After having been found violating the freedoms and privileges including Bev Oda breaching parliamentary privilege when she provided inconsistent testimony to a Common committee of the House of Commons - the Federal Conservatives - currently our government - claims that these things are just "distractions and games". The Conservatives say instead we have to focus on the economy and jobs.
Let me explain it from this voter's point of view.
Why would I let anybody who has such blatant disregard for the democracy we live in and the rules that separate us from other countries run by despots and social thieves - run the economy? If they do not believe in the truth and do not believe in transparency - why would I believe they will tell me the truth on the economy? In fact I feel exactly the opposite - I believe that they are likely not to tell me the truth on the state of our economy and I believe they are likely to lie or provided misleading information on what they plan to do with the economy.
The extreme right wingers like Harper would have us believe that government needs to get out of our lives as much as possible - yet not only are they in our lives, they are manipulating the truth and not providing us with information on how they plan to spend our tax dollars.
As a Newfoundlander and Labradorian - I can say first hand that Prime Minister Harper lied directly to us when trying to get his government elected to parliament in 2006. That ended up costing our province billions of dollars. Further his MP's like Fabian Manning went against the people he was elected to represent. Manning is now a Senator (unelected) also against Harper's "promises for change".
The next item deals with a story out of the Telegram this weekend.
Canada Revenue highlights $1,000 victory
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) released a reminder on filing annual tax returns this week, citing a court case from the west coast of Newfoundland as an example of why not to skip out.
In that case, a resident of Daniel’s Harbour was fined $1,000 after she pleaded guilty to one count under the Income Tax Act, for failing to file her personal income tax return for 2008.
This was the biggest federal agency joke I have ever seen.
Does the rest of Canada remember this story? Excerpts from the Globe and Mail
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney, who received $300,000 in cash from German-Canadian deal maker Karlheinz Schreiber in 1993 and 1994, did not pay taxes on the payments in the years he received the money.
The former prime minister filed a voluntary tax disclosure some time later, The Globe and Mail and CBC's the fifth estate have learned, an option that the Canada Revenue Agency offers for people who have previously filed inaccurate returns and subsequently decide to correct the record. Mr. Mulroney had declined to say when he paid taxes on the cash Mr. Schreiber handed over to him in hotels in Montreal and New York over a 19-month period.
A letter received late last night from an intermediary of Mr. Mulroney's explained that the former prime minister was delayed in paying his taxes because of the “cataclysmic event” that disrupted his life in November, 1995 – the RCMP letter to the government of Switzerland that falsely accused him of a crime.
“As such, it is understandable that until all these matters were resolved – as they eventually were with his total vindication – he could not resume normal functioning and attend to normal day-to-day affairs … and indeed to the point of the finalization of his tax matters with his accountants,” the letter said.
Two of the cash payments given to Mr. Mulroney by Mr. Schreiber, totalling $200,000, were made in 1993. The taxes owing on those payments would have been due by May 2, 1994, 18 months before Mr. Mulroney discovered that the RCMP was investigating him.
The taxes owing on the final $100,000 payment from 1994 would have been due on May 1, 1995, six months before Mr. Mulroney learned about the RCMP investigation.
The response last night said: “He complied with all prevailing Canadian tax law and was entitled to do so in any way he chose and was to his best interest. He – like all of us – is entitled to do so.”
Clearly this example shows the difference between and average Canadians and those privileged to sit in Parliament.
Distractions and games indeed - time for Canadians to stop the games and rid themselves of distractions. Throw Stephen Harper and his players out!
1 comment:
Harper's CONs campaigned on cleaning up government and making it more transparent, similarly Danny's PCONs promised to do the same thing.
Our governments, federal and provincial, are being lead by regimes with increasing secretive practices and are rife with nepotism.
In 1932 proud fighting NL'rs took to the streets and revolted against a government that they saw as corrupt. The windows of the Colonial Building were smashed and 'Sir' Richard Squires was drove from office. The people demanded accountablity from those who were chosen to govern.
Where is that kind of spirit and pride today?
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/riot_apr05.html
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