Saturday, January 2, 2010

CAITI was among the first to decry Harper's attack on democracy


Click on image to enlarge.

It has become very fashionable of late for many in the media to speak out against Stephen Harper's undermining of Canadian democracy. These journalist/reporter/media types are laughably late to this story, by about FOUR years. Evidently these people in the media need to have the picture painted for them in Technicolour before they realize what's been going on with the degradation of Canada's democracy from the very moment that Harper first entered office as PM.

Four years is a bit late to be catching on to this story don't you think? CAITI ran a series of ads in the Hill Times in the first three months of 2007 when CAITI first came into existence that were all about Harper's attack on Canada's democracy. One of these CAITI ads is pictured above entitled "Stephen Harper's insidious attack on democracy" that ran in February 2007, and this ad copy cites seven separate incidents that occurred to that point which indicated Harper's insidious attack on Canada's democracy. That was almost three years ago! Where was the press then on this story, back then? For those of us who were paying attention, it comes as no surprise that three years later we have the very same Stephen Harper proroguing Parliament for the second time in less that a year, in order to avoid being accountable for the possible torture of Afghan detainees and as the means to evade accountability to the Canadian people.

But what did anyone expect from a Prime Minister who completely evaded accountability for causing $35 billion in losses to Canadians hard earned savings from his income trust policy that was based on his argument that income trusts cause tax leakage. A concept whose "proof" took the form of 18 pages of blacked out documents? The Canadian media was Harper's greatest ally and enabler in evading accountability on that massive fraud of a tax policy. What else did people really need to know about Harper's complete disregard for being held to account, than that seminal experience? Or any of the other six separate incidents cited in the CAITI ad of February 2007? The writing was on the wall. Too bad, it took the rest of the country and virtually all of the media another THREE YEARS to awaken to what was obvious to anyone with half a brain, and the ability to connect the dots, back then.

Meanwhile the Canadian news media is only now picking up on that theme, almost THREE YEARS later. Where have these people been, such that they are only now awakening to this obvious assault on Canada's democracy by Stephen Harper? This is what you get when the media in Canada is so narrowly held by a small number of commercial interests whose agenda is often at opposition with that of Canadians at large and who are more than happy to obscure the truth on something so demonstrably false as tax leakage. Tax leakage, as reported in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the National Post, the Calgary Herald et al, is reported upon as if it were the truth, when in fact it is a blatant and demonstrable lie.

Which makes you wonder, who is more responsible for the degradation of democracy in Canada? Stephen Harper or the Canadian media? Stephen Harper or the editors of the Globe and Mail? Stephen Harper or the Editorial Board of the Toronto Star?

I treat them all with the same level of disdain, as collectively they are responsible for the degradation of Canada's democracy. Stephen Harper along with the sycophant Canadian media. Pox on all of them.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Attack on democracy?

You lefties are a joke, if the opposition parties have the balls to vote non confidence in March we will be having an election in April.

Isn't that what you want?

Fillibluster said...

Anonymous:

You seem to be big on labels.

Please describe the meaning of "you lefties" in the context of someone who is concerned about preserving the basic institution of democracy?

What does that make "you righties" on the issue of democracy?

Anonymous said...

You Liberal moonbats don't want an election?

Do you just want to be able to keep on whining and complaining?

Put your money where your mouth is.

Anyone seen Iggy?

I'll never vote Tory again said...

Dear Anonymous,
You bet this former Con voter wants an election. I look forward to Stephen Joseph Harper's Long Day of Reckoning.

It's not just his contempt for Parliament. He has contempt for the law--Canadian and international.

Signed
Never a Tory voter again

Dr Mike said...

Lefties????

I will vote for anyone with the right policy.

I believe that the fight is for a return to democracy & not what any of the main parties have been ramming down our throats for the last few decades.

My main concern has been the trust tax & the 18 pages of blacked-out proof for the Flaherty tax leakage claim.

Any party that uses this tactic is no friend of true democracy & no friend of mine---I voted Conservative for 36 years so I am certainly no Lefty.

If anyone can explain to me why it was necessary to black these pages out & also be willing to back-up the reasoning , I would greatly appreciate it.

Dr Mike Popovich

PS--got to love the anonymous Cons that come here for a visit--no balls , no glory --one step away from a bedsheet with eyeholes.

Anonymous said...

Brent:

Great letter. Perfect letter. Strong, tough, hard-hitting and right on the money.

Happy New Year,
Bob

Anonymous said...

Brent,

Agree, too bad we didn't have Michelle Lang as a business reporter, as they say she went to great lengths to get the story right.

"The good do truly die young"

Doug

Fillibluster said...

Doug:

Yes, apparently Michelle Lang must have been a good reporter (as distinct from Amanda Lang).

I heard Michelle’s editor at the Calgary Herald saying that they would have a hard time living up to her legacy.

Maybe they could at least try?

Brent

Anonymous said...

Brent...The press were all sucked into that 'Clear and Present Danger" myth that Flaherty propogated to the end of the earth. He made it seem like a national emergency when BCE was threatening to convert. The problem with the press is they chose to believe the myth rather than do a bit of analysis and investigation. As you stated previously, one reporter admitted that it had not dawned on her that the Finance minister might be lying. And the NDP were complicit in reinforcing the lies which made the story more believable for the press...but they still failed in their responsibility to do some investigative reporting. But it's unlikely any of them will admit it so better to solicit their support moving forward IMHO.

Polyian

Anonymous said...

Well Brent, maybe the press are just now starting to see the light. Maybe this is the 2x4 across the back of the head they needed. Hmmm?

Bruce

Anonymous said...

Liberals have become so lame, at least Chretien had his golf balls, Iggy has none and the LPoC will soon become "da turd pardi" leaving the role of the official opposition to the NDP.

ajlm said...

This country needs a mass movement to get rid of the danagers to democracy posed by Harper and his totalitarian instincts. It can start small and grow. One suggestion for your readers, start a mail and media campaign to ridicule the prorogation. The "Impolitical" blog has a great postcard that can start it at

http://impolitical.blogspot.com/


Mail the postcard both to the PM and to your local media. Ask your friends to join in.

Dr Mike said...

ajlm

Love the card!!

It has been mailed.

Thanks

Dr Mike Popovich

Anonymous said...

via David Akin blog;

Jean Chretien prorogued Parliament four times during his time as Prime Minister: February 5, 1996; September 18, 1999; September 16, 2002; and November 12, 2003.

On each occasion, the Liberals killed their own legislation. Several bills ended up dying over and over again due to Liberals proroguing Parliament or calling early elections.

September 16, 2002 – After a summer of Liberal in-fighting and Jean Chretien being forced to announce his planned retirement date in August, Chretien prorogued Parliament, killing legislation so that he could unveil his legacy agenda.

According [to] Eddie Goldenberg, Chretien decided to have a Throne Speech just to test the will of the Martinite forces who were trying to push him out early: Chretien was happy. “I like that. It is exactly what we just discussed. Prepare me a statement. But just one more thing,” said the old fox. “I want a Throne Speech in the fall. The government will stand or fall on it. If they want to vote against me on it, then it is the one case in which I will run again.” (Eddie Goldenberg, The Way it Works, p. 380)

November 12, 2003 – Jean Chretien announced that Parliament was prorogued on the eve of the Liberal leadership convention (so Chretien and Martin didn’t have to sit together in the House of Commons and face a dispute over who was Prime Minister). Martin did not become Prime Minister until December 12, 2003 and Parliament did not resume until February 2, 2004 – almost four months later

The current session has lasted as long as many comparable sessions under the Liberals, and longer than several of the sessions under Jean Chretien and Paul Martin.

Just to add to what David Akin reported, this is from the Library of Parliament

26th Parliament Trudeau 1963/12/21,1965/4/3
27th Parliament Trudeau 1967/5/8
28th Parliament Trudeau 1969/10/22,1970/10/7,1972/2/16
29th Parliament Trudeau 1974/2/26
30th Parliament Trudeau 1976/10/12,1977/10/17,1978/10/10,1983/11/30

33rd Parliament Mulroney1986/8/28
34th Parliament 1989/2/28,1991/5/12

35th Parliament Chretien1996/2/2
36th Parliament 1999/9/18
37th Parliament 2002/9/16,2003/11/12

39th Parliament Harper 2007/9/14
40th Parliament 2008/12/4

The last time that the old Cretch prorogued was so that he didn't have to sit with Paul Martin in the House of Commons.

Anonymous said...

On this day, the 2nd of January, 2009, Liberal Senator Jerry Grafstein celebrates his 75th birthday. Let’s all wish him a happy birthday and a Senatorial farewell.

Ha Ha

Dr Mike said...

His retirement makes room for another Harper slug like Duffy.

Lucky us.

Dr Mike Popovich

Anonymous said...

Anonymous

So you're arguing for the destruction of democracy? Shutting parliament down is good?

For me, I don't care what political stripes you wear, there are precious few reasons to shut parliament down especially when it is done to avoid parliament from finding you guilty of fraud or some such malfeasance.

Are you arguing that politicians should be able to do that?

Calgary Voter

Anonymous said...

You're not from Calgary.

How is democracy being destroyed?

There will be a throne speech and budget introduced at the beginning of March. The prorogation of Parliament is adding how many days to the House not sitting?

January 25th to March 3rd...........do the math if you're capable.

Iggy is handing the keys to Jack Layton to become the OLO on a silver platter.

The LPoC rank and file have been sold a bill of goods with the appointment by the Bloc Torontois of IGGY as the unelected leader.

Suckers