OTTAWA—Conservative Senators are quietly using taxpayer-funded literature to target opposition ridings with a partisan crime message as the party gears up for the next election, the Toronto Star has learned.
And at least one of the Senators sent the mailers out at the direction of the Conservative Party of Canada’s national campaign office.
That Senator was Bob Runciman (Ontario). It is not clear whether Senator Don Plett (Manitoba), who distributed almost identical material, did so at the behest of the party.
The tactic of Senators using their office budgets to demonize Liberal MPs in their own ridings is unheard of and an affront to the Senate’s role as a chamber of sober second thought, Liberal Senator Jim Munson, said in an interview.
The two Senators sent out some 6,000 brochures in total to the ridings of Liberal MPs Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre) and David McGuinty (Ottawa South) in September urging constituents to join them in demanding stiffer sentences for young offenders while suggesting Liberals were soft on crime.
“It’s the politics of fear paid for by taxpayers’ money and I find it disgusting,” Munson said, adding that he will be raising the controversial practice in the Red Chamber on Tuesday.
“It’s unethical and they should be ashamed of themselves,” Munson said Thursday.
But the Senators were unapologetic about spending thousands of taxpayers’ dollars, saying Canadians deserve to know what the Harper government would to do to crack down on young offenders.
“Anita Neville has shown over and over again that she simply doesn’t want to properly punish crime in my humble opinion,” said Plett, former Conservative Party president, who is among the 35 senators appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the 105-seat upper Chamber.
By using the Senators to send out this kind of literature, the Conservative Party gets around the prohibition on MPs using tax dollars to send partisan messages to other ridings, which the House of Commons agreed must stop.
The material, sent to 3,000 homes in each of the two ridings, includes an “official petition to the Senate” that calls for revealing the names of dangerous or violent young offenders and adult-length sentences when warranted, among other things.
“Unlike the Liberals, we also believe that the whole point of a criminal justice system isn’t the welfare of the criminal, it’s the safety of you, your family and your home and possessions,” said the identical message in the two mail-outs.
“I take crime seriously, as I’m sure you do. It’s time we told the opposition parties in Ottawa that we want them to take it seriously too.”
McGuinty and Neville say the literature is just further proof the Conservatives don’t hesitate to use taxpayers’ dollars to further their political agenda.
“They are targeting those polls (voter areas) in the ridings that they are quite deliberately making an effort to make inroads into,” Neville said.
“I think it is certainly duplicitous. They’ve used everything they could in the House of Commons until the outcry became too loud and now they have moved to the Senate to do their dirty work. If they want to do their dirty work then pay for it. Don’t do it on the taxpayers’ bill,” she said.
Plett said the fact remains that “we have some serious issues with some crime, especially in the youth crime” and that many people who responded agreed.
Neville noted the petition also provides the Conservatives an opportunity to build the party’s database of potential members and donors, all of it done on the public’s dime.
Runciman, a former Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP and cabinet minister who has a long history of calling for tougher youth sentences, was frank about his decision to target McGuinty’s riding.
“I campaigned there in the last federal election for the Conservative candidate and he did fairly well actually, given the historical nature of the riding,” said Runciman, referring to runner-up Elie Salibi.
Runciman received only about 200 names on the petitions and some “blistering negative emails” criticizing him for sending the literature out.
“There was not really much of a reaction,” said Runciman, who told the Star it was the “Conservative campaign folks” that put him up to it.
McGuinty said the Conservatives have a history since forming a minority government in 2006 of “taking tax dollars and justify spending them in any way in order to achieve their neo-Conservative agenda. It’s that simple.”
“That’s what’s going on right now in Ottawa. That’s what your readers have to know. It is out of control and it’s all because Harper wants his majority,” he said.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
An Ontario coroner has decided to expand the inquest into the final months of Ashley Smith's life
An Ontario coroner has decided to expand the inquest into the final months of Ashley Smith's life and look into how her state of mind may have contributed to the New Brunswick teen's death at a federal prison for women.
"The expanded scope may assist the jury in making a determination about the manner of Ms. Smith's death," coroner Bonita Porter wrote in her decision released on Friday. "Her state of mind is part of the circumstances of the death and will be relevant to the issue of 'by what means' the death occurred."
Porter said the expanded inquest will include "an examination of factors that may have impacted Ms. Smith's state of mind on Oct. 19, 2007."
She said information presented to the jury "will not necessarily be restricted by her age, geography, date or nature of the institution that was tasked with her care."
Exclusive footage
The Fifth Estate has obtained exclusive prison footage of Ashley Smith's final months in a federal prison in Kitchener, Ont. The footage is part of a documentary called Behind the Wall, which can be watched online on The Fifth Estate website.
The inquest was initially going to be restricted to Smith's experience in Ontario from May 12, 2007 up to her death on Oct. 19, 2007, and not her entire 11½ months and 17 transfers within federal correctional facilities.
Smith, while in isolation, choked herself to death with a piece of cloth while guards at the Grand Valley Institution in Kitchener, Ont., looked on. They had been ordered not to intervene.
Earlier this month, Julian Falconer, a lawyer for Smith's family, argued before Porter that the inquest should be broadened to understand the 19-year-old's "barbaric" living conditions and learn fully what led to her death.
A report to the Correctional Service of Canada by independent psychologist Margo Rivera concluded that prison officials’ repeated transfers of Smith, against doctor’s orders, interfered with her mental health therapy and escalated her spiral toward her death.
Rivera also concluded that Smith believed guards would intervene and that her self-choking behaviour was not an attempt to kill herself, but rather "met her need for increasing the level of stimulation" by provoking guards, forcing them to enter her isolation cell to save her
"The expanded scope may assist the jury in making a determination about the manner of Ms. Smith's death," coroner Bonita Porter wrote in her decision released on Friday. "Her state of mind is part of the circumstances of the death and will be relevant to the issue of 'by what means' the death occurred."
Porter said the expanded inquest will include "an examination of factors that may have impacted Ms. Smith's state of mind on Oct. 19, 2007."
She said information presented to the jury "will not necessarily be restricted by her age, geography, date or nature of the institution that was tasked with her care."
Exclusive footage
The Fifth Estate has obtained exclusive prison footage of Ashley Smith's final months in a federal prison in Kitchener, Ont. The footage is part of a documentary called Behind the Wall, which can be watched online on The Fifth Estate website.
The inquest was initially going to be restricted to Smith's experience in Ontario from May 12, 2007 up to her death on Oct. 19, 2007, and not her entire 11½ months and 17 transfers within federal correctional facilities.
Smith, while in isolation, choked herself to death with a piece of cloth while guards at the Grand Valley Institution in Kitchener, Ont., looked on. They had been ordered not to intervene.
Earlier this month, Julian Falconer, a lawyer for Smith's family, argued before Porter that the inquest should be broadened to understand the 19-year-old's "barbaric" living conditions and learn fully what led to her death.
A report to the Correctional Service of Canada by independent psychologist Margo Rivera concluded that prison officials’ repeated transfers of Smith, against doctor’s orders, interfered with her mental health therapy and escalated her spiral toward her death.
Rivera also concluded that Smith believed guards would intervene and that her self-choking behaviour was not an attempt to kill herself, but rather "met her need for increasing the level of stimulation" by provoking guards, forcing them to enter her isolation cell to save her
Friday, November 12, 2010
Forget about a majority government. So underwhelmed are Canadian voters with the current state of politics that securing even a minority government for any of the parties is now proving elusive, according to a new EKOS Research poll.
Forget about a majority government. So underwhelmed are Canadian voters with the current state of politics that securing even a minority government for any of the parties is now proving elusive, according to a new EKOS Research poll.
“The new normal is near parity with no single party having enough support for even a stable minority government,” pollster Frank Graves told The Globe in an email. “Welcome to the new normal. Can you say, repeat after me ... C-O-A-L-I-T-I-O-N?”
More related to this story
•The underlying bones don’t favour Michael Ignatieff
•Harper clings to five-point lead as poll exposes ‘political rut’
•What Parliament would look like if only women voted
Media
Read the Nov. 11, 2010 EKOS poll Released Thursday morning, the survey shows Stephen Harper’s team and Michael Ignatieff’s statistically tied. The Conservatives have the support of 29.4 per cent of Canadians compared to 28.6 per cent for the Liberals. Jack Layton’s NDP, however, is at 19.3 per cent – the highest level the party has been at in two years.
Notably, New Democrats are leading among youth and Atlantic Canadians – usually the bastion of the Liberals. And Mr. Graves found that if the vote was restricted to women, the NDP would be tied with the Conservatives, who have tremendous support from older men in Alberta.
The Greens and Bloc, meanwhile, are at 10.7 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively.
It is significant, Mr. Graves said, that no single party can reach the threshold of 30 per cent support. “In a country which historically would have seen at least one choice running in the 40 per cent region and sometime 50 per cent a decade or so ago, it’s really startling to see just how much things have changed.”
The slight lead the Conservatives had in the EKOS poll two weeks ago has all but vanished – as has the 10-point lead the Tories had over the Liberals last year at this time.
This is no fluke, Mr. Graves said. Over the past month his polling has shown one week in which the Conservatives had an edge over the Liberals. It was the result of Tory gains in Ontario, which Mr. Graves attributed to the “Ford bounce” after conservative-leaning Rob Ford was elected mayor of Toronto.
“The other three weeks it was a statistical tie,” Mr. Graves said. Looking at calculations going back to January, however, EKOS polling shows the Conservatives with an average 32 per cent support compared to 28 per cent for the Liberals.
This begs the question: “Can any single party eke out the more humble goal of even a secure minority? Increasingly, the answer appears to be that even that more modest goal may be elusive.”
The poll of 1,815 Canadians was conducted between Nov. 3 and Nov. 9; it has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Fighter jets
Canadians are split over the controversial $16-billion purchase of 65 new stealth fighter jets: 54 per cent of EKOS respondents are strongly or somewhat opposed to the purchase compared to 46 per cent who strongly or somewhat support the deal.
Mr. Graves found that the strongest opposition is in Quebec and among university graduates while those who support the purchase are mostly from Alberta, seniors and male.
The Liberals have been hammering away at this proposed sole-source contract, vowing that if they form government they would scrap the purchase and put the deal out to competition.
More related to this story
•Stephen Harper again enters ‘uncertain world of coalitions’
•Mild Tory pain means slight Liberal gain from stagnant electorate
“The new normal is near parity with no single party having enough support for even a stable minority government,” pollster Frank Graves told The Globe in an email. “Welcome to the new normal. Can you say, repeat after me ... C-O-A-L-I-T-I-O-N?”
More related to this story
•The underlying bones don’t favour Michael Ignatieff
•Harper clings to five-point lead as poll exposes ‘political rut’
•What Parliament would look like if only women voted
Media
Read the Nov. 11, 2010 EKOS poll Released Thursday morning, the survey shows Stephen Harper’s team and Michael Ignatieff’s statistically tied. The Conservatives have the support of 29.4 per cent of Canadians compared to 28.6 per cent for the Liberals. Jack Layton’s NDP, however, is at 19.3 per cent – the highest level the party has been at in two years.
Notably, New Democrats are leading among youth and Atlantic Canadians – usually the bastion of the Liberals. And Mr. Graves found that if the vote was restricted to women, the NDP would be tied with the Conservatives, who have tremendous support from older men in Alberta.
The Greens and Bloc, meanwhile, are at 10.7 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively.
It is significant, Mr. Graves said, that no single party can reach the threshold of 30 per cent support. “In a country which historically would have seen at least one choice running in the 40 per cent region and sometime 50 per cent a decade or so ago, it’s really startling to see just how much things have changed.”
The slight lead the Conservatives had in the EKOS poll two weeks ago has all but vanished – as has the 10-point lead the Tories had over the Liberals last year at this time.
This is no fluke, Mr. Graves said. Over the past month his polling has shown one week in which the Conservatives had an edge over the Liberals. It was the result of Tory gains in Ontario, which Mr. Graves attributed to the “Ford bounce” after conservative-leaning Rob Ford was elected mayor of Toronto.
“The other three weeks it was a statistical tie,” Mr. Graves said. Looking at calculations going back to January, however, EKOS polling shows the Conservatives with an average 32 per cent support compared to 28 per cent for the Liberals.
This begs the question: “Can any single party eke out the more humble goal of even a secure minority? Increasingly, the answer appears to be that even that more modest goal may be elusive.”
The poll of 1,815 Canadians was conducted between Nov. 3 and Nov. 9; it has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Fighter jets
Canadians are split over the controversial $16-billion purchase of 65 new stealth fighter jets: 54 per cent of EKOS respondents are strongly or somewhat opposed to the purchase compared to 46 per cent who strongly or somewhat support the deal.
Mr. Graves found that the strongest opposition is in Quebec and among university graduates while those who support the purchase are mostly from Alberta, seniors and male.
The Liberals have been hammering away at this proposed sole-source contract, vowing that if they form government they would scrap the purchase and put the deal out to competition.
More related to this story
•Stephen Harper again enters ‘uncertain world of coalitions’
•Mild Tory pain means slight Liberal gain from stagnant electorate
Thursday, November 11, 2010
The union representing Department of Veterans Affairs employees says it will fight any efforts to increase the penalties against staffers who share confidential information about veterans.!
The union representing Department of Veterans Affairs employees says it will fight any efforts to increase the penalties against staffers who share confidential information about veterans.
Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn told CBC Radio One's Island Morning on Tuesday the current one-day suspension would be replaced with a 30-day suspension and possible termination.
The announcement followed a public tongue-lashing Blackburn gave employees after the department passed personal and sensitive medical information about veteran Sean Bruyea between various unauthorized employees and also sent the information to a hospital.
"It's the second time in the last month and a half that he [Blackburn] is blasting his own employees," said Yvan Thauvette, head of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees.
"As a union representative, I would say that he will probably find us in his way because he cannot go from one-day suspension to 30-day suspension and losing your job."
Thauvette said all DVA employees are taking training on how to handle the private information of clients. He said politics is also paying a part on the increased spotlight on the DVA and its employees.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2010/11/10/pei-dva-employee-suspensions-union.html#ixzz14xJF4DbB
Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn told CBC Radio One's Island Morning on Tuesday the current one-day suspension would be replaced with a 30-day suspension and possible termination.
The announcement followed a public tongue-lashing Blackburn gave employees after the department passed personal and sensitive medical information about veteran Sean Bruyea between various unauthorized employees and also sent the information to a hospital.
"It's the second time in the last month and a half that he [Blackburn] is blasting his own employees," said Yvan Thauvette, head of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees.
"As a union representative, I would say that he will probably find us in his way because he cannot go from one-day suspension to 30-day suspension and losing your job."
Thauvette said all DVA employees are taking training on how to handle the private information of clients. He said politics is also paying a part on the increased spotlight on the DVA and its employees.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2010/11/10/pei-dva-employee-suspensions-union.html#ixzz14xJF4DbB
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
A departing Conservative MP used publicly funded House of Commons resources to back his potential successor
A departing Conservative MP used publicly funded House of Commons resources to back his potential successor — a candidate who once headed the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and was a senior aide to the prime minister.
"As we prepare for the next federal election, the following few months are extremely important. The prime minister wants the party to present the best slate of candidates possible in all 308 ridings," MP Greg Thompson wrote on Commons letterhead of the contest to replace him in New Brunswick Southwest.
"I also believe it is important that you know exactly why I'm supporting John Williamson as our next Conservative candidate and MP."
The letter, sent using parliamentary mailing privileges, is one of a list of grievances cited by local Tories over how the nomination contest unfolded in one of Canada's largest ridings.
Williamson, who resigned as Stephen Harper's director of communications to run, won handily on nomination voting day Oct. 23, with nearly 60 per cent of the ballots.
"It certainly doesn't give people confidence that they're part of a democratic process," said Lloyd Wilson, one of the unsuccessful candidates.
"He's entitled to an opinion as anyone else is, but as a sitting member of Parliament I think there's an expectation that you provide a separation from your opinions and the party — or are you speaking on behalf of the party when you say those things?"
Commons bylaws state that parliamentary resources should not be used for electoral campaigning. Thompson, former veterans affairs minister, said he believed his letter fell within the rules and that party members are ultimately constituents.
"The other thing that I pointed out to those who did complain, if you will, that if they do have a concern with that, make sure that they pass that concern on to the Speaker of the House because I clearly was within the rules of engagement," Thompson said in an interview.
Party members frustrated
Several party members who spoke to The Canadian Press said they were frustrated with the Conservative party's response to their concerns about the race leading up to that date.
"The membership was hurt, it was the membership that wasn't given its due consideration, and no matter what happens, Mr. Williamson certainly has some healing to do in the riding," said Scott Sparks, another unsuccessful contender.
One of the main complaints brought up by members is the fact no polling stations were located in the northern corners of the riding, which spans 10,000 square kilometres. Some voters faced a three-hour drive to vote, and the main polling station's location favoured southern-based candidates such as Williamson.
Riding association president Fraser Ingraham, a dairy farmer, acknowledges local executives missed a deadline for applying for those satellite stations, but he said the party could have set them up if they wanted.
"I think the party should take a look at that and work closely with the riding associations because we're the people on the ground and we're all volunteers — we do this because we believe in the party," said Ingraham, of Dumfries, N.B.
"Most of the people who make these decisions grow up in cities and don't know what really happens in rural parts of the country or New Brunswick."
Williamson says he too felt some frustration with the process, having backed the local executive's call for another polling station on Deer Island, only to have it rejected by Ottawa. But he says such decisions are par for the course.
"It was frustrating, but I think that's the name of the game in nomination contests, that all the candidates are thrown various curve balls and you win some, you lose some," said Williamson.
No real convention held
Another frustration that came up repeatedly was the fact there was no real convention held on voting day, despite the rental of a large high school gym. The four candidates were not permitted to address members, making the station even less of a draw for Tories who lived farther away.
"In Atlantic Canada, we've never heard tell of having a nomination and candidates not having a chance to talk to the membership," said Ingraham.
Conservative party spokesman Fred Delorey said a series of town hall meetings with candidates in advance of voting day were designed to connect members with the contenders. He said the preferential ballot system used by the party precludes conventions, although people in the province might not be used to it.
"We're doing this across the country, this type of setup," Delorey said.
Delorey also said it was up to the riding association board to ask for the northern polling stations in a timely fashion.
"They recommended, and we approved it, and then we moved forward from that. They had their opportunity to set the locations and we accepted it," he said.
On the subject of Thompson's use of his parliamentary resources, Delorey had no comment. Williamson, a former national director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, would only say he was honoured to have Thompson's endorsement.
"I was appreciative of his support and I know that other candidates wanted it, they were climbing all over themselves for it, but ultimately Greg did what Greg thought was best," Williamson said.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/11/09/nb-greg-thompson-john-williamson.html#ixzz14r1ZJAj6
"As we prepare for the next federal election, the following few months are extremely important. The prime minister wants the party to present the best slate of candidates possible in all 308 ridings," MP Greg Thompson wrote on Commons letterhead of the contest to replace him in New Brunswick Southwest.
"I also believe it is important that you know exactly why I'm supporting John Williamson as our next Conservative candidate and MP."
The letter, sent using parliamentary mailing privileges, is one of a list of grievances cited by local Tories over how the nomination contest unfolded in one of Canada's largest ridings.
Williamson, who resigned as Stephen Harper's director of communications to run, won handily on nomination voting day Oct. 23, with nearly 60 per cent of the ballots.
"It certainly doesn't give people confidence that they're part of a democratic process," said Lloyd Wilson, one of the unsuccessful candidates.
"He's entitled to an opinion as anyone else is, but as a sitting member of Parliament I think there's an expectation that you provide a separation from your opinions and the party — or are you speaking on behalf of the party when you say those things?"
Commons bylaws state that parliamentary resources should not be used for electoral campaigning. Thompson, former veterans affairs minister, said he believed his letter fell within the rules and that party members are ultimately constituents.
"The other thing that I pointed out to those who did complain, if you will, that if they do have a concern with that, make sure that they pass that concern on to the Speaker of the House because I clearly was within the rules of engagement," Thompson said in an interview.
Party members frustrated
Several party members who spoke to The Canadian Press said they were frustrated with the Conservative party's response to their concerns about the race leading up to that date.
"The membership was hurt, it was the membership that wasn't given its due consideration, and no matter what happens, Mr. Williamson certainly has some healing to do in the riding," said Scott Sparks, another unsuccessful contender.
One of the main complaints brought up by members is the fact no polling stations were located in the northern corners of the riding, which spans 10,000 square kilometres. Some voters faced a three-hour drive to vote, and the main polling station's location favoured southern-based candidates such as Williamson.
Riding association president Fraser Ingraham, a dairy farmer, acknowledges local executives missed a deadline for applying for those satellite stations, but he said the party could have set them up if they wanted.
"I think the party should take a look at that and work closely with the riding associations because we're the people on the ground and we're all volunteers — we do this because we believe in the party," said Ingraham, of Dumfries, N.B.
"Most of the people who make these decisions grow up in cities and don't know what really happens in rural parts of the country or New Brunswick."
Williamson says he too felt some frustration with the process, having backed the local executive's call for another polling station on Deer Island, only to have it rejected by Ottawa. But he says such decisions are par for the course.
"It was frustrating, but I think that's the name of the game in nomination contests, that all the candidates are thrown various curve balls and you win some, you lose some," said Williamson.
No real convention held
Another frustration that came up repeatedly was the fact there was no real convention held on voting day, despite the rental of a large high school gym. The four candidates were not permitted to address members, making the station even less of a draw for Tories who lived farther away.
"In Atlantic Canada, we've never heard tell of having a nomination and candidates not having a chance to talk to the membership," said Ingraham.
Conservative party spokesman Fred Delorey said a series of town hall meetings with candidates in advance of voting day were designed to connect members with the contenders. He said the preferential ballot system used by the party precludes conventions, although people in the province might not be used to it.
"We're doing this across the country, this type of setup," Delorey said.
Delorey also said it was up to the riding association board to ask for the northern polling stations in a timely fashion.
"They recommended, and we approved it, and then we moved forward from that. They had their opportunity to set the locations and we accepted it," he said.
On the subject of Thompson's use of his parliamentary resources, Delorey had no comment. Williamson, a former national director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, would only say he was honoured to have Thompson's endorsement.
"I was appreciative of his support and I know that other candidates wanted it, they were climbing all over themselves for it, but ultimately Greg did what Greg thought was best," Williamson said.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/11/09/nb-greg-thompson-john-williamson.html#ixzz14r1ZJAj6
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The outgoing veterans ombudsman is prepared to launch a class-action lawsuit against the government over a claims process he says is wrongly denying disability benefits.
The outgoing veterans ombudsman is prepared to launch a class-action lawsuit against the government over a claims process he says is wrongly denying disability benefits.
Pat Stogran, who steps down from the position Wednesday, told the Star he has been approached by a private law firm about pursuing legal action over decisions made by the Veterans Review and Appeal Board regarding disability benefits.
“I have compelling evidence that they’ve elevated the standard of proof,” Stogran said Sunday evening, adding that a potential lawsuit is in the very early stages but that he believes there could be thousands of complainants.
His comments came at the same time as federal officials vowed to quickly address mounting complaints about the lump-sum payments to seriously wounded veterans.
Conservative MP Greg Kerr, the parliamentary secretary to Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn, said the government is planning to make the payouts “more flexible.”
While the intent was good, the 2006 switch to lump-sum payments to replace monthly disability payments has suffered from a “number of problems,” Kerr said.
“So we've listened and I think those changes will happen within the next week or two,” Kerr told CTV’s Question Period on Sunday.
Protests took place across Canada on Saturday to complain about the government’s treatment of veterans and gripes about the lump sum took centre stage. The Harper government also took heat recently for unlawfully releasing a Gulf War veteran’s medical records.
“My argument throughout this whole period of revelations such as invasion of privacy and all these other things is that the veterans have not had a fair day in court,” Stogran said.
He said the potential lawsuit would address the burden of proof in disability pension and award review hearings. Veterans are supposed to be given the benefit of the doubt even if they lack evidence for their claim, Stogran said.
“As long as you use sound logic and reasoning, if you present a case that’s plausible and it makes sense, you don’t have to prove that it’s true,” he said.
But instead, he said, adjudicators in some cases have weighed the evidence as if it were a regular trial.
The legislation around veterans’ disability claims was designed to take into account circumstances that might prevent soldiers from having documentation that completely supports their claim, Stogran said.
“You’re not going to break down in the middle of a nighttime parachute assault . . . and asked to be evacuated to the unit aid station so you can do paperwork for your sore back,” he said, adding that he considers the elevated burden of proof “a national security issue.”
“You don’t want the soldiers overseas to be looking over their shoulders and worried about generating the evidence or how they’re going to be able to prove a disability.”
Stogran said he will take a low-profile after his successor, Guy Parent, takes office on Remembrance Day. But Stogran said if he doesn’t see movement on the issue, he is prepared to move forward with the lawsuit.
“I am so committed to bringing fair treatment to the veterans and I think this is the lynch pin of the whole thing,” he said.
Pat Stogran, who steps down from the position Wednesday, told the Star he has been approached by a private law firm about pursuing legal action over decisions made by the Veterans Review and Appeal Board regarding disability benefits.
“I have compelling evidence that they’ve elevated the standard of proof,” Stogran said Sunday evening, adding that a potential lawsuit is in the very early stages but that he believes there could be thousands of complainants.
His comments came at the same time as federal officials vowed to quickly address mounting complaints about the lump-sum payments to seriously wounded veterans.
Conservative MP Greg Kerr, the parliamentary secretary to Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn, said the government is planning to make the payouts “more flexible.”
While the intent was good, the 2006 switch to lump-sum payments to replace monthly disability payments has suffered from a “number of problems,” Kerr said.
“So we've listened and I think those changes will happen within the next week or two,” Kerr told CTV’s Question Period on Sunday.
Protests took place across Canada on Saturday to complain about the government’s treatment of veterans and gripes about the lump sum took centre stage. The Harper government also took heat recently for unlawfully releasing a Gulf War veteran’s medical records.
“My argument throughout this whole period of revelations such as invasion of privacy and all these other things is that the veterans have not had a fair day in court,” Stogran said.
He said the potential lawsuit would address the burden of proof in disability pension and award review hearings. Veterans are supposed to be given the benefit of the doubt even if they lack evidence for their claim, Stogran said.
“As long as you use sound logic and reasoning, if you present a case that’s plausible and it makes sense, you don’t have to prove that it’s true,” he said.
But instead, he said, adjudicators in some cases have weighed the evidence as if it were a regular trial.
The legislation around veterans’ disability claims was designed to take into account circumstances that might prevent soldiers from having documentation that completely supports their claim, Stogran said.
“You’re not going to break down in the middle of a nighttime parachute assault . . . and asked to be evacuated to the unit aid station so you can do paperwork for your sore back,” he said, adding that he considers the elevated burden of proof “a national security issue.”
“You don’t want the soldiers overseas to be looking over their shoulders and worried about generating the evidence or how they’re going to be able to prove a disability.”
Stogran said he will take a low-profile after his successor, Guy Parent, takes office on Remembrance Day. But Stogran said if he doesn’t see movement on the issue, he is prepared to move forward with the lawsuit.
“I am so committed to bringing fair treatment to the veterans and I think this is the lynch pin of the whole thing,” he said.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is Canada's version of george W bush!
Harper: 'I've got bruises' for pro-Israel stance
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CBC News
Stephen Harper says Canada will stand against "anti-Israel rhetoric" at international organizations like the United Nations as long as he is prime minister — "whatever the cost."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers a speech on Monday at the annual conference of the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press) The prime minister, speaking Monday at the start of an annual conference on combating anti-Semitism in Ottawa, said he's "got bruises to show" for speaking out in the international community against enemies of Israel.
Although he did not give specifics, Harper was likely referring to Canada's failed bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council last month. He also insisted there are "a lot more votes" in being anti-Israel than in "taking a stand."
Critics of the Conservative government have cited Harper's unwavering support of Israel during its ongoing conflict with the Palestinians as a possible reason for Canada's failure to gain a Security Council seat for the first time since the international body's creation.
But Harper said the "evolving phenomenon" of anti-Semitism targets the Jewish people by portraying Israel as "the source of injustice and conflict in the world, and uses perversely the language of human rights to do so."
"We must be relentless in exposing this new anti-Semitism for what it is," Harper said.
Israel, like any country, may be subjected to fair criticism, he said. But Harper told the audience that Canada must oppose what he called the "three Ds" — demonization, double standards and delegitimization.
"And like any free country Israel subjects itself to such criticism, healthy, necessary, democratic debate," he said. "But when Israel, the only country in the world whose very existence is under attack, is consistently and conspicuously singled out for condemnation, I believe we are morally obligated to take a stand."
Ignatieff targets Iran, UN seat loss
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, in a speech to the conference, says Canada 'has an innocence that we very urgently need to shed' on the global reach of anti-Semitism. (CBC)
Harper said history has shown it is critical to fight anti-Semitism because those who threaten the existence of the Jewish people are ultimately a threat to everyone.
The Ottawa conference, organized by the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism, later heard from Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who said the "vicious modern anti-Semitism" is a "threat to all humanity."
In his address, Ignatieff singled out Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's "utterly unacceptable" comments and threats toward Israel. He said Canada must stand against the "strategic threat" Iran presents not just to Israel, but to the entire Middle East.
The Opposition leader also levelled criticism at Harper for Canada's failure to win a temporary seat on the UN Security Council, saying it was not a "moral victory" to lose out on a position from which Canada could have defended Israel on the international stage.
"If Canada wishes to defend Israel against Iran, as it should, it would have been nice to be on the UN Security Council," Ignatieff said.
Canada, Ignatieff added, "has an innocence that we very urgently need to shed" on the global reach of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism fuels fire-bombings of religious schools within Canada's own borders, as well as the mail bombs recently shipped from Yemen, Ignatieff said.
The Liberal leader also condemned the "one-sided parade" of anti-Israel condemnations at the UN, as well as those who use the ongoing Mideast conflict as an "excuse to fuel their hatred."
In 2006, Ignatieff sparked controversy by saying he was "not losing sleep" over an Israeli air attack in the southern Lebanese village of Qana during the 34-day conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerillas.
Ignatieff, then a candidate for his party's leadership, subsequently called the incident a war crime, then clarified his remarks by saying he was a lifelong supporter of the state of Israel and it was up to international bodies to determine war crimes.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/11/08/harper-israel-anti-semitism.html#socialcomments#ixzz14ighrpE8
.
CBC News
Stephen Harper says Canada will stand against "anti-Israel rhetoric" at international organizations like the United Nations as long as he is prime minister — "whatever the cost."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers a speech on Monday at the annual conference of the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press) The prime minister, speaking Monday at the start of an annual conference on combating anti-Semitism in Ottawa, said he's "got bruises to show" for speaking out in the international community against enemies of Israel.
Although he did not give specifics, Harper was likely referring to Canada's failed bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council last month. He also insisted there are "a lot more votes" in being anti-Israel than in "taking a stand."
Critics of the Conservative government have cited Harper's unwavering support of Israel during its ongoing conflict with the Palestinians as a possible reason for Canada's failure to gain a Security Council seat for the first time since the international body's creation.
But Harper said the "evolving phenomenon" of anti-Semitism targets the Jewish people by portraying Israel as "the source of injustice and conflict in the world, and uses perversely the language of human rights to do so."
"We must be relentless in exposing this new anti-Semitism for what it is," Harper said.
Israel, like any country, may be subjected to fair criticism, he said. But Harper told the audience that Canada must oppose what he called the "three Ds" — demonization, double standards and delegitimization.
"And like any free country Israel subjects itself to such criticism, healthy, necessary, democratic debate," he said. "But when Israel, the only country in the world whose very existence is under attack, is consistently and conspicuously singled out for condemnation, I believe we are morally obligated to take a stand."
Ignatieff targets Iran, UN seat loss
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, in a speech to the conference, says Canada 'has an innocence that we very urgently need to shed' on the global reach of anti-Semitism. (CBC)
Harper said history has shown it is critical to fight anti-Semitism because those who threaten the existence of the Jewish people are ultimately a threat to everyone.
The Ottawa conference, organized by the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism, later heard from Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who said the "vicious modern anti-Semitism" is a "threat to all humanity."
In his address, Ignatieff singled out Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's "utterly unacceptable" comments and threats toward Israel. He said Canada must stand against the "strategic threat" Iran presents not just to Israel, but to the entire Middle East.
The Opposition leader also levelled criticism at Harper for Canada's failure to win a temporary seat on the UN Security Council, saying it was not a "moral victory" to lose out on a position from which Canada could have defended Israel on the international stage.
"If Canada wishes to defend Israel against Iran, as it should, it would have been nice to be on the UN Security Council," Ignatieff said.
Canada, Ignatieff added, "has an innocence that we very urgently need to shed" on the global reach of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism fuels fire-bombings of religious schools within Canada's own borders, as well as the mail bombs recently shipped from Yemen, Ignatieff said.
The Liberal leader also condemned the "one-sided parade" of anti-Israel condemnations at the UN, as well as those who use the ongoing Mideast conflict as an "excuse to fuel their hatred."
In 2006, Ignatieff sparked controversy by saying he was "not losing sleep" over an Israeli air attack in the southern Lebanese village of Qana during the 34-day conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerillas.
Ignatieff, then a candidate for his party's leadership, subsequently called the incident a war crime, then clarified his remarks by saying he was a lifelong supporter of the state of Israel and it was up to international bodies to determine war crimes.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/11/08/harper-israel-anti-semitism.html#socialcomments#ixzz14ighrpE8
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