CHRC Recommendations

From their "Special Report to Parliament: Freedom of Expressionand Freedom from Hate in the Internet Age":

1) Keep Section 13.

2) Amend CHRA so def. of "hate" is in accordance with Tayler.

3) Lack on intent provision is no big deal, as Commission "routinely considers the context of an alleged hate message."

4) No statutory requirement for legal representation (a point Ezra never acknowledges), but costs can be awarded "in exceptional circumstances where the Tribunal finds that a party has abused the Tribunal process." As has already been done at least once in B.C.

5) Amend CHRA to more swiftly dismiss "section 13 complaints when messages do not meet the narrow definition of hatred or contempt."

6) Continue to let individuals (in addition to the commission) file complaints.

7) Move to end "forum shopping", which in any event is a rare occurrence.

8) Repeal section allowing fines against section 13 complaints. Keep penalties (paid to complainant).

Here's the full .pdf.

British National Party (BNP) Also Anti-Science

It isn't particularly surprising that the BNP (British National Party), given its overall position on the English political dial, is "skeptical" of the science behind AGW. But you can tell much about a Conservative by the quality of their denialism. And in the case of the BNP, its pretty low. Here's an excerpt from the first edition of "The Comet", their newsletter for British youth:

The National Curriculum, which decides what you’re being taught in school, makes a big thing out of global warming. It tells you that mankind’s activity on earth in the last 150 years (since the industrial revolution) has caused more “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere. You are being taught that we should stop driving around in cars, recycle our rubbish etc, then the Earth’s climate would settle down. Now, hold on just a minute! The Earth’s climate has always gone through cycles of heat and cold.

A very good website shows a graph of these cycles, from 2500BC until now:

Admittedly, it is a very nice graph:

...but if you've followed this blog for any length of time you will have seen it before, because I've written about Cliff & Randy Mann's Long Range Weather before.

Not to repeat myself, but here's the short version; their long-range weather predictions are based upon biblical exegesis.

Good luck to my English readers (assuming I have any, that is).

Dhallapalooza: The End Is Near

Most likely, with the release of yesterday's "minority report" on Ruby Dhalla's nanny problems, you will see the issue fade from the public eye. Just a few final comments, then.

Having spent about two months following the issue (on English language Sikh forums, Filipino Canadian media outlets, and Brampton-area message boards), it seems clear that not everyone in the relevant communities is enamored with either Ms. Dhalla or her family's business practices. And I probably would not want to work for them as a domestic (although that basement apartment does look rather sweet).

But never did that old saying "Let's not make a federal case of it" ring so true. A couple of workers have trouble with their employer, quit after less than a month's service, and turn parliament into a monkey show. You can't but agree with the minority report's main conclusion: that this was an exercise in partisan politics designed to damage Ms. Dhalla's standing in the community and wreck her re-election hopes.

Given what the latest Ekos polls show about the Libs standing in Ontario, these efforts have apparently failed.

Your Daily Nazi: Holocaust Museum Shooter's Canadian Connections!

In 1996, long before he became a Speechy warrior, and pre-Heritage Front, Marc Lemire, who Connie Fournier now regrets banning from Free Dominion, and who Mark Steyn once described as having done "sterling work" in his Section 13 constitutional challenge, was flogging audio-tapes of Ernst Zundel's Zundel Radio broadcasts over Toronto FreeNet, a kind of clumsy pre-Internet BBs service that I remember well (they also had a writer's forum).

In any case, several of the interviews Ernst recorded (and Marc presumably profited from the sale of) were:

# 57 and # 58. James von Brunn, American artist and businessman, talks with EZ about his failed attempt to arrest, at gun point, the Board Members ofthe Federal Reserve in Washington. Von Brunn was arrested, tried andconvicted to 8 years' imprisonment in a federal penitentiary byquestionable legal maneuvers.

(Note: if you click through the link to Nizkor, scroll way down, as its a big file.)

And, yeah, its our guy--"artist", Holocaust denier, and murderer James W. von Brunn; the incident he is talking about is described in greater detail here. In that piece, Michael Tomasky asks:

So this is the second act of right-wing terror, the first being the murder of Dr. Tiller, in a mere three weeks. These are terrorists, as surely as Zawahiri is. Will Rush Limbaugh and the other demagogues like him call them that?

And I would just add: does that mean that all the folks above--Connie, Mark, Marc, and so forth-- have (admittedly tentative) connections to right-wing terror?

We'll just let that question hang in the air, and hum some ominous music.

When The NDP Wants To Do Something, Anything

...they write-up up a whack of by-laws and form a commission, because more bureaucracy is always the answer.

Actually, another great piece by Dennis Gruending on the federal New Democrats attempt to reach out to faith-based groups and religiously motivated individuals through its recently created Faith and Social Justice Commission. Mr. Gruending deserves more readers, although I think sometimes his material is too calm and meticulously reasoned for the blogosphere. I'd suggest he throw in the occasional "boobies" gag, but I get the impression that just isn't where his head is at.

In any case, from the article:

[NDP MP] Comartin says that he has seen a change occurring among faith-based groups in the past four or five years. “We are witnessing a shift from the primary focus of these groups being right wing and based upon what they call family values back to a more left of centre position. These people are increasingly concerned about peace, poverty and the environment and they are coming at it from a more progressive perspective.”

Ducasse and Comartin agree that Barrack Obama’s effective outreach to faith-based groups during his presidential campaign in 2008 was an important development. Comartin says, “Faith groups in the U.S. became active on behalf of the Democrats in the way that they had been for the Republicans in earlier times. This arose from pastors and others seeing the problems that people in their congregations and their communities were facing, and they became involved in politics because of their faith and their desire to create change. Political leaders are recognizing this.”

Interesting that, down in the States, both Republicans and Dems. are fighting over the "less religious" vote.

Pro-Life Terrorists Win Through Murder

Tiller's Abortion Facility to Close Forever

All Hail Lenore Zann!

Last night, NDP Star candidate Lenore Zann won the NS riding of Truro-Bible Hill by a good 18% point margin over her Liberal opponent. As you may know, early in the campaign, Lenore, who has starred in such movies as Def-Con 4 andVisiting Hours, suffered a Liberal Party instigated smear when topless photos of her from the tv series The L-Word were leaked to a number of NS media outlets. Party leader Stephen McNeil eventually apologized, but perhaps this set the notion of NS Liberals as scuzzy operators in the public's mind.

In any case, Ms. Zann overcame adversity to triumph in what was previously a Tory strong-hold. Congratulations, Ms. Zann! And, just to say it so it has been said and need never be said again: awesome rack, sister!

Hillier Sees Through Klees

Looks like Mr. Hillier reads BCLSB:

As the four-way Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leadership race begins to tighten, Eastern Ontario MPP leadership hopeful Randy Hillier is calling for clarity regarding a new Private Member’s Bill introduced by leadership opponent Frank Klees’. In the bill, tabled last week, Klees urges limitations on the powers of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the repeal of Section 13 of the Ontario Human Rights Act. Hillier argues his leadership opponent is confusing Section 13 of the Ontario Human Rights Code with Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. As Hillier notes: “In the first place, there is no Ontario Human Rights Act. There is an Ontario Human Rights Code, but Section 13 of that Code has nothing whatsoever to do with freedom of speech. Mr. Klees is clearly confusing Section 13 of the Ontario Human Rights Code with Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act which has been used extensively to limit freedom of expression in this country.” Getting to the crux of the issue, Hillier adds: “The Canadian Human Rights Act is a federal law and cannot be amended provincially.” Hillier is arguing Klees’ Private Member’s Bill is a misinformed attempt to score political points with key Tory supporters who oppose human rights commissions.


Well, firstly, Hillier is not entirely correct about section 13 of the Ontario code having nothing to do with speech. It basically prohibits you from publishing materials that announce "an intention to discriminate--signs reading "whites only served", and so forth. And in a coda to his private member's bill, Klees explicitly notes the purpose of the section. So, while misleading eager to be misled Tory supporters is almost certainly part of Klees goal, perhaps he really is OK with such signs.


(Although, to be fair, Hillier's proposal--abolishing the OHRT-- would also make it easier to post racist signs and emblems. Among other things.)

Some Of Their Ads Were Almost As Bad As Ours

Premier Rodney MacDonald discusses attack ads and explains why the Tories lost in Nova Scotia.

Conservative attack ads backfiring? Hmm! Where have I heard that before?)

(PS. That remark isn't in the ctv link above; I just heard McDonald say it on CBC. Also, waving his man-boobs on a trampoline didn't help)

(PPS. Libs as opposition? That's an advance! Drinks all around)

Canwest Vs. Adbusters: The True Story

Another version.

Lisa Raitt Debacle: A Product Of CPoC's Nomination Process?

Given Ms. Raitt's current predicament, it is perhaps a good time to note just how much controversy her appointment as Tory candidate for Halton originally generated. Members of the Halton Conservative riding association complained vociferously about this "star candidate" being parachuted in when at least three other association members had announced their intention to run. In fact, during the election itself a website sprang up urging disgruntled Torys to cast their vote for someone other than Ms. Raitt. At the time this might have sounded like sour grapes, but given recent developments, the words of Charles Conn, Reform Party candidate for the riding of Mississauga West back in 1993, now seem prescient:

...[i]nvestigators might possibly find it useful to also probe Toronto city councillors and mayor Miller about Ms. Raitt's tenure at THC.

(Note: THC=Toronto Harbour Commission, precurser to the TPA=Toronto Port Authority)

And, just this morning, former MP Joe Hueglin weighed in, blaming the current debacle on the CPoC's penchant for "top down governance":

Though there were several candidates who had been cleared to stand for nomination, though there were requests the Nomination Meeting be held from the EDA it was not.

Rather than this Lisa Riatt was named as candidate through application of the Conservative Party of Canada Candidate Nomination Rules and Procedures Section 8 b., APPENDIX B...

[...]

Some would consider the decision made by the hierarchs as an error based not only on current misadventures but on questions as to whether she would have passed the test to be able to stand for nomination due to questions raised concerning her conduct in the position from which she has taken a leave of absence.

I notice that the TPA scandal continues to percolate, and threatens to draw in Transport Minister John Baird. Looks like some of these Tory rebs from days gone by might have had a point about ignoring the wisdom of the CPoC grass-roots.

Warman, The Fourniers, And On-Line Privacy

A good piece from the Law Times. Although it ranges fairly widely over the on-line anonymity issue, the sentiment in regards to Warman vs. FreeD seems to be:

In Warman, however, Young says the legal issues were clearer. In that case, the issues came largely down to the question of privacy versus the rules of civil procedure. “[Disclosure] is obliged by the rules of civil procedure. In my view that’s what Warman says governs. They make clear that the rules of civil procedure basically trump everything else.”

Banh Cong!

One Day, everyone will be eating it. Or not. The first time I tried this I didn't like. The 2nd time I was starved and realized the whole point to it. Now I would highly recommend them. The recipe:

It's some sort of tapioca batter, mixed with whole mung beans, sprouts, and daikon or turnip cubes ('white carrot' - whatever that is) in the batter, formed in muffin pans and then they're topped with two small shell-on shrimp and then deep fried. The ones I'm used to seem to be covered with some sort of very hard, but light tempura before frying. I assume they're baked somehow first as the inside seems to be airy, and not dense. I wouldn't expect it to get that way from just deep-frying alone. Or would I? Yes - they're pretty greasy."

They are in fact gloriously greasy, and a wee bit salty. And there's no point trying to peel the shell off the shrimp. You just chomp right through. Yeah, baby! Yeah!!

Christian Terrorist Promises More Christian Terror

'I know there are many other similar events planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal,' Roeder said. When asked what he meant and if he was referring to another shooting, he refused to elaborate. It was not clear whether Roeder knew of any impending violence or whether he was simply seeking publicity for his cause.

Just an FYI. Who knows whether this Christian terror will spill North over the border? Beware anyone waving a pro-life placard.

Girls On The Run! TPA On Chow On Raitt!

Olivia Chow is adding to current Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt's troubles this afternoon by pointing to a purportedly confidential letter written by four directors of the Toronto Port Authority, where Ms. Raitt used to be CEO, to Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Minister John Baird on March 30, 2009. In the letter, such wrongs as mis-managing TPA finances and cronyism are alleged.

Keeping the old pot boiling, the TPA has fired back with a news release:

Many of the items referred to in the Letter are both picayune and stale, having been already widely reported in the Toronto and Ottawa media and often undermined in this earlier coverage. Once you discard the half- truths and defamation in their Letter, one is left with little more than a transparent attack by a subset of the Board, two of whom are seeing their terms expire in ten weeks' time. Their retirement present to the rest of us is to "burn down the house" on their way out the door, as they now recognize that they will not be reappointed to the Board for a second term.

The TPA is right in that allegations of impropriety have been levelled against Raitt and the TPA since at least 2006 (by Chow particularly). Also notable, of the TPA Board's current makeup:


Mr. Jeremy Adams: 1/14/09 - 1/14/12
Mr. Chris Henley: 8/23/06 - 8/22/09
Mr. David Gurin: 12/4/08 - 12/4/11
Ms. Michele McCarthy: 7/14/04 - 7/13/10 (two terms)
Mr. Mark McQueen: 8/23/07 - 8/22/10
Mr. Sean Morley: 12/19/08 - 12/18/10
Mr. Douglas Reid: 8/23/06 - 8/22/09
Mr. Craig Rix: 2/2/08 - 2/1/11
Mr. Colin Watson: 8/23/06 - 8/23/11 (two terms)

...three--Adams, Morley, and Rix--are Conservative Party members on either the federal or Ontario level.

Which Way Doth The Wind Bloweth?

It bloweth Left, at least in Canada.

While some wonder whether the latest EU result portends anything for Canada, surely the fact that Nova Scotia will wake up Wednesday morning with an NDP majority government is more indicative of the state of our national politics.

And the NS result will be a good one, too. A party can only ensure its long-term viability by governing successful in some jurisdiction. The next generation of federal NDPers (post Jack Layton, may that day come soon) will soon be able draw from a broader pool of pols with experience in actually working the levers of power, rather than standing on the sidelines and kibbitzing interminably.

Iggy Vs. Dion: Spot The Difference

When Iggy grovels, he does it with clenched fists, thus displaying "leadership".



(PS. One thing about the Torys: at least they wait until they're in power before they start ignoring the grass-roots)

Alberta Torys Strike Back

The Edmonton Whitemud Progressive Conservative constituency Board has proposed a resolution removing section 9 (the parental opt out stuff) from Bill 44. There is some hope it can be put before the Progressive Conservative Party to vote on at its Annual General Meeting in November.

Good on them. Being Torys, I suppose these folks are part of the "silent majority" Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett insists support the bill.

Ontario PC Leadership Race Gets Weird

We've got leadership hopeful Frank Klees proposing legislation that would bring back "whites only" signs, murmurs of a new, break-away party should Christine Elliott win the leadership (she's too damn Liberal!), Randy Hillier's promise to reduce Ontario's property tax assessment system to anarchy (this one deserves a post of its own)... and now anti-Hudak attack ads on youtube!

Might as well crown Dalton Emperor for Life!

h/t to this guy, whose commenters consider, and then more-or-less abandon, the notion that this last effort could be a Liberal smear job:

paulsstuff — I hesitated to even post on this but I thought I should do it to expose what is going on. However, there is one problem with the idea that it is a Liberal smear job. The person [who authored the clip] used a very private e-mail which is only known at PC headquarters. So, how would the Liberals get access to the PC membership list?

Trost On The Long Gun Registry

If this is how the maneuvering went, then good on Jack Layton:

At first, C-301 looked like it was going to pass the House of Commons. With 143 Conservative votes, Garry’s bill needed less than a dozen votes from independent and Opposition MPs to become law. Supporters of C-301 received assurances from rural Opposition MPs that we had the necessary votes to pass the legislation.

However, two things started to happen: NDP members began to be pressured by their leadership (Jack Layton) not to vote the way they had promised; and the Bloc Quebecois brought forward a motion on the long-gun registry in the House of Commons.

While the Bloc motion supporting the long-gun registry passed the House, it only passed by five votes because of abstentions from Opposition MPs (who had previously said they sided with the Conservatives.)

I say "if" because Trost seems to be pretending that C-391 has a hope in hell with a Lib. dominated Senate, and it does not, so he is clearly prone to erroneous statements.

(PS. "Trost" is Brad Trost is the Tory MP representing the riding of Saskatoon—Humboldt.)

Dhallaphanalia: Nannies Gone Mellow

As Dhallagate winds down into gray ambiguities (don't expect federal and provincial agencies to investigate Ms. Dhalla if the ex-caregivers won't file the requisite complaints, and so far they have shown no signs of wanting to do so), the folks at the Caregiversresourcenter, who were quite militant in their pursuit of Ms. Dhalla, have seen the writing on the wall and dialled down the rhetoric. Ka Rodel, who was instrumental in producing the Villaneuva retraction writes of an upcoming picnic at Earl Bales

Jason Kenney of Immigration, a representative of the Provincial Liberal and perhaps a Federal Liberal, hopefully Michael Ignatief so we can ask him to support our proposals [will attend]. I suggest we don't talk about the Dhalla affair so as not to antagonize the Liberals. We need their support for this issue and so with the NDP.

And so it appears to end. I heartily concur with this sentiment:

If Michael Ignatieff is serious about improving the representation of women in the Liberal Party of Canada and ultimately in Parliament, he should start by restoring Ruby Dhalla to his shadow cabinet.

In other words, this shouldn't become Judy Sgro redux.

Frank Klees Will Lift Prohibition On Racist Signs?

At least I think that's what he's proposing:


(Queen’s Park) Newmarket-Aurora MPP and PC Leadership Candidate Frank Klees tabled a Private Member’s Bill that is an essential first step to refocusing the Ontario Human Rights Commission on its original mandate and it received First Reading in the Ontario Legislature today.

The Bill, entitled the “Human Rights Code Amendment Act, 2009” will remove Section 13 from the Ontario Human Rights Act. This is the section that Klees and many observers of the Human Rights Commission and its companion, the Human Rights Tribunal, point to as the section of the Act that has given rise to what Klees refers to as the “over-reach” of the HRC Commission into matters dealing with freedom of expression and freedom of speech.


Actually, though, this is incorrect. As I have written previously, section 13.1 of the Ontario Code prohibits you from publishing materials that announce "an intention to discriminate". It reads:

A right under Part I is infringed by a person who publishes or displays before the public or causes the publication or display before the public of any notice, sign, symbol, emblem, or other similar representation that indicates the intention of the person to infringe a right under Part I or that is intended by the person to incite the infringement of a right under Part I. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, s. 13 (1).

But 13.1 does not cover broader forms of free expression, as Barbara Hall noted in her critique of Mark Steyn's writing in Macleans:

Section 13 of the Code makes it illegal to display or publish certain kinds of offensive material. But its limits on freedom of expression are narrow. For the Code to apply, the offending item must be a notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other similar representation that indicates an intent to infringe, or incite others to infringe, a right under the Code. Therefore, a sign would fall within this section, but a five-page article conveying the same message would not.

So, in Klees Ontario, would it become possible to have signs like "No blacks need apply" hanging from your shop window? Or, as I wondered here, has Mr. Klees simply confused the federal with the provincial human rights code?

Or, is he assuming that Ontario PC rank and filers, the folks whose votes he is trolling for in his quest to become party leader, are too stupid to distinguish the one from the other?

Don't Worry, One Day The Liberal Leader Will Do Something Liberal

But apparently not today. Today, he's rushing to help the Tories impose automatic jail terms for drug crimes, an idea so stupid that they couldn't even dig up four "experts" to argue in favour during the committee stage.

Not too glorious, Iggy. You should be ashamed of himself.

Think Tanker Supremo, Or: Who The Heck Is Roger Bate?

Ever heard that old story: banning DDT resulted in the deaths of millions of children in the developing world, and therefore enviros in general and Rachel Carson in particular have blood on their hands? Its out there, and I think its managed to con a few otherwise non-stupid people, notably James Lovelock (of Gaia hypothesis fame). Well, it is, quite literally, the creation of one man, a roving think-tanker for hire named Roger Bate. Linked below is one of the very few stories I've read about him in the MSM or at least "off-blog" media about why he did it. The short answer: it was a feint designed to block attempts by WHO (World Health Organization) to curb smoking in 3rd world countries!

Now operating out of the conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI), [Roger]Bate’s signature coup to date has been to spread the myth that environmentalists, by preventing the use of the pesticide DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) to kill mosquitoes in developing countries, have heartlessly caused millions of malaria deaths worldwide. It needs to be said at the outset that this argument is untrue. While some groups have pressed hard to find alternatives, there is little evidence that a concerted effort to abolish anti-malaria DDT spraying ever occurred. Of the few environmental organizations that even pay attention to pesticide use overseas, the ones with any clout all support a clause in the Stockholm Convention that allows DDT use for public health reasons.

[...]

The latter is of particular importance in Bate’s case. His most visible contribution to his chosen cause has been to use the unlikely twin forces of malaria and DDT – both absent from the United States for decades, but facts of life in much of the developing world – to pit potential allies in regulatory efforts, especially environmentalists and public health advocates, against each other in an effort to draw their fire away from regulated industries, including tobacco. In a funding proposal to Philip Morris laying out his vision of a so-called Malaria Strategy, Bate wrote circa 1998 that the “opponents” of tobacco “are quite disparate, yet we have not divided them and shown each how the other’s agenda is damaging their own.” To be more successful, the document said, “we need to . . . [p]ick issues on which we can divide our opponents and win. Make our case on our terms, not on the terms of our opponents – malaria prevention is a good example. Show our opponents where their alleged allies are harming their cause[.]”

The proposal laid out a comprehensive plan, including the formation of a front group to push the idea that Western experts and activists were focusing on the wrong issue. The central argument of the Malaria Strategy, he wrote, would be that “environmental regulations often harm public health in the West and Western policies often harm health in Less Developed Countries.” In other words, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other regulatory bodies shouldn’t even have time to think about regulating American and British tobacco, because the scourge of malaria demanded more immediate attention. Thus emerged Bate’s thesis, which he continues to promote as a proxy for his deeper anti-regulatory agenda: That out-of-touch bureaucrats and misguided environmentalists are ignoring malaria sufferers, either because of incompetence or spoiled-rich fears about comparatively harmless risks like second-hand smoking, and are therefore not to be trusted.

As mentioned in his wiki entry, one of the guys that did heavy labor digging into Bate's past is climate blogger Eli Rabbett. To learn more, I would suggest visiting his site and running "Roger Bate" through the blog search function. For instance, we know due to Eli that Bate was raking in about $18,000 per month for his work.

Almost as weird a story as that of Martin Durkin, the guy behind "The Great Global Warming Swindle", which perhaps I shall attempt to tell at a later date.

Christie Gets His Say

Doug Christie has been granted "interested party status" in the League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith, Abrams, Harry v. Topham, Arthur case now before the CHRT. This one is interesting for two reasons: 1st) it is to my knowledge the last section 13 case on the Tribunal's schedule, and 2nd) Topham, and his Radical Press, are probably good examples of what is called "Left Anti-Semitism" (note picture above from the 1960s/early 70s, I believe), which is to say that it is untrue that the CHRC/CHRT exclusively targets Christians/Conservatives.

The RP itself is a mixture of endless pages of boring drivel, interspersed with some quite barbaric material. Indeed, there is a slight stench of madness about Mr. Topham.

Stephen Harper: I Can't Find My Money!

Don't know if this is a GritGirl vid or not. Title copped from this, from this bunch.

The Elephants Of Florida

In what a top Florida anthropologist is calling “the oldest, most spectacular and rare work of art in the Americas,” an amateur Vero Beach fossil hunter has found an ancient bone etched with a clear image of a walking mammoth or mastodon.

A long, wonderfully detailed story--and two crappy photos, of which this one is the better.

Donna Braginetz offers the following observation on the Dinosaur Mailing List:

The legs are drawn with tremendous sophistication -- more so than the head. Plus, the animal is doing a proper elephant pace -- legs on the same side of the body moving in unison. One could imagine that the artist had lots of experience being very close to the living animals.

Additionally, I can't help but notice there don't seem to be any weapons depicted and none mentioned in the article. Who knows -- maybe this is actually an example of one individual's fascination with an animal's form(an artistic exercise) rather than the standard hunting narrative (recording an event, evoking magic, or celebrating a kill).[Bald sociological speculation over.]

Gruending On Kymlicka On Canadian Immigration Policy

In which Dennis Gruending channels Queens University professor Will Kymlicka's full-throated defense of Canadian multiculturalism:

There is a high degree of political integration among immigrants and an elevated percentage of immigrants to Canada who become citizens. They are more likely than immigrants in other countries to vote, to seek political office and to get elected. Canadians are just as likely to vote for a foreign born or visible minority candidate, as they are to vote for any other candidates.

[...]

Rather than focusing upon social science research, many commentators rely on anecdote. They say it creates ethnic ghettos but Kymlicka says that is no truer now than it was previously for other groups such as Italians and Hungarians. Some commentators say that among visible minority immigrants the second generation express lower levels of “belonging” to Canadian society than do their parents. Kymlicka said that, in realty, studies show no dramatic differences and second generation immigrants still express a “high level of belonging to Canada. Too many Canadian commentators, Kymlicka says, are importing a European analysis that holds we are sleepwalking into segregation. “There is little evidence to support this, he says. “My view is that this ominous public debate is off target and unhelpful."

[...]

Kymlicka then outlined what he sees as the major problems confronting Canada’s multicultural model. One is economics. The current cohort of immigrants is not keeping up with native-born Canadians. Policies of multiculturalism, Kymlicka said, cannot deal with broadly based economic problems. There are also problems that relate to multiculturalism and religion. Policies developed in the 1970s did not take account of religious sensibilities. “We still do not have a good framework to decide which religious demands are legitimate.” He gave as examples the debates that have swirled around public funding for religious schools and around the use of shariah law in solving certain disputes.

Makes me wish the whole presentation was on-line somewhere. UBC Professor David Ley's “Multiculturalism: A Canadian Defense”, which I admit to not having read, can be found here.

He's Thinking: Why Do I Get Stuck With All The Shitty Jobs?

A government aide leaves CTV's Ottawa bureau after picking up the 'secret' documents.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't cheer too hard at Ms. Raitt's troubles. Centrist, non-knuckle dragging, sophisticated blond women are what the Tories need more of.

4 FreeD Anonies Identified

ARC has the story, and several background documents. Of the 8 John Does in the FreeDominion vs. Richard Warman defamation case, it has been possible to put a name and mailing address to 4, who have been served their legal paperwork over the past week or so.

The documents are interesting as a good example of how this on-line sleuthing stuff actually works. To put a name to various Internet handles, the investigation went from blogs to the comments section of online newspapers to flickr and elsewhere. This is all material found on public websites so, despite the bleating you may hear from certain sources, it is a long way from Internet "stalking".

PS. It also, contrary to what you might hear, did not involve hacking any sites in Panama with the DND (Dept. National Defense) computers. Trust me on that one.

A Few Random Notes

Believe it or don't, but LifesiteNews' portrait of Scott P. Roeder, the man who gunned down George Tiller, is fairly decent. Ignore the self-serving bits, I haven't read as detailed an account of Roeder's early life anywhere else.

Plus: Girls Gone Mathy! The gender gap in male vs. female math scores has closed in the mid-and lower range of the achievement scale, and is now closing at the upper end. Furthermore, the gap still remaining can be best explained as a result of overall gender inequality in the countries under study.

"Society either sends a message that girls can excel at math, that they will be rewarded for doing so—or it doesn’t."

The Western Canadian Word For "Hand-Out"

"Equitable support"

More Shuffling The Deck Chairs On The Good Ship Denial

International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) Executive Director Tom Harris is looking for an Executive Director for their American afficliate, to be known as the Climate Science Coalition of America (CSCA).

With Dr. Roy Spencer’s acceptance of the Chair position for the new Climate Science Coalition of America, we are now seeking candidates for the Executive Director position, the person who will actually lead the organization from an administrative perspective. Please see the following link which describes the sort of person we are seeking and forward this on anywhere you think would help us in our search for the ideal candidate:

[Here] is the job ad.

Thanks very much!
Tom Harris
Executive Director
International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC)
P.O. Box 23013
Ottawa, Ontario
K2A 4E2
Canada

The ad is self is quite revealing. PR/Advocacy/looking good on the Rush Limbaugh show are all desirable requirements. So are skills at designing "communications packages for the general public, especially young people."

Nicholls Makes A Good Point

Attack Ads don't always work.

Of course, as one of his commenters notes, the anti-Reagan ad that Nicholls refs lacked ominous music. Ominous music helps seal the deal. And, in Harper's case, throw in the red glowing eye thing. I love the red glowing eye thing.

There's SOMETHING In Lake Champlain!

...maybe an otter, maybe a swimming dog (although they tend to be messier, splashier swimmers), maybe a swimming moose. Maybe.... Champ?

Your Daily Nazi: TO Nazis, Circa 1960 Something

Franklin Bialystok, author of Delayed Impact: The Holocaust and the Canadian Jewish Community, tears Ezra a new one. Nothing too surprising in that. Of greater interest, perhaps:

Levant's third point, that the CJC bolstered the CNP in order to emphasize the need for legislation against hate speech, is provocative. Certainly CJC had been advocating for restrictions on hate speech for some time. Yet this was not a unanimous view. The main committee dealing with anti-Semitism in Canada was the Joint Community Relations Committee (JCRC). It was 'joint' because it had representatives from CJC and B'nai Brith Canada, the two largest Jewish organizations with representatives from many synagogues, fraternal groups and community centres, representing a wide array of ideological positions in the Canadian Jewish community. When the decision was made to press for the anti-hate legislation, the chair of the JCRC, Sydney Midanik, a longtime civil liberties advocate, resigned. Alan Borovoy, the most effective advocate of civil liberties in Canada for the last half century, joined the JCRC in the 1950s and was, and continues to be, both active in the CJC and an opponent of such legislation.

I can't find the appropriate link, but I am pretty sure Borovay's position now is that he supported hate-speech legislation then, but has come to see the error of his ways. Which the above statement would seem to dispute. Perhaps being in proximity to The Ez inevitably drives a man to bullshit.

File Under: Not Surprising

From Western Standard:

According to news reports, police have detained a suspect in Dr. Tiller's murder. The suspect, Scott Roeder has connections to Operation Rescue, as documented here (yes, normally I would have qualms about the source, but everything is well supported with supplementary links.)

It appears that Roeder is also a tax protestor, linked to the Montana Freemen, a group that -- if not exactly libertarian -- espouses libertarian-like views about individual sovereignty and the illegitimacy of government.

FWIW, wiki describes the Freemen as a "Christian Patriot" group. Quite a few of its members are doing time.

Quite a "nuanced" discussion over at the Western Standard. Of course murder is wrong, and yada yada yada...

Meanwhile this report is looking quite prescient.

Tory Attack Ads Have No Discernable Effect

The latest from Angus Reid:

The poll reveals that the Liberals have support of 33 per cent of voters nationally, the Conservatives have 31 per cent, the NDP 17 per cent, Bloc Québécois 9 per cent and Green party 7 per cent.

Actually, that's wrong. The AR from late April scores it:

In the online survey of a representative national sample, 33 per cent of respondents (-2 since March) say they would vote for the Conservatives in the next federal election. The Liberals are also supported by 33 per cent of respondents nationwide (+2), with the New Democratic Party (NDP) in third place with 15 per cent (-1), the Bloc Québécois with 10 per cent (=), and the Green Party with six per cent (-1).

So, while we are still within the margins, I guess its fair to say that the ads have had no effect on the Tories downward drift in support.

I don't really buy the idea that the real effect of these ads is long-term, that Canadians will wake-up on election day with the notion--a notion to which they can assign no origin--that Michael Ignatieff is a dangerous alien and they should vote for whoever sounds most like a farmer. PR campaigns "work", sometimes, it seems to me, but how and why they do is still more art than science and if this is all we are seeing from the one set of ads, then I suspect that's all we'll see, period.

Now lets wait for SteveV to analyse the hell of these numbers.

Randall Terry On George Tiller

"George Tiller was a mass murderer and we cannot stop saying that," Terry said. "He was an evil man - his hands were covered with blood."

Terry said he was now concerned that the Obama administration "will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions."

Like murder, perhaps?

PS. Pro-lifers (because lets face it who else is it likely to be?) do what Al Qaeda has been unable to do in eight years--strike at a symbol of American Modernity--and Raphael is still talking "honor killings".

A Coalition, If You Will: Part Duh

From Janke:

What Jack Layton has done is to give the Conservatives their way out. The NDP tables the bill. The Conservatives offer an amendment or two (no doubt already agreed to, in advance, between the Conservatives and the NDP). The Liberals offer their own amendments. Votes are taken. With NDP support, Conservative amendments pass. Liberal amendments are rejected. No election.

Go for it Jack. But bend over, its spanky time!

(PS. the rest of the Janke post is bullshit.)

And They Fell Into Chaos

...or at least killed the twitter feed to the BT home page. This lame piece of crap has been up since Friday evening.

Good work, brothers and sisters! Power must surely be ours most soonest!

I will be dispensing patronage appointments in June/July. Anyone interested in a Senate seat? Contact me via private email.

Wells' Law In Action In Ontario PC Leadership Race

Erie-London MPP Tim Hudak was listed at the top with 26% for a first-choice candidate, followed by Whitby-Ajax MPP Christine Elliott at 22%. Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees was at 17% and Randy Hillier, who represents Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, at 14%.

Canadian politics tends towards the most boring possible outcome. Still, Hudak is a Mike Harris mini-me that hates human rights. Easily dealt with, therefore.

(hint: to figure out how this will wind up, ask yourself where the Hillier vote will go when he drops off the ballot. It won't be to Ms. Elliot. She's too damn Liberal.)

News Flash! Not All Ontario PCs Crazy!

Mr. Bibicis suggested the tribunal issue could dominate the next provincial election campaign, just as the Progressive Conservatives' plan to extend public funding to religious schools became the overwhelming issue in the 2007 election.

"I think [Mr. Hudak's] policy proposal could lead to a one-issue election and I don't want that to be the one and only thing focused on," Mr. Bibicis said.

Common sense is not entirely dead among the Ontario PC leadership candidates.

Note that Ontario does not have a section 13 analogue, although you are not allowed to publish material announcing an intention to discriminate (like signs reading "No blacks need apply" and that kind of thing). Since there is no other one element of the Ontario code that excites Speechys the way a hate speech provision would, PC candidates, if they want to go trolling for the Speechy vote, have to take the more radical approach of a Hillier or a Hudak (ie. abolish the whole thing).

Lenin Vs.The Finns: He Killed Them All Thrice Over

From Macleans:

The debate has dragged in Finland’s minister of culture and sport, Stefan Wallin. He recently told the Helsinki newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that the support given to the museum shouldn’t be perceived as approval for Lenin’s totalitarian administration (about 10 million Finns died under Lenin, almost half due to starvation). “This is one of dozens of special museums that the state supports and has done so for a long time,” he said.

The average population of Finland during Lenin's lifetime: about 3,000,000. A point already noted by a reader and not yet corrected. Also worth noting: Lenin spent time in Finland, but never ruled over the nation, and hence, it was never "under" him in any but the physical sense.

h/t CW.

The Carbon Tax As Iggy's Little Black Bastard?

That's what I get from this. (And, yeah, if so that's kinda racist)

PS. And, yeah, in the Breeders tune Limehouse it does refer to heroin. Kelly Deal was an addict for quite awhile.

Nannies Gone Wild

What the folks at the Caregiver Resource Centre are now demanding.

IMMEDIATE PERMANENT RESIDENCE STATUS
TO ALL CAREGIVERS

GIVE RESPECT! DIGNITY! INTEGRITY! TO THE
3 COURAGEOUS CAREGIVERS

STOP THE ABUSE
STOP THE EXPLOITATION

EXPOSE AND DISPOSE RUBY DHALLA & FAMILIES'
ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION
TO 3 CAREGIVERS

RESIGN! RUBY DHALLA! RESIGN!

I rather think concentrating on Ruby and the Dhalla family over-personalizes the issue, and will probably hurt their broader efforts in the mid to long term.

In any case, Ms. Gordo (one of the three caregivers who has made accusations against the Dhallas), who wasn't going to be speaking to the media anymore, is speaking to the media.

Finally, A Use For Twitter!

Childish/Clever progressives use it to spam the BT site with subversive messages!

On banning them:

...my understanding of how Twitter works is that anyone who puts the '#roft' in their message will automatically contribute to the feed. I'm not sure if people can be banned from it.

My understanding of twitter is even less than this guy's, so I don't know if he's correct or not. Anyone want to give it a try?

And then I suppose the next question is: how much subversion can you cram into 140 characters?

Update: And so it begins...

Left Or Right: Whose More Anti-Semitic?

Now here is an interesting survey, and its summarized in the pie graphs below:An intelligent if somewhat academic discussion ensues on Crooked Timbers, with a certain amount of shock and disbelief among progressives there. A lot of questioning of methodology and so forth. One commentor ventures the following rather strong statement:

Here is an entirely sober, but also very politically incorrect, opinion: a large fraction of this discrepancy between Democrats and Republicans can be explained by the significantly larger fraction of Democrats who are black. There is a strong, persistent, and relatively unabashed level of animosity in the black community toward Jews. (The animosity flows the other way, too.)

I find it telling that, despite discussing cross-tabs on educational attainment and party affiliation, the article never once dares to mention race.

One theory I occasionally entertain is that 9/11 brought about a sea-change in attitudes towards Israel and the Palestinian resistance, and this has had a spillover effect on attitudes towards Jews in general, primarily among the American/Canadian Right.

Before that date it seemed easier to argue that the Palestinians were entitled to their intifada, even when this involved the employment of suicide bombers. Afterwards, after being on the other end of a series of suicide attacks, a larger segment of the U.S. Republicans (and maybe Candian Conservatives?) are likely to have a visceral, negative response to such arguments. Pro-Israel sentiment has therefore generalized to Pro-Jewish sentiment.

FWIW, obviously.

My Favorite Sunshine Girl

...has rejoined the ranks of the employed:

Linda Leatherdale, the former veteran Toronto Sun money section maestro, has a new job at Cambria, 'the fastest growing quartz surfaces brand and company in North America.'

Congratulations, Linda.

On The Evening Of May 26th, Freedom Died In Alberta

...and I did a little happy dance:

Kent Hehr, Liberal MLAA for Calgary-Buffalo:

Mr. Hehr: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I bring this amendment.It is again a recommendation by the Sheldon Chumir foundation that returns an element of free speech to our way of life here in Alberta and is, I believe, really the way our society is meant to operate and how we are supposed to best communicate ideas. Ilook to the Sheldon Chumir foundation, who studied this issue long and hard. I, too, agree with their recommendations, and that’s why I bring them forward here. Free speech is a fundamental right in this society that shouldn’t be intertwined very easily with our human rights commissions.

[...]

Many of the most virulent criticisms leveled at human rightscommissions over the last few years concern provisions that seek tomake statements of opinion illegal. Some of the high profile caseshave concerned opinions on the part of the Christian right about theevil (in their eyes) of homosexuality and cartoons and articles perceived by some Muslims to be offensive or even, according to their faith, blasphemous. We do not endorse the sometimes offensive views expressed by people and organizations who havecome under attack pursuant to legal provisions such as section 3 ofthe HRCMA. But we do have grave misgivings about the threats to free expression inherent in such provisions. Accordingly, they have offered some revisions, which you see before you in the act. Really, these are sort of changes, but the nuances are clear. This will return the wording of our act to the pre 1996 version

The Deputy Chair: The hon. Minister of Culture and Community Spirit [, Lindsay Blackett].

Mr. Blackett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Fundamentally the government caucus believes in free speech. We’ve had a long discussion, and [yada yada yada..]

[...]

[Motion on amendment A4 lost]

Note that the Stelmach Tories have 72 of the 83 seats in the Alberta Legislature. The fate of amendment A4 was entirely in their hands. Note that the whole process of Bill 44 was an exercise in balancing off the rights (pandering to?) Alberta's Socon and Gay communities. Speechies got sweet FA. Suck on that, Speechies.

Your Daily Nazi: Ezra Turns To Canadian Nazi Party Founder To Establish Historical Truth

His crusade stymied in legislatures around the nation, Ezra pursues his rhetorical jihad against the CJC by calling up old-school white supremacist William John Beattie:

Most of the people involved in the whole affair are dead. But not Beattie. He was just 23 in 1965, so he's just 67 today. He lives in Ontario and works as a paralegal. I've read hundreds of pages about his antics, both from the Toronto Star's archives and other sources, including Bialystok's book on the subject. That gave me the media's side of the story and the CJC's side of the story. But it didn't fill in all the blanks.

So I phoned up Beattie the other day and, to my surprise, he spoke with me. I'll write a more substantial piece about that conversation later, probably in a newspaper.

I am not going to bother to "refute" Beattie's story. That would be like engaging with a Nigerian email scammer in the hopes that this one really IS the wife of a rich dictator. If you really want, Mitka applies some of the old disinfectant here. But, really, can Ezra troll any lower? This whole Speechy War has degenerated into a freak-show.

Harper's Brain

Can be found on Twitter. Its limited to 140 characters per thought.

Toronto Getting Green Roofs

From the U.K. Times On-line:

Steven Chu, the Nobel prize-winning physicist appointed by President Obama as Energy Secretary, wants to paint the world white. A global initiative to change the colour of roofs, roads and pavements so that they reflect more sunlight and heat could play a big part in containing global warming, he said yesterday.

From the new city by-law adopted just today:

The purpose of the Eco-Roof program is to provide incentives to commercial, industrial and institutional (ICI) property owners so that Toronto’s building stock becomes more sustainable and better adapted to climate change. The program is intended to complement the proposed Toronto Green Roof Bylaw and the Green Standard (formerly the “Toronto Green Development Standard”) by encouraging owners to take advantage of their roof space. An “eco-roof” would include green roofs that support vegetation and cool roofs that reflect the sun’s thermal energy.

One of the things Mayor David Miller has accomplished that doesn't suck.

Filipino Caregiver Community Splits Over Ruby Dhalla

An email written Joyce Rodriguez, and made public by Juby Cervantez, a registered director of the Caregiver Resource Centre, the nanny rights group that has been most aggressive in their pursuit of Ruby Dhalla for her alleged wrong-doing in Nannygate (for example, they were instrumental in getting the Villeneuva letter into Media hands and have called for Dhalla's resignation):

May 25, 2009

To the Filipino Community:

No amount of smear campaign or false allegations can erase the hard work, kind support and commitment Dr. Ruby Dhalla has given and continues to give to the Filipino Community in Brampton . Dr. Dhalla is the outspoken advocate for human rights and the rights of women, immigrants, seniors and the youth. In one way or another, Dr. Dhalla has touched the lives of many Brampton Filipinos. If I let what I read in the media affect my way of thinking, then I am prejudging Dr. Dhalla and not giving her a chance. If I let the allegations from the two caregivers and the Toronto Star smear campaign die a natural death, then I have just done our own community a disservice.

I feel that these caregivers are being manipulated, used and abused by people who stand to gain politically and financially. Why should I sit on the sidelines and watch and let this happen? So that other caregivers can do the same, and so that other politically-inclined individuals can also manipulate other caregivers. So that another family can be hurt and damaged? Do you want your daughter, sister, niece, mother, or aunt to be manipulated like these two caregivers? It is time to stand for the truth and tear down the smear campaign against Dr. Dhalla.

I think these two caregivers were promised, or were tricked into believing, that they would get protection regarding their immigration status in return for the allegations that they have presented. They did not think about the extent of damage they are doing to the Dhalla family and other families; they did not even consider the repercussions their actions might have on the caregiver program as a whole. They are selfish individuals and all they wanted was landed immigrant status. There are proper and honest ways of achieving landed immigrant status, and damaging a family is not one of them.

They have allowed themselves to be pushed and manipulated, at the expense of the caregiver community, the Filipino community, and many employer families. They have set a poor example to the caregiver community and to the Filipino community as a whole.

Now, many prospective employers will have second thoughts or be scared of sponsoring caregivers. They have crushed the hopes and dreams of many families in the Philippines and elsewhere. The community has many unanswered questions directed to these two caregivers. With their statement wanting to be left alone and to go back to their normal lives, where does that leave the community?

I acknowledge that abuses in the caregiver program are rampant and have been happening for the longest time with both the Canadian and Philippine governments doing nothing to stop the abuses. I have seen, heard and read about abuses of non-payment of wages, short-payment of wages, long hours, non-caregiver duties, inadequate sleeping quarters, dummy employers, unscrupulous agents, released-upon-arrival caregivers, physical and sexual abuses, and under-the-table jobs. There are many community agencies working towards reform for the caregiver program. Dr. Dhalla is one of the MPs who acknowledge that the program needs to be reformed. Are we just going to throw away the hard work that various community agencies have done towards these reforms? We are making inroads towards these improvements. We need Dr. Dhalla’s support for the good of many.

So let us stand and support Dr. Dhalla and her family in this trying time. If we truly want reforms in the caregiver program, let us not care who gets the glory, let us cast away all political ambitions, let us forget financial gains, and let us stand as a united community in support of the very people who have supported us.

Joyce Rodriguez
Brampton Filipino

Ms. Juby, in addition to offering her support for Ruby Dhalla via the act of distributing this email, has "withdrawn" from her position at the Caregiver Resource Centre.

(Update: Terry Olayta informs me that Ms. Juby's resignation from the CRC is unconnected with the Dhalla affair.)

Meanwhile, the story continues to perculate in the MSM: Nanny quit, made sham claims, first boss says.

Lumberjacks: They're Just Like Tamils, But More Hairy

OTTAWA, May 26 /CNW Telbec/ - Yesterday's occupation of seven federal Conservative offices by representatives of Canada's largest forest workers union has resulted in a high-level meeting and a conference on the future of the forest industry.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has agreed to meet with representatives of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union in Ottawa on June 2nd - the day thousands of forestry workers will join in a march to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office.

Dhallaphanalia

As Ms. O'Malley notes, today the Citizenship and Immigration Committee will be hosting a number of disgruntled caregivers. The topic is “ghost consultants and migrant workers”, the former being

...rogue immigration consultants who are not authorized to practice, but continue to do so, collect a fee and make their clients sign official documents in lieu of themselves.

...which seems a bit tangential to Dhallagate, so who knows if Ruby's name will come up. But one of the industry reps, Terry C. Olayta, Coordinator of the Caregiver Resource Centre, has already demanded Ruby's resignation, and this seems to be the official position of the CRC. Will he renew the call?

Kadey will be live-blogging the gory details.

Update: The meeting was called off afer an hour when Mr. Olayta and one other witness failed to show. One thing we did learn is that Ruby's nannies never filed a complaint with the CCA (Canadian Live-In Caregivers Association). This goes with a complaint not filed with the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

I suspect this "scandal" will pretty much burn out now.

Speaking Of Which...

"How can people say I'm anti-gay?" [Alberta Culture Minister Lindsay] Blackett asks. "I can't deal with the arts community every day by being anti-gay. They'd pick that up in a minute."

O! Alberta! But they've paved the streets and they actually spend a fair bit on their educational system. Furthermore, they will be amending the parental rights clause of Bill 44 so it will be more difficult for young Earth creationists (for example) to haul teachers before the Alberta Human Rights Commission:

His changes say that for parents to be notified, the class must be "primarily and explicitly" about religion, human sexuality or sexual orientation.

The word "primarily" is new. It means (or so Blackett hopes) that no child can be taken out of any class just because one of those topics happens to come up.

"This is not meant to get Johnny out of math class because you're upset with the teacher, or get Johnny out of biology class because you don't want the teaching of evolution," the minister says.

The changes, he promises, make it clear that teachers are not prohibited from making "indirect references" to the hot-button subjects.

They will still be free, for instance, to talk about gay rights in a social studies class or religion in a conversation about science.

"We are going to make it clear that our intention is not to interfere with a teacher's ability to have discussions with students," says the minister.

"They should not feel threatened or under duress."

Finally, as if to show how silly all this has become, the act will now refer to classes about "human sexuality" rather than just "sexuality."

Actually, this last bit is not at all silly. Every kid in Alberta wants to know how the dinosaurs did it. Its actually a bit of a mystery. Good to know that Alberta teachers will be able to have at the subject in an unconstrained fashion (lots of hissing and whooping).

PS., there is still the issue of whether a parental rights clause like this should be lodged within the Alberta human rights act in the 1st place, but it looks like that train has left the station; third reading could come within weeks.

And here's one final piece on the implications of the legislation.

Stephen Harper Drinks The Gay Coffee!

After years of saying he preferred the hetero stuff.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. We mustn't attempt to divide Canadians on their choice of caffeinated beverage. But still.

If You're Hanging Around Jim Flaherty's Office Today

...that ain't Jim Flaherty. Its an unhappy lumberjack. He's angry over a "lack of leadership in handling the forestry crisis."

His demands can be found here.

PS. One of them is that Canada "match U.S. tax credits to the industry for the use of alternative fuel". That's the whole "black liquor" thing I've been writing about.

Bill C-31: "Streamlining" Police Intimidation

From government whip Jay Hill:

Last week, on behalf of Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, I introduced Bill C-31. This legislation [...] proposes to streamline the identification process in police stations, allowing the fingerprinting and photographing of persons in “lawful” custody who have not yet been charged or convicted of specific offences.

Read that one again. You haven't been charged. Maybe you never are. Yet the police have your prints and mugshot.

The relevant text is here.

PS. This piece from the Niagara Falls Review claims that:

According to the Conservatives, the change would only apply to serious crimes like murder, kidnapping and sexual assault.

Well, specifically, they apply to any "indictable" offence. Not that it makes a difference.

No Election Until 2012

Amid tough economic times and rising unemployment, support for the federal Conservatives continues to languish at rock-bottom levels while the Liberals have reclaimed their place as the dominant federal party in Quebec, according to a new poll.

The Bloc will take whatever inducements it is given; the NDP will wear its best shit-eating grin. In the end, and it will be a ways down the road, we will talk about how the Tories were trapped by their own legislation (Bill C-16, the fixed election date legislation), which prevents a government from going into its year 5 death spiral.

But until then, get used to what you see. Because what you see (Stalemate! Caretaker Government!) is what you're gonna get.

M. Bernier's Latest Blog Post!

Actually its just about some stupid golf tourney, but I bet I made you look.

Ezra Again: Divide By 2?

Ezra:

After that, I went north to Nanaimo where I spoke to about a hundred folks up there over lunch.

Nanaimo Daily News:

"In the end, I said: 'You know what, they may be done with me but I'm not done with them,'" Levant said, drawing loud applause from about 60 guests at the Coast Bastion hotel ballroom.

About right. I think I will call it The Levant Conjecture.

FreeD Strike Three?

Another fund-raiser collecting money for their legal defense comes up short?

The 3rd time this year.

It Happened Not A Mile From Me

I draw money from the outlet pictured here about once a month, and this picture won Dave Abel a National Newspaper Award.

Quebecor might have made him pay his own way to the awards ceremony.

DhallaGate Saturday Update

The folks at the cross-cultural caregiver resource center--who channelled the Villanueva retraction from her frail hands to various media outlets--are demanding Ruby Dhalla's resignation. In fact, they are accusing her of illegal acts, so maybe we'll see a defamation suit thrown into the mix.

Of course, Ms. Dhalla has just sealed her nomination in Brampton-Springdale, so I doubt a resignation is in the cards.

Finally, this story from last week, in which Ruby's brother Neil Dhalla was accused of firing one of his staff when they became pregnant, seems to have dead-ended. There has been no follow-up on CBC or elsewhere that I am aware of, although plenty of fake outrage from Conservative bloggers. If any of the various sub-threads to this story reek of Tory interference, this is the one that reeks most--a frivolous sounding OHRT complaint launched in the midst of the controversy. Who if anyone urged on the complainant?

Scrapping Over The Black Liqour

America's weirdest "green" initiative threatens to trigger a trade war:

Canada has threatened trade action against the United States over a massive "black liquor" tax credit to its pulp and paper industry that has distorted global pulp markets.

In a statement Thursday, International Trade Minister Stockwell Day said Canada has joined the European Union, Brazil and Chile in demanding that the credit, estimated to be worth between $4 billion and $8 billion, be withdrawn.

If you remember, this is the "alternative tax credit" buried in the 2005 highway bill that subsidizes American pulp & paper companies for dirtying up their production processes by adding diesel to the lignin sludge their mills produce as a by-product and then recycle as a clean-burning fuel.

Rather disappointing is the fact that yankee enviros have written very little about this issue (other than a few short pieces I remember seeing at Grist). Don't know if its because it has gone under the radar in all the struggles over Waxman-Markey, or whether there's a little bit of protectionism in their mental makeup.

The Best Response To Those Attack Ads So Far

All new Canadians are Canadians by choice, not a fact to be easily forgotten. We chose this country based on how we perceived Canadians working and living outside Canada. In a war-torn country, as a refugee, jobless and homeless, I based my choice on how I understood the work of Canadian peacekeepers and Canadian war reporters; I based my choice on how I perceived Canadians I met during the Olympic Games in my country; I based my choice on how I was treated at the Canadian embassy.

What I learned and loved about Canada, I learned through these people working far from home, their humanitarianism, civility and good intentions. I wanted to give my kids the opportunity to learn the same values as these great Canadians; I wanted them to earn the same respect I felt for the Canadians I met. What at first was an outside perception, today is a Canada that I embrace, a Canada fit for my kids’ best future.

Draft Preston

Albertans: you want rid of the Stelmach government? Dig this:

[Preston] Manning would not comment Wednesday about the upcoming Wildrose Alliance leadership contest.

Although he has been touted as a possible leader of the small conservative party, Manning has reportedly turned down the job.

Reconsider, Preston. Please.

Update: But has he strayed too far left?