One more time: What is money?

Can we get back to normal? What is normal?

Different types of money:

1. commodities (Gold,Silver), 
2. token (fiat currency)
3. credit (debt). 

Price of money (the rate of interest)
Investment (capital)
Output (Goods and Services)
Day of reckoning (crisis of overproduction)

 90% - Labour (value created by human effort)
 10% - profit/capitalists, interest/financiers; landlords/rent

Who will buy, and with what? Currently the US government and other governments are simply printing their money. There is a disconnect from the price of money and the creation of this money.

What does it mean when your hard earned money, earned with your labour, your sweat equity can simply printed by a government. It means your effort has been devalued.

Meanwhile the debt ever increases, 100% of GDP, and higher, for example, now in the UK the debt to GDP ration is 1000%.

This will not end well.

Federal Judge supports Spying on Public.

In the sound of music the line "We make it our business to know about everybody" is rather dark, but in the US, ... apparently its OK. Well, it will be tested in court. Congratulations to CBC for reporting the matter.

Scotia Mocatta market hits 31.3% on Physical Silver

The price of a physical silver maple ( the in your own hands kind) has hit an all time high of 31.3%. What a way to start the new year. Remember: to this you must add, shipping and handling, an administration fee, and possibly some tax. Pete

Matt Taibbi talks about the revolving door and its impact on the too big to "jail"

**********Have a Nice Day**********

War, Genocide and You

All is fair in love and war, somebody said, but lately we have come to prosecute war criminals: but it takes a very long time for justice to kick in.

Africa is recently singled out as the place the last major genocide occurred. It was in Rwanda.

Basically people were hacked up using machetes by the hundreds of thousands.

How bent do you have to be to do this?

This guy for example, who looks reasonable enough in his suit and haircut but as reported in the daily mail

An alleged war criminal accused of playing a key role in the slaughter of nearly a million Rwandans is working in a seaside nursing home caring for elderly and vulnerable patients. 

Celestin Ugirashebuja, 60, is a volunteer at the Anna Victoria Nursing Home in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, and has passed a Criminal Records Bureau check. But his employers were unaware that in Rwanda he is wanted for his role in the 1994 genocide in which hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and Hutus were killed. Staff at the 29-room home also did not know of Ugirashebuja’s time as a mayor in Rwanda’s Kigoma district in the mid-Nineties, when he is accused of organising roadblocks and urging Hutus to kill escaping Tutsis. 

Care home manager Vivienne Purser said she was shocked to learn the truth about Ugirashebuja, but that he had passed his CRB check. 

She said: 'We had heard bits and pieces about him but unfortunately there's gossip that we try not to react to. 

'Some of the girls heard things but it’s not

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1358644/Rwandan-genocide-suspect-working-seaside-care-home.html#ixzz2o2YvZx1f
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

The point is that people will do anything during war, they will drop Napalm, fire bomb, drop nuclear weapons, use drones to execute people exjudicially, torture them, use cluser armaments, land mines and so on.

As Gwynne Dyer once said in his documentary that before the festivities begin you had better have your ducks in order, you need to consider what you will or won't do. Where is your line in the sand?

What are your morals, your values, your beliefs?  How far are you prepared to go?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi3uieRXRc4

Cost of Physical Silver/Metals in Canada has just crossed the 30% mark

Scotia Mocatta silver maples: nominal cost before taxes, shipping and handing $25.43

Silver spot market from Kitco: 19.43

Margin on physical metal: 30.099 %

Its as close to 31% as you can get.

NOTICE: Nominal value of coin: $5.00, $20 below its silver value.

CSEC runs amok: Oversight amounts to a dream and a wish according to Ex Senator Segal

Read the cbc report

 

 Its all about the public's preference for "security" over "freedom".

Naturally there is a pendulum here, and it has swung a billion dollars to the right, and soon it will swing the other way because it has become clear that the boys in black have simply run amok.

CBC's Amanda Lange come on side with Max Keiser's Rigged Market Scenario

When CBC starts reporting market rigging, then it is definitely time to start reasssessing your portfolio.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/how-markets-are-rigged-against-you-1.2456677?cmp=rss

They even quoted Matt Taibbi of the rolling stone!

Reporter Amanda Lange even interviews Bart Chilton.

 Outstanding job CBC!

Proposed Amendments to Canadian Elections and Parliamentary Proceedings

Source:
Andrew Coyne, Michael Chong
The Canadian Press

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blog.html?b=fullcomment.nationalpost.com%2F2013%2F11%2F29%2Fandrew-coyne-reform-act-bill-would-change-canadas-parliament-forever

The Reform Act 2013. “An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Parliament of Canada Act (reforms)

-recasts the relationship between party leaders and caucuses.
The balance of power would shift to MPs and riding associations, and away from the leaders.

In brief, the bill would do three things:

1. the party leader serves only with the confidence of caucus. A leadership review vote could be triggered at any time on the receipt of written notice bearing the signatures of at least 15% of the members of caucus. A majority of caucus, voting by secret ballot, would be sufficient to remove the leader, and begin the process of selecting a new one.

2. Caucus to decide whether an MP should be permitted to sit amongst their number. A vote to expel (or to readmit) would be held under the same rules as a leadership review: 15% of caucus to trigger, 50% plus one to decide. A member would also be readmitted automatically on being re-elected to the House under the party banner. In other words, membership in caucus would no longer simply be up to the leader to decide.

3. The required endorsement for a candidate would come from a “nomination officer,” elected by the members of the riding association. In other words, the riding association, and not the leader, would decide who its nominee was. There would be no leader’s veto.

Currently the power to expel a member from caucus, or to prevent him from standing at the next election, has given leaders enormous, indeed existential leverage over members of caucus.  Henceforth, party leaders would serve at the pleasure of caucus, and not the other way around. Leaders would still be powerful — in the case of the prime minister, immensely powerful. They just would not be all-powerful. The current power given to Canadian party leaders to decide the fate of every candidate or member is one that, to my knowledge, exists in no other parliamentary system.

The convention that party leaders must maintain the confidence of caucus at all times may have fallen into disuse in Canada, but it remains very much in force in other parliamentary democracies —  Likewise,

The bill will go too far for some tastes, not far enough for others. For example, some might object to entrenching the powers of caucus in law, rather than leaving these to each party to decide — though, given the centrality of caucus as a parliamentary, and not just a party institution, this might equally be defended. Others might prefer that caucus were given the power, not just to remove leaders, but to elect them — though I suspect the preferences of caucus members, given their new powers, would be of huge, if not overwhelming importance in any alternate process.



That’s leaders, plural. This is a challenge for members of all parties, not just the Conservatives. If the Reform Act is to have any hope of passing, MPs will have to learn to cooperate across party lines. They’re not used to doing that, and in any case will live in fear of the whips.

Some may even prefer the security of jumping to the leader’s tune to the responsibility of thinking and acting for themselves — or rather, for the people they are supposed to represent.

So they will need encouragement from members of the voting public. Long shot though it is, this is the best chance for meaningful reform of Parliament we are likely to have for many years. The question every MP should be obliged to answer between now and next spring, when the bill comes to a vote, is: will you support the Reform Act? And if not, why should we support you?

You "owe" it to yourself to understand cryptocurrencies - Mandela would approve!

Cryptocurrencies: Bill Still goes through the market and identifies Quark as "Pepsi" not the best but still great

Security guards swiftly came in and cut the banner with scissors and filmed the group of six demonstrators, DePape said.

ShitHarperDid activists plan to execute a “creative action” targeting the $1.2 billion “spy

castle”

http://www.canadianprogressiveworld.com/2013/11/26/shitharperdid-execute-creative-action-harpers-1-2b-csec-spy-castle/#.UpgHdGSFRQM

The top secret complex will boost the agency’s ability to hack into computers, read emails and intercept phone calls.

For example, a recent lawsuit argues that two aspects of CSEC’s operations violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ protections against unreasonable search and seizure and infringe on free expression:

1) The interception of the private communications of Canadians;

2) The sweeping collection of metadata information produced by Canadians in their everyday activities online and through phone conversations.

VANCOUVER, B.C. (October 22, 2013) - The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) filed a lawsuit today against the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) claiming that its broad and unchecked surveillance of Canadians is unconstitutional.

Note: The press release was from an independent third-party. The Canadian Progressive makes no warranties or representations in connection with it and neither do I.

Whoa! A CULTURE IN DECLINE!!!!

Episode One: Just lie back and enjoy it! Episode Two Episode Three Episode Four Episode Five Episode Six

FORD's political self immolation, Comedy, and Tragedy

FORD's is an incredible political self immolation.

We stand transfixed by the sheer horror of it.

But the senate scandal?
The Liberal gas plant cancellation fee of $1 Billion?
Our environmental misdeeds, and the climate fallout that becomes more obvious by the year?

The corrupt financial system that will affect the lives of all of us?
Markets, scandal, corruption? LIBOR rigging? Market manipulation?
Unchecked monetization of debt?

The outrage against FORD stands out for its ultimate pettiness by comparison to other substantive issues that will make the uttering of the word "pussy" seem irrelevant. But we cannot pull ourselves away from it.

To be sure, the crack and alcohol (an addiction) and the crudeness ( unbecoming a politician), the too close for comfort ties to other criminals, its all bad but still minor in the scheme of things.

 Its all about control and power really.

The public has seized upon Ford's potty mouth as a great crime against humanity, tasteless and incredible.

But what about the real crimes, the ones that affect each and every one of us? They are just too big to grasp or handle.

Here is a reality check...

We were a group of whitewater enthusiasts who wanted to draw attention to the government of Canada methodically picking apart environmental protections and unilaterally taking away a universal right of navigation on Canada's lakes, rivers and streams.  We could only muster two hundred supporters at best on Parliament Hill. We lost our case and I still don't know why. Our reputations were affected. No body cared, or noticed.

Say the word "pussy" and the world stares in horror.

It reminds me of a controversial commercial, a young street kid is saying...

"If I told you I was hungry... you wouldn't notice or care"

"If I used the word "FUCK" you'd be up in arms"

"FUCK, I'm hungry"

What does it take to get noticed? FORD has hit the sweet spot!

Meanwhile environmentalists are branded terrorists and arrested by the Government.  Greenpeace? They are called pirates and imprisoned. This is hell on earth and there is no way out and that is a tragedy.

Whats up at the World Bank?

The Kipawa- River Chronicles a work in progress

The Kipawa River Chronicals

Tales from the Backwoods to the Urban Jungle

A play about the river and the people who discover it

Act One

The audience sees a porch and doorstep. The vehicle is cut open so that the occupants are visible, its highly stylized. The points of the scene is to given the audience a sense of the playfulness and closeness of the characters to each other. This is the brotherhood of the river.

Scene One

Three thirty something paddlers sit in a sport utility vehicle.  Its six AM but Jim Beamish, honking the horn, is sitting in the driver seat of a Nissan SUV.  Yucie is hollering out the window. The suburban Toronto driveway and townhouse belong to Ray Wong who has yet to appear . Jim, Ally Pringle and Youcie Pokanen have already loaded their kayaks and gear and are anxious to beat the weekend traffic out of the city.  The colorful kayaks sit prominently on the roof along with the paddles.

Youcie:                        Don’t forget your helmet like last time.  You’ll be needing it!  Jacque says there is some class four stuff up there, I talked to him last night.

Ally:                         (snickering in the back seat)  He could always get a farmer to lend him his ATV helmet.  (They all laugh)

Jim:             Yeah, with a full face mask.  MEC’s got one just like it now.  He was stylin’ and didn’t even know it.

(MEC is a retailer of all manner of sporting equipment, Ray’s wife, Doris appears in the doorway.

Doris:             Anybody need more java for the road?

Yucie quickly bails out and hands her his mug.

Yucie:                         Double double please (hands her the travel mug and in one motion gives her a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Doris:                                    Keep an eye out for Ray for me would you?

Yucie:                         What?  Ally and me take turns bailing each other out.  But don’t worry about Ray, he’s a better boater than any of us.  He shot the waterfall on the Oxtongue two weeks ago… ‘sides we’re meeting the guys from Rouyn-Noranda in Fabre.  They’ve been down the Kipawa before.

Doris:            I worry about you guys, couldn’t you just play golf like everybody else?  Or do the lawn maybe?

                        (Doris shrugs him off and leaves for the kitchen and passes Ray on the way out.

Ray:            Oh sure, grass! Barry made some brownies. Here Yucie

(Ray picks up his gear bag and hands it to Yucie.)  

He shoulders his kayak (which is only five feet in length)and tosses it onto the roof of the SUV and starts tying it on.

Jim:                        (Gets out of the SUV) Use the straps on the hood.  Tie into Ally’s grab loops.  I’ll put one right over the top, that should hold.

Ray:                         Yeah, remember when the whole load came off when those  tanker trucks passed us one after the other. First one lifted the nose, the next ripped off  racks and all, like a big sail.  Good thing they didn’t hit anything ..or anybody.

Jim:            You’ll notice the new rack, not that crappy tire stuff.

Ray:             Its not Thule?

Jim:            Yakima!

Ray:            Oh yeah, good choice.

They all pile into the SUV. Doris comes out with Yucie’s coffee, kisses Ray. 

Ray:             We should be back late Sunday night.  There’s no cell coverage up there but I’ll call you as soon I can.

Jim:            Clear?  

All:            All clear.

Yucie:             How much further? I’m hungry!  I gotta go poo!

Jim:            Geez! Only six more hours of this.

Ray:             Here put this on… (Hands CD to Yucie)

The SUV backs out of the scene, as it backs out of the driveway. Doris stands their waving.  The sound of  “Chain of Fools” plays.  The lights dim.

End of Scene one.           

Scene Two

The drive up to the Kipawa finally ends, we see the SUV arriving and the group meets up with their French paddling friends.

Jim:            We should be at the put-in in about five minutes.

Ally:            What did you tell that cop?

Jim:                        I said we were just trying to rendezvous with our friends.  He couldn’t speak English, I couldn’t speak French, so he let me go. He said “plus lentement?” J’ai dit merci beaucoups.

Ray:            Whoa. My ass is sore.  We could have been at the Gauley by now.

Jim:            Stop whining, Jacque said there’s a 90 foot water fall. It’s worth it just for that.

Jim:            There’s his truck. He’s got a couple people with him.

They get out of the SUV and shake hands with Jacque and his three friends Pierre, Francois and Jose.  

Jacque: (With a slight French accent.)

Salut! Time to go boating!  This is Pierre (Shakes hands, Francois, Jose)

They peer over the edge of the bridge. There is a dam below and the water is pouring through both gates.

Ally:             Holy Crapoly, we’re running that?

Pierre:             You go on the left side, see it’s a big slide, then you hit that big wave at the bottom and its all over.

Ray:             All over did you say?  You’ve run this before.

Pierre:             Well no… but you just put in a strong paddle stroke and brace and you’re done.

Ray:             Right...           

The lights fade and the scene reopens in a flash forward to a government office

The scene shifts with a spotlight on  Ray and Jim  in a office. The audience sees Yvon Choinard sitting at his desk. He is short and overweight and appears agitated. He’s looking at a computer screen and watching a video of rafts running the dam at Laniel. The audience sees this on the back screen, kayaks and rafts running the dam at Laniel.

Jim:            So you can see that Les Amis have been using the sluiceway of the dam for kayaks and rafts and we have been doing this for the past 20 years.

There has not been a single injury.

Yvon:             Its not possible, it can’t be done, we cannot allow this. There is a warning boom!

Jim:            Well its not illegal is it?

Yvon:            well no

Jim:            And there haven’t been any accidents in two decades

Yvon:            yes well…

Jim:            And look at the benefits to Laniel, people come up there from all over the world to run the dam. And then there is the rafting business.

Yvon:             Its impossible, we cannot allow this.

Ray:            We know that the dam has to be updated, all we’re asking is that you design it so that we can still use it.

Yvon:             Absolutement non!  we will not allow it! C’est impossible!  Mon Dieu!

Ray:            We have learned that the dam itself was never approved. The dam is illegal!

                        Its been done for forty years. We’ve run the rally for twenty years.

Mr. Choinard, what you don’t seem to appreciate is that Les Amis will have to come after you on this like a swarm of hornets and you’re the one shaking the nest. You won’t like what happens next.

Yvon:            I’m sorry I cannot help you.

Jim:            Is there anything we could do to change your mind.

Yvon:            Why do you have to go there, you have the whole river?

Jim:            Its our right, the law’s on our side this time. We’ll see you in court. Merci Mr. Choinard.

Scene Three

Ray is sitting in his kayak. The kayak is cut so that his feet are sticking through the bottom so that he wears it like a barrel, with suspenders holding it up. The suspenders are hidden under his life vest. He holds a kayak paddle.

The set consists of plastic sheeting and a ramp leading down to a gate, afterwhich is a mesh floor with plastic streamers being blow by a fan, it makes the floor look like white water.

Ray is talking to himself outloud so the audience can hear what is going through his mind.

Ray:             Geez that’s quite a horizon line, it just drops away.

To be continued…

You know what? its good to be "all about whitewater" again. Politics, and economics suck!

 Saving a life during a vertical pin.



http://www.epictv.com/media/podcast/kayaker-trapped-underwater-saved-by-friends-quick-reactions/259155

I  can't say enough about the quality of this rescue. Its a bail out that really works.

Cooperation, recognotion of crisis, quick and decisive action that led to safe resolution.

Just Awesome work.

Who is Nigel Wright? and what is his role in Duffy Gate?

According to Wikipaedia Nigel Wright is an esteemed and honorable businessman. Mr. Wright awaits the outcome of an RCMP investigation into the expenses scandal at the time of my writing this item. Nigel S. Wright Nigel S. Wright is a Canadian businessman who served as the thirteenth Chief of Staff of the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada, from September 2010 to May 2013. Born: May 18, 1963 (age 50), Hamilton Education: University of Toronto, Harvard University

According to the Globe and Mail Wright is a man who was long judged a strong and capable PMO chief of staff. He was praised for bringing business sense to the PMO while leaving his lucrative business career for the public service.

How lucrative?  According to Wiki, He joined Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg and was instrumental in the success of one of the most complicated construction projects in Canadian history : the multi-billion dollar Confederation Bridge between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. He was made a partner with the firm after only five years, but didn't stay long : Onex Corporation CEO Gerry Schwartz had been impressed with Wright and took him under his wing, praising his judgement and character. He climbed the ladder at Onex, the largest private sector employer in Canada, and eventually became a managing director with the firm, securing his reputation as a Bay Street heavy hitter.^[4]
 
Nigel Wright is said by the Prime Minister of Canada to have made a covert $90,000 gift to beleaguered Senator Mike Duffy while speaking to MPs in the Commons Tuesday.The money was a gift from Mr. Wright, a millionaire businessman, but the Duffy alleges he was ordered to tell the public he had taken a loan from the Royal Bank.

So who is telling the truth? Mr. Harper has repeatedly denied knowing that his chief of staff gave the $90,000 to the PEI senator and he dismissed Mr. Wright from his post in mid-May after first defending his top aide. When Wright left his office, the Prime Minister lauded his former aide publicly, saying he accepted the resignation “with great regret” and thanking him for his “tremendous contribution” to the government.

Harper said May 19 in accepting Wright’s resignation for his role in the Duffy affair:  

"I accept that Nigel believed he was acting in the public interest, but I understand the decision he has taken to resign. I want to thank Nigel for his tremendous contribution to our government over the past two and a half years."

He then said in a radio interview on Monday:

 "As you know, I had a chief of staff who made an inappropriate payment to Mr. Duffy. He was dismissed." 

 He then told the Commons on Tuesday.

 "Once again, Mr. Speaker, on our side, there is one person responsible for this deception, and that person is Mr. Wright. Mr Wright by his own admission. For that reason, Mr. Wright no longer works for us."

 Is this credible?

Well who has been changing their story? Wright has been silent, Duffy has paperwork to support his assertions: Only Stephen Harper has been changing his story. Remember that telling the truth is easy, you just recall events, you don't have to remember what you said previously, like in Question Period...
My opinion here is that it is NOT CREDIBLE! The prime minister has been evasive in his answers. He has at first said that nobody else knew about the $90,000 payment, and now it appears that a great many people knew.

Based on the evidence, either Mr. Harper knew and lied about it, or he did not know about it and is incompetent in the running of the PMO. Either way, he should resign.

Time will tell but if I had to take one side or the other my bets go with Nigel Wright

What bother with all of this?

Won't voters be unimpressed with the Prime Minister's equivocations? after all, isn't he doing his best for the economy?

 Linden MacIntyre said it best: "The human tendency to be offended by abuse - torture in a secret prison, a lie told under oath to fool the public, squandering of public treasure - remains a vital force in conscientious people"

 I hope he is Wright!

DUFFYGATE - Why is this important?

Hello RCMP: Where are you? 

Obstructing justice?

If you attempt to obstruct the course of justice in a judicial proceeding by agreeing to pay a fine, dissuading a person by threats, bribes or other corrupt means from giving evidence, using corrupt means to sway a juror; or use corrupt consideration to keep someone from giving evidence  you may be imprisoned for up to ten years.

Influence Peddling?
Influence peddling is the illegal practice of using one's influence in government or connections with persons in authority to obtain favors or preferential treatment ...

Bribery
Bribery is an act of giving money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient.

 Blackmail
Blackmail is involves unjustified threats to make a gain or cause loss to another unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion ...

Conspiracy
A conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime at some time in the future. 

Extortion
Obtaining money, property, or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. 

Coercion
Compelling another person to engage when they wish to abstain, or vice versa, by instilling fear

Trust and confidence: it applies to people, as well as allied countries

When the NSA and CSEC and GCHQ spy on other countries, who are allied to them, the response from those spied upon is as follows: "What you are doing is wrong, what you are doing is causing us to lose trust in you, and it will cause us not to cooperate with you."

If we take this idea to its logical conclusion WE are all getting spied upon by the NSA, CSEC and GCHQ. Does this mean, and I think it does, that we will lose trust in our governments, and we will stop feeling cooperative with our governments and their authority, yes it does.

I feel this is a logical conclusion of this way of governing, but don't take my word for it, consider life as it existed in NAZI Germany or later, East Germany, or in Romania, or Soviet Russia. What happened?

People snitched on each other to gain advantage within their society, it undermined the fabric of society, it led to black markets and civil unrest.

I suppose life moves in great archs, and humans, because we are all born and must learn how to live in society from the same baseline, make the same mistakes, over and over again, we must be burnt by flame to understand "don't touch" its the human condition.

But with regards to our government spying on us, in the bedroom, on the phone, in the church, in our community meetings and especially on line, there is but one logical conclusion, we will, eventually, and likely after things go from bad to worse, finally, pull away from our timmies and our hockey, and revolt.

I wish this would not happen, and that now, people will speak up and through our political processes cause these large agencies, in canada, the RCMP, CSEC, CSIS, to be reined in and that in future, politicians, such as VIC TEOWS will "smarten up" and realized that any society that sacrifices libertarian values for "security" are destined to repeat the same unpleasant cycles of the past. Instead, lets learn from our mistakes and move onward, and upwards to a better society.

So a river is being threatened? Don't have enough money? Just create it out of thin air!

Jaculmoco Mexico Conundrum

 Jim Coffey, esteemed whitewater leader appeals to adventure travelers to go to Jacumulco.

A story about the destruction of recreational whitewater in favor of other societal values such as job creation, power generation, water control


One approach: set a good example with river cleanups

 Paddlers encounter trash washed downstream from a local community garbage dump:

What would a Green Party Platform for any candidate look like?

 A work in progress


Democracy in the 21st Century 
A system of voting that allows proportiona control to a party in proportion to the  vote
Create a strong economy with the strongest environmental law
Support for SMEs and small business is central to our government’s economic strategy
Pursue trade without sacrificing sovereignty
Restore Canada’s strong international reputation 

A Green Speech From The Throne

Edited by Peter Karwacki

Our Westminster parliamentary democracy – should be true to our traditions. 

1. Canada is a Constitutional monarchy. 

Canada is a Westminster Parliamentary democracy which is why I read a speech filling the role of stand-in monarch. 

The Speech from the Throne, prepared by the majority in the House of Commons represents the the fundamental principles of legal governance, going back to 1215 and Magna Carta. 

 2. Government is only legitimate by consent of the governed. 

We meet in the Senate chambers, the Canadian version of the House of Lords and purview of monarchy, following the ritual lone walk by the Senate’s Usher of the Black Rod to visit the House of Commons.
The prime minister stands with other Members of Parliament. 

 Democracy lies between corporate rule, totalitarianism and hyper-partisan manipulation. Decisions by a prime minister to shut down the House, prorogation of parliament are unconstitutional. To preserve a real democracy, we need to remember fundamental principles:

1. To be legitimate, government must exist by consent of the governed;
   Parliament is supreme;
2. The prime minister reports to parliament and not the other way around.

“Loyalty” is not to the prime minister, but to Canada.
All MPs are equal, stand as representatives of the people of the communities found in their electoral districts.

Restoring a Healthy Democracy

2017 will be the150th anniversary of Confederation

Lets engage Canadian youth in the life of our nation and in decisions about their future.

The Citizens First Agenda.

Eliminate the the “winner take all” or “First Past the Post” system with a proportional representation.

Repeal changes disadvantage voters without a driver’s license and a stable address who have given up driving. Enumerate eligible voters, and we need to reduce to zero the risk of citizens entitled to vote being turned away from their polling place due to a technicality. 

Place advertising limits on political parties outside of writ periods. 

Prohibit use of the airwaves for paid political advertising, and require broadcasted public interest messages focusing on advancing understanding of the various parties’ positions on issues
The requirement for the leader’s signature on the nomination papers of candidates will be replaced with the signatures of local executives, where an Electoral District Association exists, and where one does not, the signatures of other local members will suffice.

Allow members of an elected caucus of any parliamentary party to initiate a leadership review. These changes are intended to rebalance the powers of leaders of political parties with checks and balances

Set the  budget for the operation of the Prime Minister’s Office as a fixed proportion of GDP.

Justice for First Nations, Inuit and Metis

 First Nations education, housing and provision of clean water remain unfinished priorities. The rights and responsibilities to respect indigenous peoples’ decision-making on their traditional territories requires a serious review. True and meaningful consultation is required.

Tackling the Climate Crisis

Tackle the single biggest threat to our collective future – the climate crisis with a sensible transition to reduced dependence on fossil fuels ending the subsidizing of fossil fuels and we will place a price on carbon.
Diversify the Canadian economy, through more value chains and more value added in relation to all natural resource exports.

Set shared goals for energy security, maximizing jobs, and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Phase out  coal-fired power plants
Make significant improvements in transportation, waterworks, and other key infrastructure.

Restoring Environmental Laws

Restore the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Fisheries Act and the Navigable Water Protection Act and integrate sound environmental policy in all levels of government decision-making.

Rights to Information

Effective citizens require sound information. This means that citizens have a right to know what is in their foods.
Including:
where the food has been produced and how it was produced.
Labelling to identify genetically modified foods will allow those who wish to eat GMO foods to locate them on their supermarket shelves and those who want to avoid them to do so.
Citizens have the right to review any scientific research conducted by independent government scientists. All such research should be in the public domain.
Restore evidence-based decision-making.
Make the Parliamentary Budget Office a stand-alone and properly funded operation, separate from the Library of Parliament. The Parliamentary Budget Officer will be an Officer of Parliament.

All government operations should be  transparent including all spending by MPs and Senators.
Ensure an independent, professional, non-partisan public service – free of partisan interference. No public servant should fear being pressed to assemble “facts” in support of a previously set course.

Growing a Healthy Economy

Create opportunities in the cleantech sector, and reduce waste of energy. Grow sectors of our economy in many different regions of Canada, while maintaining resource-based activity in Alberta.
Encourage entrepreneurial spirit and assist the commercialization of new technologies. Support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and small business. Ensure all government bills are assessed for their impact on small business and SMEs.
Reduce the persistent unemployment rate among Canadian youth. Reverse the punitive Employment Insurance changes that make life more difficult for those in seasonal industries.

Trade and investment

Define“national security” in the Investment Canada Act with exacting cost-benefit analysis of the class of agreements called Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements (FIPAs). Ensure a clear communication of Canada’s interests and pursue trade, without sacrificing sovereignty through flawed FIPAs.

A Fairer Society

Review all legislation and particularly the Criminal Code to remove mandatory minimums. We will enhance law enforcement resources, freeing up limited time and money by legalizing, regulating and taxing cannabis. We will restore the Law Reform Commission and ask for a review of the recent changes in criminal law as well as immigration and refugee law to ensure they are charter compliant.
We will work with the national Ombudsman for Victims of Crime to improve supports for victims of violent crime and we will improve the rigor of laws to protect investors from white-collar crime bringing to justice those who set out to cheat seniors of their savings.
Launch a national inquiry into the missing and murdered aboriginal women of Canada. Without waiting for the results of that investigation we will create better tools for law enforcement, such as a national DNA data bank for victims of crime, to be cross-referenced with data banks of the missing.

Protecting Canadian Health Care

Hold talks with the provincial and territorial governments to find ways to reduce rising costs, particularly through controlling the price of pharmaceutical drugs. A national pharmacare programme, and aTherapeutics Initiative.

Restoring our global reputation

My government commits to multilateralism, engaging, rather than shunning the world, diplomacy, peace-keeping and human rights around the world.

The elimination of poverty is critical with  0.7% GDP to Official Development Assistance.

Putting Citizens First

Reduce partisanship and competition in political discourse and finding ways to work together for the betterment of all is central.

Kipawa Rare Earths project request for a provincial environmental assessment and public consultations (BAPE)‏

• Kipawa Rare Earths project request for a provincial environmental assessment and public consultations (BAPE)‏

Christina Moreau (savekipawalake@gmail.com)

yfblanchet-john@assnat.qc.ca

ministre@mrnf.gouv.qc.ca,

kipawa@mrctemiscamingue.qc.ca,

arnaud.warolin@mrctemiscamingue.qc.ca

harrystdenis@wolflakefirstnation.com

madeleine.paul@evfn.ca

Minister@ec.gc.ca

meallaire@snapqc.org, apart@tlb.sympatico.ca

info@miningwatch.ca, ramsey@miningwatch.ca

sierraclub.qc@gmail.com

gchapadeau-rnt@assnat.qc.ca

info@actionboreale.org

webmaster@cape.ca

info@aqlpa.com

ere@uqam.ca

fr@fondationrivieres.org

info@atquebec.org

conservons@naturequebec.org

svp.pollution@gmail.com

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet

Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment

Wildlife and Parks, Province of Quebec

Marie-Guyart, 29^th Floor 675 boul. René-Levesque East

Quebec, Quebec G1R 5V7

In regards to: Request for a provincial environmental assessment and public consultations (BAPE) for the proposed Kipawa Rare Earths project by Matamec Explorations Inc.

Dear Mr. Blanchet:

Please find attached the signatures and comments from the petition http://www.change.org/petitions/minister-of-natural-resources-quebec-protect-kipawa-lake. This petition states that the risks of the proposed Kipawa Rare Earths project are too great to allow it to proceed. Currently 2,543 individuals (Abitibi-Temiscaming residents, business owners, cottage owners, seasonal residents, tourists and other lake users) agree and have signed online, in addition we have received 55 paper signatures (also attached) giving a total of 2598 signatures to date in opposition of this project.

The company, Matamec, has claimed and continues to claim social acceptability. This petition, the peaceful protests which took place on September 4^th, 2013 in Laniel, Kipawa and Temiscaming, the petition by A.P.A.R.T. (association pour l’avenir des ressources temiscamiennes)  as well as a large Facebook community (over 1,000 ‘likes’ on https://www.facebook.com/SaveKipawaLake and almost 4,000 members of https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProtectKipawaLake/) prove otherwise. This project is not socially accepted.

The company has not been very forthcoming in explaining the risks of the project to the public when questioned. In addition, rare earth mining is new to Canada. It poses additional risks to the environment, animals, plants, fish, air and water quality. In additional to those risks present with other types of mining the fact remains that the dangers of the rare earth ores themselves are not yet understood. One thing is clear, to date, rare earth mining has never been carried out in a safe manner. In both China and the United States there have been major environmental consequences and disasters associated with this type of mining and in China also extreme human health issues. For scientific and objectively sound information on the risks of rare earth mining I encourage you to see the United States EPA publications which can be accessed via the following links http://www.miningwatch.ca/sites/www.miningwatch.ca/files/epa_reportonrareearthelements1.pdf and http://www.miningwatch.ca/sites/www.miningwatch.ca/files/epa_ree_report_dec_2012.pdf

For these reasons it is imperative that the public be completely informed and have the maximum opportunity for input. This cannot be done without a full provincial environmental assessment and public consultation process in Quebec (BAPE).

Regardless of the amount of ore extracted per day, whether 4,000 or 7,000 the effects are likely to be similar, the difference is simply a matter of scale. In addition, allowing this project to proceed without the full studies is a legal loop-hole whereby the company can open with a less rigorous approval process and then increase their production after the fact. Matamec has already alluded to the fact that they may do so in the following press release http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/48409/matamec-aims-to-boost-kipawa-project-economics-as-rare-earths-dynamics-improve-48409.html Where Mr. Miller states “.. there is potential to increase production higher”

In addition the Metal Mining and Effluent regulations do not limit the release of several of the potentially harmful substances that could be released during rare earth mining. At the time that many of these mining laws were written rare earth mining was not being carried out.

Furthermore the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks and the Province of Quebec have recently announced their plans to proceed with the creation of the Opemican Park project situated on the Kipawa Lake and Lake Temiscaming, both of which are located downstream of the proposed mine site. For this park to be worth the investment, it must attract visitors. How many individuals will want to vacation downstream of a potentially toxic and radioactive rare earth mine? If you take a moment and look through the comments provided by the petition signers many tourists are already stating that although they love the Kipawa area and have been visiting for generations, should this mine project be allowed to proceed they will take their families and money elsewhere. Tourism is one of the few long term stable industries in the area. Kipawa Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Canada. It would be devastating for it to be lost due to a short term economic gain to few from a potentially destructive mining operation that will benefit few of the local population.

Kipawa Lake is an important tourist destination, an important source of drinking water to local communities and those downstream along the Ottawa River. It also has a strong cultural and historic significance to local First Nations communities. I beg that you put these very important uses ahead of a potentially devastating short term financial gain for few. The first step in doing so Mr. Blanchet is to give the public more information and a voice. You can do so by requiring the project to undergo a full environmental study and public consultation. Please take into consideration these signatures in support of and in addition to those received from A.P.A.R.T.

Sincerely,

Christina Moreau, BSc, BEd

MSc in Fisheries and Aquatic Science (in progress)

savekipawalake@gmail.com

cc:

Martine Ouellet, ministre des Ressources naturelles du Québec

Pauline Marois, première ministre du Québec

Leona Aglukkak, Minister of Environment, Government of Canada

Norman Young, Mayor, Municipality of Kipawa

Arnaud Warolin, Préfet MRC Temiscamingue

Madeleine Paul, Chief, Eagle Village First Nation

Harry St-Denis, Chief, Wolf Lake First Nation

Christine Moore, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Member of Parliament, Deputy critic for energy and natural resources

Association pour l’avenir des ressources temiscamiennes (APART)

Coalition pour que le Québec ait meilleure mines

Ottawa River Keeper

Mining Watch Canada

CPAWS Ottawa River Valley

Les amis de la rivière Kipawa

Sierra Club Québec

Gilles Chapadeau, député de Rouyn-Noranda-Témiscamingue

Action boréale Abitibi-Témiscamingue (ABAT)  

Association canadienne des médecins pour l’environnement (ACME)

Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique (AQLPA)

Centre de recherche en éducation et formation relatives à l'environnement et à l'écocitoyenneté

Fondation Rivières

Les AmiEs de la Terre du Québec

Nature Québec

Société pour la nature et les parcs (SNAP-Québec)  

Société pour vaincre la pollution (SVP)

Communications Security Establishment Canada

To justify its expenditure of $133 million  a year on CSE's New Building:

2000 employees had outgrown their current CSE campus and retrofitting and expanding the current campus was found to be cost-prohibitive.  CSEC has an annual budget of about $422 million, according to CSEC spokesperson Ryan Foreman.

The business cases examined Crown Construction and Public-Private Partnership models independently validated by Deloitte.  It wa determined that P3 transfered all risks around construction and maintenance to the private sector. P3 Canada estimates that over the life-cycle of the contract, the P3 Method will save taxpayers $176 million. Also, as a P3, the facility will be ready 3 years sooner than a more traditional procurement.

The life-cycle cost of $4.1 billion includes all financing, facilities management, most IT equipment and maintenance, and physical security operations for 30 years. No taxpayer dollars are spent until the facility is fully constructed and delivered according to the contract.
Its an open-concept to ensure employees collaborate and work together.  Its agreen facility, being built to LEED Gold standards with filtered water available for employees to help them respond to the Government of Canada's security and intelligence priorities.

Omnibus bill C-36, the Anti-terrorism Act recognized CSEC's three-part mandate:
    1.    provide foreign intelligence
    2.    protect electronic information and information infrastructures
    3.    provide technical and operational assistance to federal law enforcement and security agency
    4.     engage in the war on terrorism

also CSEC provides communications security research and development on behalf of the Government of Canada in fields

CSEC employs code-makers and code-breakers to provide information technology security and foreign signals intelligence services and operational assistance to federal law enforcement and security agencies.
CSEC collects foreign communications signals which originate and terminate abroad.

Decrypts communications such as email, electronic emissions, communications systems, Information Technology systems and networks, and the data and technical information on or related to those systems.

All the above information is called Metadata about CSEC which is data that describes CSEC or  information about CSEC not what CSEC does as a matter of routine, for example, we do know that
CSEC collects data about phone numbers, length and time of calls, email addresses and internet routing information but not the extent or substance of the communications monitored.  CSEC looks at 'patterns' of communication. Which phone numbers are calling other phone numbers, which IP addresses are accessing other IP addresses to find 'frequent contacts' and then determinine if any of those are persons 'of interest' and thereby developing a 'web' of contacts/associates.

However recently we learned that CSEC had been hacking computers in Brazil's Ministry of Industry.

Its appears to ostensibly be about corporate espionage: ie, not playing nice.

The Deputy Head and Chief of the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) effective January 30, 2012, Mr. Forster,  has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from York University. He completed studies in environmental economics at Harvard.  His boss is Robert Nicholson MP, Minister of National Defence
was a practising lawyer before entering politics with a law degree from the University of Windsor.

All this may be well and good but Brazil currently takes a dim view of the operations of CSEC under the guidance of Mr. Forster.

They want to know specifically what information Canada collected about the ministry, what the objective of the spying was specifically, what exact methods were used to collect this information and evade the system, stating that  it is now Canada's turn to come to Brazil to explain exactly what it has done against Brazil and what kind of espionage it conducted. from CBC

Glen Greenwald admonishes Canadians to ask fundamental questions about CSEC like the following:

 Greenwald's clarity of expression seems without comparison in media. He said that Canadians should ask to understand exactly why the Government of Canada would target a Brazilian Ministry with no real responsibility beyond industry and in which Candian industry has a great interest.

My guess is that the matter being discussed is merely the tip of a large iceberg which is comprised of the intelligence agencies of many countries ie:

• the Government Communications Headquarters of the United Kingdom,
• the National Security Agency of the United States,
• the Communications Security Establishment of Canada whose antenna fields at CFB Leitrim on Leitrim Rd near Bank St. in Ottawa have been there for decades
• the Defence Signals Directorate of Australia,
• the Government Communications Security Bureau of New Zealand, and
• the National SIGINT Organisation (NSO) of The Netherlands.

The significance of this is that by Charter CSIS and CSEC are not to "spy" on Canadians, yet CSEC belongs to an association of spy agencies who have no such restriction, the result? The Canadian Government says they do not spy on Canadians but there are 4 other countries, that can do it for them. All the while, Government officals can plausibly state "we don't spy on Canadians."

Consider Mahar Arar who was sent to Syria, that bastion of democracy, with the knowledge and acquiescence of Canada, to be tortured.

There is nothing really wrong with the government know about its citizens. Its the preferred situation in my opinion. Some of this data is available widely to all Canadians. See data.gc.ca for more information.

So what is the real problem? 

Your Ontario Government At Work - Auditor Says Cancelling Gas Plant Cost Ontarians $675M to $815M

Its hard to grasp the insanity of this news. Essentially the reigning Liberal Ontario Government spent almost a billion dollars to cancel gas plants that were targeted for installation in certain liberal ridings ostensibly to ensure that certain Liberal MPP's were returned to the Ontario Legislature. The amount is so large as to perplex the simple voter: What The Fuck? Auditor Says Cancelling Gas Plan Cost Ontarians $675M to $815M.

The Wynne/McGuinty Liberal government of the time (2011) actually voluntarily chose to pay the companies the cancellation fees based on the local dissent. Its about $1000 added to the debt of every man, woman and child in Ontario.

Municipal, healthcare and education administrators are under pressure to do more with less.These cancellation expenditures are indefensible.  The environment, a poor cousin loses out by default.  It is sad that there will never be any accountability for this waste of hard earned tax dollars.