fraser institute NOT so apolitical!.

fraser institute

High-profile figures


The Institute has attracted some well-known individuals to its ranks, such as founding member Friedrich Hayek. The Institute maintains that it has an apolitical stance and refuses to align itself with any political party. For example, in recent years, it has brought into its fold former politicians such as former Reform Party leader Preston Manning, former Ontario Conservative premier Mike Harris, former Alberta Conservative premier Ralph Klein and former Liberal cabinet minister and Newfoundland and Labrador premier Brian Tobin.



Controversy

According to an article published in CBC News Online, some people charge that Michael Walker, an economist from the University of Western Ontario, helped set up the institute after he received financial backing from forestry giant MacMillan-Bloedel, largely to counter British Columbia's NDP government[22] then led by Premier Dave Barrett. The CEO of MacMillian-Bloedel at the time supported wage and price controls. As the institute espouses free market views, it has been criticized by trade unions for its recommendations to abolish minimum wage. In 1999, the Fraser Institute was attacked by health professionals and scientists for sponsoring two conferences on the tobacco industry entitled "Junk Science, Junk Policy? Managing Risk and Regulation" and "Should government butt out? The pros and cons of tobacco regulation." Critics charged the Institute was associating itself with the tobacco industry's many attempts to discredit authentic scientific work



In 2002, a study by Neil Brooks of the left-wing Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives concluded that the Institute's widely promoted Tax Freedom Day, described as the date each year when the average Canadian's income no longer goes to paying government taxes, included flawed accounting. The Brooks study claimed that the Institute's methods of accounting excluded several important forms of income and inflated tax figures, moving the date nearly two months later in the year


 Global warming

Ross McKitrick, a Senior Fellow of the Institute, has been a critic of some scientific opinion on climate change. On February 5, 2007, the Institute published The Independent Summary for Policymakers, IPCC Fourth Assessment Report.

Classified note on US-Canadian embassy contact about Abousfian Abdelrazik currently exiled in the Sudan, 19 Jul 2006 : document was obtained by Professor Amir Attaran of the University of Ottawa.

Summary




This previously unreleased document describes a demarche by the US Government on the orders of the White House to the Government of Canada, concerning the wish to have Abousfian Abdelrazik, a man wrongly accused of terrorism, prosecuted in the USA. Mr. Abdelrazik is currently being exiled in Sudan by the Government of Canada, and this document suggests it is because of US pressure. The current issue of The Economist, the internationally-known news magazine, has a brief story on the Abdelrazik case, demonstrating its significance.



The document was obtained under the Privacy Act, but it appears that the person censoring it made an error and did not completely black out the document (hundreds of other pages were blacked out).



The document was obtained by Professor Amir Attaran of the University of Ottawa. He may be contacted at aattaran@uottawa.ca.



Here is a transcript of the scanned document:



ABDELRAZIK: US EMBASSY DEMARCHE

Hoskins, Bert

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Di Gangi, John [digangj@fac-aec.gc.ca]

Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 6:23 PM

To: Wright, James R.

Cc: hooper, Jack; Portelance, Luc; Topposzini, Mike; Reynolds, Rick; Richards, Paul; Livermore, Daniel; Anderson, Gary; Saleh, Magdi; Hoskins, Bert; Bakewell, Peter

Subject: ABDELRAZIK: US EMBASSY DEMARCHE

Classification: SECRET

US Embassy DCM John Dickson made a memarche this afternoon re: Abdelrazk. He said that he had sat in with Ambassador Wilkins on two confrence calls today — Lebanon and Abdelrazik. He had been asked to deliver a message from the White House, specifically from senior levels of the Homeland Security Council. Ambassador Wilkins might be calling Minister Toves [sic] or Day tomorrow. Frances Townsend might also be calling.

Dickson's main message was that the US would like Canada's assistance in putting together a criminal case against Abedelrazik so that he could be charged in the US. The US had information on Abdelrazik but at this point, it was not enough to charge him; the same might be true for Canada. If Canadian police or security agencies shared what they had, it might prove to be enough for the US to proceed, as the threshold for prosecution there was lower than here.

Dickson recalled that iwth Abdullah Khadr, Canadian authorities had not been prepared to share information until he had been formally charged in the US. He recognized that this might again be the case but wanted to be sure that the US request would be given due considertion. He suggested that there was surprise in Washington at the short notice re Abdelrazik's release, and that this matter had not come up in the contet of recent visits, eg Chertoff.

I responded that I would convey the US request, nothing thathis Embassy had been advised of the impending release shortly after we heard about it. I reassured Dickson that the Canadian position was unchanged, ie that Abdelrazik would be given the usual consular assistance, adn that if and when he provided our Embassy in Khartoum with a confirmed travel itinerary, he would be issued a one-way travel document.

Dickson probed whether Canada wanted Abedelrazik back and how he would be handled if he returned. I repeated that as a Canadian citizen, he had the right to return to Canada, if he wished. I also noted that while we might get a sense of Abdelrazik's Intentions shortly after his release, the question of possible outcomes could likely be a matter of continuing discussion here and between our governments.

s. 19(1) s. 21







7/19/06

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CBC told to hand files over to Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault.

OTTAWA — The Federal Court ruled Friday that the taxpayer-funded CBC must hand over its records to Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault.





The fight over access to the documents has dragged on since 2007, when the public broadcaster first resisted being included under Section 68.1 of the Access to Information Act.





Many of the requests for information about the CBC were launched by Quebec Media Inc. (QMI) Agency, which operates of the Sun chain of newspapers and websites.





QMI had requested information on such matters as the contest to select a new theme song for Hockey Night in Canada, hospitality expenses during royal visits and documents related to the change of command at CBC between former president Robert Rabinovitch and Hubert Lacroix, the network's current top boss.





"It confirms the importance of my role as the first level of review," Legault said in a statement. "To fulfil my mandate and my responsibility to protect the rights of requesters, I must have authority to examine records that are the subject of complaints."





The judgment said that investigations by the information commissioner are confidential and providing information to Legault does not constitute public disclosure.







Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/canada/told+hand+files+over+information+czar/3576807/story.html#ixzz10VirLjIB

65_redroses an update 24/09/2010.

eva's imprint on the world




1. Creation of the REDDY FOR A CURE campaign to promote ongoing awareness and fundraising in support of Cystic Fibrosis.




2. Great Strides Walk, the annual CF fundraiser walk: the REDDY FOR A CURE team, with participation in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario raised an unprecedented amount for CF



3. 65 Red Roses painting: This collaborative piece, with participation from 65 Canadian Artists, was donated to the Vancouver Chapter of the CF Foundation, to be used for fundraising and for CF awareness. The painting can be viewed on the CF Vancouver website www.cfvancouver.ca click on the ‘65 Red Roses’ icon.

• Over $25 000 has been raised by the sale of posters (not many left!),

• The painting was shown in Eva’s hometown, New Westminster, for the summer to raise awareness and funds

• The painting is currently on display at ECW/Circa Ici a fashionable women’s clothing store in the heart of the Vancouver shopping district (Granville St. & 10th Ave) . Stationary (greeting cards and calendars) will soon be created

• Talks are being finalized with BC Children’s hospital to have it prominently displayed there on permanent loan. It will also be the centerpiece for a broader fundraising campaign for CF in months to come.



4. Tandem Tour: 4 young men cycled across the country on a 4-man tandem bicycle especially constructed for this trip. They each raised funds for their favoured charity. Ian Bevis cycled for Eva, and for C.F., raising about $9000. Their website is still open and accepting donations. www.thetandemtour.com



5. Passion for Fashion. ECW/Circa Ici is in the midst of a Passion for Fashion campaign raising funds for CF in honour of Eva. A $65 donation to CF gets you a $65 credit at the store over a $300 purchase. www.ecwoman.com/home/events_promotions



6. Vancouver Leisure Society – Lawnbowling event: www.vancouverleisure.ca Thursdays in July were abuzz with chatter, charm and an influx of youthful retro participation at the Stanley Park lawn bowling club. Team spots sold out in 5 minutes after online registration opened. This event was dedicated to Eva and raised over $34 000 for CF.



7. Phoenix Theatre University of Victoria is holding a memorial celebration to honour Eva on Sunday September 26 at 1:30. A plaque and tree will be dedicated to her on the theatre site.



8. Keys to a Cure will be the focus of this year’s CF Gala keynote presentation. Eva is the catalyst behind this portion of the event designed to raise funds through the auctioning of research packages that aim to fund CF research projects. We know that it is only through more scientific research and the development of transitional steps to apply new knowledge to CF patients, that will make a lasting difference in the lives of those suffering from this disease.



9. 65_RedRoses: the film, is now available on DVD, (http://www.65redroses.com/) has shown on CBC’s The Passionate Eye several times, will be aired in its entirety on The Knowledge Network, has been viewed in several countries around the world and ….hopefully will soon air in the U.S. It has won numerous awards including the prestigious BANFF award for Best Canadian Program, an Audience Award at the Hot Docs International Film Festival, and several other film festival awards.



10. VIFF (Vancouver International Film Festival)-is honouring Eva at their screening of ‘Leave them Laughing’ on October 2.



11. Benefit Concert∫ for C.F. tentatively planned for February, featuring well know Vancouver artists.



12. 2 scholarships in Eva’s name: one for her former high school to go to a student planning to attend theatre school, one for the Child Life program at BC Children’s Hospital to go to a ‘Child Life’ intern.





While in hospital last February, Eva received the CF Foundation’s Summerhayes award for her service to CF. See a video of this event on the March 27th posting. After receiving the award she said ‘One of the most important things for me to do right now is to create a legacy. …This (award) to me really makes a difference because it means that I made a difference. When I die, this is what’s left.”

Van Loan 'erred' in prison transfer requests The Federal Court has ruled

Van Loan 'erred' in prison transfer requests



The Federal Court has ruled that former public safety minister Peter Van Loan erred in not allowing two Canadians back into the country to serve out their U.S. prison sentences. (Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press) The Federal Court has ruled that former public safety minister Peter Van Loan erred in not allowing two Canadians back into the country to serve their U.S. prison sentences.



Both men are currently incarcerated for drug offences committed in the United States.



The rulings by Justice John O'Keefe question Van Loan's denials for transfer and contend that he committed a "key error" in one of the cases. Van Loan, who is now international trade minister, refused the transfers to Canada in May 2009, based on ministerial "opinion" that the offender will commit a "criminal organization" offence.



In the case of Brent James Curtis , serving 57 months for his part in a 100-kilogram cocaine operation in 2007, O'Keefe ruled "there is little in the way of evidence to support" the denial and that "a key error was made in the analysis."



Curtis had been described as a "transporter" of cocaine by U.S. justice officials. When he was public safety minister, Van Loan refused Curtis's application for transfer back to Canada because "the offence may have been committed for financial gain" and his role was that of the "money man."



In his letter to Curtis, Van Loan wrote that the convict's actions indicated deliberate planning of drug trafficking and demonstrated that he was "several steps down the road towards involvement in criminal organization offence."



O'Keefe disagreed, writing that Van Loan committed a "key error in coming to the conclusion." He emphasized that U.S. justice documents stated that Curtis's colleague indicated he was the money man and referred to Curtis as a transporter.



U.S. Department of Justice officials approved Curtis's transfer to Canada, and the Correctional Service of Canada indicated it had no reason to believe the applicant had links to organized crime, wrote O'Keefe, who concluded that Van Loan's decision was "unreasonable and ought to be reconsidered."



Canadians and Americans held in prisons can request transfers back to their home nations under the International Transfer of Offenders Act, a 30 year-old treaty meant to allow for the rehabilitation of non-violent offenders. If approved, a convict can return to their home nation and enter the domestic prison system.



Second case

The second Federal Court ruling dealt with the case of Michael Dudas, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import marijuana into the U.S. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison in September 2008. Dudas had purchased a helicopter and hired pilots to fly B.C. marijuana into the state of Washington.



Though the U.S. Justice Department had approved his transfer, the Correctional Service of Canada indicated that its Regional Security Intelligence believed Dudas had links to organized crime.



Van Loan denied Dudas's transfer saying, "I believe he may, after the transfer, commit a criminal organization offence."



O'Keefe ruled that Van Loan had not sufficiently "expressed which purpose or purposes were most crucially relied on in coming to his ultimate conclusion."



While he did not question the ministerial prerogative, O'Keefe wrote that the courts "cannot condone nor accept completely unstructured discretion. In circumstances where a decision has such a dramatic effect on the citizen in question, the law requires a complete explanation, however short, for the decision."



If you have more information on this story, or other story tips, please email investigations@cbc.ca

O'Keefe has referred the decisions back to Vic Toews, the current public safety minister, who now has 44 days to reconsider. There was no comment from Public Safety Canada and no mention of Tuesday's ruling on the government website.





Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/09/22/federal-court-rulings.html#ixzz10K2me6Un

G20 ringleader' re-arrested

G20 protest 'ringleader' re-arrested over 'simple' discussion





Protester Alex Hundert tries to talk his way past the police and into the Chateau Montebello. Day 2 at Chateau Montebello, where the North American leaders (Harper/Bush/Calderon) are meeting.Photograph by: Mike Carroccetto, Ottawa CitizenDoes participating in a panel discussion on a university campus constitute an act of public demonstration?





That's the question activists are asking after the arrest last Friday of Alex Hundert, one of the alleged ringleaders of the G20 Summit protests, following a panel discussion at Ryerson University in Toronto.





Police allege that Hundert's participation in the event — dubbed "Strengthening Our Resolve: Movement Building and Ongoing Resistance to the G20 Agenda" — constituted a breach of one of his bail conditions that he not take part in a public demonstration.





"When you're out on bail, you sign a document that you agree to meet certain conditions. Whatever those conditions are, you're obliged to follow those conditions until your matter is heard in court," said Sgt. Pierre Chamberland, a spokesman for Ontario Provincial Police, which carried out the arrest with the assistance of Toronto police.





John Norris, Hundert's lawyer, said Tuesday his client was speaking publicly about matters of public interest — but not in a manner that could be interpreted as a public demonstration.





Participating in a university panel discussion is "not what the bail was meant to prohibit," Norris said.





"By taking such a broad interpretation of the bail order, the real concern of the police seems to be the content of the expression," as opposed to the manner in which it was expressed, he said. "They really are criminalizing dissent."





Panel participant Judy Rebick, an instructor of politics at Ryerson, said she's organized hundreds of protests in her life, but this was not one of them.





She characterized the event as merely a bunch of "talking heads" representing labour, anti-poverty and sexual-orientation groups discussing lessons learned from the G20. More than 200 people jammed a lecture hall for the event and not a single person raised his or her voice, she said.





"This was a simple discussion among activists about where we go from here. No one can interpret it as a protest," she said.





Rebick said police are clearly just trying to harass Hundert.





They're using the "slimmest excuse" to re-arrest him, she said. "It's very upsetting."





Hundert, 30, was arrested on June 26 — the first day of the G20 summit in Toronto — and charged with conspiring or counselling to commit mischief to property, obstruct police and assault police.





He was released on $100,000 bail after agreeing to several bail conditions, including house arrest, appearing in public only with his sureties, and not organizing or attending any public demonstrations.





Because of the alleged breach of his bail order last week, Hundert must remain in detention until his next bail hearing Oct. 6.

Pierre Poilievre Prime Minister Stephen Harper's parliamentary secretary denies knowing gun adviser.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's parliamentary secretary says he has never heard of a spokesman for a Canadian gun advocacy group who boasts of ties to the U.S. National Rifle Association and is also a government adviser on the long-gun registry.



On Tuesday, Tory MP Pierre Poilievre dismissed notions the government is linked to or influenced by the NRA, the powerful U.S. lobbying group that advocates fewer gun controls.



This followed CBC News reports that the NRA has been involved for years in efforts to abolish Canada's long-gun registry.



Poilievre added that he is "not familiar" with Tony Bernardo, spokesman for the Canadian Institute for Legislative Action, who has said that while the NRA doesn't give his organization money, it "freely gives us anything else."



Four years ago, the Harper government appointed Bernardo to the National Firearms Advisory group.



In a letter to his constituents, Tory MP Garry Breitkreuz drew attention to the makeup of the panel, including several firearms experts and dealers. Last May, Bernardo also testified against the registry in front of a Commons committee.



Denial issued

Bernardo, who is in Australia, emailed CBC News late Tuesday insisting the "NRA is not assisting in the long-gun debate in any way."



Earlier Tuesday, Liberal House Leader David McGuinty accused Harper's Conservatives of playing "the worst of right-wing Republican wedge politics" in an attempt to "pick off eight or 10 ridings" on the gun registry issue.



McGuinty also called on the prime minister to disclose details of what he called a "nudge-nudge, wink-wink relationship" between the NRA and current and former Conservative MPs, staffers and party members.



But speaking to supporters Tuesday night in Edwards, Ont., Harper rejected the claims.



"Today I listened to the Liberals claiming that people who oppose the long-gun registry are just a bunch of U.S. gun lobbyists," Harper said. "Now this, friends, is typical of the arrogant, intellectual contempt in which the Liberal Party holds so many people, especially in rural Canada."



A vote is scheduled next week on a Tory private member's bill to kill the registry. NDP Leader Jack Layton said Tuesday enough members of his party will vote to defeat the bill.







Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/09/14/nra-gun-registry.html#ixzz108WLRrL3