Donna Jodhan was one of the first blind people in Canada to earn an MBA, in 1981, and one of the first in the world to obtain technical certifications from software companies Microsoft and Novell.
So the Toronto accessibility consultant was shocked in 2004 when she had trouble applying for a position posted on the federal government’s jobs website.
Despite her considerable technical expertise — she has won four accessibility design awards from IBM — Jodhan couldn’t get Ottawa’s online job application to work, even after repeated calls to the government helpline.
When Ottawa offered residents the option of filling out the 2006 Census online, Jodhan was thwarted once again.
“The Internet is something that is liberating to everybody — but not to blind and visually impaired Canadians,” she said in an interview. “Canada used to be at the top when it came to accessibility 10 years ago. It’s way down the list now.”
On Tuesday, Jodhan will argue in federal court that her inability to apply for a position on the federal jobs website or complete the online version of the 2006 Census breached her equality rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
She will also argue that this violation and her ongoing inability to access the government’s online information and services constitute a breach against all blind and partially sighted Canadians, said Jodhan’s lawyer David Baker.
About 3 million Canadians have visual or other impairments that make it difficult to access the Internet.
“It is just so frustrating that (the visually impaired) can’t access government information, can’t apply for government jobs — can’t use the Internet. That’s what this case is about,” Baker said in an interview.
Blind people visit websites using screen reader software which converts text to speech. But the software can’t work unless a web page includes special coding, Baker said.
American and European governments have adopted the latest international web accessibility standards for their websites as have Canadian banks and many businesses, he said. But the Canadian government has not — even though the changes would not be difficult or expensive to implement, he said.
Jodhan, who launched her case in 2006 under the now defunct Court Challenges program which helped fund equality rights cases, wants the court to order Ottawa to upgrade its websites to the latest accessibility standards within 12 months and monitor compliance.
In its written defence, the federal government argues that the Charter’s goal of providing “substantive equality” and “reasonable accommodation” to Jodhan were met through telephone help lines, by mail and in person.
Internet access to government services and information is not a right guaranteed in law, the government says in its written submission to the court.
“Alternative channels available did allow (Jodhan) to access services and information independently, in a manner that respected her privacy and dignity,” it says.
With more than 120 government departments and agencies and more than 23 million web pages, “it is unlikely that the government’s web presence will ever be perfectly accessible to all,” it adds.
A spokesperson for the federal government said Ottawa is working to make its online information as accessible as possible.
Ontario lawyer and disability rights activist David Lepofsky is waging a battle to make the provincial government’s websites and services accessible.
Lepofsky, who is blind, is particularly upset that the province’s new Presto electronic transit card is not accessible to the visually impaired and others.
Ontario is offering to adopt the most current international web accessibility standards, but Queen’s Park is giving itself up to 2018 and even longer for other organizations to get started, he noted.
“This is ridiculous,” Lepofsky said in an interview. “When it comes to creating new technology, experts have shown that there is . . . no significant added burden on organizations to adopt the latest standards for full accessibility. Moreover, accessibility for us usually helps lots of people, including those with no disability.
“There is absolutely no reason why any government in this country isn’t now complying with the latest international standards,” he added.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Ford keeping low profile.
If it wasn’t for being sued, September would be the quietest month for Rob Ford.
The Etobicoke councillor was at the heart of every twist and turn in the civic election over the summer, storming to the lead in the race over heavily favoured opposition.
But since Labour Day, the point most pundits picked as the kickoff to serious campaigning, Ford has stepped back from the limelight.
He’s released little in the way of policy, fielded fewer calls from newspaper reporters and shied away from scrums, sticking instead to television interviews and debate appearances.
The one campaign plank he has put out — his transportation platform — was released via YouTube in the dead of night with no press conference and only limited availability afterward.
“It’s normal for frontrunners to keep their profile lower than it would be if they were running back of the pack,” U of T political science prof Nelson Wiseman said.
“That’s just standard fare. Over the summer (then race-leader George) Smitherman had a lower profile.
“During the presidential election in the U.S., Obama basically in the last couple of days really laid low because there’s a danger you’re going to get tripped. And there’s more and more focus, particularly critical focus, on a frontrunner.”
Ford might have kept out of the papers even more had he not been the target of a threatened lawsuit by Boardwalk Pub owner George Foulidis, whose demand for an apology from Ford for allegations of corruption in the awarding of a city contract has so far been denied.
Ford’s opponents meanwhile, are picking up the intensity of their campaigning — with the trio of Rocco Rossi, Sarah Thomson and George Smitherman in particular all making frequent policy announcements and holding events each week on everything from transit to construction to accountability to even a City Hall suggestion box.
Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone has been quieter on the policy front — not surprising since he’s proposing to change little from the outgoing administration of Mayor David Miller — but he’s still chasing headlines and courting the media at every turn.
Ford though has played coy.
Beat reporters at City Hall are finding him markedly less available and phone calls are increasingly not returned or answered by campaign staff instead.
And he has yet to schedule time for a feature-length interview with the Toronto Sun, something the other four candidates all checked off weeks ago.
It’s something his opponents have noticed as well, Smitherman has been deriding Ford as the “boy in the bubble” and is still waiting for his opponent to agree to a once-promised one-on-one debate.
“Maybe we’re not all awake at 2 o’clock in the morning when he (Ford) seems to be doing most of his work, by way of YouTube and such,” Smitherman said, referring to the transportation announcement.
“It’s the peekaboo candidacy. If you look at it he’s just trying to ride out a stream of anecdotes and rhetoric and hope that the bubble doesn’t burst on his credibility. I think as we get more into discussion of details, the whole campaign becomes much more challenging for him.”
Ford campaign spokesman Adrienne Batra denied the frontrunner has made a strategic decision to shift into neutral but confirmed Ford will not debate Smitherman.
“We’ve got policy that we were planning to release (last) week (but) unfortunately it didn’t fit in our schedule,” she said. “He’s certainly made himself available as much as possible. He has made a commitment to these kids to coach football and that takes up a few hours every day.”
Ford’s still attending as many debates as possible, she said, and will announce more features of his taxpayer protection plan on Monday before unveiling his fully costed fiscal platform at the end of the month or early October.
“It’s unfortunate that some of the other candidates feel the need to have Rob Ford as their punching bag,” Batra said.
“We’re getting three to four calls everyday. Maybe it’s not the mainstream but we’re still getting lots of calls, he’s still doing lots of interviews.”
Pantalone said in an interview he doubts Ford’s low profile is strategic.
“It’s simply he’s run out of steam,” Pantalone said.
“I don’t think he’s doing it on purpose, The growth in his support, I believe has not only stalled, but perhaps reversed. I say that because he’s come under close scrutiny.”
Slowing down on purpose when you’re winning a race is a strange decision, he said.
“Usually what you want to do is build a bigger margin between you and your opponent,” Pantalone said.
“Once you slow down, you may lose momentum.”
Bernie Morton, a spokesman for the Rossi campaign, says while Ford “has peaked and plateaued,” his candidate is picking up speed.
“It (the campaign) is really long and very tiring and you need to be in it for the long run. And you need to be able to pace yourself,” Morton said.
“Out of all the candidates, Rocco is by far the fittest.
“Whether or not Rob Ford is fit to finish, I don’t know. He’s looking extremely tired and they seem to have lost some of their steam.”
But Wiseman says the low profile frontrunner is a frequent pattern of political campaigns because it works.
“I’m sure the advice being given to him is you minimize contact. (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper does the same thing, if you’re in the lead,” Wiseman said.
“The polls decide whether you can or not. Smitherman all of a sudden became more aggressive. When the polls switch, then you switch.
“Can he play goal for two months? If he keeps a lead of 10-12%, why shouldn’t he?”
The Etobicoke councillor was at the heart of every twist and turn in the civic election over the summer, storming to the lead in the race over heavily favoured opposition.
But since Labour Day, the point most pundits picked as the kickoff to serious campaigning, Ford has stepped back from the limelight.
He’s released little in the way of policy, fielded fewer calls from newspaper reporters and shied away from scrums, sticking instead to television interviews and debate appearances.
The one campaign plank he has put out — his transportation platform — was released via YouTube in the dead of night with no press conference and only limited availability afterward.
“It’s normal for frontrunners to keep their profile lower than it would be if they were running back of the pack,” U of T political science prof Nelson Wiseman said.
“That’s just standard fare. Over the summer (then race-leader George) Smitherman had a lower profile.
“During the presidential election in the U.S., Obama basically in the last couple of days really laid low because there’s a danger you’re going to get tripped. And there’s more and more focus, particularly critical focus, on a frontrunner.”
Ford might have kept out of the papers even more had he not been the target of a threatened lawsuit by Boardwalk Pub owner George Foulidis, whose demand for an apology from Ford for allegations of corruption in the awarding of a city contract has so far been denied.
Ford’s opponents meanwhile, are picking up the intensity of their campaigning — with the trio of Rocco Rossi, Sarah Thomson and George Smitherman in particular all making frequent policy announcements and holding events each week on everything from transit to construction to accountability to even a City Hall suggestion box.
Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone has been quieter on the policy front — not surprising since he’s proposing to change little from the outgoing administration of Mayor David Miller — but he’s still chasing headlines and courting the media at every turn.
Ford though has played coy.
Beat reporters at City Hall are finding him markedly less available and phone calls are increasingly not returned or answered by campaign staff instead.
And he has yet to schedule time for a feature-length interview with the Toronto Sun, something the other four candidates all checked off weeks ago.
It’s something his opponents have noticed as well, Smitherman has been deriding Ford as the “boy in the bubble” and is still waiting for his opponent to agree to a once-promised one-on-one debate.
“Maybe we’re not all awake at 2 o’clock in the morning when he (Ford) seems to be doing most of his work, by way of YouTube and such,” Smitherman said, referring to the transportation announcement.
“It’s the peekaboo candidacy. If you look at it he’s just trying to ride out a stream of anecdotes and rhetoric and hope that the bubble doesn’t burst on his credibility. I think as we get more into discussion of details, the whole campaign becomes much more challenging for him.”
Ford campaign spokesman Adrienne Batra denied the frontrunner has made a strategic decision to shift into neutral but confirmed Ford will not debate Smitherman.
“We’ve got policy that we were planning to release (last) week (but) unfortunately it didn’t fit in our schedule,” she said. “He’s certainly made himself available as much as possible. He has made a commitment to these kids to coach football and that takes up a few hours every day.”
Ford’s still attending as many debates as possible, she said, and will announce more features of his taxpayer protection plan on Monday before unveiling his fully costed fiscal platform at the end of the month or early October.
“It’s unfortunate that some of the other candidates feel the need to have Rob Ford as their punching bag,” Batra said.
“We’re getting three to four calls everyday. Maybe it’s not the mainstream but we’re still getting lots of calls, he’s still doing lots of interviews.”
Pantalone said in an interview he doubts Ford’s low profile is strategic.
“It’s simply he’s run out of steam,” Pantalone said.
“I don’t think he’s doing it on purpose, The growth in his support, I believe has not only stalled, but perhaps reversed. I say that because he’s come under close scrutiny.”
Slowing down on purpose when you’re winning a race is a strange decision, he said.
“Usually what you want to do is build a bigger margin between you and your opponent,” Pantalone said.
“Once you slow down, you may lose momentum.”
Bernie Morton, a spokesman for the Rossi campaign, says while Ford “has peaked and plateaued,” his candidate is picking up speed.
“It (the campaign) is really long and very tiring and you need to be in it for the long run. And you need to be able to pace yourself,” Morton said.
“Out of all the candidates, Rocco is by far the fittest.
“Whether or not Rob Ford is fit to finish, I don’t know. He’s looking extremely tired and they seem to have lost some of their steam.”
But Wiseman says the low profile frontrunner is a frequent pattern of political campaigns because it works.
“I’m sure the advice being given to him is you minimize contact. (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper does the same thing, if you’re in the lead,” Wiseman said.
“The polls decide whether you can or not. Smitherman all of a sudden became more aggressive. When the polls switch, then you switch.
“Can he play goal for two months? If he keeps a lead of 10-12%, why shouldn’t he?”
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Canada court frees four detained Tamil migrants Friday's ruling is a defeat for Canada's government, : love it!!!!.
VANCOUVER — Canada's Federal Court ordered the release of four women out of nearly 500 Tamils from Sri Lanka, who arrived via a cargo ship in Western Canada last month and claimed refugee status.
The Friday's ruling is a defeat for Canada's government, which asked the court to overturn decisions by the independent Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) to release some of the migrants under conditions to ensure they report for future hearings.
Border officials detained all 380 men and 63 women who arrived August 13 aboard the rickety ship the MV Sun Sea. They were accompanied by 49 children, who were allowed to stay with the migrants in jail or were placed with social services.
Canadian government and Sri Lankan officials allege the migrants included members of the Tamil Tigers, banned in Canada as a terrorist organization. The Tigers were key players in Sri Lanka?s lengthy civil war before their defeat last year by the government.
Citing the case of one of the women, the Federal Court Friday acknowledged the government's concerns as "no doubt real," but upheld the release order from the IRB, including conditions.
"Deprivation of liberty ranks no doubt as one of the harshest measures that may be visited upon an individual in a democratic state," noted the court.
Border officials have mostly argued at IRB hearings that the migrants should be held either because their identities are not yet proved or in at least one case because a migrant poses a security risk.
As of Friday the government had appealed all but one release order -- for a heavily-pregnant woman who was recently freed and is reportedly being cared for by a local refugee agency here.
Immigration hearings and court rulings are continuing on a daily basis.
The mass arrival has swamped local legal services and on Thursday the provincial legal aid organization appealed to the governments of British Columbia and Canada for more money to pay lawyers.
There is a publication ban on the migrant's names and any identifying details.
The Friday's ruling is a defeat for Canada's government, which asked the court to overturn decisions by the independent Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) to release some of the migrants under conditions to ensure they report for future hearings.
Border officials detained all 380 men and 63 women who arrived August 13 aboard the rickety ship the MV Sun Sea. They were accompanied by 49 children, who were allowed to stay with the migrants in jail or were placed with social services.
Canadian government and Sri Lankan officials allege the migrants included members of the Tamil Tigers, banned in Canada as a terrorist organization. The Tigers were key players in Sri Lanka?s lengthy civil war before their defeat last year by the government.
Citing the case of one of the women, the Federal Court Friday acknowledged the government's concerns as "no doubt real," but upheld the release order from the IRB, including conditions.
"Deprivation of liberty ranks no doubt as one of the harshest measures that may be visited upon an individual in a democratic state," noted the court.
Border officials have mostly argued at IRB hearings that the migrants should be held either because their identities are not yet proved or in at least one case because a migrant poses a security risk.
As of Friday the government had appealed all but one release order -- for a heavily-pregnant woman who was recently freed and is reportedly being cared for by a local refugee agency here.
Immigration hearings and court rulings are continuing on a daily basis.
The mass arrival has swamped local legal services and on Thursday the provincial legal aid organization appealed to the governments of British Columbia and Canada for more money to pay lawyers.
There is a publication ban on the migrant's names and any identifying details.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Ford off the mark
Rob Ford styles himself as the decent, straight-shooting little guy who cuts through the guff down at city hall. But before you fall for that line and vote Mr. Ford for mayor, answer this: Does a nice guy smear the reputation of a hard-working local businessman? Does an honourable man throw around unfounded charges of corruption? Does a decent man refuse to say he is sorry when he has gone too far? For that is exactly what Mr. Ford has done in the case of George Foulidis and the Boardwalk Pub.
Mr. Foulidis’s family came to Canada from Greece in the 1960s and ran a restaurant in Stouffville. In 1986 they won a city competition to set up a restaurant at Woodbine Beach. Mr. Foulidis’s whole family was involved – his father, his brother, his uncle – and they put heart and soul into the business.
When the end of his 20-year contract with the city approached, Mr. Foulidis made a proposal: extend our lease and we will spend our own money to upgrade. Local councillor Sandra Bussin supported him. On May 12, after more than three years of talks, council approved a deal that will see the Foulidis’s Tuggs Inc. pay $4.7-million in rent to the city in a contract that goes to 2028.
That should have been the end of the story, but this is an election year, and Mr. Ford has jumped to a lead by bashing city hall. He says the Tuggs deal “stinks to high heaven.” When an outraged Mayor David Miller demanded that he produce proof, he insisted “I think it was corruption.”
Suddenly, Mr. Foulidis found his reputation under a shadow. His kids (aged 10, 11 and 14) asked him: “Why are they saying those things, daddy? Did we do something wrong?” Some long-time customers stopped coming to the Boardwalk Pub. Protesters picketed the restaurant. A Bussin rival held a news conference outside to denounce the terms of the Tuggs deal.
On Thursday, an aggrieved Mr. Foulidis fought back, threatening to sue Mr. Ford for defamation unless he apologizes. “Mr. Ford has accused our business and family of corruption,” he told reporters. “Those are very serious allegations; they are irresponsible and reckless; they are false, they are lies and with a political agenda.”
It is hard not to feel for him. Mr. Ford has blackened Mr. Foulidis’s good name without producing a crumb of evidence. After news of Mr. Foulidis’s lawsuit on Thursday, he refused to do the right thing and offer an apology, leaving a cloud over the businessman and his family.
Far from being a corrupt arrangement, the Tuggs deal appears to be a pretty good one for the city. Tuggs will pay $2.2-million more than it did in the last 20-year contract. The $4.7-million total is $1-million less than Tuggs’s original offer, but mainly because the city refused to go along with Tuggs’s pitch for greater advertising and sponsorship rights. The city will get to own the building at the end of the contract. In the meantime Tuggs will invest in landscaping and other improvements. How many tenants renovate their home for the landlord?
Critics have denounced the city for declining to seek other bids for the boardwalk concession, but if Tuggs was doing a reasonable job and the city could renew the deal for higher rent, why not? As for Mr. Ford’s charge of backroom dealing, the whole Tuggs affair has been debated extensively at city council. Only a final session was held in camera, and then only because council is legally prohibited from discussing some contractual matters in public.
Even if you think the Tuggs deal was a bad bargain for the city – and some councillors do – that doesn’t make it corrupt. Mr. Foulidis admits contributing to one of Ms. Bussin’s past election campaigns (though not this one), but calls that his democratic right. He was contributing to his local councillor, not passing envelopes of cash around city hall.
Mr. Ford himself accepted a $200 contribution in 2006 from Woodbine Entertainment. He later spoke out for the company’s Woodbine Live development in northwest Toronto. Does that make him corrupt?
Mr. Ford would be furious at the charge, yet he refuses to withdraw the slur on Mr. Foulidis. Is this the work of a straight shooter?
Mr. Foulidis’s family came to Canada from Greece in the 1960s and ran a restaurant in Stouffville. In 1986 they won a city competition to set up a restaurant at Woodbine Beach. Mr. Foulidis’s whole family was involved – his father, his brother, his uncle – and they put heart and soul into the business.
When the end of his 20-year contract with the city approached, Mr. Foulidis made a proposal: extend our lease and we will spend our own money to upgrade. Local councillor Sandra Bussin supported him. On May 12, after more than three years of talks, council approved a deal that will see the Foulidis’s Tuggs Inc. pay $4.7-million in rent to the city in a contract that goes to 2028.
That should have been the end of the story, but this is an election year, and Mr. Ford has jumped to a lead by bashing city hall. He says the Tuggs deal “stinks to high heaven.” When an outraged Mayor David Miller demanded that he produce proof, he insisted “I think it was corruption.”
Suddenly, Mr. Foulidis found his reputation under a shadow. His kids (aged 10, 11 and 14) asked him: “Why are they saying those things, daddy? Did we do something wrong?” Some long-time customers stopped coming to the Boardwalk Pub. Protesters picketed the restaurant. A Bussin rival held a news conference outside to denounce the terms of the Tuggs deal.
On Thursday, an aggrieved Mr. Foulidis fought back, threatening to sue Mr. Ford for defamation unless he apologizes. “Mr. Ford has accused our business and family of corruption,” he told reporters. “Those are very serious allegations; they are irresponsible and reckless; they are false, they are lies and with a political agenda.”
It is hard not to feel for him. Mr. Ford has blackened Mr. Foulidis’s good name without producing a crumb of evidence. After news of Mr. Foulidis’s lawsuit on Thursday, he refused to do the right thing and offer an apology, leaving a cloud over the businessman and his family.
Far from being a corrupt arrangement, the Tuggs deal appears to be a pretty good one for the city. Tuggs will pay $2.2-million more than it did in the last 20-year contract. The $4.7-million total is $1-million less than Tuggs’s original offer, but mainly because the city refused to go along with Tuggs’s pitch for greater advertising and sponsorship rights. The city will get to own the building at the end of the contract. In the meantime Tuggs will invest in landscaping and other improvements. How many tenants renovate their home for the landlord?
Critics have denounced the city for declining to seek other bids for the boardwalk concession, but if Tuggs was doing a reasonable job and the city could renew the deal for higher rent, why not? As for Mr. Ford’s charge of backroom dealing, the whole Tuggs affair has been debated extensively at city council. Only a final session was held in camera, and then only because council is legally prohibited from discussing some contractual matters in public.
Even if you think the Tuggs deal was a bad bargain for the city – and some councillors do – that doesn’t make it corrupt. Mr. Foulidis admits contributing to one of Ms. Bussin’s past election campaigns (though not this one), but calls that his democratic right. He was contributing to his local councillor, not passing envelopes of cash around city hall.
Mr. Ford himself accepted a $200 contribution in 2006 from Woodbine Entertainment. He later spoke out for the company’s Woodbine Live development in northwest Toronto. Does that make him corrupt?
Mr. Ford would be furious at the charge, yet he refuses to withdraw the slur on Mr. Foulidis. Is this the work of a straight shooter?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Tory spokesman exits Sun TV
Kory Teneycke, a former top spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has resigned from the effort he started to bring a right-leaning TV network to Canada.
He said controversy over SUN TV, which he acknowledged he helped fuel, is hurting the project's chances of acquiring the regulatory approvals it seeks.
"Part of leading a team is knowing when your presence is a detriment to success," Mr. Teneycke said at a press conference on Parliament Hill.
He announced Wednesday morning he is therefore stepping down as vice-president of business development at Quebecor Media, a job that included managing Sun Media's Ottawa news bureau.
He declined to answer questions at a Parliament Hill news conference, including whether his resignation is linked to his recent battle with Avaaz, a U.S.-based activist group campaigning against a “Fox News North” network in Canada.
Avaaz has asked Ottawa Police and the RCMP to investigate who sabotaged its online petition against SUN TV News, alleging in their request that Mr. Teneycke had knowledge of the perpetrator. It said Internet data reveals the alleged fraudster was based in Ottawa and using a Rogers Internet connection at the time.
Since June, Mr. Teneycke, a political aide-turned media mogul, has mounted an aggressive and sometimes bitter public relations campaign to generate interest in SUN TV.
Mr. Teneycke openly derided mainstream news organizations as the "lame-stream media" and lashed out at critics, calling former CBC TV journalist Don Newman "the Helen Thomas of Canada." That was a reference to the long-time White House reporter who resigned in embarrassment this summer after she said Israelis should “get the hell out of Palestine” and “go home” to places such as Germany.
"Over the summer this controversy has gotten out of hand. It has morphed from one of market differentiation to something more vicious and vitriolic," Mr. Teneycke said.
"And yes at times I have contributed to the debasing of that debate myself."
Earlier this week Avaaz, the online-petition organizer, announced it had asked Ottawa Police and RCMP to probe what it alleged was tampering with its SUN TV petition. It said someone operating from an Ottawa-based web address was adding fictional and real names and email addresses to a petition to stop SUN TV.
Mr. Teneycke said he intends his exit to make things easier for Quebecor.
“It is my hope that my departure will hit the reset button, lower the temperature and allow a more rational debate over the television license for Sun TV news to occur,” he said. “One not tainted by politics and controversies of the past month.”
He said he was still “intensely passionate” about the project - aimed at “filling a void in the market by offering Canadians a new choice and a new voice.”
Former Mulroney spokesman Luc Lavoie will take over from Mr. Teneycke as the leader on the Sun TV News file, Quebecor announced. Mr. Lavoie has had a long association with Quebecor.
“We would like to thank Kory for the excellent work he has performed for our company, and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours”, Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau said in a statement.
The issue became particularly controversial as a result of the petition from Avaaz, a U.S. special interest group, condemning the Sun TV operation.
Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood signed the petition, not as a way of censoring the network but to express her concern over a pattern she saw developing as to how the Harper government treats senior officials whose opinions are not on side.
There was some speculation that CRTC head Konrad von Finckenstein’s position was in jeopardy because he didn’t grant Mr. Teneycke’s network its desired licence.
He said controversy over SUN TV, which he acknowledged he helped fuel, is hurting the project's chances of acquiring the regulatory approvals it seeks.
"Part of leading a team is knowing when your presence is a detriment to success," Mr. Teneycke said at a press conference on Parliament Hill.
He announced Wednesday morning he is therefore stepping down as vice-president of business development at Quebecor Media, a job that included managing Sun Media's Ottawa news bureau.
He declined to answer questions at a Parliament Hill news conference, including whether his resignation is linked to his recent battle with Avaaz, a U.S.-based activist group campaigning against a “Fox News North” network in Canada.
Avaaz has asked Ottawa Police and the RCMP to investigate who sabotaged its online petition against SUN TV News, alleging in their request that Mr. Teneycke had knowledge of the perpetrator. It said Internet data reveals the alleged fraudster was based in Ottawa and using a Rogers Internet connection at the time.
Since June, Mr. Teneycke, a political aide-turned media mogul, has mounted an aggressive and sometimes bitter public relations campaign to generate interest in SUN TV.
Mr. Teneycke openly derided mainstream news organizations as the "lame-stream media" and lashed out at critics, calling former CBC TV journalist Don Newman "the Helen Thomas of Canada." That was a reference to the long-time White House reporter who resigned in embarrassment this summer after she said Israelis should “get the hell out of Palestine” and “go home” to places such as Germany.
"Over the summer this controversy has gotten out of hand. It has morphed from one of market differentiation to something more vicious and vitriolic," Mr. Teneycke said.
"And yes at times I have contributed to the debasing of that debate myself."
Earlier this week Avaaz, the online-petition organizer, announced it had asked Ottawa Police and RCMP to probe what it alleged was tampering with its SUN TV petition. It said someone operating from an Ottawa-based web address was adding fictional and real names and email addresses to a petition to stop SUN TV.
Mr. Teneycke said he intends his exit to make things easier for Quebecor.
“It is my hope that my departure will hit the reset button, lower the temperature and allow a more rational debate over the television license for Sun TV news to occur,” he said. “One not tainted by politics and controversies of the past month.”
He said he was still “intensely passionate” about the project - aimed at “filling a void in the market by offering Canadians a new choice and a new voice.”
Former Mulroney spokesman Luc Lavoie will take over from Mr. Teneycke as the leader on the Sun TV News file, Quebecor announced. Mr. Lavoie has had a long association with Quebecor.
“We would like to thank Kory for the excellent work he has performed for our company, and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours”, Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau said in a statement.
The issue became particularly controversial as a result of the petition from Avaaz, a U.S. special interest group, condemning the Sun TV operation.
Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood signed the petition, not as a way of censoring the network but to express her concern over a pattern she saw developing as to how the Harper government treats senior officials whose opinions are not on side.
There was some speculation that CRTC head Konrad von Finckenstein’s position was in jeopardy because he didn’t grant Mr. Teneycke’s network its desired licence.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Afghan deaths focus Joint Task Force 2, or JTF2. investigation
Two criminal investigations launched by military police into the actions of Canadian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan probed the alleged improper killing of Afghans, CBC News has learned.
Military sources said that the first investigation, called Sand Trap 1, resulted in no charges being laid against any Canadian soldiers.
But the second investigation, called Sand Trap 2, seems to suggest another nation may have been involved in the alleged improper killing being investigated.
A briefing note written for Defence Minister Peter MacKay and obtained by CBC News also appears to point in this direction. It talks about military police talking with military lawyers to discuss "jurisdiction" and "liaison."
Throughout the Afghan engagement Canadian special forces operated jointly with those of other nations, including Afghanistan and the U.S.
On Monday, CBC News revealed that Canada's Defence Department quietly began a major inquiry in 2008 into the military's highly secretive force known as Joint Task Force 2, or JTF2.
The military investigation began after a member of JTF2 raised serious allegations against another member of the force and the force in general relating to events that happened between 2005 and 2008.
That investigation, called Sand Trap 1, ended after a year and a half with no charges but sparked a second, wider criminal investigation into broader issues called Sand Trap 2, which is still going on.
In addition, a military board of inquiry, which investigates major problems within the Canadian Forces, is looking into administrative and non-criminal issues surrounding the case, and is hearing 100 witnesses as it conducts its probe.
Rear-Admiral Robert Davidson of the Canadian Forces acknowledged in a statement that Sand Trap 1 "identified other matters that warranted a second investigation," known as Sand Trap 2, which is still ongoing.
"Any speculation about these matters while investigative processes are ongoing is unhelpful and may taint the environment in which the investigation is taking place," said Davidson, who is director of staff for the Strategic Joint Staff.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/09/14/sand-trap.html#socialcomments#ixzz0zZFaYoVb
Military sources said that the first investigation, called Sand Trap 1, resulted in no charges being laid against any Canadian soldiers.
But the second investigation, called Sand Trap 2, seems to suggest another nation may have been involved in the alleged improper killing being investigated.
A briefing note written for Defence Minister Peter MacKay and obtained by CBC News also appears to point in this direction. It talks about military police talking with military lawyers to discuss "jurisdiction" and "liaison."
Throughout the Afghan engagement Canadian special forces operated jointly with those of other nations, including Afghanistan and the U.S.
On Monday, CBC News revealed that Canada's Defence Department quietly began a major inquiry in 2008 into the military's highly secretive force known as Joint Task Force 2, or JTF2.
The military investigation began after a member of JTF2 raised serious allegations against another member of the force and the force in general relating to events that happened between 2005 and 2008.
That investigation, called Sand Trap 1, ended after a year and a half with no charges but sparked a second, wider criminal investigation into broader issues called Sand Trap 2, which is still going on.
In addition, a military board of inquiry, which investigates major problems within the Canadian Forces, is looking into administrative and non-criminal issues surrounding the case, and is hearing 100 witnesses as it conducts its probe.
Rear-Admiral Robert Davidson of the Canadian Forces acknowledged in a statement that Sand Trap 1 "identified other matters that warranted a second investigation," known as Sand Trap 2, which is still ongoing.
"Any speculation about these matters while investigative processes are ongoing is unhelpful and may taint the environment in which the investigation is taking place," said Davidson, who is director of staff for the Strategic Joint Staff.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/09/14/sand-trap.html#socialcomments#ixzz0zZFaYoVb
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Joint Task Force 2 or JTF2 actions in Afghanistan probed.
Canada's Defence Department quietly began a major inquiry into the Afghanistan operations of the military's elite special forces unit two years ago, CBC News has learned.
The investigation began in 2008 after a member of the highly secretive task force, known as Joint Task Force 2 or JTF2, raised serious allegations against another member of the force and the force in general, the military has confirmed.
The allegations centred on events that took place between 2005 and 2008, said navy Capt. David Scanlon, but he would provide no details about them.
Military briefing note
Read the 2009 note on Sand Trap written by Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada's chief of defence staff.
The investigation, called Sand Trap I, ended after a few months with no charges laid, but the probe sparked a larger investigation into broader allegations. That investigation, called Sand Trap II, is still underway.
CBC News has learned the handling of detainees may have triggered the initial investigation, although the current probe is much wider than that.
The Sand Trap investigations should not taint the reputation of the military, Scanlon said.
"The Canadian Forces have been operating in the very complex Afghan theatre for almost a decade, and the vast majority of Canadian Forces personnel are performing their tough assignments with typical Canadian honesty and integrity," he said.
Briefing note to MacKay
A few details of the investigation are contained in a November 2009 military briefing note written by Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada's chief of defence staff, and obtained by the CBC through an Access to Information Act request.
In the note, Natynczyk tells Defence Minister Peter MacKay that a board of inquiry is investigating Sand Trap II and started hearing from witnesses in May 2009. Military boards of inquiry are called to formally investigate accidents, misconduct or other major problems within the Canadian Forces.
News tips
If you have more information on this story, or other story idea, please contact investigations@cbc.ca.
At the time the note was written, Natynczyk wrote that 60 witnesses had testified before the board, and another 40 still needed to give testimony. He expected testimony to be complete by December 2009, with a report submitted by April 2010.
Scanlon said the board of inquiry is focusing on the broader administrative and non-criminal aspects of the allegations at the heart of Sand Trap II.
He said investigators are receiving full co-operation from the special forces unit, and any charges that might arise would be be made public.
High-risk operations
The military has never said much about the work of JTF2, although it has revealed the unit has been involved in high-risk operations against high-value targets, including Taliban and al-Qaeda commanders.
The unit has also been involved in pursuing insurgents who build and plant roadside bombs, and the networks that supply them, the military has said.
During the three year period at the centre of the Sand Trap investigations, 2005 to 2008, the JTF2 unit was attached to an American special forces command based in Kandahar. JTF2 took its tactical direction from the Americans.
The Sand Trap investigations are not part of the Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) public hearings into allegations that military police failed to investigate senior officers responsible for transfers allegedly involving a risk of torture.
"This is a distinct and broader investigation," Scalon said. "Far broader than anything the MPCC would look at."
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/09/13/detainee-investigation.html#socialcomments#ixzz0zTTpYEil
The investigation began in 2008 after a member of the highly secretive task force, known as Joint Task Force 2 or JTF2, raised serious allegations against another member of the force and the force in general, the military has confirmed.
The allegations centred on events that took place between 2005 and 2008, said navy Capt. David Scanlon, but he would provide no details about them.
Military briefing note
Read the 2009 note on Sand Trap written by Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada's chief of defence staff.
The investigation, called Sand Trap I, ended after a few months with no charges laid, but the probe sparked a larger investigation into broader allegations. That investigation, called Sand Trap II, is still underway.
CBC News has learned the handling of detainees may have triggered the initial investigation, although the current probe is much wider than that.
The Sand Trap investigations should not taint the reputation of the military, Scanlon said.
"The Canadian Forces have been operating in the very complex Afghan theatre for almost a decade, and the vast majority of Canadian Forces personnel are performing their tough assignments with typical Canadian honesty and integrity," he said.
Briefing note to MacKay
A few details of the investigation are contained in a November 2009 military briefing note written by Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada's chief of defence staff, and obtained by the CBC through an Access to Information Act request.
In the note, Natynczyk tells Defence Minister Peter MacKay that a board of inquiry is investigating Sand Trap II and started hearing from witnesses in May 2009. Military boards of inquiry are called to formally investigate accidents, misconduct or other major problems within the Canadian Forces.
News tips
If you have more information on this story, or other story idea, please contact investigations@cbc.ca.
At the time the note was written, Natynczyk wrote that 60 witnesses had testified before the board, and another 40 still needed to give testimony. He expected testimony to be complete by December 2009, with a report submitted by April 2010.
Scanlon said the board of inquiry is focusing on the broader administrative and non-criminal aspects of the allegations at the heart of Sand Trap II.
He said investigators are receiving full co-operation from the special forces unit, and any charges that might arise would be be made public.
High-risk operations
The military has never said much about the work of JTF2, although it has revealed the unit has been involved in high-risk operations against high-value targets, including Taliban and al-Qaeda commanders.
The unit has also been involved in pursuing insurgents who build and plant roadside bombs, and the networks that supply them, the military has said.
During the three year period at the centre of the Sand Trap investigations, 2005 to 2008, the JTF2 unit was attached to an American special forces command based in Kandahar. JTF2 took its tactical direction from the Americans.
The Sand Trap investigations are not part of the Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) public hearings into allegations that military police failed to investigate senior officers responsible for transfers allegedly involving a risk of torture.
"This is a distinct and broader investigation," Scalon said. "Far broader than anything the MPCC would look at."
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/09/13/detainee-investigation.html#socialcomments#ixzz0zTTpYEil
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