Several items about Harper's Canada have hit my newsfeeds in the past week, and lucky you's..I've been saving them all for you..a three course meal full of all kinds of tasty titbits.
First, the appetizer. Which tantalizes us with how the Canadian government, led by Harper and cronies, deals with news they don't want the public to hear. It's not new news, but the details haven't been known about exactly how the Canadian government stops Canadian scientists from revealing the results of any studies done on climate change and it's effects.
We knew that any scientist wishing to talk to the press about climate change had to get approval from ministry offices. Which offices exactly? Environment Canada, which apparently has a "communications" branch. But what wasn't known, was that 9 (got that? 9 ) levels of government had to give approval for every single press meeting with scientists. Most ( if not all) requests for media release of information relating to climate change never make it past the 6th level, Ministerial Services. Kind of like a video game, in'nit?
So this is how Harper's government squashes any attempts of scientists working in the field of climate change from disseminating their findings..bury'em in paperwork! Why have to deny when you can obstruct, impede and hamper.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/...
That's just the appetizer. The main course awaits just over the cunningly twisted orange breadsticks. Enjoy!
In September of 2012, in Vladivostock, Russia, two countries signed an agreement; Canada and China....whut, you thought I was going to say Russia, didn't you. Nope. Steven Harper and Hu Jintao of China signed the Canada-China Investment Agreement. Although signed, the deal had not been ratified and that required a vote of Cabinet (Conservative MPs chosen by the Prime Minister and assigned to various appointments or ministries), not Parliament (all elected MPs).
Months passed without any move to ratify the agreement and in all that time, only one hour of study was ever given by any committee, the trade committee. No consultation by any Canadian public was held either.
While the delay in ratifying this agreement was going on, the Hupacaseth First Nations challenged the treaty in court, hoping to delay ratification, if not actually stop it. First Nations, by virtue of treaty, had some legal means to do this, that other Canadians did not. The court case is still unresolved.
But on Friday, behind closed doors, Harper's cabinet ratified the agreement and slipped the news into the late Friday afternoon press briefing.
Why are the opposition, and Canadians in general, so opposed to this treaty?
Green Party Leader, Elisabeth May went on to say, “Once ratified, the Canada-China Investment Agreement will bind Canada, including future governments, for a minimum of 31 years. Unlike NAFTA, with an exit clause of 6 months’ notice, this agreement, also called a FIPA (Foreign Investor Protection Agreement) cannot be exited for the first 15 years. After 15 years, either country can exit on one year’s notice, but any existing investments are further protected for another 15 years. Despite some claims by other politicians that the treaty could be voided by a future government, that is not the case.”
“The only way to exit the treaty would be through negotiations with China in which the government in Beijing agrees. Unilateral withdrawal would trigger a multi-billion dollar claim by the Peoples Republic of China against Canada, with damages open to collection in one hundred countries around the world.”
“Cabinet’s signing of this deal behind closed doors, instead of giving Parliament a say, is not just undemocratic in itself,” added Deputy Leader Bruce Hyer. “It is also a profound attack of Canada’s sovereignty as a nation, and an erosion of the rights of all Canadians to make democratic decisions about our economy, environment, and energy. The Conservatives have now allowed for secret tribunals that will work to re-write our laws in order to protect Chinese interests.”
emphasis mine
In other words, it will open the doors for China's state-owned enterprises ( the ones that own oil companies operating in the tarsands) to take Canada to court for decisions made at any level of government, federal or provincial, that the Chinese companies believe will adversely affect their profits.
Oh, and forget the possibility that Canada might win any of those court cases. Canada has never won any Chapter 11 (investor state) cases under NAFTA and has lost millions in such cases.
http://elizabethmaymp.ca/...
And for dessert, the choicest, and sweetest dish of the meal:
Steven Harper has made the announcement that he will not be attending the UN Secretary General's Climate summit in New York on Sunday. He's dissing the summit! What a punk. He just doesn't want to face being called on all the underhanded, sneaky crap he's been doing to undermine Canada's commitment to the Kyoto accord.
But not to worry, The Council of Canadians, thinking that maybe his limo's in the shop, has kindly offered to swing by his residence and pick him up with one of the buses they've rented to take people to the NYC's global Climate march.
“It is scandalous that Canada’s Prime Minister is not attending this summit, but it’s not too late for him to change his mind: We can pass by 24 Sussex to pick him up if he wants to learn about climate change, participate in the march, and then meet his responsibility to join other climate leaders at the summit,” says Andrea Harden-Donahue, the Council of Canadians’ Energy and Climate Justice Campaigner, who is helping coordinate one of the buses from Ottawa. “Canada has become a climate criminal, from the muzzling of scientists to the slashing of environmental protections and rubber-stamping of fossil fuel infrastructure. That’s why it’s so important for Canadians to be present at this march. We care, and we demand action, for people and the planet.”
http://www.canadianprogressiveworld.com/...
Will he take them up on their offer? Nah!
And you Monsieur's et Madame's, are you replete with the Harper? Bon!