The feds and the oil sands

 

      The feds seem to be taking a role supportive of the Albertan provincial government in respect of oil sands development.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/296829

         In a recent study, University of Alberta biologists and ecologists concluded that measured quantities of 13 polluants (lead, cadmium..) were at concerning levels along stretches of the Athabasca River, impacted by oil sands extraction projects. Downstream levels exceeded upstream levels indicating that it was the projects themselves - and not natural processes - that were responsible for leaching the contaminants into the riverine ecosystems.

         Unfortunately, the feds who should be protecting the Public Domain and working for the Public Good appear to be riding shotgun for the Oil Patch (Harper's home province):

          http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=20771

"Earlier this summer the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development decided to pull its much-awaited report on the impact of bitumen development on water. Astonishingly, an official parliamentary document on this particular issue will no longer be released. As tar sands ‘truth-seeker’ Andrew Nikiforuk explains, “the parliamentarians even destroyed draft copies of their final report.” 

           Citizens, this is not a government acting in a transparent fashion! They have been elected for one purpose: defending the Public Domain and promoting the Public Good and they act in a totally contrary fashion: promoting and defending the interests of an entitled few..

  

           Is this situation tolerable in a viable democracy?

patriotism: standing up for our boys, eh?

“What seems to be missing is the principle of honouring Veterans by generously providing benefits.” 


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/Somnia/article1672810/

           Twitter from veterans' ombudsman retired colonel Pat Stogran regarding the federal bureaucracy's attempts to block initiatives favorable to veterans. 

           Surprised? The Conservatives publically strike a populist "Canada # 1", "we support our boys" pose combined with a militaristic foreign policy. However, this stance is less transparent than it might appear at first glance. Stogran and other veterans' advocates are discovering that there is a hidden agenda of penny pinching public service cutting (everyone likes tax cuts, right - should we expect an election soon?).

             Like other public servants whose attempt to perform their duties with diligence has found disfavor with budget slashing, "Little Government / Free Market" ideologues, col Stogran has found himself out in the cold: nonrenewal of mandate.

"Col. Stogran joins a long list other federal government appointees who've been shown the door, including Peter Tinsley, former head of the Military Police Complaints Commission and Linda Keen, the former head of Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission."

              For another similar case, see yesterday's entry in this blog..

              Also indicative of the lack of transparency of the feds is the refusal to discuss the reasons for the dismissal of the various ex-mandatees who would not tow the neocon party line:

 "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub." - attributed to Karl Rove of the Bush cortege.

Law 'n order, eh?

         Well, looks like Canada's homegrown neocon wanabes are back to their old tricks again.

         PM Harper, recall, was elected on a populist platform of "law and order": get tough with those legions of criminals and deviants the liberals, socialists, secular humanists, etc are letting go free to predate on the law abiding citizen. The public is going to be protected from the criminal legions by the good Harperites who represent the "Will of the People" (tarah.. tarah..) Right? You remember all that?


The Result: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/gun-registry-advocate-latest-in-tory-pattern-of-quashing-dissent-critics-say/article1677053/ 

"The senior Mountie in charge of the controversial long-gun registry is being replaced on the eve of a vote about its future.."

          Marty Cheliak, in effect, did his job too well. He did all the things conservatives like: he cut costs, boosted efficiency. And he defended the long gun registry, something the Conservatives populist core doesn't like. Read the readers' comments (Edmonton CTV):

http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100818/rcmp-firearms-chief-100818/20100818/?hub=EdmontonHome

    

          Of course, a convenient "cover story" had to found for silencing Mr Cheliak (? elections coming ?). Well, here 'tis. On the eve of an important conference during which Mr Cheliak would go to bat for the retention of the long gun registry, it is suddenly discovered that he needs - get this! - "French lessons". Sure, given his position, he needs bilingual proficiency. Sure, he probably should have taken lessons a few years ago. But let's get real folks! This lack of transparency (honnesty, goodwill..) is simply too transparent in its obtuseness.

           Isn't it just about time we, the public, began to put Harper's feet to the fire, recall to him all those promises about transparency, good governance and, yes, law 'n order too?

            Perhaps we should even be thinking about better ways to target funds directed toward crime prevention. Something the Harperites don't talk about much: crime rates are falling as the population ages (few white haired grannies in tennis shoes go around mugging people or blowing people away over crack deals done wrong..). Perhaps now is the time to target unemployed young men in big cities joining gangs, make sure they don't end up as the "hardened criminals and deviants" the Conservatives fear so much, for example..

 

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/less+proud+country/3330366/story.html 

The slow, even unconscious, erosion of democracy in Canada? 

Before you blow the thought away, read the article first..

FEDERAL TRANSPARENCY: the record of the Harper government on the Alberta Oil Sands

Their cynicism and contempt for the public is unbelievable.

More unbelievable still: WHY exactly does the public tolerate this
crap on the part of those paid to be "public servants"?

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2010/07/15/TarSandsReport/


"Just two weeks ago the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable
Development abruptly cancelled a big report on the tar sands and the
project's extreme water impacts. The parliamentarians even destroyed draft
copies of their final report."..

DESTROYED DRAFT COPIES OF THEIR FINAL REPORT..!!

Please.. please.. take a moment to reflect upon that phrase

And these neocon wanabes were elected on a platform of "transparency" and "responsible government", eh? Is that it..

This is what those who believe in a just society or "redistributive justice" are REALLY up against. This is the TRUE FACE of the Beast: think about long term health and envrionmental impacts in the affected water basins, think about the long term geopolitical impacts of Global Warming on arid countries undergoing accelerating desertification..

Allen Ginsberg: "Howl". See part II, "Moloch":
 

http://www.wussu.com/poems/agh.htm

What to do?

Can this scandal be used as a "wedge issue" to - eventually - force a wider debate on the issues of responsible governance and national goals? (This period may prove to be a "tipping point", given the state of the global economy, ecology and climate..)

My suggestions:

- bitch to your MP
- get your friends to bitch to their MPs
- ask your friends to get their friends to bitch..
- write letters, articles and op-ed pieces for local newspapers, church or professional group bulletins, get on community radio..

Is anyone interested? We have more impact if we co-ordinate our efforts..