebec City, Rimouski, Saguenay and Abitibi will see research that will have a direct impact on the lives of Canadians, and will create the industries of tomorrow. [. . . . ]


Quebec pork is on the way.

[. . . . ] For example, when we invest in the aeronautics industry, as we did with the C series project, we do it not only for Bombardier and its headquarters in Quebec, but we also do it because if Montreal is strong, Quebec will be strong. And if Quebec is strong, Canada is strong. [. . . . ]


What BS! If Quebec is strong, Canada is strong? The sponsorship $$$? The ad agencies? The giveaways to Quebec to "keep them in Canada"? Crap! It is as if the culprits were from some other planet . . . nothing to do with the Finance Minister of the day.

Again, the government will take other Canadians' money to gift Bombardier. . . once Quebec is "strong", well . . .

[. . . . ] I signed a new partnership for prosperity with President Bush and President Fox of Mexico. The agreement says that it is in our common interest to react to the rise of China and India by building a more integrated North American economy. [. . . . ]


Get ready for the flow of illegal immigrants . . . the fellows massed in South and Central America waiting . . . Oh, they might include a few triad members, maybe some Mara Salvatrucha and . . . See the following post on the US-Mexican border.

But to PM, the real danger to Canada is . . .

The person I cannot understand is Stephen Harper.

He doesn’t appear to realize that his underhanded dealings with Gilles Duceppe are threatening our country’s stability.


More sponsorship giveaways to Quebec to keep them in Canada? More pork? More . . . Why, it's assymetrical! How unique! How innovative!

[. . . . ] To achieve common objectives, Jean Charest and I signed an asymmetrical agreement that allows us to build on the diversity that characterizes our country.

For next year only, this agreement means $471 million more in Quebec’s coffers. A total of $9.6 billion over ten years. [. . . . ]


Then, there is foreign policy . . . whether Sudan wants us or not in Darfur . . .

That is why Canada is playing a key role in combating HIV/AIDS and why we are playing a leadership role in our support of the African Union to promote long-term peace in Darfur.

It is our desire to build for the future that led Canada not only to ratify the Kyoto Agreement, but also to begin playing a leading role in international negotiations following Kyoto.

Which is why Montreal will be hosting the eleventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in Montreal next December.


The ethically-challenged UN of the oil for food scandal is coming to Montreal . . . not to Calgary or to Winnipeg or Halifax . . . no, to the heart of the only province that counts.

With Quebec and Quebec ministers playing a crucial role in drawing up Canada’s positions, our stances on issues as wide ranging as refusing to participate in the anti-missile shield and ratifying the Kyoto Protocol are no coincidence.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the MPs, Ministers, and Senators from Quebec, who defend and promote the interests of Quebec every day.


The business deals for Quebec are safe.

This man puts me in danger of chundering. The pasted on false smile of victory over hanging on by the skin of his teeth and others' duplicity, the endless "priorities", the endless BS, the mendacity (think Atlantic Accord), the chicanery, while he--like his predecessor--uses his clout on poor Canadians . . . and the d*****d fools in Canada are afraid of the decent leader, Harper, and will vote this *&%^$*# back in, probably.

Already you can see the media trying to split Harper and MacKay. The Liberals will do everything to push this.

Paul Martin reminds me of Bill Clinton. I still curdle when I look at that man . . . and he's from another country. Think how this PM affects me.




'It's a war' along Mexican border -- 55 killed this year by drug-cartel push for border control June 4, 2005

[. . . . ] Sixty-two agents have died in the line of duty in Mexico since President Vicente Fox took office in 2000.

[. . . . ] At the center of the violent storm along the border are U.S.-trained Mexican commandos conducting a bloody war for control of the entire border in an effort to secure a monopoly on drug-smuggling routes, according to U.S. law enforcement officials.

[. . . . ] Mexico is a major transport site for cocaine from Colombia to the United States and also produces heroin and marijuana. [. . . . ]


For Weekend Enjoyment

It's Saturday and the guys with whom I am not in "business" are hacking away . . . It must have been this week's post on hacking that bothered them (see menu). Don't they have girlfriends or jobs? Or is hacking their job? May they rot in . . . ah, better: may they be employed in the world's most ruthless government's sweat shops to which the biggest corporation on earth--$288-billion last year--is outsourcing North American jobs. Check Wal-Mart for locations. (Financial Post, June 4, 05, FP3 "Deep in the heart of Wal-Mart")


Newsbeat1: For some strange reason there almost seems to be a blackout in Canada on the oil for food scandal -- which gives enough to get a good idea of this story SACKED OIL-FOR-FOOD STAFFER: I'M A PATSY by Niles Latham, NY Post

Note the links, particularly this one to Claudia Rosett: Exposing the U.N. Oil-for-Food Scandal -- Do not miss all the links to articles on this from 2002 to 2005 -- scroll down June 3, 2005, The foundation for the Defense of Democracies, via Newsbeat1

One of the links is to this: Rose Among Thorns By Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review Online, June 2, 2005

Rosett, who is a journalist-in-residence at Cliff May's Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, is a seasoned journalist. She's served in various capacities as an editor and reporter for the Wall Street Journal — including being editorial-page editor of the Asian Wall Street Journal. She reported from the scene of the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, exposed North Korean labor camps (again, on the scene), covered the Soviet Union (she was bureau chief of the WSJ's Moscow bureau), and most recently stood in the midst of Lebanon's Cedar Revolution, sending us what she saw.



Finally, some relief for our severely overtaxed health care system


Question Period- Hansard excerpts- June 3/05- Part I -- or here


Question Period- Hansard excerpts June 3/05 Part II -- or here but Newsbeat1 has the goodies.


Let it Bleed -- check out these Jun. 4, 05

On the Other Hand, Maybe This Is Why No One Reads the Paper Anymore

Let's Help Spread a Meme

Unbelievable -- "Federal ethics commissioner . . . "

The Ethical Politician?

Oh, That's What We're Mired In -- "Remember back in the day when Jack! was going to make "proportional representation" the quid for his quo?"



Probe launched into Grewal tapes amid new controversy, confusion -- Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay has now added some distance to the affair. Sue Bailey, CP, Jun. 4, 05

The talk about clicks on the tapes as evidence of tampering is discussed in one of the above blogs and I have read that a good sound engineer--or six--should be able to straighten this out, but it is the Liberal spin and MSM is sticking to it. If only those Canucks would go to the lake and forget about all this. Anyway, why would anyone seeking preferment--a dubious one, at that--as the Liberals charge Grewal did, tape the conversations and then implicate himself in making them public . . . unless he were the one approached?


Did the Prime Minister's Office discuss police-work with the RCMP? Proud to be Canadian, June 02, 2005

In a CTV story about the fact that the Liberals claim the Grewal tapes have been “doctored”, this bit was added to the bottom of the article:

[...] On Wednesday, there was confusion over the exact nature of the RCMP probe.

“We are looking into the allegations of what happened and what everyone is talking about if, in fact, a criminal act happened,” RCMP Cpl. Nathalie Deschenes told CTV News.

Later, the Prime Minister’s Office asked CTV to call RCMP Chief Superintendent Bernie Corrigan, who contradicted Cpl. Deschenes’ statement. He said there was no criminal investigation at this point, but the Mounties are considering a formal request from the Bloc Quebecois for an inquiry.

How did they know in the PMO, and can the prime minister tell us when his communications department became the official spokesperson for the RCMP?” MacKay asked on Thursday. [. . . . ]


The Bloc and the NDP were the ones who had asked the RCMP to investigate. Conservatives handed over the tapes. The RCMP are said to be looking the issue over. How did the Liberals—the Prime Minister’s Office at that—know that RCMP Chief Superintendent Bernie Corrigan would be able to contradict Cpl. Nathalie Deschenes, if they “never spoke to anyone from the RCMP”? [. . . . ]



Court orders names in secret warrants unsealed James Gordon, Jun. 4, 05

OTTAWA - Ontario's top court has ordered the government to release names contained in seven secret RCMP search warrants connected to a large, post-Sept. 11, 2001, anti-terrorism investigation in Ottawa.

[. . . . ] Syrian-born Canadian Maher Arar . . . . Abdullah Almalki.

Mr. Almalki -- who was held by the Syrians for two years -- and his wife, Khuzaimah Kalifah, are the only people who have been named in court documents as targets of the RCMP warrants, executed in January, 2002.



Canadians evenly split on more CSIS power "to fight terrorism" -- Sharp differences between citizens, recent immigrants Stewart Bell, Jun. 4, 05 -- Would this poll have been broken down by ethnic background? Or would that be racist?

John Thompson, executive director of the Mackenzie Institute, a Toronto-based security think-tank, wondered how many of the poll respondents had a realistic grasp of the terrorist threats facing Canada.

"I don't know about CSIS getting more powers," he said. "I'd like to have them with more resources so that they can actually take full advantage of the powers they already have."



Gideons outraged as U.K. hospitals opt to ban 'unsafe and insensitive' bibles

This is similar to what happened in a NB hospital in Fredericton this spring. Perhaps the Bibles could be replaced by the sacred book of the "peaceful" religion, which might be less "insensitive"?


Saskatchewan's aboriginal corrections population is too high -- Statistics Canada Simon Doyle, Jun. 4, 05

. . . . Although aboriginal adults represent only 10% of Saskatchewan's population, they comprise 57% of those in the provincial correctional services. Of the provinces, Saskatchewan has the highest number of aboriginal people. The study, which examined the province's correctional services between 1999 and 2004, also found high recidivism rates among aboriginals. The study tracked the release of 5,496 people from correctional services and found within four years, 58% of aboriginals had reoffended.


It would, as with the Jamaicans--the young men with guns--in Toronto, have nothing to do with committing more crime; it must be racism. Bad whitey . . . again.



Opposition pursues judge's comment on blocking separatists from bench Cristin Schmitz

Despite angry protests from Justice Minister Irwin Cotler that it is "unconstitutional" and "highly inappropriate" for the House of Commons to "vilify" a sitting judge, the opposition is poised to "denounce" recent inflammatory remarks by Quebec Chief Justice Michel Robert suggesting Quebec sovereigntists should be disqualified from federal judgeships. Bloc Quebecois justice critic Richard Marceau tabled the motion in the House of Commons yesterday . . . .


Does it ever cross anyone's mind that Quebec's sovereignists would just like to get away from federal corruption? Maybe they would like to control their own lives from Quebec city rather than be controlled from Ottawa?


Public Works Minister Scott Brison chastises senator holding a $99-million government lease -- Liberal Senator, Paul Massicotte, a major Liberal fundraiser -- Note when lease was signed. Jack Aubry, Jun. 4, 05

Does the timing remind anyone of how the Liberals operate . . . the "plausible deniability" type of timing?


Martin sons' company to be 'very big part' of ethics commissioner's report -- Canada Steamship Lines Glen McGregor, Jun. 4, 05

Search: Micheline Rondeau-Parent, a spokeswoman for Ethics Commissioner Bernard Shapiro


Ottawa pays officials $32-million in bonuses -- Go to 91% of executives -- "Conservative MP John Williams . . . Search: 227 of 256 senior executives . . . Public Works Department . . . Justice . . . 'at risk' pay" Tim Naumetz, Jun. 4, 05.

How about the rest of Canadians who simply do their jobs day after day? Is there a Liberal government-funded program with lawyers which could take on the rest of Canadian foundations, agencies, departments, businesses, etc. for whom the rest of Canadians work . . . the ones who are "at risk" (read the definition) . . . the ones who simply do their jobs day after boring day?

Who rewards the self-employed for doing their job, by the way? I note that several small businessmen/women are at work 7 am to 9 pm. It seems to me they might be "at risk" of premature old age if not a heart seizure. But the great unwashed don't count, do they?


Tropical spores that encourage pneumonia and meningitis are spreading across B.C. -- "cryptococcal disease, caused by a tropical fungus usually found in Australia, New Zealand and Brazil" Doris Sun, Jun. 4, 05


My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy with a link to The Cotillion Ball -- For a chuckle, check them out.

Winds of Change


China E lobby links to articles

The following links are to a series of nine columns published by the editors of the Epoch Times. The columns, called the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party, are the most detailed account of Communist misrule in China, and what the consequences have been for the Chinese people and lovers of liberty throughout the world.

Introduction

Part 1: What Is the Communist Party?

Part 2: The Beginnings of the Chinese Communist Party

Part 3: The Tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party

Part 4: The Chinese Communist Party Opposes Nature

Part 5: The Collusion of Jiang Zemin with the Chinese Communist Party to Persecute Falun Gong

Part 6: The Chinese Communist Party Destroyed Traditional Culture

Part 7: The Chinese Communist Party’s History of Killing

Part 8: How the Chinese Communist Party Is an Evil Cult

Part 9: The Chinese Communist Party, a Band of Scoundrels



The Washington Times via Instapundit: FREE SPEECH FOR BLOGGERS (and everyone else): June 02, 2005


There is more but the weather has just gone from freezing to roasting, so it is time to enjoy the finches, robins, baby squirrels, hummingbirds, rhubarb, fiddleheads, the whole panoply of what passes for the month or two of summer. Enjoy.

June 03, 2005

Compilation 4: Bud Talkinghorn

The Liberals take a mid-morning siesta

Don Martin, political columnist for The National Post, reports that when he visited The House of Commons mid-morning Tuesday, there was not a single Liberal sitting. Wasn't it the Liberals who kept proclaiming that there was urgent business to wrap up before their summer break? And didn't they blame those dastardly Conservatives for obstructing and slowing down the work of the house? As Martin put it, "Arrogance has returned in the form of their apathy." It is an arrogance that is bottomless. Even the Liberals' little buddies, the NDP, are getting annoyed at this disdain for principled behaviour. Pat Martin, the NDP MP from Winnipeg, stood in the House of Commons the day before the no-confidence vote and said, "The Liberal Party is institutionally psychopathic. Its members do not know the difference between right and wrong and I condemn them from the highest rooftops." Well spoken Pat.
© Bud Talkinghorn


Unfortunately, he voted to support that same government. NJC



Bin Laden is really Hitler in disguise

The obvious tip-off is their mutual hatred of Jews. Hitler blamed every economic problem that Germany had on them, ditto Bin Laden for the Muslim world. They both had this grandiose ideology postulating that their vision of purity should rule the world. With Hitler it was that the Aryan race should comtrol the "lesser breeds", which of course, Bin Laden and his ilk were part of--definitely below the subhuman Slavs. Now Bin Laden holds to a equal order of the worthy. They include the extreme sects of Sunni Islam. No others need apply. Druze, Ala'wites, Shi'ites--infidels all. The purification method is simple, put them to the sword.

When it comes to blowing up your own followers, that gets a bit tricky. You have to look long and hard into your own heart. Happily, you have al-Queda as your spiritual guide. The believers should be happy to die as martyrs. Likewise, when Hitler was told that the Russian were infiltrating Berlin through the sewerage system, he said, "Well, blow it up." When he was told that tens of thousands of Germans were using it as sanctuary from the incessant Allied bombing, he coolly replied, "The German people have let me down. It is the price they must now pay." Bin Laden could echo that sentiment, so when Sunni kids get slaughtered in his orchestrated suicide missions in Iraq, it is simply their early crack at the 72 virgins. In short, both these men are certified crazies. But they both had the ability to sway millions to their psychopathic viewpoints. And like the Nazis, al-Queda must be totally ground into dust for mankind to progress. There is no middle ground here. We win this battle, or we lose every advancement of Western culture. If you are frightened of this conflict, just think of a world ruled by the Taliban.

© Bud Talkinghorn



These fall into the realm of who gives a hoot about these people

The secret about Tinkerbell that Paris has kept hidden

It has been revealed that the original Tinkerbell was suffocated in Paris's handbag. This was not intentional, but rather a tragic accident. It seems that Tinkerbell had snuggled down in the bottom of the bag and then was suffocated when Paris stuffed in an Armani cashmere sweater on top of him. Since all this breed look alike, she simply bought a new one. However, she makes sure that his head is always poking out before tossing in designer garments. Rumours that she was going to replace her replacement Tinkerbell with a Persian kitten have no validity.

© Bud Talkinghorn



Michael Jackson's trial. Some free advice.

Does it bother you, as it does me, when there is talk about Michael being judged by a jury of his peers, that there really aren't any such people? Well, maybe if they could round up R Kelly, Roman Polanski, Paul Benardo and his delightful wife, along with Fatty Arbuckle; then the boy might have a chance at a fair trial. Otherwise it is simply a kangaroo court jobbie. Those folks just don't get the Hollyweird vibe. It would help if he got a haircut and stopped dressing like one of the Beatles on the cover of Sergeant Pepper. And that velvet topcoat and pyjama bottom combo has to go. Open the window, Michael and let a few decades in. And for God's sake, don't take the stand, where they will bring up the hyperbaric chamber and your masked kids. It is bad enough to have a skeleton in the closet without it being the Elephant man's.

© Bud Talkinghorn


Compilation 3: Roaming Around

The Problem with Ethics & Business: Oil, Sudan, Talisman, Oil Rights, India, China & Canada

Some observers predict a peak to production some time soon AP, May 30, 05

Waste coal is piled high at Gilberton Coal Company last year. The company plans to turn a $100 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy into the nation's first commercial plant converting waste coal into low-emissions diesel fuel. Energy analysts say such coal liquefaction can produce synthetic oil at a cost of $32 a barrel, well below the $50 range where oil has been trading for the past year or so.

Some observers of the oil industry think so. They predict that this year, maybe next — almost certainly by the end of the decade — the world's oil production, having grown exuberantly for more than a century, will peak and begin to decline.
And then it really will be all downhill. [. . . . ]

Investors are similarly wary about tar sands and heavy oil deposits in Canada and Venezuela. Though they are too gooey to be pumped from the ground like conventional oil, engineers have developed ways of liquefying the deposits with injections of hot water and other means. Already, about 8 percent of Canada's oil production comes from tar sands.

Unfortunately, it costs energy to recover energy from tar sands.





China's a cautious oilsands investor Jon Harding, Financial Post, Jun. 2, 05

[. . . . ] The latest plunge was Tuesday when Sinopec Group invested $105-million with privately held, Calgary-based Synenco Energy Inc. in a deal that gives China's second-largest oil producer a 40% share, or about 40,000 barrels a day, worth of production from Synenco's proposed Northern Lights oilsands mine.

The deal ensures, for the first time, a share of production.

A pact in mid-April between PetroChina Co. Ltd. and pipeline company Enbridge Inc. aims to secure 200,000 barrels a day of future supply from various producers in northeastern Alberta to be moved west to the B.C. Coast. The oil would then be shipped by tanker to China.

That same week, CNOOC Ltd. acquired a 17% interest in oilsands startup MEG Energy Inc. [. . . . ]


Search: chemical engineering

Check also, the connection between CNOOC (or CNOC as I have seen it written) and the government in Beijing.





Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Committee Report: United Nations Oil-for-Food scandal investigation -- This could be 'revealing' . . . but undoubtedly, there will be no Canadian connections discovered. . .



Buckee denies talk Talisman in discussions to be taken over May 31, 05, Financial Post

[. . . . ] The stock jumped last week, spurred by a report by Terry Peters, an analyst with Canaccord Capital Corp., that said the Calgary-based international oil and gas explorer was being sized up by French oil giant Total SA, among others. [. . . . ]


Does that ring any TotalFinaElf, Power Corp, Desmarais bells? Check.



Talisman pulls out of Sudan -- Talisman oil workers -- Talisman promises to return when there is peace Mar. 10, 03, BBC

Canadian energy group Talisman has sold its stake in a controversial oil project in Sudan for $750m to India's national oil company.

The 25% stake in the Greater Nile Oil production and pipeline project had attracted heavy criticism from human rights groups.

They accused Talisman of providing the Islamist Sudanese government with oil revenues which were used to finance the two decade old civil war with mostly Christian and animist separatists in the south.

"We say welcome to the Indian company," Sudanese Energy Minister Awad al-Jaz told reporters.


[. . . . ] The Indian company ONGC Videsh also operates in Russia, Vietnam, Iran and Libya. [. . . . ]

The other partners in the venture are Malaysia's state oil firm Petronas, China National Petroleum Corp and Sudan's Sudapet.


One could ask those who agitated to get Talisman out, is this any better for the victimized Sudanese? It does not sound as though anyone would be too concerned with anything but oil.




Special Report on Sudan


"Every major public institutional investor has dumped its Talisman shares. "

Divestment Campaign to Get Talisman Out of Sudan Boston Phoenix, July 12, 2001

An international campaign to get Canadian oil company, Talisman Energy Inc. out of the oil project in Sudan was succesful -- only to have the India based Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) come in and buy its shares. For more information, read the article, India's 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil' Policy in Sudan.

Below is a July 2001 editorial from Boston based publication, Phoenix, laying out the divestment campaign to get Talisman out of the Sudan oil project.

When Will Fidelity Investments stop funding Sudan's civil war?

Fidelity holds some five million shares of stock in Canadian-based Talisman Energy, Inc., making it the company's largest private investor. By virtue of that investment, Boston's mutual-fund giant is supporting a company that contributes to slavery, murder, and famine in southern Sudan. [. . . . ]

The government in Khartoum has made no secret of its desire to amass oil profits, with which it can buy helicopters, tanks, bombs, and guns to use on its southern neighbors. Indeed, the World Bank estimates that since oil profits began flowing into Khartoum, its military budget has doubled. (According to the CIA's World Factbook, the Republic of Sudan spends $1.3 billion annually--$550 million of which is dedicated for military expenditures.) [. . . . ]




India's 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil' Policy in Sudan By Ann Ninan, Special to India Resource Center, September 12, 2002

[. . . . ] What neither the honourable minister nor sections of the media are telling the people of India is that the US$750 million (Rs. 3,750 crore) deal (one third of India's FDI for the last fiscal year) with Canada's Talisman Energy Inc. concerns an area where Sudan's Islamic military government has been waging a brutal war against its own people. Up to 2 million civilians have been killed and more than 4 million displaced in the south of the country, where the people are primarily animist and Christian "African Sudanese" who differ significantly from the ruling "Arab Sudanese" in the north in their race, culture, skin colour and often religion.

[. . . . ] It was exactly these concerns that fired a dogged campaign led by human rights and church groups in Canada forcing Talisman Energy Inc., Canada's biggest oil and gas producer, to give up its Sudanese asset (picked up in 1998 for US$270 million). These had turned into a public relations nightmare for the company in the face of a storm of accusations





I found these through researching something else with Google. Check for the link for the first one.

CRIME, BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN ASIA By Bertil Lintner (Chiang Mai, Thailand) October 17-19, 2002, University of Oslo

In the current debate about democratisation, governance, human rights and globalisation in Asia — and the world — one cast of characters has almost always been overlooked: the region’s organised crime syndicates.

[. . . . ] Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director, James Woolsley, who told the US Congress in April 1994 that “organised criminals from Russia, China and Africa are forging ties with old European and Latin American crime groups to threaten national economies and world security…Violent drug traffickers and other criminal groups are spreading and co-ordinating their activities throughout the world.”

This interpretation of the nature of the globalisation of organised crime which we have seen over the past two decades is also supported by American writer Claire Sterling, who suggests that “the Sicilian and American Mafias, the Turkish arms-drugs Mafia, the Russian Mafia, the Chinese Triads, the Japanese yakuza” are coming together under the informal rules of a new, international Pax Mafiosi.1

[. . . . ] Tackling the menace of organised crime, and the centuries-old system of secrecy, “connections” and lack of transparency that comes with it, will be a vital task if the Asian countries — and especially China — are ever going to develop into more prosperous and democratic countries, and if civil societies all over the world are to be protected from the worst excesses of the globalised mobsters.

[. . . . ] Ho and Ng, as it turned out, were also partners in Macau’s most ambitious construction project: the Nam Van Lakes. This massive US$2 billion land reclamation scheme was going to turn the waterway between the peninsula and Taipa into two giant lagoons, surrounded by hotels, apartment blocks and resorts. Launched during the regional boom in the early 1990s, Nam Van Lakes became a favourite site for wealthy Chinese businessmen and officials looking to move “hot money” out of Guangdong into the more stable precincts of Macau.39


Interesting.




RCMP probe on Taiwan trio shut down again Apr 25, 2002

For 10 years the RCMP has accused three Taiwanese brothers who brought 3,000 Asian families into Canada of fraud, bribery and links to the Chinese mafia. But the cases have died, some mysteriously. Now the brothers are suing Ottawa for $60 million claiming they are the victims of a vendetta by Ottawa's mandarins By Asian Pacific News Service

The RCMP has shut down yet another investigation into the alleged criminal activities by a trio of Taiwanese brothers, who have brought in more than 3,000 Asian families into Canada.

The Asian Pacific Post has learned that the latest investigation into alleged fraud by the brothers, was quietly closed after lawyers for Immigration Canada met with the RCMP's Immigration and Passport section in Surrey.

Also at the meeting held late last year was legal counsel for the brothers, Timothy, Gordon and Robert Fu whose company, Imperial Consultants had offices in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Burnaby, B.C. This is the fourth known investigation in Canada involving the brothers which have been shut down over the last 10 years.

[. . . . ] Almost 80 per cent of the successful applicants in the passport-for-sale scheme were wealthy Asians from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Imperial Consultants, processed Asian applications at less busy Canadian missions in Los Angeles, Rome and Buenos Aires for faster results.

At its height, Imperial . . . . had strong connections to government officials.

Among the influential people used by Imperial Consultants to wave its flag
. . . .


Just read it.




Dodge joins U.S. attack on China Terence Corcoran, Financial Post, June 01, 2005

Bank of Canada governor David Dodge appears to have delivered a faithful imitation of U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow's recent trade protectionist demands on China. . . .

[. . . . ] Under Mr. Dodge, of course, the line between Liberal and Bank of Canada policy has become ever so blurry. The bank is supposed to be an independent agency, distanced from political power. Its job is to implement the core of its narrow legal mandate: Keep inflation down. In recent years, however, the bank has issued pronouncements on any number of issues in which it has zero expertise or responsibility. We've had remarks on corporate governance, securities regulation, child care, bank mergers, pension reform. Now Mr. Dodge has begun hectoring China.

The bank, universal busybody, somehow remains silent on Canadian policy weaknesses in areas that fall within the central bank's line of vision. Example: massive ramp-ups in government spending. No problemo, says the bank, so long as the budget remains in balance. "I take the government at its word that those expenditures would only be made as long as fiscal balance can be maintained," Mr. Dodge said on Monday. Do such expenditures undermine Canadian economic growth prospects as forecast by the bank? After five decades of watching governments run state spending and tax levels up to near 50% of GDP, the Bank of Canada -- while expert in corporate governance and now Chinese monetary issues -- has yet to produce one significant research report or commentary on the economic impact of rampant fiscal statism. [. . . . ]





Newsbeat1 June 3, 05

Grewal tapes-..........

Question Period - Hansard excerpts - June 2/05 -- Don't miss reading this one.

What's the real cost of the Child Care Program? -- "Question Period- Hansard excerpts- June 2/02 (between this and the costs of implementing Kyoto-Canadians are going to be in for quite a surprise to their pocketbooks)"


There are other articles but don't miss those.


China flexes chipmaking muscles via Newsbeat1

Resource Sector: China still playing crucial role in commodity prices Sonita Horvitch, Financial Post, May 31, 05

three of the five panelists in this roundtable have just returned from a visit to China.

[. . . . ] Brockelsby: Our clients ask us how they can play China. We say: "Buy Canada." We in Canada are in the idyllic situation in that we are going to benefit from the demand for commodities. Expect to see the TSX outperform most international indexes for the next number of years. But it must be remembered that commodity prices are really sensitive to short-term issues. They move up and down on any data that comes out of China.
Way: A prime example of that change would be to look at iron ore contracts. The price of iron ore is set annually. The 2005 contracts were set 71% higher than they were last year. . . . This is, in part, because of the oligopolistic nature of this market, but also because of the incremental demand coming out of China. [. . . . ]








LPO-CBC & MSM: the Lib 'version'--That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

First: See the spin below; that's the Liberal 'story' and the MSM are making sure everyone hears it

Second: they are trying to tell us all politicians are the same. NO, they are not.
Those who report this just don't hang out with the good guys who tend not to get to the front benches nor into running the show because they're not for sale.

Will no-one rid us of the taxpayer funded Liberal Propaganda Organ . . . at least. The rest we may choose not to support . . . but Canadians are poorly served by the taxpayer funded one.

I heard the spin on CBC (Keep your friends close and your enemies closer -- Lyndon Johnson had a more colourful way of putting it.) but the story is everywhere; one link follows.

Why do I always think "Hello, the politician lied" when I listen to Liberal spin?

Liberals claim Grewal tapes doctored Dennis Bueckert And Alex Panetta, CP, June 2, 2005

[. . . . ] At a closed-door meeting Wednesday, Prime Minister Paul Martin led a cheer for Murphy, his chief of staff, even as opponents called for his dismissal.

And Dosanjh's office released a detailed list of alterations and omissions allegedly made to recordings of his conversations with Grewal.

For example, the Liberals dispute a sentence in which Dosanjh hinted at Grewal being rewarded if he crossed the floor. The released transcript said: "No one can forget such gestures but they require a certain degree of deniability."

But the Liberals say the word "deniability" was spliced into the sentence from another conversation not released by Grewal. [. . . . ]

Sources said the prime minister sprang to his feet at a weekly caucus meeting to lead a cheer for Murphy while Nova Scotia MP Rodger Cuzner was extolling his merits. [. . . . ]


Obviously, without an ethical compass, the PM is desperate. Anyway, I think there is more to this than the Sponsorship Scandal . . . but then, some of us have thought this for a long time.




Martin was fully briefed on negotiations to poach Tory MP, transcripts show

"I talked to the PM moments ago," Dosanjh tells Grewal in a conversation on the afternoon of May 17 - two days before the budget vote that threatened to bring down Martin's minority Liberal government.

[. . . . ] "He said he is going to Regina right now and he said he would be happy to talk to you over the phone tonight or in person if you want to move."

"Nobody will make you totally blunt promises right away, because that is not done in politics usually," Dosanjh told Grewal. "Cabinet right away may be possible." [. . . . ]


Have you ever tried to get a meeting with your MP, let alone the PM? Why would a member of the PMO's staff be talking to Grewel? And the PM?

No class, no honour, no ethics . . . just power . . . truly jaded.





Various

Pork fat hitting fan?

Bombardier denies CSeries headaches -- Beaudoin insists stretched jet remains viable Nicolas Van Praet, Jun2-05, Financial Post

[. . . . ] Bombardier has spent more than $38-million on the development of the new line of aircraft, called the CSeries, which some industry observers believe it needs to fuel future sales. But the US$2.1-billion project has hit a major snag. Two consortiums negotiating with Bombardier to build a new engine for the aircraft have rejected the plan. That has increased skepticism the company can develop a jet that customers will want to buy. [. . . . ]


Search: Paris Air Show , Embraer, Bombardier's Brazilian rival




Cellphone sales ringing in China Peter Evans, May 31, 05, Financial Post
[. . . . ] India, home of the largest middle class in the world, produces around three million new cellphone users per month, he said.
And the numbers in China are even more impressive: more than five million new customers each and every month. [. . . . ]





Is there any assymetrical aspect here?

How many Prime Ministers and key Ministries are run by MP's from Quebec? Does anyone else notice the overweaning power exerted by one province?

The fix is in for Alliance Quebec -- Ottawa aims to gut its funding -- It defends anglophone rights Diane Francis, Financial Post, May 31, 05

[. . . . ] A few hardy activists have remained in the province, however, but now their efforts to defend anglophone rights, through a federally funded agency called Alliance Quebec, are about to be strangled. The Alliance's funding has been sliced from $900,000 a year to $539,000. The recommendation is to gut the grant to $300,000 a year. [. . . . ]

Alliance Quebec is financed through an annual grant obtained from [Minister Frulla's] Canadian Heritage department, as are a number of francophone organizations. [. . . . ]

Last year, the department's wolves moved in for the kill by auditing the organization. This followed a series of research efforts that embarrassed the federal government. Alliance exposed abuses involving discrimination against anglophones in hiring practices inside and outside Quebec by the federal government; discrimination against anglophone employees at Canada Post and discrimination against businessmen that was brought to the attention of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. [. . . . ]


Search: spent millions financing French language activists who push for , billions more promoting

Meanwhile the Language Czar's office for the Promotion of French is expanding . . . and of course, in sport it has been documented that Quebec received the lion's share of the booty, in the last Olympics, I believe, if not longer. Then there is their share of Adscam . . .




Martin's leadership on official languages lagging, watchdog says Elizabeth Thompson, CanWest. Jun. 1, 05

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin's government is failing to show leadership when it comes to fostering Canada's two official languages, federal language watchdog Dyane Adam said yesterday. Speaking to reporters as she tabled her sixth annual report, Canada's commissioner [. . . . ]


Why doesn't Dyane Adam admit she is simply the Minister of the Promotion of French and admit that it's to heck with Anglo Canada?




Ten reasons not to fear separatism Barbara Kay, National Post, Jun. 1, 05

[. . . . ] 7. Playing the language card is over as a result of Bill 101's success. Today, confidently francophone Quebecers are actually militating for more English in a super-healthy French environment.

8. The separatists depend on public gullibility and the dissemination of their nationalist spin through tacitly complicit media. In 1995, the francophone media -- virtually 100% sympathetic to sovereignty -- controlled public debate in French. Technology has fractured that monopoly. Blogs, Blackberrys and chatrooms will democratize the Quebec media ideoligarchy. [. . . . ]


Number 7 is still affecting TROC. Still, our government is expanding the clout of the language czar . . . Promotion of language goes in one direction it appears. How long does English Canada have to bow to Quebec on language on acceptable politicians on funding for . . . well, ? I've had enough and several people are stating what has been felt for years. We speak English and so do a vast majority of Canadians and, for the most part, we cannot work for our own government. Enough already.




Heads up: via Newsbeat1

The Hill Times, May 30th, 2005, LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, Paco Francoli,

On Tuesday, May 31, . . . . Heritage Minister Liza Frulla is at the Official Languages Committee reviewing S-3, a bill sponsored by recently retired Liberal Sen. Jean-Robert Gauthier. The bill, which is in its fourth incarnation, is intended to give the Official Languages Act more bite. . . .

On Thursday, Public Works Minister Scott Brison [was scheduled to be] at the Government Operations and Estimates Committee to explain why the government has been renting a building in Gatineau, at a $575,000 monthly rate, that has been sitting vacant for nearly a year. The lease has generated controversy because Liberal Sen. Paul Masicotte is CEO of the Montreal-based company, Alexis Nihon Group, that owns the building. Tory MP Pierre Poilievre, who sits on the committee, has been dogging the file for weeks. He says that, according to the Parliament of Canada Act, "No person who is a member of the Senate shall, directly or indirectly, knowingly and willfully be a party to or be concerned in any contract under which the public money of Canada is to be paid." [. . . . ]





This came from the Hill Times. Watch for the results.

Hill Times Policy Briefings pdf for download



Don't blame the police Ron Laffin, May 30, 05

First off, let's clarify one thing: In Toronto, as in most other North American cities, it is not a "racial profiling" issue we are confronting: It is a black profiling issue, or more specifically, a young black male profiling issue. Toronto contains well over one million non-white people of all colours. Of these, it is estimated that only about 200,000 are black. And yet we rarely hear of any other cultural or racial group being singled out for excessive police attention.

Throughout the years, many other non-white Toronto communities have been victimized by racism. Pakistani Canadians, for example, have suffered as much discrimination as anyone. And yet the police do not profile them. Nor do the police appear to be profiling the members of other non-white communities. Could it be the controversies in Kingston, Toronto and elsewhere are not about racism at all? [. . . . ]

According to a McGill University study, 70% of Canada's black population emigrated from the Caribbean and Bermuda, the majority during the past 25 years. Prior to 1980, there was little gun crime in Toronto. But as Toronto's black population grew, so did the city's drug and gun problems. Most of us may prefer to cast this fact as a coincidence. But the police, who are charged with protecting us, cannot afford to hide from reality. [. . . . ]


Bang on!




We the (Media) People By GLENN HARLAN REYNOLDS, May 31, 2005
via Newsbeat1

Mr. Reynolds, a law professor at the University of Tennessee, publishes InstaPundit.com.

Quite a few bloggers are moving beyond opinion journalism into firsthand reporting. On my own InstaPundit.com weblog, I feature firsthand reports, often with photos, from places like Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. My "correspondents" are correspondents in the original sense -- people who correspond -- rather than in the modern sense of people with good hair and a microphone. Other bloggers have broken stories from Iraq (involving both alleged war crimes by U.S. troops and large anti-terror marches left uncovered by American media), from the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, and from Canada's government corruption scandals. [. . . . ]


Search: Pajamas Media , the power of quick-and-dirty digital video by , Chinese and North Korean independent journalists , Henry Copeland's blogads




Why, I believe Canada is ahead here, in education, according to this criterion

'Disposition' Emerges as Issue at Brooklyn College BY JACOB GERSHMAN, May 31, 2005, New York Sun, via InstaPundit.com

[. . . . ] Brooklyn College's School of Education has begun to base evaluations of aspiring teachers in part on their commitment to social justice, raising fears that the college is screening students for their political views.

The School of Education at the CUNY campus initiated last fall a new method of judging teacher candidates based on their "dispositions," a vogue in teacher training across the country that focuses on evaluating teachers' values, apart from their classroom performance.

[. . . . ] To drive home the notion that education schools ought to evaluate teacher candidates on such parameters as attitude toward social justice, the council issued a revision of its accrediting policies in 2002 in a Board of Examiners Update. It encouraged schools to tailor their assessments of dispositions to the schools' guiding principles, which are known in the field as "conceptual frameworks." The council's policies say that if an education school "has described its vision for teacher preparation as 'Teachers as agents of change' and has indicated that a commitment to social justice is one disposition it expects of teachers who can become agents of change, then it is expected that unit assessments include some measure of a candidate's commitment to social justice." [. . . . ]


Do you find this scary? I do.




Backup Belmont Club: The Thing -- on the vote in France on the EU via Newsbeat1

EU President Jean-Claude Juncker says a rejection by French voters of the European constitution would not mean its rejection by Europe. 'Non' does not mean no. "The European process does not come to a halt today." Europolitix reports: [. . . ]


Much there to read. VG





Caveat: I came upon this while looking for something else but when I saw Belinda Stronach and Stephen Harper's names in one of these, I was rather surprised at what I read. It is not, to my knowledge, a mainstream news site so I have no idea whether there is any veracity to it. Decide for yourself.

One is the site with the item and I came to it from the other.

Total Information Analysis

CLOAK AND DAGGER -- INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING UPDATE




Cinar pair's assets seized -- Quebec court orders seizure of homes, bank accounts Nicolas Van Praet, Financial Post, May 31, 05

[. . . . ] The company alleges the pair were involved in various schemes to transfer both the assets of Cinar and their own assets out of Quebec to avoid detection.

At the centre of the allegations is the transfer of more than US$120-million from Cinar to two companies in the Bahamas, Globe-X Management Ltd. and Globe-X Canadiana Ltd.

Liquidators of these two firms have alleged that executives of Norshield Financial Group were involved in helping former Cinar principals siphon money from the company.

Cinar says it has a claim of at least $59.3-million directly against Mr. Weinberg and former Cinar chief financial officer Hasanian Panju. [. . . . ]

The affidavit alleges that Mr. Weinberg and Ms. Charest saddled their two Quebec homes with mortgages for amounts far above the municipal value of the properties in an effort to deprive their creditors of winning any proceeds from an eventual judgment. [. . . . ]


How do you get a mortgage for more than your home is worth?




The green genocide National Post, Jun. 1, 05

Tens of millions of humans were sacrificed on the Green altar. The United States extended the ban overseas by various measures, including refusing aid to countries that used DDT. Other rich countries, urged on by their Greens, followed suit.

Malaria, which had been in retreat, came surging back, killing multitudes. [. . . . ]

Having set out the case against the Greens in Africa, a comparison with the work of the Catholic Church is instructive. [. . . . ]

. . . . AIDS is devastating Africa. . . . The breakdown of African families and the high incidence of married middle-aged men copulating with young girls hugely exacerbate the spread of HIV infection. The Pope's message of abstinence outside married life and faithfulness within it would be effective if it were followed -- more so than a message of free love and condoms. [. . . . ]





Greenpeace perpetuates poverty and malnutrition Paul Driessen, Sunday, May 29, 2005

Paul Driessen is its senior policy advisor and author of Eco-Imperialism: Green power ∙ Black death.

Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore has said the environmental movement’s "campaign against biotechnology clearly exposes its intellectual and moral bankruptcy." It shows little regard for truth or the harm its ideologies inflict on poor people.

[. . . . Read the part here for the reasoning.]

No wonder Dr. Moore says the greens’ position is "insanity."

Ms. Akthen, Greenpeace and UBINIG are on the wrong side of science, history, morality and humanity. Keeping GE seeds out of the hands of farmers — and GE food out of the mouths of hungry children and parents — violates their basic human rights, and perpetuates poverty and malnutrition.

Anti-biotech activists need to be held to civilized standards of honesty, transparency and accountability. And the news media need to demand peer-reviewed proof to support their claims and treat their fraudulent assertions with far more scepticism. [. . . . ]






Just what does "self-determination in aboriginal communities" mean?

Do the rest of us get self-determination? You know, real democracy, I mean, the kind where the ministerial positions are not handed out as rewards for crossing the floor and senatorial positions are not rewards for . . . well, whatever was being rewarded. I don't believe it was contracting competence in the case of Mr. Eggleton. Then, there are the grants to NGO's, foundations, crown corps and other agencies so useful for political manoeuvering. . . . What will self-determination accomplish in aboriginal communities that is different from being just Canadian citizens and equal? Or would it be crass to ask?

Ottawa grants natives policy-making role -- Self-determination will result: Fontaine Grant Robertson, CanWest, Jun. 1, 05

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin yesterday reached a deal with aboriginal groups giving them a long-awaited role in federal policy discussions, a move native leaders hailed as a crucial step toward self-government within Canada.

The agreement will see Inuit, First Nations and Metis leaders play a hands-on role in federal policy-making . . . .

. . . the pact sets the stage for self-determination in aboriginal communities [. . . . ]


My take on the whole thing is it is a massive vote-buying of the chiefs and cronies who will bring their own kinds of pressure to bear so that the reserves continue as they are. . . and, incidentally, vote Liberal as the $$$ go through via the chiefs and claque . . . but of course, what do I know?




Behind a Liberal with $800M is Jack Layton -- 'We're supporting a budget': Liberals invite NDP leader to transit cash announcement Simon Doyle, Jun. 1, 05, CanWest

GATINEAU, Que. - Acting like a coalition government, at least on budget matters, Infrastructure and Communities Minister John Godfrey yesterday invited NDP leader Jack Layton to a hotel to announce the details of the amended Liberal budget's $800-million for transit. But Mr. Layton made it clear that NDP support of the government is a budget one-off.

[. . . . ] The amended budget earmarked $900-million for transit and retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency, and yesterday Mr. Godfrey specified that if both budget bills pass in the minority government, $800-million of that will go to urban transit over the next two years.

[. . . . ] The $800-million would be used to replace fleets, upgrade terminals and garages and invest in light rail, subway and rabid bus systems.

The new funding would come in addition to the gas tax in the original 2005 budget, which promised $5-billion over five years for urban transit, waste, water and energy systems. [. . . . ]


We all have our price. Jack's was a little steep . . . but the result was the same . . . a vote to support the #$^&%$* government of PM$$$ and his like. Will making BS the Minister responsible for human resource$ and democratic renewal (so well qualified!) cost less in the long run?

Paul, try offering--or whatever is the current argot for the same thing--those of us with less expensive tastes a cabinet post or a senatorial seat. . . when you want to economize.



Compilation 2: Marriage, Parenting & Same Sex Relationships

Nearly half of Canadians believe homosexuality is abnormal, survey finds -- "poll, conducted May 3 to May 11 by Leger Marketing" Anne Sutherland, Jun. 2, 05, CanWest



Gay bill fast-tracked -- Same-sex nuptials law by summer, Liberals say Tim Naumetz; with files from Scott Stinson, CanWest News Service, with files from National Post, Jun. 2, 05

One MP said Liberal senators have agreed to extra sittings in July to hasten the legislation through its final stages before royal assent.

OTTAWA - The federal government told Liberal MPs yesterday it will push same-sex marriage legislation through Parliament before a summer recess, prompting critics to charge the Liberals are ignoring public complaints about the controversial bill.

[. . . . ] Liberal MPs were informed in their weekly caucus meeting that the bill will likely become law this summer.

One MP said Liberal senators have agreed to extra sittings in July to hasten the legislation through its final stages before royal assent.

[. . . . ] Pat O'Brien, one of 35 Liberal MPs who voted against the bill for its second reading, warned the government can expect stiff opposition in the limited time that remains before the Commons recesses this month.

"It became obvious today that there is an agenda to fast-track this," Mr. O'Brien said. "My clear indication from caucus was they want this bill done, they want it done before the end of June. They want it out of the House and over to the Senate, which is prepared to do the damn thing. I don't support that, there's a whole lot of us that don't support fast-tracking it."
[. . . . ]


Search: A leading Roman Catholic opponent


And the MSM claim the conservatives have a hidden agenda? In the democratic deficit department, have the Liberals ever considered allowing a free vote on this or any other legislation they demand MP's support . . . They are vote buying to gain another identifiable voting bloc? And the Liberals try to paint the CPC as having a hidden agenda when the Conservatives are the only party that would allow MP's to vote as they so choose?




Our government has done everything possible to glorify anything but traditional marriage for raising children . . . and with predictable results. This is worth reading.

Baby mamas find a champion Anne Kingston, National Post, May 31, 05

. . . . glorifying single motherhood. [. . . . ]

For those who don't live in the 'hood or haven't been reading aggrieved pundits, "baby mama" is slang for a young mother of children born out of wedlock. One line has summoned most of the outrage: "Nowadays," Barrino sings, "it's like a badge of honor/to be a baby mama." This paper's editorial board, whose admiration of Barrino's singing talents is well-documented, joined the irate chorus last week, noting that while "single mothers should be supported by society," single motherhood "is certainly not something that should be encouraged by celebrities as 'a badge of honour.' "

. . . single female celebrities have been brandishing their tots as self-actualization remedies. . . . Angelina Jolie . . . cavorting with her three-year-old son in a bedroom in Paris's Ritz Hotel and quoted gushing: "He's made me a woman! He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

Nor is fury still directed at affluent single women in their 30s -- the fastest growing segment of unmarried mothers . . . . because they can afford help, are often surrounded by stable support networks and aren't viewed as a drain on the system.

Poor black teenage girls are in another category, as is made clear in Baby Mama. The 20-year-old Barrino, who dropped out of school at 16 to have her daughter, sings of the pressure of paying bills, working, doing schoolwork and waiting for support checks: "I see you get that support check in the mail. Ya open it and you're like, 'What the hell!' You say, 'This ain't even half the daycare.' Saying to yourself, 'This s--t ain't fair.' " [. . . . ]


I disagree with the assumption that while "single mothers should be supported by society," single motherhood "is certainly not something that should be encouraged by celebrities as 'a badge of honour.' " If society rewards--nay encourages--an activity with support $$$ (think of the reserves), what makes anyone think the behaviour will change?

Everyone talks about fear of the religious right -- who tend to favour marriage, for goodness' sake, but it is traditional marriage which offers the best situation, ideally, for children.

I note someone wrote yesterday that the big negative for the conservatives is the fear of their "social attitudes" It was in something I read by a Mr. Chen who thought he was offering Stephen Harper good advice -- and it was probably well meant; perhaps it was in one of the Toronto papers. Nevertheless, I take issue with his view. It is only when people add a bit of living time to let their views stew that they begin to realize how fine the line is in raising a healthy child, as opposed to one with unhealthy pathologies.

It is the fine line that delineates fierce parental protection of the child and for there are two to protect their young offspring from the dangers out there,while the child is learning about the world. I believe that no amount of income, no material goods are as important as having one parent who brings home the bacon and another who (ideally -- death of one may intervene) takes care of the other stuff. That way, when the one who earns the bucks arrives home, the little annoyances and duties are out of the way and the family may concentrate on that which makes a healthy environment for parenting and marriage.

When I was callow enough to think that what other people did--their 'lifestyle' if you will--meant nothing to others, I lacked the wisdom to understand that, for a child, having two opposite sex parents in a stable home is crucial. The child learns to trust, to know what it means to be a man or a woman and all the rest, while being protected by both parents. Real family life involves much more than getting and spending. That is something Stephen Harper must push.

Then, we must, as a society, decide; do we continue to support a practice that we do NOT want, given the resulting pathologies, or are we too gutless to do something about it?
Why should any individual be able to claim other people's money because she's stupid? Forget him; he doesn't have to raise the product and his interest lasts about as long as it takes to bed her.

Today, is there any excuse for babies being born to a woman whose "partner", "hook-up", "one night stand", or "live-in-until-she's-pregnant-excuse-for-a-real-man" takes off? I don't think so. There is a societal price that we see being paid for this approach. I don't think society should be encouraging it. Not today.

And don't talk to about parental self-actualization, pursuing your own destiny and all the rest. It's selfish hogwash, once you accept the responsibility of bringing a child into the world and you'd better make it work, somehow. That is why traditionally societies have made marriage a public ceremony with promises and all the rest of the panoply . . . to emphasize its importance to the society as well as to the individuals, and to emphasize its permance, not for the parents, but for the children. If you want to develop your own precious self, despite having a child who would interfere, undoubtedly with the pursuit of your happiness, stay single.


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. [. . . . ]