Security: Introduction -- Six Sections Including References
Notice: Oct. 29, 04
The problem with the sections of this post being out of order has been corrected. I apologize for any problems in finding the material. Life is like that -- and sometimes I can fix the problem.
News Junkie Canada
Introduction: Security Then and Now -- Compare these Hansard excerpts from October 2004 with those from 1998 to see what has changed, if anything.There are supporting materials and resource links; several aspects of security are considered.
Error in links:
I noticed an extra < b+r+/> added to a few of my archived material links; when I tried to gain access to these to correct them, I could not. I shall try again but, if I cannot, simply copy the link and remove the "extra" bit. Then, it should work. Some materials may no longer be online but they may be found elsewhere.
Caveat:
I cannot vouch for the veracity nor the value of all the material to which the links will take one. I came to them from reasonably reliable websites, the print and web-published media, a few bloggers and tips. The sources and links are listed for you to check and form your own conclusions. Also, I have included a few links which demonstrate a laxity concerning security or a cavalier attitude toward Canadians' security and taxpayer money which I believe lead to some of the problems Canada faces today.
For any errors, double entries, and the like, I apologize -- but things happen -- and this is done in my spare time. I am not paid for it.
Sections and Time Constraints:
Scroll down for the "List of sections:" with links to each. This is lengthy so, if necessary, scroll to "Note if you are pressed for time".
I am still concerned about the lack of resources to effectively implement these very laudable plans. Since the government took office in 1993 there have been more than 700 employees cut from CSIS, more than one-quarter of the total workforce. (Peter MacKay, 1998) [Funding is still deficient.]
Basically, what Peter MacKay and others have said about the lax security today is also applicable to what he said in 1998, six years ago, reported in Hansard (See Section 3). In six years, all the government has done is talk about security. They've done virtually nothing but make announcements. In 1998 they were short 700 CSIS agents and today, they are still short about 700, although they are in the process of hiring about 100. The meeting a few days ago with Tom Ridge head of the US Department of Homeland Security was more about speeding shipments across the border, not checking terrorists getting into Canada and not dealing with them once they are here.
e.g. The week end of Oct. 16/17 CBC's Peter Mansbridge (in "One on One" ) interviewed Mohammed Harkat (Harket) who has been held on a security certificate for about two years and he couldn't understand why. The fact that Mohammed Harkat (Harket) accompanied the elder Khadr on a trip from Ottawa to Toronto for about 4 hours had nothing to do with anything. They just happened to be in the same car at the same time.
Update: The National Post (Oct. 19, 04) reveals that Harkat's lawyers have managed to stave off his deportation for a while, if not forever, again.
Note if you are pressed for time:
* Scroll to the links in "List of sections:" after you read the following suggestions.
* Scroll down to Section 4: Mr. Peter MacKay (Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, PC), Apr. 30, 1998 which has comments also.
* Then skim Section 5: Reference material.
* Read Section 6 subheadings -- You will get the idea. (Section 6: More security and related material with links for reference)
* In the excerpts from Hansard, see inserted subheadings, an aid.
Besides local policing, security includes these aspects affecting national security and some suggestions.
* We must have more effective border control and policies to enhance security and public safety with respect to:
* land, air and seaports
* crime and criminal gangs
* drugs and drug finances
* terrorism and the Canadians who join in terrorist activities here and/or abroad
* immigration and refugees -- There are problems which allow undesirables--criminals/terrorists--to enter and to remain Canada.
* the justice system-the courts, sentencing -- Canadians are concerned that their tax dollars are being wasted, for example, on helping to keep here those whom Canada's courts have already determined should be deported.
* We must increase funding for the necessary manpower, materials and tools for our military, policing services/ RCMP / CSIS and any other group set up especially for security at this time; then,
we must pay heed to their warnings--without losing our civil liberties and privacy, of necessity a balancing act--and
we must depoliticize them and/or eliminate any appearance of politicization of these services.
* Security also includes crimes affecting intellectual property, copyright, spying / espionage and more, business(es) and getting the proceeds into the mainstream economy with their related activities (e.g. Those involved in illegal drugs and terror combine in networks for money laundering.), et cetera.
The following is intended to provide background, other and current information -- and to show how little has changed / how much more there is to do since all the talk in the House of Commons (1998--Hansard referenced). There are examples, comments, and reference links.
Section 1: Peter MacKay (Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, PC) -- Oct. 14, 2004
Section 1: Peter MacKay (Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, PC) -- Oct. 14, 2004
Please note:
I have not put the excerpts in blockquotes because of length. However, certain quotations within will be set off with blockquotes. Also, I have inserted italicized subheadings as an aid.
Public security -- Lack of funding, Dismantling of nine RCMP detachments across Quebec, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Marine security-Coast Guard (Will budget move with it from DFO?), items from the Auditor General's report to be released this fall, Gun Registry, Digitization-fingerprinting and iris identification
"The Auditor General's report coming this fall is expected to focus on the government's ability to handle civil disasters and threats from terrorists and organized crime. According to a news report, officials in the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness say the audit will show that the office is not adequately prepared to deal with a large scale national disaster or terrorist attack."
[. . . . Bill C-6] is really enabling legislation for the creation of the new Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
[. . . . ] The government is somewhat delayed in bringing about this enabling legislation.
[. . . The] bill takes the core responsibilities of the Department of Solicitor General, the Office of Critical Infrastructure and Emergency Preparedness, and the National Crime Prevention Centre, as well as establishing that the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is the person to whom “entities for which the minister is responsible”, such as the RCMP, CSIS, Correctional Service Canada, National Parole Board, the Canadian Firearms Centre and the Canada Border Services Agency, report through to Parliament.
Clearly the Conservative Party supports the efforts to coordinate these departments and bring about a greater synergy and cooperation within the ranks. This of course is with one notable exception and that is the continuation and extension of the Canadian Firearms Centre which remains one of the biggest frauds ever perpetrated by a government on an unsuspecting public. We know that the billion dollars [This was amended to $2-billion below.] that continues to rise has no connection to public safety. It has not been borne at all in any statistical format nor in any way been connected to public safety. That money. . . would be better spent by putting it into front line policing, helping with victims' agencies and the creation of a victims' ombudsman office with a budget directly tied to that of the correctional investigator. . . . .
The bill. . . could have been introduced last winter. . . . . election. . . delayed until today.
This problem is not one of style or substance.
It is simply a matter I guess of the Prime Minister rushing to shut down the inquiry that was going on into the sponsorship scandal.
The Conservative Party believes that there has to be better coordination in the area of safety, security and intelligence agencies.
[. . . . We] support the general thrust of the legislation to establish under one department these agencies dealing with national security.
[. . . . ] Just last month the Canadian police chiefs called upon the federal government to convene a summit with the provinces, municipalities and all levels of police to determine a national strategy to improve the country's response to disasters and terrorism.
[. . . ] a need to coordinate [. . . . ]
(1700)
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police
Chief Edgar MacLeod, president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, said that the federal government needs to take the lead in defining policing since local police budgets are becoming increasingly stretched to the limit. Chief MacLeod also noted that local police budgets not only deal with community matters but with threats of a global nature, including terrorism and organized crime.
RCMP Cutbacks--Dismantling of nine detachments across Quebec and Organized Crime
That again leads to a comment with respect to the cuts that we have seen to the RCMP in the province of Quebec. This has serious implications, particularly when it comes to the area of drug enforcement.
[Translation]
I was dismayed to see the RCMP move forward with the dismantling of nine detachments across Quebec, when the government publicly stated that fighting organized crime was a priority.
Last April, the minister's national security policy stated that, organized crime is increasingly becoming part of a globalized network and that “a number of terrorist movements have advanced their activities by developing links with organized crime”.
One can assume, therefore, that the closure of these detachments by the government will signal to organized crime that it should move to the places the RCMP has left..
Ports, Disbanding of Ports Police, Marine Security-Coast Guard (Will the Coast Guard budget move with it from DFO?)
[. . . . ] marine security. We believe that the disbanding of the ports police under the Liberal government should never have happened. This has left our ports and coastal communities particularly vulnerable.
[. . . ] That again leads to a comment with respect to the cuts that we have seen to the RCMP in the province of Quebec. This has serious implications, particularly when it comes to the area of drug enforcement.
[Translation]
Halifax, Montreal and Vancouver, [. . . ] the government has very much neglected smaller ports throughout the country, leaving coastal communities and therefore our very country vulnerable.
[. . . If ] someone wants to bring anything from child pornography to a nuclear bomb into the country, it will happen on the water. [. . . . ] coastal area. . . undefended. . . . . cuts to the Coast Guard and to our navy.
[. . . . ] in the city of Halifax, for example, there was a container stolen from the port. [. . . . ]
The Port of Yarmouth manager, Dave Whiting, recently stated that Yarmouth has spent approximately $80,000 on security systems and equipment. This is the municipality of Yarmouth. It is an international port. [. . . . ] Ottawa does not seem to be concerned where the money will come from when it comes to payment for security.
The Port of Mulgrave, in the Strait of Canso, [. . . . is] the largest and deepest ice-free port in North America, yet it does not enjoy the support of the federal government.
In another bill introduced in the House we see that the Coast Guard will be going back to the Transport Canada department from Fisheries and Oceans. This was an ill-conceived idea in the first instance. This will enable the Coast Guard to focus on its operational responsibilities relating to pleasure craft, safety, marine navigation services, pollution prevention and navigable water protection. [. . . . ] their job is to protect people, not fish.
(1705)
[. . . . ] The Coast Guard, as we have seen with other departments, has been asked to do more and to patrol larger areas, and yet its budget, when it was transferred to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, did not follow it. [. . . . ] I am hopeful it will receive the adequate funding it deserves. What is not clear, as I said, is whether this budget will follow. [. . . ] recall that [. . . ]
The merger of the Coast Guard with DFO was difficult and painful. Funding for both departments was significantly reduced in 1994 as a result of Program Review and the integration of two organizations with different structures and corporate cultures added significantly to the challenges faced. In the view of the Committee, the transfer of the Coast Guard to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has been disastrous for the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has virtually disappeared within DFO. The combined fleet has been reduced almost to half its pre-merger strength. [all party Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, spring, 2004]
[If one were of a suspicious nature, one might think that some people do not want a coast guard funded and poking their noses into "business". Is it because they might find something? ]
[. . . . ] the average age of a Coast Guard vessel is over 20 years. Almost half the existing vessels now have less than five years of useful service left.
[. . . "] Lack of funding has hampered our security forces and our military for years”.
Auditor General's report items--to be released 2004, autumn
[. . . . ] Auditor General. . . . machines were being purchased to take fingerprints and electronically process those digital fingerprints, but no funding had been allocated to the electronic processing of this material. . . . there does not seem to be the adequate follow-through to utilize this type of information.
It is poor planning, clearly, with more emphasis on the publicity for the implementation of this type of process than the practical application of it. [. . . . ]
The Auditor General [. . . . ] Departments and agencies are still unable to share information and their systems are not able to communicate with each other. [. . . . ]
. . . Auditor General found that the watch lists used to screen entrants to Canada were not consistently accurate and that the current information about 25,000 Canadian passports lost or stolen is not yet available to front line officers. [. . . . ]
The Auditor General's report coming this fall is expected to focus on the government's ability to handle civil disasters and threats from terrorists and organized crime. According to a news report, officials in the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness say the audit will show that the office is not adequately prepared to deal with a large scale national disaster or terrorist attack.
(1710)
The Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence -- some findings
[. . . ] The Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence has also released several documents and reports on Canada's ability to defend itself against terrorism. . . . these are a few of the findings of the report.
First: Many municipal representatives did not know of the role of the federal Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP), or felt that the agency was simply not doing its job.
Second: Health Canada has placed emergency supply caches across the country to be used in crises--but the vast majority of first responders don't know where the caches are located or what they contain. Nor have they been consulted about what they should contain.
It goes on to state that the department:
* leaves emergency preparedness up to individual federal departments and agencies. So nobody is in charge of ensuring that whatever disaster occurs, the central government continues to function.
[. . . . Recall] the Prime Minister's Office virtually operating in the dark when the great electrical failure of the summer of 2003 occurred. [. . . . ]
States the report at page 26:
* Inadequate federal funding is at least partially responsible for shortages of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection equipment.
The report also states at pages 30 to 33:
Canadians have been hit by several national disasters in recent years. Each time lessons are learned about which types of resources work best and what went wrong. Yet there is no centralized system for collecting and sharing “lessons learned.”
The report goes on to say:
* While the RCMP, which handles police duties in most provinces, can be seconded to help in emergencies, there is no formal arrangement to provide provincial police assistance in Canada's two biggest provinces--Ontario and Quebec.
Many municipal administrators of first response units told us thatthe federal and provincial governments seem confused about which level of government is responsible for helping authorities prepare for major emergencies. Either that or they are passing the buck to avoid financing improvements.
When major emergencies occur, it is imperative that Canadian broadcasters help spread the word about what is happening and what citizens should do to be protecting themselves. Yet there are no regulations requiring broadcasters to interrupt regular programing to assist during emergencies.
This is fairly damning information. . . and both the Auditor General and the Senate committee. . . are impartial bodies [. . . .] there remains much to be done.
Chief Julian Fantino of the metropolitan Toronto Police Service has highlighted the need for greater attention to and greater coordination with municipal levels of policing. . . . ensuring that information is shared and action is taken on these important files. [. . . . ]
Hon. Roy Cullen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Lib.):. . . the closure of RCMP detachments in Quebec.
. . . an operational matter that is within the purview of the RCMP.[. . . . ]
The same rationalization took place in Ontario just a few years ago.[. . . .]
(1720)
Gun Registry
Mr. Peter MacKay: [. . . I] disagree with my colleague opposite.
As we all know, the gun registry was touted by the then minister, Allan Rock, at a cost to Canadians of $3 million. That is but a wisp compared to what it has ballooned to now. I fundamentally disagree that there is no nexus whatsoever between public safety and this boondoggle related to the gun registry.
With respect to the closure of police detachments in the province of Quebec, my simple answer is hire more police. The police are not to blame for the fact that they have to now consolidate in certain detachments, just as it is not the navy's fault when they are forced to make very difficult decisions operationally because of budget cuts.
If we take money that is being frittered away in the gun registry, if we did away with some of the scandalous programs like the sponsorship scandal, the HRDC boondoggle, the purchase of government jets against the recommendations of the Chief of Defence Staff, if we did away with some of these absolutely heinous wastes of public money and put it into front line policing and national security, the navy and the RCMP would not be forced to make these very difficult decisions which involve downsizing and closing detachments. It shows a distinct lack of respect and commitment to rural Canada. Time and again that is where the hits and the cuts occur.
Digitization
Mrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, CPC): [. . . The] digitizing of fingerprints and that this has not really proceeded in the manner in which it was supposed to due to underfunding.
[. . . Would] the elimination of the gun registry free up the necessary funding so this initiative could be put forth that would help the safety and security of the nation?
Mr. Peter MacKay: [. . . . ] It was $2 billion that was flushed away by the useless gun registry.
[. . . ] the practicalities . . . . The type of technology that is used for fingerprinting and iris identification can be extremely useful if properly implemented.
The problem with something like a gun registry, as sophisticated as we might try to make it, is criminals do not register their guns. They do not participate in the program. [. . . . ] Just as we cannot expect them to provide accurate information to Revenue Canada for tax purposes, they are not about to register their guns.[. . . . ]
[. . . . That] technology is useful if it is properly funded and implemented and actually has a nexus to security. Identification of iris and fingerprints and that type of human data is very useful. [. . . . ] If the information is accurate, useful and can save lives, I say do it. The gun registry does not do any of that.
Hon. Andy Scott (Solicitor General of Canada, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I rise to present to parliament the solicitor general's annual statement on national security, having tabled today the 1997 public report of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
The public report provides parliamentarians and the public with a review of the global and domestic security environment.
[. . . . ] Whether it be pursuing the goal of more effective corrections, fighting organized crime or maintaining national security, CSIS, the RCMP, the correctional service and the National Parole Board are dedicated to public safety.
Today I want to focus on the efforts the government is making to protect Canada's interests and to safeguard our citizens from threats to their safety and security. As the CSIS public report underlines, the 1990s have been a decade of great change dominated by increased instability worldwide and the escalating use of violence for political and ideological purposes.
Comment
Since then, for example, think of the incidents at Concordia for how far Canada has gone down the slippery slope -- where the potential for violence has been allowed to prevent rational discussion. The violence that occurred when Benjamin Netanyahu was to speak at Concordia was not dealt with severely by police/security officers--was it one or two years ago? The result has been another occurrence just lately. The idea that fear of violent unrest prevented the appearance of Ehud Barak of Israel to give a talk at Concordia this year bodes ill for the Canadian tradition of "talking out" our differences and arriving at a new understanding or even an agreement to differ.
Terrorism, including state sponsored terrorism, is an all too frequent occurrence. CSIS has a mandate to forewarn and advise the government on such activities, providing threat assessments and helping to ensure effective consultation and information sharing with appropriate agencies.
Comment
Yet, the RCMP/CSIS report on possible corruption at our own Hong Kong embassy resulting in triad gang members/criminals entering Canada was spiked--to soften its effect? and another report, termed Echo, I believe, was the result--a much more watered down, politically correct report. More instances of criminal corruption have been uncovered in the Bogota-Columbia and Beijing-China embassies. (See references below.) Are there others?
Our government has not been listening to its own security services' reports and advice. Our best friend, the United States has been warning, as well, to little effect since this time, 1998.
CSIS, the RCMP and other federal departments work together to investigate and monitor the threat of international terrorist activity in a common mission to protect Canadians and Canada's interests here and abroad.
Canadians can expect to see a range of tough measures against those who abuse our democratic system and our institutions to further their deadly aims. I will outline some of the measures.
Canada is a signatory to the United Nations convention on the suppression of terrorist bombing offences and the convention on the safety of UN and associated personnel. The government plans to introduce legislation to ratify these conventions.
Note: At this point, I would draw your attention to Section 5: Reference material and Section 6: More security and related material with links for reference.
We want to make it much more difficult for terrorist groups to raise funds in Canada. . . . while not impinging upon legitimate humanitarian fundraising activities.
Comment
When did the elder Mr. Khadr's fundraising activities in Canada on behalf of Al Qaeda end? Does it bother Canadians that a terrorist whose sons followed him now has a crippled and paralyzed son being treated at taxpayers' expense? That one son, the partially paralyzed / crippled Karim, another brother who may or may not be part of the terrorist fold, and the mother, Elsamnah Khadr, after living outside Canada for years, are here and will partake of Canada's social services, if not immediately, then at some future date -- and after the anti-US, pro-shahada speeches she and her daughter made to the CBC's Terence McKenna, while in Pakistan?
Remember Tamil Tigers' fundraising activities which at least two of our parliamentarians attended. (possibly MP's Minna and Martin before he became PM, but I am unsure of this. Check.) Think about the Tamil heroin dealer/criminal gang member, who was granted permanent residency in Canada while he was taking part in his criminal activities -- and he managed to remain here, compliments of our court system for about 14 years. He was arrested, incarcerated for brief periods--even though he was a gang leader and heroin dealer, had more convictions and still, was here for 14 years.(A K Kannin gang -- see national stories within the last two weeks)
We also want to make it much more difficult for terrorists to enter Canada and to abuse our immigration process to avoid justified removal from the country. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is developing proposals on these issues as part of her broader reform.
That was in reference to the then Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Elinor Caplan. I believe Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and also the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Anne McLellan, is still talking in terms of "studying", "analyzing", "assessing", and the like.
Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms must be amended to take into account Canadians' security concerns. We need to prevent illegal aliens from entering without valid documents--or with false documents--and then stop them from claiming "refugee" status, being allowed to stay and being let loose into our society. Illegal aliens should NOT gain access to Canadian taxpayers' funds to stymie efforts to remove them nor should they be able to use our Charter and the courts to our detriment. (See Section 5 and Section 6 for the examples of Mohammed Issa and Mohammed Harkat, as well as the examples in the links below.)
My colleague, the Minister of Justice, has announced that she will bring major amendments to our laws on extradition to help us better meet our international commitments and to ensure that Canada is not a safe haven for criminals around the world who want to avoid justice. [Think about this one. ]
I reiterate the commitment I made in this House last November to introduce legislation that would help the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies to combat money laundering. . . . . benefits for counterterrorism efforts.
The RCMP and CSIS play key roles in national security. . . . marshalling all the resources in a co-operative and integrated fight against threats to our national security. CSIS has a key role to play in exchanging information with other countries and providing relevant criminal information and strategic analysis to Canadian law enforcement.
Several countries are active in trying to steal leading edge technology from Canada. CSIS has a mandate and a responsibility to investigate these matters.
Yet, when this speech was given, China had already "acquired" Canadian nuclear reactor plans and was building or had built a nuclear reactor based on these plans. Canada loaned money--to the country's disadvantage, I have read--to China to buy a reactor from Canada. I believe Canada included a transfer of technology in the deal (See references below.)
According to current news reports, China is marketing its own nuclear reactor. There is ample evidence of Chinese theft of copyrighted material, et cetera. Why then were a group of businessmen in China this fall, trying to sell "leading edge technology from Canada" to the Chinese? (Section 5: and Section 6:)
Section 3: Mr. Peter Mancini (Sydney—Victoria, NDP)
Section 3: Hansard -- Mr. Peter Mancini (Sydney—Victoria, NDP), April 30, 1998
[. . . . ] Mr. Peter Mancini (Sydney—Victoria, NDP): . . . In Montreal the existence of biker gangs that engage in warfare are of concern.
[. . . ] influence of organized crime. [. . . . Every Canadian ] will watch the movements of the minister on the issue of organized crime.
(1020)
It is an issue that requires national attention. In the last year, as I have indicated, we have realized the biker gangs and the organized crime which is present at Canada's ports. I have raised these issues in the House on many occasions. There are allegations of infiltration and involvement in the ports.
Comment
These are no longer "allegations" of infiltration and involvement in the ports, but a "fact".
We know that Canada has been placed on the United States list of nations about which they are most concerned in terms of money laundering. . . . .
The increased globalization, the increased freedom of capital to flow from one nation to another, with limited checks and balances, has opened the door for organized crime to infiltrate this country. The opening of the ports, the reduction of tariffs and the cutbacks of police agencies that can properly monitor what happens in this country and what goods come in have given more power to organized crime.
I welcome the initiative. We need to allow our police agencies to become technologically advanced and ensure that they have the proper and the necessary tools to fight organized crime which is becoming increasingly technologically advanced in this country.
Comment
And so we have had, for example, the DND contract(s) for computers and computer servicing overseen by Hewlett Packard. In fairness, HP was told by someone--DND? civil servant? government?--that HP could not have access to information which it normally would have had in overseeing a contract -- because of DND "secrecy" or "privacy" concerns. The result has been a scandal involving over $100-million and at least one individual involved (allegedly) currently living in the Turks and Caicos. (See Section 5) Were there similar CSIS/RCMP contracts?
Section 4: Mr. Peter MacKay (Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, PC) -- 1998
Section 4: Mr. Peter MacKay (Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, PC--pre merger of CA-PC political parties), Apr. 30, 1998
Narcotics, drug related money laundering, organized crime-OMG's
[. . . . ] Mr. Peter MacKay (Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, PC):
[. . . . ] The solicitor general has repeated his pledge from last summer and again last fall to introduce new legislation on money laundering and cross-border currency controls. The fact remains that to date we have not seen that. There has been a great deal of consultation, which again I believe is a very important part of the process, but I would encourage the solicitor general to act on these initiatives.
[. . . . ] There continue to be huge loopholes in the federal legislation, particularly when we look at what Canada has done compared to other countries.
As an example I would cite the U.S. State Department's report, “International Narcotics Control Strategy”, which singled out Canada as an easy target for drug related and other types of money laundering. The report goes on to compare Canada to countries like Columbia, Brazil and the Cayman Islands as countries which are open to money laundering and places to hide illegal money.
[. . . . ] The problem remains. In the 10 months since the solicitor general has taken this post there have been many promises made, but we have yet to see the delivery of those promises. Canada continues to be open for business as far as organized crime is concerned.
[. . . . ] (1025)
He also told us that he was going to bring biker gangs to their knees and eradicate organized crime.
[. . . . Scott Newark, the executive director of the Canadian Police Association] offered this statement very recently to the solicitor general: “Anyone can talk tough. Let's see some action. Here is a guy who has some power, but I have not seen him exercise it yet”.
Immigration Act, the Extradition Act and the Official Secrets Act, Organized Crime and lack of resources
[. . . . ] The solicitor general outlined specifically some of the positive measures of his department and the initiatives to improve national security that would result in changes to our Immigration Act, the Extradition Act and the Official Secrets Act, among other statutes. I would certainly hope that these measures do not have a long shelf life.
What has been done since in the area of "initiatives to improve national security that would result in changes to our Immigration Act, the Extradition Act and the Official Secrets Act"?
[. . . . ] Certainly in Canada we have seen a rise in the area of organized crime. . . . Page 9 of the 1997 CSIS public report states: “There are many activities in addition to the traditional threat activities which cause or have the potential to cause threats to the public safety of Canadians and the national security of Canada”. Therefore, our focus may have to shift on the internal threats posed by organized crime.
In conclusion, I applaud the engagements of the solicitor general on behalf of CSIS to form intelligence activities, to enhance the protection of computer infrastructure, to review our counter-terrorism strategies and to apprise the government of foreign and domestic activities which may compromise public security. However, with that said, I am still concerned about the lack of resources to effectively implement these very laudable plans. Since the government took office in 1993 there have been more than 700 employees cut from CSIS, more than one-quarter of the total workforce. [. . . . ]
(1030)
Subsequently, the Solicitor General, Andy Scott, resigned over a conversation on an airplane concerning the APEC summit and the pepper spray incident. What action was taken on the above items? From the other sections, it seems, not much.
Check the reports mentioned in my post Oct. 15, 04 and the items in Sections 5 and 6 for more on our security situation today.
Section 5: Reference material -- links, books, government documents, websites
Section 5: Reference material
These are in no particular order; other excerpts with links were posted earlier although a few of those links are here too.
Errors I found in the links: I noticed an extra < b+r+/> added to a few of my archived material links; when I tried to gain access to these to correct them, I could not. I shall try again but, if I cannot, simply copy the link and remove the "extra" bit. Then, it should work.
Caveat: I cannot vouch for the veracity or value of all the material to which the links will take one. I came to them from reasonably reliable websites and the media. They are listed for you to check and form your own conclusions. Also, I have included a few links which demonstrate a laxity concerning security or a cavalier attitude toward Canadians' security and taxpayer money which I believe lead to some of the problems Canada faces today.
For any errors, double entries, and the like, I apologize -- but things happen -- and this is done in my spare time. I am not paid for it.
See "Section 6: More security and related articles with links" for references not listed here.
60 Minutes: The World's Greatest Fakes August 8, 04, CBS. The National Post / Financial Post, Sept. 22, 04 published "China rife with counterfeits"; subtitled "Even cars can be fakes -- Few signs of change after promise to target theft of intellectual property"; however, it may not be online now.
No fascists in China October 09, 2004, Patrick Tang and Wang Zheng, Financial Post -- a letter, Terence Corcoran's "Someone must stop this deal" (Sept. 28) is an extremely biased column. (See Section 6)
China's Economic Minister, Oct. 21, 04 on CTV Newsnet (early in the morning) stated that the planned takeover of Noranda is just the beginning of mineral acquisitions. I heard it so there is no specific link. Check further.
"News Junkie Canada" and "Frost Hits the Rhubarb" Archives with links to pertinent material and original articles in them:
Note:
The above-listed links have been used in some of the archived posts. There are several if you look through the archives; the ones listed here are just a smattering. When time allowed, I found and listed a few key words to help in searching. Also, when one post (by date) contains several articles on various topics, I sometimes listed the article(s) and the key words as a separate listing.
Couple sued for stealing $107M Andrew McIntosh, National Post, August 11, 2004, on DND computers and a lawsuit against Paul and Stephanie-Anne Champagne
Julian Sher and William Marsden -- "The Road to Hell: How the Biker Gangs Conquered Canada", Knopf Canada/Vintage Canada, June 2004, ISBN:0676975992
Yves Levigne: "[H**** A*****] at War" -- Check Google or Amazon for the ISBN number and publisher. [You can fill in that title. It has been suggested that I alter some things like this. You figure it out.]
Paul Tuns: "Jean Chretien: A Legacy of Scandal" Paul Tuns, October 2, 2004 from Freedom Press Canada Inc. It has been reviewed by Michael Taube in the Toronto Sun. Go to The Shotgun for more information. This is the first of what is sure to be many more books on the legacy and the era of Jean Chretien.
Paul Palango -- "The Last Guardians: The Crisis in the RCMP" -- McClelland & Stewart, ISBN:0771069081 -- on the politicization of the RCMP
Stewart Bell -- "Cold Terror: How Canada Nurtures and Exports Terrorism to the World", John Wiley & Sons Canada, February 2004, ISBN:0470834633
Nathanson Centre for the study of organized crime and corruption -- Organized Crime in Canada: A Quarterly Summary -- October to December, 2003 at York University.
Nota bene: The section that follows has excerpts from some of the above; it also has excerpts and links that are not listed above. Please see Section 6: which was posted previously.
Section 6: More security and related articles with links -- Updates
Section 6: More security and related articles with links
Funding for security in all areas is a problem, as is the fact that these many articles reveal a cavalier attitude toward Canadians' security and safety on the part of this government for many years. This lengthy compilation--and any others--are intended to inform and provide a resource. I hope my efforts prove useful for those entrusted with the public purse and who might be able to influence this situation in a positive way.
Nota bene -- News Junkie Canada
List of articles
* Updates Oct. 24, 04:
* Business as usual at China's U.S. branch -- Florida phosphate miner -- mentions Noranda-China-Minmetals-Sinochem Corp-US Agri-Chemicals Corp-China International Trust and Investment Corp-(CITIC)
* Shopping the globe for resources -- China desperately needs fuel to feed its red-hot economy. Is Canada its warehouse?
* Dragons and stones -- Minmetals is taking big strides into the rapids of the market economy, and it's not afraid to get its feet wet -- "shipping, leasing, tendering, advertising, real estate, and information services. AXA-Minmetals Assurance . . . France" -- State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) -- Texas-based Sherwin Alumina -- BPU Reynolds -- international banking syndicates' financing
* The Pot Patrol: How spotters untangle web of B.C. bud
* Fraser Institute: BC’s Marijuana Crop Worth Over $7 Billion Annually -- Legalize marijuana and tax it? -- Download the .pdf file.
* Tips For Landlords: How to Prevent Marijuana Grow Operations
* The rot/pot spreads: Grow Ops in Canada's Centre -- Ottawa, Gatineau cops nip grow ops in the bud
* MP Cadman Questions Surrey Liberal “Promises”
* Surrey MP Not Surprised by Ontario Grow-Op Findings -- Old News in BC - But Will Liberals Now Act as Green Tide Washes into Ontario
* Grow-ops ‘No Joke” – Cadman To Prime Minister Jean Chretien who has said:
* BC’s Marijuana Crop Worth Over $7 Billion Annually
* List for what was originally posted Oct. 21, 04
* Letter re: "7 who sparked Pearson scramble freed" from October 19, 2004 in the Toronto Sun -- Another "refugee" story sparks concern; don't even attempt to call this "racism". Canadians are not racists, but they do have a genuine concern about the border/portals sieve.
* Man Slain By Police Had Violent Record -- The sieve at the border -- He had been deported from Canada three times.
* Feds create new force to defend against cyber-attacks from terrorists
* Time for Canada to smarten up to realities of world terrorism -- Wake up Canada!
* Canada's borders come under attack -- Chrétien defends immigration policies (1999)
* China displays new nuclear reactor -- Where was Canada in this list of developers of the "peaceful applications"?
* No fascists in China -- letter -- "Terence Corcoran's "Someone must stop this deal" (Sept. 28) is an extremely biased column."
* Let a Thousand Reactors Bloom -- "Explosive growth has made the People's Republic of China the most power-hungry nation on earth. Get ready for the mass-produced, meltdown-proof future of nuclear energy."
* Metals News, Research & Trends: Noranda And China Minmetals Enter Into Exclusive Negotiations
* NDP demands parliamentary review of proposed sale of Noranda to China -- MinMetals
* Chinese encroachment -- Noranda: It must not be sold to China
* Military: "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF MILITARY POLITICS" - WHY HONORARY LT. COLONEL ROY GREEN RESIGNED YESTERDAY
* Another B.C. man missing after companion reported killed in Chechnya -- Muslim refugees -- United Nations-sponsored refugee program -- wrong name on Canadian passport -- worshipped at Vancouver mosque
* No fly lists, illegal aliens and the ravages of political correctness
* Whistleblower Legislation -- Hansard: Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, CPC) -- "public servants disclosure prosecution act" -- "should include all public servants", RCMP and Crowns
* The House: Whistleblowing -- Bill C-11 -- Mr. John Williams (Edmonton—St. Albert, CPC) -- "each deputy minister can have his or her own code of conduct" -- different for different departments -- mentions Mr. Cutler
* Promises mean nothing without action -- 'Dangers for Canada are real' -- 'Absurd' not to fear attacks, PM's security advisor says -- We're short 2500 RCMP officers and 700 CSIS agents. No money? What about the gun registry, the Sponsorship / ADSCAM/ Slush Fund program, the DND HP Computer $100 million? the $8 billion surplus just "discovered"?
* Nexus of crooks and terrorists -- Drug-terror link feared -- heroin found at Pearson was from Afghanistan -- Terrorists need money; crooks need drug shipments. Crooks control ports, so this is just a matter of them putting the right people together.
* 'Terrorists' turned back every day, Ridge says -- Roads and bridges to speed crossings is not security; it's Public Works -- NEXUS project, etc
* More murder arrests -- alleged shooter still sought in woman's death -- One may have "fled the country under an assumed name or with an altered Canadian passport. "
* Page three: police raid a pot grower's paradise
* Welcome to Pot St. -- 3 grow ops raided on one little street in Scarborough -- $2-million a year from one house! -- only about 15,000 in GTA area
* Fantino thinks legal pot stinks -- province targets grow ops
* We shall flounder on the benches -- Few Churchillian flashes in the House, but some rise above the banal -- on the subs, using the Challenger jet -- a trip to Banff for the annual television festival
* Ex-hitman hid by working as guard at Mtl. school -- passed all the security checks
* The List -- lest Canadians forget, "Politicians are like baby diapers. They both need changing frequently and for the same reason."
Miners, politicians, pundits and activists have all weighed in on the wisdom of letting China buy Noranda Inc. But only Malcolm Scott can speak from experience.
Nearly 15 years ago, Mr. Scott left Noranda and moved to Florida to become president of [ . . . US Agri-Chemicals Corp.] a phosphate mining company the Chinese had taken over in 1989.
At the time, state-owned Sinochem Corp.'s purchase of US Agri-Chemicals Corp. was the Communist government's largest foreign acquisition. The terms weren't disclosed, but today the company is the third-largest phosphate exporter in the United States.
[. . . . ] After buying Agri-Chem, China imported most of the company's phosphate production. However that soon changed.
"China is like Wal-Mart in that they're such a huge buyer they can negotiate the best terms on the open market," says Mr. Scott. "They found it was better to let the company sell to Australia, India and Pakistan and get the best return."
In fact Mr. Scott . . . gives "full marks" to the Chinese for letting Agri-Chem operate as a profit-motivated business.
[. . . . ] In 1979, the China International Trust and Investment Corp. (CITIC) bought large swaths of timber rights in the U.S. northwest. Other U.S. deals followed, including investments in petroleum and steel. For instance, in 1988, CITIC bought a steel mill in Claymont, Del.
[. . . . ] "I really believe if they'd come up short they would have taken all our production. Woudn't you?" asks Mr. Scott. "I don't see them backing away from taking what they can and leaving the rest of the world to come up short."
Shopping the globe for resources -- China desperately needs fuel to feed its red-hot economy. Is Canada its warehouse?
[. . . . ] Not since the 1970s when the Trudeau Liberals were faced with U.S. companies buying up huge swaths of Canada's oilpatch, has there been as much debate over whether to protect Canadian resources.
In 1973 the threat of foreign takeovers was enough to prompt the Liberal minority government to create the Foreign Investment Review Agency. [FIRA] For a decade it put limits on foreign investments and raised the ire of American politicians and businesses that wanted to invest in Canada.
Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative government closed the agency in 1984, but to listen to some opponents of China's interest in Canada's resource sector today, such drastic measures are needed again.
Will Paul Martin follow in Trudeau's footsteps and slap limits on Chinese investment in Canada? The debate is already percolating within senior ranks of government.
Senior federal civil servants such as Garry Nash, assistant deputy minister at Natural Resources Canada, argue World Trade Organization rules prevent Canada from treating China differently from any other trading partner. The WTO rules, "hang over everything we do,"Mr. Nash says.
However, some trade experts think there is nothing stopping Canada from blocking the Noranda takeover.
"Unlike France and Germany, Canada doesn't have a bilateral treaty with China," says Toronto trade lawyer Barry Appleton, whose clients include Canadian investors in China. "We could refuse the takeover and not break specific rules."
That's the issue before Industry Minister David Emerson, who can stop the Noranda deal from moving forward. If Mr. Emerson decides the deal is not beneficial to Canada, he can halt the takeover, although it appears as if the goverment is in favour of the Minmetals proposal. [. . . . ]
Dragons and stones -- Minmetals is taking big strides into the rapids of the market economy, and it's not afraid to get its feet wet -- "shipping, leasing, tendering, advertising, real estate, and information services. AXA-Minmetals Assurance . . . France" -- State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) -- Texas-based Sherwin Alumina -- BPU Reynolds -- international banking syndicates' financing
[. . . . ] So here come those who are not afraid to get their feet wet: entrepreneurial farmers, aspiring private enterprises, and some state-owned companies like Minmetals, the Chinese mineral giant who made headlines last month by bidding for the Noranda Inc. of Canada -- with cash in hand.
The last group, however, differ in two important ways. First, they have the life jackets from the government and fat wallets from years of preferential policies, which enable them to take bigger steps (and make bigger splashes for that matter). Second, they have the least idea what the other side of the river looks like. As a result, bigger steps may also mean further deviations from the track.
Before 1983. . . under the direct supervision of the central government [. . . . ] When China began the market-oriented reform in the early 1980s, Minmetals quickly diversified its business into a wide range of areas. In 1984, it formed a joint venture with foreign investors and built the five-star Shangri-la Hotel in Beijing. With relatively easy access to capital, the company made big strides in international shipping, leasing, tendering, advertising, real estate, and information services. AXA-Minmetals Assurance Co. Ltd., the joint venture between Minmetals and the AXA Group in France, was established in Shanghai in 1999 and branched to Guangzhou in 2003. The five wholly owned or partly owned futures companies of Minmetals ranks second in the country and first in metals futures.
. . . business diversification . . . . expansion overseas. Since the late 1970s, Minmetals has set up 50 overseas companies in the major countries and regions such as Japan, U.S., Brazil, Australia, U.K., Germany, Russia, Singapore and South Africa, with total investment of over US$1-billion. Two holding companies, China Minmetals HK (Holding) Ltd. and China Minerals South America (Holding) Ltd., were set up in 1996 and 1999, respectively, to coordinate the businesses in the two key regions.
. . . external financing [. . . . ] So far, Minmetals has held controlling or shared interests in 14 listed companies in China. Besides the domestic market, Minmetals is also actively seeking financing overseas. Minmetals issued US$100-million commercial papers in the U.S. for the first time in 1996. Since then, it has secured another US$500-million from international banking syndicates. Another bold step was taken in October, 2003, when Minmetals acquired two Red Chip companies listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange: Oriental Metals, a metal trading company, and ONFEM Holdings, an investment holding company.
With US$11.68-billion revenue in 2003 and 168 subsidiaries worldwide, Minmetals . . . changes. . . . Expecting global competition after China's accession to WTO, the government is launching an all-out effort to make the state companies stronger.
[. . . . ] In 1991, Minmetals was one of the first 57 "Experimental Group Enterprises" in the country. . . . Last year, Minmetals became one of the "key" state companies under direct supervision of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), the newly established organization for the purpose of separating government administration from enterprise management.
[. . . . ] Minmetals has the only licence to import stainless steels. . . . the licences are gradually flying to foreign-invested enterprises and eligible domestic firms. As a result, the monopoly power enjoyed by companies such as Minmetals is quickly dissipating.
[. . . . ] Between 2001 and 2002 . . . . Minmetals quickly invested in Xiamen Tungsten, which has the largest tungsten production facilities in the world. Xiangxi Tungsten Group Co. Ltd., the largest tungsten company in China, was set up late last year with China Minmetals Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. holding 51% of the shares.
[. . . ] Guangxi Province. . . Minmetals purchased a 51% stake in Texas-based Sherwin Alumina, the second largest alumina refinery in North America. It is also Corporate China's first acquisition of a firm listed on a U.S. stock exchange, although the management remains with the original owner BPU Reynolds.
The same story is happening in many other fields. It is reported that Minmetals is currently engaged in eight to nine M&A negotiations, involving nearly US$10-billion. . . . a mega-merger between Minmetals and Hanxing Metallurgical Mining Management Bureau, another large enterprise under SASAC with 13,000 employees. [. . . . ]
Letter re: "7 who sparked Pearson scramble freed" from October 19, 2004 in the Toronto Sun -- another "refugee" story -- Another "refugee" story sparks concern; don't even attempt to call this "racism". Canadians are not racists, but they do have a genuine concern about Canada's border and portals "sieve".
The original article was not available online when I checked (I shall check later), but this letter will give a fair idea of its content.
Another Canadian story . . . . . . and another irate Canadian. Canadians are not racist but they are concerned about the terrorist threat because of this kind of action on the part of our government -- whether courts, government departments / agencies / boards--whatever was responsible for this particular outrage.
Are we nuts? Are the people who run the show here in Canada just plain idiots? I couldn't read the rest of the paper after I read the story "7 who sparked Pearson scramble freed" (Oct. 19). Seven men from Sri Lanka board a flight to Toronto with fake passports with French names. . . . Then they let them go after promising to appear a refugee hearing in a month. [. . . . ]
[. . . ] (To quote our previous Liberal PM, "it's the normal operation")
I have omitted the writer's name; he might object to my mentioning it here. Check the newspaper for it.
Man Slain By Police Had Violent Record -- The sieve at the border -- He had been deported from Canada three times.
Deported and returned illegally, immigrant Jamaican, Courtney Livingstone Peters will not be entering Canada illegally again. Apparently, he was shot by undercover drug cop(s). Peters had had a violent past--attempted to electrocute someone, cocaine, handgun(s). Would that have been a "registered" handgun? This brought up the question of whether fingerprints, iris scanning, or something similar for identification would have prevented his return to Canada using documents which, apparently, are easily forged.
Feds create new force to defend against cyber-attacks from terrorists
A high-level task force is being assembled to help Canada steel its defences against cyber-attacks by terrorists.
The head of Canada's electronic spy agency said the panel of private-and-public sector officials will help the country catch up to the United States in securing cyberspace.
Communications Security Establishment chief Keith Coulter noted Washington has already begun moving to protect their own key grids and networks.
[. . . .] Elements of Canada's critical infrastructure - including power grids, hospitals, banks, and other businesses - rely on digital networks to conduct their affairs, he said.
Shoring up those systems cannot be accomplished by the federal government alone, he added.
The national task force, now being planned by the Public Safety Department, will be extablished in the coming months. [. . . .]
Bob MacDonald: Time for Canada to smarten up to realities of world terrorism -- Wake up Canada!
No wonder one of the first things the Americans did after today's attacks in New York and Washington was to seal the Canadian border. We are a suspect haven for terrorist plotters.
This was a cry that sounded during the past few years in this country about the ease with which world terrorists and their supporters come into Canada, claiming to be legitimate immigrants or refugees.
However, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and previous governments have made little effort during that time to tighten our sieve-like immigration-refugee system.
As I wrote in a column in the 1980s, when a shipload of Tamils from Sri Lanka landed on the coast of Newfoundland and were allowed to stay:
"Welcome to Canada, sucker nation of the world."
Since then, of course, there has been a buildup of . . . .
Note: Bob MacDonald wrote that Sept. 11, 2001.
Canada's borders come under attack -- Chrétien defends immigration policies (1999)
Canada's immigration system was attacked yesterday from both sides of the border following the recent arrest of [Ahmed Ressam] an Algerian caught trying to enter the United States with powerful explosives. But Jean Chrétien, the Prime Minister, defended the federal government's policies.
Speaking to reporters after a day-long cabinet meeting in Ottawa, Mr. Chrétien said he is concerned about terrorism but has confidence in the national security system and the country's "adequate system" to counter terrorism.
"When you are receiving 250,000 [immigrants] a year, there might be some people who come that don't have the best intention in the world," Mr. Chrétien said, noting that Canada and the United States share the largest unprotected border in the world.
[. . . . ] Critics blame Canada's generous immigration policies for turning the country into a haven for terrorist organizations,
enabling them to fund overseas conflicts and plan attacks on the U.S.
[. . . ] "We have twice arrested individuals who entered the U.S. from Canada with the apparent intent to commit acts of terrorism," said Mr. [Lamar] Smith, a Texas Republican and frequent critic of Canada's border control and immigration policies.
He was referring to the 1998 case of Gazi Ibrahim Abu Mezer who was convicted of an attempt to blow up the New York City subway. "How many near misses can we tolerate?" he said, urging Ottawa to work closely with his committee to stop terrorist infiltration.
Police and intelligence agencies have warned Ottawa for years that terrorists were taking advantage of the immigration system to slip into the country. Ward Elcock, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service director, says almost every global terrorist group is active in Canada.
[. . . . ]Terrorists in Canada have play-ed [sic] a role in the World Trade Center bombing, suicide bombings in Israel, assassinations in India, the murder of tourists in Egypt, the Al Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia and the bombing campaign of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, CSIS says.
For six years since we have been in Ottawa ... bringing this up again and again and again to government," said Mr. Benoit. "National security should be the number one concern of government when dealing with our refugee system and our immigration system ... They have ignored that. They seem to want to be viewed as being compassionate and kind. Well I think compassion and kindness should extend to Canadian citizens and I think that's been forgotten."
Reform wants those who arrive in Canada illegally seeking refugee status to be detained. It also wants the refugee system speeded up and has suggested electronic monitoring for refugee claimants who arrive illicitly. Mr. Benoit fears that if Canada continues to harbour terrorists the U.S. may impose damaging trade sanctions.
[Leon Benoit, the Reform party's immigration critic -- When the Progressive Conservative Party split, Reform was one of the parties formed; the PC's were the other. Reformers joined others to form the Canadian Alliance which, in turn, merged with the Progressives to become the Conservative Party of Canada, within the last year.]
[. . . . ] Canada has varied and large ethnic communities, allowing terrorists to hide and giving them a pool from which to recruit and raise funds.
"Canada is a fantastic place to live but there are people who come here because they know they can circumvent the rules," said Alan Bell, president of Globe Risk Holdings and a former member of the SAS, the elite British special force.
"They know they won't get probed or investigated or harassed by intelligence services. In the U.S. they'd be all over terrorists like a cheap suit. Here we have a judicial process that prevents us from deporting people without due process, that due process is where they disappear underground and you can't find them."
The exploitation of Canada is not new. [. . . . ]
China displays new nuclear reactor -- Where was Canada in this list of developers of the "peaceful applications"?
BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- China showed off its first new generation of reactor on Beijing's northern outskirts Thursday in an effort to demonstrate not only its safety and reliability but its progress in overcoming its chronic energy shortage.
The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, designed at prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing, was on display at a location near the Great Wall, roughly 40 km north of downtown Beijing.
More than 60 atomic energy experts from over 30 countries watched the safety operation, in which the reactor successfully cooled down after the control stick was pulled out. The operation had been demonstrated before.
Scientists have said the major safety issue regarding nuclear reactors lies in how to cool them efficiently, as they continue produce heat even after shutdown.
Gas-cooled reactors are now widely considered the most secure. They don't need additional safety systems, as do water cooled reactor, and they discharge surplus heat, which could damage elements of the device.
"It will not cause a catastrophe such as the one at Chernobyl in the Ukraine at any time," said Qian Jihui, former deputy chief of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a noted atomic scientist with an international reputation.
IAEA official Byung-Koo Kim said that the operation of the reactor was "rather impressive."
Owing to technological improvement, Kim acknowledged, gas-cooled reactors will be introduced extensively for business purposes in the coming decades, and international cooperation will also be greatly reinforced.
China is the fifth nation in the world to master the technology-- the others being the United States, Britain, Germany and Japan -- and remains in the lead in the peaceful application of nuclear energy, said Qian. [. . . . ]
Where was Canada in this list of developers of the "peaceful applications"? Canada's taxpayers did loan a sizeable amount of money through the Export Ddevelopment Corporation [EDC] to build a reactor in China.
I have heard that China is the fourth largest recipient of Canadian aid. Is this so? Yet, China's MinMetals can easily pay for Noranda? Something is wrong with this picture.
No fascists in China -- a letter to the editor "Terence Corcoran's "Someone must stop this deal" (Sept. 28) is an extremely biased column."
[. . . . ] From our e-mail conversations with Mr. Corcoran, he has stated that his whole point is not to let a foreign-government-controlled company acquire a Canadian corporation, no matter which foreign government that may be.
If the issue of ownership by a foreign government was his only point, then why did he colour his column with hyperbolic language labelling the government of China as "essentially fascist" and making a sloppy and false analogy between the rise of Hitler and German industry in the 1930's and the question of Noranda's possible sale to China MinMetals?
Let's use an example from the column to discuss why the comments are biased. From a photo of Chinese army officers beside the column and Mr. Corcoran's comments, readers might assume that China is a heavily militarized country like North Korea. In fact, the size of the Chinese army as a percentage of China's population is not meaningfully larger than the Canadian army's size. And China is still reducing the size of its army in order to allocate more state revenue to infrastructure projects. [. . . . ]
Ludicrous comparison! Look up the population figures for Canada and for China; then take any percentage for each--5%, 10%--and think.
How would the people of Tibet view China's military?
Let a Thousand Reactors Bloom -- "Explosive growth has made the People's Republic of China the most power-hungry nation on earth. Get ready for the mass-produced, meltdown-proof future of nuclear energy."
[. . . . ] Late last year, China announced plans to build 30 new reactors - enough to generate twice the capacity of the gargantuan Three Gorges Dam - by 2020. And even that won't be enough. The Future of Nuclear Power, a 2003 study by a blue-ribbon commission headed by former CIA director John Deutch, concludes that by 2050 the PRC could require the equivalent of 200 full-scale nuke plants. A team of Chinese scientists advising the Beijing leadership puts the figure even higher: 300 gigawatts of nuclear output, not much less than the 350 gigawatts produced worldwide today.
To meet that growing demand, China's leaders are pursuing two strategies. They're turning to established nuke plant makers like AECL, Framatome, Mitsubishi, and Westinghouse, which supplied key technology for China's nine existing atomic power facilities. But they're also pursuing a second, more audacious course. Physicists and engineers at Beijing's Tsinghua University have made the first great leap forward in a quarter century, building a new nuclear power facility that promises to be a better way to harness the atom: a pebble-bed reactor. A reactor small enough to be assembled from mass-produced parts and cheap enough for customers without billion-dollar bank accounts. A reactor whose safety is a matter of physics, not operator skill or reinforced concrete. And, for a bona fide fairy-tale ending, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is labeled hydrogen.
Re-read that last paragraph.
Do you not find it strange that Canada did not receive honourable mention for its "assistance" -- or does the fact that one of Canada's crown corporations, AECL, was involved in building a reactor in China have nothing to do with China's nuclear program advancements? China had to buy one reactor with loan(s) from Canada before its nuclear scientists got their brainwave(s) and developed a new one -- with no relationship to the one developed by Canada? -- nor to a Canadian design? Think about that.
A soft-spoken scientist named Qian Jihui has no doubt about what the smaller, safer, hydrogen-friendly design means for the future of nuclear power, in China and elsewhere. Qian is a former deputy director general with the International Atomic Energy Agency and an honorary president of the Nuclear Power Institute of China. He's a 67-year-old survivor of more than one revolution, which means he doesn't take the notion of upheaval lightly. [. . . . ]
Metals News, Research & Trends: Noranda And China Minmetals Enter Into Exclusive Negotiations
SUMMARY: Minmetals' proposal contemplates that the transaction would be completed by way of a plan of arrangement and voted on by all Noranda common shareholders.
NDP demands parliamentary review of proposed sale of Noranda to China -- MinMetals
OTTAWA (CP) - MPs should have a say in the federal government's review of the proposed sale of mining giant Noranda Inc. to a Chinese firm, says the NDP.
The party called on the minority Liberal government Tuesday to carefully review the proposed deal in the context of China's shabby human rights record, as well as the possible impact on Canadian workers.
"(New Democrat MPs) have each heard directly from constituents and Canadians who have grave concerns about the sale of Noranda to China's Minmetals," said Brian Masse, the NDP industry critic.
"A litany of questions must be addressed before the government proceeds with the approval of this foreign acquisition." [. . . . ]
Chinese encroachment -- Noranda: It must not be sold to China
Oct. 21, 04 on CTV Newsnet (8:30 am in the Maritimes) was the Chinese Economic Minister. He stated that the planned takeover of Noranda is just the beginning of mineral acquisitions.
No foreign governments, especially totalitarian states like China, should be allowed to purchase Canadian corporations.
A company owned by China's totalitarian government has entered into talks to buy Canadian mining giant, Noranda Inc. The potential purchase is troubling for two reasons: China's failure to promote human rights and democracy and a seven-year-old intelligence report warning of China's state-sanctioned program of economic expansionism.
The report . . . was prepared by the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in May 1997. It warned, in stark terms, that the Chinese government was attempting to gain a foothold in Canada by purchasing legitimate businesses and then using those businesses to exert influence and obtain secret technology.
It warned further that Beijing was gaining "direct or indirect influence over the Canadian economy and politics"and had learned its influence could be enhanced and solidified by financing Canada's political parties.
The initial Sidewinder draft report was watered down in a subsequent version but the questions it posits deserve to be revisited in light of the potential $7-billion sale of Noranda to Minmetals Corp., a Beijing-based company owned by China's Communist government. [. . . . ]
The fact that it is China -- and not the United States or Switzerland -- that controls Minmetals makes the potential sale even more troubling. China is a totalitarian state and not a free and open democracy. It has an abysmal human rights record and its occupation of Tibet and oppression of Taiwan have sparked international condemnation. The sale of Noranda to China is thus questionable on moral grounds.
[. . . . ] No foreign governments, especially totalitarian states like China, should be allowed to purchase Canadian corporations.
Military: "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF MILITARY POLITICS" - WHY HONORARY LT. COLONEL ROY GREEN RESIGNED YESTERDAY
This is an Editorial Comment written by Hon. LCol Roy Green and published in (the 13 Oct 04) Toronto Sun. Every squadron has an "Honorary Colonel" which is an unpaid position held by Canadian citizens of note (both ex-military and civilian) who have been active supporters of the Armed Forces.
[. . . . ] I can no longer participate in a military process which I view as entirely too politicized.
The HMCS Chicoutimi crisis and the federal government's focus on self-preserving "spin" have caused me to say "no more!"
The non-stop messaging from Ottawa has been that the four used British submarines were safe and the best buy.
Best buy? They were not! They were the cheapest buy for a maritime nation which never should have allowed its coastal defence forces to become compromised and under-equipped.
Safe? A cursory review of the submarines' many failures should challenge that assertion quite easily. I have seen one of these submarines in dry-dock in Halifax harbour with a plastic cover over a hole in the hull one could, I suspect, drive a car through.
Expert military opinion was that had the fire lasted but a few minutes longer, HMCS Chicoutimi and all aboard would have been lost. As it was, Lt. Chris Saunders lost his life. His seven-week-old infant son lost a father!
The position of honourary Lt. Colonel is a century-old tradition and is not to be taken lightly. Vetting involves a nomination process, and the defence minister makes the appointment on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Staff.
[. . . . ] PITTANCE PENSIONS
World War II veterans and their surviving spouses [. . . . ]
Merchant Marine veterans [. . . . ]
Meanwhile the PM, cabinet and Governor General travel on a pair of Challenger jets purchased for $100 million without government tender.
Talk about a spending scandal!
[. . . . ] But now I have chosen to resign this honoured position because while I believe it to be a position of leadership within the Canadian political and military apparatus, I also believe a commitment to leadership is required at the top.
Recent days involving HMCS Chicoutimi have led me to believe what is present at the top is neglect, not leadership and if there is any commitment, it is to self-preservation. --
Bill Donaldson
President
Nepean-Carleton EDA
692-4994
[Note: I changed "perservation" to "preservation". Ed.]
Another B.C. man missing after companion reported killed in Chechnya -- United Nations-sponsored refugee program -- wrong name on Canadian passport
He was reportedly travelling with Rudwan Khalil Abubaker of Vancouver, whom Russian authorities said last Friday was killed in strife-torn Chechnya.
Russian officials said the man they identified as Rudwan Khalil was killed along with three gunmen by special forces in a mountainous region of the southern republic, where Muslim separatists are engaged in a bloody conflict with the Russian military.
A Russian television report included video of a Canadian passport and B.C. driver's licence in the name of Rudwan Khalil.
Foreign Affairs had no explanation for the discrepancy in the names.
[. . . . ] Dubai. . . holiday. . . Saudi Arabian capital of Jidda. . . . to Azerbaijan, which borders on Chechnya, to attend the wedding of friend Azar Tagiev.
[. . . . ] Abubaker, 26, was born in Kassala, near Sudan's border with Eritrea. The family fled there from Eritrea during that country's war to break away from Ethiopia.
[. . . . ] Abubaker's family worshiped [sic] at Vancouver-area mosques [. . . .]
No fly lists, illegal aliens and the ravages of political correctness
Americans should not feel too secure with the U.S. government's anti-terror policies because the targeted ones aren't necessarily the terrorists.
[. . . . ] If you are unfortunate enough to have one of those names similar to the few terrorist names that are actually on the no-fly list, then your travel plans become a nightmare [. . . . The] actual terrorists change their names, use false ID, and walk past you and your tormentors to board the plane.
The government has chosen to target you rather than focus on the bad guys, because using effective police methods isn't politically correct. Some pressure group might get upset. . . . [We] live in a world of the absurd.
For example, The Wall Street Journal reports that the federal Department of Transportation actually fines airlines who search more than two Arab travelers per flight. That would be profiling and profiling is wrong, says the policy. Yet every single one of the 9-11 hijackers was a male of Middle Eastern descent. Any good police detective knows that to catch a criminal you first must look at those who match the description. Airlines are not allowed to do that. The strict politically correct policy is to ignore the facts and randomly select by computer a certain few passengers to be searched each flight. That way it's all fair! [. . . . ]
How utterly absurd! Profiling is based on knowledge and experience, not a blind, stupid assessment -- and in a crisis situation, it may work. We are in a crisis situation; if you have been following the news, you must know that.
Check for example the Oxford Canadian or another dictionary for "profile" and words of similar meaning having negative connotations -- and often used to prevent further discussion.
In hunting potential terrorists, profiling presents a hypothetical series of facts, figures and experience which lead one to believe a person fitting the profile would bear further checking. What might be a preconceived and crude assessment if used by the average citizen in treating with his fellows--at the individual level--it represents a shortcut to further assessment for use by those we have charged with protecting us in this critical situation.
Whistleblower Legislation -- Hansard: Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, CPC) -- "public servants disclosure prosecution act" -- "should include all public servants", RCMP and Crowns
[. . . . ] nearly 500 access to information requests. [. . . Members] would be shocked to see how much of it was whited out. In this last case it has been blacked out. There are huge black sections where information has been hidden from me and by extension all Canadians because the government is covering up some of the serious problems that exist behind the scenes. (1210)
[. . . . One key problem is] the reporting that the whistleblower does goes first of all to the people above him or her and to the minister. It does not encourage disclosure to some independent commissioner. That has to be foundational in any legislation for it to work.
The way the bill is set up now it would have the exact opposite effect. It would allow the minister or senior bureaucrats to put the thumbs on these people and deal with them in a way behind the scenes that we will not even know about. In fact, I believe this would have the opposite effect, which I will explain more in a minute.
[. . . . ] I believe . . . the government is . . . . pulling the wool over the eyes of the public by giving the bill a name, such as whistleblower legislation or public servants disclosure protection act.
. . . We . . . would reward them rather than punish them. . . .
In the bill's present form it should not be called the public servants disclosure protection act. It should be the public servants disclosure prosecution act. The way it is structured it would allow the people in positions of authority to actually put down potential people who would like to come forward.
[. . . . ] In conclusion, I would like to say that the bill should include all public servants. The government should not be able to cherry-pick who it applies to. It should include the RCMP and crown corporations.
The key thing that has to happen, which the Conservatives have supported, is that we must create a truly independent body to receive and investigate the disclosures of wrongdoing by all public servants, either publicly or through formal channels. . . .
(1215)
The House: Whistleblowing -- Bill C-11 -- Mr. John Williams (Edmonton—St. Albert, CPC) -- "each deputy minister can have his or her own code of conduct" -- different for different departments -- mentions Mr. Cutler
Mr. John Williams (Edmonton—St. Albert, CPC):[. . . . ] Unfortunately,we only have three hours of debate before it is hived off to committee.
[. . . . ] The public accounts committee in its second report this past spring said:
That a mediation process involving the Public Service Commission and the Public Service Integrity Officer be established to resolve matters relating to federal employees past or present who have allegedly suffered monetary loss or career damage as a consequence of having reported instances of wrongdoing with regard to the Sponsorship Program; and that the instances that have been judged to have merit be reported to the House,
[. . . . ] the issue of Mr. Cutler who would not be covered by this legislation [. . . . ] Mr. Cutler's career has come to a crashing end and he has not been dealt with at this point in time. That issue needs to be resolved if the government is to have any integrity on this matter.
[. . . . ] clause 5. . . Treasury Board will establish a code of conduct for the government. Then it goes on to say that each deputy minister can have his or her own code of conduct. If a person is transferred from department A to department B, all of a sudden that person is working under a different code of conduct. We would have thought that it would not have been a big thing for the Government of Canada to say that integrity is integrity in this department and that department and indeed every department. [. . . . ]
(1135)
Promises mean nothing without action -- 'Dangers for Canada are real' -- 'Absurd' not to fear attacks, PM's security advisor says -- We're short 2500 RCMP officers and 700 CSIS agents. No money? What about the gun registry, the Sponsorship / ADSCAM/ Slush Fund program, the DND HP Computer $100 million? the $8 billion surplus just "discovered"?
There was even more because Paul Martin and Co. were spending like drunken sailors buying votes with Canadians' $$$ for the last election. There was and probably is money--squirrelled away for the next election buy up of votes. I don't care what they say about "accounting".
OTTAWA - The Prime Minister's national security advisor told a major security and intelligence conference yesterday it would be "absurd" to believe terrorists will not attack Canada.
"Osama bin Laden has publicly identified Canada as a country he believes his followers should attack," Robert Wright said. "He ranked Canada as fifth out of seven countries and every other country on that list has already been attacked.
[. . . ] Bali and Madrid bombings are examples," he said.. . . . Air-India and Ressam cases [. . . . ]
Mr. Wright made his comments at the opening of the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Security and Intelligence Studies, which brings together academics, government officials and security professionals.
Unlike their allies in the United States and United Kingdom, officials in Ottawa have traditionally been reluctant to discuss the terrorist threat to Canada, but Mr. Wright's speech comes at a time of unprecedented fears that terrorists may be preparing to strike.
Bin Laden named Canada as a target in November, 2002, and an al-Qaeda manual posted on the Internet in March called for attacks on Canadians.
Documents uncovered from Afghanistan show al-Qaeda ordered an operative to study possible targets in Canada, primarily Israeli and Jewish community buildings.
Last year, police in Pakistan found a list of potential targets in Ontario, including Toronto's Union Station, in the pocket of a senior al-Qaeda member. Recently, Canadian police have been investigating incidents they fear might be examples of terrorist scouting.
[. . . . ] Ottawa has made it illegal to raise money for terrorism, but no charges have been laid and several groups known to raise large amounts of cash in Canada -- such as the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka -- have not been outlawed by the Cabinet.
Canadian officials estimate tens of millions in suspected terrorist financing takes place in Canada annually. The response to terrorist financing, both in Canada and abroad, has been modest, the Carleton University professor said.
[. . . . ] Intelligence historian Wesley Wark, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, also raised concerns about the lack of government transparency on security and intelligence matters. He cited the example of a research project he had launched, only to find that, after almost four months, the government had still not disclosed any of the documents he was seeking.
Could we make a guess, based on past actions, that the Liberal government past and present has so much to hide that almost anything can and must be hidden? [. . . . ]
Nexus of crooks and terrorists -- Drug-terror link feared -- heroin found at Pearson was from Afghanistan -- Terrorists need money; crooks need drug shipments. Crooks control ports, so this is just a matter of them putting the right people together.
THE RCMP and Canada Customs are probing whether terrorists are behind three attempts to smuggle heroin into Toronto from Afghanistan. Authorities are trying to determine if al-Qaida or Taliban supporters are smuggling the dope through Pearson airport for sale here to raise cash for use against the U.S. and its elections in two weeks.
The police concerns stem from three seizures in the last two weeks of 28.5 kilos of heroin, worth about $13.5 million. Police said they haven't seized this much heroin in years.
[. . . . ] Customs officers last Tuesday nabbed a Spanish couple for trying to smuggle 20 kilos of heroin and an Englishman with 5.5 kilos strapped to his torso and legs.
Adams said four Toronto-area men were arrested last week in the latest heroin seizure, in which 3.2 kilos of heroin was found in brass lanterns from Afghanistan that were destined to a Toronto company.
Mohammad Fida Khan, Muhammad Sanaullah Khan, Richard Savinetti and Amir Riaz are charged with importing a controlled substance, conspiracy to import a controlled substance and trafficking.
'Terrorists' turned back every day, Ridge says -- Roads and bridges to speed crossings is not security; it's Public Works -- NEXUS project, etc
When the government talks about security in this context, it is talking about speeding border crossings. When it comes to border access, bridges and roads and warehouses, that money should be coming from Transport or Public Works pockets not out of the RCMP or CSIS budget. What have they done to prevent sleepers trying to get into canada at the airports? What are they doing about the ones already here? It takes frontline officers -- so, how many RCMP, CSIS and Immigration officers have been hired since 9/11 with the $7.7 billion (over 5 years) promise? How much of that has already been spent? The government took out $22 billion from the security budget over the past 10 years.
[. . . . ] Government and business fear the potential impact from tightened security on the $1.7 billion in daily trade between Canada and the U.S.
Among the measures announced today:
* Canada's participation in the U.S. Container Security Initiative . . . a foreign marine port by April 2005 to search shipping containers bound for North America.
* A pilot project at Vancouver international airport to use biometric information like fingerprints and eye scans to fast-track low-risk passengers through immigration and customs. . . . NEXUS project . . .
* A new Canada-U.S. Integrated Border Enforcement Team in the Sault Ste. Marie region. Similar groups . . . in place at 14 border regions.
* Installing so-called fast lanes to allow trucks and commercial goods to move faster . . .
* A plan to consult stakeholders such as trucking companies [. . . . ]
"Problem areas. . . roads and bridges. . . customs booths . . . the implementation of ongoing security improvements."
More murder arrests -- alleged shooter still sought in woman's death -- One may have "fled the country under an assumed name or with an altered Canadian passport. "
TWO MORE Toronto men have been arrested by Peel homicide detectives in the shooting death of Amretta Singh. A man was charged yesterday with first-degree murder and another man was charged Saturday for being an accessory after the fact in Singh's March 20 slaying.
[. . . . ] Two men were arrested last week and were charged with first-degree murder: Stenwick Hookumchand, 21, and Navaneethan Kunananthan, 24, both of Toronto.
Jeyaganesh Satkuru, 26, surrendered to police at Brampton court on Saturday and was charged with murder yesterday. He is expected to appear in court today.
Prasad Thiruchelvam, 23, was arrested near his home Saturday and charged with being an accessory after the fact of murder.
Police believe they're dealing with a group of friends as opposed to an alleged gang.
Vijayarajah Manickavasagar, 23, also known as "Bullet" and "Vijay," is wanted on a first-degree murder warrant, and police believe he has fled the country under an assumed name or with an altered Canadian passport. [. . . . ]
SEYMOUR ARM, B.C. - There are no signs of welcome on the road to Seymour Arm. No mileage posts, not even a motel ad promising a good sleep or a cup of coffee.
[. . . . ] They found large indoor marijuana growing operations, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of growing equipment and 20,000 marijuana plants. Police also seized 50 weapons, ranging from shotguns to semi-automatic assault rifles.
Fifteen men, including a 68-year-old, were charged with cultivation of an illegal substance. One woman was charged with marijuana possession. No one offered any resistance.
Half the town's population is involved in the drug trade, police suggested. "Organized crime" is involved in the grow-ops, added Marianne Ryan, operations officer for B.C.'s Combined Special Forces Enforcement Unit, an elite group of drug busters from RCMP ranks and municipal squads.
"It wasn't your typical type of organized crime," said Ms. Ryan, an RCMP superintendent. "It works well below the traditional level of organized crime, [but] it's very sophisticated and very professional." She also spoke of "incidents of violence, threats, and intimidation."
[. . . . ] The grow-ops were not a secret. "We knew the growers by name," reveals Mr. Grant. Contrary to police reports, they caused few, if any, disturbances. "The one issue people had was the noise from their generators," he told me. "They had large generators, and they would run all night. But we didn't sit around and talk about the growers. We certainly didn't live in fear. I still left the keys in my truck."
[. . . . ] Mr. Dirks calls the area's pot growers "poor farmers just struggling to get by." He estimates that Seymour Arm produced about $3.5-million worth of marijuana each year, about a tenth of the value police placed on the community's grow-ops. He would not say how the product was shipped and sold, or to whom. Police are still investigating the retail end of the pot pipeline.
Welcome to Pot St. -- 3 grow ops raided on one little street in Scarborough -- $2-million a year from one house! -- only about 15,000 in GTA area
Even more alarming is the fact that police know of another 95 to 100 grow houses in that police division alone, but they cannot get to them due to a backlog caused by the complex and time-consuming probes and a shortage of manpower.
[. . . . ] Within the past five months, Toronto Police have found sophisticated indoor marijuana grow operations within a stones-throw of each other at numbers 18, 19 and 22 Queenscourt.
[. . . . ] Even more alarming is the fact that police know of another 95 to 100 grow houses in that police division alone, but they cannot get to them due to a backlog caused by the complex and time-consuming probes and a shortage of manpower.
"This house would have netted about $2 million a year . . . . they have a total disregard for the laws and the community," Pye said.
[. . . . ] Entire walls and ceilings were knocked out and the basement, main floor and upstairs bedrooms have been turned into a three-storey laboratory.
[. . . . ] Neighbours said a group of Oriental males driving SUVs were seen coming and going from the house in the past few months.
[. . . . ] Chinese characters on growing guides corroborate the sightings. [. . . . ]
Link to read about the fire danger -- threat of electrocution -- crude electrical systems and chemicals -- booby traps.
Incredible! It boggles the mind that the $$$ greed is so vast that the grow gangs would put the lives of others at such risk. Think of your children poking around too out of curiosity. A house like this would be a mystery to children -- and then they just might . . . . . .
Fantino thinks legal pot stinks -- province targets grow ops
"I guess we can legalize murder too and then we won't have a murder case. We can't go that way," Fantino said.
[. . . . ] He said legalizing pot would simply mean it would be grown in Canada and shipped to the U.S. and other places where it's still illegal.
His remarks came after Ontario Minister of Community Safety Monte Kwinter announced new legislation combatting the public safety hazards of grow ops across the province. The legislation includes the doubling of several Ontario Fire Code fines reaching up to $1 million for activities such as rewiring electricity around a meter for the sake of powering basement pot projects.
[. . . . ] If passed, the new law would also enshrine into law the right of local hydro companies to disconnect electricity without notice for emergency or safety reasons and require inspections of all homes confirmed to have contained a grow op.
Kwinter said homes containing intensive pot operations in their basements are 40 times more likely to spark a fire. They also contain toxic chemicals, breed mold and often harm the structure of the home. [. . . . ]
We shall flounder on the benches -- Few Churchillian flashes in the House, but some rise above the banal -- on the subs, using the Challenger jet -- a trip to Banff for the annual television festival
Jason Kenney . . . "Imagine taking a Challenger jet across the country at a cost of $55,000 for an 800-word speech. I think that works out to about $72 a word." . . . .
The Conservative leader [Stephen Harper] . . . . "It's time that these guys stop hiding behind the men and women they are putting in jeopardy," [the military]
[. . . . ] Meanwhile, the Conservatives have a wave of recently elected but experienced front-bench critics whose incisiveness impressed at Question Period -- Bev Oda, a former CRTC commissioner who is now heritage critic; Gordon O'Connor, who acts as defence critic; and, Rob Nicholson, minister of science in the Kim Campbell government who returned to the House in June as transport critic.
[. . . . MP Keith] Martin was grace under pressure. "The fact of the matter is, that sub was certified by the professionals in our navy. I should probably make a comment and quote Captain Luc Pelletier, the commander of the Chicoutimi, who said the following: 'Of these submarines this was the only one that was able to start sea trials.' "
The Conservative leader . . . . "It's time that these guys stop hiding behind the men and women they are putting in jeopardy," he scowled.
. . . O'Connor --a former Brigadier-General . . . "A former submarine commander ... said that sailors were awarded qualifications without completing their training. Would the Minister of Defence confirm that the required number of personnel were trained for the submarine service and that all were provided with all the approved training?" he asked.
[Keith] Martin again handled the question adeptly, which essentially meant he didn't answer it. [Martin left the Conservative Party of Canada to join the Liberals before the last election. . . . . ]
Frulla, the Heritage Minister, was doing her own digging. She was questioned once again about a trip to Banff for the annual television festival during the June election by her predecessor, Helene Scherrer, which cost taxpayers $55,000. [Helene Chalifour-Scherrer -- on the Challenger jet]
Oda, the Conservative critic, said Scherrer's speech did not contain a word about the festival. "The speech starts with and I quote: 'Why Canada's election is so important' and ends with: 'That is what this election campaign is all about. Thank you, and voters willing, I look forward to seeing you again next year.' If that is not a campaign speech what is?"
Frulla meandered through a long non-answer . . .
Jason Kenney. . . piled on. "Imagine taking a Challenger jet across the country at a cost of $55,000 for an 800-word speech. I think that works out to about $72 a word."
. . . Frulla . . . . "She accepted the invitation to attend as a speaker long before the election campaign. The election was declared. She would have preferred to stay in her riding. She went there and delivered her speech and she came back. She took the jet to go back and forth. She did not go on a vacation. She defended the CRTC. So do so yourself."
Decide for yourself whether Oda's account or Frulla's account on behalf of Helene Helene Chalifour-Scherrer (or is it Chalifeur-Sherrer?) is correct. Was taxpayers' money well spent in light of security and other funding problems?
Ex-hitman hid by working as guard at Mtl. school -- passed all the security checks
A fugitive and former hired assassin has been found living in Montreal, providing security for one of the city's prestigious schools.
Real Simard, who admitted to conducting "hits" on behalf of the Cotroni Mafia clan during the 1980s, was working as a security guard at College Jean de Brebeuf before his arrest last Friday.
The former Jesuit school includes Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Robert Bourassa among some of its most famous graduates.
Simard, 53, had been working at the private school for the past nine months, using the pseudonym Charles Bouchard.
College spokesperson Diane de Champlain said school officials had done all they could to check the man's background before he was hired, but their background check had failed to reveal his criminal past. [. . . . ]
