Incidents and accidents
Notable accidents
November 21, 1990: a Bangkok Airways de Havilland Canada DHC-8-103 crashed on Koh Samui while attempting to land in heavy rain and high winds. All 38 people on board died.[21]
January 6, 1993: Lufthansa Cityline Flight 5634 crashed short of the runway near Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, France. The crash killed four out of 23 passengers and crew.[citation needed]
June 9, 1995: Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 Dash 8-102 from Auckland Airport to Palmerston North crashed on western slopes of the Tararua Ranges and 16 km east of Palmerston North Airport during an instrument approach in inclement weather, four killed.
February 12, 2009: Colgan Air Flight 3407 a Q400, from Newark Liberty International Airport to Buffalo Niagara International Airport stalled and crashed into a house in Clarence Center, New York, while preparing to land at the airport. All 49 people on board, including four crew and one off duty pilot, and one person on the ground were killed. Two other people on the ground received minor injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that pilot error cause factors, including a "startle and confusion" response by the captain, were the primary contributors to the accident.[22][23][24][25]
November 23, 2009: a de Havilland Canada DHC-8-200, being operated on behalf of United States Africa Command, made an emergency landing at Tarakigné, Mali and was substantially damaged when the undercarriage collapsed and the starboard wing was ripped off.[26]
Major landing gear incidents
A Dash 8 after landing at Kōchi Ryōma Airport on March 13, 2007, when the front landing gear failed to extendMain article: Dash 8 landing gear incidents
In September 2007, two separate incidents of similar landing gear failures occurred within four days of each other on SAS Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. A third incident occurred in October 2007, leading to the withdrawal of the type from the airline's fleet.
September 9, 2007: The crew of Scandinavian Airlines Flight 1209, en route from Copenhagen to Aalborg, reported problems with the locking mechanism of the right side landing gear, and Aalborg Airport was prepared for an emergency landing. Shortly after touchdown the right main gear collapsed and the airliner skidded off the runway while fragments of the right propeller shot against the cabin and the right engine caught fire. Of 69 passengers and four crew on board, 11 were sent to hospital, five with only minor injuries.[27][28][29] The accident was filmed by a local news channel (TV2-Nord) and broadcast live on national television. The video footage can be seen on YouTube.[30]
September 12, 2007: Scandinavian Airlines Flight 2748 from Copenhagen to Palanga had a similar problem with the landing gear, forcing the aircraft to land in Vilnius. No passengers or crew were injured.[31] Immediately after this incident SAS grounded all their 33 Dash-8/Q400 airliners and, a few hours later, Bombardier recommended that all Dash-8/Q400s with more than 10,000 flights be grounded until further notice.[32]
October 27, 2007: Scandinavian Airlines Flight 2867 en route from Bergen to Copenhagen had severe problems with the landing gear during landing in Kastrup Airport. Right wing gear did not deploy properly (or partially), and the aircraft skidded off the runway in a controlled emergency landing. The Q400 was carrying 38 passengers, two infants and four crew members onboard. No injuries were reported. The incident is being investigated by the civil aviation administration in Scandinavia and all Dash 8-400 aircraft within the SAS Group are grounded.[33][34] The preliminary Danish investigation determined this latest Q400 incident is unrelated to the airline's earlier corrosion problems, in this particular case caused by a misplaced O-ring found blocking the orifice in the restrictor valve.[35] On the next day, SAS permanently removed its entire Dash 8 Q400 fleet from service.[36]
On September 12, 2007, Bombardier recommended all Q400s with over 10,000 landings to be grounded for inspection of their landing gear after two non-fatal accidents within three days involving the landing gear of a Q400 series aircraft. Both incident aircraft were operated by Scandinavian Airlines, an early operator of the type.[37] This affected about 60 aircraft, out of 140 Q400s in service. In all, eight Q400s had landing gear failures while landing during 2007: four in Denmark, one in Germany, one in Japan, one in Lithuania and one in South Korea; see section Notable incidents and accidents. Following an incident at Copenhagen Airport, October 27, 2007, Scandinavian Airlines' executive board decided to permanently remove its entire Q-400 fleet from service. In a press release on October 28, 2007, the company's president said: "Confidence in the Q400 has diminished considerably and our customers are becoming increasingly doubtful about flying in this type of aircraft. Accordingly, with the Board of Directors' approval, I have decided to immediately remove Dash 8 Q400 aircraft from service."[33][36][38] On March 10, 2008, SAS ordered 27 more aircraft from Bombardier in a compensation deal, 14 Q400 NextGen and 13 CRJ900.[39]
In November 2007, it was revealed that Swedish Civil Aviation Authority began an investigation and accused Scandinavian Airlines System of cutting corners for maintenance. The airline reportedly made 2,300 flights in which safety equipment was not up to standard.[40]
Friday, August 27, 2010
case for G20 probe!.
case for G20 probe
Christopher Miller was charged with mischief for writing “Shame on you” in charcoal on a sidewalk at police headquarters.
National Post photographer Brett Grundlock was charged with obstructing police and unlawful assembly while doing his job.
And Robert Gamble was charged with disturbing the peace after he yelled “Arrest the war criminals. Investigate 9/11.”
The Crown dropped all these charges, and more, on Monday as hundreds of people paraded through Ontario Court in the aftermath of the Group of 20 summit protests that rocked downtown Toronto on June 26 and 27, during which some vandals torched police cars and smashed shop windows.
The sheer flimsiness of some of the charges ought to embarrass the Toronto police and other forces that arrested more than 1,000 people, penning them up in wire cages for much of the weekend.
Ultimately only some 300 were charged. And while the 17 alleged ringleaders and others still have a date with the courts, prosecutors were eager to drop or “divert” charges for nearly 100 people if they agreed to contribute to a charity, do community service or sign a peace bond.
This winnowing process reflects well on Ontario Court, and its reluctance to criminalize dissent. But it does nothing to ease concerns about Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s unwisdom in holding the G20 in downtown Toronto, turning it into an armed camp of empty streets. Or Premier Dalton McGuinty’s decision to grant the police enhanced powers of arrest without properly informing the public. Or the police strategy that first let vandals run amok, then cracked down on non-violent protesters.
These are far-ranging matters of political responsibility and civil rights that only a full inquiry can properly address, not the slew of low-level probes now underway by the Toronto police, the Police Services Board, the Ontario ombudsman’s office and Ontario’s new Independent Civilian Review and Public Complaints Process. Each is looking at a piece of the problem.
What’s needed is a broad public inquiry by Ottawa or Queen’s Park into this wretched chain of events, from the Prime Minister’s fateful decision to turn Toronto into an armed camp, to police tactics that ranged from laissez-faire to abrupt mass arrests. We deserve a full accounting
Christopher Miller was charged with mischief for writing “Shame on you” in charcoal on a sidewalk at police headquarters.
National Post photographer Brett Grundlock was charged with obstructing police and unlawful assembly while doing his job.
And Robert Gamble was charged with disturbing the peace after he yelled “Arrest the war criminals. Investigate 9/11.”
The Crown dropped all these charges, and more, on Monday as hundreds of people paraded through Ontario Court in the aftermath of the Group of 20 summit protests that rocked downtown Toronto on June 26 and 27, during which some vandals torched police cars and smashed shop windows.
The sheer flimsiness of some of the charges ought to embarrass the Toronto police and other forces that arrested more than 1,000 people, penning them up in wire cages for much of the weekend.
Ultimately only some 300 were charged. And while the 17 alleged ringleaders and others still have a date with the courts, prosecutors were eager to drop or “divert” charges for nearly 100 people if they agreed to contribute to a charity, do community service or sign a peace bond.
This winnowing process reflects well on Ontario Court, and its reluctance to criminalize dissent. But it does nothing to ease concerns about Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s unwisdom in holding the G20 in downtown Toronto, turning it into an armed camp of empty streets. Or Premier Dalton McGuinty’s decision to grant the police enhanced powers of arrest without properly informing the public. Or the police strategy that first let vandals run amok, then cracked down on non-violent protesters.
These are far-ranging matters of political responsibility and civil rights that only a full inquiry can properly address, not the slew of low-level probes now underway by the Toronto police, the Police Services Board, the Ontario ombudsman’s office and Ontario’s new Independent Civilian Review and Public Complaints Process. Each is looking at a piece of the problem.
What’s needed is a broad public inquiry by Ottawa or Queen’s Park into this wretched chain of events, from the Prime Minister’s fateful decision to turn Toronto into an armed camp, to police tactics that ranged from laissez-faire to abrupt mass arrests. We deserve a full accounting
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Dimitri Soudas You are an ASS!!!.
Russian bomber gaffe reminiscent of Cold War
“It’s the best plane … and when you are a pilot staring down on Russian long-range bombers, that’s an important fact to remember.”
You could be forgiven for thinking this is a quote by Tom Cruise’s Maverick character from the Cold War-era favourite Top Gun. But no, the comment was made by the Prime Minister’s director of communications after two CF-18 Hornets shadowed two Russian TU-95 Bears in the Far North on Tuesday.
Apparently miffed that the Russians had dared buzz Canadian airspace while his boss is in the Arctic, Dimitri Soudas was extolling the virtues of Canada’s fighter jets.
The fact is, the Russians regularly sniff around in the North and the only reason we know about it this time, one suspects, is because the parliamentary National Defence committee was set to meet to debate the $16-billion untendered purchase of the next generation of fighter jets, the F-35s, from Lockheed Martin.
The Russian presence was a timely opportunity for the Prime Minister’s Office to once again subvert diplomacy to the interests of domestic politics. “The CF-18 is an incredible aircraft that enables our Forces to meet the Russian challenges in our North,” said Mr. Soudas, an attempt to blunt criticism that its replacement is not suited to the kind of security tasks Canada is likely to undertake in the future.
In the short-term, raising the spectre of the Russian bear in the air must have seemed like a good idea, since it knocked the committee meeting off the news agenda.
But here’s why it was not. The Canadian government’s own strategy document says our only territorial disputes in the Far North are with Denmark over Hans Island and the United States over the maritime boundary in the Beaufort Sea.
A dispute with Russia may yet emerge if there are over-lapping claims along the Lomonosov Ridge, a mountain range beneath the Arctic Ocean, where a mini-submarine planted a Russian flag in 2007.
But co-operating with Russia may yield more benefits than confrontation. Where Canada claims the North-West Passage as an internal waterway, so Russia claims the North-East Passage — both of which are set to become navigable.
As Norway’s Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, told me when he visited Ottawa in March, the West would benefit from “updating our mental maps, which are frozen in the Cold War” when dealing with Russia.
This is understood only too well by Canada’s bureaucrats in the Department of Foreign Affairs, many of whom have been left holding their heads in their hands in despair after the latest intervention by the PMO.
Sources inside the department said there is increasing frustration at a hostility toward Russia that is manufactured for entirely domestic political purposes. The relationship between this government and its bureaucracy is showing signs of fraying to breaking point. Conservative politicians might joke that a public service strike would bring government to a standstill, if it were not for the fact that it is already. They might not be laughing so hard if they tested the theory. “More and more, the system is starting to resist,” said one senior Conservative, who lamented the aggressive approach taken by the PMO.
No one is suggesting that Canadian sovereignty in the North is not important — nor that the Canadian Forces should not respond to potential incursions (even if, as NDP critic Jack Harris pointed out, the Russians have not entered Canadian airspace in the last decade).
But it is fair to suggest that there should be a more mature, sophisticated approach taken by the Prime Minister’s Office. To speak in the style of a wannabe Top Gun is not grown-up government.
.
Read more: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/08/25/john-ivison-russian-bomber-gaffe-reminiscent-of-cold-war/#ixzz0xgDAfAvo
“It’s the best plane … and when you are a pilot staring down on Russian long-range bombers, that’s an important fact to remember.”
You could be forgiven for thinking this is a quote by Tom Cruise’s Maverick character from the Cold War-era favourite Top Gun. But no, the comment was made by the Prime Minister’s director of communications after two CF-18 Hornets shadowed two Russian TU-95 Bears in the Far North on Tuesday.
Apparently miffed that the Russians had dared buzz Canadian airspace while his boss is in the Arctic, Dimitri Soudas was extolling the virtues of Canada’s fighter jets.
The fact is, the Russians regularly sniff around in the North and the only reason we know about it this time, one suspects, is because the parliamentary National Defence committee was set to meet to debate the $16-billion untendered purchase of the next generation of fighter jets, the F-35s, from Lockheed Martin.
The Russian presence was a timely opportunity for the Prime Minister’s Office to once again subvert diplomacy to the interests of domestic politics. “The CF-18 is an incredible aircraft that enables our Forces to meet the Russian challenges in our North,” said Mr. Soudas, an attempt to blunt criticism that its replacement is not suited to the kind of security tasks Canada is likely to undertake in the future.
In the short-term, raising the spectre of the Russian bear in the air must have seemed like a good idea, since it knocked the committee meeting off the news agenda.
But here’s why it was not. The Canadian government’s own strategy document says our only territorial disputes in the Far North are with Denmark over Hans Island and the United States over the maritime boundary in the Beaufort Sea.
A dispute with Russia may yet emerge if there are over-lapping claims along the Lomonosov Ridge, a mountain range beneath the Arctic Ocean, where a mini-submarine planted a Russian flag in 2007.
But co-operating with Russia may yield more benefits than confrontation. Where Canada claims the North-West Passage as an internal waterway, so Russia claims the North-East Passage — both of which are set to become navigable.
As Norway’s Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, told me when he visited Ottawa in March, the West would benefit from “updating our mental maps, which are frozen in the Cold War” when dealing with Russia.
This is understood only too well by Canada’s bureaucrats in the Department of Foreign Affairs, many of whom have been left holding their heads in their hands in despair after the latest intervention by the PMO.
Sources inside the department said there is increasing frustration at a hostility toward Russia that is manufactured for entirely domestic political purposes. The relationship between this government and its bureaucracy is showing signs of fraying to breaking point. Conservative politicians might joke that a public service strike would bring government to a standstill, if it were not for the fact that it is already. They might not be laughing so hard if they tested the theory. “More and more, the system is starting to resist,” said one senior Conservative, who lamented the aggressive approach taken by the PMO.
No one is suggesting that Canadian sovereignty in the North is not important — nor that the Canadian Forces should not respond to potential incursions (even if, as NDP critic Jack Harris pointed out, the Russians have not entered Canadian airspace in the last decade).
But it is fair to suggest that there should be a more mature, sophisticated approach taken by the Prime Minister’s Office. To speak in the style of a wannabe Top Gun is not grown-up government.
.
Read more: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/08/25/john-ivison-russian-bomber-gaffe-reminiscent-of-cold-war/#ixzz0xgDAfAvo
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
And then there were 227.
And then there were 227.
Twenty-four hours after the fact, Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General confirmed the final head count after Monday’s mass court appearance by those charged in connection to the G20 summit protests.
In total, 304 people were on the docket at the Ontario Court of Justice facing charges ranging from mischief to obstructing a peace officer and possession of weapons.
By the time the dust had settled, 73 people had left the courthouse no longer facing charges.
Nine of the 73 were people listed in error. “For example, a person being named twice,” ministry spokesman Brenda Crawley wrote in an email.
Of the remaining 64, 22 people had their charges withdrawn through “diversion,” meaning they either made a small charitable donation or agreed to perform community service.
Five people had their charges withdrawn after they agreed to sign peace bonds.
Thirty-one people had their charges withdrawn or stayed — which means the Crown has a year in which it could opt to revive the charges. There were also six guilty pleas.
The ministry did not respond to a request to provide a further breakdown of the charges.
Two hundred and twenty-seven people had their matters adjourned to dates from the end of August to mid-October. They include several people who are choosing to fight their charges after rejecting overtures by the prosecution.
In addition, four accused did not appear in court Monday and bench warrants were issued.
Toronto police and officers from other forces arrested more than 1,000 people connected to the G20 protests in late June. Many were detained in a makeshift detention centre but released without charges.
Critics say law enforcement, after letting vandals run amok, smashing windows and burning police cars, then became heavy-handed by needlessly charging non-violent protesters.
Three hundred people ultimately were charged with criminal offences, including 17 people the Crown alleges were ringleaders responsible for organizing the mayhem unleashed in downtown Toronto during the summit.
Last week in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Crown appealed the release of purported organizers Leah Henderson and Alex Hundert, alleged to have had roles in organizing the protests that caused thousands of dollars in property damage.
He reserved his decision until next month. Next week, Erik Lankin, who has been jailed since his arrest June 26, will seek to get out of custody. He was denied bail in July.
The trials for the remaining accused could be up to two years away.
Twenty-four hours after the fact, Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General confirmed the final head count after Monday’s mass court appearance by those charged in connection to the G20 summit protests.
In total, 304 people were on the docket at the Ontario Court of Justice facing charges ranging from mischief to obstructing a peace officer and possession of weapons.
By the time the dust had settled, 73 people had left the courthouse no longer facing charges.
Nine of the 73 were people listed in error. “For example, a person being named twice,” ministry spokesman Brenda Crawley wrote in an email.
Of the remaining 64, 22 people had their charges withdrawn through “diversion,” meaning they either made a small charitable donation or agreed to perform community service.
Five people had their charges withdrawn after they agreed to sign peace bonds.
Thirty-one people had their charges withdrawn or stayed — which means the Crown has a year in which it could opt to revive the charges. There were also six guilty pleas.
The ministry did not respond to a request to provide a further breakdown of the charges.
Two hundred and twenty-seven people had their matters adjourned to dates from the end of August to mid-October. They include several people who are choosing to fight their charges after rejecting overtures by the prosecution.
In addition, four accused did not appear in court Monday and bench warrants were issued.
Toronto police and officers from other forces arrested more than 1,000 people connected to the G20 protests in late June. Many were detained in a makeshift detention centre but released without charges.
Critics say law enforcement, after letting vandals run amok, smashing windows and burning police cars, then became heavy-handed by needlessly charging non-violent protesters.
Three hundred people ultimately were charged with criminal offences, including 17 people the Crown alleges were ringleaders responsible for organizing the mayhem unleashed in downtown Toronto during the summit.
Last week in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Crown appealed the release of purported organizers Leah Henderson and Alex Hundert, alleged to have had roles in organizing the protests that caused thousands of dollars in property damage.
He reserved his decision until next month. Next week, Erik Lankin, who has been jailed since his arrest June 26, will seek to get out of custody. He was denied bail in July.
The trials for the remaining accused could be up to two years away.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
G20 in court
Of the 303 people who appeared in court Monday, some had their charges dropped, others were given another date to return, and most people were left frustrated and confused by the ordeal.
Those who had travelled from Quebec lamented losing a day’s wages to appear at a hearing that lasted only a few seconds; others decried the fact that the Crown has not yet disclosed the evidence against them.
Here are three stories from one of the largest mass court appearances in Canada’s history.
Brett Gundlock, 24 – Charges of unlawful assembly and obstructing a peace officer dropped
Gundlock, a National Post photographer, was arrested with a colleague at Queen’s Park the Saturday afternoon of G20 weekend. “I'd been photographing all day,” Gundlock said of his arrest. When police started firing pepper spray at the crowd and making arrests, Gundlock said he put his gas mask on and watched as a line of riot police separated. “That’s when six cops were coming at me like linebackers.” Gundlock said he raised his press pass in the air, but the officers were already tackling him to the ground. The photographer said he is happy to have the ordeal behind him. “The police failed, their charges aren't sticking,” he said of his one-minute hearing.
Mathieu Melançon, 21 — Hearing on charge of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence put over until Oct. 14
After travelling to Toronto from Montreal, Melançon, 21, had his hearing put over to Oct. 14 after standing before a judge for less than a minute. “Nothing happened. We just stand in front of judge with our co-accused. They only asked us our names, and then they said, ‘We will see you again on Oct. 14.’ ” Melançon, who was arrested with dozens of others when police raided the University of Toronto early on the Sunday morning of the G20, was detained for three days. He said he is still waiting to receive disclosure in his case. “I would appreciate to know what I’m supposed to have been conspiring against.”
Jaggi Singh — One of 17 alleged ringleaders, still facing charge of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence
Singh, a prominent activist from Montreal, is one of 17 accused G20 ringleaders. He voluntarily turned himself in to police days after the summit when he heard there was warrant for his arrest. Peter Rosenthal, Singh’s lawyer, said he objected in court to the fact that the Crown has yet to provide any disclosure in the case against the 17 accused ringleaders, whose hearings were all put over to Sept. 27. “We need (disclosure) to prepare a bail review,” Rosenthal said, citing the condition that prevents Singh from organizing or participating in any demonstration, which Rosenthal said prevents him from doing his job at the Quebec Public Interest Research Group. “We feel that it is essential that he be allowed to continue that good work pending trial.” Singh turned himself in to police days after the summit when he learned there was a warrant for his arrest.
Those who had travelled from Quebec lamented losing a day’s wages to appear at a hearing that lasted only a few seconds; others decried the fact that the Crown has not yet disclosed the evidence against them.
Here are three stories from one of the largest mass court appearances in Canada’s history.
Brett Gundlock, 24 – Charges of unlawful assembly and obstructing a peace officer dropped
Gundlock, a National Post photographer, was arrested with a colleague at Queen’s Park the Saturday afternoon of G20 weekend. “I'd been photographing all day,” Gundlock said of his arrest. When police started firing pepper spray at the crowd and making arrests, Gundlock said he put his gas mask on and watched as a line of riot police separated. “That’s when six cops were coming at me like linebackers.” Gundlock said he raised his press pass in the air, but the officers were already tackling him to the ground. The photographer said he is happy to have the ordeal behind him. “The police failed, their charges aren't sticking,” he said of his one-minute hearing.
Mathieu Melançon, 21 — Hearing on charge of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence put over until Oct. 14
After travelling to Toronto from Montreal, Melançon, 21, had his hearing put over to Oct. 14 after standing before a judge for less than a minute. “Nothing happened. We just stand in front of judge with our co-accused. They only asked us our names, and then they said, ‘We will see you again on Oct. 14.’ ” Melançon, who was arrested with dozens of others when police raided the University of Toronto early on the Sunday morning of the G20, was detained for three days. He said he is still waiting to receive disclosure in his case. “I would appreciate to know what I’m supposed to have been conspiring against.”
Jaggi Singh — One of 17 alleged ringleaders, still facing charge of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence
Singh, a prominent activist from Montreal, is one of 17 accused G20 ringleaders. He voluntarily turned himself in to police days after the summit when he heard there was warrant for his arrest. Peter Rosenthal, Singh’s lawyer, said he objected in court to the fact that the Crown has yet to provide any disclosure in the case against the 17 accused ringleaders, whose hearings were all put over to Sept. 27. “We need (disclosure) to prepare a bail review,” Rosenthal said, citing the condition that prevents Singh from organizing or participating in any demonstration, which Rosenthal said prevents him from doing his job at the Quebec Public Interest Research Group. “We feel that it is essential that he be allowed to continue that good work pending trial.” Singh turned himself in to police days after the summit when he learned there was a warrant for his arrest.
Pat Stogran loud exit!!
Opposition MPs unite to keep spotlight on outgoing veterans ombudsman
OTTAWA — Opposition MPs are banding together to help Pat Stogran live up to the loud exit he has promised from his job as ombudsman for Canada’s war veterans.
Liberal and New Democrat members are using their majority on the veterans affairs committee to force a recall of the members to examine Stogran’s analysis that the lives of many injured vets have turned into a bureaucratic nightmare riddled with unfair treatment.
Angered by the Harper government’s decision not to reappoint Mr. Stogran, Liberal Rob Oliphant says he sought — and got the support of — the four MPs needed to recall the committee and now hopes it will meet in early September.
The opposition parties also have united to force a meeting Wednesday of the national defence committee. The MPs are meeting in private to plot an investigation into the government’s recent purchase of 65 fighter jets — worth an estimated $9-billion — from the U.S. firm, Lockheed Martin.
Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh said on Monday the opposition wants answers to questions on everything from whether there was a competitive bidding process for the jet contract to what benefits the purchase will produce for Canada’s aerospace industry.
Mr. Oliphant, the party’s veterans affairs critic, said he decided to push to reconvene the committee after hearing Canada’s top soldier stand up for Stogran.
Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of defence staff, said on Friday Mr. Stogran’s aggressive campaign on behalf of vets was raising “absolutely correct issues.”
Mr. Stogran had told a news conference last week that replacing him will damage the office of the ombudsman, and that he plans to spend his last three months in the post casting a light on the mistreatment of Canada’s vets.
New Democrat Peter Stoffer said Monday he wants Gen. Natynczyk, Mr. Stogran, Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn and wounded veterans all appear before the committee.
“What . . . Stogran has done is open up a Pandora’s box in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and I think it’s worthy that we speak about this right now instead of waiting for a month,” he said, referring to scheduled Sept. 20 resumption of Parliament.
Mr. Stoffer, the party’s veterans’ affairs critic, said Gen. Natynczyk’s comments add credibility to Mr. Stogran’s take on what’s wrong with the system.
Many of the complaints revolve around the new Veterans Charter and the bureaucratic maze vets say they must navigate to claim disability or pension benefits.
The charter’s disability award has received the bulk of the criticism. It replaces the previous system of monthly payments for life with a one-time payment of up to $276,000.
Critics say the lump-sum payment makes no sense for some vets, especially young men and women facing a lifetime of special needs.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the government is serious about responding to the concerns of vets, and that it is conducting an internal review of how existing programs should be readjusted.
Mr. Oliphant said mistreating vets harms both the government’s ability to recruit the brightest and the best men and women into the Canadian Forces and the morale of the troops in the field.
“If we’ve got a couple of thousand of active soldiers in Afghanistan right now, I think their morale is threatened if they think the government is not going to support them when they are injured,” he said.
..
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Opposition+unite+keep+spotlight+outgoing+veterans+ombudsman/3433281/story.html#ixzz0xUbL5CWr
OTTAWA — Opposition MPs are banding together to help Pat Stogran live up to the loud exit he has promised from his job as ombudsman for Canada’s war veterans.
Liberal and New Democrat members are using their majority on the veterans affairs committee to force a recall of the members to examine Stogran’s analysis that the lives of many injured vets have turned into a bureaucratic nightmare riddled with unfair treatment.
Angered by the Harper government’s decision not to reappoint Mr. Stogran, Liberal Rob Oliphant says he sought — and got the support of — the four MPs needed to recall the committee and now hopes it will meet in early September.
The opposition parties also have united to force a meeting Wednesday of the national defence committee. The MPs are meeting in private to plot an investigation into the government’s recent purchase of 65 fighter jets — worth an estimated $9-billion — from the U.S. firm, Lockheed Martin.
Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh said on Monday the opposition wants answers to questions on everything from whether there was a competitive bidding process for the jet contract to what benefits the purchase will produce for Canada’s aerospace industry.
Mr. Oliphant, the party’s veterans affairs critic, said he decided to push to reconvene the committee after hearing Canada’s top soldier stand up for Stogran.
Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of defence staff, said on Friday Mr. Stogran’s aggressive campaign on behalf of vets was raising “absolutely correct issues.”
Mr. Stogran had told a news conference last week that replacing him will damage the office of the ombudsman, and that he plans to spend his last three months in the post casting a light on the mistreatment of Canada’s vets.
New Democrat Peter Stoffer said Monday he wants Gen. Natynczyk, Mr. Stogran, Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn and wounded veterans all appear before the committee.
“What . . . Stogran has done is open up a Pandora’s box in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and I think it’s worthy that we speak about this right now instead of waiting for a month,” he said, referring to scheduled Sept. 20 resumption of Parliament.
Mr. Stoffer, the party’s veterans’ affairs critic, said Gen. Natynczyk’s comments add credibility to Mr. Stogran’s take on what’s wrong with the system.
Many of the complaints revolve around the new Veterans Charter and the bureaucratic maze vets say they must navigate to claim disability or pension benefits.
The charter’s disability award has received the bulk of the criticism. It replaces the previous system of monthly payments for life with a one-time payment of up to $276,000.
Critics say the lump-sum payment makes no sense for some vets, especially young men and women facing a lifetime of special needs.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the government is serious about responding to the concerns of vets, and that it is conducting an internal review of how existing programs should be readjusted.
Mr. Oliphant said mistreating vets harms both the government’s ability to recruit the brightest and the best men and women into the Canadian Forces and the morale of the troops in the field.
“If we’ve got a couple of thousand of active soldiers in Afghanistan right now, I think their morale is threatened if they think the government is not going to support them when they are injured,” he said.
..
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Opposition+unite+keep+spotlight+outgoing+veterans+ombudsman/3433281/story.html#ixzz0xUbL5CWr
Monday, August 23, 2010
Several G20 accused have charges dropped,.
Several G20 accused have charges dropped
The Crown is not proceeding with the criminal cases against a large number of the hundreds of people who were in court Monday on charges related to protests during June's G20 summit in Toronto.
Many of the first people to appear had their cases put over until the fall, and lawyers for the protesters expected the charges against roughly 75 people would be dropped, the CBC's Michelle Cheung said.
Crown attorney Vincent Paris could not confirm specifically how many cases would not proceed in court.
Some defendants were asked to post a peace bond, Paris said, where they agree to keep the peace for a year. Others had their cases settled through court diversion processes, where individuals are compelled to do charity work or give donations instead of going through the court process.
Such an outcome does not require an admission of guilt.
Still others had their charges withdrawn altogether, Paris said.
Most of those at the courthouse were making their first appearance, bail hearings excluded, he added.
Determining the reasonable prospect of conviction and the public interest in continuing a case is "entirely independent and different" from the police process of determining whether to lay charges or not, he said.
"And it's that gap that we have to address when we get to court on these first appearances," Paris said.
Special processes to handle crowds
The sheer number of people involved forced those working at the Ontario Court of Justice near Finch Avenue West and Highway 400 to adopt novel techniques to handle the situation.
"The three courtrooms that are processing the G20 protesters who have been charged are full," said Cheung, reporting from the scene. "It's standing room only."
A prescreening table was set up outside the courtroom to help process the people appearing Monday.
Some of those charged with G20-related offences are processed outside a Toronto courtroom on Monday. (Cheryl Krawchuk/CBC)
Some of those charged weren't even able to get into the courtroom — they had to be paged when the judge called for them, Cheung said.
With as many as 303 people set to appear Monday, police said it's one of the largest mass court appearances Toronto has ever seen.
The case of Montreal-based activist Jaggi Singh was postponed until late September, the CBC's Philip Lee-Shanok said. Lawyer Peter Rosenthal requested a bail review for Singh as well, saying a ban that prevents him from attending rallies will limit his ability to work as a community organizer in Montreal.
Charges against Natalie Gray, a B.C. activist who claims she was hit by two rubber bullets during a G20 summit protest, were dropped. Gray had been facing charges of obstructing a police officer at a protest.
Meanwhile, a group of activists held a news conference at 10 a.m. ET, in which they accused police of randomly targeting some protesters during the G20.
"We insist that the ongoing criminal proceedings are expensive, unnecessary and flawed, and that these charges be dropped immediately," said Jessica Denyer, a Toronto activist.
The Toronto Community Mobilization Network, an activist umbrella group, is organizing a protest at Toronto Police headquarters later Monday.
The people appearing in court Monday are charged with a variety of offences related to the June 26-27 summit of G20 leaders, where several people dressed in black broke off from a peaceful protest and smashed store windows and torched at least five police cars.
Most of the people appearing Monday were arrested at a protest at the Ontario legislature on June 26, said a Toronto police G20 investigator, Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/08/23/g20-court-hearings949.html#ixzz0xSqsO8Z6
The Crown is not proceeding with the criminal cases against a large number of the hundreds of people who were in court Monday on charges related to protests during June's G20 summit in Toronto.
Many of the first people to appear had their cases put over until the fall, and lawyers for the protesters expected the charges against roughly 75 people would be dropped, the CBC's Michelle Cheung said.
Crown attorney Vincent Paris could not confirm specifically how many cases would not proceed in court.
Some defendants were asked to post a peace bond, Paris said, where they agree to keep the peace for a year. Others had their cases settled through court diversion processes, where individuals are compelled to do charity work or give donations instead of going through the court process.
Such an outcome does not require an admission of guilt.
Still others had their charges withdrawn altogether, Paris said.
Most of those at the courthouse were making their first appearance, bail hearings excluded, he added.
Determining the reasonable prospect of conviction and the public interest in continuing a case is "entirely independent and different" from the police process of determining whether to lay charges or not, he said.
"And it's that gap that we have to address when we get to court on these first appearances," Paris said.
Special processes to handle crowds
The sheer number of people involved forced those working at the Ontario Court of Justice near Finch Avenue West and Highway 400 to adopt novel techniques to handle the situation.
"The three courtrooms that are processing the G20 protesters who have been charged are full," said Cheung, reporting from the scene. "It's standing room only."
A prescreening table was set up outside the courtroom to help process the people appearing Monday.
Some of those charged with G20-related offences are processed outside a Toronto courtroom on Monday. (Cheryl Krawchuk/CBC)
Some of those charged weren't even able to get into the courtroom — they had to be paged when the judge called for them, Cheung said.
With as many as 303 people set to appear Monday, police said it's one of the largest mass court appearances Toronto has ever seen.
The case of Montreal-based activist Jaggi Singh was postponed until late September, the CBC's Philip Lee-Shanok said. Lawyer Peter Rosenthal requested a bail review for Singh as well, saying a ban that prevents him from attending rallies will limit his ability to work as a community organizer in Montreal.
Charges against Natalie Gray, a B.C. activist who claims she was hit by two rubber bullets during a G20 summit protest, were dropped. Gray had been facing charges of obstructing a police officer at a protest.
Meanwhile, a group of activists held a news conference at 10 a.m. ET, in which they accused police of randomly targeting some protesters during the G20.
"We insist that the ongoing criminal proceedings are expensive, unnecessary and flawed, and that these charges be dropped immediately," said Jessica Denyer, a Toronto activist.
The Toronto Community Mobilization Network, an activist umbrella group, is organizing a protest at Toronto Police headquarters later Monday.
The people appearing in court Monday are charged with a variety of offences related to the June 26-27 summit of G20 leaders, where several people dressed in black broke off from a peaceful protest and smashed store windows and torched at least five police cars.
Most of the people appearing Monday were arrested at a protest at the Ontario legislature on June 26, said a Toronto police G20 investigator, Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/08/23/g20-court-hearings949.html#ixzz0xSqsO8Z6
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