NCC is a SuperPAC

Negative ads by National Citizen's Coalition and a US SuperPAC are drawing comparisons triggered by an article in The Globe and Mail. We all know how much Harper has abused the control of free speech from environmentalists, scientists, reporters and questioners in the HOC.   Here is a very cogent argument put forward by Diane Marie in response to the article which states that third party ads must be considered free speech, else we have none.  

diane marie

12:01 PM on January 25, 2012

First of all, there are laws pertaining to election advertising at the federal level, and other laws (or maybe none) at the provincial and municipal level. Being that I don't live in Ontario, I really don't care about relevant Ontario provincial laws. I do know that here in Alberta, the Conservatives were incensed when unions took to the airwaves during the last provincial election. Fair is not fair, apparently.

There is a difference when groups such as the NCC engage in public advocacy and when they act as a Super-PAC. The NCC ads were not about public policy, they were personal attacks. Groups such as NCC are limited as to how much they can spend to intrude into an election. In parallel with the Conservatives, they've decided that we must have a perpetual campaign, so they're doing some of the Conservatives' dirty work for them.

Americans are inundated with "free speech" such that no one really knows who's behind the billions being spent to sway their opinion, and their politicians are so busy trying to stay in the money game that they don't have the time or the inclination to actually govern, a process that involves consensus-building and cooperation.

Until the Reformers arrived in town, we've enjoyed a comparatively sane amount of "free speech", but now the election-spending limits are irrelevant when the dropping of the writ is a mere formality. We're in perpetual campaign mode now and I heartily object to it for the simple reason that the aim of the "free speech" crowd is not to inform voters but to overwhelm them with paid opinion .

 A negative ad attacking Bob Rae appeared on Youtube when Canada is not in election time.  It's time to curb what are clearly unfair attack ads that unnecessarily interrupt the process of good government.  Don't we have enough partisanship and ill will already?  Ought we not to concentrate on real co-operation?  Looks like this government is offering up a toxic environment amidst the secrecy, dirty tricks, labeling with stereotypes, bad mouthing in the press that are hallmarks of bully tactics. 

Keeping Up To Date With Oil Sands Daily

Harper Threatens Forest Ethics, Employee Fired

"PMO branded environmental group an ‘enemy’ of Canada, affidavit says."  I'd call it a threat from head office which ends up losing the whistle blower's job. 

Here's the government's statement to reporters. 

“The government of Canada has used the language of anti-terrorism, language that is violent and above the law, to describe legitimate critics of unsustainable resource development,” he said in an affidavit released to reporters Tuesday.

Andrew Frank, a 30-year-old instructor in the environmental protection program at Vancouver’s Kwantlen Polytechnic University, also claims the Prime Minister’s Office wanted McMillan to revoke funding to the organization.

When Frank made the threat public, he was fired by Forest Ethics.

Full letter is on scribd here.  What will happen now is frightening to think.  Especially if people walk away from the obvious crossed line. 

Anatomy of an Oil Spill

The Oil Industry works just like the aftermath of Katrina.  Once the land has been spoiled after a spill, the only gains will be to industry.

Northern Canada and the treaty lands of the Indigenous Peoples are replete with gold, minerals, copper and are being eyed by industry to encroach upon the territories.  So far, the native peoples have stood strong against pollution to their lands.  But slowly, as with the Athabasca tar sands, the rivers are becoming worse.  Eventually, no one will want to live there, just as in New Orleans.  This video shows the slow creep of oil in the Gulf.



Is this what you want for Lake Louise?  The MacKenzie river? 

Alberta Isn't Getting the Profits of the Oil Either

Read the book by  Kevin Taft Follow the Money  for a complete analysis of how our resources, our crown land, is being appropriated for foreign profits.  Each Albertan owns 5Million in oil wealth, yet they must put up with potholes on the roads, long waiting times in emergency, teachers losing jobs.  It's the old capitalist shell game, enabled by bad political deals intent on keeping Canadians suppressed and impoverished while closed doors meetings decide how to further enslave us.

New Federalism, Harper Style, Deadbeat Dad

The Agenda, with Steve Pakin, always seems to be hitting hot points in the Canadian political scene as they happen.  I don't know how Pakin manages to reserve his judgement so impartially.  Thank goodness he's no Ezra Levant!  Here's a very even handed debate on the dumping of the shortage of money for health care upon the provinces.  It was a dirty Harper trick, that the media framed as balsy.  Oh, puhleeeeze!  As a result, I will have to be paying for orthoscopic surgery, my doctor will be working for less, people will die in remote areas because of lack of air ambulances.  But we'll be distracted daily by some rubbish about how much weight Rob Ford lost!  Harper took the puck home and the rest of the street has to play with horse turds.

Harper Hates to Back Canadian Workers Fighting for Fairness

Caterpillar, an American company that was lured to London, Ontario with 5 million in incentive dollars has locked out Canadian workers on New Years Day 2012.

Harper refuses to get his hands dirty in this case, even though he was happy to get the press credit and photo op when the company arrived on the scene.

How unlike the very swift defense of the Keystone Pipeline, the many trips as ambassador to big oil and the monied interests that hold much more allure to an ego driven leader.  Harper will avoid a bad press opportunity at all costs.

Bob Rae, is doing a great job at protecting the backs of Canadian workers.

This story needs much more coverage from the point of view of how Canadian jobs are at risk, unionized or not with the tory policies of foreign investments capitalizing on our weak willed and unethical government.

“So far this year we have two private sector employers (one in Quebec and one in Ontario) who have opted to lock out their employees, yet your government has been silent on these disputes.”
Aluminum giant Rio Tinto Alcan locked out 800 workers at its smelter in Alma, Que., this week after contract talks collapsed. (Globe and Mail)