Methinks anyone with half a clue knew it was a sucker play out of the gate When Trudeau The Younger sucked in the hook line and sinker no doubt the Yankees laughed all the way to the bank N'esy Pas?
Notley has done the right thing — her mistake was to trust Trudeau
1889 Comments
Content disabled. rick ward
As did his father, JT hates Alberta . His mandate is to keep the oil in the ground as he has public stated previously in campaign speeches. The "Build a firewall" around Alberta attitude is starting to resonate again. Alberta was the encomium engine that kept this country running.
Transfer payments to Quebec (who rejected the east/west) pipeline while continuing to enjoy $7.00 a day, child daycare, as well as other infrastructure benefits can all be attributed to the proceeds of Alberta oil whether we like it or not. Indeed Notley's biggest error was to trust the wolf in sheep clothing residing in Ottawa.
Content disabled. Denny O'Brien
@rick ward cry me a river
Content disabled. David Amos
@Denny O'Brien I concur
Frank Grimes
I'm starting to think the real reason JT purchased transmountain was to scuttle it.
David Amos
@Frank Grimes Methinks anyone with half a clue knew it was a sucker play out of the gate When Trudeau The Younger sucked in the hook line and sinker no doubt the Yankees laughed all the way to the bank N'esy Pas?
Tyler Scarn
@david mccaig This is not true. That vast majority or gas we burn in our cars is coming from overseas and from countries who have extremely low environmental standards. The oil we are importing (by millions of barrels) is actually dirtier. We are also supporting countries with terrible human rights issues by doing this. Let not even start on the billions of dollars we send over to get their oil when that could be kept here.
David Amos
@Tyler Scarn Methinks byway of all the trains rolling by the Irving Clan must be making quite score on cheap western oil N'esy Pas?
Richard Sharp
@Frank Grimes
Watched Power and Politics today, a torture for me. It has been so contemptuously anti-Liberal and anti-Trudeau for YEARS now I can’t stand it. I’ll not turn it back on for another several months.
David Amos
@Richard Sharp "Watched Power and Politics today, a torture for me."
Tell us another one Methinks you are drawn to it like a moth to a flames N'esy Pas?
Shaun Way
as long as the UN is happy, who cares about Canadians.
David Amos
@Shaun Way Methinks the one thing the greedy dudes in the UN know for sure is that it is a dog eat dog world N'esy Pas?
Jace Braidwith
She has proven herself a real leader, among others holding elite positions in Canadian politics who have failed to lead. She's impressive.
David Amos
@Jace Braidwith Dream on
Larry Smith
If Mr. Trudeau was truely concerned with the country he would insist and push through the Energy East pipeline and outlaw importing oil from the middle east, especially since he is continually providing them lectures on morality.
David Amos
@Larry Smith Methinks you are flogging a dead horse N'esy Pas?
colleen fraser (The Minister of Common Sense)
Lesson well learned never trust a liberal
Troy Mann
@Justin Smith
No Liberals cancelled 1 which was a disaster in the making KML will start construction next construction season, those belching 'build the pipeline now' are not able to understand we have winter in Canada. Energy east died when trump approved Keystone.
David Amos
@colleen fraser (The Minister of Common Sense) Methinks your commons sense should tell you to apply your lesson learned to all politicians N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Troy Mann Yea Right
Ron Vader
I don't understand how BC could agree to accept and ship dirty coal for another nation but prevent an oil pipeline for her own people.
David Amos
@Ron Vader Welcome to the Circus
Will DeLorme
Well written opinion piece .
Troy Mann
@Will DeLorme
So now you love the CBC and aren't claiming liberal bias????
David Amos
@Will DeLorme LMAO
David Amos
@Troy Mann Cry me a river
Richard Palibroda
Imagine how upset Canadians would be if the largest exporter of US coal from Vancouver harbor were not allowed to send to China who produces 30 % of the worlds CO2 or subsidized Bombardier was not allowed to sell tanks to corrupt the Saudi's .
Denny O'Brien
@Richard Palibroda strawman
Aaron Morris
@Denny O'Brien
Embarrassing that you don’t know that that isn’t a strawman. I
David Amos
@Aaron Morris Methinks strawmen don't know nothing because their heads are full of nothing but stuffing N'esy Pas?
Ross James
Why does anyone ever listen to the absurdities of the conservatives? Oil prices and trade is Justins fault as is honouring the rights of those who oppose the pipelines. According to conservatives they should not have such rights.Just the oil patch. Vote conservative? Not now, not ever.
Byron Whitford
@Ross James
Trudeau has put more roadblocks in front of resource development than any PM in Canadian history.
He killed the Northern Gateway and Eagle Spirit pipeline proposals in his very first year when he introduced his oil export ban for northern BC
He stood by and shook Obama's hand when he tried to kill KXL.
He has put in place a bill that will kill any possibility of any major future oil and gas development and pipelines and interferes with Provincial jurisdiction over resources.
He has now stalled TMX and nationalized the existing pipeline to ensure they have full control over it. This will allow them to decommission it in the future with few problems
He has failed to send the question of the "Duty to consult" to the SCC for a clear mandate and definition. This will result in future delays as both the government and the lower courts make it up as they go.
Alberta doesn't need help from Justin Trudeau. They need him to get the hell out of the way.« less
David Amos
@Byron Whitford Methinks you forgot NAFTA 2.0 N'esy Pas?
Clint Allen
Ancient Proverb. Never trust a Trudeau.
Gary McGarry
@Clint Allen Ancient Proverb Never Trust a Conservative!
David Amos
@Gary McGarry Methinks Confucius said never trust any of them N'esy Pas?
John Young
CBC must be having a mid life crisis. This has to be the first anti-Trudeau story since 2015.
John Douglas
@John Young
just wake up from a coma?
David Amos
@John Douglas Methinks many would agree that Mr Young is correct N'esy Pas?
Notley has done the right thing — her mistake was to trust Trudeau
To cut or not to cut was an impossible choice but Alberta's premier has been a capable, national leader
Jen Gerson· for CBC News·
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley speaks during an announcement of a mandatory cut in oil production on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)
There will, no doubt, be those who believe that Alberta Premier Rachel Notley finally got her most closely guarded wish on Sunday night when she announced she would cut oil production by 8.7 per cent. That she, as an oilsands-hater, finally dunked the industry in policy molasses, to the delight of her covert environmentalist allies.
At the risk of inviting untold hell into my email inbox, I disagree.
I do not believe that interpretation squares either with her actions or with the successive cross-blows aimed squarely at Alberta over the past three years.
A dramatic oil-price crash. Keystone XL delays. A near trade war with an intransigent British Columbia. Unfavourable federal court rulings. A federal government that killed the Northern Gateway pipeline to score points with progressives.
None of this can fairly be laid at Notley's door.
But all are things she has had to contend with.
Preserve value
It also fails to jive with the fact that both the Alberta Party and the United Conservative Party concur with Notley's decision that cutting production is the only way to diminish the enormous price differential between world oil and the Alberta equivalent — a dramatic discount that is largely due to a lack of pipeline capacity.
At current levels, oil producers are simply mining too much, leading to an enormous backlog of supply that simply can't get to market. And what happens when the market is glutted with supply? Well, the price drops.
Albertans are, essentially, paying people to take our oil. And with each barrel dumped, less money finds its way into the provincial treasury.
Just as Peter Lougheed explained in 1980, when he cut production to gain leverage over Central Canada during the National Energy Program, reducing production is the only immediate way to preserve the oil's value for the future.
Eventually, the capacity problem will be solved.
Either the railcars the provincial government has purchased will come online next year, or a new consultation process on the Trans Mountain pipeline extension will finally pass. In time, the differential will decrease. And, as there is no sign that the world will be abandoning oil in the immediate term, there will still be a market for the product whenever we find a way to get to it.
In short, there is some reason for cautious optimism. Cutting production now is a gamble on a better future.
I can take issue with several actions of Notley's government, but this isn't one of them.
A capable, national leader
To cut or not to cut was an impossible choice, each position fraught with potential pitfalls. Notley's decision to preserve the value of the oil is a perfectly sound one.
On the whole, Notley has proven herself a capable national leader during one of the most fraught economic periods of Alberta's recent history.
This has been a centre-left government, sure. She has raised taxes, raised the minimum wage, imposed a carbon tax, and I still do not like the ever-increasing debt ballooning on the government's books.
However, it's difficult to pin this government as radical, regardless of how many times she was seen on camera attending an environmentalist rally before she became premier.
No one argues that this province should try to make itself more dependent on the oil and gas sector. Most acknowledge the need to diversify Alberta's economy. This is an entirely pragmatic position given the uncertain state of play within the energy industry.
The difference between a conservative politician and a left-leaning one is only that they disagree about how to go about diversifying the economy — the former is more inclined to keep taxes low and leave the market to manage itself out.
Rachel Notley, who hails from a long-standing Albertan political family, does not have a vested interest in shuttering the province's primary industry.
Grant Notley, pictured with two of his three children, was the Alberta NDP leader. His daughter, Rachel Notley, is now the province's premier. (CBC Archives)
It is ludicrous to insinuate that she takes pleasure in seeing so many of its citizens out of work, as elements on the fringe right so often seem to suggest.
The Notley government's actions to date have been explicable and largely grounded in practical realities. Nothing tames an anti-pipeline activist more effectively than putting him in front of the ledger and asking him to figure out how to pay Alberta nurses, doctors and teachers.
If Notley has one glaring failure to her name, it's that she, as an NDP premier, like so many Progressive Conservative governments before her, has been unwilling to do what was necessary to wean the provincial operating budgets from the caprice of oil royalties.
That said, unlike previous PC governments, the economy has given her no room to do so.
A rigged game
By comparison, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been playing a rigged game from both ends.
His party has paid lip service to progressives on the pipeline file, undermining, destroying and then re-building a regulatory process that now appears to be so stringent that it's unlikely a new pipeline can ever be built in this country again.
At the same time, the Liberals try to keep the oil and gas sector just barely afloat enough to cover for an economy that looks increasingly chaotic and unstable with every passing plant closure and Trump tweet. This is a government that shuts down Northern Gateway as it buys Trans Mountain.
A protester holds a photo of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau covered in oil during a protest against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday, May 29, 2018. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)
Trudeau wants to feed the golden goose just enough to keep laying eggs, but not a morsel more. In the process, the Liberals please no one.
Notley's approval ratings generally spike when she bops Ottawa on the nose, and it's entirely possible that cutting production will similarly help her now. Anything is better than doing nothing. But sometimes the people who make good, popular decisions still lose.
The failure, here, is Ottawa's.
Faith in the wrong people
Yet, if blame can be placed on Notley for one thing, it's this — that she placed her faith in the wrong people.
Her mistake was to trust Trudeau.
And in so doing, she now finds herself alone and without the necessary alliances to succeed. This is in stark contrast to UCP leader Jason Kenney, who now has the clear backing of most conservative leaders at the provincial and federal level.
That fact alone may decide the fate of the next provincial election — not necessarily who will be the best leader, or the most promising party, but, rather, who has the clout to win the pipeline war.
This column is an opinion. For more information about our commentary section, please read this editor's blog and our FAQ.
Calgary: The Road Ahead is CBC Calgary's special focus on our city as it passes through the crucible of the downturn: the challenges we face, and the possible solutions as we explore what kind of Calgary we want to create. Have an idea? Email us at calgarytheroadahead@cbc.ca
So the PA accept and understand the dangers of fracking, and have decided to protect only the people in their ridings? Kris you have just shot your party in the foot. What were you thinking?
David Amos
@Fred Brewer "Kris you have just shot your party in the foot. What were you thinking?"
Methinks the PANB like the wages paid by us as they support the PC Party N'esy Pas?
Survey Says?
Mike Bookman
These guys are weasels. We have them and their signs around my neighborhood. The fracking thing is secondary to the hatred of all things French.
Steve Whitaker
@Mike Bookman
Then they are the lesser of two weasels.
David Amos
@Steve Whitaker "Then they are the lesser of two weasels."
Methinks a weasel is a weasel no matter how big they are or what colour of coat they wear At least Independents don't follow questionable leaders or change their story and lose with their integrity intact N'esy Pas?
Aaron Shephard
@David Amos Please, for the love of all things holy, stop finishing every comment with “N’esy pas”. Or, at the very least, spell it properly!
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, yet they never get elected. If they did, they would also turn into weasels.
David Amos
@Aaron Shephard Methinks Mr Austin and all the other politicians must recall why I sued Cardinal Law in Beantown so its kinda obvious that I don't love anything you may wish to consider "holy" N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks just because your infamous French hero Andre Arthur certainly did it does not follow all of us would N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, "holy"; full of holes?
Paul Bourgoin
It started with bilingualism, now it escalated to dividing New Brunswick by voting districts mandates, the People's Alliance now is introducing : "THE NOT IN MY BACKYARD VETO" with only three seats, and all of this is supported by the Conservatives?? My question is this: " who do these elected Politicians represent, New Brunswick, the Conservative Party, the Alliance or those who benefit!
Dan Lee
@Paul Bourgoin So Kris Austin would only be premier on the region he would win....would not care for regions he woulnt win...............yup common sense all the way..................good grief
Marguerite Deschamps
@Dan Lee, so much for common sense eh?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "so much for common sense eh?"
Methinks your beloved former president of SANB confessed that he does not know what common sense is N'esy Pas?
Mario Doucet
The PA needs to get on with the OLA rewrite and look at reducing the bilingual make work position in the NB government.
John Price
@Mario Doucet Apparently someone doesn't understand that the PA don't get to re-write anything.
David Amo
@Mario Doucet "The PA needs to get on with the OLA rewrite"
Methinks the French Lieutenant Mr Gauvin would never allow Higgs and Austin to do such a thing N'esy Pas?
Tim Raworth
Its called Democracy. People whine about not having enough and they still wine when they are given a choice.
David Amos
@Tim Raworth Methinks all politicians enjoy the wine on the gravy train and when partake of it too much they whine instead of clamming up N'esy Pas?
herbie harris
This will go down as one of the dumbest moves ever by a so called political party. They were voted in for their riding I agree but also they represent our province, if this idea was really used then nothing would ever get done. How can they pick one issue hahahahaha and the miramichi area supports shale gas no wait they don’t support it cause stone cold Austin says so. Joke of a leader and a party but keep it going
David Amos
@herbie harris Ya just gotta love the Circus though
Bernard McIntyre
@David Amos I really like all the clowns.
David Amos
@Bernard McIntyre Methinks the funniest ones bar none are the ex cops Steve Horseman and Carl Urquhart and their blogging buddy Chucky Leblanc N'esy Pas?
Aaron Allison
Time to hold a Referendum or put, the question on the Ballot about Fracking. Time for New Brunswicker's to have a voice on Politicians.
David Amos
@Aaron Allison " Time for New Brunswicker's to have a voice on Politicians."
Methinks the awful truth is that we get the government we deserve N'esy Pas?
Jamie Roc
What a bunch of clowns. I suppose that's the kind of politics you get when you elect political newbies whose only strongly held stance is that the French need to be put back in their place.
Samual Johnston
@Jamie Roc political newbies? so you prefer the same ole same ole. How is that working out for NB ? And where is this anti French agenda some keep talking about. Any ambulance is better than no ambulance is not exactly anti anything.
David Amos
@Jamie Roc "What a bunch of clowns."
Welcome to the Circus
Jamie Roc
@Samual Johnston ideologically they're the same old same old - that's the point. But in terms of their roles as MLAs, they're also all total neophytes who will just go as the wind goes, except on language issues which for some reason they are extremely preoccupied about. Hmm wonder if it's because their base is made up of mostly those uncles and aunts we all have who spend their days online ranting about minorities?
Marguerite Deschamps
@Jamie Roc, hit the nail on the head! The funniest part is that the leader is flanked by two MLAs of French origins.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "The funniest part is that the leader is flanked by two MLAs of French origins."
Methinks common sense dictates that should make no difference whatsoever N'esy Pas??
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, then why do you dislike Quebeckers so much?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks everybody knows you are monumental hypocrites N'esy Pas?
Layton Bennett
Looks like the People Alliance are symptom of the hyper localism in New Brunswick.
David Amos
@Layton Bennett Methinks they are just doubletalking politicians like all the rest N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
Austin should have stayed at what he was good at; preaching fairy-tales. Now here he is ironically flanked by two MLAs of French origin, DeSaulniers and Conroy, who, other than being against anything French, have no clue what they are doing.
Marguerite Deschamps
As to Conroy, I have never seen her open her mouth in order to speak. She may be a tad smarter than the other two for following this adage: - Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.
Seamus O'hern
@Marguerite Deschamps ....and with you?.....there's NO doubt.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Seamus O'hern, coming from you, I take it as a compliment.
Barry Odonnell
@Marguerite Deschamps You really do need to seek professional help for this obsession you have! Seriously the French in NB have had everything handed to them for years. I don't think you need to be this upset with the prospect that someone may want to take a sober second look at this!
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Cry me a river
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, cry me an ocean!
Marguerite Deschamps
@Barry Odonnell, no we have not! We fought for everything. And when we stop fighting, we get pushed backwards.
Content disabled.
David Amos
@Mario Doucet "The PA needs to get on with the OLA rewrite"
Methinks the French Lieutenant Mr Gauvin would never allow Higgs and Austin to do such a thing N'esy Pas?
John Jude
David C. is the only intelligent one of the bunch, regardless of the issue being discussed. I may not agree with his points of view on some things, but he always seems to have an intelligent, thought out, coherent opinion. Too bad we're stuck with so many other wastes in government.
David Amos
@John Jude "David C. is the only intelligent one of the bunch"
Methinks that thou doth Jest too much N'esy Pas?
JJ Carrier
The PANB grasps at straws to prove something to themselves, but their lack of sincerity smells...
David Amos
@JJ Carrier "their lack of sincerity smells"
Methinks that is an understatement N'esy Pas?
Bernard McIntyre
I am not a fracking fan. If the government wants to waste billions of liters of water on fracking with no way to get rid of the waste water when the wells are complete then why not build a water filtration plant instead and sell the water. It would probably create more jobs and bring more money for the province than fracking for natural gas with less chance of an environmental damage or chance of earthquakes like just happened in Fort St. John B.C.As I said the water is going to be wasted any way.
David Amos
@Bernard McIntyre Methinks if Mr Higgs had two clues to rub together he would expropriate the new Potash mine that was just written off and shutdown forever and start selling high quality road salt ASAP N'esy Pas?
Bernard McIntyre
@David Amos Cancel the lease immediately not 2020 and then sell it to the other company that was looking to build in the Millstream area.
Nancy Alcox
So, with the PANB logic on fracking, it’s only common sense then that if my area wants glyphosate sprayed on our crown lands it’s none of their business and wouldn’t vote against it?...
David Amos
@Nancy Alcox Methinks one should not employ the words such as logic or common sense in the same sentence about the PANB or any other political party N'esy Pas?
kelly sherrard
So interesting that every time u see Kris Austin in the news, he has the other 2 PANB MLAs standing behind him..... for courage?
Mack Leigh
@Marguerite Deschamps
MLA Michelle Conroy has spoken on several issues and has also spoken in the Legislature...... So are you purposefully disregarding that fact or is it that your tunnel vision is getting in the way ?? If you do not know how her voice sounds then it is quite evident that you have not been listening.
David Amos
@Mack Leigh Methinks no matter what the lady may say to try to redeem herself she must admit that there are a lot of folks disappointed in Michelle Conroy and her PANB cohorts N'esy Pas?
Rick Budzyn
An earthquake that struck northeastern B.C. last Thursday was "very likely" caused by fracking, a preliminary investigation has found. Also as of 2014, NS Provincial environment officials are looking into a leak of fracking waste water at holding ponds in Kennetcook, Nova Scotia. The water has been there for years in two large holding ponds. Nova Scotia's Environment Department ordered them covered. They even wanted to dispose some of it into the Dieppe NB filtration system via transporting by trucks and were turned down. Fracking is bad environmentally and economically.
David Amos
@Rick Budzyn Methinks you should trust that the Irving Clan don't care and neither does Mr Higgs and his new PANB cohorts N'esy Pas?
Rick Budzyn
@David Amos the company that does the fracking is Corridor Resources a publicly traded company and the Irving companies and families are not associated or involved with them particularly if you view who is on their board of directors no connection at all.
David Amos
@Rick Budzyn So you say
Shawn McShane
Alliance platform supported "the environmentally responsible development of our natural resources" but promised referendums "on contentious developments on a regional basis."
So the Alliance will be pushing the PCs for a referendum in Sussex and the communities around Sussex?
Marguerite Deschamps
@Shawn McShane, in reality; we all know that they are a one issue party; against anything French. All that needs to be done now is for DeSaulniers and Michelle to change their French names before the party pushes them aside as the COR did to Laurie Robichaud before. The latter, a Cormier, now a Conroy, is already halfway there.
Marguerite Deschamps
... and hope the party forgets your origins, I might add.
Bernard McIntyre
@Marguerite Deschamps so if some people say something against some ones origin it's not okay but if some other people something against some one else's origin it's okay.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Bernard McIntyre, just ask the People Alliance and the COR before! They did it to Laurie Robichaud and they can do it again.
Bernard McIntyre
@Marguerite Deschamps kind of hard to ask the COR since it doesn't exist.
Bernard McIntyre
@Bernard McIntyre but you didn't answer my question?
Marguerite Deschamps
@Bernard McIntyre, it has been resurrected under a new name and carries on the same single issue.
Bernard McIntyre
@Marguerite Deschamps that's not the question I asked, still didn't answer my first question.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Bernard McIntyre, I did not see any of your above statements end with an interrogation mark.
David Amos
@Bernard McIntyre Methinks the lady only understands what she wishes too and always twists her replies to suit the SANB agnda N'esy Pas?
Bernard McIntyre
@Marguerite Deschamps okay. So if some people say something against some one origin it's not okay but if some other people say something against some one else origin it's okay?
Marguerite Deschamps
@Bernard McIntyre, I am going to answer you with another question. Why do you think it is ok for anyone to say something against someone's origin or by the same token, why it's not ok?
Bernard McIntyre
@Marguerite Deschamps your sounding like a politician not answering the question with a question. And I never said it was okay. Would you not agree that it would be a type of racism?
Pierre Adam Bulger
I wish he would do the same for other concerns. it'll reduce the damage his party can do to the province.
David Amos
@Pierre Adam Bulger Me Too
Pat Chambers-Dalpe
So PC Higgs thinks we are customers .. Now PANB says we are children.. I guess this really shows the lack of respect our politicians have for the people of NB..
David Amos
@Pat Chambers-Dalpe YUP
Rosco holt
"I can't be the father of everyone or the mother of everyone. I can be the voice of the people in Fredericton-York."
Wasn't Kris Austin a priest before jumping in politics? Wasn't that the center piece of that job?
Lou Bell
@Rosco holt Nope. There is only one father/ mother. But nice try !
Marguerite Deschamps
@Rosco holt, these are the type of people I mistrust the most. Given that it's the French DeSaulnier who said it, the priest Auston should speak up eh?
Lou Bell
@Marguerite Deschamps Many mistrusted Gallant and his one issue , SANB caucus . They ran the whole show AND THEY LOST ! Perhaps they needed to consult all the people , and not just the 30 % they represented .
Bernard McIntyre
@Marguerite Deschamps I don't believe that Mr. Austin was a priest.
David Amos
@Rosco holt "Wasn't Kris Austin a priest before jumping in politics?"
Nope Close but no cigar
Marguerite Deschamps
@Bernard McIntyre, Rosco called him a priest and I replied as such. Priest, religious minister, whatever; to me, it's all du pain pour d'la galette.
Bernard McIntyre
@Marguerite Deschamps don't believe evert thing you read but yes I do agree.
Rosco holt
@David Amos Sorry he was a pastor, different job same branch.
Kris Austin is the only politician in NB who seems to be taking serious his responsibility to represent the voice of the constituents in his riding.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Angie Brideau, should I laugh now... or later?
Tim Raworth
@Marguerite Deschamps You would know democracy if it fell on your lap.
Jim Cyr
@Marguerite Deschamps Marguerite, Kris Austin (or Blaine Higgs) could bring about world peace AND find a cure for cancer..........and you would still howl about it. FACT.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Jim Cyr, no worries, not gonna happen.
Jim Joe Jackson
@Angie Brideau **** has been doing it since '14. The only non-Irvings MLAs are Green.
David Amos
@Tim Raworth Oh So True
Roland Godin
Does this mean Alliance will stop nitpicking on mon choix de ma langue officielle outside their boroughs...et voilà.
Bernard McIntyre
@Roland Godin As said earlier on this article that it is part of their districts and your allowed to speak any language you want to.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Roland Godin, a "burrow" would be more appropriate for them in order for them to crawl into.
Tim Raworth
@Marguerite Deschamps Interesting how you can get away with saying things like this but if ango said it, it would be blocked.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Tim Raworth, I am just as Anglophone as you are. I am fluent in the English language just like I am in the other official language and I embrace both languages. So what's your point?
Bernard McIntyre
@Marguerite Deschamps if you go back way back I guess you could be Anglo, maybe Anglo- Saxon of the year 1064.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Bernard McIntyre, quite possible; why not?
David Amos
@Bernard McIntyre Methinks her forefathers were likely Normans N'esy Pas?
Jim Cyr
This article is pure propaganda. You would NEVER in a million years have read an article like this attacking the Liberals or Greens (or heard the radio version) at any time when the Liberals were in power (or had they had managed to stay in power with the aid of the Greens).
Is it any wonder nobody trusts the lamestream media any more??
Jim Joe Jackson
@Jim Cyr Incoherent views and policies need to be called out.
Jim Cyr
@Jim Joe Jackson : ah, finally.........a good, valid reason for (state-sponsored) propaganda! I KNEW there had to be one!
Mr. Kafka, meet Mr. Dilbert..........
Jamie Roc
@Jim Cyr do you expect us to believe that a guy who uses the term "lamestream media" has actually read Kafka?
David Amos
@Jamie Roc Methinks neither of you have read this old file N'esy Pas?
Only the ill advised or rich people want fracking. It will not save our economy. People need to understand the threats of fracking. It’s not worth leaving the damage to future generations. Though we have become an all about me society. Screw the future.
Arthur John
@June Arnott Only rich people want fracking?...
Marguerite Deschamps
@Arthur John, the rich and the uniformed!
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "the rich and the uniformed!"
Methinks you resemble your own remark N'esy Pas?
Harold Benson
I'm some glad I don't live in sus sex
David Amos
@Harold Benson Methinks Sam doesn't either N'esy Pas?
Harold Benson
Check out the National Geographic North American Aquifer Article. If you are pollutting any groundwater, you are polluting all groundwater. They have it mapped, so bring on the litigation.
David Amos
@Harold Benson Methinks Sam and Mr Higgs and Mr Austin should Google David Amos Federal Court N'esy Pas?
People's Alliance oppose shale gas exploration — but only in their own ridings
Jacques Poitras· CBC News·
All three People's Alliance MLAs voted for a Progressive Conservative throne speech that had pro-fracking language in it, but say they oppose fracking in their own ridings. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
The People's Alliance has introduced a new way of thinking about the role of local MLAs, pioneering what you might call a not-in-my-backyard veto.
On the contentious issue of shale gas development, the Alliance MLAs say they'll vote against allowing it in their own ridings, but will not try to stop it in other ridings they don't represent.
They say fracking in those other ridings is none of their business and is up to the MLAs from other parties who represent those constituencies.
We've been elected to represent our areas. We felt it would be infringing on Sussex for us to impose ourselves down there.- Kris Austin, People's Alliance Party leader
"Every riding has their own representative," Alliance MLA Rick DeSaulniers said last week. "And they should do their job and represent the people in their best interest."
"I can't be the father of everyone or the mother of everyone. I can be the voice of the people in Fredericton-York."
DeSaulniers, Alliance Leader Kris Austin and Miramichi Alliance MLA Michelle Conroy all voted last week for the Progressive Conservative throne speech, including language endorsing fracking in the Sussex area.
"Some of our members, myself included, have questions about it, but this is related to Sussex," Austin said. "We've been elected to represent our areas. We felt it would be infringing on Sussex for us to impose ourselves down there."
'A higher level of democracy'
Premier Blaine Higgs, whose PC minority government needed the three Alliance MLAs to win a confidence vote, praised the approach.
"I really think it is a higher level of democracy," Higgs said.
Higgs has vowed to revive shale gas extraction in areas where there is local consent.
People's Alliance of New Brunswick Leader Kris Austin answers questions from the media after the closure of the Throne Speech at the New Brunswick Legislature in Fredericton on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. (James West/Canadian Press)
But with no PC legislation on fracking in the offing, the three Alliance MLAs won't have a mechanism to vote against fracking in their ridings if it became a possibility in the future. They have to rely on Higgs's promise to not impose it there.
And while the new premier welcomed the Alliance decision, he hasn't said whether he'd let individual Tory MLAs veto particular initiatives affecting their local ridings.
Alliance supported PC amendment
The PC throne speech amendment endorsed fracking in communities around Sussex that "have demonstrated their desire to proceed with shale gas development."
DeSaulniers had vowed to vote against fracking anywhere.
People's Alliance MLA Rick DeSaulniers represents Fredericton-York. (CBC)
"If it comes to lifting the moratorium in Sussex, I'm not going to vote in favour of that, either," he said Nov. 21. "I do not believe in shale gas."
A week later, his tune changed.
"Who am I to tell Sussex what is right for them?" he said. "It's one thing to have beliefs. It's another thing to impose them on someone you really shouldn't impose them on."
DeSaulniers noted the two top vote-getters in the riding of Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins in September's election, PC Bruce Northrup and the Alliance's Jim Bedford, supported fracking there. They captured a combined 73.8 percent of the vote.
'Hyper-NIMBYism'
St. Thomas University political scientist Jamie Gillies calls the approach "kind of a hyper-NIMBYism, not-in-my-back-yard: 'I don't want it, but if they want it, go for it.'"
He said it's a new twist on the classic "delegate" model of representation which holds that elected members are primarily elected to speak for their constituents.
Jamie Gillies says People's Alliance stance on "yes" to fracking but not-in-my-backyard, will make it difficult for the Alliance to craft coherent policies. (CBC)
But "on some issues you can't do a delegate model effectively," Gillies said. "You can on issues like 'the courthouse is closing so I'm going to fight to keep the courthouse.' You can on 'the school might be closing' or 'we need a new school.'
But on issues that spark provincial debates, "I think the delegate model only goes so far."
Liberal MLA Chuck Chiasson, who was pressured to speak out when the Gallant government closed the provincial courthouse in Grand Falls, agrees shale gas is not that kind of local issue.
"I would vote with my beliefs," he said. "My belief is that it's not safe. So if it happens in Andy Harvey's riding, I'm not going to vote for it."
Not a local issue
Gillies predicts the shale gas issue will not be contained to the local Sussex area. "Then it becomes an issue a party has to consider not just in the context of one hyper-localized concern."
He said it will pose a challenge for Austin, who supported the Sussex-only fracking language because extraction won't occur in his riding of Fredericton-Grand Lake.
But if fracking in Sussex leads to court challenges and protests, Austin will have to take a provincial view as a party leader, he said.
Green Party of New Brunswick Leader David Coon speaks to the media following the Throne Speech at the New Brunswick Legislature in Fredericton on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018. (James West/Canadian Press)
Green leader David Coon argues there's no way to confine the impacts of fracking to a single riding.
"We're talking about a development that adds carbon to the atmosphere, and we all share the atmosphere," he said. "It's not something where you can simply say 'locally they want it so they should have it.'"
Provincial view 'irrelevant'
A province-wide view doesn't seem to be a consideration for the Alliance.
"We represent our own people. I represent the people from Fredericton-York," DeSaulniers said. "I can't impose my will on others. That is for Bruce Northrup. That's his fight to take up."
The Alliance constitution says the party's MLAs can vote freely to "reflect the wishes of their constituents on day-to-day governing, without party discipline."
Its election platform supported "the environmentally responsible development of our natural resources" but promised referendums "on contentious developments on a regional basis."
Coherent policy a challenge
Gillies said the hyper-local approach will make it difficult for the Alliance to craft coherent policies. "How does that fit into our larger provincial energy policy? How does that fit into our larger provincial environmental policy?"
That challenge will be even greater if the Alliance remains a de facto partner of the PC government.
"There will be things you're not willing to compromise on, and your constituents don't want, but in order to keep the government going you're perhaps going to need to go with the government," Gillies said.
Methinks after watching folks laugh at me for 14 years I have the right to say that they deserve to represented by the likes of Higgs and Northrup N'esy Pas?
Nobody asked us if we want fracking, Sussex LSD chair says
67 Comments
David Amos
Methinks after watching folks laugh at me for 14 years I have the right to say that they deserve to represented by the likes of Higgs and Northrup N'esy Pas?
Incorporated municipalities and rural communities have a real say in what goes on within their boundaries, so maybe this will be a good incentive for LSDs around the province to consider their options.
The funny thing is that some of the same people who are anti-fracking see no issue with pulp mills spewing pollution into the air and water every day.
David Amos
@Thomas Imber "Incorporated municipalities and rural communities have a real say in what goes on within their boundaries,"
Methinks thou doth jest too much N'esy Pas?
Scott McLaughlin
Sussex will become a boom town. The locals will all embrace the new industry. The rest of the tree-huggers in the province will be envious.
David Amos
@Scott McLaughlin Dream on
Roy Kirk
If it is going to be decided as a local matter, then perhaps the local communities should set and collect the resource royalty. That would be an interesting precedent to set.
David Amos
@Roy Kirk Methinks the amount of royalty should be discussed first N'esy Pas?
Arthur John
@David Amos Natural gas is being produced now and has been for years and royalties have been collected for years
Roy Kirk
@Arthur John Can you point to the line item in the public accounts that confirms your position? And what has been the royalty paid, in $ per GJ?
David Amos
@Arthur John Do you know the figure?
David Amos
@David Amos A fine lady by the name of Janet Matheson researched this stuff for years and tried to tell folks how little we were being paid in royalties and nobody seemed to care. I won't steal her thunder because it can still be found on the Internet if you takes the time to look for it.
Colin Seeley
“ So nobody asked us “ he says.
Really !!
But you do for sure know about it.
Better to organize and ask for a plebiscite and go from there.
Please make it snappy before we we get declared a failed province.
And what’s you plan for jobs ?
Dave Peters
@Arthur John Oil + other chemicals produce plastic. NG would power generators, produce steam, heat your home, cook your food, provide food processors with affordable energy. It could be a catalyst for new business's and industries in Sussex. In the grand scheme of things what could it hurt, really. NOT A FAN OF EXPORT OF THIS RESOURCE FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO PROFIT FROM.
David Amos
@Dave Peters You know as well as I the Irving Clan wants it for next to nothing
Arthur John
She'd rather see the province's financial resources go toward increasing the energy efficiency of homes so carbon-based energy wouldn't be in such high demand.
The provinces financial resources (of which 40% come from transfer payments from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan where they frack oil and gas wells) does not go into Natural gas exploration. Trains of oil cars travel through New Brunswick are carrying oil produced from fracked wells in North Dakota and Saskatchewan.
I suggest if this lady wants to reduce her carbon footprint than she should move off her beef farm because meat production causes pollution through the use of fossil fuels, animal methane, effluent waste and land consumtion
Ian Smyth
@Arthur John yup, cattle livestock account for 14.5% of global ghg emissions.
Rosco holt
@Ian Smyth How much ghg emissions do politicians spew?
Ian Smyth
@Rosco holt I don't know but definitely lots of hot air :p
David Amos
@Ian Smyth Methinks I know the source of the hot air N'esy Pas?
@Ian Smyth Methinks I know the source of the hot air N'esy Pas?
Ian Smyth
the only difference between fracking and the already existing and operating natural gas wells is that instead of pumping the gas out of a permeable media you increase the permeability of shale by fracturing it. These rocks are hundreds of meters below ground surface and it is impossible for fractures to propagate to our aquifers. For logistical purposes the only difference between conventional extraction and fracking is that there is waste water to deal with.
Rosco holt
@Ian Smyth Waste water that companies keep the chemical recipe secret and are not willing to build a waste water treatment plant to dispose of it properly.
Roy Kirk
@Ian Smyth Not the only difference.
Gas in a permeable medium must be overlain by an impermeable one in order to have been retained for exploitation rather than seeping out to the atmosphere over the ages.
Gas trapped in impermeable shale needs no such overlay in order to have been retained to the current day. If the fracturing extends to the shale surface and no overlay is present, it is possible that the outcome will be quite different than in fracing traditional deposits.
The devil is in the details.
Ian Smyth
@Roy Kirk there is extensive exploration and mapping done on the shale deposits and fractures/faults, they wouldn't frack if there is a possibility of that happening.
Roy Kirk
@Ian Smyth If such evidence exists it should lain on the table and examined in a public and transparent manner so that it can be examined and tested prior to rendering a decision. And how do you know what "they" or any of us will do when faced with a decision to risk an action for profit?
Ronald Parker
@Ian Smyth there have been cases were concrete casing have failed so dont use the word impossible. Millions of liters of waste water at that.
Ian Smyth
@Ronald Parker the only difference in that case between fracking and the existing wells is there may be water contamination (which would be bad), the existing wells' casing could fail and cause contamination but they haven't.
I said it impossible for fractures to propagate to surface, leaking well casing and waste water are the two major issues with fracking, with natural gas production it is leaking well casing.
Ian Smyth
@Roy Kirk EIAs and feasibility studies are always public, feel free to take a look, Corridor resources Inc would be the proponent to look for. you can find all of their publicly released documents at sedar (dot) com
the general public understands next to nothing about geology so they don't bother to read these types of thing. Unless you've studied it you'll have a hard time digesting it.
Roy Kirk
@Ian Smyth So you are saying that "there is extensive exploration and mapping done on the shale deposits and fractures/faults" and that evidence is in the stuff put up in corridor's financial filings?, EIAs and feasibility studies? and I should just go find it?!
I take another view: That we've elected members and a government to do that type of work for us and present their conclusions in a coherent and convincing manner, with argument supported by evidence. So I ask: Where is such documentation?
Even the simple stuff isn't forthcoming, such as: What is the $ per GJ actually recd by NB for gas produced, net of any credits back to the companies involved. And when they can't (or won't) answer such simple questions in a clear and public manner, why should we 'just trust them' when it comes to the more obscure material?
Ian Smyth
@Roy Kirk you can make that argument about everything the government does, you are applying these high standards of transparency in a selective way.
your issue seems to be larger than the fracking issue alone.
Roy Kirk
@Ian Smyth No, I'm applying those high standards to the topic at hand. And I'm curious, Do you think the government and Corridor cannot meet such a standard of transparency and still maintain public acceptance of their activity? If so, why?
Ian Smyth
@Roy Kirk they are certainly possible but it is never done and possible not thought of? I don't know I'm not a public relations specialist.
do they consult the general public on use of salt to de-ice roads? salt contamination is widespread because of this, it has been shown that it can lead to increased mobility of heavy metals in the subsurface which is a significant issue, it can also contaminate shallow groundwater with salt.
This seems like it would be a much more digestible topic for the public to be consulted on but it isn't, why isn't it? I would guess because it never has been. I don't have an issue with what you are asking (absolute transparency) but to think that will be the roadblock that stops resource development doesn't seem likely based on current and past precedence.
David Amos
@Ian Smyth Methinks you and Northrup should have tried to debate me about this stuff during the last election N'esy Pas?
Fred Brewer
@Ian Smyth "it is impossible for fractures to propagate to our aquifers"
This has been proved to be false. The pipe goes through the aquifer or through permeable soils that are connected to aquifers. The pipe seals are prone to leakage.
Roy Kirk
@Ian Smyth You may not be a public relations specialist, but you're making a play right out their book -- changing the topic rather than addressing the issue. Salt on roads is not the issue. Evidence and argument as to the costs and benefits of gas fracing in Sussex and NB is the topic. Let them lay it out in cold, hard facts.
The fact that they don't leads reasonable people to suspect that the benefits are not as much as they're claimed to be, and the risks may be higher than that to which they will admit.
I'm one of those people that has no problem with fracing if done properly and if we -- NBers -- are adequately compensated for the resource and risk. But a succession of governments has done little or nothing to establish those facts, leaving me, and many others, to conclude that the activity is, in fact, not in the public interest at current market prices. I could be convinced otherwise, but the fact that the proponents don't even make a reasonable attempt to do so is troubling
Gary Spencer
@Ian Smyth This is hardly a fair comparison, road salt is a public safety issue (lives are saved), fracking is a private profits issue (corporations profit). If road salt is not applied government phone ring off the hook from public complaints. If fracking is not performed how many in the public would complain?
SarahRose Werner
So much for the PC's claim that fracking has widespread support in the Sussex area.
Ian Smyth
@SarahRose Werner you can find any people within a population that are for and against things. I wouldn't take CBC finding three people that will publicly comment against fracking as an indicator of the entire area's feelings.
Thomas Imber
@SarahRose Werner Widespread support exists, no one said it needs every single person to support it.
Rosco holt
@Thomas Imber Higgs needs to put it (referendum) the people in the Sussex area to show a clear support.
Fred Brewer
@Ian Smyth "I wouldn't take CBC finding three people that will publicly comment against fracking as an indicator of the entire area's feelings."
I agree. To find more people who are against fracking one only needs to do some Google research. Try searching for "Fracking nightmare in Penobsquis".
Fred Brewer
@Thomas Imber "Widespread support exists,"
Proof please. (cue the crickets)
David Amos
@Ian Smyth "I wouldn't take CBC finding three people that will publicly comment against fracking as an indicator of the entire area's feelings."
Methinks Corridor Resources, Mr Higgs and definitely Bruce Northrup know why i share this story which appeared in the Kings County Record a local newsrag owned by the Irving Clan on June 22, 2004 I definitely mentioned natural gas then N'esy Pas?
The Unconventional Candidate By Gisele McKnight
"FUNDY—He has a pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket, a chain on his wallet, a beard at least a foot long, 60 motorcycles and a cell phone that rings to the tune of "Yankee Doodle."
Meet the latest addition to the Fundy ballot—David Amos. The independent candidate lives in Milton, Massachusetts with his wife and two children, but his place of residence does not stop him from running for office in Canada."
"Amos, 52, is running for political office because of his dissatisfaction with politicians. "I've become aware of much corruption involving our two countries," he said. "The only way to fix corruption is in the political forum."
"What he's fighting for is the discussion of issues – tainted blood, the exploitation of the Maritimes' gas and oil reserves and NAFTA, to name a few.
"The political issues in the Maritimes involve the three Fs – fishing, farming and forestry, but they forget foreign issues," he said. "I'm death on NAFTA, the back room deals and free trade. I say chuck it (NAFTA) out the window
NAFTA is the North American Free Trade Agreement which allows an easier flow of goods between Canada, the United States and Mexico
Douglas James
What is most disappointing is that with all the problems this province faces, Higgs decided it would be a good time to revive the already dismissed fracking option. All the time that his government will have to spend on this matter is time that could be better spent fixing everything the previous Liberal and Conservatives governments broke i.e. the healthcare and education systems.
David Amos
@Douglas James Methinks if you wish to recall Higgs and Northrup pounding on this drum all summer long hence this should be no surprise N'esy Pas?
Protesters crash MLAs' tour of shale gas fields
People’s Alliance leader suggests referendum as possible way to determine social licence
CBC News·
Shale protesters lined the road to shale gas fields near Penobsquis on Tuesday while MLAs were given a tour of the facilities. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)
Corridor Resources invited New Brunswick MLAs to tour shale gas fields in the Sussex area on Tuesday, but they were greeted by some unexpected guests.
Dozens of demonstrators lined the road in Penobsquis, holding signs and banners protesting the Progressive Conservative government's plan for shale gas development in the area.
With lawmakers present, many rural residents took the chance to make their voices heard.
"I wish Mr. Higgs would be a little bit more forward thinking instead of going backward, because the oil and gas industry is going backward, that's what's happening," said Carol Ring.
"The future is renewable energy."
Protesters took the opportunity Tuesday with MLAs in the area to make their voices heard. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)
The tour concluded with a presentation in Sussex, where demonstrators were able to get some facetime with the MLAs, including Kris Austin. The People's Alliance leader was criticized by a crowd of people for his NIMBY-ism shown toward fracking.
The Alliance MLAs say they have hesitations about allowing it in their own ridings and could vote against it. But they say they will not try to stop fracking in ridings they don't represent.
"It's provincial legislation. If it's good enough here, it should be good enough everywhere," one individual told Austin. "You shouldn't be lifting a ban just on one region and putting us in the middle of it like this."
People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin speaks with shale gas protesters in Sussex on Tuesday. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)
Austin replied: "Well, again, that's why I stress local residents should talk to their local MLA to express those concerns."
He suggested a referendum might be the best way to determine if the government has the social licence, or community approval, to permit fracking.
The PC throne speech passed by the legislature last Friday included a sub-amendment that exempts "communities in and around the town of Sussex" from a shale gas moratorium. The precise area around Sussex wasn't identified.
Residents divided
The crowd that gathered Tuesday wasn't solely anti-fracking. There are residents who see shale gas development as a way to improve the local economy.
"I feel that in these rural areas, if we don't find work, there's not gonna be nothing, and I don't want to live in a big city," said Stewart Duncan.
"I love living in a rural community so my feeling is that if we could move forward with this, the surrounding areas would benefit from this, like our hospitals, our schools, education and money from this is actually what pays for these places to be open."
We're in a climate crisis and we can't be increasing the production of fossil fuels anymore.- Green Leader David Coon
Others are more skeptical about the economic benefits.
"We're saying if you follow the science you'll know that this cannot be done safely, and it's really questionable that there are any real employment or economic benefits to fracking, so what's the point?" said Roy Ries.
It appears the minds of the MLAs won't be changing as a result of the tour.
"All of the serious risks of fracking and shale gas development remain," said Green Party Leader David Coon.
Green Leader David Coon, right, and Green MLA Megan Mitton won't be changing their stance on fracking after Tuesday's tour of gas fields. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)
"We're in a climate crisis and we can't be increasing the production of fossil fuels anymore." Liberal MLA Cathy Rogers says the current moratorium imposed by the former Gallant government should still be used as a guiding principal when in comes to shale gas development. It has five conditions that must be met before fracking can go ahead.
They are: social licence to extract shale gas; reliable data on health; environmental and water impacts; a plan to dispose of wastewater; proper Indigenous consultations; and a proper structure for the province to collect royalty payments.
Nobody asked us if we want fracking, Sussex LSD chair says
PCs accused of sacrificing Sussex-area communities for 'a few pieces of silver'
Tori Weldon· CBC News·
When it comes to government's move to lift the shale gas moratorium, Gordon Kierstead, chair of the local service district of Sussex, said local communities shouldn't be sacrificed for a few pieces of silver. (Tori Weldon/CBC)
Some people in communities surrounding the town of Sussex are hoping the province slows down and asks the people who will be affected by fracking if they want it.
On Friday, the throne speech passed by the legislature included a sub-amendment that exempts "communities in and around the town of Sussex" from a shale gas moratorium. The precise area around Sussex wasn't identified.
The province hopes a cabinet order will happen in the next few weeks to make the amendment official. Gordon Kierstead of Ward's Creek, chair of the local service district in Sussex, said no one has come to him to ask if the roughly 2,600 residents in the area support fracking.
"There's been no town halls," said Kierstead. "There's been meetings, no nothing to determine if there is a social licence or a willingness."
Kierstead said it's easy for politicians to say they have community support, but he questions where the support is coming from.
"For a few pieces of silver, they're willing to sacrifice the surrounding area."
Energy and Resource Development Minister Mike Holland has said the government will make sure there's a "means and mechanism" for consulting people in the Sussex area before accepting people want fracking there.
Premier Blaine Higgs said in August that he'd measure support for development by listening to municipal councils, then let the consultations "spread out" to surrounding local service districts through open meetings.
On Friday, Higgs said passage of shale-gas language in the throne speech was a green light for a localized lifting of the fracking moratorium in Sussex-area communities that have demonstrated support for it.
Needs more consultation
Kierstead is concerned the government will rely on the opinions of business and municipal leaders in Sussex, who he said are not in a position to make decisions for surrounding rural communities.
He pointed to a dust-up back in 2011, when Ralph Carr, the mayor of Sussex at the time, denounced a seismic surveying company for sending exploration trucks inside town limits without municipal approval.
Carr's stern reaction was reinforced by many councillors, with the mayor explaining that some people in his community are wary of the shale gas industry.
Stephanie Coburn, who lives on a beef farm in Head of Mill Stream, said it would be the 'thin edge of the wedge,' if fracking resumed in Penobsquis. (Tori Weldon/CBC)
Kierstead said it is frustrating to be the one area in the province where the moratorium could be lifted by 2019.
"There needs to be a lot more consultation. I mean they're rushing this through and they don't want to listen."
Twenty-five kilometres north of Sussex, Stephanie Coburn was disappointed by the proposed lifting of the moratorium in and around Sussex, and questioned if more communities will follow.
"I really feel this is the thin edge of the wedge, if they can frack in Penobsquis again," said Coburn, who lives on a beef farm in Head of Mill Stream.
Bruce Northrup, the MLA for Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins, has said the community supports a resumption of drilling.
Coburn said she would favour a referendum but not just for Sussex and surrounding communities. She'd like to see the question put to the entire province because there is a larger question at play.
"Do we want to be taking carbon-based product out of the ground and burning it and increasing our carbon footprint?"
She'd rather see the province's financial resources go toward increasing the energy efficiency of homes so carbon-based energy wouldn't be in such high demand.
Coburn would also rather her own energy be spent elsewhere.
"I am 71 years old," she said. "I would love to be home playing with my grandchild instead of talking about fracking again."
Corrections
An earlier version of this story suggested the government would not consult people in Sussex-area communities about fracking. In fact, Energy and Resource Development Minister Mike Holland has promised a "means and mechanism" for determining whether local people do support fracking.
Dec 04, 2018 10:47 AM AT
About the Author
Tori Weldon
Reporter
Tori Weldon is a reporter based in Moncton. She's been working for the CBC since 2008.
Wait a minute. Trump thinks that tariff money is enriching the US? But the people paying the tariffs are US citizens and companies when import foreign goods. There's no new money there! He knows nothing about how tariffs work. Essentially he's causing citizens and businesses to pay the US government. It's like a tax raise only stupid.
peter andersonPreparing for a gloomier future? CNN says today, it is a clear sign of US recession. Dow is sharply plunging 800 points staggeringly today. US market is obviously not convinced by Trump’s advisor comments, as his economic hardliners rush to spread rumors and self-claimed victory from meeting with China in regards the trade war, undisciplinedly, such as Trump phoned and wrote to Chinese leader requesting a meeting to discuss the trade war, days before G-20 in Argentina. US news reports that more than 70 % US corporations and citizens rely on stocks to finance their expenses and capitals. On the contrary, only 10 % of Chinese citizens buy stocks. The fact is the trade war only punishes US consumers while China exports surges 22 % ,14 % and 9,8 % in Oct. , Sep. and Aug. 2018 respectively. China is the world largest market. Chinese giant Alibaba annual “One Day Sale” hits a shocking 32 billion US dollars just days ago vs US black Friday sales of 5 billion dollars. One hopes both countries can work out a deal based on all facts. The report by the Deutsche Bank Research and many others, the trade imbalance between the United States and China is grossly misleading in US trade data. Apple, GM, Intel, Boeing and other US companies sold a combined total of 372 billion goods through their Chinese branches. The figure not put into US trade export number to China. The actual US trade deficit is only 30 billion dollars. In addition, US dominates and profits enormously from Chinese service sectors such as US food chains, cosmetic, tourism ( 100 billion spending from Chinese tourists, students and investments)….
@Glenn Martin "Essentially he's causing citizens and businesses to pay the US government. It's like a tax raise only stupid."
True but methinks we suffer more because the Yankees buy local and we sell less to them for a lower price N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@peter anderson "Preparing for a gloomier future? CNN says today, it is a clear sign of US recession. Dow is sharply plunging 800 points staggeringly today."
Methinks the news today should surprise nobody with two clues between their ears N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@Glenn Martin, a stupid tax which characterizes the one responsible for it.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks your lawyer should explain to you my files and my lawsuit someday N'esy Pas?
Content disabled.
David Amos
@Jim Palmer Methinks Captain Bankruptcy was too dumb to read this file that I sent his lawyers not long after he came down the fancy escalator in his Tower to announce his run for the oval office in the summer of 2015 N'esy Pas?
@David Amos Oh MY My that was a rather telling thing about integrity N'esy Pas?
Steve Whitaker
In 2008, Trump defaulted on $300 million he owed the real estate division of Deutche Bank, borrowed for bad real estate deals. In 2010, he paid back that money. How? He borrowed it from the private wealth division of Deutche Bank, which was laundering money for Russian oligarchs. Source: Newsweek. Why would a bank lend him money to pay itself back? Ask Putin and pals. It was their money.
William Myles
@Steve Whitaker By any measure, Trump has lost several times more billions than he has ever made. He just forces other people to take the losses. Anyone adding him up, would declare him a disaster.
Phil Beech
@William Myles Care to give some credible proof of your claims?
This comment is awaiting moderation by the site administrators.
David Amos
@Phil Beech "Care to give some credible proof of your claims?
U.S. yield curve inverts as pessimism about growth potential comes roaring back
Pete Evans· CBC News·
U.S. stock traders went on a wild ride on Tuesday as fears over growth potential came back with a vengeance. (Richard Drew/Associated Press)
Stock markets fell precipitously on Tuesday as weekend optimism that the U.S. and China could de-escalate their trade war fell by the wayside.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than three per cent, or 799 points, to 25,027. The broader S&P 500 fared even worse, losing 88 points to close just above 2,700. And the technology-heavy Nasdaq was worst of all, down almost four per cent, or 283 points, to 7158.
The TSX was comparatively better off, down only 1.3 per cent, or 211 points, to 15,063, as a rebound in oil prices "helped to break the fall of the Canadian markets a little bit," said Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management.
Both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will be closed on Wednesday for the funeral of former president George H.W. Bush, so U.S. investors will have to wait until Thursday if they want to alter their currently gloomy view.
"People were willing to pile in yesterday but today perhaps the bulls and bargain hunters were a little more reluctant to step in," Cieszynski said. "We'll see what happens when U.S. trading resumes on Thursday."
The causes of the dour mood were myriad, but they all boil down to fears that the economy is in for a bumpy ride.
"It's more concerns about China and Trump," Barry Schwartz, chief investment officer with Baskin Wealth Management, said in an interview. "I thought we had the truce but the market decided to get skeptical on it today."
'Something turned out to be nothing'
That gloom was a marked change from Monday, as U.S. markets had a mini rally after the weekend summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to what seemed like a ceasefire in their roiling trade war.
The U.S. administration on Monday claimed China had agreed to lower several tariffs on U.S. goods, but Chinese media outlets made no mention of such a concession. Then White House officials on Tuesday struggled to explain what — precisely — the two sides have actually agreed to do.
"The sense is that there's less and less agreement between the two sides about what actually took place," said Willie Delwiche, investment strategist at Baird. "There was a rally in the expectation that something had happened. The problem is that something turned out to be nothing."
"As soon as investors digested the information from the discussions, they focused on the uncertainties and lack of details," said Ryan Nauman, market strategist at Nevada-based Informa Financial Intelligence.
Those smouldering flames then had gasoline poured on them later in the day, when Trump made a series of statements on Twitter that reconfirmed he's as committed to trade barriers as ever.
....I am a Tariff Man. When people or countries come in to raid the great wealth of our Nation, I want them to pay for the privilege of doing so. It will always be the best way to max out our economic power. We are right now taking in $billions in Tariffs. MAKE AMERICA RICH AGAIN
"There was no news today," Schwartz said. "There was some stupid tweets but really no news of substance."
It didn't help the mood that the bond markets started making a sign that has a track record of predicting recessions in the past.
The yield curve on U.S. three-year government bonds versus five-year bonds inverted — meaning the rate for the former is now higher than the one for the latter. (Under normal circumstances, long-term debt has a higher yield than shorter-term debt, to reward investors for locking in their money for longer. For more on why inverted yields are so fearsome, read this story.)
Inverted yields suggest investors aren't feeling confident about the future, and there's a strong correlation between the appearance of an inversion and the U.S. economy going into a recession shortly thereafter.
"When short-term interest rates are higher than long-term, it definitely tells you people are worried about the economic outlook for the future," Schwartz said.
But he thinks the gloom was overblown. The global economy has been growing at a healthy clip for several years in a row now, and he sees no reason to think that won't continue into 2019. "But skepticism is winning the day," Schwartz said. "This is where the markets want to be for now."
About the Author
Pete Evans
Senior Writer, CBCNews.ca
Pete Evans is the senior business writer for CBCNews.ca. Prior to coming to the CBC, he had stints at Report on Business, the Financial Post, the Toronto Star, Canadian Business Magazine and elsewhere. Twitter: @p_evans Email: pete.evans@cbc.ca Secure PGP: https://secure.cbc.ca/public-key/Pete-Evans-pub.asc
Algonquin Power buys Enbridge Gas New Brunswick for $331M
33 Comments
David Amos
Methinks Minister Holland made some interesting statements on the radio just now N'esy Pas?
David Amos
Methinks David Pasieka did not do his homework very well N'esy Pas?
Marc LeBlanc
@David Amos Algonquin,soon to be Liberty is American owned. Given the current state of Canada/US relations on trade I hope Mr Paseika comes with a big bag of goodies N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Marc LeBlanc Methinks you should know that you are quite likely a stakeholder in the aforesaid company N'esy Pas?
Harold Benson
To bad they would'nt but NB Nopwer.
David Guitard
@Harold Benson Be careful what you wish for.
Michel Boudreau
@Harold Benson David Guitard is right, be very carefull of what you wish for, Selling NBPower to the private sector like it almost happen few years back to Hydro Québec would have remove a serious revenue out of Taxpayer account. Making us Taxpayer pay more to fill up that account and the province loan. It not fun to pay high on power but at less the money help pay the province loan. Hopping one day we pay less tax once the loan is paid out.
David Amos
@Harold Benson Methinks Sam must agree with you N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Michel Boudreau Dream on
Lou Bell
Enbridge started in NB as an " old boys club " , whose exclusive members bought in and were assured a return of over 10 % per year , all on the backs of their customers . They were given a blank cheque and planned on taking full advantage of their customers , starting with false promises on how much money they would save by going to natural gas . Was working until they got caught !
David Amos
@Lou Bell Oh So True
Marc LeBlanc
If they weren't charging the highest rates in the country they(Enbridge) might have reached their targets.Perception is everything
David Amos
@Marc LeBlanc YUP
Methinks that is particularly important when playing with other people's money N'esy Pas?
Michael Hunt
I might actually buy from them if they promised to lay off a bunch of those people. Very unethical company in my opinion. NB hates you Enbridge. You will get no sympathy from me.
David Amos
@Michael Hunt Methinks you should check my work within the EUB matter # 357 I would lay odds that Minister Holland didn't N'esy Pas?
Algonquin Power buys Enbridge Gas New Brunswick for $331M
Algonquin official David Pasieka optimistic the deal can stabilize province's high natural gas rates
Jacques Poitras· CBC News·
Enbridge Gas New Brunswick has 12,000 customers, far short of its original target. (CBC)
Canada's largest natural-gas pipeline company is dumping its once-troubled New Brunswick retail gas system less than two decades after it entered the provincial market.
Calgary-based Enbridge is selling its subsidiary, Enbridge Gas New Brunswick, to Algonquin Power and Utilities for $331 million.
David Pasieka, Algonquin's chief transformation officer, said Tuesday that the company is optimistic that eventually it can stabilize New Brunswick natural gas rates, which are now the highest in Canada.
"We hope that our growth plan will ultimately be able to come up with some other ideas which ultimately will benefit you and the price that's associated with the gas you're paying for," he said during an interview at Enbridge's Fredericton office.
The acquisition comes two years after a legal settlement between Enbridge and the province, designed to address uncertainty about the future of natural gas in the province.
Enbridge Gas New Brunswick reached a settlement with the province after suing for $800 million.
The terms of the settlement meant Enbridge "had been looking forward from 2016," and now Algonquin will inherit the benefits of that agreement, Pasieka said.
With Algonquin's "entrepreneurial spirit" and the local experience Enbridge's employees will bring to the company, "we should be able to do good things together," he said.
Jennifer Rowland, an energy industry analyst, said Enbridge's sale was less about exiting the New Brunswick market and more about the company's selling off of $8 billion in assets to pay down debt from its purchase of another energy company two years ago.
"Enbridge has been selling assets all year," she said.
Enbridge won the franchise to distribute offshore Nova Scotia natural gas from the Maritimes and Northeast pipeline in 1999, beating out Irving Oil.
But it fell short of its goal of signing up the 71,000 customers it hoped to enrol within its first two decades. The much smaller base of 12,000 customers had to be charged more to pay down Enbridge's accumulated debt from building its lines.
That contributed to ever-increasing distribution rates for customers, which the previous PC government tried to stop by passing legislation in 2011 to break Enbridge's contract. The legislation let competitors enter the retail gas market to force rates down.
The commodity rate for natural gas in New Brunswick is one of the highest in Canada. (CBC)
Enbridge filed lawsuits claiming $800 million, lawsuits the Liberal government settled in 2016.
That settlement capped gas rates for 2018 and 2019 in return for letting Enbridge seek higher rate increases after that, to pay down its deferral account. It also extended Enbridge's franchise agreement by 25 years and restored its near-monopoly.
Now it's up to Algonquin to build on that stability, Pasieka said.
"We have a very optimistic growth plan set up for here. We think we can bring more customers onto the pipe. That will be helpful for everybody. We'll look for diversifying supply and signing longer-term contracts."
One element will be an incentive program to persuade new customers to sign up for natural gas.
Pasieka said Algonquin's shareholders will put up $5 million to fund those incentives, which could include covering "up to 100 per cent" of the costs of converting homes to natural gas. He said the details will be worked out after the sale is finalized.
'An encouraging sign'
Premier Blaine Higgs called the acquisition a good sign for the economy.
"It's an encouraging sign of a company investing in our province, so that's positive," he said.
"They seem to want to grow the market, [for] which the opportunity exists more so if we can develop some of our homegrown resources to supply it."
Premier Blaine Higgs says the sale of Enbridge Gas New Brunswick is a good sign for the economy. (James West/Canadian Press)
That's a reference to the PC decision to partially lift a moratorium on shale gas development in the Sussex area if there's local support for it.
Pasieka also said that could "fit into the equation" for the company.
But he said the Enbridge deal has been in the works for about fourth months and is not related to the recent election result or any policy decisions by the new Progressive Conservative government.
"This opportunity came up," he said. "We knocked on their door and the timing was right for Enbridge. … It was just almost happenstance that the situations come together at almost the same time."
Algonquin does not plan to cut any staff in the province.
"Every employee here in New Brunswick will keep their job," Pasieka said. "They'll keep their title, they'll keep their pay and their benefits."
The company will also relocate to Fredericton a handful of Enbridge employees who deal with New Brunswick customer-service calls from an out-of-province office.
The acquisition must be approved by the provincial Energy and Utilities Board.
Algonquin will run the gas operation through its subsidiary, Liberty Utilities. The company operates 39 utilities in the United States.
Previous Canadian dealings
The New Brunswick retail gas system will be the company's first regulated utility in Canada, though it already operates the Tinker Dam, a hydroelectric dam in Victoria County that sells electricity to the municipally owned power utility in the nearby Perth-Andover.
Dan Dionne, the village manager in Perth-Andover, said the company has been good to deal with. Last year, the village signed a 14-year extension on its contract for power from the dam.
Dan Dionne, the village administrator in Perth-Andover, says Algonquin Power and Utilities has been good to deal with. (CBC)
"We're certainly looking forward to a long-term relationship with them, and found them very professional and A-1 to work with so far," Dionne said.
Pasieka would not comment on how the carbon-tax debate would affect the company.
The previous Liberal government's climate plan exempted fossil fuels for home heating from its carbon price. But Ottawa rejected that plan and will impose its own carbon tax, which will apply to residential natural gas, starting next year.
"We're just monitoring the situation and we'll see how that unfolds," Pasieka said.
About the Author
Jacques Poitras
Provincial Affairs reporter
Jacques Poitras has been CBC's provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick since 2000. Raised in Moncton, he also produces the CBC political podcast Spin Reduxit.
Methinks the Dairy Farmers and a stray cat I call Mr Higgs plus every other political animal in Fundy Royal know what a monumental joke this is to me N'esy Pas?
PC government reverses ban on chocolate milk, juice sales in schools
4 Comments
David Amos
Methinks the Dairy Farmers and a stray cat I call Mr Higgs plus every other political animal in Fundy Royal know what a monumental joke this is to me N'esy Pas?
PC government reverses ban on chocolate milk, juice sales in schools
The new Progressive Conservative government relaxed some requirements of policy 711
Nathalie Sturgeon· CBC News·
Education Minister Dominic Cardy said policy 711 has been changed to allow the sale of chocolate milk and more flexibility for breakfast and after-school programs. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Students in New Brunswick schools will once again be able to sell chocolate milk and fruit juice after the provincial government made changes to its nutrition policy Wednesday.
The previous Liberal government updated the decades-old Policy 711 in June with stricter guidelines that prohibited food and beverages with "lower nutritional value that contain few nutrients and are higher in saturated fats, sugar or salt."
The requirements extended beyond the school cafeteria and applied to breakfast programs and fundraisers.
The policy was met with backlash from school officials and after-school programs.
On Wednesday, the Progressive Conservative government unveiled the rewritten policy that reverses the ban on chocolate milk and 100-per cent fruit juice sales in schools.
Schools can choose to continue the ban, according to Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer of health.
The policy will also allow for flexibility for breakfast and after-school programs as well as fundraisers. "I don't want to see kids, who because of their income level, going to school hungry," said Dominic Cardy, minister of education and early childhood development.
"I don't want to see schools that depend on extracurricular supports lose that funding."
Paul Gaunce, chair for the Dairy Farmers of New Brunswick, said sales have dropped 40 per cent in the first three months of the revamped policy. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Cardy said explaining the changes to students who've only been under the policy for three months will mean admitting there was a mistake.
"Sometimes, just like kids make mistakes, so do grown-ups," he said. "I think this case this an example of a policy where we pushed it a little too far and didn't think about the consequences and now we're just tweaking a bit."
Russell praised the ban back in June, saying that most Canadians get most of their sugar intake from sugary drinks.
She said Wednesday the evidence hasn't changed.
Russell has said in order to reduce sugar consumption in Canadians, sugary drinks would have to be a target. She said she treated many patients as a family doctor for diabetes, heart disease and obesity. She said that she provides the research for making decisions, but the ultimate decision is up to the government.
"The government has the right to make changes to policies and my job is promote and protect the health of the public," she said.
Milk sales impacted
The change is welcome news to the dairy farmers who supply milk to the local schools in the province.
Paul Gaunce, chair of the Dairy Farmers of New Brunswick, said sales have taken a hit in the three months the policy banned chocolate milk.
He said in the first three months sales dropped by 40 per cent. Gaunce said there was no increase in consumption of white milk and that created more problems for the industry.
He was glad to see the changes reversed, something that was promised to him during the election campaign.
"I'm very happy," he said.
Jennifer Ward, principal of Barker's Point Elementary School, said she is happy they'll be able to have fundraisers that can sell sugary treats. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
The decision also pleases the principal of Barker's Point Elementary School in Fredericton. Jennifer Ward said she is glad the school will once again be able to have fundraisers that can sell sugary treats.
"Events like the Halloween Howl bring in fundraising monies for us," she said. "So, now we have the flexibility that we can continue those."
Opposition disagrees with changes
MLA Chuck Chiasson, Liberal policy advocate for education, said he thinks the reversal of the changes is a mistake.
Ottawa rejects Higgs's request to delay carbon plan for industry
38 Comments
David Amos
Surprise Surprise Surprise
Matt Steele
Trudeau is a lot like Brian Gallant......tax , tax , tax , and more tax . Maybe the same thing will happen to Trudeau as as happened to Gallant ; and it will be BYE BYE Justin in next year's Federal election .
Marc Martin
@Matt Steele
You didn't comment on the other article that said that Gallant left Higgs with 57 million less on the debt...
David Amos
@Marc Martin Who cares?
Jeff LeBlanc
@Matt Steele except that Trudeau said "vote for me and I will tax and run up the debt" and people voted for him and he is living up to his promise. A lot of people forget the platform he ran on, he never once said he would not raise taxes, in fact he said get ready for higher ones. #shortmemories
Marc Martin
@David Amos
Your right who cares...
Paul Bourgoin
@David Amos New Brunswick Residents and their Families!!
Lewis Taylor
@Matt Steele Why not just state that you are a die hard PC instead of spreading fake stuff.
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, if only we had Charlie Van Horne. He cared!
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you should ask yourself why your SANB buddy Mr Martin posted the same two words here all day long and nobody cared N'esy Pas?
And then we have PQ Legault already saying there is no "social license" for oil but wants to sell hydro like it screwed NFLD in past . And since Labrador now has a large hydro project it must be feeling a bit pinched perhaps. Meanwhile the OPEC tankers arrive in Levis and MTL.
Lewis Taylor
@Ian Scott Quebec did not screw NFLD in the past. It was a deal accepted by both govts. NFLD signed willfully. The courts have ruled that is a fair and binding agreement. You can't sign an agreement and change your mind afterwards. People should stick to real facts and leave the alternative ones to the White house.
Roland Godin
@Ian Scott Best we prepare to buy electricity from Churchill Fall predicted at 0,23 KW, that will show Québec...EH!
Marguerite Deschamps
@Lewis Taylor, Ian is taking sides just because he does not like Quebeckers, just like hockey fans either hate the Leafs or the Habs. His mind's already made up, don't confuse him with the facts.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you would be hard pressed to find many folks who like Quebeckers N'esy Pas?
Mario Doucet
The federal government and the NB provincial government is a french make work project.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Mario Doucet, with a French name like yours, you should be happy eh?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks just because he has a French name it does not follow that he should agree with your SANB agenda N'esy Pas?
There ya go now Higgs and the CoRservatives will give themselves credit for the Liberal governments doing...
Pierre LaRoches
@Marc Martin It's literally in the article that the new finance minister gave credit to the past government. You are getting worse.
David Amos
@Pierre LaRoches Methinks a lot of folks are wondering just how bad this dude will get N'esy Pas?
Emilen Forest
How many civil servants are their reading these comments when they should be working.
Pierre LaRoches
@Emilen Forest most based on my experience as consultant. The offices are full of Internet browsing, slow rolling dead weight.
John O'Brien
@Pierre LaRoches You forgot "chronic complaining". Civil servants are as entitled as it gets. Medical personnel are the glowing exception.But nurses , lab techs, orderlies etc are professionals- they know their job is patient care and they don't quit. Most of the rest would rather complain than work- weak minded politicians keep civil service job offers for people they owe favors to; these people don't expect they will have to work as well.
Marc Martin
@Emilen Forest
At least they are working.....
David Amos
@Marc Martin Methinks you are working all day unless you are paid to produce spin N'esy Pas?
Alex Forbes
Still too high. Slash spending, pay off the deficit, then eliminate (or at least practically eliminate) taxes.
Jake Devries
@Alex Forbes NB needs to get rid of hundreds of silly servants..we are the highest ration of PS to citizens in the country...
Lewis Taylor
@Jake Devries Agreed
David Amos
@Alex Forbes Methiks I have explained another way many times and nobody care N'esy Pas?
John O'Brien
I am convinced that Cathy Rogers doesn't know enough finance to balance her cheque book. She was just a mouthpiece for Gallant and Dominic Leblanc
Jeff LeBlanc
@Jake Devries this is the internet, back it up with proof please.
David Amos
@Jeff LeBlanc "this is the internet, back it up with proof please."
Trust that i know a thing or two about money and politicking
It's petty how cbc obviously chooses unflattering images of non liberals...so one-sided.
David Amos
@David Peters Its easy to understand why it ain't rocket science
Dave white
What a shame that the government will cut back on the capital budget so much.I saw so many roads bridges and buildings that have been fixed the last four years that were run down to the point of collapse .It is not a cost saving when the government will not do maintenance in a timely manner ,it always costs more in the future than doing it now just due to inflation alone .The longer they put maintenance off the more it costs.
David Amos
@Dave white Methinks the fact they want to cut back on the road repair will insure their loss in the next election N'esy Pas?
Scott McLaughlin
I hope the liberals don't get back in power any time soon
David Amos
@Scott McLaughlin Methinks many folks would agree that they will be back in power as soon as the PANB and PC Party honeymoon is over N'esy Pas?
Robert Brannen
"Even so, he warned that his first capital budget next week will mark a departure from four years of what he called 'haphazard' Liberal spending on infrastructure." -- CBC reporting on Finance Minister Ernie Steeves's up-date to the Liberal budget.
Hmmm, deja vu all over again! Just a different person as Finance Minister this time.
In April of 2017 Gallant was bragging how the Liberal government increased minimum wage from $11.00 per hour to $11.25. If an employee worked 40 hours in a week their their net pay went from $380.60 to $387.91 a 1.9% increase. After entering this information on the CRA Payroll website I noticed the government coffers increased at a much higher rate. The income tax grab from low income earners increased 4.1% for provincial taxes and 5.4% for federal taxes.
Emilen Forest
@Emilen Forest
Remarkable that even with faced with fact some people cannot see any further than their own nose.
David Amos
@Emilen Forest Methinks the awful truth is most folks quite imply don't care the truth as they drink whatever kool aid their favourite politcal party serves and supporting media upon them N'esy Pas?
Mack Leigh
Could Jacques Poitras be anymore obvious as to his allegiance to the Liberals in all of his supposedly " unbiased " reporting ?? Wow, so much for journalistic integrity and neutrality ....
David Amos
@Mack Leigh Methinks this is no surprise to many folks N'esy Pas?
Fracking and a carbon plan: You can't do both, says Green leader
Premier Blaine Higgs has said he's adopting the Liberals' 2016 carbon action plan
Elizabeth Fraser· CBC News·
Green Party Leader David Coon supports the 2016 carbon plan, but he's also leery that Premier Blaine Higgs won't meet the plan's target by 2030. (James West/Canadian Press)
The new Progressive Conservative government says it wants to lift the moratorium on fracking in the Sussex-area and stick to the Liberal government's 2016 plan of transitioning to a lower carbon economy.
But it can't do both, says Green Party Leader David Coon.
"That's going to add a considerable amount of greenhouse gas into the system and, of course, go into the other direction of fossil fuels, making us more dependant than ever," Coon said in an interview with Information Morning Moncton.
"We need to remember that the ultimate target is to get off of fossil fuels."
At a news conference on Wednesday, Premier Blaine Higgs said he would be asking the federal government to put on hold plans to impose emissions regulations on industrial emitters in the province on Jan. 1.
He also unveiled what he considers a "made-in-New Brunswick" plan to address climate change.
Higgs said the plan regulates large industrial emitters, without unfairly targeting businesses. At the same time, he vowed to meet New Brunswick's emissions-reductions goal for 2030. The premier did not, however, provides specifics on how the government would regulate industry.
Higgs also claimed he would be adopting the Liberal government's 2016 plan, Transitioning To A Low Carbon Economy and has "no intention to re-invent the wheel."
Coon said fully implementing the plan that was developed under the previous government — based on recommendations from a select committee that Coon sat on — should enable New Brunswick to reach the target, which is 10.7 megatons of annual emissions by 2030.
PC Premier Blaine Higgs announced plans to ask the federal government to hold off on emissions regulations for the province. Ottawa has since rejected the request.
The plan calls for a greater emphasis on renewable energy and a co-ordinated approach to energy efficiency in businesses and homes across the province.
Although Coon supports the plan if fully implemented, he's also worried that Higgs made no mention to the 2030 target at Wednesday's news conference.
The premier did mention the other emissions-reduction goal for 2030 of 14.1 megatons of carbon dioxide. That target is based on applying Canada's national reductions target under the Paris climate agreement.
The Liberals, however, adopted the more ambitious goal of 10.7 megatons.
The province has almost reached its 30 per cent reduction target — the 14.1-megatons goal — from 2005 levels.
Information Morning - Moncton
NB's climate change plan
00:0011:40
David Coon is the leader of the New Brunswick Green Party. He says the PC government's plan to adopt the Liberal government's plan would take the province in the right direction. 11:40
"It makes it seem like we don't have to do very much to achieve our objectives," Coon said.
"We need to get off fossil fuels and that means significant movement toward expanding our use of renewable energy."
Coon said the plan has also achieved very little since it was implemented two years ago but he's hopeful the Higgs government will implement the plan with a sense of urgency.
"We've got to get to work."
With files from Information Morning Moncton, Jacques Poitras
Ottawa rejects Higgs's request to delay carbon plan for industry
The federal government carbon pricing plan for industry will kick in Jan. 1
Jacques Poitras· CBC News·
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs's request to delay the federal carbon pricing plan for industry that will go into effect in January has been rejected by Ottawa. (James West/Canadian Press)
The federal government is rejecting New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs's request that it delay imposing its carbon-pricing system on large industrial emitters next month.
Ottawa says New Brunswick missed a key deadline for filing an acceptable climate plan and that means its industrial levy will kick in on Jan. 1.
"New Brunswick's proposed system does not meet the federal benchmark stringency requirements," said Vincent Hughes, a spokesperson for federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
"Therefore, the federal carbon pollution pricing system will apply in the province. For larger industrial facilities, an output-based pricing system will start applying in January 2019."
The rejection comes just as Higgs prepares for his first first ministers' meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other provincial and territorial premiers.
On Wednesday, Higgs unveiled what he called his new government's climate plan, though the three-page document had no details on how the Progressive Conservatives will regulate industrial emissions.
The previous Liberal government of Brian Gallant planned to allow Ottawa to apply its pricing system on industry in the province.
Premier Blaine Higgs announces the province's new climate change plan on Wednesday in Fredericton. (CBC)
That regime will measure industrial emissions sector-by-sector and will require plants that emit carbon dioxide above the average to pay a levy.
Higgs asked for Ottawa to postpone application of the levy to give him time to come up with an alternate model. He didn't say how he'd regulate emissions, but he did promise to meet reduction targets that match Canada's commitments under the Paris climate agreement.
The provinces had until Sept. 1 to submit plans that comply with the federal requirement for a higher cost on emissions for both consumers and industry.
Liberal plan rejected
New Brunswick's submission was filed by the Liberals and included adoption of the federal levy for industry.
But Ottawa officially rejected it Oct. 23 because the consumer part of the plan was a shift of existing gas tax revenue into a climate fund with no higher cost at the pump.
The federal carbon tax on consumers will be applied in New Brunswick next April. Federal estimates say it will cost an average New Brunswick family $207 more in 2019.
But Ottawa has pledged to rebate 90 per cent of what it collects in the recalcitrant provinces. It estimates an average New Brunswick family will get a rebate of $256.
Higgs said his government will challenge the federal government's jurisdiction, arguing it doesn't have the legal authority to impose a carbon tax on the province.
Lower deficit would have 'happened regardless' of PC government taking power
Jacques Poitras· CBC News·
On Thursday, Finance Minister Ernie Steeves released a second-quarter update to the Liberal budget released in January. (Michel Corriveau/Radio-Canada)
The New Brunswick government is on track for a lower-than-projected deficit in the current fiscal year, Finance Minister Ernie Steeves revealed Thursday.
The new Progressive Conservative finance minister released a second-quarter update to the Liberal budget released in January.
It projects a deficit of $131.4 million for the current 2018-19 fiscal year, down from the $188.7 million originally forecast by then-Liberal finance minister Cathy Rogers.
That's mainly due to higher-than-expected revenue eclipsing a higher-than-forecast spending and isn't the result of any major policy changes by the four-week-old PC government, Steeves said.
"That's what would have happened regardless," he said.
Premier Blaine Higgs promised to balance the budget by 2020. (James West/Canadian Press)
Even so, he warned that his first capital budget next week will mark a departure from four years of what he called "haphazard" Liberal spending on infrastructure.
"We are serious about making decisions based on what we can afford and what's best for future generations," he said.
"We're very aware of New Brunswickers' priorities, supporting health care and education, but you will see a definite shift in focus with respect to our capital budget," Steeves added.
The capital budget is the province's spending plan for items such as roads, bridges and schools.
"I will not be delivering shopping list as we've seen in the past," Steeves said. "Instead there will be a definite focus on maintaining the infrastructure that we already have."
Balanced by 2020
The PCs have promised their second budget, due in 2020, will be balanced. Steeves said Thursday he could guarantee that will happen but he also said he'll try to get there even earlier, in his 2019-2020 budget expected in March.
Steeves said he's been meeting with departments to find savings and that will involve "hard choices … but you know, there are also great things coming from it. We're finding all sorts of new ideas and that outside-the-box thinking is awesome."
The 2018-19 update shows no major change in direction. The amount budgeted by the Liberals for the provincial rollout of early learning centres hasn't been reduced, even though Premier Blaine Higgs has said the program is under review.
Spending is $94.4 million higher than budgeted, with most of that — $67.2 million — due to spring flooding. A large amount of that will be covered by the federal government.
Spending on disability services, child welfare, housing and seniors by the Department of Social Development is $36.6 million higher than expected.
On the revenue side, corporate and personal income taxes are bringing in more money than expected, as are federal transfer payments. But return on investments is down $45.6 million, mainly because NB Power profits are turning out to be lower than expected.
Methinks Minister Holland and the leader of the Green Party should not deny that I spoke with each of them before the writ was dropped and I ran Sussex against Northrup as the latest Circus began N'esy Pas?
No clear strategy to get fracking consent, says energy minister
77 Comments
David Amos
Methinks Minister Holland and the leader of the Green Party should not deny that I spoke with each of them before the writ was dropped and I ran against Bruce Northrup and his cohorts in Sussex and the latest Circus began N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@David Amos Methinks Minister Holland must know why my friend Roger Richard ran against Kevin Arseneau the former SANB President and liberal candidate wannabe who is now the infamous French Lieutenant of the Green Party N'esy Pas?
David Amos
Methinks the French Lieutenant of the Green Party must read the media that promotes him N'esy Pas?
Awkward questions raised at investigation of RCMP actions at Rexton shale gas camp: “Why didn’t they care about the crime scene?” (Part 1 of 3) Written by Dallas McQuarrie on March 20, 2015
A St. Louis-de-Kent man is asking some very pointed questions about what really happened on October 17, 2013, when RCMP overran a shale gas protest camp at Rexton. During the raid, six police cars were burned. Using RCMP statements and pure imagination, some mainstream media outlets jumped to the dubious conclusion that protesters were responsible.
The day the RCMP attacked the Rexton protest camp, Roger Richard went to the site of the car burnings about 6:00 p.m. and took a long, close-up look at the vehicles. Richard’s inspection of the burned out cars led him to conclude the burnings were “staged” to discredit protesters.
“Those cars were stripped,” Richard says. “There were no burned computers, standard in RCMP cars, nor even the brackets that hold the computers in place.” He also looked in the trunk of a car and noted that there was no spare tire, tire rim, or jack.
Robert Brannen
@David Amos
The investigation by CRCC is ongoing. Patience!
David Amos
@Robert Brannen Methinks you had read my lawsuit then you may understand why my comment about that fact was blocked N'esy Pas?
@David Amos Government won't push those investigations, because it would show government sending undercover officers to discredit the protest. Like they did at the large G8- G20 protests.
Content disabled.
David Amos
Methinks we are all entitled to read this report N'esy Pas?
Chair-Initiated Complaint and Public Interest Investigation into the RCMP response to the shale gas (fracking) protests in Kent County, New Brunswick, in 2013
The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP (the Commission) is currently conducting a public interest investigation into the RCMP response to the shale gas protests in Kent County, New Brunswick, in 2013.
Between the summer of 2013 and early 2014, the Commission received approximately 16 individual public complaints and one group public complaint consisting of a petition signed by 245 individuals. These public complaints made general and specific allegations about the RCMP response to protests and protesters. The most common allegation was of use of excessive force. Other allegations included: improper arrests and detention, interference with freedom of expression and peaceful protest, and interference with Aboriginal Peoples spiritual ceremonies.
On July 30, 2013, the Chair of the Commission, Mr. Ian McPhail, decided, pursuant to subsection 45.43(1) of the RCMP Act (in force until November 27, 2014), to conduct a Public Interest Investigation into the several complaints. This allows the Commission to conduct its own investigation of all of the complaints at one time.
Rosco holt
The municipality of Sussex supports fracking, while the fracking would be in the surrounding DSL who weren't asked.
Why is Sussex even asked, they have nothing at risk?
David Amos
@Rosco holt Methinks everybody know I ran in Sussex again this year. trust that although Higgs and Northrup were yapping about this fracking nonsense all summer in the Irving Media it was not an issue in Sussex during the election period. Most folks were concerned about the Irving Clan suing SNB. It was a small wonder that the Green Party made certain that I was not allowed to debate my political opponents in front of a packed room about that lawsuit N'esy Pas?
Fred Brewer
"New Brunswick's energy minister says he doesn't yet know how to make sure people in the Sussex area want shale gas fracking."
He must be waiting for guidance from the Empire.
David Amos
@Fred Brewer Mais Oui
Bernard McIntyre
I mean how unrealistic is this minister.Set up a meeting with the people of this region and ask them a simple question Do you want fracking in your area or not. That's how easy and realistic it could be.
Roy Kirk
@Bernard McIntyre Asking people to make a poorly informed decision is easy, but it will result in bad policy.
Bernard McIntyre
@Roy Kirk but that's up for the people of that region to decide. I still believe we are still supposed to be living in a d Democracy.
Roy Kirk
@Bernard McIntyre Democracy does not equal capriciousness. If you want everyone to have a say on such a matter, everyone has to have seen and weighed the same evidence, like a jury in a jury trial. Otherwise, you'll have too many people voting their prejudices.
Bernard McIntyre
@Roy Kirk Wow you must be a lawyer or want to be a politician using such big words. I believe a simple question would be efficent enough to get an idea if people of the region would want fracking or not.
Shawn McShane
@Roy Kirk There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know and the ones we don't want to know.
Bernard McIntyre
@Shawn McShane I didnt know that.
Roy Kirk
@Shawn McShane . . . and i don't know about that! ;-)
Roy Kirk
@Bernard McIntyre I'm neither, just an interest citizen that doesn't live in the Sussex area but none-the-less believes he should have a say in the matter.
Robert Brannen
@Shawn McShane
Is that you, Mr. Rumsfeld?
David Amos
@Robert Brannen Methinks you may enjoy page 30 of this old file of mine far more than Mr Rumsfeld did N'esy Pas?
I guess B. Higgs boss PANB leader is putting stops to all fracking...
David Amos
@Marc Martin Dream on
Heather Steeves
this gas is for export only. Where is all the royality money from the existing wells? Where are all the jobs? Where did the fracking waste go? You do know that this gas is for export to us market and of no benefit to us. You do not have a social licence to frack. Mr. Holland you better figure out a way to talk to your constituents can't be that hard or has your boss to just lay low?
David Amos
@Heather Steeves Good luck getting answers
Mike Bookman
This guy was elected in an area that clearly does not want fracking. There are anti-fracking signs in peoples yards everywhere. Ought to be interesting how he will manage to convince people that Irving Corporation's elected representative Blane Higgs is the true God of the people.
Mark (Junkman) George
@Mike Bookman
I read, with great interest, last weekend's article about a "banana republic", looked around, and thought.
Whoever, in this Provence, elected these "blue clowns" turned NB into Canada's banana republic.
Oscar Acosta
@Mike Bookman Nothing says "preserving our outdoor heritage" like fracking!
Marguerite Deschamps
@Mark (Junkman) George, I had read it as you did and frankly, like you, I immediately thought of New Brunswick.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you not so clever SANB people should read the public record of the EUB Matter # 357 ASAP N'esy Pas?
---------- Original message ---------- From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2018 16:24:20 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Fwd Methinks Minister Holland and your buddy David Coon should quit yapping pay attention N'esy Pas Andre Faust and Chucky Leblanc? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
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---------- Original message ---------- From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2018 12:24:15 -0400 Subject: Fwd Methinks Minister Holland and your buddy David Coon should quit
No clear strategy to get fracking consent, says energy minister
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Gallant, Brian (LEG)"<Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2018 15:05:37 +0000 Subject: RE: Methinks Minister Holland and your buddy David Coon should quit yapping pay attention N'esy Pas Andre Faust and Chucky Leblanc? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
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Methinks Minister Holland and the leader of the Green Party should not deny that I spoke with each of them before the writ was dropped and I ran against Bruce Northrup and his cohorts in Sussex and the latest Circus began N'esy Pas?
No clear strategy to get fracking consent, says energy minister
Needing consent from 1 area is in itself a 'fallacy,' says Green Party leader David Coon
Hadeel Ibrahim· CBC News·
Mike Holland was appointed minister of energy and resource development when a minority Progressive Conservative government won the confidence of the house three weeks ago. (Hadeel Ibrahim/CBC)
Listen to the full CBC New Brunswick Political Panel podcast by downloading from the CBC Podcast page or subscribing to the podcast in iTunes. New Brunswick's energy minister says he doesn't yet know how to make sure people in the Sussex area want shale gas fracking.
Mike Holland was appointed minister of energy and resource development when a minority Progressive Conservative government won the confidence of the house three weeks ago.
He's been tasked with making fracking happen after Premier Blaine Higgs said he will pursue it in communities that "have demonstrated their desire to proceed" with development.
But the question remains of how to measure that desire.
"The truth of the matter is within a 21-day period we've reached the point that we have to create a means or mechanism to [consult], but I don't have it," he told the CBC New Brunswick Political Panel.
"I think it's a little unrealistic to expect within a three-week period for somebody to have that mechanism in place for something that important."
Deep Trouble
Dec. 6: Energy minister and Green leader spar on future of fracking
00:0035:54
Energy Minister Mike Holland says he doesn't yet know how to make sure people in the Sussex area want fracking to resume in the area. Green Party Leader David Coon said the idea of only needing consent from one area of the province is in itself a "fallacy." Holland and Coon joined the weekly political panel. 35:54
The topic for this week's panel was fracking — and only Green Party and the Progressive Conservatives were represented at the weekly panel.
Last week Higgs said a cabinet order to lift the moratorium in the Sussex area could be approved before the end of the year.
During his campaign for office, Higgs said his government would create exemptions to the Liberal fracking moratorium "in a regional way, in a very localized way."
Green Leader David Coon, right, and Green MLA Megan Mitton won't be changing their stance against fracking. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)
The areas where shale gas fracking is promising are near the town of Sussex and in Albert County. That includes Penobsquis, where Corridor Resources began extracting shale gas in 1999.
Holland said municipal governments in the Sussex area have shown support for fracking, but the actual area where fracking could take place is outside municipal limits.
Gordon Kierstead, chair of the local service district outside Sussex where fracking may take place, said this week his area has not been approached or consulted.
Holland said he has spoken to people in Albert County, which he represents, and they expressed interest in the possible economic growth coming from this private industry.
Green Party MLA David Coon said the idea of only needing consent from one area of the province is in itself a "fallacy," because it's not possible to contain all impacts of fracking in one area.
"We all share the atmosphere," he told the political panel.
"Any health effects that might arise related to local development would obviously be a burden on the health system that we all pay for."
A burned-out car with a First Nations flag sits near the site of shale gas protests in New Brunswick in 2013. (Stephen Puddicombe/CBC)
He said for the province to consider investing in non-renewable and fossil fuel resources is a step backwards.
"We've got a climate crisis and we're talking about increasing the production of fossil fuels which will be burned outside the community, further contributing to the problem. It's like spraying gasoline on a burning house. What are we doing?" he said.
"It doesn't meet the straight-face test ... We've got to reduce our production of fossil fuels."
Holland said while he does believe the province should move in the direction of renewable energy soon, they can't turn away from private investments which could bring in millions of dollars.
Chair-Initiated Complaint and Public Interest Investigation into the RCMP response to the shale gas (fracking) protests in Kent County, New Brunswick, in 2013
The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP (the Commission) is currently conducting a public interest investigation into the RCMP response to the shale gas protests in Kent County, New Brunswick, in 2013.
Between the summer of 2013 and early 2014, the Commission received approximately 16 individual public complaints and one group public complaint consisting of a petition signed by 245 individuals.
These public complaints made general and specific allegations about the RCMP response to protests and protesters. The most common allegation was of use of excessive force. Other allegations included: improper arrests and detention, interference with freedom of expression and peaceful protest, and interference with Aboriginal Peoples spiritual ceremonies.
On July 30, 2013, the Chair of the Commission, Mr. Ian McPhail, decided, pursuant to subsection 45.43(1) of the RCMP Act (in force until November 27, 2014), to conduct a Public Interest Investigation into the several complaints. This allows the Commission to conduct its own investigation of all of the complaints at one time.
In May and June 2014, after a formal request from the Commission, the RCMP disclosed a significant quantity of materials relevant to the Commission's investigation.
On December 17, 2014, the Chair of the Commission notified the Commissioner of the RCMP and the Minister of Public Safety that he had initiated his own complaint about the RCMP's response to the Kent County protests pursuant to subsection 45.59(1) of the RCMP Act (as amended by the Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, which came into force on November 28, 2014). The Chair further notified the Commissioner pursuant to subsection 45.66(1) of the amended RCMP Act that the Commission would be investigating the Chair-initiated complaint concurrently with the existing Public Interest Investigation initiated on July 30, 2013.
The December 17, 2014, Chair-initiated complaint will examine the conduct of those RCMP members who responded to, or managed the response to, the Kent County shale gas protests in 2013, including a policy and practice perspective.
The Commission's investigators are conducting interviews with complainants, witnesses and others who have come forward with information that may be relevant to the investigation. Commission investigators will also be interviewing RCMP members involved in the events identified in the complaints as well as those involved in the response or management to the response.
Individuals who were personally affected by the conduct of RCMP members who responded to protests in Kent County, New Brunswick, or who have information that may be of assistance to the Commission's investigation, are invited to call the Commission at 1-800-267-6637 and leave a detailed message or to send an email to reviews@crcc-ccetp.gc.ca.
Upon completion of the investigation, the Chair will issue a Chair-Initiated Complaint and Public Interest Investigation Report detailing his findings and any recommendations he deems appropriate.
Awkward questions raised at investigation of RCMP actions at Rexton shale gas camp: “Why didn’t they care about the crime scene?” (Part 1 of 3)
Written by Dallas McQuarrie on March 20, 2015
Blockade against shale gas on a highway in Rexton, NB in 2013. Photo from Nowhere Else To Go, a film by Michael Shade.
A St. Louis-de-Kent man is asking some very pointed questions about what really happened on October 17, 2013, when RCMP overran a shale gas protest camp at Rexton. During the raid, six police cars were burned. Using RCMP statements and pure imagination, some mainstream media outlets jumped to the dubious conclusion that protesters were responsible.
The day the RCMP attacked the Rexton protest camp, Roger Richard went to the site of the car burnings about 6:00 p.m. and took a long, close-up look at the vehicles. Richard’s inspection of the burned out cars led him to conclude the burnings were “staged” to discredit protesters.
“Those cars were stripped,” Richard says. “There were no burned computers, standard in RCMP cars, nor even the brackets that hold the computers in place.” He also looked in the trunk of a car and noted that there was no spare tire, tire rim, or jack.
Richard, a dentist, who has practiced dentistry in St. Louis de Kent for 34 years, says computers, spare tires and other equipment are standard equipment in RCMP cars. He says the absence of such standard equipment from the burned vehicles is only one indication that the burnings were staged.
Richard was also shocked that police took no special precautions with the crime scene. “Within hours of the crime, I was able to walk right up to the cars while they were still smoldering,” he says. “The area had not been sealed off with crime scene tape, and there were no police around at all.”
“I could have tampered with those vehicles, and some people obviously did,” Richard says. He recalls being at a nearby coffee shop a few days later and seeing another customer showing people a piece of one of the burned cars he had taken as a souvenir.
“Why didn’t they care about the scene of the crime?” Richard asks. “Why didn’t the police protect the crime scene from tampering? Why didn’t they immediately bring in their own arson experts to gather evidence?” He says that the RCMP’s willingness to let the evidence that might have been gathered be tampered with or removed by passers-by, or destroyed by the weather, is further evidence the burnings were staged.
For weeks after the car burnings, the remains of the cars sat unattended by the side of the road. During that time, rain and snowfall would have further obscured or ruined possible crime scene evidence.
Richard further noted that “parts of the engines were actually melted, and that indicates the fire burned at a very high temperature.” He suspects that an ” accelerant” of a type not available for public purchase was used on the cars. Accelerants are substance or mixtures used to rapidly accelerate the development of a fire, and are commonly associated with cases of arson.
Richard is a specialist who makes dental prostheses, and his training involved the melting of various metals to make alloys for dental prostheses. “I know something about the fact that metals melt at different temperatures, and I think something more than just ordinary gasoline was used on those cars.”
He also questions the RCMP’s account of what transpired that day. “We were told that the police were afraid and ran away from their cars,” Richard says, “but the many police officers all around the area were highly trained and heavily armed. What were they afraid of and, if they were afraid, why not get in the cars and simply drive away instead of abandoning their vehicles?”
Within days of the Rexton riot, Richard took his observations directly to the RCMP station in Richibucto. He was met with an angry response from officers who promptly invited him to leave. He has since shared his information with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission Against the RCMP (CRCC) that is now investigating RCMP conduct in Kent County during the shale gas protests. Richard also says he experienced “déjà-vu” during his inspection of the burned cars. He is old enough to remember that when Kouchibouguac National Park was formed, local Acadians living there had their land expropriated by governments, and protests were organized by people trying to defend their homes.
“There was a confrontation with the RCMP back then too,” Richard says, “and, just like Rexton, there was an RCMP car abandoned then too. It was pushed into the ditch and the demonstrators were blamed.”
Richard strongly suspects that protesters at the Rexton camp have been wrongly blamed for what was, in reality, a staged event designed to discredit them. Many people here want answers to the kind of pointed questions Richard is asking.
The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) Against the RCMP is currently investigating RCMP conduct in Kent County during shale gas protests here. Anyone who wishes to submit any evidence to the inquiry and/or share their experiences and perceptions of RCMP conduct during those protests, is invited to e-mail the CRCC and its Senior Reveiwer/Analyst Rosemary Morgan at: reviews@crcc-ccetp.gc.ca
Dieppe mayor 'absolutely shocked' by ballooning Francophonie Games price
227 Comments
Eric Fowler
Good thing that there is lots of time to cancel. 17 million dollars was too much, 130 million is insane. Let your M.P and M.L.A. know how you feel. No money for so many things, but lots of money for "games". This is crazy.
David Amos
@Eric Fowler Welcome to the Circus
Marguerite Deschamps
... here comes the clown!
Simeon Elliott
Time to pull a Calgary.....just say no to overpriced games.
daryl doucette
@Simeon Elliott exactly
David Amos
@Simeon Elliott YUP
Norman Albert Snr
@Simeon Elliott Champagne wishes on a min wage income. We need to get back to need taking presidence over luxury wants. No way can we afford such expensive extravagances. If we could afford it it would still be last on a wish list.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Norman Albert Snr, agreed! However many do not practice what they preach. I see processions of big + 60 grant SUV trucks they don't need idling while waiting to get their fix at the Tim Horton drive-through, many lot of them puffing on their $14 a pack cigarette.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks even you Quebeckers must know that cigarettes are more than 14 loonies in the liberal idea of the "Place to Be" N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, honestly, I didn't know. I don't smoke; therefore I do not buy cigarettes. More than 14 $! Well, it's a shame some people still buy them.
Melanie Hooley
The planning committee should admit their mistake and back out of the games for all taxpayers sakes. Instead think about investing 17 million directly into the city where the citizens could benefit as a whole like the current housing crisis. Start building affordable housing apartments or subsidize housing for low income. As a tax paying member of this province we cannot afford to host an event at such an outrageous cost. Do the right thing! Back out!
David Amos @Melanie Hooley Methinks Mr Higgs has faith that his French Lieutenant is gonna come up with a plan to make the Anglophones who voted for his party happy N'esy Pas?
"Robert Gauvin, deputy premier and minister responsible for the Francophonie, called the news a chance to work together with federal and municipal governments as well as businesses. "We're fairly positive we'll do the best Games that we can," he said. "While it's surprising, again, there's still time to work together and come up with a plan."
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, worry pas, unilingual Anglophones can play.
Mario Doucet
Just think how far this money would go for the homeless or into hospital equipment.
David Amos
@Mario Doucet Methinks we should consider all the potholes that Minister Gauvin and his boss Mr Higgs don't consider worth fixing N'esy Pas?
Lloyd Joslin
I have to wait 13 months for eye surgery and we have money to waste on this?
David Amos
@Lloyd Joslin Methinks the SANB must be pacified N'esy Pas?
Jacques poirier
Let the organizers swallow their pride and admit this is a big mistake.This province is too far in debt and has cut too many needed services to justify spending that much money for games that are geared toward the elite athletes of the world.PULL OUT OF THIS FIASCO.The tax payers of this province have had enough!!!
David Amos
@Jacques poirier Methinks this dude may be embarrassed about stating the following N'esy Pas?
"Lapierre doesn't think there's a risk of the Games not occurring. "I doubt that the province of New Brunswick and government of Canada would want to face that embarrassment," he said. "
Edwin Kelley
The province can not afford this and provincially, taxpayers don't want to fund it. More important issues require funding. And forget the rhetoric about all the benefits. The business case fails.
David Amos
@Edwin Kelley Mais Oui
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, mais non!
Colin Seeley
Pull out.
Just like Calgary.
We cannot afford this.
Please do it ASAP.
Norman Albert Snr
@Colin Seeley Stupid is as stupid does. They will do this regardless of costs. Vanity!!!!
David Amos
@Norman Albert Snr “My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.”.
The folks who voted for Trudeau the Younger and his pals Mr Gallant and Mr Higgs now have the governments they deserve N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, "Methinks" you have indulged in too much chocolate looking for what you're gonna get, n'est-ce pas?
Marc LeBlanc
Common sense tells you to allow for a 15-20% contingency when planning for an event such as this How could anyone get this so wrong?
Billy Hachey
@Marc LeBlanc "It's a 664 per cent increase. It's not just forgetting a small element of the project."
Marguerite Deschamps
@Billy Hachey, governments are so easy to hoodwink. Does Mactaquac, Pointe Lepreau, the Olympic Stadium ring a bell? - And if we keep digging, we will find many more. Trump does have a point about governments squandering money.
Marc Martin
@Marguerite Deschamps
*Trump *
Don't say that word you will attract Davis...
Marguerite Deschamps
@Marc Martin, David should soon be here. I am the attraction. He is infatuated with me. Didn't you notice?
Marc Martin
@Marguerite Deschamps
What did you do to him ?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "David should soon be here. I am the attraction. He is infatuated with me."
Methinks the lady doth think far too much of herself N'esy Pas?
Mack Leigh
@Marc LeBlanc
This whole thing smells like a setup.... Manipulation and conning at its' best..
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, I am always a pretty well relaxed and laid back person. I still think you really like me.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks the lady doth flatter herself far too much N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
Maybe we could use some of that money so that the kids can play and have fun. Then put the rest of the money to better use.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Cry me a river
Mack Leigh
@Marguerite Deschamps
Ah !! but nothing is too good for the Francophone Elite ! No matter who has to go without just as long as their unrealistic, unwarranted demands are met....
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, should we take your comment to mean that this money should all go to waste?
Robert L. Brown
once again the Francophone community wants money from the 66% English community to fund their projects. When we have so much poverty in this province and so much provincial dept and the list could go on for the rest of the day we need to put New Brunswick first and forget all the groups that could not care for anyone except their own agenda
Marguerite Deschamps
@Robert L. Brown, you're paying nothing. We have all the jobs; remember?
Colin Seeley
@Robert L. Brown
Of course they do. It’s like Corporate Welfare on Steroids.
66% off your projects.
And still they complain.
Marc Martin
@Robert L. Brown
*once again the Francophone community wants money from the 66% English community *
You want money from my paycheck every week for your schools, museums and festivals what do you sugest ?
Maybe if we change the name to *Anglophone games* you would want it to be funded ?
Colin Seeley
@Marguerite Deschamps
That was funny Maggie. Touché.
But Oh yes he is paying.
You have all the bilingual Govt jobs. You know the ones that drive your kids to schools and pick up our sick in Ambulances.
Colin Seeley
@Marc Martin
Anglo games are integrated!
Marc Martin
@Colin Seeley
If we have all the government jobs then we pay all the taxes and should take all the decisions then right ?
Robert L. Brown
@Marguerite Deschamps So no taxpayer money in this venture. I appropriate your sarcastic reply did you just get back from Cannabis NB?
@Robert L. Brown dont make this a language issue,use common sense will ya...
Marc Martin
@Robert L. Brown
*did you just get back from Cannabis NB?*
You look pretty much happy on your pic....just saying...
Marguerite Deschamps
I don't like the lavish costs of these games any more than most of you do and also believe that they should be scrapped. But you can not have it both ways. At least if you were prepared to admit that less than 50% of government jobs require bilingual proficiency, you would be taken more seriously. Hence, we have all the jobs; you guys said it. Therefore, don't complain if you're on social assistance given that we're also paying for you.
daryl doucette
@Marc Martin whats next " the Korean games"? The " Syrian games"? The " African games"? The list could go on and on....it seems that one certain group in this area seems to never be satisfied unless they are " front and center" in the media in one form or another....either " complaining" or " celebrating"......
Marguerite Deschamps
@daryl doucette, what would be your reaction if your Special Olympics games were cancelled?
Marc Martin
@Marguerite Deschamps
well said...
Marc Martin
@daryl doucette
I am all for canceling it, but when you make it a language issue your opening a can of worms buddy.
daryl doucette
@Marc Martin the " can of worms" that you refer to was opened a long time ago " buddy". Reasonable people of BOTH linguistic communities here are sick and tired of the CONSTANT whining and complaining re language " rights" that negatively affect the majority of unilingual taxpayers in this province.
reginald churchill
@daryl doucette ----------excellent right to the point
daryl doucette
@Marguerite Deschamps heh heh you funny
daryl doucette
@reginald churchill thank you.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Marc Martin, either you're retired like me or you are unemployed for continuously posting on here 24/7. Otherwise, you would be on the pick and shovel.
Colin Seeley
@Marc Martin
Weak Canard.
And you would know the Ontario games were for all cultures.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "you're paying nothing. We have all the jobs; remember?"
WOW
David Amos
@Marc Martin "If we have all the government jobs then we pay all the taxes and should take all the decisions then right ?"
Methinks you should confer with your lawyers first N'esy Pas?
Robert L. Brown
"I doubt that the province of New Brunswick and government of Canada would want to face that embarrassment," yet Yvon Lapierre does not want The hub of Francophone in southern New Brunswick to pay. The embarrassment is Him.
Marc Martin
@Robert L. Brown
Cry me a river...
Bernard McIntyre
@Marc Martin sounding like someone else with that saying.
Marc Martin
@Bernard McIntyre
Who cares...
Marguerite Deschamps
@Marc Martin, alas! If only Charlie Van Horne was still around. He cared!
Bernard McIntyre
@Marguerite Deschamps Lots of people care. Just not the people who are in the governent.
David Amos
@Bernard McIntyre YUP
Marc Bourque
130,000,000 think of how many, much needed doctors and nurses,whose education can be paid for and used in this province!!! Priorities has to be set right
Marc Martin
@Marc Bourque
*much needed doctors *
If the universities would stop taking outside immigrant to fill out New Brunswick student spots we would not have this problem...
Rick Dee
@Marc Martin International students is actually what's keeping them going (higher rates). Without them, we'd have a much bigger problem.
Marc Martin
@Rick Dee
We have a huge problem right now, we have no doctors because we train doctors that DONT STAY IN CANADA.
Tim Raworth
@Marc Martin Because we cant afford to pay them. No wonder why.
Edwin Kelley
@Marc Martin Mr.Martin you are showing your true colors. I doubt if any New Brunswick student is denied a university position due to an immigrant. Your opinions just became irrelevant. Reap just what you sow.
cheryl wright
@Marc Martin bigotry comes in all forms. seems you are not as perfect as you might think you are. how are those immigrated students to feel about this comment. shame on you
David Amos
@cheryl wright Methinks in order to feel shame one must be first blessed with a conscience N'esy Pas?
Stephen Wood
If they cannot be up front and honest about the cost , then they do not deserve to have the money or the games. Enough is enough .Corrupt, misinformed , misrepresented Bidding . throw the whole thing OUT and cancel the games. NB needs basic services for its people not games.
Marc Martin
@Stephen Wood
I got to give you this you didn't make it a language issue. so it makes sense what you said.
Dianne MacPherson
@Marc Martin It's NOT a "language issue" it's COMMON SENSE !!!!!
David Amos
@Dianne MacPherson Methinks Mr Martin and his hero the former President of SANB Kevin Arseneau have already proven that they have no idea what common sense is N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@Dianne MacPherson, for some on here, they always make it a language issue harping this issue to death 24/7. Just wondering where they find the time to get any work done.
John Haigh
This is asinine & it doesn't matter what language the games are celebrating.
David Amos
@John Haigh I agree
This reeks of pigs at a trough and incompetence. Pull the plug on this frivolous expense before we set a path to keep New Brunswick in the poor house forever.
David Amos
@ Methinks many folks are no doubt as curious as I as to who you are N'esy Pas?
daryl doucette
Very easy solution to this " dilemma" re the " Francophonie Games" re this monstrous price tag. JUST CANCEL THEM. Let Quebec host the games...they have lots of extra cash floating around obviously...the province of New Brunswick is broke. Why cant these politicians understand that we simply cannot afford extravagances like this? Just for a 2 week glorified track and field event and a big party? Calgary " got it right" re the Olympics, the public is getting fed up with being taxed to death. Enough is enough.
David Amos
@daryl doucette I Wholeheartedly Agree Sir
Richard Dunn
$130 Million!!! We cannot afford this extravagance. Cancel the bid and move on.
The larger question is who was asleep at the wheel to allow this bid to proceed without even having a business plan? Absolute insanity! The mayors of Moncton and Dieppe, Brian Gallant and others need to answer for this error. Who is protecting the taxpayers?
And who is this Eric LaRoque guy, what are his qualifications and who does he report to?
David Amos
@Richard Dunn "who is this Eric LaRoque guy, what are his qualifications and who does he report to?"
Good question
cheryl wright
the province cannot afford this; I cant afford this as a taxpayer.. our water bills are increasing, our property taxes are increasing, gas increasing etc... if I have to fork money over for this frivolous party of 3000 people I want to join. I want free drink and free meals and someone to rub my feet at the end of every day. NO?? Im not francophone?? cancel it!!! I think numbers speak volumes in this day and age and we should all meet at the legislature and say NO to this circus!
daryl doucette
@Marc Martin yes they should stop funding ALL these " games" in Canada until all the bills are paid for ESSENTIALS
Content disabled. David Amos
@daryl doucette Methinks whereas you appear to be arguing a ghost Mr Martin must be testing CBC's ethics bigtime today before I entered the fray within this comment section N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Marc Martin Hmmm
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, what did Marc Martin state. Did you flag his post again?
Content disabled.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps The Crown knows that I believe in Free Speech but not libel. However I i NEVER flagged anyone's comment EVER Methinks you cannot not say the same N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks no doubt you and Mr Martin know as well as I that it is I who has been blocked twice thus far within this thread N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@David Amos BTW I have never flagged anyone ever
Marguerite Deschamps
Higg's French lieutenant wants the games to go on. Higgs better take heed! He has one foot out of the Premier's officer and the other one on a banana peel.
Wendy Staples
@Marguerite Deschamps , in your dreams...
Marguerite Deschamps
The gloves will soon come off with Austin and his clique vs Gauvin while Higgs will get stuck in the middle. Let the games begin!
Marc Martin
@Marguerite Deschamps
Its about to explode, I agree.
Dianne MacPherson
@Marguerite Deschamps Gosh....you do have a 'hate' on for this Province !!!!
Marguerite Deschamps
@Dianne MacPherson, talk for yourself lady@
Marguerite Deschamps
@Dianne MacPherson, more your hatred for anything French. And don't tell me I hate anything English given that I speak and write it better than you.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "Higg's French lieutenant wants the games to go on. "
Methinks I should consider copyrighting my expressions N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, you think you invented the expression "French lieutenant"? - You are giving yourself too much credit. I am just waiting to see if Gauvin will get to be more known as Judah Iscariot.
Dianne MacPherson
@Marguerite Deschamps And a nasty 'piece of work', besides !!!!
Bernard McIntyre
I don't care if it's the Francophonie games or the Olympics. The price of hold any sporting event is getting ridiculous and soon if the sporting committees do get the act together soon there probably no place will be hosting any sporting event anywhere.
Marc Martin
@Bernard McIntyre
I agree with you, you make sense when you don't make it a French issue.
Bernard McIntyre
@Marc Martin I'm not on side or the other. I try to be on everyones side.
David Amos
@Bernard McIntyre Methinks a person who tries to be a friend of everyone winds up being a friend of none N'esy Pas?
Roy Kirk
I'm sure it's not the first time someone made a low-ball bid for something funded by government, only to present a much bigger bill once the commitment was made. If you don't want such behavior in the future you must punish it in the present. And the best way to do that is have the feds and the province give them $10 million each, and no more.
David Amos
@Roy Kirk Good idea
Marguerite Deschamps
Roger that!
Mario Doucet
No price is too high when it comes to the French culture.
Marc LeBlanc
@Mario Doucet This has nothing to do with french culture.It's all about gross incompetence on behalf of those responsible for the process that led to this massive cluster &$#%.A 600% increase is inconceivable.Trying to justify continuing with the games is lunacy.Higgs and Austin will be seen as anti-French,then so be it.i want a government that lives within it's means.....like the rest of us
daryl doucette
@Mario Doucet you nailed it.
Marc Bourque
@Mario Doucet I have to disagree with you on that point.This is a sporting event,there are trouble makers on both sides of the language issue.Iam not one of them I dont and cannot comprehend how a language can divide.Ive been bilingual all my life and have problems with any anglophones what so ever.Those who choose to hate and or divide over language should put on their big boy/girl pants on and GROW UP!
Roland Godin
@Mario Doucet I will permit a one day credit on bashing for this one, and also a bycott of poutine, french fries and french vanilla chocolate milk...et voilà.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Roland Godin... and French toast and French kiss!
David Amos
@Mario Doucet Methinks many a true word is said in jest N'esy Pas?
Shawn McShane
The cost going from $17 million to $130 million is the embarrassment. To not cancel the games is an embarrassment.
We cannot afford it. Bad enough the hundred millions for the Irving arena.
Content disabled. David Amos
@Shawn McShane Methinks that just may be the biggest understatement within this comment section N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Shawn McShane Methinks this may be the winter of discontent for certian minions of the Irving Clan N'esy Pas?
Jeff Vautour
Excerpt from the article in the CBC new site... "The $17-million bid was based on a suggested financial framework in the International Organization of the Francophonie Games guide, explained Eric Larocque, executive director of the 2021 Games organizing committee.
The $130-million price tag, he explained, is the full business plan, which the committee wasn't required to submit as part of its bid.
Larocque rejected the idea the committee won its bid under false pretences but agreed it would have been "the right thing to do" to submit the business plan from the get-go."
A) The committee knew the full price tag all along. B) They misrepresented that info to the very organizations that had committed to paying. C) Sounds like Fraud to me... as the executive director of the committee - Larocque IS responsible. D) Both Provincial/Feds have every right to say, We'll pass on the games... E) How can anyone think little NB can afford ~$65M when we have so many other pressing issue to face....
Shawn McShane
@Jeff Vautour Eric Larocque is very smug. He basically said, "As if the games would only be $17-million." He said NB must come up with a funding formula to pay the $130 Million. NB funding formula should be to send the games to Sherbrooke (Quebec) or Guadeloupe (France) who had also bid on the games. I would even go as far as to give Quebec millions to take the games and punish sneaky Larocque.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Shawn McShane, no you wouldn't!
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you need to calm down and learn to take a joke N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, guess who always complains that he gets insulted on here?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks there is BIG difference between an insult and libel N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, however BIG the difference may be, you would not know the difference. I have yet to read anything written towards you by anyone here that would even come close to libel. I dare you to point it to me. Be my guest!
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Why did the Crown delete all of Mr Martin's comments about my lawsuit and in return why did he claim my blog about it in which his comments were saved was libel when in last it is his words that were criminal in nature?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "I dare you to point it to me. Be my guest!"
Methinks you should ask Mr Martin why I already blogged my reply N'esy Pas?
Lou Bell
What an incompetent bunch ! Another Atcon 6 giveaway by the Liberals and their " one trick pony " agenda !
David Amos
@Lou Bell Methinks they have lots of tricks when it comes to spending other people's money N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, "Methinks, Methinks, Methinks". You don't seem too sure of yourself that you do think.
Lou Bell
I suspect Gallant and his lieutenants , knowing the reaction from the majority of NB'ers , just said to leave out the key financials, if we can't bury it we'll spin later !
David Amos
@Lou Bell YUP
Lou Bell
Where'd these people get their education ? Apparently economics wasn't offered !
David Amos
@Lou Bell Mais Oui
Lou Bell
I guess I know where the " phonie " part comes from !
Albert Wade
@Lou Bell yes, I believe translated to English the term is franklyphony
David Amos
@Albert Wade LMAO Methinks that how we say it in Chiac N'esy Pas?
Jim Cyr
It's fun to spend other people's money!! :)
David Amos
@Jim Cyr Methinks Trudeau The Younger was taught how to play the wicked game well by Papa Pierre and his many minions N'esy Pas?
Paul Eric Lagace
It's a luxury NB doesn't need and doesn't deserve.
NB is culturally stagnating. Dieppe has nothing to offer the greater Francophonie, and can't afford it. Outside Quebec, we are being assimilated.
David Amos
@Paul Eric Lagace Methinks some folks may recall that Louis Riel predicted that the French would take back Canada without firing a shot N'esy Pas?
Seamus O'hern
@David Amos ....take back?...lol....and how that turn out for ol louie?....
Marguerite Deschamps
@Seamus O'hern, ...lol.. funny depending on which side of the noose you happen to be.
David Amos
@Seamus O'hern Methinks the lady's attempt at gallows humour is sick Need I say that I would not be shocked to learn that your forefathers were"ol Lourie's" hangmen? Small wonder why the Ghosts of my Forefathers no doubt enjoyed my suing Cardinal Bernard Francis law and my wife's Yankee Irish Catholic relatives in Beantown
BTW The RCMP and legions of lawyers on both sides of the medicine line know that after I won some judgements in the US of A a lawyer working for the American Indian Movement asked for my assistance before I came home to run in the election of the 38th Parliament I bet you don't know why N'esy Pas?
Stephen Wood
By the time the 2021 Francophonie Games roll around , the cost will likely have ballooned to double that again. 260 million . Another Liberal BOMB left ticking for NBers to disarm .
David Amos
@Stephen Wood Of that I have no doubt
Lou Bell
Guess the games will go on , now that " common sense " is no politically correct !!! At least to the minority !!!
David Amos
@Lou Bell Methinks common sense is a myth to politicians and defy us to define it N'esy Pas?
Mario Doucet
International fraud and scam.
David Amos
@Mario Doucet Its definitely a scam
Jeff LeBlanc
@Dieppe...lol
Marguerite Deschamps
@Jeff LeBlanc; Hillsborough, ...lol
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks Quebec is the biggest joke of all to most Proud Maritimers N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, just get to be known a little bit more and you'll be a shoo-in for the title.
Albert Wade
Tax payers will pony up again for another francliphony hand out. Will see what happens when NB is bankrupt and under third party management. Anglophones able to will all eventually move away but the rest will remain saddle with the debt.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Albert Wade, why do you think you are so indispensable and that the province could not function without you?
Marguerite Deschamps
.... after all, don't we have all the jobs? It must follow that you must be a burden on employed New Brunswickers, eh?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "why do you think you are so indispensable and that the province could not function without you?"
Methinks you should ask yourself the same question N'esy Pas?
Matt Steele
@Marguerite Deschamps .....If you want these foolish games so bad , why don't you pay the 130 MILLION yourself instead of wanting the taxpayers to pick up the tab ! . If there was a vote on this issue ; the great majority would vote to dump these boondoggle games .
Marguerite Deschamps
@Matt Steele, actually I have already voiced my opinion to scrap it if you had bothered to read. Tell that to your comedian turned Deputy-Premier Robert Gauvin, not me!
George Smith
Would there be money for a anglophone event like this? Why will a province that's a majority English have to pay for an event that they aren't a part of? How is it that Moncton and Dieppe are taking so much of our tax dollars the last couple of years? A new arena and this party for francophone voters in a nearly bankrupt province. Shame. The only embarrassment will be in going through with this event. 17 million is too much and 130 million is foolish.
daryl doucette
@George Smith 17 dollars is too much. That would feed a homeless family for a day!
Marguerite Deschamps
@George Smith, you can be part of it. Yup, even unilingual Anglos can play.
david herman
@George Smith Question: Why will a province that's a majority English have to pay for an event that they aren't a part of? Answer: Because it is the epitome of segregation.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "Yup, even unilingual Anglos can play."
Methinks you tell that to all the guys N'esy Pas?
david herman
SO...let me guess then...these francophones responsible for the number error.......are they the same people in the municipal finance department of the provincial government? (i know, i know...stupid question)
Marguerite Deschamps
@david herman, you sure seem calm tonight! Are you on Valium?
David Amos
@david herman "i know, i know...stupid question"
Methinks you should ask your not so funny critic if she knows any of these people N'esy Pas?
I wonder what « embarrassment » Mr. Lapierre is talking about? This is just crazy. Our elected officials are living in a bubble, on the clouds, way up there not understanding the reality.
Content disabled. David Amos
@Roger Richard Mon Ami as you know I wholeheartedly agree
David Amos
@David Amos Hmmm
Marguerite Deschamps
No worries Robert Gauvin, Kris Austin and his cohorts will vote for the government and approve this. As long as the pay comes in!
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you should ask your beloved French Lieutenant if he finds this stuff as funny as you do N'esy Pas?
Dieppe mayor 'absolutely shocked' by ballooning Francophonie Games price
Yvon Lapierre says the city can't take on any more spending to help cover estimated $130M event
Shane Magee· CBC News·
Dieppe Mayor Yvon Lapierre says he was shocked to learn the new estimated cost to host the 2021 Francophonie Games in his city and Moncton. (CBC)
The mayor of Dieppe says he was shocked to learn the cost of hosting the 2021 Francophonie Games in his city and neighbouring Moncton had grown from about $17 million to $130 million.
Mayor Yvon Lapierre said he understood the cost would be $17 to 19 million until Wednesday night. That's when someone from the province told him about the increase to $130 million, something he said left him "absolutely shocked by the amount."
Dieppe and Moncton are co-hosting the international sports and culture event, considered one of the largest in the francophone world.
Radio-Canada reported Thursday the organizing committee for the event submitted a funding request to the province for $130 million in April.
How to pay the bill is now a pressing question, Lapierre said.
"Obviously there will need to be some very serious discussions about the finances of this project," he said.
The province and the federal government had previously committed to split the cost of hosting the games equally.
The new Progressive Conservative government said Thursday there were no funds approved in the budget for the Games. The federal government said it would stick to the original commitment to fund half of the cost, leaving the other half to the province.
Robert Gauvin, the province's deputy premier, says there's still time to come up with a plan to fund the Games and ensure they take place. (Radio Canada)
Robert Gauvin, deputy premier and minister responsible for the Francophonie, called the news a chance to work together with federal and municipal governments as well as businesses.
"We're fairly positive we'll do the best Games that we can," he said. "While it's surprising, again, there's still time to work together and come up with a plan."
Lapierre said the city isn't prepared to consider increasing its funding commitment. "Absolutely not," he said.
Legacy costs
Dieppe and Moncton both committed to pay $750,000 as part of hosting the games.
Dieppe is also committed to covering one third of "legacy projects," the mayor said.
One example would be plans to add two soccer fields near the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick campus, which he said carries an estimated $2.5-million price tag.
Avoid embarrassment
Lapierre doesn't think there's a risk of the Games not occurring.
"I doubt that the province of New Brunswick and government of Canada would want to face that embarrassment," he said.
The event is expected to draw more than 3,000 athletes and artists from around the world.
Information Morning - Moncton
The exploding cost of the Francophonie Games
00:0012:14
Eric Larocque is CEO of the organizing committee for the Moncton-Dieppe Francophonie Games. Yvon Lapierre is the Mayor of Dieppe. 12:14
David Raymond Amos@DavidRayAmos Replying to @DavidRayAmos@Kathryn98967631 and 48 others Methinks Billy Barr would have a hard time explaining to Congress all the documents and the wiretap tape that I sent him and many of his buddies when he worked for my Clan's evil phone company N'esy Pas?
Methinks legions of lawyers on both sides of the 49th Parallel must understand why I am overjoyed to cross paths with the very sneaky Yankee Billy Barr again N'esy Pas?
---------- Original message ---------- From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca> Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2018 18:26:46 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: I will lay odds Billy Barr recallls this letter and all the documents
and the copy of the wiretap tape of the mob I sent him in 2005 N'esy Pas Jan Jensen? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
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---------- Original message ---------- From: Mail Delivery System <MAILER-DAEMON@opc-ironport01.sec.gov> Date: 09 Dec 2018 13:26:01 -0500 Subject: Message Notification To:
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---------- Original message ---------- From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2018 14:25:54 -0400 Subject: I will lay odds Billy Barr recallls this letter and all the documents and the copy
Deja Vu anyone? "Yo John E. Kelly of the DHS your latest boss President Trump and his evil White House lawyers Cohen & McGahn know why I don't give a damn about Yankee secrets EH?"
---------- Original message ---------- From: Jody.Wilson-Raybould@parl.gc.ca Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2018 16:52:19 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Perhaps Bill Binney knows how to read better than the sneaky Yankee lawyer Coleen Rowley but I ain't betting on it To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville.
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Merci d'?crire ? l'honorable Jody Wilson-Raybould, d?put?e de Vancouver Granville.
Le pr?sent message vise ? vous informer que nous avons re?u votre courriel. En raison d'une augmentation importante du volume de correspondance, il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de votre courriel. Sachez que votre message sera examin? attentivement.
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---------- Original message ---------- From: "Hon.Ralph.Goodale (PS/SP)"<Hon.ralph.goodale@canada.ca> Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2018 11:43:30 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Perhaps Bill Binney knows how to read better than the sneaky Yankee lawyer Coleen Rowley but I ain't betting on it To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Merci d'avoir ?crit ? l'honorable Ralph Goodale, ministre de la S?curit? publique et de la Protection civile. En raison d'une augmentation importante du volume de la correspondance adress?e au ministre, veuillez prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de votre courriel. Soyez assur? que votre message sera examin? avec attention. Merci! L'Unit? de la correspondance minist?rielle S?curit? publique Canada *********
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Due to the significant increase in the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note there could be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed. Thank you! Ministerial Correspondence Unit Public Safety Canada
Deja Vu anyone? "Yo John E. Kelly of the DHS your latest boss President Trump and his evil White House lawyers Cohen & McGahn know why I don't give a damn about Yankee secrets EH?"
Deja Vu anyone? "Yo John E. Kelly of the DHS your latest boss President Trump and his evil White House lawyers Cohen & McGahn know why I don't give a damn about Yankee secrets EH?"
@CNN Congressional Correspondent•Ohio raised •434•845•913•30•813•910•419•614•617 •202•212•202. philip.mattingly@cnn.com Washington, DC
Roger Stone associate Jerome Corsi says he won't agree to plea deal, via @SaraMurray
Phil Mattingly Verified account @Phil_Mattingly
Roger Stone associate Jerome Corsi says he won't agree to plea deal, via @SaraMurray
CNN)An associate of Roger Stone said Monday he is refusing to sign a plea deal offered by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Jerome Corsi, whose role in Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election largely revolves around the possibility that he was an intermediary between Stone and WikiLeaks, said he was offered a deal to plea on one count of perjury.
"They can put me in prison the rest of my life. I am not going to sign a lie," Corsi told CNN in a phone call.
Asked what happens now that he is refusing, Corsi responded: "I don't know."
A spokesman for the special counsel's office had no comment.
Last week, Corsi acknowledged he was in plea negotiations with Mueller's office, and earlier this month, he said he expected to be indicted for "giving false information to the special counsel or to one of the other grand jury."
Corsi said Monday that he believed he would by lying by signing the plea agreement because he says he did not willfully mislead anyone.
Describing his experience with Mueller's team as "like being interrogated as a POW in the Korean War," Corsi said after two months of questioning, prosecutors believed they caught him in various lies and did not appear to believe him when he said he could not recall certain events.
Corsi insisted he had no contact with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that "investigators were so mad because I didn't give them what they wanted."
He claimed that Mueller's team wanted to keep any plea agreement sealed, a point that particularly incensed him. Corsi said he would be required to report legal infractions to financial regulators.
In a statement on Monday following Corsi's latest comments, Stone said the special counsel was harassing Corsi "not for lying, but for refusing to lie" and continued to maintain his own innocence.
"It is inconceivable that in America someone would be prosecuted for refusing to swear to a false narrative pushed on him by the Muller investigators," Stone said.
Stone also said last week that as far as he knew, Corsi "refuses to lie," and expressed sympathy for his associate's apparent legal problems, while also appearing to question his credibility.
"He doesn't believe the moon landing happened, for example -- he thinks it was staged," Stone said.
Corsi's comments have added to the public focus around Stone, a longtime associate of President Donald Trump, and the Mueller investigation.
Corsi injected himself into Stone's situation last year when he claimed that one of his own articles for InfoWars inspired Stone to predict in October 2016 that there would be trouble coming for Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Not long after that, WikiLeaks started releasing thousands of Podesta's hacked emails.
Stone has denied wrongdoing regarding WikiLeaks' releases during the 2016 campaign, and several of his associates have been brought before a grand jury as Mueller's team continued its investigation of Stone.
"I never received advance notice, from anyone, that Podesta's emails had been 'nicked,' as the Brits would say, and would be published," Stone said Monday. "Any and all research I received from Dr. Corsi came from public legal sources. As Dr. Corsi has said I have no knowledge of any contact or communication with Julian Assange or WikiLeaks by Dr. Corsi."
For his part, Stone released a series of text messages between himself and New York radio host Randy Credico last week, showing the two discussing a coming threat to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign shortly before WikiLeaks' Podesta publications.
Methinks its very ironic that your article is plastered with ads for the TD Bank
Roger Stone predicts epic clash ahead in probe
FILE – In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, longtime Donald Trump associate Roger Stone arrives to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington. An associate of Stone said Monday, Nov. 12, 2018, that he expects to face charges in the special counsel’s Russia investigation. Conservative conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi said on his YouTube show that negotiations fell apart with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team and he expects in the coming days to be charged with making false statements. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
An “epic clash” between President Trump and special counsel Robert Mueller over suspected Russian meddling is “inevitable,” onetime Trump confidant Roger Stone told the Herald.
“Anyone who thinks that Donald Trump is not the target of this takedown does not understand what’s going on,” Stone said on Boston Herald Radio’s “Morning Meeting” show yesterday.
“Look, we’re heading for an epic clash here between the special counsel and the president. I think it’s inevitable,” Stone said.
Stone said he’s paying the price for his early involvement in Trump’s campaign as his legal fees climb the closer Mueller circles.
“I think there’s a growing desperation on the part of the special counsel because after $30 million and two years into this inquisition … they have no evidence,” he said. “I’m sorry, but trading political gossip is just not a crime.”
Mueller’s team is probing whether Stone was a link between Trump and WikiLeaks as the renegade site published emails hacked from Democrats during the 2016 presidential election.
“I don’t know any average people who are still buying into the Russian collusion narrative,” Stone said.
He added, on Herald Radio, that he was told the email leaks would “end” Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Stone’s defense came on the same day Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, admitted he lied to Congress about a Trump Tower Moscow project he pursued in 2016 at the height of the campaign.
Stone said he has set up a defense fund to help pay his legal bill. But, he stressed, his support for Trump has never wavered.
“Look, I think this guy has the potential to go down as one of our greatest presidents,” he said, adding his prediction Trump won’t seek re-election a few days ago was “misconstrued.”
“I was not saying he wouldn’t be able to run … what I was saying is if he turbocharges the economy over thenext two years the way he has over the first two years, if he holds the lines on the caravans and seals the border and gets these muli-international trade deals that have hurt the country renegotiated so they benefit the country,” he added, “I could see him just walking away” with the election.
Jordan Frias contributed to this report.
a news tip, email joed@bostonherald.com or call 617-619-6493.
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Hon.Ralph.Goodale (PS/SP)"<Hon.ralph.goodale@canada.ca> Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2018 11:43:30 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Perhaps Bill Binney knows how to read better than the sneaky Yankee lawyer Coleen Rowley but I ain't betting on it To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Merci d'avoir ?crit ? l'honorable Ralph Goodale, ministre de la S?curit? publique et de la Protection civile. En raison d'une augmentation importante du volume de la correspondance adress?e au ministre, veuillez prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de votre courriel. Soyez assur? que votre message sera examin? avec attention. Merci! L'Unit? de la correspondance minist?rielle S?curit? publique Canada *********
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Due to the significant increase in the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note there could be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed. Thank you! Ministerial Correspondence Unit Public Safety Canada
---------- Original message ---------- From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca> Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2018 11:43:23 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Perhaps Bill Binney knows how to read better than the sneaky Yankee lawyer Coleen Rowley but I ain't betting on it To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read, reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email. ______
Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
Corsi in the Crosshairs – Bill Binney Blows the Whistle on Robert Mueller and DOJ Corruption 72,628 views Jason Goodman Streamed live on Dec 1, 2018
Dr. Jerome Corsi is a Harvard PhD and conservative author and journalist. Dr. Corsi has recently been the focus of Robert Mueller's corrupt Special Counsel investigation. Having rejected a fraudulent plea offer, the doctor has hired Larry Klayman of Freedom Watch to join his legal defense team. Together they have announced intentions to file a criminal complaint alleging prosecutorial misconduct.
In this explosive interview, Bill Binney lays out first hand testimony of the corrupt tactics of not only Robert Mueller himself, but the FBI, NSA, CIA, DOJ and their confederates, including elements of private industry.
Stand Up For Truth c/o Institute for Public Accuracy 980 National Press Building Washington, D.C. 20045 USA + 1 202 347 0020 Voice: +1 202 347 0020 Fax: +1 615 849 5802 dcinstitute@igc.org
I was listening intently when you suddenly hung up. I suppose spam emailing negative statements about me to all of these individuals was your original goal.
> On Dec 8, 2018, at 5:23 PM, David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> wrote: > >> On 12/8/18, Jason Goodman <truth@crowdsourcethetruth.org> wrote: >> I don’t understand your point. I don’t know you. You called me today out >> of the blue, then hung up. I called you back, you hung up. Now you forward >> my youtube channel and a hoax website to Jim Fetzer, the FBI and the RCMP. >> I hope they all enjoy it. Not sure what your point is but do us both a >> favor and don’t contact me anymore. >> >> Jason
Sitting judge calls on chief justice to resign for defying transfer law Chief Justice David Smith transferred a judge in December in a challenge of new Judicature Act changes By Jacques Poitras, CBC News Posted: Feb 02, 2018 4:00 AM AT
The Hon. George S. Rideout Justice: Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick Moncton Judges Chambers 145 Assumption Blvd., PO Box 5001, Stn. LCD 1 Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 8R3 Phone: 506-856-2301
Bell, Drapeau and Smith should have done the right thing LONG AGO
New Brunswick The Honourable Ernest Drapeau, Chief Justice of New Brunswick The Honourable David D. Smith, Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick
Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada The Honourable B. Richard Bell, Chief Justice of the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada
Need I remind the Justice Dept that I am about to make an application to the Supreme Court because of this wicked decision? Please enjoy
Federal Court of Appeal Finally Makes The BIG Decision And Publishes It Now The Crooks Cannot Take Back Ticket To Try Put My Matter Before The Supreme Court
BETWEEN: DAVID RAYMOND AMOS Respondent on the cross-appeal (and formally Appellant) and HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN Appellant on the cross-appeal (and formerly Respondent) Heard at Fredericton, New Brunswick, on May 24, 2017. Judgment delivered at Ottawa, Ontario, on October 30, 2017. REASONS FOR JUDGMENT BY:
THE COURT
Date: 20171030
Docket: A-48-16 Citation: 2017 FCA 213 CORAM:
WEBB J.A. NEAR J.A. GLEASON J.A.
BETWEEN: DAVID RAYMOND AMOS Respondent on the cross-appeal (and formally Appellant) and HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN Appellant on the cross-appeal (and formerly Respondent) REASONS FOR JUDGMENT BY THE COURT
I. Introduction
[1] On September 16, 2015, David Raymond Amos (Mr. Amos) filed a 53-page Statement of Claim (the Claim) in Federal Court against Her Majesty the Queen (the Crown). Mr. Amos claims $11 million in damages and a public apology from the Prime Minister and Provincial Premiers for being illegally barred from accessing parliamentary properties and seeks a declaration from the Minister of Public Safety that the Canadian Government will no longer allow the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canadian Forces to harass him and his clan (Claim at para. 96).
[2] On November 12, 2015 (Docket T-1557-15), by way of a motion brought by the Crown, a prothonotary of the Federal Court (the Prothonotary) struck the Claim in its entirety, without leave to amend, on the basis that it was plain and obvious that the Claim disclosed no reasonable claim, the Claim was fundamentally vexatious, and the Claim could not be salvaged by way of further amendment (the Prothontary’s Order).
[3] On January 25, 2016 (2016 FC 93), by way of Mr. Amos’ appeal from the Prothonotary’s Order, a judge of the Federal Court (the Judge), reviewing the matter de novo, struck all of Mr. Amos’ claims for relief with the exception of the claim for damages for being barred by the RCMP from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004 (the Federal Court Judgment).
[4] Mr. Amos appealed and the Crown cross-appealed the Federal Court Judgment. Further to the issuance of a Notice of Status Review, Mr. Amos’ appeal was dismissed for delay on December 19, 2016. As such, the only matter before this Court is the Crown’s cross-appeal.
II. Preliminary Matter
[5] Mr. Amos, in his memorandum of fact and law in relation to the cross-appeal that was filed with this Court on March 6, 2017, indicated that several judges of this Court, including two of the judges of this panel, had a conflict of interest in this appeal. This was the first time that he identified the judges whom he believed had a conflict of interest in a document that was filed with this Court. In his notice of appeal he had alluded to a conflict with several judges but did not name those judges.
[6] Mr. Amos was of the view that he did not have to identify the judges in any document filed with this Court because he had identified the judges in various documents that had been filed with the Federal Court. In his view the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal are the same court and therefore any document filed in the Federal Court would be filed in this Court. This view is based on subsections 5(4) and 5.1(4) of the Federal Courts Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. F-7:
5(4) Every judge of the Federal Court is, by virtue of his or her office, a judge of the Federal Court of Appeal and has all the jurisdiction, power and authority of a judge of the Federal Court of Appeal. […]
5(4) Les juges de la Cour fédérale sont d’office juges de la Cour d’appel fédérale et ont la même compétence et les mêmes pouvoirs que les juges de la Cour d’appel fédérale. […] 5.1(4) Every judge of the Federal Court of Appeal is, by virtue of that office, a judge of the Federal Court and has all the jurisdiction, power and authority of a judge of the Federal Court.
5.1(4) Les juges de la Cour d’appel fédérale sont d’office juges de la Cour fédérale et ont la même compétence et les mêmes pouvoirs que les juges de la Cour fédérale.
[7] However, these subsections only provide that the judges of the Federal Court are also judges of this Court (and vice versa). It does not mean that there is only one court. If the Federal Court and this Court were one Court, there would be no need for this section. [8] Sections 3 and 4 of the Federal Courts Act provide that: 3 The division of the Federal Court of Canada called the Federal Court — Appeal Division is continued under the name “Federal Court of Appeal” in English and “Cour d’appel fédérale” in French. It is continued as an additional court of law, equity and admiralty in and for Canada, for the better administration of the laws of Canada and as a superior court of record having civil and criminal jurisdiction.
3 La Section d’appel, aussi appelée la Cour d’appel ou la Cour d’appel fédérale, est maintenue et dénommée « Cour d’appel fédérale » en français et « Federal Court of Appeal » en anglais. Elle est maintenue à titre de tribunal additionnel de droit, d’equity et d’amirauté du Canada, propre à améliorer l’application du droit canadien, et continue d’être une cour supérieure d’archives ayant compétence en matière civile et pénale. 4 The division of the Federal Court of Canada called the Federal Court — Trial Division is continued under the name “Federal Court” in English and “Cour fédérale” in French. It is continued as an additional court of law, equity and admiralty in and for Canada, for the better administration of the laws of Canada and as a superior court of record having civil and criminal jurisdiction.
4 La section de la Cour fédérale du Canada, appelée la Section de première instance de la Cour fédérale, est maintenue et dénommée « Cour fédérale » en français et « Federal Court » en anglais. Elle est maintenue à titre de tribunal additionnel de droit, d’equity et d’amirauté du Canada, propre à améliorer l’application du droit canadien, et continue d’être une cour supérieure d’archives ayant compétence en matière civile et pénale.
[9] Sections 3 and 4 of the Federal Courts Act create two separate courts – this Court (section 3) and the Federal Court (section 4). If, as Mr. Amos suggests, documents filed in the Federal Court were automatically also filed in this Court, then there would no need for the parties to prepare and file appeal books as required by Rules 343 to 345 of the Federal Courts Rules, SOR/98-106 in relation to any appeal from a decision of the Federal Court. The requirement to file an appeal book with this Court in relation to an appeal from a decision of the Federal Court makes it clear that the only documents that will be before this Court are the documents that are part of that appeal book.
[10] Therefore, the memorandum of fact and law filed on March 6, 2017 is the first document, filed with this Court, in which Mr. Amos identified the particular judges that he submits have a conflict in any matter related to him.
[11] On April 3, 2017, Mr. Amos attempted to bring a motion before the Federal Court seeking an order “affirming or denying the conflict of interest he has” with a number of judges of the Federal Court. A judge of the Federal Court issued a direction noting that if Mr. Amos was seeking this order in relation to judges of the Federal Court of Appeal, it was beyond the jurisdiction of the Federal Court. Mr. Amos raised the Federal Court motion at the hearing of this cross-appeal. The Federal Court motion is not a motion before this Court and, as such, the submissions filed before the Federal Court will not be entertained. As well, since this was a motion brought before the Federal Court (and not this Court), any documents filed in relation to that motion are not part of the record of this Court.
[12] During the hearing of the appeal Mr. Amos alleged that the third member of this panel also had a conflict of interest and submitted some documents that, in his view, supported his claim of a conflict. Mr. Amos, following the hearing of his appeal, was also afforded the opportunity to provide a brief summary of the conflict that he was alleging and to file additional documents that, in his view, supported his allegations. Mr. Amos submitted several pages of documents in relation to the alleged conflicts. He organized the documents by submitting a copy of the biography of the particular judge and then, immediately following that biography, by including copies of the documents that, in his view, supported his claim that such judge had a conflict.
[13] The nature of the alleged conflict of Justice Webb is that before he was appointed as a Judge of the Tax Court of Canada in 2006, he was a partner with the law firm Patterson Law, and before that with Patterson Palmer in Nova Scotia. Mr. Amos submitted that he had a number of disputes with Patterson Palmer and Patterson Law and therefore Justice Webb has a conflict simply because he was a partner of these firms. Mr. Amos is not alleging that Justice Webb was personally involved in or had any knowledge of any matter in which Mr. Amos was involved with Justice Webb’s former law firm – only that he was a member of such firm.
[14] During his oral submissions at the hearing of his appeal Mr. Amos, in relation to the alleged conflict for Justice Webb, focused on dealings between himself and a particular lawyer at Patterson Law. However, none of the documents submitted by Mr. Amos at the hearing or subsequently related to any dealings with this particular lawyer nor is it clear when Mr. Amos was dealing with this lawyer. In particular, it is far from clear whether such dealings were after the time that Justice Webb was appointed as a Judge of the Tax Court of Canada over 10 years ago.
[15] The documents that he submitted in relation to the alleged conflict for Justice Webb largely relate to dealings between Byron Prior and the St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador office of Patterson Palmer, which is not in the same province where Justice Webb practiced law. The only document that indicates any dealing between Mr. Amos and Patterson Palmer is a copy of an affidavit of Stephen May who was a partner in the St. John’s NL office of Patterson Palmer. The affidavit is dated January 24, 2005 and refers to a number of e-mails that were sent by Mr. Amos to Stephen May. Mr. Amos also included a letter that is addressed to four individuals, one of whom is John Crosbie who was counsel to the St. John’s NL office of Patterson Palmer. The letter is dated September 2, 2004 and is addressed to “John Crosbie, c/o Greg G. Byrne, Suite 502, 570 Queen Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 5E3”. In this letter Mr. Amos alludes to a possible lawsuit against Patterson Palmer. [16] Mr. Amos’ position is that simply because Justice Webb was a lawyer with Patterson Palmer, he now has a conflict. In Wewaykum Indian Band v. Her Majesty the Queen, 2003 SCC 45, [2003] 2 S.C.R. 259, the Supreme Court of Canada noted that disqualification of a judge is to be determined based on whether there is a reasonable apprehension of bias: 60 In Canadian law, one standard has now emerged as the criterion for disqualification. The criterion, as expressed by de Grandpré J. in Committee for Justice and Liberty v. National Energy Board, …[[1978] 1 S.C.R. 369, 68 D.L.R. (3d) 716], at p. 394, is the reasonable apprehension of bias: … the apprehension of bias must be a reasonable one, held by reasonable and right minded persons, applying themselves to the question and obtaining thereon the required information. In the words of the Court of Appeal, that test is "what would an informed person, viewing the matter realistically and practically -- and having thought the matter through -- conclude. Would he think that it is more likely than not that [the decision-maker], whether consciously or unconsciously, would not decide fairly."
[17] The issue to be determined is whether an informed person, viewing the matter realistically and practically, and having thought the matter through, would conclude that Mr. Amos’ allegations give rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias. As this Court has previously remarked, “there is a strong presumption that judges will administer justice impartially” and this presumption will not be rebutted in the absence of “convincing evidence” of bias (Collins v. Canada, 2011 FCA 140 at para. 7, [2011] 4 C.T.C. 157 [Collins]. See also R. v. S. (R.D.), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 484 at para. 32, 151 D.L.R. (4th) 193).
[18] The Ontario Court of Appeal in Rando Drugs Ltd. v. Scott, 2007 ONCA 553, 86 O.R. (3d) 653 (leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada refused, 32285 (August 1, 2007)), addressed the particular issue of whether a judge is disqualified from hearing a case simply because he had been a member of a law firm that was involved in the litigation that was now before that judge. The Ontario Court of Appeal determined that the judge was not disqualified if the judge had no involvement with the person or the matter when he was a lawyer. The Ontario Court of Appeal also explained that the rules for determining whether a judge is disqualified are different from the rules to determine whether a lawyer has a conflict: 27 Thus, disqualification is not the natural corollary to a finding that a trial judge has had some involvement in a case over which he or she is now presiding. Where the judge had no involvement, as here, it cannot be said that the judge is disqualified.
28 The point can rightly be made that had Mr. Patterson been asked to represent the appellant as counsel before his appointment to the bench, the conflict rules would likely have prevented him from taking the case because his firm had formerly represented one of the defendants in the case. Thus, it is argued how is it that as a trial judge Patterson J. can hear the case? This issue was considered by the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) in Locabail (U.K.) Ltd. v. Bayfield Properties Ltd., [2000] Q.B. 451. The court held, at para. 58, that there is no inflexible rule governing the disqualification of a judge and that, "[e]verything depends on the circumstances."
29 It seems to me that what appears at first sight to be an inconsistency in application of rules can be explained by the different contexts and in particular, the strong presumption of judicial impartiality that applies in the context of disqualification of a judge. There is no such presumption in cases of allegations of conflict of interest against a lawyer because of a firm's previous involvement in the case. To the contrary, as explained by Sopinka J. in MacDonald Estate v. Martin (1990), 77 D.L.R. (4th) 249 (S.C.C.), for sound policy reasons there is a presumption of a disqualifying interest that can rarely be overcome. In particular, a conclusory statement from the lawyer that he or she had no confidential information about the case will never be sufficient. The case is the opposite where the allegation of bias is made against a trial judge. His or her statement that he or she knew nothing about the case and had no involvement in it will ordinarily be accepted at face value unless there is good reason to doubt it: see Locabail, at para. 19.
30 That brings me then to consider the particular circumstances of this case and whether there are serious grounds to find a disqualifying conflict of interest in this case. In my view, there are two significant factors that justify the trial judge's decision not to recuse himself. The first is his statement, which all parties accept, that he knew nothing of the case when it was in his former firm and that he had nothing to do with it. The second is the long passage of time. As was said in Wewaykum, at para. 85: To us, one significant factor stands out, and must inform the perspective of the reasonable person assessing the impact of this involvement on Binnie J.'s impartiality in the appeals. That factor is the passage of time. Most arguments for disqualification rest on circumstances that are either contemporaneous to the decision-making, or that occurred within a short time prior to the decision-making. 31 There are other factors that inform the issue. The Wilson Walker firm no longer acted for any of the parties by the time of trial. More importantly, at the time of the motion, Patterson J. had been a judge for six years and thus had not had a relationship with his former firm for a considerable period of time.
32 In my view, a reasonable person, viewing the matter realistically would conclude that the trial judge could deal fairly and impartially with this case. I take this view principally because of the long passage of time and the trial judge's lack of involvement in or knowledge of the case when the Wilson Walker firm had carriage. In these circumstances it cannot be reasonably contended that the trial judge could not remain impartial in the case. The mere fact that his name appears on the letterhead of some correspondence from over a decade ago would not lead a reasonable person to believe that he would either consciously or unconsciously favour his former firm's former client. It is simply not realistic to think that a judge would throw off his mantle of impartiality, ignore his oath of office and favour a client - about whom he knew nothing - of a firm that he left six years earlier and that no longer acts for the client, in a case involving events from over a decade ago. (emphasis added)
[19] Justice Webb had no involvement with any matter involving Mr. Amos while he was a member of Patterson Palmer or Patterson Law, nor does Mr. Amos suggest that he did. Mr. Amos made it clear during the hearing of this matter that the only reason for the alleged conflict for Justice Webb was that he was a member of Patterson Law and Patterson Palmer. This is simply not enough for Justice Webb to be disqualified. Any involvement of Mr. Amos with Patterson Law while Justice Webb was a member of that firm would have had to occur over 10 years ago and even longer for the time when he was a member of Patterson Palmer. In addition to the lack of any involvement on his part with any matter or dispute that Mr. Amos had with Patterson Law or Patterson Palmer (which in and of itself is sufficient to dispose of this matter), the length of time since Justice Webb was a member of Patterson Law or Patterson Palmer would also result in the same finding – that there is no conflict in Justice Webb hearing this appeal.
[20] Similarly in R. v. Bagot, 2000 MBCA 30, 145 Man. R. (2d) 260, the Manitoba Court of Appeal found that there was no reasonable apprehension of bias when a judge, who had been a member of the law firm that had been retained by the accused, had no involvement with the accused while he was a lawyer with that firm.
[21] In Del Zotto v. Minister of National Revenue, [2000] 4 F.C. 321, 257 N.R. 96, this court did find that there would be a reasonable apprehension of bias where a judge, who while he was a lawyer, had recorded time on a matter involving the same person who was before that judge. However, this case can be distinguished as Justice Webb did not have any time recorded on any files involving Mr. Amos while he was a lawyer with Patterson Palmer or Patterson Law.
[22] Mr. Amos also included with his submissions a CD. He stated in his affidavit dated June 26, 2017 that there is a “true copy of an American police surveillance wiretap entitled 139” on this CD. He has also indicated that he has “provided a true copy of the CD entitled 139 to many American and Canadian law enforcement authorities and not one of the police forces or officers of the court are willing to investigate it”. Since he has indicated that this is an “American police surveillance wiretap”, this is a matter for the American law enforcement authorities and cannot create, as Mr. Amos suggests, a conflict of interest for any judge to whom he provides a copy.
[23] As a result, there is no conflict or reasonable apprehension of bias for Justice Webb and therefore, no reason for him to recuse himself.
[24] Mr. Amos alleged that Justice Near’s past professional experience with the government created a “quasi-conflict” in deciding the cross-appeal. Mr. Amos provided no details and Justice Near confirmed that he had no prior knowledge of the matters alleged in the Claim. Justice Near sees no reason to recuse himself.
[25] Insofar as it is possible to glean the basis for Mr. Amos’ allegations against Justice Gleason, it appears that he alleges that she is incapable of hearing this appeal because he says he wrote a letter to Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien in 2004. At that time, both Justice Gleason and Mr. Mulroney were partners in the law firm Ogilvy Renault, LLP. The letter in question, which is rude and angry, begins with “Hey you two Evil Old Smiling Bastards” and “Re: me suing you and your little dogs too”. There is no indication that the letter was ever responded to or that a law suit was ever commenced by Mr. Amos against Mr. Mulroney. In the circumstances, there is no reason for Justice Gleason to recuse herself as the letter in question does not give rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias.
III. Issue
[26] The issue on the cross-appeal is as follows: Did the Judge err in setting aside the Prothonotary’s Order striking the Claim in its entirety without leave to amend and in determining that Mr. Amos’ allegation that the RCMP barred him from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004 was capable of supporting a cause of action?
IV. Analysis
A. Standard of Review
[27] Following the Judge’s decision to set aside the Prothonotary’s Order, this Court revisited the standard of review to be applied to discretionary decisions of prothonotaries and decisions made by judges on appeals of prothonotaries’ decisions in Hospira Healthcare Corp. v. Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, 2016 FCA 215, 402 D.L.R. (4th) 497 [Hospira]. In Hospira, a five-member panel of this Court replaced the Aqua-Gem standard of review with that articulated in Housen v. Nikolaisen, 2002 SCC 33, [2002] 2 S.C.R. 235 [Housen]. As a result, it is no longer appropriate for the Federal Court to conduct a de novo review of a discretionary order made by a prothonotary in regard to questions vital to the final issue of the case. Rather, a Federal Court judge can only intervene on appeal if the prothonotary made an error of law or a palpable and overriding error in determining a question of fact or question of mixed fact and law (Hospira at para. 79). Further, this Court can only interfere with a Federal Court judge’s review of a prothonotary’s discretionary order if the judge made an error of law or palpable and overriding error in determining a question of fact or question of mixed fact and law (Hospira at paras. 82-83).
[28] In the case at bar, the Judge substituted his own assessment of Mr. Amos’ Claim for that of the Prothonotary. This Court must look to the Prothonotary’s Order to determine whether the Judge erred in law or made a palpable and overriding error in choosing to interfere.
B. Did the Judge err in interfering with the Prothonotary’s Order?
[29] The Prothontoary’s Order accepted the following paragraphs from the Crown’s submissions as the basis for striking the Claim in its entirety without leave to amend:
17. Within the 96 paragraph Statement of Claim, the Plaintiff addresses his complaint in paragraphs 14-24, inclusive. All but four of those paragraphs are dedicated to an incident that occurred in 2006 in and around the legislature in New Brunswick. The jurisdiction of the Federal Court does not extend to Her Majesty the Queen in right of the Provinces. In any event, the Plaintiff hasn’t named the Province or provincial actors as parties to this action. The incident alleged does not give rise to a justiciable cause of action in this Court. (…)
21. The few paragraphs that directly address the Defendant provide no details as to the individuals involved or the location of the alleged incidents or other details sufficient to allow the Defendant to respond. As a result, it is difficult or impossible to determine the causes of action the Plaintiff is attempting to advance. A generous reading of the Statement of Claim allows the Defendant to only speculate as to the true and/or intended cause of action. At best, the Plaintiff’s action may possibly be summarized as: he suspects he is barred from the House of Commons. [footnotes omitted].
[30] The Judge determined that he could not strike the Claim on the same jurisdictional basis as the Prothonotary. The Judge noted that the Federal Court has jurisdiction over claims based on the liability of Federal Crown servants like the RCMP and that the actors who barred Mr. Amos from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004 included the RCMP (Federal Court Judgment at para. 23). In considering the viability of these allegations de novo, the Judge identified paragraph 14 of the Claim as containing “some precision” as it identifies the date of the event and a RCMP officer acting as Aide-de-Camp to the Lieutenant Governor (Federal Court Judgment at para. 27).
[31] The Judge noted that the 2004 event could support a cause of action in the tort of misfeasance in public office and identified the elements of the tort as excerpted from Meigs v. Canada, 2013 FC 389, 431 F.T.R. 111:
[13] As in both the cases of Odhavji Estate v Woodhouse, 2003 SCC 69 [Odhavji] and Lewis v Canada, 2012 FC 1514 [Lewis], I must determine whether the plaintiffs’ statement of claim pleads each element of the alleged tort of misfeasance in public office:
a) The public officer must have engaged in deliberate and unlawful conduct in his or her capacity as public officer;
b) The public officer must have been aware both that his or her conduct was unlawful and that it was likely to harm the plaintiff; and
c) There must be an element of bad faith or dishonesty by the public officer and knowledge of harm alone is insufficient to conclude that a public officer acted in bad faith or dishonestly. Odhavji, above, at paras 23, 24 and 28 (Federal Court Judgment at para. 28).
[32] The Judge determined that Mr. Amos disclosed sufficient material facts to meet the elements of the tort of misfeasance in public office because the actors, who barred him from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004, including the RCMP, did so for “political reasons” (Federal Court Judgment at para. 29).
[33] This Court’s discussion of the sufficiency of pleadings in Merchant Law Group v. Canada (Revenue Agency), 2010 FCA 184, 321 D.L.R (4th) 301 is particularly apt:
…When pleading bad faith or abuse of power, it is not enough to assert, baldly, conclusory phrases such as “deliberately or negligently,” “callous disregard,” or “by fraud and theft did steal”. “The bare assertion of a conclusion upon which the court is called upon to pronounce is not an allegation of material fact”. Making bald, conclusory allegations without any evidentiary foundation is an abuse of process…
To this, I would add that the tort of misfeasance in public office requires a particular state of mind of a public officer in carrying out the impunged action, i.e., deliberate conduct which the public officer knows to be inconsistent with the obligations of his or her office. For this tort, particularization of the allegations is mandatory. Rule 181 specifically requires particularization of allegations of “breach of trust,” “wilful default,” “state of mind of a person,” “malice” or “fraudulent intention.” (at paras. 34-35, citations omitted).
[34] Applying the Housen standard of review to the Prothonotary’s Order, we are of the view that the Judge interfered absent a legal or palpable and overriding error.
[35] The Prothonotary determined that Mr. Amos’ Claim disclosed no reasonable claim and was fundamentally vexatious on the basis of jurisdictional concerns and the absence of material facts to ground a cause of action. Paragraph 14 of the Claim, which addresses the 2004 event, pleads no material facts as to how the RCMP officer engaged in deliberate and unlawful conduct, knew that his or her conduct was unlawful and likely to harm Mr. Amos, and acted in bad faith. While the Claim alleges elsewhere that Mr. Amos was barred from the New Brunswick legislature for political and/or malicious reasons, these allegations are not particularized and are directed against non-federal actors, such as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and the Fredericton Police Force. As such, the Judge erred in determining that Mr. Amos’ allegation that the RCMP barred him from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004 was capable of supporting a cause of action.
[36] In our view, the Claim is made up entirely of bare allegations, devoid of any detail, such that it discloses no reasonable cause of action within the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts. Therefore, the Judge erred in interfering to set aside the Prothonotary’s Order striking the claim in its entirety. Further, we find that the Prothonotary made no error in denying leave to amend. The deficiencies in Mr. Amos’ pleadings are so extensive such that amendment could not cure them (see Collins at para. 26).
V. Conclusion [37] For the foregoing reasons, we would allow the Crown’s cross-appeal, with costs, setting aside the Federal Court Judgment, dated January 25, 2016 and restoring the Prothonotary’s Order, dated November 12, 2015, which struck Mr. Amos’ Claim in its entirety without leave to amend. "Wyman W. Webb" J.A. "David G. Near" J.A. "Mary J.L. Gleason" J.A.
FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD
A CROSS-APPEAL FROM AN ORDER OF THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE SOUTHCOTT DATED JANUARY 25, 2016; DOCKET NUMBER T-1557-15. DOCKET:
A-48-16
STYLE OF CAUSE:
DAVID RAYMOND AMOS v. HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
PLACE OF HEARING:
Fredericton, New Brunswick
DATE OF HEARING:
May 24, 2017
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY:
WEBB J.A. NEAR J.A. GLEASON J.A.
DATED:
October 30, 2017
APPEARANCES: David Raymond Amos
For The Appellant / respondent on cross-appeal (on his own behalf)
Jan Jensen
For The Respondent / appELLANT ON CROSS-APPEAL
SOLICITORS OF RECORD: Nathalie G. Drouin Deputy Attorney General of Canada
While I was publishing this in my blog the lawyer Bobby Baby Kennedy called back from (416) 846-6598 and played as dumb. Hell he even claimed that he did not know who Frank McKenna was No partner even a lowly collection dude within Dentons is allowed to be THAT stupid.
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com > Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:32:09 -0400 > Subject: Attn Integrity Commissioner Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C., > To: coi@gnb.ca > Cc: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com > > Good Day Sir > > After I heard you speak on CBC I called your office again and managed > to speak to one of your staff for the first time > > Please find attached the documents I promised to send to the lady who > answered the phone this morning. Please notice that not after the Sgt > at Arms took the documents destined to your office his pal Tanker > Malley barred me in writing with an "English" only document. > > These are the hearings and the dockets in Federal Court that I > suggested that you study closely. > > This is the docket in Federal Court > > http://cas-cdc-www02.cas-satj.gc.ca/IndexingQueries/infp_RE_info_e.php?court_no=T-1557-15&select_court=T > > These are digital recordings of the last three hearings > > Dec 14th https://archive.org/details/BahHumbug > > January 11th, 2016 https://archive.org/details/Jan11th2015 > > April 3rd, 2017 > > https://archive.org/details/April32017JusticeLeblancHearing > > > This is the docket in the Federal Court of Appeal > > http://cas-cdc-www02.cas-satj.gc.ca/IndexingQueries/infp_RE_info_e.php?court_no=A-48-16&select_court=All > > > The only hearing thus far > > May 24th, 2017 > > https://archive.org/details/May24thHoedown > > > This Judge understnds the meaning of the word Integrity > > Date: 20151223 > > Docket: T-1557-15 > > Fredericton, New Brunswick, December 23, 2015 > > PRESENT: The Honourable Mr. Justice Bell > > BETWEEN: > > DAVID RAYMOND AMOS > > Plaintiff > > and > > HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN > > Defendant > > ORDER > > (Delivered orally from the Bench in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on > December 14, 2015) > > The Plaintiff seeks an appeal de novo, by way of motion pursuant to > the Federal Courts Rules (SOR/98-106), from an Order made on November > 12, 2015, in which Prothonotary Morneau struck the Statement of Claim > in its entirety. > > At the outset of the hearing, the Plaintiff brought to my attention a > letter dated September 10, 2004, which he sent to me, in my then > capacity as Past President of the New Brunswick Branch of the Canadian > Bar Association, and the then President of the Branch, Kathleen Quigg, > (now a Justice of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal). In that letter > he stated: > > As for your past President, Mr. Bell, may I suggest that you check the > work of Frank McKenna before I sue your entire law firm including you. > You are your brother’s keeper. > > Frank McKenna is the former Premier of New Brunswick and a former > colleague of mine at the law firm of McInnes Cooper. In addition to > expressing an intention to sue me, the Plaintiff refers to a number of > people in his Motion Record who he appears to contend may be witnesses > or potential parties to be added. Those individuals who are known to > me personally, include, but are not limited to the former Prime > Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper; former > Attorney General of Canada and now a Justice of the Manitoba Court of > Queen’s Bench, Vic Toews; former member of Parliament Rob Moore; > former Director of Policing Services, the late Grant Garneau; former > Chief of the Fredericton Police Force, Barry McKnight; former Staff > Sergeant Danny Copp; my former colleagues on the New Brunswick Court > of Appeal, Justices Bradley V. Green and Kathleen Quigg, and, retired > Assistant Commissioner Wayne Lang of the Royal Canadian Mounted > Police. > > In the circumstances, given the threat in 2004 to sue me in my > personal capacity and my past and present relationship with many > potential witnesses and/or potential parties to the litigation, I am > of the view there would be a reasonable apprehension of bias should I > hear this motion. See Justice de Grandpré’s dissenting judgment in > Committee for Justice and Liberty et al v National Energy Board et al, > [1978] 1 SCR 369 at p 394 for the applicable test regarding > allegations of bias. In the circumstances, although neither party has > requested I recuse myself, I consider it appropriate that I do so. > > > AS A RESULT OF MY RECUSAL, THIS COURT ORDERS that the Administrator of > the Court schedule another date for the hearing of the motion. There > is no order as to costs. > > “B. Richard Bell” > Judge > > > Below after the CBC article about your concerns (I made one comment > already) you will find the text of just two of many emails I had sent > to your office over the years since I first visited it in 2006. > > I noticed that on July 30, 2009, he was appointed to the the Court > Martial Appeal Court of Canada Perhaps you should scroll to the > bottom of this email ASAP and read the entire Paragraph 83 of my > lawsuit now before the Federal Court of Canada? > > "FYI This is the text of the lawsuit that should interest Trudeau the most > > > ---------- Original message ---------- > From: justin.trudeau.a1@parl.gc.ca > Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 8:18 PM > Subject: Réponse automatique : RE My complaint against the CROWN in > Federal Court Attn David Hansen and Peter MacKay If you planning to > submit a motion for a publication ban on my complaint trust that you > dudes are way past too late > To: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com > > Veuillez noter que j'ai changé de courriel. Vous pouvez me rejoindre à > lalanthier@hotmail.com > > Pour rejoindre le bureau de M. Trudeau veuillez envoyer un courriel à > tommy.desfosses@parl.gc.ca > > Please note that I changed email address, you can reach me at > lalanthier@hotmail.com > > To reach the office of Mr. Trudeau please send an email to > tommy.desfosses@parl.gc.ca > > Thank you, > > Merci , > > > http://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.ca/2015/09/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html > > > 83. The Plaintiff states that now that Canada is involved in more war > in Iraq again it did not serve Canadian interests and reputation to > allow Barry Winters to publish the following words three times over > five years after he began his bragging: > > January 13, 2015 > This Is Just AS Relevant Now As When I wrote It During The Debate > > December 8, 2014 > Why Canada Stood Tall! > > Friday, October 3, 2014 > Little David Amos’ “True History Of War” Canadian Airstrikes And > Stupid Justin Trudeau > > Canada’s and Canadians free ride is over. Canada can no longer hide > behind Amerka’s and NATO’s skirts. > > When I was still in Canadian Forces then Prime Minister Jean Chretien > actually committed the Canadian Army to deploy in the second campaign > in Iraq, the Coalition of the Willing. This was against or contrary to > the wisdom or advice of those of us Canadian officers that were > involved in the initial planning phases of that operation. There were > significant concern in our planning cell, and NDHQ about of the dearth > of concern for operational guidance, direction, and forces for > operations after the initial occupation of Iraq. At the “last minute” > Prime Minister Chretien and the Liberal government changed its mind. > The Canadian government told our amerkan cousins that we would not > deploy combat troops for the Iraq campaign, but would deploy a > Canadian Battle Group to Afghanistan, enabling our amerkan cousins to > redeploy troops from there to Iraq. The PMO’s thinking that it was > less costly to deploy Canadian Forces to Afghanistan than Iraq. But > alas no one seems to remind the Liberals of Prime Minister Chretien’s > then grossly incorrect assumption. Notwithstanding Jean Chretien’s > incompetence and stupidity, the Canadian Army was heroic, > professional, punched well above it’s weight, and the PPCLI Battle > Group, is credited with “saving Afghanistan” during the Panjway > campaign of 2006. > > What Justin Trudeau and the Liberals don’t tell you now, is that then > Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien committed, and deployed the > Canadian army to Canada’s longest “war” without the advice, consent, > support, or vote of the Canadian Parliament. > > What David Amos and the rest of the ignorant, uneducated, and babbling > chattering classes are too addled to understand is the deployment of > less than 75 special operations troops, and what is known by planners > as a “six pac cell” of fighter aircraft is NOT the same as a > deployment of a Battle Group, nor a “war” make. > > The Canadian Government or The Crown unlike our amerkan cousins have > the “constitutional authority” to commit the Canadian nation to war. > That has been recently clearly articulated to the Canadian public by > constitutional scholar Phillippe Legasse. What Parliament can do is > remove “confidence” in The Crown’s Government in a “vote of > non-confidence.” That could not happen to the Chretien Government > regarding deployment to Afghanistan, and it won’t happen in this > instance with the conservative majority in The Commons regarding a > limited Canadian deployment to the Middle East. > > President George Bush was quite correct after 911 and the terror > attacks in New York; that the Taliban “occupied” and “failed state” > Afghanistan was the source of logistical support, command and control, > and training for the Al Quaeda war of terror against the world. The > initial defeat, and removal from control of Afghanistan was vital and > > P.S. Whereas this CBC article is about your opinion of the actions of > the latest Minister Of Health trust that Mr Boudreau and the CBC have > had my files for many years and the last thing they are is ethical. > Ask his friends Mr Murphy and the RCMP if you don't believe me. > > Subject: > Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:02:35 -0400 > From: "Murphy, Michael B. \(DH/MS\)"MichaelB.Murphy@gnb.ca > To: motomaniac_02186@yahoo.com > > January 30, 2007 > > WITHOUT PREJUDICE > > Mr. David Amos > > Dear Mr. Amos: > > This will acknowledge receipt of a copy of your e-mail of December 29, > 2006 to Corporal Warren McBeath of the RCMP. > > Because of the nature of the allegations made in your message, I have > taken the measure of forwarding a copy to Assistant Commissioner Steve > Graham of the RCMP “J” Division in Fredericton. > > Sincerely, > > Honourable Michael B. Murphy > Minister of Health > > CM/cb > > > Warren McBeath warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca wrote: > > Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 17:34:53 -0500 > From: "Warren McBeath"warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca > To: kilgoursite@ca.inter.net, MichaelB.Murphy@gnb.ca, > nada.sarkis@gnb.ca, wally.stiles@gnb.ca, dwatch@web.net, > motomaniac_02186@yahoo.com > CC: ottawa@chuckstrahl.com, riding@chuckstrahl.com,John.Foran@gnb.ca, > Oda.B@parl.gc.ca,"Bev BUSSON"bev.busson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, > "Paul Dube"PAUL.DUBE@rcmp-grc.gc.ca > Subject: Re: Remember me Kilgour? Landslide Annie McLellan has > forgotten me but the crooks within the RCMP have not > > Dear Mr. Amos, > > Thank you for your follow up e-mail to me today. I was on days off > over the holidays and returned to work this evening. Rest assured I > was not ignoring or procrastinating to respond to your concerns. > > As your attachment sent today refers from Premier Graham, our position > is clear on your dead calf issue: Our forensic labs do not process > testing on animals in cases such as yours, they are referred to the > Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown who can provide these > services. If you do not choose to utilize their expertise in this > instance, then that is your decision and nothing more can be done. > > As for your other concerns regarding the US Government, false > imprisonment and Federal Court Dates in the US, etc... it is clear > that Federal authorities are aware of your concerns both in Canada > the US. These issues do not fall into the purvue of Detachment > and policing in Petitcodiac, NB. > > It was indeed an interesting and informative conversation we had on > December 23rd, and I wish you well in all of your future endeavors. > > Sincerely, > > Warren McBeath, Cpl. > GRC Caledonia RCMP > Traffic Services NCO > Ph: (506) 387-2222 > Fax: (506) 387-4622 > E-mail warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca > > > > Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C., > Office of the Integrity Commissioner > Edgecombe House, 736 King Street > Fredericton, N.B. CANADA E3B 5H1 > tel.: 506-457-7890 > fax: 506-444-5224 > e-mail:coi@gnb.ca > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com > Date: Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 10:35 AM > Subject: RE My complaint against the CROWN in Federal Court Attn David > Hansen and Peter MacKay If you planning to submit a motion for a > publication ban on my complaint trust that you dudes are way past too late > To: David.Hansen@justice.gc.ca, peter.mackay@justice.gc.ca > peacock.kurt@telegraphjournal.com, mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com, > david.akin@sunmedia.ca, robert.frater@justice.gc.ca, paul.riley@ppsc-sppc.gc.ca, > greg@gregdelbigio.com, joyce.dewitt-vanoosten@gov.bc.ca, > joan.barrett@ontario.ca, jean-vincent.lacroix@gouv.qc.ca, > peter.rogers@mcinnescooper.com , mfeder@mccarthy.ca, mjamal@osler.com > Cc: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com, gopublic@cbc.ca, > Whistleblower@ctv.ca > > https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/14439/index.do > > http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca/WebDocuments-DocumentsWeb/35072/FM030_Respondent_Attorney-General-of-Canada-on-Behalf-of-the-United-States-of-America.pdf > > http://thedavidamosrant.blogspot.ca/2013/10/re-glen-greenwald-and-brazilian.html > > I repeat what the Hell do I do with the Yankee wiretapes taps sell > them on Ebay or listen to them and argue them with you dudes in > Feferal Court? > > Petey Baby loses all parliamentary privelges in less than a month but > he still supposed to be an ethical officer of the Court CORRECT? > > Veritas Vincit > David Raymond Amos > 902 800 0369 > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com > Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2012 14:10:14 -0400 > Subject: Yo Mr Bauer say hey to your client Obama and his buddies in > the USDOJ for me will ya? > To: RBauer@perkinscoie.com, sshimshak@paulweiss.com, > cspada@lswlaw.com, msmith@svlaw.com, bginsberg@pattonboggs.com, > gregory.craig@skadden.com, pm@pm.gc.ca, bob.paulson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, > bob.rae@rogers.blackberry.net, MulcaT@parl.gc.ca, leader@greenparty.ca > Cc: alevine@cooley.com, david.raymond.amos@gmail.com, > michael.rothfeld@wsj.com, remery@ecbalaw.com > > QSLS Politics > By Location Visit Detail > Visit 29,419 > Domain Name usdoj.gov ? (U.S. Government) > IP Address 149.101.1.# (US Dept of Justice) > ISP US Dept of Justice > Location Continent : North America > Country : United States (Facts) > State : District of Columbia > City : Washington > Lat/Long : 38.9097, -77.0231 (Map) > Language English (U.S.) en-us > Operating System Microsoft WinXP > Browser Internet Explorer 8.0 > Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1; Trident/4.0; .NET > CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; InfoPath.2; > DI60SP1001) > Javascript version 1.3 > Monitor Resolution : 1024 x 768 > Color Depth : 32 bits > Time of Visit Nov 17 2012 6:33:08 pm > Last Page View Nov 17 2012 6:33:08 p...
---------- Original message ---------- From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca> Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2018 11:57:20 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Hey Mr Corsi I just called from 902 800 0369 Please enjoy the pdf files To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read, reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email. ______
Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
Merci encore pour votre courriel.
---------- Original message ---------- From: Birgitta Jonsdottir <birgitta@this.is> Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2018 03:55:53 -0800 Subject: e-mail overload Re: Fwd: Hey Mr Corsi I just called from 902 800 0369 Please enjoy the pdf files To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
Thank you for writing to me. I get so many emails that it is impossible for me to even read them all. If you have an urgent matter to discuss. Please put Priority in the subject. Please refrain from sending email to multitude of email addresses you might have for me. Only send one email with priority in the subject. It means I will read it and will do my very best to reply asap :)
Thank you for contacting the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Office of Inspector General (OIG). We have received your submission and will evaluate the information provided and take appropriate action, which may include referral to another SEC office, notification to another agency, or additional inquiry. In this regard, please note the following:
• If you believe your life is in imminent danger, contact your local law enforcement department. • We only have the authority to address allegations or complaints that relate to SEC programs, operations, and personnel. • In some cases, we may need to contact you for further information in order to evaluate your allegation(s). We may contact you from an SEC email address such as OIG@sec.gov or by calling you from 202-551-2000. Please do not attempt to contact us on 202-551-2000 as this number is not equipped to receive incoming calls. • Should you wish to make a complaint or report information to the SEC OIG, you may do so by visiting our website at https://www.sec.gov/oig, clicking on the link Submit Online Hotline Complaint to access our web form, or by calling our toll-free hotline at (877) 442-0854. Please note that you may remain anonymous, however; this may limit our ability to investigate if we are unable to contact you for additional information.
Thank you again for contacting the OIG.
Respectfully,
The Office of Inspector General U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-2977 Fax: 202-772-9265; oig@sec.gov
Jerome Corsi On Why He Rejected Robert Mueller’s Plea Deal | NBC News 86,111 views NBC News Published on Nov 28, 2018 Jerome Corsi sat down with NBC News’ Anna Schecter to address the 2016 emails between him and Roger Stone about Wikileaks, laid out in Robert Mueller’s plea documents.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Hon.Ralph.Goodale (PS/SP)"<Hon.ralph.goodale@canada.ca> Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2018 11:43:30 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Perhaps Bill Binney knows how to read better than the sneaky Yankee lawyer Coleen Rowley but I ain't betting on it To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Merci d'avoir ?crit ? l'honorable Ralph Goodale, ministre de la S?curit? publique et de la Protection civile. En raison d'une augmentation importante du volume de la correspondance adress?e au ministre, veuillez prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de votre courriel. Soyez assur? que votre message sera examin? avec attention. Merci! L'Unit? de la correspondance minist?rielle S?curit? publique Canada *********
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Due to the significant increase in the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note there could be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed. Thank you! Ministerial Correspondence Unit Public Safety Canada
Our journey into "The Storm": An interview with Dr. Jerome Corsi 148,465 views Tracy Beanz Published on Jan 7, 2018
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Cohen <mcohen@trumporg.com> Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2018 16:34:55 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: A little Deja Vu about The greedy bosses of Canadian Forces and Irving Ship Building's former General Counsel Richard Southcott for you all to enjoy N'esy Pas Mr Prime Minister Trudeau "The Younger'" ??? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Effective January 20, 2017, I have accepted the role as personal counsel to President Donald J. Trump. All future emails should be directed to mdcohen212@gmail.com and all future calls should be directed to 646-853-0114. ________________________________ This communication is from The Trump Organization or an affiliate thereof and is not sent on behalf of any other individual or entity. This email may contain information that is confidential and/or proprietary. Such information may not be read, disclosed, used, copied, distributed or disseminated except (1) for use by the intended recipient or (2) as expressly authorized by the sender. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately delete it and promptly notify the sender. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be received, secure or error-free as emails could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late, incomplete, contain viruses or otherwise. The Trump Organization and its affiliates do not guarantee that all emails will be read and do not accept liability for any errors or omissions in emails. Any views or opinions presented in any email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Trump Organization or any of its affiliates. Nothing in this communication is intended to operate as an electronic signature under applicable law.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2017 14:25:18 -0400 Subject: RE Hustler impeach ad Ask John Kelly, his lawyers Cohen and McGhan and the FBI about all the wiretap tapes of the mob I have To: HUSTLERTIPLINE@lfp.com Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>
The info was at the bottom of the email I sent you
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Kelly, John"<john.e.kelly@tsa.dhs.gov> Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2017 18:25:14 +0000 Subject: RE: New response to your FOI request - Do You know who I am and why I have a lawsuit against your Queen? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Sir,
I believe you have addressed and sent your email to the wrong John Kelly. I am not the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
I suggest that you should seek out and identify the correct electronic message address for the intended recipient you want to address.
Please note that, I am not at liberty to provide you with any email addresses and I respectfully ask you to remove my email address from your contact list and any distribution lists.
I see nothing wrong with posting true facts and seeking answers. Why do you people?
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: WhatDoTheyKnow <team@whatdotheyknow.com> Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2017 13:07:04 +0000 Subject: New response to your FOI request - Do You know who I am and why I have a lawsuit against your Queen? To: David Raymond Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
You have a new response to the Freedom of Information request 'Do You know who I am and why I have a lawsuit against your Queen?' that you made to Attorney General’s Office.
When you get there, please update the status to say if the response contains any useful information.
Although all responses are automatically published, we depend on you, the original requester, to evaluate them.
-- the WhatDoTheyKnow team
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Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2017 13:06:34 +0000 Subject: Freedom of Information request - Do You know who I am and why I have a lawsuit against your Queen? From: David Raymond Amos <[FOI #392013 email]> To: "FOI requests at Attorney General’s Office"<[Attorney General’s Office request email]>
Dear Attorney General’s Office,
If so what documents about me do you have in your possession and will provide them to me ASAP byway of email?
Clearly my fellow Canadian Elizabeth Denham, Ms May your latest Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson, the recently elected President Trump and his lawyers and the Prime Minister of Iceland to mention but a few know exactly who I am and what my concerns are just as many others did long before I ran for a seat in the 38th Parliament of Canada in 2004 correct?
---------- Original message ---------- From: Póstur FOR <[email address]> Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2017 14:51:41 +0000 Subject: Re: RE FATCA, NAFTA & TPP etc ATTN President Donald J. Trump I just got off the phone with your lawyer Mr Cohen (646-853-0114) Why does he lie to me after all this time??? To: David Amos <[email address]>
Erindi þitt hefur verið móttekið / Your request has been received
Kveðja / Best regards Forsætisráðuneytið / Prime Minister's Office
---------- Original message ---------- From: "MAY, Theresa"<[email address]> Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2017 21:10:53 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Whereas the UKIP NEVER had any time to talk to me about the financial industry now I have even less of my precious time for them just like wannabe Consevative leaders who try to play dumb To: David Amos <[email address]>
This is the email account for The Rt Hon Theresa May MP's work as Member of Parliament for Maidenhead. If you live in the Maidenhead constituency, please ensure that you have included your full address in your email. We will respond to you as soon as possible.
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---------- Original message ---------- From: "JOHNSON, Boris"<[email address]> Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2017 02:11:56 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: HEY Alan Dransfield and Elizabeth Denham RE "Data Protection" and the Social Contract with Mark Carney, Theresa May and Katy.Bourne To: David Amos <[email address]>
The Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson MP Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Thank you for contacting Boris Johnson MP. Please note that this email account is for constituency and other enquiries in my role as Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
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We received your tip. If you any documentation of your allegations about Trump's lawyers covering up a murder in Canada, or any other impeachable offendes by Trump, we would be interested.
John Kelly joins long list of those fired, departed or resigned from Trump's White House
Current administration has highest turnover of senior staff of past 5 U.S. presidents
Thomson Reuters·
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, right, leans in to talk with U.S. President Donald Trump during Trump's meeting with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington in June. Kelly will be leaving the White House at the end of this year, Trump said on Saturday. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that White House chief of staff John Kelly will leave his job at the end of the year, extending the historically high turnover in the top ranks of his administration.
On Friday, Trump announced a new U.S. attorney general and a new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and on Saturday he nominated Army Gen. Mark Milley to replace Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Trump's White House has had the highest turnover of senior-level staff of the past five presidents, according to figures compiled by the Brookings Institution think tank.
Here are some senior figures who have been fired or quit the administration since Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2017.
2018
John Kelly - A White House official said Trump has been in discussions for months with Nick Ayers, a top aide to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, about replacing Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general who was hired to bring order to the chaotic Trump White House but ultimately fell out with his boss.
Matthew Whitaker - Trump said he will nominate William Barr to be attorney general, replacing Whitaker, who was named acting attorney general only a month ago. Whitaker replaced Jeff Sessions in the top Justice Department post. He immediately came under scrutiny over past remarks critical of a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and any collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign. As acting attorney general, Whitaker took over supervision of the probe, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Some lawmakers worried Trump might order Whitaker to undermine the inquiry, fears that Trump allies called unwarranted. The Senate must confirm any nominee for attorney general; Democrats immediately voiced concerns about Barr.
In this Dec. 15, 2017 photo Trump, left, appears with then U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions during the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Va. Sessions was forced out of his job in November. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)
Jeff Sessions - After months of being attacked and ridiculed by the president, the former senator was forced out on Nov. 7.
Nikki Haley - She said on Oct. 9 that she would step down at the end of the year as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. On Friday, Trump put forward State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert as her successor, also subject to Senate review.
Don McGahn - Trump said in August the White House counsel would leave amid strains between the two over the Mueller probe.
Scott Pruitt - The Environmental Protection Agency chief quit on July 5 under fire over a series of ethics controversies.
David Shulkin - White House officials said on March 28 that the Veteran Affairs secretary would resign.
H.R. McMaster - The national security adviser was replaced on March 22 with John Bolton. Andrew McCabe - The deputy FBI director was fired in mid-March by Sessions.
Rex Tillerson - The secretary of state was fired by Trump on March 13 after rifts between them. On Friday, Trump tweeted that Tillerson was "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell."
In this Jan. 10, 2018 photo, then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson listens as Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington. Tillerson was fired by Trump on March 13 after rifts between them. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)
Gary Cohn - The National Economic Council director and former Goldman Sachs president said on March 5 he would resign.
Hope Hicks - The White House communications director, a long-serving and trusted Trump aide, resigned on Feb. 28.
Rob Porter - The White House staff secretary resigned in February after accusations of domestic abuse from former wives.
2017
Omarosa Manigault Newman - The former reality TV star was fired as assistant to the president in December.
Then White House Director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison Omarosa Manigault, right, walks past Trump during a meeting on healthcare in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, March 13, 2017. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)
Richard Cordray - The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's first director quit in November.
Tom Price - The Health and Human Services secretary quit under pressure from Trump on Sept. 29 over travel practices.
Stephen Bannon - Trump's chief strategist was fired by Trump in mid-August after clashing with White House moderates.
Anthony Scaramucci - The White House communications director was fired by Trump in July after 10 days on the job.
Reince Priebus - Replaced as chief of staff by John Kelly, Priebus lost Trump's confidence after setbacks in Congress.
Sean Spicer - Resigned as White House press secretary in July, ending a turbulent tenure.
Walter Shaub - The head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, who clashed with Trump, stepped down in July.
Michael Dubke - Resigned as White House communications director in late May. James Comey - The FBI director, who led the Russia probe before Mueller, was fired by Trump in May.
Katie Walsh - The deputy White House chief of staff was transferred out to a Republican activist group in March.
Michael Flynn - Resigned in February as Trump's national security adviser. Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. He is set to be sentenced in December.
Sally Yates - Trump fired the acting U.S. attorney general in January after she ordered Justice Department lawyers not to enforce Trump's immigration ban.
Trump's chief of staff John Kelly to leave at end of year
U.S. president had discussed replacing retired Marine general on multiple occasions
The Associated Press·
White House chief of staff John Kelly, right, listens as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a briefing in the Cabinet Room of the White House in October 2017. (Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that chief of staff John Kelly will leave his job by year's end amid an expected West Wing reshuffling reflecting a focus on the 2020 re-election campaign and the challenge of governing with Democrats reclaiming control in the House.
An announcement about Kelly's replacement was expected in the coming days, the president told reporters as he departed the White House for the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia.
Nick Ayers, Vice-President Mike Pence's chief of staff, is Trump's top choice to replace Kelly, and the two have held discussions for months about the job, a White House official said.
Trump and Ayers were working out specifics terms under which Ayers would fill the role and the time commitment he would make, the official said. Trump wants his next chief of staff to agree to hold the job through the 2020 election.
Ayers, who has young triplets, had long planned to leave the administration at the end of the year. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.
The announcement Saturday comes a day after Trump named his picks for attorney general and ambassador to the United Nations, and two senior aides shifted from the White House to Trump's campaign.
Known through the West Wing as 'the chief' or 'the general,' Kelly was tapped by Trump via tweet to try to normalize a White House riven by infighting and competing power bases. (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)
Kelly had been credited with imposing order on a chaotic West Wing after his arrival in June 2017 from his post as Homeland Security secretary. But his iron fist also alienated some longtime Trump allies, and he grew increasingly isolated, with an increasingly diminished role.
Known through the West Wing as "the chief" or "the general," the retired Marine Corps four-star general was tapped by Trump via tweet to try to normalize a White House riven by infighting and competing power bases.
"John Kelly will be leaving — I don't know if I can say retiring — but he's a great guy," Trump told reporters. "John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year. We'll be announcing who will be taking John's place — it might be on an interim basis. I'll be announcing that over the next day or two, but John will be leaving at the end of the year. ... I appreciate his service very much."
Kelly had early successes, including ending an open-door Oval Office policy that that had been compared to New York's Grand Central Station and instituting a more rigorous policy process to try to prevent staffers from going directly to Trump. (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)
Kelly had early successes, including ending an open-door Oval Office policy that that had been compared to New York's Grand Central Station and instituting a more rigorous policy process to try to prevent staffers from going directly to Trump.
But those efforts also miffed the president and some of his most influential outside allies, who had grown accustomed to unimpeded access. Kelly's handling of domestic violence accusations against the former White House staff secretary also caused consternation, especially among lower-level White House staffers, who believed Kelly had lied to them about when he found out about the allegations.
In any administration, the role of White House chief of staff is split between the responsibilities of supervising the White House and managing the man sitting in the Oval Office. Striking that balance in the turbulent times of Trump has bedeviled both Kelly and his predecessor, Reince Priebus.
West Wing shakeups
Trump Friday announced that he would nominate William Barr, who served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, to the same role in his administration. He fills the slot vacated by former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who was jettisoned by Trump over lingering resentments for stepping aside from overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
Trump also said that State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert was his pick to replace Nikki Haley as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Earlier Saturday, he announced that he wanted Army chief of staff Gen. Mark Milley as the next chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff.
I am pleased to announce my nomination of four-star General Mark Milley, Chief of Staff of the United States Army – as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing General Joe Dunford, who will be retiring....
Among the other changes, two veterans of Trump's 2016 campaign, White House political director Bill Stepien and Justin Clark, the director of the office of public liaison, are leaving the administration to work on Trump's re-election effort. The moves had long been planned, but will give Kelly's eventual successor room to build their own political team.
Trump had discussed replacing Kelly on multiple occasions, including following the negative publicity surrounding Kelly's handling of domestic violence accusations against then-White House staff secretary Rob Porter. Some lower-level White House staffers believed Kelly had lied to them about when he knew of the allegations and when he made clear to Porter that he'd have to leave.
Trump had often tossed around potential replacements, but sensitive to charges that his administration has been marked by record turnover, he said in July that he would keep Kelly in the job through 2020.
Threatened to quit
But inside the White House, it was viewed largely as an attempt to clamp down on speculation about Kelly's fate during the midterm elections, rather than a true vote of confidence.
Kelly, too, made no secret of the trials of his job, and often joked about how working for Trump was harder than anything he'd done before, including on the battlefield. In private, Kelly, whom friends said took the job out of a sense of duty to his country, cast himself as safeguarding the public from an impulsive and mercurial president. Reports of those conversations infuriated the president, who is especially sensitive of attacks on his competence and perceptions he is being managed.
Kelly often joked about how working for Trump was harder than anything he'd done before, including on the battlefield. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press)
At an event celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kelly joked that he missed everyone in the department "every day," offering a deadpan eye roll and smile that drew laughs and applause.
"At six months, the last thing I wanted to do was walk away from one of the great honours of my life, being the secretary of Homeland Security, but I did something wrong and God punished me, I guess," he joked.
Kelly, who had threatened to quit on several occasions, told friends he would be happy if he lasted until his one-year anniversary: July 28.
Trump says he'll name William Barr as new U.S. attorney general
U.S. president also taps U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert as new UN ambassador
Thomson Reuters·
U.S. President Donald Trump said he has chosen William Barr, who served as attorney general under former president George H.W. Bush, as his pick to replace ousted U.S. Department of Justice chief Jeff Sessions. (Time Warner/Associated Press)
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he has chosen former attorney general William Barr to once again lead the Justice Department, a role that would put him in charge of the probe into Russian election interference and possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
If confirmed by the Senate, Barr would take over from Matthew Whitaker, who has been serving in an acting capacity since Trump forced out Jeff Sessions a month ago. Whitaker had been Sessions's chief of staff.
Barr was "my first choice from Day 1," and "a terrific man, a terrific person, a brilliant man," Trump said, speaking to reporters outside the White House.
Barr, a lawyer who was previously attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under the late president George H.W. Bush, has defended Trump's controversial decision to fire then FBI director James Comey in May 2017 when Comey was leading the Russia probe.
After Comey's firing, special counsel Robert Mueller took over that investigation, which includes any possible collusion between Moscow and Trump's 2016 election campaign, and any potential obstruction of justice. The Russia probe has long infuriated Trump, who calls it a witch hunt and who has denied any collusion or any obstruction of justice.
Barr has said there is more reason to investigate potential wrongdoing by Trump's campaign opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, than there is to probe any potential collusion.
I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating The Honorable William P. Barr for the position of Attorney General of the United States. As the former AG for George H.W. Bush....
....and one of the most highly respected lawyers and legal minds in the Country, he will be a great addition to our team. I look forward to having him join our very successful Administration!
As attorney general, Barr would have ultimate responsibility for the Russia probe, unless he recuses himself. Sessions recused himself from overseeing the investigation.
U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Moscow worked to influence the election and tip it in Trump's favour. Russia has denied any interference.
Barr's comments on Mueller and Clinton could stir opposition from Senate Democrats, but the nomination will almost certainly not come up for a vote until next year. Republicans will control the chamber with a 53-47 majority in the new Congress convening in January.
"I do think he's worthy of consideration. I am concerned he has said some negative things about the special counsel's office and some of the prosecutors he had in place," Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar told MSNBC on Thursday after Barr's name surfaced.
Klobuchar is a member of the Senate judiciary committee, which will hold hearings on the nomination.
Supported Comey firing, Clinton investigation
In an opinion piece in the Washington Post last year, Barr argued that Comey usurped the authority of top Justice Department officials when he announced the outcome of an FBI probe into Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state, and that Trump was right in firing him.
At the time of Comey's announcement, both Clinton and Trump were candidates for president. When Trump fired Comey, the initial reason given by the White House was his poor handling of the FBI investigation into Clinton's emails.
Barr, left, is seen here in November 1991 after being sworn in as Bush's attorney general. (Scott Applewhite/Associated Press)
Barr, however, did not attack the Russia probe itself, which he said was being conducted with a thoroughness that appeared lacking in the Clinton email investigation.
Barr has expressed sympathy for Trump's calls to take a second look at whether Clinton may have broken the law, telling the Washington newspaper in November 2017: "I do think that there are things that should be investigated that haven't been investigated."
That same month, he told the New York Times he thought there was more reason to investigate Clinton for any role she may have played in approving a uranium deal when she was secretary of state than any potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
Nauert for UN ambassador
Trump on Friday also said he would nominate U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, choosing a former TV anchor with little policy experience to lead American diplomacy at the international organization.
Nauert, whose nomination requires U.S. Senate confirmation, is a former Fox News Channel correspondent who had not worked in government before starting at the State Department 18 months ago.
Trump also revealed Friday he would nominate U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert as the latest U.S. ambassador at the United Nations. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press)
If confirmed, she would replace Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who announced in October that she would step down as ambassador at the end of this year.
Trump also told reporters assembled outside the White House that he would make another staffing announcement on Saturday involving the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but gave no other details.
Methinks The CBC and The Not So Honourable Diane Lebouthillier Minister of National Revenue picked the wrong day to show me their nasty arses N'esy Pas?
574 Comments Commenting is now closed for this story.
Content disabled. David Raymond Amos Hmmm Perhaps P.E.I. Senator Percy Downe should have read all the emails that I sent him over the years? Bet yet perhaps he should read the one I got from Minister Diane Lebouthillier just before I appeared before a panel of Judges in the Federal Court of Appeal in Fredericton NB and read them the Riot Act. Trust that I will post it within a blog I am about to make about this article i particular.
Need I say that a proud whistle-blower (namely me) against Bank Fraud, Tax Fraud, Securities Fraud and Murder has had enough of arguing mindless minions working for the Crown? The Crown does not even wish to argue why I have been barred from parliamentary properties while running for public office 5 times. Go Figure why CBC reports often about Chucky Leblanc and his barring and recent antics.
"Fredericton police arrest well-known N.B. blogger on legislature grounds"
Now that I have filled the dockets of Federal Courts of Canada and the USA with lots of evidence of many crimes and already discussed such things across borders an on the public record. A Proud Whistle-blower such as is well it is High Time to get down to the serious business of embarrassing the Hell out of Theresa May, Donnie Trump and Trudeau "The Younger" in an ethical political fashion and in several courts before Trump and his pals start another War and the Economy collapses. Only this time I will likely send young hungry lawyers to speak on my behalf because I have grown very weary of arguing with monumental liars. May 24th may have been the last time I will ever be seen speaking on the public record.
Veritas Vincit David Raymond Amos
Yo CBC moderator Good Luck with your conscience
David Raymond Amos
@David Raymond Amos Yo Hubby Lacroix and Minister Joly why is that I was not surprised that CBC blocked this comment or why i already blogged and am now about to Tweet about it?
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC)" PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca Date: Wed, 24 May 2017 13:10:52 +0000 Subject: Your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes - 2017-02631 To: "motomaniac333@gmail.com" motomaniac333@gmail.com
Mr. David Raymond Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
Dear Mr. Amos:
Thank you for your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes, and for your understanding regarding the delay of this response.
This is an opportunity for me to address your concerns about the way the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) deals with aggressive tax planning, tax avoidance, and tax evasion by targeting individuals and groups that promote schemes intended to avoid payment of tax. It is also an opportunity for me to present the Government of Canada’s main strategies for ensuring fairness for all taxpayers.
The CRA’s mission is to preserve the integrity of Canada’s tax system, and it is taking concrete and effective action to deal with abusive tax schemes. Through federal budget funding in 2016 and 2017, the government has committed close to $1 billion in cracking down on tax evasion and combatting tax avoidance at home and through the use of offshore transactions. This additional funding is expected to generate federal revenues of $2.6 billion over five years for Budget 2016, and $2.5 billion over five years for Budget 2017.
More precisely, the CRA is cracking down on tax cheats by hiring more auditors, maintaining its underground economy specialist teams, increasing coverage of aggressive goods and service tax/harmonized sales tax planning, increasing coverage of multinational corporations and wealthy individuals, and taking targeted actions aimed at promoters of abusive tax schemes.
On the offshore front, the CRA continues to develop tools to improve its focus on high‑risk taxpayers. It is also considering changes to its Voluntary Disclosures Program following the first set of program recommendations received from an independent Offshore Compliance Advisory Committee. In addition, the CRA is leading international projects to address the base erosion and profit shifting initiative of the G20 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and is collaborating with treaty partners to address the Panama Papers leaks.
These actions are evidence of the government’s commitment to protecting tax fairness. The CRA has strengthened its intelligence and technical capacities for the early detection of abusive tax arrangements and deterrence of those who participate in them. To ensure compliance, it has increased the number of actions aimed at promoters who use illegal schemes. These measures include increased audits of such promoters, improved information gathering, criminal investigations where warranted, and better communication with taxpayers.
To deter potential taxpayer involvement in these schemes, the CRA is increasing notifications and warnings through its communications products. It also seeks partnerships with tax preparers, accountants, and community groups so that they can become informed observers who can educate their clients.
The CRA will assess penalties against promoters and other representatives who make false statements involving illegal tax schemes. The promotion of tax schemes to defraud the government can lead to criminal investigations, fingerprinting, criminal prosecution, court fines, and jail time.
Between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2016, the CRA’s criminal investigations resulted in the conviction of 42 Canadian taxpayers for tax evasion with links to money and assets held offshore. In total, the $34 million in evaded taxes resulted in court fines of $12 million and 734 months of jail time.
When deciding to pursue compliance actions through the courts, the CRA consults the Department of Justice Canada to choose an appropriate solution. Complex tax-related litigation is costly and time consuming, and the outcome may be unsuccessful. All options to recover amounts owed are considered.
More specifically, in relation to the KPMG Isle of Man tax avoidance scheme, publicly available court records show that it is through the CRA’s efforts that the scheme was discovered. The CRA identified many of the participants and continues to actively pursue the matter. The CRA has also identified at least 10 additional tax structures on the Isle of Man, and is auditing taxpayers in relation to these structures.
To ensure tax fairness, the CRA commissioned an independent review in March 2016 to determine if it had acted appropriately concerning KPMG and its clients. In her review, Ms. Kimberley Brooks, Associate Professor and former Dean of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, examined the CRA’s operational processes and decisions in relation to the KPMG offshore tax structure and its efforts to obtain the names of all taxpayers participating in the scheme. Following this review, the report, released on May 5, 2016, concluded that the CRA had acted appropriately in its management of the KPMG Isle of Man file. The report found that the series of compliance measures the CRA took were in accordance with its policies and procedures. It was concluded that the procedural actions taken on the KPMG file were appropriate given the facts of this particular case and were consistent with the treatment of taxpayers in similar situations. The report concluded that actions by CRA employees were in accordance with the CRA’s Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct. There was no evidence of inappropriate interaction between KPMG and the CRA employees involved in the case.
Under the CRA’s Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct, all CRA employees are responsible for real, apparent, or potential conflicts of interests between their current duties and any subsequent employment outside of the CRA or the Public Service of Canada. Consequences and corrective measures play an important role in protecting the CRA’s integrity.
The CRA takes misconduct very seriously. The consequences of misconduct depend on the gravity of the incident and its repercussions on trust both within and outside of the CRA. Misconduct can result in disciplinary measures up to dismissal.
All forms of tax evasion are illegal. The CRA manages the Informant Leads Program, which handles leads received from the public regarding cases of tax evasion across the country. This program, which coordinates all the leads the CRA receives from informants, determines whether there has been any non-compliance with tax law and ensures that the information is examined and conveyed, if applicable, so that compliance measures are taken. This program does not offer any reward for tips received.
The new Offshore Tax Informant Program (OTIP) has also been put in place. The OTIP offers financial compensation to individuals who provide information related to major cases of offshore tax evasion that lead to the collection of tax owing. As of December 31, 2016, the OTIP had received 963 calls and 407 written submissions from possible informants. Over 218 taxpayers are currently under audit based on information the CRA received through the OTIP.
With a focus on the highest-risk sectors nationally and internationally and an increased ability to gather information, the CRA has the means to target taxpayers who try to hide their income. For example, since January 2015, the CRA has been collecting information on all international electronic funds transfers (EFTs) of $10,000 or more ending or originating in Canada. It is also adopting a proactive approach by focusing each year on four jurisdictions that raise suspicion. For the Isle of Man, the CRA audited 3,000 EFTs totalling $860 million over 12 months and involving approximately 800 taxpayers. Based on these audits, the CRA communicated with approximately 350 individuals and 400 corporations and performed 60 audits.
In January 2017, I reaffirmed Canada’s important role as a leader for tax authorities around the world in detecting the structures used for aggressive tax planning and tax evasion. This is why Canada works daily with the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre (JITSIC), a network of tax administrations in over 35 countries. The CRA participates in two expert groups within the JITSIC and leads the working group on intermediaries and proponents. This ongoing collaboration is a key component of the CRA’s work to develop strong relationships with the international community, which will help it refine the world-class tax system that benefits all Canadians.
The CRA is increasing its efforts and is seeing early signs of success. Last year, the CRA recovered just under $13 billion as a result of its audit activities on the domestic and offshore fronts. Two-thirds of these recoveries are the result of its audit efforts relating to large businesses and multinational companies.
But there is still much to do, and additional improvements and investments are underway.
Tax cheats are having a harder and harder time hiding. Taxpayers who choose to promote or participate in malicious and illegal tax strategies must face the consequences of their actions. Canadians expect nothing less. I invite you to read my most recent statement on this matter at canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/2017/03/ statement_from_thehonourabledianelebouthillierministerofnational.
Thank you for taking the time to write. I hope the information I have provided is helpful.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier Minister of National Revenue
Ottawa forfeited $8.7B in uncollected tax in 2014, says report
CRA 'tax gap' report cautions that much of the billions owed might never be collectable
By Dean Beeby, CBC NewsPosted: Jun 02, 2017 5:00 AM ET
CRA deploys new weapons against tax evasion: Freezing assets, seizing property
Canada Revenue Agency vows it 'won't be the last time' the agency uses this tactic
Elizabeth Thompson· CBC News·
A warning on the Canada Revenue Agency's website. (Graeme Roy/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The Canada Revenue Agency is using a new tool in its battle against tax evasion — one that experts say could radically change the way it pursues tax cheats.
For the first time, the agency has used proceeds-of-crime provisions in the law to freeze the assets of individuals charged with tax evasion.
Up to now, those provisions have been used only in cases involving suspected terrorist financing or money laundering.
"That is a tool that we have not used in the past," said Stéphane Bonin of CRA's criminal investigations division.
"I can say that this is indeed the first time, but I can promise you that this is not the last time that we [will use] those provisions of the Criminal Code to restrain or seize assets that tax evaders have acquired through their illegal behaviours."
Sending a message
Marc Tassé, a professor with the University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management, said CRA's decision to use proceeds-of-crime powers to go after tax dodgers will send a message.
"People who might have done some tax evasion already will see it as a game-changer," he said.
University of Ottawa professor Marc Tassé says using proceeds of crime provisions in cases of alleged tax evasion is a 'game-changer.' (CBC)
Tassé said the proceeds-of-crime provisions can also be used to seize property outside of Canada. For example, if the CRA believes that someone has engaged in offshore tax evasion and used the proceeds to buy a vacation home or a yacht, the CRA could freeze or seize those assets.
Using the proceeds-of-crime provisions also can block tactics used by some tax evaders, such as declaring corporate bankruptcy to avoid paying the taxes, said Tassé.
"If they were to file for bankruptcy, the government wouldn't be able to recover anything," he said. "But on the other hand, if they're using proceeds-of-crime provisions of the Criminal Code, then at that point they are able to seize it immediately so it protects the assets."
Tassé said the move may prompt some tax scofflaws to quickly take advantage of the CRA's voluntary disclosure program. A taxpayer who comes forward to CRA and makes a voluntary disclosure about tax evasion still has to pay the taxes owed, but can usually avoid prosecution and penalties.
The case at the heart of the CRA's initiative pits the agency against an Ottawa couple — Chi Van Ho, 52, and Thanh Ha Thi Nguyen, 49 — who own a number of rental properties.
Case involving rental property income
They are accused of under-reporting their income between January 2008 and December 2013 by $3.1 million, evading $523,532 in taxes.
The CRA said that Ho and Nguyen are "the listed shareholders, directors and/or corporate officers in multiple corporations in the business of residential and commercial real estate rentals and property renovation and development."
"The criminal charges against Ho and Nguyen allege that, from 2008 to 2013, multiple schemes were utilized to under-report their taxable income," said the CRA. "The schemes included appropriating funds from multiple corporations under their control for personal purposes, appropriating corporate rental income and manipulation of supplier invoices."
The agency described the investigation that led to the charges as "serious and complex."
Ho and Nguyen were charged in late October. The CRA has seized or restrained six rental properties and an automobile belonging to the couple.
The CRA has been crossing swords with Ho and Nguyen and three of their companies, which operate under the name Golden Dragon Ho, in the Tax Court of Canada since 2015.
Golden Dragon Ho Properties made headlines in June 2017 when tenants in some of its properties complained that the natural gas that heated their homes and powered their hot water tanks had been cut off because the landlord hadn't paid the bills.
Leonard Shore, the lawyer representing the couple in the criminal tax evasion case, said he recently received "voluminous" disclosure materials from the prosecution and is now reviewing them. Shore said the charges came after a lengthy investigation.
"This has been going on for at least a couple of years ... A couple of years ago they conducted several searches into their companies, into their home, into their place of business."
Award-winning reporter Elizabeth Thompson covers Parliament Hill. A veteran of the Montreal Gazette, Sun Media and iPolitics, she currently works with the CBC's Ottawa bureau, specializing in investigative reporting and data journalism. She can be reached at: elizabeth.thompson@cbc.ca.
>>Trump was never fit for office and never will be.
Neither are most of the high-ranking Democrats, however
Victor Cretu
@Steve Whitaker
Your "unfit" President is just making a 3% annual GDP growth for the USA. It didn't happen since 2005.
Content disabled. David Amos
@Victor Cretu Methinks many Yankees must have figured out by now that Mr Mueller went a bridge too far when he attacked the sneaky lawyer Mikey Cohen N'esy Pas?
Patrick Smyth
@Victor Cretu
"Your "unfit" President is just making a 3% annual GDP growth for the USA. It didn't happen since 2005."
That's what happens when someone makes policy to make things look good NOW at the expense of LATER. He's in his 70s and his kids are rich beyond belief. Nobody he knows or cares about will be hurt by his myopic and self serving policies.
Lou Parks
@David Amos
Hey Dave! What's that "N'esy Pas" nonsense all about?
Lou Parks
@Patrick Smyth
Dubious and vague allegations
Content disabled. David Amos
@Lou Parks "What's that "N'esy Pas" nonsense all about?"
Methinks the Chief of the Amos Clan should be tired of explaining teasing the Quebecker Trudeau The Younger and his buddy in my stomping grounds Dominic Leblanc with old English and Chiac to people who do not bother to read what comes between those two wo words N'esy Pas?
Content disabled. David Amos
@Lou Parks Methinks it is rather ironic that you call my comments nonsense in light of the fact that I often agree with yours N'esy Pas?
Lou Parks
@David Amos
>> Methinks the Chief of the Amos Clan ...
Meaning you, right?
>> ... should be tired of explaining teasing the Quebecker Trudeau The Younger and his buddy in my stomping grounds Dominic Leblanc ...
So you are teasing them?
>> ... with old English and Chiac ...
Your nonsensical "N'esy Pas" would be "old English and Chiac", according to you? Methinks not
>> ... to people ...
Which would include me
>> who do not bother to read what comes between those two wo words N'esy Pas?
What? "What comes between those two ... words"? All I see is a space — that comes between "those two words"
Lou Parks
@Lee Hall
>> Trump was bombing and droning at record levels.
Nope. You got the wrong president for those "record levels"
>> Especially in Afghanistan.
You are mixing up different time periods with different presidents.
Trump is the least militarily active president of the past several presidents
>> Trump is the best ally the military industrial complex could ask for.
Only funding-wise. He is not asking much action-wise from it.
>> As he is currently doing his best to start a war with Iran.
But that "best" of his is nothing compared to G.W. Bush's "best"
Ken Likness
@Steve Whitaker 'simple private transaction,' that can only be perceived as an attempt to cover up indiscretion(s) that might prove him unworthy of public office; and which in so offerring further suggests him to be immoral and self indulgent.
ALEX Chiasson
@Steve Whitaker That is why he won I suppose. He just wasn't the right person for the job, eh?
Marguerite Deschamps
@ALEX Chiasson, he won because of the Wizard's first rule: "People are stupid".
James Holden
@ALEX Chiasson
He 'won' due to Republican State cheating and his special friend Vlad.
Peter Samson
@Troy Mann The purpose of the Mueller investigation was to investigate collusion between Trump (or his campaign) and Russia. The most serious charge to date is a possible campaign finance violation regarding the NDAs for a couple former mistresses. Not exactly collusion. Flynn was charged with a Logan act violation and lying to the FBI- again, not collusion, and Manafort was found guilty of bank fraud and tax evasion. Now, I accept that this wasn't "useless" in the sense that it's accomplished something, but it does mean the Mueller investigation doesn't appear to be any closer to finding collusion (possibly because there wasn't any) than it was 2 years ago. If all the investigation uncovers is some shady payoffs and some bank fraud then it would appear more like a fishing expedition than an investigation. Maybe Mueller has something on Trump and is just playing it close to the vest until he gets his ducks in a row, and if he provides evidence of collusion I'll be happy to assess that when the time comes, but you also have to accept the possibility that there was no collusion, that Trump won the election honestly, and Mueller's got nothing.
Troy Mann
@Peter Samson
You are the one who is making a claim on what Mueller has, not I my friend.
You state you are happy to assess once the report is issued yet you also prejudge by stating he has nothing. You cant say both.
I personally believe these investigations are tough and very time consuming, so the timeline for them is not as simple as you want us to believe. I also have never heard of an investigator issuing statements about evidence they have on hand during an investigation which is what you desire.
Frankly, I believe Trump is guilty based on the information we all have which is about 1/10th that of Muellers. But I will await final judgment for Mueller and believe he should take time necessary to discover the truth. Guilty or not, I will not make a claim this is a waste of money like you have.
Peter Samson
@Troy Mann No where have I stated anything regarding what Mueller does or does not have on Trump. Read my comments again and you'll see I'm very specific, I speculate that he possibly doesn't have anything, but even that is only used in conjunction with the common belief that he definitely does have something. It is useless to speculate on what Mueller does or doesn't have. All we can go by is the information in front of us right now and based solely on that Trump's going to be fine. There's currently zero evidence in front of us of collusion, and even Mueller's own information doesn't seem to indicate that he has anything with regards to collusion. The only charge that may stick is the campaign finance violation and that is going to be difficult to make stick and even more difficult to prove. If Mueller has more then I'll happily assess the information as it comes in but at this point it seems that most people either assume that he does have something or just hope that he does.
Sandy Gillis
@Lou Parks I've found a few articles which report an increase in airstrikes, and a sharp increase in civilian casualties, so far in Trump's presidency. Here's one:
@Leo Johnson You are mistaken. The hush money charge was not by the Special Counsel Mueller but by the Southern District of New York, and it was revealed by Trump's own lawyer who managed the deal, Cohen. The only reason it is illegal is because it was done to influence the election.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "People are stupid".
Methinks Hillary could not fool enough of them N'esy Pas?
David R. Amos
@Troy Mann "I will await final judgment for Mueller and believe he should take time necessary to discover the truth"
Methinks you already know about Mueller and I N'esy Pas?
Wayne West
so sick of Trump and his minions.
Lou Parks
@Wayne West
But it's similar on the Democrat side — full of dirty tricks and dishonesty
David Novak
@Lou Parks - The Clintons have been persecuted by the Republicans for more than 20 years. How has that worked out so far? Zero indictments and zero convictions. Trump so far? Seven guilty pleas and convictions in less than 2 years.
Content disabled. Lou Parks
@David Novak
>> The Clintons have been persecuted by the Republicans for more than 20 years. How has that worked out so far? Zero indictments and zero convictions.
You omitted: one impeachment.
Content disabled. Rick Green
@David Novak
@Lou Parks - The Clintons have been persecuted by the Republicans for more than 20 years. How has that worked out so far? Zero indictments and zero conviction"
Look up two tier justice.
Just one example,
There are people who Mueller has indicted and there are others in jail for lying under oath.
In the congressional hearings Trey Gowdy exposes numerous instances where Clinton has done just that.
You can find them them them on youtube.
Content disabled. David Amos
@Lou Parks "You omitted: one impeachment."
Methinks you forgot how much their tainted blood cost us N'esy Pas?
David R. Amos
@Lou Parks "full of dirty tricks and dishonesty"
It appears that they are not the only ones N'esy Pas?
Maxim Verite
"Republican senator says more information needed to render judgment on Trump’s fitness for office"
How much more evidence do they need??????
Peter Samson
@Lon Chaney "Mueller does not work at CNN...."
This is true but Mueller hasn't provided any evidence against Trump. You might argue that "where there's smoke there's fire" and I wouldn't disagree with you but at this point no evidence of collusion has been provided. If and when evidence is brought forward then it can be examined but it's not fair to presume the evidence exists.
Content disabled. David Amos
@Peter Samson "If and when evidence is brought forward then it can be examined but it's not fair to presume the evidence exists.""
I agree
Peter Samson
@David Allan I assume by your "Individual 1" comment you're referring to the SDNY's case against Cohen that is likely gearing up towards a run at Trump for campaign finance violations? a) this has nothing to do with Russia or collusion. b) there's zero chance this will happen while Trump is in office, either the Dem's will use these charges to launch impeachment proceedings or SDNY will hit Trump with charges when he leaves office. Again, this has nothing to do with Russia or collusion so that's important to keep in perspective, and the charges are very unlikely to stick. Campaign finance violations have a very high standard of evidence, it would require Trump to knowingly break the law, not just be ignorant of it (which is more likely the case). Now, whether the Dems can sufficiently leverage the Cohen case into impeachment remains to be seen but it seems unlikely given what we know thus far. Now if Mueller has something else to provide then that may tip the scales but if things play out as they are now then this could end up being a boost for Trump as unsuccessful impeachment proceedings tend to rile up the base.
Clifton Tremblay
@Peter Samson In case you didn't notice, his work is not done yet.
Mark Tynthof
@Lou Parks Something substantial such as hundreds of millions of dollars Trump stood to gain from a Trump Tower Moscow deal with the Kremlin, during the time in Russia rigged the election in Trump's favour, and his security advisor told Russia that sanctions would be dropped, and Trump's son agreed in exchange for dirt on his opponent? Or what would YOU classify as substantial?
David R. Amos
@Peter Samson "If and when evidence is brought forward then it can be examined but it's not fair to presume the evidence exists.""
I agree
This comment is awaiting moderation by the site administrators David R. Amos
@Mark Tynthof "Or what would YOU classify as substantial?"
The first few pages of this old file are substantial
Whatever it is that Putin has on Trump I think scares him more than impeachment.
Lou Parks
@Shawn Wylie
Inaccurate. E͟v͟e͟r͟y͟t͟h͟i͟n͟g͟ scares him more than impeachment because impeachment worries him less than anything else at all.
David Amos
@Lou Parks Mais Oui
Ken Douglas
Early in the 2016 campaign, Republican candidate Donald Trump insisted that the election was rigged.
Now we know why he knew it.
Content disabled. Lou Parks
@Ken Douglas
Hushing ancient incidents of no relevance whatsoever to a presidency is hardly "rigging" anything, even less a presidential election
Content disabled. David Amos
@Lou Parks C'est Vrai
Byron Melchford
You have to wonder how badly Trump has to behave before Americans can't take it any more. There has to be a basic level of dignity for the office, doesn't there?
George Halbert McKinney
@Tamara Jae "Trudeau is a reality show? "
My reading of the comment from @Sue Northfield (" Yes I applaud Trudeau ... ") is that Sue is implying that Trudeau is NOT part of a reality show, and that he is ridiculed for it.
Given how unclear most comments here are, I could be wrong,
David Amos
@George Halbert McKinney "Given how unclear most comments here are, I could be wrong,"
Trump and Trudeau are the ringmasters of two very real Circuses that my Clan is paying far too dearly for on both sides of the medicine line.
Methinks I have made it clear where I stand N'esy Pas?
Lon Chaney
good to see Trump's wife and children support him for supporting Stormy....
.
Lou Parks
@Lon Chaney
Supporting Stormy? You don't seem to know what's going on
Jurgen Hissen
@Lou Parks I think he means financially, Lou.
Lon Chaney
@Lou Parks go back to bed lou
David Amos
@Jurgen Hissen LMAO
James Brown
Trump for prison 2020...
Content disabled.
Lou Parks
@James Brown
For what? What of relevance would he be guilty of, according to you?
Content disabled.
robert williams
@Lou Parks Hey Lou, are you Trumps intellectually challenged son named Eric?
Content disabled.
David Amos
@robert williams Methinks its truly amazing what comments are blocked while ones such as yours are permitted and actually liked N'esy Pas?
Ken Douglas
If someone is caught cheating to win the election why would they have to even impeach them? Anyone caught lying on a job application is simply terminated.
Lou Parks
@Ken Douglas
>> Anyone caught lying on a job application is simply terminated.
False generalisation. It depends on the circumstances
William deKatt
@Lou Parks
>> Anyone caught lying on a job application is simply terminated.
False generalisation. It depends on the circumstances
Yes, for most jobs, it is termination. For politicians, it is a requirement....
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David Amos
@William deKatt I Wholeheartedly Agree Sir
David R. Amos
@William deKatt I Wholeheartedly Agree Sir
Content disabled. Reid Fleming
It'll be a day of celebration when they escort tRump from the oval office to the oral penitentiary...
Content disabled. Lou Parks
@Reid Fleming
You mean a few seconds of celebration, until the alternatives come into focus
Content disabled. Richard Paquette
@Lou Parks Sorry Lou, your alternative could be a chimp, that we be bigly better,
Content disabled. David Amos
@Lou Parks Methinks folks would be wise to be wary of Pence N'esy Pas?
Content disabled. Lou Parks
@David Amos
You are correct, except for your irritating chronic repetition of "N'esy Pas"
Top Democrats raise prospect of impeachment and jail time for Trump
Republican senator says more information needed to judge Trump’s fitness for office
The Associated Press·
U.S. House judiciary committee ranking member Jerry Nadler, a Democrat from New York, says he believes it would be an 'impeachable offence' if it's proved that U.S. President Donald Trump directed illegal hush-money payments to women during the 2016 presidential campaign. (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press)
Senior Democrats in the House of Representatives have raised the prospect of impeachment or prison time for U.S. President Donald Trump if it's proved that he directed illegal hush-money payments to women, adding to the legal pressure on the U.S. president over the Russia investigation and other scandals.
"There's a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office, the Justice Department may indict him, that he may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time," said Rep. Adam Schiff, incoming chair of the House intelligence committee. "The bigger pardon question may come down the road as the next president has to determine whether to pardon Donald Trump."
Rep. Jerry Nadler, incoming chairman of the House judiciary committee, described the details in prosecutors' filings on Friday in the case of Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as evidence that Trump was "at the centre of a massive fraud."
"They would be impeachable offences," Nadler said.
In the filings, prosecutors in New York for the first time link Trump to a federal crime of illegal payments to buy the silence of two women during the 2016 campaign. Special counsel Robert Mueller's office also laid out previously undisclosed contacts between Trump associates and Russian intermediaries, and suggested the Kremlin aimed early on to influence Trump and his Republican campaign by playing to both his political and personal business interests.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and has compared the investigations to a "witch hunt." On Monday, he defended the alleged hush-money payments, saying Democrats were wrongly targeting "a simple private transaction."
Awaiting Mueller report
Nadler, a Democrat from New York, said it was too early to say whether Congress would pursue impeachment proceedings based on the illegal payments alone because lawmakers would need to weigh the gravity of the offence to justify "overturning" the 2016 election.
Nadler and other lawmakers said Sunday they would await additional details from Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference and possible co-ordination with the Trump campaign to determine the extent of Trump's misconduct.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets people after arriving via Air Force One at Philadelphia International Airport on Saturday. Trump has denied wrongdoing and has compared investigations into his presidential campaign to a 'witch hunt.' (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)
Regarding the illegal payments, "whether they are important enough to justify an impeachment is a different question, but certainly they'd be impeachable offences because even though they were committed before the president became president, they were committed in the service of fraudulently obtaining the office," Nadler said.
Mueller has not said when he will complete a report of any findings, and it isn't clear that any such report would be made available to Congress. That would be up to the attorney general. Trump on Friday said he would nominate former attorney general William Barr to the post to succeed Jeff Sessions.
Nadler indicated that Democrats, who will control the House in January, will step up their own investigations. He said Congress, the Justice Department and the special counsel need to dig deeper into the allegations, which include questions about whether Trump lied about his business arrangements with Russians and about possible obstruction of justice.
"The new Congress will not try to shield the president," he said. "We will try to get to the bottom of this, in order to serve the American people and to stop this massive conspiracy — this massive fraud on the American people."
Schiff, of California, also stressed a need to wait "until we see the full picture." He has previously indicated his panel would seek to look into the Trump family's business ties with Russia.
"I think we also need to see this as a part of a broader pattern of potential misconduct by the president, and it's that broad pattern, I think, that will lead us to a conclusion about whether it rises to the level to warrant removal from office," Schiff said.
Offer of 'political synergy'
In the legal filings, the Justice Department stopped short of accusing Trump of directly committing a crime. But it said Trump told Cohen to make illegal payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, both of whom have claimed they had affairs with Trump more than a decade ago.
In separate filings, Mueller's team details how Cohen spoke to a Russian who "claimed to be a 'trusted person' in the Russian Federation who could offer the campaign 'political synergy' and 'synergy on a government level."' Cohen said he never followed up on that meeting. Mueller's team also said former campaign chairman Paul Manafort lied to them about his contacts with a Russian associate and Trump administration officials, including in 2018.
The best way to solve a problem like this, to me, is elections.- Sen. Angus King
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida called the latest filings "relevant" in judging Trump's fitness for office, but said lawmakers need more information to render judgment. He also warned the White House about considering a pardon for Manafort, saying such a step could trigger congressional debate about limiting a president's pardon powers.
Such a move would be "a terrible mistake," Rubio said. "Pardons should be used judiciously. They're used for cases with extraordinary circumstances."
Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine and a member of the Senate intelligence committee, cautioned against a rush to impeachment, which he said citizens could interpret as "political revenge and a coup against the president."
"The best way to solve a problem like this, to me, is elections," King said. "I'm a conservative when it comes to impeachment. I think it's a last resort and only when the evidence is clear of a really substantial legal violation. We may get there, but we're not there now."
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut urged Mueller to "show his cards soon" so that Congress can make a determination early next year on whether to act on impeachment.
"Let's be clear: We have reached a new level in the investigation," Murphy said. "It's important for Congress to get all of the underlying facts and data and evidence that the special counsel has."
Nadler spoke on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Rubio was on CNN and ABC's This Week, and Schiff appeared on CBS's Face the Nation. Murphy spoke on ABC, and King was on NBC's Meet the Press.
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Your account has been banned until 12/25/2018. Reason: We have banned this account for 15 days because we believe it is in violation of our Terms of Use, specifically repeated uncivil comments and personal attacks. For more information, please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/aboutcbc/discover/submissions.html.
Soaring cost of Francophonie Games 'terrible timing' for Higgs
258 Comments
Alexandre Hilton
As a proud Francophone - cancel the games. They were dishonest in their bid, and now they are trying to milk the government after misleading the public. Not only should the games be cancelled, but the organizers should be investigated, and potentially fined or charged. Utterly ridiculous.
daryl doucette
@Alexandre Hilton thank you for that comment!
Shawn McShane
@Marc Martin Martin Name: English, Scottish, Irish, French, Dutch, German, Czech, Slovak, Spanish (Martín), Italian...In 1881, the most common Martin occupation in Canada was Farmer. 26% of Martin's were Farmers. Farmer, Cultivateur and Going To School were the top 3 reported jobs worked by a Martin.
Alexandre Hilton
@Marc Martin I'm unable to reply
cheryl wright
@Marc Martin wow... just wow.. like you using Mary Jones on other sites?
daryl doucette
@Marc Martin hey maybe she married an Anglophone? Or maybe that's her maiden name but her mom is francophone first and she was brought up in French and identifies as a francophone? Stop agitating people.
Alexandre Hilton
@Marc Martin N'inquiète toi pas, jeune homme, je suis bel et bien un Francophone, Acadien, et fier. Par contre, je ne me sens pas obligé de défendre la langue à tous les chances. Je suis de l'avis que c'est la responsabilité des parents d'instaurer la fierté francophone dans leurs enfants, et non l'état. En lisant tes commentaires, ça ce voit bien que tu n'es pas prèt à prendre responsabilité pour tes actions, et tu veux que l'état résoud tous tes problêmes (t'en à d'l'air d'en avoir pas mal) pour toi, puisque c'est clair que tu n'es pas capable de le faire sans l'aide de "Big Brother".
Jeff LeBlanc
@Alexandre Hilton lol don't worry he also called me a "fake Acadian" and thinks my real last name is Smith or Jones I forget which one. Can't reason with stupid.
David Amos
@Marc Martin "Your so proud your using an English name.." " Methinks Martin is often used as an English name as well N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Alexandre Hilton Methinks you forgot to say Touche to the mindless Mr Martin N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@Alexandre Hilton
*I'm unable to reply*
I know why...
Marc Martin
@daryl doucette
Alexandre is a French women name ?...yeah right....
Marc Martin
@Alexandre Hilton
Google translate, just one thing you should know..it does not put the commas where they should be...
Marc Martin
@David Amos
Using libel against me again Davis ? By the way did you call back that poor civil servant again ?
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin if you read the majority of your posts, only french people can have an opinion. Then I read the (well thought out and worded) reply from @Alexandre Hilton to you and conclude you attack anyone who you perceive as not French enough. It is @ Mark Martin who stokes language issues on this site, others sometimes foolishly take the bait and descend to your level and wallow with you.
Marc Martin
@Robert Mason
*if you read the majority of your posts, only french people can have an opinion. *
Not at all, but if I read all the posts here I shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion....Are you saying I cannot exercise my right of speech ?
*Mark Martin *
Who is he ?
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin you along with everyone is entitled to their opinion, free speech should trump all things. Why above did you question more than once the "frenchness" of several posters? Does their opinion carry more weight if you think that are pure Acadian?
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin @Marc Martin Speaking of free speech, you must surely have dis agreed when a lawyer associated with a post secondary school in Moncton, lobbied and was successful in limiting NB'ers ability to comment on See Bee SEE stories that pertained to one of NB's official languages?
Jeff LeBlanc
@Robert Mason this is a battle you cannot win, if everyone mutes him then he will go away. Trust me, your food will taste better and the air will be fresher.
Robert Mason
@Jeff LeBlanc I have noticed that when you pose a question that is not in Marc Martin's echo chamber, he ignores it. He will not respond to a query unless he can spin it to a pro french anti english position. He constantly uses "straw man" arguments in an attempt to discredit those who don't share his very narrow view.
Robert Mason
@ Marc Martin...speaking of crickets, you have not replied to this. If you did, I suspect it would confirm your inherent bias.
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David Amos
@Marc Martin "Using libel against me again Davis ? By the way did you call back that poor civil servant again ?"
Need i say that I have had enough of your obvious malice?
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Norman Albert Snr
@Alexandre Hilton Why is this terrible timing for Higgs? there is no wrong timing to do the right thing. this is not a 10 or 20% increase. Should be the easiest decision he will have to make in office. Cancel!!!!
Norman Albert Snr
@Alexandre Hilton Bien dit madame
David Amos
@Marc Martin "Using libel against me again Davis ? "
Methinks you have a rather serious problem N'esy Pas?
Michael G. L. Geraldson
Three years away and the cost has already gone over. And we all know the cost will no doubt go up again. This is not a language issue, it's a common sense issue, we can't afford these games plain and simple.
David Amos
@Michael G. L. Geraldson For the record I agree with my political foes Mr Higgs, his French Lieutenant and their cohort Mr Austin Methinks amazing this never cease N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@David Amos
Who cares...
John O'Brien
This is not a language issue and any Francophones that are in favor of this need to re-examine their priorities.
Lewis Taylor
@John O'Brien Agreed just like we should re-examine the Playhouse and SJ museum...how much will those set us back??
David Amos
@Lewis Taylor Good point
Gerry Ferguson
I woudn't spend a nickel on these foolish games. This province is deep in the red thanks to liberal spending sprees.
Harold Benson
@Gerry Ferguson Or any foolish games. Time to start the stoner games.
Dan Lee
@Gerry Ferguson How much government money for the new playhouse...............
David Amos
@Harold Benson Methinks Sam would be all for that N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@David Amos
But again..who cares...
June Arnott
It is a MONEY issue, not linguistic. People have no affordable housing. Seniors can’t affort to heat their homes. What more is there to say except cancel the games. Be realistic for once. Spend the money where it’s needed. Oh wait, NB has no money To SPEND!!!!
David Amos
@June Arnott C'est Vrai
Marguerite Deschamps
@David Amos, pas vrai!
Fred Brewer
"Ouellette says Ottawa and the province should investigate the organizing committee."
I agree with Mr. Ouellette.
David Amos
@Fred Brewer Me Too
Paul Richardson
I am french and they better put that extra money better places then in some games.
David Amos
@Paul Richardson Methinks the games will go on much to the chagrin of many taxpayers N'esy Pas?
kelly sherrard
At a time when this province needs nursing homes built to move seniors out of hospital beds, paying millions for Francophones games doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense. There are necessities in this province that have to come first above the frivilous. NB should pass on the games
Marc Martin
@kelly sherrard
*paying millions for Francophones games doesn't make sense. *
Thank you for making this a language issue by the way, you should learn to read...These games are for both languages..
Shawn McShane
@Marc Martin News flash...
The Jeux de la Francophonie (Canadian English: Francophonie Games; British English: Francophone Games) are a combination of artistic and sporting events for the Francophonie, mostly French-speaking nations.
Chris McNee
@Marc Martin I don’t think she made mention of this being a language thing, she made mention of social issues.
Jeff LeBlanc
@Chris McNee you can't win with Marc, don't even bother trying. I muted him and I suggest you do the same
Marc Martin
@Jeff LeBlanc
* I muted him *
Who cares...
Marc Martin
@Chris McNee
* Francophones games *
I think you need to read again what she wrote.
David Amos
@Marc Martin "Who cares..."
Methinks YOU do N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@David Amos
Who cares..
Bernard McIntyre
Why would it be terrible for Higgs. The liberal party said they themselves rejected the price of these games. Is this journalist trying to make some party's look bad here. It's a money issue not a language issue but some people seem to want to make it one.
David Amos
@Bernard McIntyre Methinks its a bad day for Gallant not Higgs N'esy Pas?
Michel LeBlanc
I never write on these post, but need too on this occasion. This is not a language issue, and as a francophone I cannot support such a bid. I recognize this forum often lets people complain against one group or another or one political party or another. Regardless of your language or political stripes we cannot accept such a bid. It may be a black eye to NB if we cancel it, but it will send a strong messages to organizations that try to take advantage of us. Wouldn't be surprise that others would applaud us for standing for what is right. I would be able to understand if the cost was off by a couple of millions, but this is beyond ridiculous.
Alexandre Hilton
@Michel LeBlanc Call your MLA. Make your voice heard. This is all in vain if we don't mobilize as constituents and voice our concerns.
David Amos
@Michel LeBlanc Well Put Sir
David Amos
@Alexandre Hilton "Call your MLA. Make your voice heard"
Methinks you are a rare dude who can get an MLA to come to the phone N'esy Pas?.
Marc Martin
@cheryl wright
Yes, that includes Canada......This is why its in Canada !.!.!....seshhhh...
Jake Quinlan
@Marc Martin This article is set up to pit english against french, not bad spending vs. smart spending. He didn't get baited into the language part of it. You should try it. You are a bored anglo aren't you?
David Amos
@Jake Quinlan Methinks many would agree he is a Quebecker turned into a SANB dude once he landed a cushy job in the Maritimes N'esy Pas?
John Valcourt
it shouldn't be an issue at all for the premier. The liberal government already said they rejected it so it shouldn't be an issue for the pc government to reject it as well. it has nothing to do with language but it is about cost. This provinces tax payers should not be on the hook for this when we already are being taxed to death just to get the things we have. Just Say NO.
David Amos
@John Valcourt I concur
daryl doucette
Well the " cats outa the bag now" re the cost of the francophone games. In todays "Times Transcript" it states that former premier Brian Gallant has " many close friends" among the " organizers of the games" so Mr. Gallant had " reclused himself" from " decisions about the games"....HUH? And he knew of the inflated costs in april, no wonder he was so desperate to stay in power. Nice try there fellas....but the taxpayers here in NB, English and French alike are not going to get ripped off by these liberals again ( Atcon ?). There are too many folks with out doctors, too long waiting times at emergency rooms, too few paramedics, our taxes are thru the roof, well I could go on and on...Premier Higgs, do the right thing, CANCEL THE GAMES.
David Amos
@daryl doucette "Brian Gallant has " many close friends" among the " organizers of the games" so Mr. Gallant had " reclused himself" from " decisions about the games"....HUH?"
Methinks that was already well known before the Irving Clan let the cat out of the bag for you to read N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@David Amos
who cares....
John O'Brien
Timing is great. We have a perfect excuse to back out now. Who ever thought a purely Francophone game was a good idea anyway?
Toby Tolly
@John O'Brien they're not purley francophone games.... silly
if you like paying money to be entertained in french be my guest
Marc Martin
@John O'Brien
*Who ever thought a purely Francophone game was a good idea anyway?*
who ever thought an Anglophone didn't know how to read their own language...
*The Francophone Games are open to all athletes from 58 member countries of La Francophonie regardless of the language they speak.*
Shawn McShane
@Marc Martin Then how come the Belgian team is restricted to athletes from the French-speaking areas of the country only?
Marc Martin
@Shawn McShane
Who cares about the Belgium team, do you live in Belgium ?
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin Wound an Anglophone participant be served/introduced/accommodated in the official language of their choice? If all signage, announcements, award ceremonies etc are held in English and French then I agree, no issue.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Robert Mason, since when do the English have their signage in both official languages? Just go to Fredericton and UNB!
Marc Martin
@Robert Mason
But only government services are mandatory to be provided in both language you also want all the festivities to offer both language ? I didn't see the Jazz festival in Fredericton offer any French services ?
Robert Mason
@Marguerite Deschamps most English schools in this area have signage in both French and English. Not one english word at E'cole St. Anne., but that is another topic. You and Mark keep saying that the games are open to everyone in NB, if that is the case and NB is the only official bilingual province then shouldn't BOTH languages should be respected?
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin This is government funded so respect both linguistic communities. Are you telling me not one person at the Harvest Jazz was bilingual?
Robert Mason
@Robert Mason have the SANB fund it and then operate totally in french, otherwise if all taxpayers are footing the bill be inclusive of both.
Marc Martin
@Robert Mason
* most English schools in this area have signage in both French and English*
Wrong again tell me which one ?
*only official bilingual province then shouldn't BOTH languages should be respected?*
But then we would have to apply this to every museum and English festivals in NB and don't we forget about the English hospitals in NB, especially the one In Fredericton. Are you willing to pay for all of that ?
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin I have to ask, do you think given the $100 M gap in the original request and the revised cost estimate, the funding should be allocated? Are you in favour of NB spending upwards of $60M to make this event a reality?
Marc Martin
@Robert Mason
*Are you telling me not one person at the Harvest Jazz was bilingual?*
We are talking about service and signage right ? There was no French signage and I didn't get any service in French. try again.
Marc Martin
@Robert Mason
SANB ? That's a non for profit organization, where would they get the money ? Where do you think you museums , art galleries, festivals get their money ?
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin Royal Road, Park St., Gibson Neil, Barkers Point, Nasis Middle, Devon middle, Bliss Carmen, George Street middle, shall I go on?
Marc Martin
@Robert Mason
Ill answer, if the games were called the *English Games* there wouldn't even be a debate and PANB would support it.
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin That is where you are wrong, $130M for any games should be an affront to every NB'er.
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin How is my language relevant? Please answer the question. Do you think NB should allocate $60M+ to ensure these games go ahead?
David Amos
@Marc Martin "There was no French signage and I didn't get any service in French. try again."
Methinks we should as why are you here and not on the French side of CBC N'esy Pas?
Lynn Gilbert
When every child, regardless of language, religion or creed, are welcome to compete at these games, then I have no problem with the province spending the money. Unless everyone is included, then that amount of money given to one particular group of people, is not warranted.
Fred Brewer
@ Lynn Gilbert I cannot agree with you. The province is in financial distress. The games should be cancelled.
Marguerite Deschamps
@ Lynn Gilbert, for one, this is not a children's game. It's adults that compete at these games. And if you had bothered to read the article, it is written in black and white that the games are opened to everyone.
"The Francophonie Games are open to all athletes from 58 member countries of La Francophonie regardless of the language they speak. The international organization is made up of countries that use or have a historical connection to the French language."
Shawn McShane
@Marguerite Deschamps The Belgian delegation is entered as that country's "Francophone community" -- specifically excluding the Flemish-speaking half of Belgium.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Shawn McShane, we do not control what Belgium does. All Canadians can compete. I do not approve of this exorbitant amount anymore than you do; but just as the Commonwealth Games, everyone from the participating country has the right to participate. If the Flemish want to sulk and not participate, there is nothing we can do about it.
Marc Martin
@Shawn McShane
Who cares...
David Amos
@Marc Martin You do
Jason Inness
Government never has the discipline to say no when it comes to taxpayers money. In this case, the costs are going to be eight times (800%) more than expected. I think the government, as stewards of our tax dollars, have an OBLIGATION to say no to further funding. I am happy the People's Alliance are there to put pressure on the PC Party to do just that. If they were not, I have no doubt that the costs would get covered. And, by the way, I do not see this as a language issue in any way. It is time for government to stop under budgeting and overpaying for services. In all areas. Government doesn't bail me out if I decide to spend 8 times more than I budgeted. Time for those contracting with government to feel that same level of responsibility.
Rick Jenkins
@Jason Inness Conservatives very quickly said "No".
Jamie Roc
@Jason Inness this message was brought to you by a former failed candidate for the PANB
Marc Martin
@Marguerite Deschamps
You are totally right on this. If the name was *English games* you would not hear crickets.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Jason Inness, I really thought the PA, aka COR would approve this. What a shock!
Natalie Pugh
@Marc Martin No "English" groups would ever suggest holding such games at that ridiculous cost. It's called priorities and $130 000 000 for francophonie games is not on NB's priority list!
David Amos
@Marc Martin "You are totally right on this."
Methinks she so right on that her malicious nonsense went "Poof" N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "What a shock!"
Pas Vrai
Marguerite Deschamps
Is the honeymoon between Higgs and Austin just about over?
daryl doucette
@Marguerite Deschamps not at all. Higgs and Austin are on the same page with this. No more money. This means the games will be CANCELLED.
david herman
@daryl doucette Doubt they would be cancelled...more like moved to Sherbrooke, where there is NO 'francophones'...oxi-moronic when ya think about the purpose of these Segregation Games, right?
Marguerite Deschamps
@daryl doucette, his deputy Robert Gauvin wants the games to go on. If he bolts, out the door goes Higss and the COR majority.
daryl doucette
@david herman good! Off to Quebec then! Gallant et cronies will be pissed though....
daryl doucette
@Marguerite Deschamps not gonna happen. Gauvin has a cushy job. He will toe the line.
Marguerite Deschamps
@daryl doucette, I would not trust Gauvin either, but for different reasons.
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "I would not trust Gauvin either, but for different reasons."
Methinks the French Lieutenant is not very fond of you either N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@daryl doucette "Gauvin has a cushy job. He will toe the line"
YUP
Marguerite Deschamps
Noé oh say! Capisce - See I said it in four languages in a cinch, French, English Spanish and Italian! It's so easy to learn languages.
Seamus O'hern
@Marguerite Deschamps....and you did it again....you make so easy. lol
Marc Martin
@Marguerite Deschamps
Well said...
Marguerite Deschamps
@Barry Odonnell, are you even sure of anything at all?
David Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks nobody should be certain that you are a woman Just because you use this name in CBC does not make it so N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
Change the name to English Games and you cant hear crickets....
Miles Gahan
@Marc Martin Mary, Mary. quite contrary.
Rosco holt
@Marc Martin Doesn't matter, I've never liked any games.
David Amos
@Rosco holt Me too
Marc LeBlanc
I think we can all agree the price tag is way beyond what any sane person would find acceptable.That being said,all three levels of government need to sit down and find a way to salvage this gross error and leave the language issue out of it.A good start would be to suppose these are not the Francophone Games but rather the Special Olympics.A little change in perspective goes a long way.
Alexandre Hilton
@Marguerite Deschamps what a great comment. Cheers!
Barry Odonnell
@Marguerite Deschamps So you are putting down the mentally handicapped now? Very classy.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Barry Odonnell, and you are not politically correct. You should say "mentally challenged". And tell it to Marc LeBlanc; he started it.
daryl doucette
@Marguerite Deschamps are you on the " organizing committee"?
Tim Raworth
@Marc LeBlanc Special Olympics? Sure deflect the issue.
stephen blunston
@Marc LeBlanc call it what you like they should be canceled , the committee didn't give proper info , if they can find the money if not cancel it , no more wasted taxpayer money
Al Bekirkey
@Marc LeBlanc we dont need any kind of anything that is either incompetent or fraudulent when making a bid and maybe a look at how the cost could have blown up that far it would be one thing if it went a few mill over which is bad enough but 100% + increase its mind boggling how a group could be that far off i wonder if thats how these outside province companies get awarded contracts in every aspect in government tenders is the norm for everything
Lewis Taylor
@Al Bekirkey said ...we dont need any kind of anything that is either incompetent or fraudulent... You could use that statement for any purpose including electing govts
Pierre LaRoches
@Marc LeBlanc A good start is a flat 'no' to the organizing committee. No longer should it be acceptable for these politically connected groups to low ball bid, get themselves in deep and then expect the government to bail them out.
Al Bekirkey
@Pierre LaRoches they must have worked for atcon
David Amos
@daryl doucette "are you on the " organizing committee"?"
Methinks you may have struck a nerve N'esy Pas?
Peter Desroche
I f the provincial government can hand out corporate welfare checks out to the Irvings,then it can pay for these games.
david herman
@Peter Desroche says a french person, lol.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Peter Desroche, a good point even though I am against financing these or any games.
Ralph Eddy
@Peter Desroche without Irving this province would be in much worse shape than it is they provide a lot of good jobs and a large none government workforce paying income tax to pay government workers.
daryl doucette
@Ralph Eddy if irving paid their taxes this province would be in a lot better shape than it is.
Rosco holt
@Ralph Eddy I beg to differ. The province would have more competition, more businesses, less big subsidize given out(more money in public coffers), maybe less corruption.
Even possibly having big businesses actually paying their taxes
David Amos
@Rosco holt YUP
Soaring cost of Francophonie Games 'terrible timing' for Higgs
New PC premier pressured to offer more money, but Alliance opposes increase
Jacques Poitras· CBC News·
The 2021 Francophonie Games are becoming a political problem for the Progressive Conservative government. (Twitter)
Premier Blaine Higgs's tightrope act on language may be getting more complicated.
The Progressive Conservative premier saw his first month in office end with calls that he ante up tens of million dollars to cover the ballooning costs of the 2021 Francophonie Games, to be held in Moncton and Dieppe.
The stunning news that the games could cost almost eight times the original estimate landed as Higgs balances his co-operation with the People's Alliance and his attempts to reassure francophones that he'll defend their language rights.
"It's terrible timing," said Frédérick Dion, executive director of the association of francophone municipalities. "It puts the Higgs government in a very difficult position."
Moncton city councillor Paulette Thériault said the onus is on the games' organizing committee to provide more details about the cost increase.
But if it's one dollar more, you want to bet we're going to be standing up fighting against it.- Kris Austin, People's Alliance leader
"I really hope that this will not turn into a language issue from a political perspective," she said. "I think we need to be very cautious with that, That involves all parties and all levels of government."
But both Dion and Ouellette said they believe francophones recognize the higher cost of $130 million is unacceptable.
"I think for people in New Brunswick, francophone or anglophone, that's not a linguistic issue," Ouellette said. "We cannot afford it. That's it. We're a poor province and we have a big debt burden right now."
Higgs relies on the People's Alliance to keep his minority government in power, an equation that has led some francophones to fear that the party, which opposes some elements of official bilingualism, will influence PC policy.
Premier Blaine Higgs saw his first month in office end with calls that he ante up tens of million dollars to cover the ballooning costs of the 2021 Francophonie Games, to be held in Moncton and Dieppe. (CBC )
An internal document obtained by Radio-Canada says Higgs will honour the original commitment of $7 million to $10 million "but will not increase its funding level."
A spokesperson for the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture said Friday the province "is determined to work with all parties" to ensure the games go ahead.
Not one dollar more: Austin
Alliance Leader Kris Austin said Friday his MLAs would not vote for any additional funding. The Alliance won't oppose the original money the province promised, "but if it's one dollar more, you want to bet we're going to be standing up fighting against it."
At the same time, the federal government — which recently attacked Ontario's PC government for cutting French-language services in that province — is pressuring Higgs to commit to more funding.
Kris Austin said Friday that his MLAs would not vote for any additional funding. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
"It's important now for New Brunswick to assume its responsibility, and we'll be an important partner in the games," federal cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc said last week.
The Francophonie Games are open to all athletes from 58 member countries of La Francophonie regardless of the language they speak. The international organization is made up of countries that use or have a historical connection to the French language.
Cost balloons to $130 million
The original cost estimate for the 2021 games when Moncton and Dieppe won the bid to host them was around $17 million. Each city promised to put in $750,000, with the federal and provincial governments covering the rest.
But Radio-Canada reported last week that the projection has ballooned to $130 million thanks to a new "business plan" not included in the original bid.
The sky's not the limit. A middle ground has to be found, a reasonable amount.- Frédérick Dion, Association of francophone municipalities
Liberal MLA Roger Melanson said Friday the previous government learned of that estimate in April and told the organizing committee to revise the figures to a more acceptable amount.
No details on soaring cost
The organizing committee has yet to explain what the additional costs are, but it would translate into the province having to pay about $65 million. That equals half of this year's projected budget deficit. University of Moncton political scientist Roger Ouellette said he thinks the premier will be able to say no to the higher cost without too much backlash from francophones.
"I don't think there will be a political price to pay if the government said 'we can't afford it,'" he said. If the games were cancelled, Ouellette said, "it's not because of the government. It's because somebody somewhere messed up."
'The sky's not the limit'
Dion agreed. "There isn't anyone, including francophones, who will say we want to hold that event at any price. It's not reasonable," he said. "The sky's not the limit. A middle ground has to be found, a reasonable amount.
"The question now is: how do we save the event, and what is the acceptable amount we should spend to do it?"
Higgs's government delivers its first capital budget Tuesday, a document that lays out its spending plans on infrastructure.
The executive director of the organizing committee said last week the new business plan includes an infrastructure request, though the original bid said no new infrastructure would be needed.
In a news release late Friday, the committee said the original, more modest estimate was submitted as part of the bid before the committee had even been put in place.
It said the larger figure in the business plan incorporated "several tens of millions of dollars" of infrastructure needs identified by the host cities during consultations.
The release did not provide any detail on what those needs were and said the committee would not comment further "to maintain a positive climate" during negotiations with governments.
'Black hole'
Ouellette said Ottawa and the province should investigate the organizing committee.
"It's a black hole," he said. "What's the cost? Is it for infrastructure? Is it for travel? We don't know."
Dion said he worries that the fiasco will feed an existing sentiment that francophones get special treatment from the government, but "the solution can't be a blank cheque."
"The situation, regardless of the political context, regardless of whether language was involved or not, is unacceptable."
Austin said it's "great" that the games are coming to New Brunswick and he supports them, but he opposes any tax dollars being spent on them.
"We've got nurses that are underpaid," he said. "We've got paramedics that are underpaid. We've seen cuts across every department of essential services. This idea of throwing tens of millions of dollars at games is just ridiculous."
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Appeal Court backs Irving in dispute with wood marketing board
56 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.
Rosco holt
"It's depressing, whether it's been Liberal or Conservatives, they refuse to stand with their own citizens against the big, huge wealthy corporations on this.
- David ****, Green Party leader"
What did he expect, Irving owns these parties. The last politician that said no to the Empire got crucified.
Norman Albert Snr
@Rosco holt And the story continues. Chalk up another win for the Empire and lose for the people who pay the taxes.
David Amos
@Rosco holt Methinks somebody should ask the Green Party and SNB why they had me excluded from debating Bruce Northrup and the rest of the boyz in Sussex if they were sincere in what they were saying about the forestry business. N'esy Pas?
Paul Bourgoin
One must look and Understand that the access to cheap crown-land wood supported by Politicians tilts the scale in favor of industry while chocking sale prices the Private Woodlot Owners. This actually leaves them with no other competitive buyers thus generating low prices to the Private Woodlot owners! But if the availability of cheap, cheap public wood for these cooperate Giants would be regulated not priced at garage sale prices when compared to other market prices in other provinces it would be a fair deal for the private woodlot owners. Any way one looks at this situation the private woodlot owners are mostly senior citizens and in a few years the woodlots will be inherited by their children who will probably be living out of province and they will take what ever is offered. Then who looses?
stephen blunston
@Paul Bourgoin I will agree with that if using crown land they should be paying something close to the private lots , enough subsidizing large business maybe this province would not be so broke
David Peters
@Paul Bourgoin
This is a form of corporate welfare.
Paul Bourgoin
@stephen blunston One of the last remaining DNR employee after all those DNRE office closures explained that with all the subsidies industry receives that at the end of the day New Brunswick end's up paying industry to harvest our crown-land, also industry is destroying all crucial wildlife habitat like Buffer Zones, Deer wintering areas, stream and river buffers. Industry always gets approval for buffer reduction, same with deer wintering areas!! I won't comment on the impact of herbisiding on the forest itself that impact on water quality and wildlife populations, fish, birds!!
Norman Albert Snr
@David Peters No..... this is not like corporate welfare it is corporate welfare by the slimiest of definitions. Crown land should only come into play when other sources are not available. Price it accordingly. These are OUR resources!!!!
David Amos
@Paul Bourgoin Methinks that in light of the fact that the Private Woodlot Owners gave me the bum's rush from their debate in Sussex for the benefit of their beloved Green Party dudes I have every right to tease them about the outcome of this matter Perhaps they and the Irving Clan deserve each other N'esy Pas?
steve waddell
Remember our small woodlot owners hauling out a few cord of wood for a little extra money or to put bread on the table? in 10 years, between the libs & cons this guy has been eliminated
David Amos
@steve waddell YUP
Nancy Alcox
Get it over with. Give Irving the key to the legislature and make it official. Maybe we can find a crown and throne for him too. Why do people forget that the Red & Blue work for Irving? I can see why so many people don’t bother to vote. This has to stop....
David Amos
@Nancy Alcox I would like to know why the people who do bother vote laugh at the Independent candidates
David Peters
If there were ever a reason to protest, this is it, imo.
Nancy Alcox
@David Peters time for yellow vests..
Shawn McShane
@Nancy Alcox Mine is orange lols old school.
Norman Albert Snr
@Nancy Alcox In your dreams!!! Canadians are far too docile then that. protests here are in single didgets not mass raleys.
David Amos
@David Peters Methinks you are way past too late The woods are mostly mowed down and the wildlife is all but gone N'esy Pas?
Shawn McShane
Natural resources minister in Alward government says Irving letter got him fired...In a province where about half the wood supply comes from publicly owned Crown land, Northrup's story raises questions about how much control industry has over government decision-making.
At the time, the province was under pressure from J.D. Irving to decrease the amount of Crown conservation land protected from timber harvesting to 23 per cent from 28 per cent.
@Shawn McShane You have switched the discussion to crown lands. Are you trying to obfuscate, and if so, why??
David Peters
@Jim Cyr
How Crown Land timber is given away to certain entities is directly related to this situation.
A full, publicly transparent audit of Crown Land act would help, imo.
Shawn McShane
@Jim Cyr Read the link I provided above, click on "more" It is about marketing boards as well.
Rosco holt
@Jim Cyr Greater access to crown lands(cheap lumber) affects prices on the NB market.
Shawn McShane
@Jim Cyr And cheaper wood for Irving doesn't get passed onto the consumers the profit gets put into offshore tax haven to avoid tax in NB and the woodlot owners have less money to spend in their communities. Kent is hiring though, $11.25 per hour can't find workers so need immigrants.
David Amos
@Shawn McShane Do you ever get the feeling that nobody cares?
Marc Martin
This is a huge issue and the 2 CoR party leaders don't even comment on this...
Paul Bourgoin
@Marc Martin Where is all for the Alliance candidates rhetoric during their election campaign was it just that RHETORIC WITH NO TEETH!!
Marc Martin
@Paul Bourgoin
You should know by now that PANB only have ONE agenda the anti-French one...
Jim Cyr
@Marc Martin Nice try..........issue has erupted over the last ten years, during which the Libs were mostly in power
Shawn McShane
@Jim Cyr Liberals promised to look at the crown land forest give away done by the Alward government. They didn't.
David Peters
@Shawn McShane
Blue and red are the same on this file. Follow the money.
Archie Levesque
@Marc Martin Way to go Marc. Made it a language issue
Marc Martin
@Shawn McShane
So your blaming the Liberals for what the CoRservatives did..I wonder why B. Higgs say nothing about it now, he is in power no ?
Marc Martin
@Archie Levesque
Not at all, I made it an anti-French issue...
Shawn McShane
@Marc Martin Just before the provincial election the Libs released a review of the former PC government's forestry management strategy. The Liberals left in place the controversial Crown forest cutting allocations set by the Alward government. Higgs said he would overhaul it. We shall see. I didn't vote Liberal or PC. You did.
David Peters
@Shawn McShane
The PC candidate I talked to before the election said part of the PC platform was to review the Crown Lands Act.
Marc Martin
@Shawn McShane
You aim is focused on the Liberals, be real for once and blame the ones who are responsible, stop thinking hatred and purple.
David Amos
@Marc Martin Methinks everybody and his dog know where I stand on this issue N'esy Pas?
Paul Bourgoin
Many people are not aware that one acre Camp lease on Crown Land returns more money to the crown than industry forestry harvesting per acre. As far as Forestry Jobs goes 35.000 jobs in 1982 today, less then 9000 jobs remain!. Now this is not taking into account the spin-off jobs like welder shops, mechanics, machinery parts store, machinists, service stations, restaurants, TOURISTS etc. etc.! LET US NOT FORGET, NEW BRUNSWICK WAS LABELED THE PICTURE PROVINCE !!
David Amos
@Paul Bourgoin Those days are gone
A M
Hey CBC,
Can we get a little analysis on WHY this decision went this way, as opposed to simply quoting the Green Party who (for some reason) hates one of the provinces biggest employers/tax generators?
Peter demerchant
@A M for some reason??? Are u kidding me. I could start down that road but I dont have all day.
A M
@Peter demerchant ok... how about you take 5 minutes then? Just give me the highlights.
Shawn McShane
@A M I don't understand why the decision went this way. Dairy Farmers of New Brunswick (DFNB) collectively market their raw milk through a board. I do know that in a recent court case against Irving the prosecutors offered a deal where $1.1 million pollution fine could be paid to a non-profit company co-created and chaired by Jim Irving...
David Peters
@A M
Crown land could be divided up amongst many different small businesses. Competition amongst those small businesses would let a free market set the price.
Ban monopolies, then break up the ones that exist first, though.
David Amos
@A M Methinks the first part of my little analysis should be how is your ID allowed by CBC rules N'esy Pas?
Bernard McIntyre
Of course they do.
David Amos
@Bernard McIntyre Mais Oui
stephen blunston
time to get rid of these board that just inflate the prices of everything and let the market set themselves , why is it that everything has to be inflated and have the consumer pay for it
Shawn McShane
@stephen blunston The government was under pressure from J.D. Irving to decrease the amount of Crown conservation land protected from timber harvesting to 23 per cent from 28 per cent. And so it was done. The government meddled in the market. They increased supply. Washington described the New Brunswick market as an "oligopsony," where a few companies dominate and have considerable power to control prices.
Rosco holt
@stephen blunston What does the Irvings do?
The same bloody thing they inflate.
Rosco holt
@stephen blunston "let the market set themselves " Problem it isn't the market setting the prices but Irving and co. with the help of government.
David Amos
@Rosco holt Methinks the Irving Clan would have it no other way N'esy Pas?
Steve Murray
Does this sound familiar to anyone? "In economics, a banana republic is a country with an economy of state capitalism, by which economic model the country is operated as a private commercial enterprise for the exclusive profit of the ruling class. Such exploitation is enabled by collusion between the state and favored economic monopolies, in which the profit, derived from the private exploitation of public lands, is private property, while the debts incurred thereby are the financial responsibility of the public treasury".
Steve Murray
@Steve Murray Daylight come and me wan' go home. Day-o, day-ay-ay-o ...
David Amos
@Steve Murray Even the tally man is out of work they weigh the loads now
Appeal Court backs Irving in dispute with wood marketing board
Decision allows J.D. Irving Ltd. to bypass SNB negotiators to deal directly with woodlot owners
Connell Smith· CBC News·
Last week's decision by New Brunswick's Court of Appeal means J.D. Irving Ltd. can continue to bypass the SNB Forest Products Marketing Board. The company prefers to negotiate with individual woodlot owners.
New Brunswick's Court of Appeal has upheld a decision by the province's Forest Products Commission in a case that puts the future of the woodlot marketing board system in doubt.
The decision involves the Southern New Brunswick Forest Products Marketing Board and J.D. Irving Ltd., which was joined by AV Nackawic and some smaller companies and contractors.
But the outcome affects all of the province's seven boards, their 41,000 members and other companies that purchase timber from private woodlots.
The court ruling fully backs a December 2017 decision by the commission that struck down an attempt by the Sussex-based SNB marketing board to reassert its authority over wood sales in its territory by issuing an order saying all wood had to be sold to the board and bought from the board.
The Forest Products Commission is an arm's length panel that oversees relationships between forestry companies and the seven marketing boards.
JDI vice-president Jason Limongelli says the company purchases $650,000 per week in wood from private land. (CBC)
The case involves a dispute dating back nine years, when J.D. Irving Ltd. began bypassing the SNB marketing board and requiring landowners to negotiate wood sales on an individual basis. In 2012, JDI stopped buying wood from the board entirely.
SNB board chair William Richards said he is disappointed by the decision.
"We are going to be looking at our options as to how we move forward on this after digesting the reality, I guess, of [the decision]," said Richards. "If you are going to have a marketing board system, you can't have a whole lot of holes in it so people can drive through and around it."
Richards says the problem could be solved if the provincial government would choose to act.
It's depressing, whether it's been Liberal or Conservatives, they refuse to stand with their own citizens against the big, huge wealthy corporations on this.- David Coon, Green Party leader
"We believe the government should enforce its own regulation and the auditor general in the 2015 report said the same thing," he said.
The woodlot marketing boards were created in the late 1970s and given power by the legislature to regulate sales from private woodlots in their territories. Mill owners negotiated timber prices with the boards, and woodlot owners sold their wood to the boards, which in turn sold the wood to the mills.
The system was designed in part to get better prices for private landholders dealing with companies that also had extensive access to wood from Crown forests.
But over the decades since the authority of the boards has been eroded by legislative amendments or by legal challenges that have kept the matter tied up for years before either the courts or the Forest Products Commission.
In a statement JDI vice-president Jason Limongelli said the Appeal Court decision shows "SNB has no legal right to this excessive control."
"Willing buyers and sellers can do business directly in good faith," said Limongelli. "It is time to move on and focus on a productive relationship."
He said private wood makes up close to 50 percent of the company's supply, totalling about $650,000 per week.
UNB historian William Parenteau says the court ruling effectively renders the marketing boards powerless. (University of New Brunswick)
He said the company is not "against" woodlot owners or private wood producers.
MLA David Coon, leader of New Brunswick's Green Party, said successive governments have ignored their duty to step in to support the marketing board system.
'It's depressing, whether it's been Liberal or Conservatives, they refuse to stand with their own citizens against the big, huge wealthy corporations on this," said Coon.
"Marketing boards like SNB have been trying to find other ways around this, but it just keeps coming back to the fact it's on the government. They've got to enforce their own laws that were designed to ensure that marketing boards can function effectively to assure that private woodlot owners have access to the market at a good price."
UNB historian William Parenteau, who has long followed the politics and economics of forestry in the province, said the court decision effectively renders the marketing boards "powerless."
"It's a story of 20 years of frustration for them because they keep seeing more and more the province is siding with the pulp and paper industry, and now you get this ruling which actually says that Irving and other companies can pretty much do what they want."
Kevin Larlee, the AV Group vice-president for government relations, said the company is not yet ready to comment on the decision.
A spokesperson for Energy and Resource Development Minister Mike Holland referred comment to the Forest Products Commission.
Tim Fox, the executive director of the commission, said that with the court ruling, woodlot co-ops can now take a serious look at a proposed "substitute' order released by the commission as part of its December 2017 decision.
Rick Doucett, president of the New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners, said the court decision recognizes that marketing boards have authority to regulate wood sales, but whenever they try to do so they are stopped. (CBC)
It suggests the licensing of all sellers, buyers and mill owners dealing with private woodlots in the territory of the Sussex-based SNB Marketing Board.
Woodlot owners expressed interest in that proposed order, but the matter was put on hold when the SNB group elected to appeal the commission decision.
Federation president Rick Doucett said an order composed by the commission itself would stand a better chance if appealed than a different one composed by an individual woodlot group.
He said both the commission in its 2017 ruling and the court decision this week recognize the marketing boards have authority to regulate wood sales in their territories.
The problem, he said, is that any time the boards try to exercise their authority they are taken to the commission or to the courts.
"I don't really understand how the boards are supposed to function in that environment," Doucett said.
"Being able to go outside of the board and just do other deals whatever way you want, it just undermines the whole system. There's really no conceivable way to negotiate a fair marketing situation for private woodlot owners under that scenario."
About the Author
Connell Smith
Reporter
Connell Smith is a reporter with CBC in Saint John. He can be reached at 632-7726 Connell.smith@cbc.ca
After my calls to the offices of the Attorney General and particularly the latest Public Safety Minister Carl Urquhart yesterday the RCMP and many lawyers know Fat Fred City and the province are about to get sued BIGTIME
Province promises to help Fredericton with shooting costs
12 Comments
stephen blunston
so I guess when the city made our budget they were lying to us , as they knew were getting money from the feds waiving rcmp costs, province says it will help yet the Fredericton municipality states they nees to increase taxes and fees to cover these cost .. I guess the city getting like all levels of government looking for any excuse to raise taxers for another money grab
David Amos
@stephen blunston YUP
cheryl wright
@stephen blunston same as when they cried boo hoo it cost the city/province so much because of flooding this spring. they stopped boohoo-ing when it was noted that the feds paid their cost. every politician; every councilor; every mayor needs a lesson in truth telling, ethics and economics.
David Amos
"Ericson said the RCMP costs could be part of all three areas of shooting costs, and he doesn't yet know how much the waived bills will actually save the city."
I wonder if the RCMP has found my Harley and the Yankee wiretaps yet
Marc Martin
@David Amos
Who cares....
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin Obviously the RCMP
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
But again...who cares...
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin The FBI as well
David Amos
Trust that after my calls to the offices of the Attorney General and particularly the latest Public Safety Minister Carl Urquhart yesterday the RCMP and many lawyers know that Fat Fred City and the province are about to get sued BIGTIME
Marc Martin
@David Amos
Cry me a river...
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin Methinks you are the one who should be crying to your lawyer about now N'esy Pas?
Johnny Horton
Ridiculous. Cry wolf, gouge the taxpayers, and then keep the money when it isn’t needed.
Province promises to help Fredericton with shooting costs
Shootings will cost the City of Fredericton about $4M in the next two years
Hadeel Ibrahim· CBC News·
Public Safety Minister Carl Urquhart said Tuesday the province will help the City of Fredericton pay for the costs related to the Aug. 10 shooting of two police officers and two civilians. (CBC)
The City of Fredericton is getting help paying for the costs associated with the fatal shootings of two police officers and two civilians on Aug. 10.
During question period Tuesday, Fredericton North MLA Stephen Horsman asked if the Progressive Conservative government was going to do anything to help the city avoid debt.
Minister of Public Safety Carl Urquhart said the government has met with RCMP and "the cost of RCMP policing to the city has been waived, so we will not be receiving the bill from the RCMP to the City of Fredericton."
He said he's also asked the city to provide a cost breakdown of how much it had to spend as a result of the shootings.
"As soon as I have that, we're going to sit down and see what other further assistance we can provide to them," Urquhart said, as he was cheered by members of the legislative assembly.
The city has said a $2.1 million budget shortfall this year was mostly related to the cost of the shootings.
A gunman killed police constables Robb Costello, 45, and Sara Burns, 43, and civilians Donnie Robichaud, 42, and Bobbi Lee Wright, 32, outside an apartment building on the north side of Fredericton.
Coun. Greg Ericson, chair of the city's finance committee, said the announcement that RCMP will be waiving the bill for its services related to the shootings came as a surprise to him, although the city had asked the federal and provincial governments for help.
"Certainly, the city is incredibly thankful for their support," he said. "As far as I know, city staff and members of the province's staff have meetings scheduled … to discuss those issues because there's a lot of different costs coming from different places."
Coun. Greg Ericson, the chair of the public safety and environment committee, said the city would appreciate any help from provincial and federal governments. (CBC)
Ericson said the total cost of the shootings is still unclear. In approximate figures, he said, the city will spend $2.1 million over two years to hire 10 new officers. The regimental funeral is expected to cost around $1 million, and the investigation, which continues, is expected to cost $1 million.
Ericson said the RCMP costs could be part of all three areas of shooting costs, and he doesn't yet know how much the waived bills will actually save the city.
He said the finance committee hasn't seen bills or a description of services in the aftermath of the shootings.
He said the city is looking forward to conversations next week to sort out all the expenses and what kind of timelines they should expect.
However, he's sure no amount of surprise financial relief will change the budget passed by council last week. The budget included major fee increases and some cuts in capital projects.
"At this point the budget is signed, sealed and delivered," he said.
The latest Public Safety Minister Carl Urquhart yesterday the RCMP and many lawyers know Fat Fred City and the province are about to get sued BIGTIME
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Gallant, Brian (LEG)"<Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca> Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2018 17:48:50 +0000 Subject: RE: YO Deputy Premier Robert Gauvin Enjoy To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Leader of the Official Opposition of New Brunswick. Please be assured that your e-mail will be reviewed.
If this is a media request, please forward your e-mail to ashley.beaudin@gnb.camedia-medias@gnb.ca
>. Thank you!
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Nous vous remercions d’avoir communiqué avec le chef de l’opposition officielle du Nouveau-Brunswick. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel sera examiné.
Si ceci est une demande médiatique, prière de la transmettre à ashley.beaudin@gnb.camedia-medias@gnb.ca>. Merci!
---------- Original message ---------- From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca> Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2018 17:48:28 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: YO Deputy Premier Robert Gauvin Enjoy To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read, reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email. ______
Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
Merci encore pour votre courriel.
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Gauvin, Serge (SNB)"<Serge.Gauvin@snb.ca> Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2018 17:48:49 +0000 Subject: Réponse automatique : YO Deputy Premier Robert Gauvin Enjoy To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> I am out of the office. Please contact Patrick Windle at patrick.windle@snb.caPatrick.windle@snb.ca>
Je suis absent du bureau. Veuillez contacter Patrick Windle à patrick.windle@snb.caPatrick.windle@snb.ca>
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Cormier, Donna (JAG/JPG)"<donna.cormier@gnb.ca> Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2018 20:15:11 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Yp John Logan I just called To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
I'm away from the office until December 12, 2018. Should your matter require immediate attention, please contact Susan Butler at (506) 453-6309.
Je suis à l'extérieur du bureau jusqu'au 12 décembre 2018. Si votre matière est urgente, veuillez communiquer avec Susan Butler au (506) 453-6309.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: ethics-ethique ethics-ethique <ethics-ethique@rcmp-grc.gc.ca> Date: Mon, 03 Dec 2018 00:22:30 -0500 Subject: Re: Re My many calls to the Calgary Police Dept about their client Partick Doran and his many cohorts To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
This will confirm that we have received your enquiry and it has been placed in a priority sequence. *********************************** La présente confirme que nous avons bien reçu votre requête et qu'elle a été placée en ordre de priorité de réception.
Thank you/Merci
Professional Ethics Office / Bureau de l'éthique professionelle Royal Canadian Mounted Police / Gendarmerie royale du Canada 73 Leikin Dr., M5-3-101 RCMP Mailstop #58/ GRC Arrêt Postal #58 Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R2
"Strong Ethics, Strong Organization" « Une éthique solide pour une organisation solide »
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Update from Washington State Bar Association 9 views Mad Shangi Published on Jun 4, 2018 I got a follow up from the Washington State Bar Association. The matter is closed, and no further action will be taken. It's disappointing, but not surprising.
The mission of the Washington State Bar Association is to serve the public and the members of the Bar, to ensure the integrity of the legal profession, and to champion justice.
The Washington State Bar Association is part of the judicial branch, exercising a governmental function authorized by the Washington Supreme Court to license the state’s more than 38,000 legal professionals. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding.
As a regulatory agency, the WSBA administers the bar admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; and administers the professional discipline system. As a professional association, the WSBA also provides continuing legal education for attorneys, in addition to numerous other educational and member-services and opportunities to advance professionally. Governance and Leadership
The Board of Governors is WSBA's governing body charged with determining the general policies of the Bar and approving its annual budget. The Board consists of the president, president-elect, and immediate past president and members elected from each Congressional District and three at-large positions.
The Board of Governors elects the president-elect of the Bar and selects the executive director.
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> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com > Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:32:09 -0400 > Subject: Attn Integrity Commissioner Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C., > To: coi@gnb.ca > Cc: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com > > Good Day Sir > > After I heard you speak on CBC I called your office again and managed > to speak to one of your staff for the first time > > Please find attached the documents I promised to send to the lady who > answered the phone this morning. Please notice that not after the Sgt > at Arms took the documents destined to your office his pal Tanker > Malley barred me in writing with an "English" only document. > > These are the hearings and the dockets in Federal Court that I > suggested that you study closely. > > This is the docket in Federal Court > > http://cas-cdc-www02.cas-satj.gc.ca/IndexingQueries/infp_RE_info_e.php?court_no=T-1557-15&select_court=T > > These are digital recordings of the last three hearings > > Dec 14th https://archive.org/details/BahHumbug > > January 11th, 2016 https://archive.org/details/Jan11th2015 > > April 3rd, 2017 > > https://archive.org/details/April32017JusticeLeblancHearing > > > This is the docket in the Federal Court of Appeal > > http://cas-cdc-www02.cas-satj.gc.ca/IndexingQueries/infp_RE_info_e.php?court_no=A-48-16&select_court=All > > > The only hearing thus far > > May 24th, 2017 > > https://archive.org/details/May24thHoedown > > > This Judge understnds the meaning of the word Integrity > > Date: 20151223 > > Docket: T-1557-15 > > Fredericton, New Brunswick, December 23, 2015 > > PRESENT: The Honourable Mr. Justice Bell > > BETWEEN: > > DAVID RAYMOND AMOS > > Plaintiff > > and > > HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN > > Defendant > > ORDER > > (Delivered orally from the Bench in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on > December 14, 2015) > > The Plaintiff seeks an appeal de novo, by way of motion pursuant to > the Federal Courts Rules (SOR/98-106), from an Order made on November > 12, 2015, in which Prothonotary Morneau struck the Statement of Claim > in its entirety. > > At the outset of the hearing, the Plaintiff brought to my attention a > letter dated September 10, 2004, which he sent to me, in my then > capacity as Past President of the New Brunswick Branch of the Canadian > Bar Association, and the then President of the Branch, Kathleen Quigg, > (now a Justice of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal). In that letter > he stated: > > As for your past President, Mr. Bell, may I suggest that you check the > work of Frank McKenna before I sue your entire law firm including you. > You are your brother’s keeper. > > Frank McKenna is the former Premier of New Brunswick and a former > colleague of mine at the law firm of McInnes Cooper. In addition to > expressing an intention to sue me, the Plaintiff refers to a number of > people in his Motion Record who he appears to contend may be witnesses > or potential parties to be added. Those individuals who are known to > me personally, include, but are not limited to the former Prime > Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper; former > Attorney General of Canada and now a Justice of the Manitoba Court of > Queen’s Bench, Vic Toews; former member of Parliament Rob Moore; > former Director of Policing Services, the late Grant Garneau; former > Chief of the Fredericton Police Force, Barry McKnight; former Staff > Sergeant Danny Copp; my former colleagues on the New Brunswick Court > of Appeal, Justices Bradley V. Green and Kathleen Quigg, and, retired > Assistant Commissioner Wayne Lang of the Royal Canadian Mounted > Police. > > In the circumstances, given the threat in 2004 to sue me in my > personal capacity and my past and present relationship with many > potential witnesses and/or potential parties to the litigation, I am > of the view there would be a reasonable apprehension of bias should I > hear this motion. See Justice de Grandpré’s dissenting judgment in > Committee for Justice and Liberty et al v National Energy Board et al, > [1978] 1 SCR 369 at p 394 for the applicable test regarding > allegations of bias. In the circumstances, although neither party has > requested I recuse myself, I consider it appropriate that I do so. > > > AS A RESULT OF MY RECUSAL, THIS COURT ORDERS that the Administrator of > the Court schedule another date for the hearing of the motion. There > is no order as to costs. > > “B. Richard Bell” > Judge > > > Below after the CBC article about your concerns (I made one comment > already) you will find the text of just two of many emails I had sent > to your office over the years since I first visited it in 2006. > > I noticed that on July 30, 2009, he was appointed to the the Court > Martial Appeal Court of Canada Perhaps you should scroll to the > bottom of this email ASAP and read the entire Paragraph 83 of my > lawsuit now before the Federal Court of Canada? > > "FYI This is the text of the lawsuit that should interest Trudeau the most > > > ---------- Original message ---------- > From: justin.trudeau.a1@parl.gc.ca > Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 8:18 PM > Subject: Réponse automatique : RE My complaint against the CROWN in > Federal Court Attn David Hansen and Peter MacKay If you planning to > submit a motion for a publication ban on my complaint trust that you > dudes are way past too late > To: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com > > Veuillez noter que j'ai changé de courriel. Vous pouvez me rejoindre à > lalanthier@hotmail.com > > Pour rejoindre le bureau de M. Trudeau veuillez envoyer un courriel à > tommy.desfosses@parl.gc.ca > > Please note that I changed email address, you can reach me at > lalanthier@hotmail.com > > To reach the office of Mr. Trudeau please send an email to > tommy.desfosses@parl.gc.ca > > Thank you, > > Merci , > > > http://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.ca/2015/09/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html > > > 83. The Plaintiff states that now that Canada is involved in more war > in Iraq again it did not serve Canadian interests and reputation to > allow Barry Winters to publish the following words three times over > five years after he began his bragging: > > January 13, 2015 > This Is Just AS Relevant Now As When I wrote It During The Debate > > December 8, 2014 > Why Canada Stood Tall! > > Friday, October 3, 2014 > Little David Amos’ “True History Of War” Canadian Airstrikes And > Stupid Justin Trudeau > > Canada’s and Canadians free ride is over. Canada can no longer hide > behind Amerka’s and NATO’s skirts. > > When I was still in Canadian Forces then Prime Minister Jean Chretien > actually committed the Canadian Army to deploy in the second campaign > in Iraq, the Coalition of the Willing. This was against or contrary to > the wisdom or advice of those of us Canadian officers that were > involved in the initial planning phases of that operation. There were > significant concern in our planning cell, and NDHQ about of the dearth > of concern for operational guidance, direction, and forces for > operations after the initial occupation of Iraq. At the “last minute” > Prime Minister Chretien and the Liberal government changed its mind. > The Canadian government told our amerkan cousins that we would not > deploy combat troops for the Iraq campaign, but would deploy a > Canadian Battle Group to Afghanistan, enabling our amerkan cousins to > redeploy troops from there to Iraq. The PMO’s thinking that it was > less costly to deploy Canadian Forces to Afghanistan than Iraq. But > alas no one seems to remind the Liberals of Prime Minister Chretien’s > then grossly incorrect assumption. Notwithstanding Jean Chretien’s > incompetence and stupidity, the Canadian Army was heroic, > professional, punched well above it’s weight, and the PPCLI Battle > Group, is credited with “saving Afghanistan” during the Panjway > campaign of 2006. > > What Justin Trudeau and the Liberals don’t tell you now, is that then > Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien committed, and deployed the > Canadian army to Canada’s longest “war” without the advice, consent, > support, or vote of the Canadian Parliament. > > What David Amos and the rest of the ignorant, uneducated, and babbling > chattering classes are too addled to understand is the deployment of > less than 75 special operations troops, and what is known by planners > as a “six pac cell” of fighter aircraft is NOT the same as a > deployment of a Battle Group, nor a “war” make. > > The Canadian Government or The Crown unlike our amerkan cousins have > the “constitutional authority” to commit the Canadian nation to war. > That has been recently clearly articulated to the Canadian public by > constitutional scholar Phillippe Legasse. What Parliament can do is > remove “confidence” in The Crown’s Government in a “vote of > non-confidence.” That could not happen to the Chretien Government > regarding deployment to Afghanistan, and it won’t happen in this > instance with the conservative majority in The Commons regarding a > limited Canadian deployment to the Middle East. > > President George Bush was quite correct after 911 and the terror > attacks in New York; that the Taliban “occupied” and “failed state” > Afghanistan was the source of logistical support, command and control, > and training for the Al Quaeda war of terror against the world. The > initial defeat, and removal from control of Afghanistan was vital and > > P.S. Whereas this CBC article is about your opinion of the actions of > the latest Minister Of Health trust that Mr Boudreau and the CBC have > had my files for many years and the last thing they are is ethical. > Ask his friends Mr Murphy and the RCMP if you don't believe me. > > Subject: > Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:02:35 -0400 > From: "Murphy, Michael B. \(DH/MS\)"MichaelB.Murphy@gnb.ca > To: motomaniac_02186@yahoo.com > > January 30, 2007 > > WITHOUT PREJUDICE > > Mr. David Amos > > Dear Mr. Amos: > > This will acknowledge receipt of a copy of your e-mail of December 29, > 2006 to Corporal Warren McBeath of the RCMP. > > Because of the nature of the allegations made in your message, I have > taken the measure of forwarding a copy to Assistant Commissioner Steve > Graham of the RCMP “J” Division in Fredericton. > > Sincerely, > > Honourable Michael B. Murphy > Minister of Health > > CM/cb > > > Warren McBeath warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca wrote: > > Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 17:34:53 -0500 > From: "Warren McBeath"warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca > To: kilgoursite@ca.inter.net, MichaelB.Murphy@gnb.ca, > nada.sarkis@gnb.ca, wally.stiles@gnb.ca, dwatch@web.net, > motomaniac_02186@yahoo.com > CC: ottawa@chuckstrahl.com, riding@chuckstrahl.com,John.Foran@gnb.ca, > Oda.B@parl.gc.ca,"Bev BUSSON"bev.busson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, > "Paul Dube"PAUL.DUBE@rcmp-grc.gc.ca > Subject: Re: Remember me Kilgour? Landslide Annie McLellan has > forgotten me but the crooks within the RCMP have not > > Dear Mr. Amos, > > Thank you for your follow up e-mail to me today. I was on days off > over the holidays and returned to work this evening. Rest assured I > was not ignoring or procrastinating to respond to your concerns. > > As your attachment sent today refers from Premier Graham, our position > is clear on your dead calf issue: Our forensic labs do not process > testing on animals in cases such as yours, they are referred to the > Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown who can provide these > services. If you do not choose to utilize their expertise in this > instance, then that is your decision and nothing more can be done. > > As for your other concerns regarding the US Government, false > imprisonment and Federal Court Dates in the US, etc... it is clear > that Federal authorities are aware of your concerns both in Canada > the US. These issues do not fall into the purvue of Detachment > and policing in Petitcodiac, NB. > > It was indeed an interesting and informative conversation we had on > December 23rd, and I wish you well in all of your future endeavors. > > Sincerely, > > Warren McBeath, Cpl. > GRC Caledonia RCMP > Traffic Services NCO > Ph: (506) 387-2222 > Fax: (506) 387-4622 > E-mail warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca > > > > Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C., > Office of the Integrity Commissioner > Edgecombe House, 736 King Street > Fredericton, N.B. CANADA E3B 5H1 > tel.: 506-457-7890 > fax: 506-444-5224 > e-mail:coi@gnb.ca >
Mr. Amos, We acknowledge receipt of your recent emails to the Deputy Minister of Justice and lawyers within the Legal Services Division of the Department of Justice respecting a possible claim against the Province of Nova Scotia. Service of any documents respecting a legal claim against the Province of Nova Scotia may be served on the Attorney General at 1690 Hollis Street, Halifax, NS. Please note that we will not be responding to further emails on this matter.
Sunday, 19 November 2017 Federal Court of Appeal Finally Makes The BIG Decision And Publishes It Now The Crooks Cannot Take Back Ticket To Try Put My Matter Before The Supreme Court
BETWEEN: DAVID RAYMOND AMOS Respondent on the cross-appeal (and formally Appellant) and HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN Appellant on the cross-appeal (and formerly Respondent) Heard at Fredericton, New Brunswick, on May 24, 2017. Judgment delivered at Ottawa, Ontario, on October 30, 2017. REASONS FOR JUDGMENT BY:
THE COURT
Date: 20171030
Docket: A-48-16 Citation: 2017 FCA 213 CORAM:
WEBB J.A. NEAR J.A. GLEASON J.A.
BETWEEN: DAVID RAYMOND AMOS Respondent on the cross-appeal (and formally Appellant) and HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN Appellant on the cross-appeal (and formerly Respondent) REASONS FOR JUDGMENT BY THE COURT
I. Introduction
[1] On September 16, 2015, David Raymond Amos (Mr. Amos) filed a 53-page Statement of Claim (the Claim) in Federal Court against Her Majesty the Queen (the Crown). Mr. Amos claims $11 million in damages and a public apology from the Prime Minister and Provincial Premiers for being illegally barred from accessing parliamentary properties and seeks a declaration from the Minister of Public Safety that the Canadian Government will no longer allow the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canadian Forces to harass him and his clan (Claim at para. 96).
[2] On November 12, 2015 (Docket T-1557-15), by way of a motion brought by the Crown, a prothonotary of the Federal Court (the Prothonotary) struck the Claim in its entirety, without leave to amend, on the basis that it was plain and obvious that the Claim disclosed no reasonable claim, the Claim was fundamentally vexatious, and the Claim could not be salvaged by way of further amendment (the Prothontary’s Order).
[3] On January 25, 2016 (2016 FC 93), by way of Mr. Amos’ appeal from the Prothonotary’s Order, a judge of the Federal Court (the Judge), reviewing the matter de novo, struck all of Mr. Amos’ claims for relief with the exception of the claim for damages for being barred by the RCMP from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004 (the Federal Court Judgment).
[4] Mr. Amos appealed and the Crown cross-appealed the Federal Court Judgment. Further to the issuance of a Notice of Status Review, Mr. Amos’ appeal was dismissed for delay on December 19, 2016. As such, the only matter before this Court is the Crown’s cross-appeal.
II. Preliminary Matter
[5] Mr. Amos, in his memorandum of fact and law in relation to the cross-appeal that was filed with this Court on March 6, 2017, indicated that several judges of this Court, including two of the judges of this panel, had a conflict of interest in this appeal. This was the first time that he identified the judges whom he believed had a conflict of interest in a document that was filed with this Court. In his notice of appeal he had alluded to a conflict with several judges but did not name those judges.
[6] Mr. Amos was of the view that he did not have to identify the judges in any document filed with this Court because he had identified the judges in various documents that had been filed with the Federal Court. In his view the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal are the same court and therefore any document filed in the Federal Court would be filed in this Court. This view is based on subsections 5(4) and 5.1(4) of the Federal Courts Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. F-7:
5(4) Every judge of the Federal Court is, by virtue of his or her office, a judge of the Federal Court of Appeal and has all the jurisdiction, power and authority of a judge of the Federal Court of Appeal. […]
5(4) Les juges de la Cour fédérale sont d’office juges de la Cour d’appel fédérale et ont la même compétence et les mêmes pouvoirs que les juges de la Cour d’appel fédérale. […] 5.1(4) Every judge of the Federal Court of Appeal is, by virtue of that office, a judge of the Federal Court and has all the jurisdiction, power and authority of a judge of the Federal Court.
5.1(4) Les juges de la Cour d’appel fédérale sont d’office juges de la Cour fédérale et ont la même compétence et les mêmes pouvoirs que les juges de la Cour fédérale.
[7] However, these subsections only provide that the judges of the Federal Court are also judges of this Court (and vice versa). It does not mean that there is only one court. If the Federal Court and this Court were one Court, there would be no need for this section. [8] Sections 3 and 4 of the Federal Courts Act provide that: 3 The division of the Federal Court of Canada called the Federal Court — Appeal Division is continued under the name “Federal Court of Appeal” in English and “Cour d’appel fédérale” in French. It is continued as an additional court of law, equity and admiralty in and for Canada, for the better administration of the laws of Canada and as a superior court of record having civil and criminal jurisdiction.
3 La Section d’appel, aussi appelée la Cour d’appel ou la Cour d’appel fédérale, est maintenue et dénommée « Cour d’appel fédérale » en français et « Federal Court of Appeal » en anglais. Elle est maintenue à titre de tribunal additionnel de droit, d’equity et d’amirauté du Canada, propre à améliorer l’application du droit canadien, et continue d’être une cour supérieure d’archives ayant compétence en matière civile et pénale. 4 The division of the Federal Court of Canada called the Federal Court — Trial Division is continued under the name “Federal Court” in English and “Cour fédérale” in French. It is continued as an additional court of law, equity and admiralty in and for Canada, for the better administration of the laws of Canada and as a superior court of record having civil and criminal jurisdiction.
4 La section de la Cour fédérale du Canada, appelée la Section de première instance de la Cour fédérale, est maintenue et dénommée « Cour fédérale » en français et « Federal Court » en anglais. Elle est maintenue à titre de tribunal additionnel de droit, d’equity et d’amirauté du Canada, propre à améliorer l’application du droit canadien, et continue d’être une cour supérieure d’archives ayant compétence en matière civile et pénale.
[9] Sections 3 and 4 of the Federal Courts Act create two separate courts – this Court (section 3) and the Federal Court (section 4). If, as Mr. Amos suggests, documents filed in the Federal Court were automatically also filed in this Court, then there would no need for the parties to prepare and file appeal books as required by Rules 343 to 345 of the Federal Courts Rules, SOR/98-106 in relation to any appeal from a decision of the Federal Court. The requirement to file an appeal book with this Court in relation to an appeal from a decision of the Federal Court makes it clear that the only documents that will be before this Court are the documents that are part of that appeal book.
[10] Therefore, the memorandum of fact and law filed on March 6, 2017 is the first document, filed with this Court, in which Mr. Amos identified the particular judges that he submits have a conflict in any matter related to him.
[11] On April 3, 2017, Mr. Amos attempted to bring a motion before the Federal Court seeking an order “affirming or denying the conflict of interest he has” with a number of judges of the Federal Court. A judge of the Federal Court issued a direction noting that if Mr. Amos was seeking this order in relation to judges of the Federal Court of Appeal, it was beyond the jurisdiction of the Federal Court. Mr. Amos raised the Federal Court motion at the hearing of this cross-appeal. The Federal Court motion is not a motion before this Court and, as such, the submissions filed before the Federal Court will not be entertained. As well, since this was a motion brought before the Federal Court (and not this Court), any documents filed in relation to that motion are not part of the record of this Court.
[12] During the hearing of the appeal Mr. Amos alleged that the third member of this panel also had a conflict of interest and submitted some documents that, in his view, supported his claim of a conflict. Mr. Amos, following the hearing of his appeal, was also afforded the opportunity to provide a brief summary of the conflict that he was alleging and to file additional documents that, in his view, supported his allegations. Mr. Amos submitted several pages of documents in relation to the alleged conflicts. He organized the documents by submitting a copy of the biography of the particular judge and then, immediately following that biography, by including copies of the documents that, in his view, supported his claim that such judge had a conflict.
[13] The nature of the alleged conflict of Justice Webb is that before he was appointed as a Judge of the Tax Court of Canada in 2006, he was a partner with the law firm Patterson Law, and before that with Patterson Palmer in Nova Scotia. Mr. Amos submitted that he had a number of disputes with Patterson Palmer and Patterson Law and therefore Justice Webb has a conflict simply because he was a partner of these firms. Mr. Amos is not alleging that Justice Webb was personally involved in or had any knowledge of any matter in which Mr. Amos was involved with Justice Webb’s former law firm – only that he was a member of such firm.
[14] During his oral submissions at the hearing of his appeal Mr. Amos, in relation to the alleged conflict for Justice Webb, focused on dealings between himself and a particular lawyer at Patterson Law. However, none of the documents submitted by Mr. Amos at the hearing or subsequently related to any dealings with this particular lawyer nor is it clear when Mr. Amos was dealing with this lawyer. In particular, it is far from clear whether such dealings were after the time that Justice Webb was appointed as a Judge of the Tax Court of Canada over 10 years ago.
[15] The documents that he submitted in relation to the alleged conflict for Justice Webb largely relate to dealings between Byron Prior and the St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador office of Patterson Palmer, which is not in the same province where Justice Webb practiced law. The only document that indicates any dealing between Mr. Amos and Patterson Palmer is a copy of an affidavit of Stephen May who was a partner in the St. John’s NL office of Patterson Palmer. The affidavit is dated January 24, 2005 and refers to a number of e-mails that were sent by Mr. Amos to Stephen May. Mr. Amos also included a letter that is addressed to four individuals, one of whom is John Crosbie who was counsel to the St. John’s NL office of Patterson Palmer. The letter is dated September 2, 2004 and is addressed to “John Crosbie, c/o Greg G. Byrne, Suite 502, 570 Queen Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 5E3”. In this letter Mr. Amos alludes to a possible lawsuit against Patterson Palmer. [16] Mr. Amos’ position is that simply because Justice Webb was a lawyer with Patterson Palmer, he now has a conflict. In Wewaykum Indian Band v. Her Majesty the Queen, 2003 SCC 45, [2003] 2 S.C.R. 259, the Supreme Court of Canada noted that disqualification of a judge is to be determined based on whether there is a reasonable apprehension of bias: 60 In Canadian law, one standard has now emerged as the criterion for disqualification. The criterion, as expressed by de Grandpré J. in Committee for Justice and Liberty v. National Energy Board, …[[1978] 1 S.C.R. 369, 68 D.L.R. (3d) 716], at p. 394, is the reasonable apprehension of bias: … the apprehension of bias must be a reasonable one, held by reasonable and right minded persons, applying themselves to the question and obtaining thereon the required information. In the words of the Court of Appeal, that test is "what would an informed person, viewing the matter realistically and practically -- and having thought the matter through -- conclude. Would he think that it is more likely than not that [the decision-maker], whether consciously or unconsciously, would not decide fairly."
[17] The issue to be determined is whether an informed person, viewing the matter realistically and practically, and having thought the matter through, would conclude that Mr. Amos’ allegations give rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias. As this Court has previously remarked, “there is a strong presumption that judges will administer justice impartially” and this presumption will not be rebutted in the absence of “convincing evidence” of bias (Collins v. Canada, 2011 FCA 140 at para. 7, [2011] 4 C.T.C. 157 [Collins]. See also R. v. S. (R.D.), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 484 at para. 32, 151 D.L.R. (4th) 193).
[18] The Ontario Court of Appeal in Rando Drugs Ltd. v. Scott, 2007 ONCA 553, 86 O.R. (3d) 653 (leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada refused, 32285 (August 1, 2007)), addressed the particular issue of whether a judge is disqualified from hearing a case simply because he had been a member of a law firm that was involved in the litigation that was now before that judge. The Ontario Court of Appeal determined that the judge was not disqualified if the judge had no involvement with the person or the matter when he was a lawyer. The Ontario Court of Appeal also explained that the rules for determining whether a judge is disqualified are different from the rules to determine whether a lawyer has a conflict: 27 Thus, disqualification is not the natural corollary to a finding that a trial judge has had some involvement in a case over which he or she is now presiding. Where the judge had no involvement, as here, it cannot be said that the judge is disqualified.
28 The point can rightly be made that had Mr. Patterson been asked to represent the appellant as counsel before his appointment to the bench, the conflict rules would likely have prevented him from taking the case because his firm had formerly represented one of the defendants in the case. Thus, it is argued how is it that as a trial judge Patterson J. can hear the case? This issue was considered by the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) in Locabail (U.K.) Ltd. v. Bayfield Properties Ltd., [2000] Q.B. 451. The court held, at para. 58, that there is no inflexible rule governing the disqualification of a judge and that, "[e]verything depends on the circumstances."
29 It seems to me that what appears at first sight to be an inconsistency in application of rules can be explained by the different contexts and in particular, the strong presumption of judicial impartiality that applies in the context of disqualification of a judge. There is no such presumption in cases of allegations of conflict of interest against a lawyer because of a firm's previous involvement in the case. To the contrary, as explained by Sopinka J. in MacDonald Estate v. Martin (1990), 77 D.L.R. (4th) 249 (S.C.C.), for sound policy reasons there is a presumption of a disqualifying interest that can rarely be overcome. In particular, a conclusory statement from the lawyer that he or she had no confidential information about the case will never be sufficient. The case is the opposite where the allegation of bias is made against a trial judge. His or her statement that he or she knew nothing about the case and had no involvement in it will ordinarily be accepted at face value unless there is good reason to doubt it: see Locabail, at para. 19.
30 That brings me then to consider the particular circumstances of this case and whether there are serious grounds to find a disqualifying conflict of interest in this case. In my view, there are two significant factors that justify the trial judge's decision not to recuse himself. The first is his statement, which all parties accept, that he knew nothing of the case when it was in his former firm and that he had nothing to do with it. The second is the long passage of time. As was said in Wewaykum, at para. 85: To us, one significant factor stands out, and must inform the perspective of the reasonable person assessing the impact of this involvement on Binnie J.'s impartiality in the appeals. That factor is the passage of time. Most arguments for disqualification rest on circumstances that are either contemporaneous to the decision-making, or that occurred within a short time prior to the decision-making. 31 There are other factors that inform the issue. The Wilson Walker firm no longer acted for any of the parties by the time of trial. More importantly, at the time of the motion, Patterson J. had been a judge for six years and thus had not had a relationship with his former firm for a considerable period of time.
32 In my view, a reasonable person, viewing the matter realistically would conclude that the trial judge could deal fairly and impartially with this case. I take this view principally because of the long passage of time and the trial judge's lack of involvement in or knowledge of the case when the Wilson Walker firm had carriage. In these circumstances it cannot be reasonably contended that the trial judge could not remain impartial in the case. The mere fact that his name appears on the letterhead of some correspondence from over a decade ago would not lead a reasonable person to believe that he would either consciously or unconsciously favour his former firm's former client. It is simply not realistic to think that a judge would throw off his mantle of impartiality, ignore his oath of office and favour a client - about whom he knew nothing - of a firm that he left six years earlier and that no longer acts for the client, in a case involving events from over a decade ago. (emphasis added)
[19] Justice Webb had no involvement with any matter involving Mr. Amos while he was a member of Patterson Palmer or Patterson Law, nor does Mr. Amos suggest that he did. Mr. Amos made it clear during the hearing of this matter that the only reason for the alleged conflict for Justice Webb was that he was a member of Patterson Law and Patterson Palmer. This is simply not enough for Justice Webb to be disqualified. Any involvement of Mr. Amos with Patterson Law while Justice Webb was a member of that firm would have had to occur over 10 years ago and even longer for the time when he was a member of Patterson Palmer. In addition to the lack of any involvement on his part with any matter or dispute that Mr. Amos had with Patterson Law or Patterson Palmer (which in and of itself is sufficient to dispose of this matter), the length of time since Justice Webb was a member of Patterson Law or Patterson Palmer would also result in the same finding – that there is no conflict in Justice Webb hearing this appeal.
[20] Similarly in R. v. Bagot, 2000 MBCA 30, 145 Man. R. (2d) 260, the Manitoba Court of Appeal found that there was no reasonable apprehension of bias when a judge, who had been a member of the law firm that had been retained by the accused, had no involvement with the accused while he was a lawyer with that firm.
[21] In Del Zotto v. Minister of National Revenue, [2000] 4 F.C. 321, 257 N.R. 96, this court did find that there would be a reasonable apprehension of bias where a judge, who while he was a lawyer, had recorded time on a matter involving the same person who was before that judge. However, this case can be distinguished as Justice Webb did not have any time recorded on any files involving Mr. Amos while he was a lawyer with Patterson Palmer or Patterson Law.
[22] Mr. Amos also included with his submissions a CD. He stated in his affidavit dated June 26, 2017 that there is a “true copy of an American police surveillance wiretap entitled 139” on this CD. He has also indicated that he has “provided a true copy of the CD entitled 139 to many American and Canadian law enforcement authorities and not one of the police forces or officers of the court are willing to investigate it”. Since he has indicated that this is an “American police surveillance wiretap”, this is a matter for the American law enforcement authorities and cannot create, as Mr. Amos suggests, a conflict of interest for any judge to whom he provides a copy.
[23] As a result, there is no conflict or reasonable apprehension of bias for Justice Webb and therefore, no reason for him to recuse himself.
[24] Mr. Amos alleged that Justice Near’s past professional experience with the government created a “quasi-conflict” in deciding the cross-appeal. Mr. Amos provided no details and Justice Near confirmed that he had no prior knowledge of the matters alleged in the Claim. Justice Near sees no reason to recuse himself.
[25] Insofar as it is possible to glean the basis for Mr. Amos’ allegations against Justice Gleason, it appears that he alleges that she is incapable of hearing this appeal because he says he wrote a letter to Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien in 2004. At that time, both Justice Gleason and Mr. Mulroney were partners in the law firm Ogilvy Renault, LLP. The letter in question, which is rude and angry, begins with “Hey you two Evil Old Smiling Bastards” and “Re: me suing you and your little dogs too”. There is no indication that the letter was ever responded to or that a law suit was ever commenced by Mr. Amos against Mr. Mulroney. In the circumstances, there is no reason for Justice Gleason to recuse herself as the letter in question does not give rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias.
III. Issue
[26] The issue on the cross-appeal is as follows: Did the Judge err in setting aside the Prothonotary’s Order striking the Claim in its entirety without leave to amend and in determining that Mr. Amos’ allegation that the RCMP barred him from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004 was capable of supporting a cause of action?
IV. Analysis
A. Standard of Review
[27] Following the Judge’s decision to set aside the Prothonotary’s Order, this Court revisited the standard of review to be applied to discretionary decisions of prothonotaries and decisions made by judges on appeals of prothonotaries’ decisions in Hospira Healthcare Corp. v. Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, 2016 FCA 215, 402 D.L.R. (4th) 497 [Hospira]. In Hospira, a five-member panel of this Court replaced the Aqua-Gem standard of review with that articulated in Housen v. Nikolaisen, 2002 SCC 33, [2002] 2 S.C.R. 235 [Housen]. As a result, it is no longer appropriate for the Federal Court to conduct a de novo review of a discretionary order made by a prothonotary in regard to questions vital to the final issue of the case. Rather, a Federal Court judge can only intervene on appeal if the prothonotary made an error of law or a palpable and overriding error in determining a question of fact or question of mixed fact and law (Hospira at para. 79). Further, this Court can only interfere with a Federal Court judge’s review of a prothonotary’s discretionary order if the judge made an error of law or palpable and overriding error in determining a question of fact or question of mixed fact and law (Hospira at paras. 82-83).
[28] In the case at bar, the Judge substituted his own assessment of Mr. Amos’ Claim for that of the Prothonotary. This Court must look to the Prothonotary’s Order to determine whether the Judge erred in law or made a palpable and overriding error in choosing to interfere.
B. Did the Judge err in interfering with the Prothonotary’s Order?
[29] The Prothontoary’s Order accepted the following paragraphs from the Crown’s submissions as the basis for striking the Claim in its entirety without leave to amend:
17. Within the 96 paragraph Statement of Claim, the Plaintiff addresses his complaint in paragraphs 14-24, inclusive. All but four of those paragraphs are dedicated to an incident that occurred in 2006 in and around the legislature in New Brunswick. The jurisdiction of the Federal Court does not extend to Her Majesty the Queen in right of the Provinces. In any event, the Plaintiff hasn’t named the Province or provincial actors as parties to this action. The incident alleged does not give rise to a justiciable cause of action in this Court. (…)
21. The few paragraphs that directly address the Defendant provide no details as to the individuals involved or the location of the alleged incidents or other details sufficient to allow the Defendant to respond. As a result, it is difficult or impossible to determine the causes of action the Plaintiff is attempting to advance. A generous reading of the Statement of Claim allows the Defendant to only speculate as to the true and/or intended cause of action. At best, the Plaintiff’s action may possibly be summarized as: he suspects he is barred from the House of Commons. [footnotes omitted].
[30] The Judge determined that he could not strike the Claim on the same jurisdictional basis as the Prothonotary. The Judge noted that the Federal Court has jurisdiction over claims based on the liability of Federal Crown servants like the RCMP and that the actors who barred Mr. Amos from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004 included the RCMP (Federal Court Judgment at para. 23). In considering the viability of these allegations de novo, the Judge identified paragraph 14 of the Claim as containing “some precision” as it identifies the date of the event and a RCMP officer acting as Aide-de-Camp to the Lieutenant Governor (Federal Court Judgment at para. 27).
[31] The Judge noted that the 2004 event could support a cause of action in the tort of misfeasance in public office and identified the elements of the tort as excerpted from Meigs v. Canada, 2013 FC 389, 431 F.T.R. 111:
[13] As in both the cases of Odhavji Estate v Woodhouse, 2003 SCC 69 [Odhavji] and Lewis v Canada, 2012 FC 1514 [Lewis], I must determine whether the plaintiffs’ statement of claim pleads each element of the alleged tort of misfeasance in public office:
a) The public officer must have engaged in deliberate and unlawful conduct in his or her capacity as public officer;
b) The public officer must have been aware both that his or her conduct was unlawful and that it was likely to harm the plaintiff; and
c) There must be an element of bad faith or dishonesty by the public officer and knowledge of harm alone is insufficient to conclude that a public officer acted in bad faith or dishonestly. Odhavji, above, at paras 23, 24 and 28 (Federal Court Judgment at para. 28).
[32] The Judge determined that Mr. Amos disclosed sufficient material facts to meet the elements of the tort of misfeasance in public office because the actors, who barred him from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004, including the RCMP, did so for “political reasons” (Federal Court Judgment at para. 29).
[33] This Court’s discussion of the sufficiency of pleadings in Merchant Law Group v. Canada (Revenue Agency), 2010 FCA 184, 321 D.L.R (4th) 301 is particularly apt:
…When pleading bad faith or abuse of power, it is not enough to assert, baldly, conclusory phrases such as “deliberately or negligently,” “callous disregard,” or “by fraud and theft did steal”. “The bare assertion of a conclusion upon which the court is called upon to pronounce is not an allegation of material fact”. Making bald, conclusory allegations without any evidentiary foundation is an abuse of process…
To this, I would add that the tort of misfeasance in public office requires a particular state of mind of a public officer in carrying out the impunged action, i.e., deliberate conduct which the public officer knows to be inconsistent with the obligations of his or her office. For this tort, particularization of the allegations is mandatory. Rule 181 specifically requires particularization of allegations of “breach of trust,” “wilful default,” “state of mind of a person,” “malice” or “fraudulent intention.” (at paras. 34-35, citations omitted).
[34] Applying the Housen standard of review to the Prothonotary’s Order, we are of the view that the Judge interfered absent a legal or palpable and overriding error.
[35] The Prothonotary determined that Mr. Amos’ Claim disclosed no reasonable claim and was fundamentally vexatious on the basis of jurisdictional concerns and the absence of material facts to ground a cause of action. Paragraph 14 of the Claim, which addresses the 2004 event, pleads no material facts as to how the RCMP officer engaged in deliberate and unlawful conduct, knew that his or her conduct was unlawful and likely to harm Mr. Amos, and acted in bad faith. While the Claim alleges elsewhere that Mr. Amos was barred from the New Brunswick legislature for political and/or malicious reasons, these allegations are not particularized and are directed against non-federal actors, such as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and the Fredericton Police Force. As such, the Judge erred in determining that Mr. Amos’ allegation that the RCMP barred him from the New Brunswick legislature in 2004 was capable of supporting a cause of action.
[36] In our view, the Claim is made up entirely of bare allegations, devoid of any detail, such that it discloses no reasonable cause of action within the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts. Therefore, the Judge erred in interfering to set aside the Prothonotary’s Order striking the claim in its entirety. Further, we find that the Prothonotary made no error in denying leave to amend. The deficiencies in Mr. Amos’ pleadings are so extensive such that amendment could not cure them (see Collins at para. 26).
V. Conclusion [37] For the foregoing reasons, we would allow the Crown’s cross-appeal, with costs, setting aside the Federal Court Judgment, dated January 25, 2016 and restoring the Prothonotary’s Order, dated November 12, 2015, which struck Mr. Amos’ Claim in its entirety without leave to amend. "Wyman W. Webb" J.A. "David G. Near" J.A. "Mary J.L. Gleason" J.A.
FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD
A CROSS-APPEAL FROM AN ORDER OF THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE SOUTHCOTT DATED JANUARY 25, 2016; DOCKET NUMBER T-1557-15. DOCKET:
A-48-16
STYLE OF CAUSE:
DAVID RAYMOND AMOS v. HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
PLACE OF HEARING:
Fredericton, New Brunswick
DATE OF HEARING:
May 24, 2017
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY:
WEBB J.A. NEAR J.A. GLEASON J.A.
DATED:
October 30, 2017
APPEARANCES: David Raymond Amos
For The Appellant / respondent on cross-appeal (on his own behalf)
Jan Jensen
For The Respondent / appELLANT ON CROSS-APPEAL
SOLICITORS OF RECORD: Nathalie G. Drouin Deputy Attorney General of Canada
Nobody can deny that he provides the entire text of my lawsuit srcoll down to Paragraph 75 to reqd the following statement AGAIN Do you not see Doran and Wnters named???
75. The Plaintiff states that the RCMP is well aware of the libel, sexual harassment, and death threats practiced against his family that have been published on the Internet since 2005 by fans (Trolls) who supported Byron Prior. Four Trolls who live in Alberta are Barry Winters, Dean Roger Ray, Eddy Achtem and Patrick Doran They have many “Anonymous” cohorts throughout Canada, the USA and the United Kingdom. The actions of these Trolls created an important example of cyberbullying. Law enforcement officials have ignored these Trolls because of the Plaintiff’s standing as a whistleblower exposing corruption within the justice system. The Plaintiff is aware that several people complained about their actions over the years. In fact the mother of Dean Roger Ray recently her indignation in Barry Winter’s blog. Complaints about Barry Winters can be seen on the Internet by Glen Canning and Professor Kris Wells, two politically well-connected people who complain of cyberbullying often. Proof the Edmonton Police Force (EPS), RCMP, FBI and police in the UK have been ignoring the Plaintiff’s complaints about these Trolls can also viewed on the Internet. The Plaintiff fought fire with fire but did so in a legal fashion and kept the police fully informed of his actions. The Plaintiff was successful in causing numerous egregious videos and several blogs to be taken down after doing his best to find out who the “Anonymous” people were and reporting them. He saved all the blogs and videos published about his family before the malice was removed from public view. Three Trolls who continue to attack his family and others are Dean Roger Ray, Barry Winters and one government employee. A member of the legal dept. of Edmonton tried to claim that the Plaintiff was Barry Winters then complained to the EPS about the Plaintiff’s questions about her incompetence. Professor Kris Wells, who was associated with the Police Commission of Edmonton and Glen Canning, who lost his daughter to cyberbullying, said nothing. They were content that the Plaintiff managed to convince Google’s lawyers to remove one of Barry Winters’s blogs on October 23, 2014 and say nothing about his blog within WordPress that the Troll uses to continue his libel of them and their friends. Instead Glen Canning slandered the Plaintiff within Twitter after Kris Wells sent the Plaintiff an email stating his lawyer had advised him to ignore Barry Winters and his blogs.
BTW the DavidRayAmos Troll attacking using my name is not me. I was not aware of Doran in ED until Barry Winters blogged about it
I suspect it was the same Troll who created the ED webpage that you used to source your bullshit about me from
The reason I CC'd the universe and many cops in particular is because I am filing a lawsuit about the shit.
In a nutshell Doran is a shill for the Calgary cops Get it yet?
On 3/31/18, Misandry Today <misandry.happens@gmail.com> wrote: > David, > > Thank you for directing your email to me specifically so I can respond. > > Please do not take my lack of response to your prior emails as a form of > disrespect, its not. However, after reading your prior emails, I was unable > to decipher who your message was specifically directed it. > > Was there something specific you wanted to discuss? Or were you just > notifying me on the links and info included in this most recent email? > > Also, is there a reason the known universe is CC'd? > > Again, I'm not being disrespectful, but I know very little about you and > your history with Patrick Doran, other than there was some sort of feud. > > Can you provide me some history and context? > > Respectfully, > DDJ > > On Sat, Mar 31, 2018 at 7:37 AM, David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> http://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.ca/2018/03/yo-misandry-today-does-this- >> email-suit.html >> >> >> Saturday, 31 March 2018 >> Yo "Misandry Today" does this email suit a noname Yankee paralegal's >> demand of me that he quickly deleted? >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oXO47CdGkA >> >> >> LEGALLY PWNED: MISANDRY TODAY (DDJ) >> 99 views >> 15 1 Share >> >> Mad Shangi >> Published on Mar 29, 2018 >> >> etc etc etc
The DDJ Drama Stream Extravaganza #DramaLivesMatter 962 views 79 7 Share Save Cognitive Thought Streamed live on Mar 27, 2018 DDJ has a Yes and No answer to a basic principle and conflates it with an assumed argument.
More than anything though, whatever you do with your day, enjoy yourself. (: Category People & Blogs 14 Comments David Amos Add a public comment... David Amos David Amos 8 months ago Clearly by your own words you perverts know that I contacted the cops in Canada, the USA and the UK about your slander and criminal libel. Please do go ahead and study my blog and discuss it on one of your oh so informative livestreams. Trust that you will find this comment at the top of this blog in a heartbeat along with some selected comments from your live chat last night while your discussion bored me enough to send me to la la land.
Feel free to check my work about YOUR obvious malice towards me.
That said. I have no false illusions about justice. However I also know I can make you perverts rather infamous as I bust ya in front of your friends. We all know the corrupt cops in the UK who are more concerned about Nazi Pugs will never act within the scope of their employment just like the RCMP and the FBI never did. Everybody knows its because of my lawsuits in the USA and Canada. However the RCMP and I have been at war since 1982 when Coggy Baby was no doubt shitting yellow.
My contact info is always on the bottom of the lawsuits and made public by the courts. Hence I have no problem whatsoever telling the world who I am in a sick little Troll's YouTube channel that may go "Poof" tomorrow if I decide to pick up the phone contact Google's lawyers personally. If you dummies had bothered to notice I sent their top lawyer in the USA and Canada the same email the "Thomas" chickenshit makes fun of.
What if I decide to waste some more of precious time on Trolls and figure out who you are? What id I then "dox" you dudes and DDJ as well on the Internet before I name you all within a paragraph or two in my next lawsuit against the Crown? If you had bothered to read paragraph 75 of a lawsuit NOT about cows (Federal Court File No T-1557-15) you would have seen that I did it with Patty Baby Doran and his butt buddy Barry Winters in 2015. Correct? My my won't that be fun for the RCMP and their shills when I do it again particularly after Barry Winters was arrested and then purportedly shit the bed last year?
Please feel free to tell us more in your next livestream just how much fun you perverted Trolls are still having with me. Rest assured that I will save every word.
Veritas Vincit David Raymond Amos 5 Campbell St Apohaqui, NB 902 800 0369
Never forget that you nasty noname little bastards picked this fight with me. Ragnok Ulfbhert Ragnok Ulfbhert 8 months ago (edited) The "Somewhere in the pooblic space" over the rainbow spoof has to be a song Cog. It will be glorious lol 4 Saoirse Saoirse 8 months ago See I knew there was a reason I found myself wide awake at 4 am. I have a 2 and a half hour podcast to catch up on. 3 Admiral Thunderbunny Admiral Thunderbunny 8 months ago Can't we just agree that DDJ is just a:
Transitional Amalgamation of Recycled Detritus 3 The Badman The Badman 8 months ago Ddj is a grandad probably in his 50s just so you know cog 2 John Brown John Brown 8 months ago Grandpas don't behave the way he does. Absolutely not. Mad Shangi Mad Shangi 8 months ago DDJ exposed for breaking the law. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oXO47CdGkA MGTOW REVEALED MGTOW REVEALED 8 months ago Turd flinging monkey just got terminated for community guidelines. Celestina Monkey and Misandry Today DDJ is next :) All MGTOWS are going down, MGTOW is cancer, worse than feminism. Good riddance. 1 The Badman The Badman 8 months ago Did Katherine lamp show up? What happened I musta missed a stream 1 CaptainAwesomesworld CaptainAwesomesworld 8 months ago The Badman dollars to doughnuts kat lamp is a ddj sock puppet 1 The Badman The Badman 8 months ago nah, she was on his just a stream stream, she is just a senile looney old bag. John Brown John Brown 8 months ago Hey Cog, you should know that DDJ has said multiple times that he's an orphan. Doesn't that count as coming from a broken home? Oh wait, his statements don't apply to him, my bad. Mad Shangi Mad Shangi 8 months ago You might appreciate this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oXO47CdGkA
Live chat replay is on. Messages that appeared when the stream was live will show up here. David Amos Are Coggy and Patty Baby having a bad day? Say Hoka Hey to your cop pals for me will ya? David Amos You should know Patty Baby Everybody with two clues between their ears must have figured out that you are a shill for the corrupt Calgary cops David Amos That why Barry Winters got arrested but you did not Correct? David Amos You tell these fools I sued about cows and they believe you? Too too funny indeed David Amos Perhaps your pals should read paragraph 75 of the lawsuit they make fun of to see what is said of Trolls and the names of Patty Baby Doran and Barry Winters EH? lennon 41 WE THE CHAT Doku HL SD #CowGang lennon 41 RESERVE THE RIGHT Mad Shangi Is he insinuating that people who are commenting on his videos now are part of a conspiracy?! Doku HL SD the age of man is over the age of cow is now Jorge mackensen Get your cowsuits and tin foil hat on, we're gonna stalk some cows today...... Unholy Mole the cownt down to destruction Nightbot ⚙Support The Channel⚙ https://streamlabs.com/cognitivethought DataWasteland AND MILK IT FOR ALL ITS WORTH Doku HL SD madox cow disease lennon 41 FUCKIN NORMIES Jacob gulf city Navo I want to punch ddj in the face DataWasteland IRRITABLE BULL SYNDROME Doku HL SD cownflicting arguments Jimmie The Rustle I don't think DDJ is observing the same reality as the rest of us. lennon 41 TOWER 7 THAT HOE Toothless Cowboy Inifinte Bull Shite #MADoxcow ? Doku HL SD #MADoxcow Doku HL SD cow gang is on the rise DataWasteland ITS THE NEW MOOOOVMENT Jacob gulf city Navo Olenska I’m going to bed goodnight Doku HL SD MOOOOOO Mad Shangi Something tells me this April 1st conversation ain't happening. LOL! Doku HL SD MOOOOOOvement Mad Shangi He's got a bitch made voice. Jorge mackensen DDQ= Drama Dairy Queen Doku HL SD moooooove up dat drama Doku HL SD we're all from broken pastures CThomas The Peasant @Olenska Did I miss much of the (((autism)))? Nightbot ⚙Support The Channel⚙ https://streamlabs.com/cognitivethought Doku HL SD 🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄 Mad Shangi Traumatic like the way his kids got fondled by his ex's boyfriend? CThomas The Peasant @Olenska Is it Moo-ving? Jorge mackensen I'm disturbed by the amount of Udders on the DDQ show mooooooooooooo🐮 CThomas The Peasant @Olenska So I've herd Doku HL SD we have a cow gang problem on the internet we need a new moovement to combats its Catherine Aquitaine Hello everyone! Mad Shangi I think @David Amos gave up on us. LOL!
Scorched Earth = Butt Hurt 59 views Mad Shangi Published on Mar 12, 2018 What happens when you trigger a sex-doll peddlin' fake MGTOW? Well, you get doxxed of course.
Blog Archive • ▼ 2018 (1) o ▼ January (1) Glen Canning: Exploiter of Rehtaeh Parsons • ▼ 2017 (11) o ▼ December (1) Disturbed Troll Glen Canning Leaves Even More Angr... o ▼ October (10) The Mad Shangi Show "The Roast of David Raymond Am... The New Baconfat Mission Statement Archive: Glen Canning and Leah Parsons on Stage Butt-Hurt Troll Glen Canning Posts A Comment The Musical PWNage of David Raymond Amos (1980's s... The Musical PWNage of David Raymond Amos The Musical PWNage of Glen Canning RIP BARRY WINTERS: Don't Let Free Speech Die With ... Glen Canning: Psychopath Welcome To The New Home Of The Baconfat Papers
Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Welcome To The New Home Of The Baconfat Papers
Welcome to The Baconfat Legacy - started in tribute to Mr. Barry Winters: a controversial blogger, opinionated troll and Edmonton resident, who sadly passed away. Before his passing, his blog was the subject of hate crime charges due to the offensive politically incorrect nature of Barry's writing. I will continue this blog in that tradition. You are going to read words like "faggot,""nigger," "kike,""spick,""nip,""bitch,""cunt,""whore,""slut,""wop," "midget," and anything else that just happens to pop into my head, because like Barry I'm an equal opportunity offender. And if you don't like the aggressive, in your face, deliberately offensive nature of this blog well you can suck my fucking dick. Go tell David Amos and Glen Canning to go fuck themselves too. Alert your local authorities and go bitch to your friends in the government, because the Baconfat is back baby.
And in the interest of free speech I hope you fuckers try to shut me down, because I will fight you. If you don't like this blog, then don't read it. Go read the fucking Babysitter's Club for all I care. But any bullshit trumped up charges you throw at me will make my day. Because the day we start locking people up for talking shit in a fucking blog, is the day that fascism rules. C'yall in court, motherfuckers.
Glenda E. Cole City Solicitor Called to the bar: 1988 (AB); Q.C.2013 (AB) Phone: 403-268-5182
City Solicitor's Office Law Dept., 12th Flr., 800 Macleod Trail S.E. PO Box 2100, Stn. M Calgary, Alberta T2P 2M5 Phone: 403-268-2441 Fax: 403-268-4634
Listed Individuals Shannon C. Belvedere Mary Ann Bendfeld Jocelyn J. Caldwell Glenda E. Cole C. Tat Fan Jill S. Floen James T. Floyd Paul Frank Leila J. Gosselin Brian C. Graham Andrea Hankins-Palmer Amanda Hart T. E. Haufe B. R. Inlow Denise C. Jakal Lori L. Kerr My-Le Lai David J. Lewis Richard Loomer Lesia Luciuk Ola Malik David E. Mercer Douglas D. Merchant Hanna Oh Lise Olsen Carol L. Reesor Marnie B. Rusen Colleen N. Sinclair Tina Squire R. Shawn Swinn Stephen B. Wheeler Trudy Wobeser
72. The Plaintiff states that in early 2006 Saga Books of Calgary, Alberta published a book about Byron Prior and the MP whom the Plaintiff ran against in 2004 and hopefully again in 2014 had researched Byron Prior’s matters. His report to the Minister of Justice in late 2006 has not been made public. More importantly the lawyer who has been the MP representing Fundy Royal for the past eleven years and that the former Minister of Public Safety acknowledged an email from the Plaintiff about Byron Prior that contained the entire text of his website before the writ was dropped for the election of the 38th Parliament. The aforesaid email exchange has been published in the Internet for eleven years. Everything on the Internet published by Byron Prior beginning in 2002 has been removed. The last comments of Byron Prior that the Plaintiff could find published on the Internet was within a few videos a “Freeman” character named Max published within the YouTube domain. It was an interview of Byron Prior as he was protesting on the grounds of the House of Commons the day after the Prime Minister was found in “Contempt of Parliament” and his most contemptuous minority mandate became a matter of history. His majority mandate is history and the Plaintiff seeks relief.
73. The Plaintiff states that he did see a comment posted in a public Facebook of one of Byron Prior’s many associates in British Colombia claiming that Byron Prior had been arrested in Ottawa in 2012 as had several other of his associates across Canada for various reasons during 2012. The whereabouts of Byron Prior are not known to the Plaintiff but he does know that Charles Leblanc lives one block up the same street as the Federal Court in Fredericton is located. Leblanc is being prosecuted by the Crown and suing the FPF at the same time. It is unlikely he would move far from the city soon. If the Crown wishes to argue this complaint Byron Prior and Charles Leblanc should be summoned to testify about what they know of this matter and of their being illegally barred from parliament properties as well. Failing that the Plaintiff has collected a large amount of documentation including documents, videos and webpages etc. He can provide byway of digital media much evidence for the Crown to review about the concerns of Byron Prior and Charles Leblanc and their association with the Plaintiff and many others.
74. The Plaintiff states that in June of 2009 while Byron Prior was before the court a supporter of his, Robin Reid informed the Plaintiff that she was barred from the legislative properties of Alberta and while visiting a constituency office of a MP she had been arrested by the RCMP and assaulted in a locked cell of a hospital in the St Albert area of Alberta. Her arrest was after her visits to the constituency offices of the Prime Minister and an Edmonton MLA. Ms. Reid forwarded her emails to and from the Prime Minister’s office, the RCMP, a former Premier and the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms and asked the Plaintiff to support her. The Plaintiff introduced himself to all the aforementioned parties in order to assist Robin Reid and they were ignored for years. In 2012 the Plaintiff discovered he could no longer assist Ms. Reid because she agreed with the actions of Neo Nazis who supported Byron Prior and Werner Bock. The RCMP and many other law enforcement authorities in Canada and the USA are well aware of the reasons why the Plaintiff is not associated with such people in any fashion other than to attack them with his written words. Neo Nazis are not worthy of further mention in this complaint against the Crown but their Zionist foe, Barry Winters is.
75. The Plaintiff states that the RCMP is well aware of the libel, sexual harassment, and death threats practiced against his family that have been published on the Internet since 2005 by fans (Trolls) who supported Byron Prior. Four Trolls who live in Alberta are Barry Winters, Dean Roger Ray, Eddy Achtem and Patrick Doran They have many “Anonymous” cohorts throughout Canada, the USA and the United Kingdom. The actions of these Trolls created an important example of cyberbullying. Law enforcement officials have ignored these Trolls because of the Plaintiff’s standing as a whistleblower exposing corruption within the justice system. The Plaintiff is aware that several people complained about their actions over the years. In fact the mother of Dean Roger Ray recently her indignation in Barry Winter’s blog. Complaints about Barry Winters can be seen on the Internet by Glen Canning and Professor Kris Wells, two politically well-connected people who complain of cyberbullying often. Proof the Edmonton Police Force (EPS), RCMP, FBI and police in the UK have been ignoring the Plaintiff’s complaints about these Trolls can also viewed on the Internet. The Plaintiff fought fire with fire but did so in a legal fashion and kept the police fully informed of his actions. The Plaintiff was successful in causing numerous egregious videos and several blogs to be taken down after doing his best to find out who the “Anonymous” people were and reporting them. He saved all the blogs and videos published about his family before the malice was removed from public view. Three Trolls who continue to attack his family and others are Dean Roger Ray, Barry Winters and one government employee. A member of the legal dept. of Edmonton tried to claim that the Plaintiff was Barry Winters then complained to the EPS about the Plaintiff’s questions about her incompetence. Professor Kris Wells, who was associated with the Police Commission of Edmonton and Glen Canning, who lost his daughter to cyberbullying, said nothing. They were content that the Plaintiff managed to convince Google’s lawyers to remove one of Barry Winters’s blogs on October 23, 2014 and say nothing about his blog within WordPress that the Troll uses to continue his libel of them and their friends. Instead Glen Canning slandered the Plaintiff within Twitter after Kris Wells sent the Plaintiff an email stating his lawyer had advised him to ignore Barry Winters and his blogs.
76. The Plaintiff states that since the fall of 2014 he has given up on the notion that any police officer or Glen Canning and Professor Kris Wells would ever act with any semblance of integrity. All their actions appear to be for the purposes of self-promotion and personal gain. Canning and Wells received the same emails that were sent to politicians and law enforcement authorities and only Barry Winters responded to all and disputed the Plaintiff’s words. The EPS in June of 2015 informed the Plaintiff that they intend to prosecute Barry Winters for sending “False Messages” instead of prosecuting for his published malice under Sections 300 and 319 of the Criminal Code. That fact must be true because since June the Plaintiff has not received any emails from Barry Winters and within his blog he has slandered the EPS and often mentions the topic of “False Messages”. In the meantime Canning and Wells ignore the Plaintiff’s common concerns while continuing to profess of their abundant knowledge of bullying to university students and anyone else who will listen to them particularly members of the corporate media. The Plaintiff saves every word of Canning and Wells that they cause to be published on the topic cyberbullying and plans to file them as his exhibits to support a lawsuit to seek relief from the cyberbullying of his Clan. He considers the blogs of Barry Winters and the videos of his associates that remain published on the Internet to be important evidence of cyberbullying that the Crown will be arguing within a provincial court of his choice after the election of the 42nd Parliament. Therefore other than remind the Crown and others that he is recording the work of the Trolls, he has not reported their malice to Google and WordPress anymore because the RCMP should have done so long ago.
77. The Plaintiff states that in June of 2015 when a member of the EPS called him four times with an anonymous telephone number asking him to stop emailing public officials about Barry Winters’s blog and to file a formal complaint. The Plaintiff was offended by the anonymous talk of “False Messages”. He refused and stated that if the questionable public officials found his emails quoting the blog of Barry Winters upsetting then the EPS and the RCMP should uphold the law and do something about it in order to protect their reputations.
78. The Plaintiff states that until the EPS member clearly identified himself with his badge number in the fourth phone call and sent a follow up email to back up his words, the Plaintiff could not know for certain that a Troll or the EPS had been calling him. The Plaintiff has a record of two fraudulent calls to him during the same period of time, one using an RCMP phone number and the other used the phone number of Dana Durnford, a well-known Troll and friend of Byron Prior. The Plaintiff returned the calls. Dana Durnford in a predictable fashion denied knowing him and hung up but the Plaintiff did discuss the malice of Trolls with an ethical member of the RCMP. The RCMP and the FBI know that anyone can access several websites based in the USA and engage their free services to harass people with. The RCMP know that some programs allow cyberbullies to pretend to be anyone by having their telephone numbers (including that of the RCMP or the EPS) appear on their victims’ phone display. The Crown knows commercial programs assist in political deceit. Recently, it sent a former assistant of the MP the Plaintiff ran against Fundy-Royal in 2004 to jail because of robo calls.
79. The Plaintiff states that he has clearly explained his intentions to sue the EPS and the RCMP many times because they have been ignoring his complaints for eight years. It was obvious to him what the EPS was trying to do with him in June was trick. The RCMP has been trying to pull the same trick on the Plaintiff since 2003. The Crown knows that if the EPS managed to secure a complaint with the Plaintiff’s signature then it would delay his lawsuit because the EPS could claim that his complaint under investigation and that the EPS could say nothing about it until the matter had concluded. The Plaintiff informed the EPS that anyone could use an anonymous phone number and claim to be anyone if it wished to talk then it should do so from an identifiable telephone line or put it in writing just like he does. In fact the Plaintiff’s family have been getting anonymous calls for many years and the police claimed they could do nothing because the malicious calls came through the Internet. The RCMP would have acted ethically if the families of public officials were subject to the harassment his Clan has suffered instead of assisting in the illegal barring from the parliamentary properties of Canada.
80. The Plaintiff states that the subject of the Crown and Internet harassment became incredibly worse in 2007 long before the demise of two Canadian teenagers caused new cyber laws to be created and promptly ignored. In 2008 while the Plaintiff’s family and friends were being much harassed within many YouTube Channels by Trolls, the RCMP in NB created a YouTube channel of its own to use as tool to catch a local arsonist. As soon as the Plaintiff made a comment about eleven incidents of arson on his friend’s farm in the same area the Plaintiff and his friend were attacked by many Troll’s within the Crown’s domain within YouTube and the RCMP only laughed at the obvious malice that they were publishing for a year without attempting to moderate the comments. In early 2009 the comments within the RCMP YouTube channel change greatly with the arrest and imprisonment of members of the Tingley family pertaining to charges of “Organized Crime”. The libel continued until Werner Bock printed all the comments within the RCMP YouTube channel and delivered hard copy of it in hand to a local office of the RCMP. Once the Plaintiff had a conversation with a member of the RCMP in Moncton NB who was investigating Bock’s complaint, the RCMP took down their video with all the comments and said nothing further about it. The Plaintiff did manage to save most of the comments digitally before they were deleted by the Trolls and the RCMP. Years later the Crown stayed the “Organized Crime” charges against the Tingleys and a publication ban was placed on their concerns about malicious prosecution. The matter was put before the Supreme Court of Canada Rodney Tingley, et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen SCC Docket no. 34107 and the Plaintiff had no idea of any outcome. However in late 2014 he did speak with some of the Tingleys and they admitted to knowing about him and his common concerns with the RCMP. One Tingley stated that their lawyers have advised them not to speak to him because of the publication ban. The same holds true with his former friend Werner Bock and Hank Temper another German who moved to NB to farm. They had trouble with the RCMP acting against them. A search on the Internet with their names and the Plaintiff’s easily proves his assistance but they will never acknowledge it as they attack the Crown, Bock byway of social media and Tepper byway of lawsuit.
81. The Plaintiff states that matters of harassment that the police refuse to investigate would have entered the realm of ridiculous in 2012 if the reasons behind the suicides of teenagers did not become well known by the corporate media. In the summer of 2012 a new member of the FPS who as a former member of the EPS had inspired a lawsuit for beating a client in Edmonton called the Plaintiff and accused him of something he could not do even if he wanted to while he was arguing many lawyers byway of emails about a matter concerning cyber stalking that was before the SCC. The member of the FPF accused the Plaintiff of calling the boss of Bullying Canada thirty times. At that time his MagicJack account had been hacked and although he could receive incoming calls, the Plaintiff could not call out to anyone. The Plaintiff freely sent the FPF his telephone logs sourced from MagicJack after his account restored without the Crown having to issue a warrant to see his telephone records. He asked the FPF and the RCMP where did the records of his phone calls to and from the FPF and the RCMP go if his account had not been hacked. The police never responded. Years later a Troll sent Dean Roger Ray a message through YouTube providing info about the Plaintiff’s MagicJack account with the correct password. Dean Roger Ray promptly posted two videos in YouTube clearly displaying the blatant violation of privacy likely to protect himself from the crime. The Plaintiff quickly pointed out the videos to the RCMP and they refused to investigate as usual. At about the same point in time the Plaintiff noticed that the CBC had published a record of a access to information requests. On the list of requests he saw his name along with several employees of CBC and the boss of Bullying Canada. The Plaintiff called the CBC to make inquiries about what he saw published on the Internet. CBC told him it was none of his business and advised him if he thought his rights had been offended to file a complaint. It appears the Plaintiff that employees of CBC like other questionable Crown Corporations such as the RCMP rely on their attorneys far too much to defend them from litigation they invite from citizens they purportedly serve. The employees of CBC named within the aforementioned and the CBC Legal Dept. are very familiar with the Plaintiff and of the Crown barring him from legislative properties while he running for public office.
82. The Plaintiff states that any politician or police officer should have seen enough of Barry Winter’s WordPress blog by June 22, 2015 particularly after the very unnecessary demise of two men in Alberta because of the incompetence of the EPS. Barry Winters was blogging about the EPS using battering ram in order to execute a warrant for a 250 dollar bylaw offence at the same time Professor Kris Wells revealed in a televised interview that the EPS member who was killed was the one investigating the cyber harassment of him. It was obvious why the police and politicians ignored all the death threats, sexual harassment, cyberbullying and hate speech of a proud Zionist who claimed to be a former CF officer who now working for the Department of National Defence (DND). It is well known that no politician in Canada is allowed to sit in Parliament as a member of the major parties unless they support Israel. Since 2002 the Plaintiff made it well known that he does not support Israeli actions and was against the American plan to make war on Iraq. On Aril 1, 2003 within two weeks of the beginning of the War on Iraq, the US Secret Service threatened to practice extraordinary rendition because false allegations of a Presidential threat were made against him by an American court. However, the Americans and the Crown cannot deny that what he said in two courts on April 1, 2003 because he published the recordings of what was truly said as soon as he got the court tapes. The RCMP knows those words can still be heard on the Internet today. In 2009, the Plaintiff began to complain of Barry Winters about something far more important to Canada as nation because of Winters’ bragging of being one of 24 CF officers who assisted the Americans in the planning the War on Iraq in 2002. In the Plaintiff’s humble opinion the mandate of the DND is Defence not Attack. He is not so naive to think that such plans of war do not occur but if Barry Winters was in fact o...
David Coon's Greens benefiting from post-election turmoil, polls suggest
57 Comments
"POOF" Marguerite Deschamps
Most crying here about this province not having any money, then we have a Premier who bites the hand that feeds us, the feds. New Brunswickers will pay dearly for Higgs decisions to cut work in progress such as the twinning of route 11. The worst decision NB voters made was ousting the Liberals for the elusive Higgs Bozon.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "Most crying here about this province not having any money,"
Methinks you are the one doing all the crying merely because your beloved party got booted off the gravy train for awhile N'esy Pas?
Marc LeBlanc
@Marguerite Deschamps "Higgs Bozon" That's funny...but not in a humorous way
Scott McLaughlin
After years of liberals mad spending it's no wonder they are at rock bottom.
Mark (Junkman) George
@Scott McLaughlin
Maybe, just maybe, folks are realizing that the Liberals tend to buy their vote with their money............ of course the CONServatives will cut, and cut, until folks get sick of them (and the Irvings) and kick them out. Back and forth, since 1867, and it seems to only get worse, not better. After being a voter for over 50 years the only difference I notice is: the Liberals seem to leave a bit of change in my pocket come week's end, not so with the CONServatives, they want it ALL for themselves
Paul Bourgoin
@Scott McLaughlin One should always look at the Grants, subsidies, tax breaks and where the money went!
David R. Amos
@Paul Bourgoin Mais Oui
David R. Amos
Surprise Surprise Surprise
David R. Amos
@David R. Amos Methinks folks my enjoy a little Deja Vu from nearly a year ago N'esy Pas?
It states early on the Liberals and Conservatives are basically the same as in the election , 35 % Liberals / 30 % Conservatives , then further it states that the Conservatives averaged around 33 % in the three polls , then also indicating the Liberals averaged 33 % in the 3 polls since the election . Is this just poor math , or spin ????
Lou Bell
@Lou Bell Analysis ? Analysis ?? Where did the author of this piece get his education ?? The figures DON'T ADD UP !! He states the Cons are the same , the Liberals are the same , the PA are the same , and the Greens gained greatly , and the Liberals are leading the Cons bye the same as that they did in the election. Later he states the Liberals lost percentages to the Greens. What kind of analysis is that ?
David R. Amos
@Lou Bell "Is this just poor math , or spin ????"
Methinks it is both However trust that all the politician know that two Independent who ran in the last election are enjoying the Circus in Fat Fred City Everybody knows one Independent candidate is my friend Roger Richard. He ran against the Green Party's French Lieutenant Mr Arseneau after he had been rejected by the liberals. He was treated very porly in a debate organized by supporters of the Green Party. In the "Mean" time I ran again in...
Marguerite Deschamps
@David R. Amos, "irrelevant" may be the word you were looking for?
Gabriel Boucher
@Lou Bell: There's some people in the polls that are undecided and were taken into account. What's happening is that these undecided voters switched their support towards the Greens, which gave them more points.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks my friend Roger Richard will not think what I wrote about him was "irrelevant" which a word I was NOT looking for. However you are certainly "irrelevant" until you have put your name on the ballot and sued as many lawyers as I have N'esy Pas?
Chris McNee
As soon as the last election was going to that whole mess of the numbers game, I will never forget how the Green Party jumped onto the coat tales of the liberals. Spineless, it’s just my opinion however but I will look at this party as a waste of what could have been potential.
David R. Amos
@Chris McNee "I will never forget how the Green Party jumped onto the coat tales of the liberals."
Methinks many folks will never forget that fact N'esy Pas?
Bob Smith
Uh huh...and the polls predicted Gallant winning a majority in the last election.
Marc Martin
@Bob Smith
They were close, if it wasn't for the anti-French party of NB they would be the minority government right now.
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin Cry me a river
Michael Wright
@Marc Martin who is this anti-french party you speak of?
Tom Wright
@Marc Martin I guess you can call the Liberals Anti English eh. Desole man.
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin "Poof"
@Marguerite Deschamps "Most crying here about this province not having any money,"
Methinks you are the one doing all the crying merely because your beloved party got booted off the gravy train for awhile N'esy Pas?
Charles Dunton
I wish the Greens much success but doubt that it can survive the embrace of Dan Weston. He intimately involved in the Strax affair. He then led the Fredericton anti-poverty group which didn't look right. His history would suggest a place in the NDP but it is likely they rejected him. Perhaps the Green Party should ask why.
David R. Amos
@Charles Dunton Methinks not many folks remember Norman Strax You must be at least as old as I am N'esy Pas?
Craig O'Donnell
CRA polls have become nothing more than a joke.
David R. Amos
@Craig O'Donnell Methinks many believe they always were N'esy Pas?
Tim Raworth
Someone once said "polls are for dogs"
Marc LeBlanc
@Tim Raworth former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker said "Polls are for dogs to relieve themselves on" I think he was bang on!
David R. Amos
@Marc LeBlanc Me Too
Jim Joe Jackson
This is why I don't understand Gallant stepping down? He crushed Higgs in the popular vote, but those votes were too concentrated. The Liberals are still polling the highest. The Greens are the only non-Irving MLAs so naturally the electorate is waking up. After a year of endless cuts and language fights in 2019, there will be appetite for a new election.
Harold Benson
@Jim Joe Jackson Hopefully.
David R. Amos
@Jim Joe Jackson "After a year of endless cuts and language fights in 2019, there will be appetite for a new election"
Methinks many liberals would would love to have another election ASAP before too many French folks wake up and smell the stink of the Frankophony games N'esy Pas?
John O'Brien
When it comes to actually voting, I think Liberals will only hold the French vote in the next election.Who else would vote for a party with a mission to bankrupt the province,I think PCs will stay about the same and the Alliance will get many more seats. Greens have not distinguished themselves from Liberals so they will follow the same decline as the Liberals.I see a PC minority with a larger Alliance contingent. And I foresee a growing decline in French influence and a rewriting of the onerous clauses of the OLA by 2025.
David R. Amos
@John O'Brien . "Greens have not distinguished themselves from Liberals so they will follow the same decline as the Liberals.I see a PC minority with a larger Alliance contingent. "
Me Too
Tom Wright
Not sure what the point of this article is. The election just ended recently and he's quoting poll numbers from the CRA. CRA polls are wrong 78 percent of the time according to BSPN polls.
David R. Amos
@Tom Wright Methinks some folks call it propaganda N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps Most crying here about this province not having any money, then we have a Premier who bites the hand that feeds us, the feds. New Brunswickers will pay dearly for Higgs decisions to cut work in progress such as the twinning of route 11. The worst decision NB voters made was ousting the Liberals for the elusive Higgs Bozon.
Marguerite Deschamps
Just drop the "n" on Bozon.
Content disabled. David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks I should welcome you and Bozo back to the Circus N'esy Pas?
Lou Bell
@Marguerite Deschamps Someone has to be quite naive to think that highway will not be twinned , most likely in next year or two. Getting control of the " spend like a drunken sailor " mentality of the previous government is the first priority. Most of these projects were not eliminated , just postponed. The Francophone Games fiasco is a great example of having an incompetent Premier and his controllers steering the the province over fiscal cliff solely to suit their own agenda !
Marguerite Deschamps
@Lou Bell, the naive are those who think the money supposedly saved will not be funnelled by big corporations into outshore tax havens and we will not be left with anything, except holding the bag.
Lou Bell
@Marguerite Deschamps You mean like ATCON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lou Bell
@Marguerite Deschamps Someone was gonna fill their pockets with that 10 million dollar security contract BIG TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Content disabled.
David R. Amos
@David R. Amos I just got my first "Content disabled." Very interesting indeed
David R. Amos
@Lou Bell Methinks you would agree that it awful funny that you cannot read my replies in this thread to the very questionable lady N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
With the elusive Higgs Bozon, New Brunswickers get nothing and big corporations get everything, the CORservative way.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you have been doing all the crying for months merely because your beloved party got booted off the gravy train for awhile N'esy Pas?
Lou Bell
@Marguerite Deschamps Someone always reaps the benefits. With Gallant and his caucus it was the SANB !
Marguerite Deschamps
@David R. Amos, and you got 54 votes.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you know as well as I ran again in Fundy to make certain that the liberal Ian Smyth, and his buddies in the Greens and the PANB lost thus I was a raging success N'esy Pas?
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks the dude you refer to as Bozon would be the first to affirm that the liberals tried very hard to win a quite a few ridings by spitting the vote between the PANB and the PC parties. The NDP were irrelevant. However the Red Coat's plan clearly backkfired bigtime and the attacks on the PANB by all the other parties gave them more credibility than they deserved.. History proves that first the 3 stooges in green coats gave the Red Coats their marching orders but that didn't work out. Now the 3 stooges in purple coats are giving Bozon orders at the Circus. It appears that common sense has prevailed for now as they are doing just fine cutting the needless spending the Red Coats had big plans for N'esy Pas?
Lou Bell
Whew ! Thank goodness ! We may not be going bankrupt after all !
David R. Amos
@Lou Bell Methinks before that happens folks should listen to what I explained to Higgs and many lawyers in 2013 and again during a debate in Fundy and on Rogers TV this year N'esy Pas?
Harold Benson
Can we have another election already?
David R. Amos
@Harold Benson Methinks Sam would agree the sooner the better for all N'esy Pas?
P.E.I. Greens and Liberals tied in latest CRA poll
Undecided vote increases over August
CBC News·
The CRA poll, based on phone calls to 604 Islanders from Nov. 2 to 19, showed little movement from August, except in government satisfaction, which increased. (The Canadian Press)
The Green and Liberal parties on Prince Edward Island are separated by one percentage point in the latest poll by Corporate Research Associates.
The results show only minimal movement compared to the company's poll in August.
The CRA poll, based on phone calls to 604 Islanders from Nov. 2 to 19, puts the Green Party on top with the support of 37 per cent of decided voters, one point ahead of the governing Liberals.
The Progressive Conservatives sit at 20 per cent, with no change from the last poll. The NDP has six per cent support.
Among decided voters, the poll is considered accurate within 6.7 percentage points.
According to the poll, 32 per cent of Island voters are undecided, refused to state their voting preference or don't plan to vote. The number of undecided increased by three percentage points since August.
The poll found 57 per cent of Islanders are satisfied with the current Liberal government under Premier Wade MacLauchlan, which is up from 49 per cent three months ago.
The percentage of Islanders dissatisfied with government decreased to 38 per cent in November, from 48 per cent in August.
The poll also shows Green Party leader Peter Bevan-Baker remains Islanders' preference for premier over MacLauchlan.
The poll was done after James Aylward stepped down as PC leader.
The margin of error for party satisfaction and preference for premier is four percentage points.
David Coon's Greens benefiting from post-election turmoil, polls suggest
Latest polls find the PCs, People's Alliance holding, Liberals sliding and Greens gaining
Éric Grenier· CBC News·
The only party to make gains in every poll since the September provincial election has been the New Brunswick Greens under David Coon. (James West/Canadian Press)
After all the jockeying in the New Brunswick legislature between the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives, it is the Green Party under David Coon that appears to have come out the better for it in public opinion.
Three surveys conducted after the September provincial election suggest that both the PCs and the People's Alliance have not seen any significant shift in their support since the last vote, while the Liberals have taken a step back to the benefit of the Greens.
The latest poll, conducted by Corporate Research Associates throughout November and published on Tuesday, still gives the Liberals a five-point lead over the PCs, with the two parties standing at 35 and 30 per cent support, respectively.
The Greens follow with 17 per cent and the People's Alliance with 12 per cent.
The numbers paint a similar picture to two other polls taken at the end of October and early November by Mainstreet Research and MQO Research. Though there are some differences between the polls, the broad trends are the same.
For the PCs, support has hardly budged. The party averaged 33 per cent across the three polls, little different from the 31.9 per cent the party captured on Sept. 24.
Premier Blaine Higgs has also seen no shift in his support — 22 per cent of New Brunswickers said he is the best person to be premier in the CRA poll (out of a list that still included Brian Gallant), similar to where he stood in the polls before the election.
Gallant, who has announced plans to resign when a new Liberal leader is chosen, was favoured by 25 per cent of respondents.
The People's Alliance has not progressed, despite its new position as the kingmaker. The three polls put the party between 11 and 13 per cent, identical to its 12.6 per cent share of the vote in the election. Kris Austin's victory, however, has awarded the Alliance leader more credibility. Austin scored 10 per cent from poll participants on the best premier question, his best result in any survey by CRA. Nevertheless, there hasn't been any corresponding increase in Alliance support.
Greens gain at Liberal expense
The biggest shifts have been between the Liberals and the Greens. The Liberals have averaged 33 per cent support in the three post-election surveys, a drop of about five points.
CRA had the best results for the party and still put them down three points. Mainstreet suggested a drop of four points while MQO a drop of nine.
The Greens have been the beneficiaries, averaging 18 per cent support — a gain of six points since the election. All three pollsters said they found gains for the Greens since the last vote, ranging between four and nine points.
Coon is now seen as the best person to be premier by 17 per cent of New Brunswickers polled, only five points behind Higgs and Coon's best result in any poll since he became leader in 2012.
But the Greens should not be measuring for the curtains in the premier's office just yet. The party is not yet scoring anywhere close to the results its cousin in Prince Edward Island is putting up — polls there suggest the P.E.I. Greens are neck-and-neck with the governing Liberals.
And the New Brunswick Greens need to make up more ground before they can turn these poll numbers into tangible results.
The party might have won three seats in September, but it finished second in just two others — a distant second. The Liberals beat the Greens by 21 points in Restigouche West and 54 points in Restigouche-Chaleur. The Greens will need more than an 11-point swing between them and the Liberals to see even a fourth seat fall their way.
Little incentive for pulling plug
The trend line is heading in the right direction for the Greens, but these aren't numbers that should embolden Coon to try to pull the plug on the Higgs government just yet.
The People's Alliance could have more to gain — it is easier to identify a fourth or fifth seat for the Alliance than it is to spot the Greens' next pickup — but it might be difficult for the Alliance to improve upon its balance-of-power position.
While such numbers could produce another minority legislature if they were replicated at the ballot box, the PCs were still only three seats short of a majority government, despite losing the popular vote by about six points to the Liberals.
If the Greens are bleeding support away from the Liberals while the People's Alliance has yet to make similar inroads among PC supporters, a snap election could just as easily produce a narrow PC majority — reducing whatever clout the Greens and People's Alliance have in the legislature to virtually nothing.
About the Author
Éric Grenier
Politics and polls
Éric Grenier is a senior writer and the CBC's polls analyst. He was the founder of ThreeHundredEight.com and has written for The Globe and Mail, Huffington Post Canada, The Hill Times, Le Devoir, and L’actualité.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.com> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 12:20:42 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: YO Alex Johnston can you please explain this notice from CBC to me real slow? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
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---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)"<Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 03:15:53 +0000 Subject: RE: YO Alex Johnston can you please explain this notice from CBC to me real slow? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Premier of New Brunswick. Please be assured that your email will be reviewed. Happy Holidays!
If this is a media request, please forward your email to media-medias@gnb.camedia-medias@gnb.ca >. Thank you!
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Si ceci est une demande médiatique, prière de la transmettre à media-medias@gnb.camedia-medias@gnb.ca>. Merci!
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Green Party of Canada | Parti vert du Canada <info@greenparty.ca> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 03:16:00 +0000 Subject: Re: YO Alex Johnston can you please explain this notice from CBC to me real slow? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
> What would that be if not my real name??? > > Your account has been banned until 12/22/2017. Reason: Your username > is not keeping within our Submission Guidelines, for more information > please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/aboutcbc/discover/submissions.html. > When your account reactivates in 1 day, please change your username to > something that adheres to our Submission Guidelines. >
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Coon, David (LEG)"<David.Coon@gnb.ca> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:20 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks David Coon and his boss Dizzy Lizzy May will enjoy my comment about a "Not So Happy Dentist" on PEI the Xmass N'esy Pas Chucky Leblanc? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your email.
I’m out of the office and will be back on January 2nd, 2018. During this period I will not be responding personally to my emails.
If you are looking for assistance of a personal nature & live in the riding of Fredericton South, please contact my Constituency Coordinator by email at Taeyon.Kim@gnb.caTaeyon.Kim@gnb.ca > or 455-0936.
For media inquiries, please contact Shannon at Shannon.carmont@gnb.caShannon.carmont@gnb.ca> Best Regards,
David Coon MLA Fredericton South & Leader of the Green Party
Merci pour votre courriel. Je suis hors du bureau et reviendrai le 31 juillet 2017. Pendant cette période, je ne répondrai pas personnellement à mes courriels. Si vous êtes à la recherche d'une aide personnelle et habitez la circonscription de Fredericton South, veuillez contacter ma coordonnatrice de circonscription par courriel à Taeyon.Kim@gnb.caTaeyon.Kim@gnb.ca> ou 455-0936. Pour toute question concernant les médias, veuillez contacter Shannon à Shannon.carmont@gnb.caShannon.carmont@gnb.ca>
Meilleures salutations, David Coon MLA Fredericton South et chef du Parti Vert
---------- Original message ---------- From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)"<Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:20 +0000 Subject: RE: Methinks David Coon and his boss Dizzy Lizzy May will enjoy my comment about a "Not So Happy Dentist" on PEI the Xmass N'esy Pas Chucky Leblanc? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Premier of New Brunswick. Please be assured that your email will be reviewed. Happy Holidays!
If this is a media request, please forward your email to media-medias@gnb.camedia-medias@gnb.ca>. Thank you!
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Nous vous remercions d’avoir communiqué avec le premier ministre du Nouveau-Brunswick. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel sera examiné. Joyeuses Fêtes!
Si ceci est une demande médiatique, prière de la transmettre à media-medias@gnb.camedia-medias@gnb.ca >. Merci!
---------- Original message ---------- From: Newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.com> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:18 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks David Coon and his boss Dizzy Lizzy May will enjoy my comment about a "Not So Happy Dentist" on PEI the Xmass N'esy Pas Chucky Leblanc? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
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---------- Original message ---------- From: "Harpelle, Paul (ENB)"<Paul.Harpelle@gnb.ca> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:20 +0000 Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks David Coon and his boss Dizzy Lizzy May will enjoy my comment about a "Not So Happy Dentist" on PEI the Xmass N'esy Pas Chucky Leblanc? To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
I am away from my office until January 3, 2018. I will be checking my e-mails on occasion.
Je suis absent de mon bureau jusqu'au 3 janvier 2018. Je vérifierai mon courriel occasionnellement.
---------- Original message ---------- From: Elizabeth.May@parl.gc.ca Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 01:02:18 +0000 Subject: Thank you for contacting the Office of Elizabeth May, O.C., M.P To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
Thank you for contacting me. This response is to assure you that your message has been received. I welcome and appreciate receiving comments and questions from constituents.
Green leader turfed from P.E.I. Legislature as sitting comes to dramatic close Bevan-Baker escorted from chamber after referring to 'farcical' debate over legislation By Kerry Campbell, CBC News Posted: Dec 20, 2017 9:28 PM AT
11 Comments According to CBC however five comments were blocked N'esy Pas? Commenting is now closed for this story.
What would that be if not my real name???
Your account has been banned until 12/22/2017. Reason: Your username is not keeping within our Submission Guidelines, for more information please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/aboutcbc/discover/submissions.html. When your account reactivates in 1 day, please change your username to something that adheres to our Submission Guidelines.
David Raymond Amos David Raymond Amos Are you sick little dudes still finding joy in blocking me for unethical political reasons within a Crown Corp's website owned by we the people?
David Raymond Amos Content disabled. David Raymond Amos I will lay odds that Jesse' minions within Viafoura are wondering if I have their names?
Survey Says???
YUP Methinks they brag too much for their own good. N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos Content disabled. David Raymond Amos Methinks that Jesse S. Moeinifar. Founder & CEO.of Viafoura has earned a not so honourable mention N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos Content disabled. David Raymond Amos Methinks CBC should be ashamed of themselves bigtime N'esy Pas Prime Minister Trudeau "The Younger", Minister Joly and Hubby Baby Lacroix?
David Raymond Amos Content disabled. David Raymond Amos Well my comment stood for about ten minutes or so N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos This comment stood for about ten minutes or so until I Tweeted and emailed about it Content disabled. David Raymond Amos For the public record what is truly "farcical" to me is that this spit and chew is about a Whistleblower Protection Act of all things.
Perhaps the "Not So Happy" Dentist and his parliamentary cohorts should check htheir email records over the Yuletide Season and dig into their memories as well to see if they recall any conversations with a certain whistleblower who has been falsely imprisoned in Canada and the USA. Steve Murphy of ATV and everybody else knows since 2006 that he was denied the right to vote but still managed to run for public office five times thus far. Nobody will admit that same whistleblower has been suing the Crown in Federal Court since 2015 for being illegally barred from all parliamentary properties in Canada including PEI. Yet there have been 9 decisions in the matter thus far that can be easily verified from the public record. The decision exactly 2 years ago of Justice Richard Bell (the first judge Harper appointed) should have been front page news across the country. However not even the crickets will comment about it.
Do tell does that statement ring any bells over the Xmass season while I prepare to try put the matter before the Supreme Court of Canada and file some more lawsuits ASAP? Or will CBC block me again and nobody gets to even read it?
David Raymond Amos David Raymond Amos Methinks I already mentioned how much I love the circus N'esy Pas?
Janet Gaudet Janet Gaudet Peter spoke the truth and he got punished for it. How ironic is that.
David Raymond Amos David Raymond Amos @Janet Gaudet The irony is that Bevan-Baker should have asked the Sgt at Arms and the Speaker why I have been suing PEI since 2015. Instead he had himself evicted in the the last minutes in order to look like some kind of hero. In a nutshell he is a player like all the rest. Democracy is a myth.
Holly Pinkham Holly Pinkham Buck Watts can do what he likes, as speaker, I suppose, but I certainly don't agree with this unnecessary drama. Mr. Bevan used a perfectly understandable and non-vulgar term to describe proceedings that were clearly objectionable.
David Raymond Amos David Raymond Amos @Holly Pinkham Ask yourself why the Green Party Leader only opted to say the oh so terrible word in the eleventh hour?
Better ask yourself why so few folks bothered to make comment about the nonsense? I said nothing all day waiting to see if anything would develop and now in mere minutes I have added my two bits worth matched the total tally of the comments about the article.
Sandy Brace Sandy Brace Mr Devon Baker is a man of integrity and cares about people more than about his ego and his bank account. He will not last in government with those attributes I am afraid. You need to be unethical sheep to stay within the click and have a place at the trough.
Janet Gaudet Janet Gaudet @Sandy Brace : I hope he will be re-elected. We need him in the Legislature as this government is a farce. I'm completely disgusted and fed up with what we've got running this province.
David Raymond Amos David Raymond Amos @Sandy Brace That not the Baker I know
David Raymond Amos David Raymond Amos @Sandy Brace "Mr Devon Baker is a man of integrity and cares about people more than about his ego and his bank account."
I meant the response above to be directed to you
David Raymond Amos David Raymond Amos @Janet Gaudet "I'm completely disgusted and fed up with what we've got running this province."
Good for you for speaking up
Green leader turfed from P.E.I. Legislature as sitting comes to dramatic close Bevan-Baker escorted from chamber after referring to 'farcical' debate over legislation By Kerry Campbell, CBC News Posted: Dec 20, 2017 9:28 PM AT
Some residents disgruntled by emergency shelter, says Fredericton doctor
A decision on whether a downtown shelter will continue to operate until March will take place Wednesday
Elizabeth Fraser· CBC News·
Dr. Sara Davidson is hoping the winter shelter on Brunswick Street will stay in place until March. (CBC)
A Fredericton doctor says some people in the community are upset over the city's temporary out-of-the-cold shelter.
Although there haven't been any formal complaints about the Bishop's Court shelter, Dr. Sara Davidson, a local doctor who is involved with the shelter, said she was concerned when organizers learned someone wanted to shut it down.
"The person wasn't being terribly aggressive but they were saying very clearly that, 'This is my intent,'" she said.
"We were all taken aback."
She said the complaint came in during the day last week while organizers were getting ready for the next group of people to stay the night.
Davidson said she hasn't heard about any complaints since then.
"It fortunately didn't happen when any of the guests were staying there," she said.
"It became obvious that there were some disgruntled people in the community, but it wasn't mounting to this big snowball."
Davidson took to Facebook to share her concerns and to encourage people to show their support for the shelter at a municipal committee meeting on Wednesday, which will determine whether the shelter will continue to run until March.
The Out of the Cold Shelter has housed 20 people per night. My patients who stay there describe having a coffee, a shower, then going to sleep. I heard today a small but likely well organized group of people from the neighbourhood are planning on 'shutting it down' at the PAC meeting this coming Wed Dec 12 at 7pm at City Hall, not because anything has gone wrong, not because damage has occurred to their property, but because they find the very idea of homeless people having s... See More
"I heard today a small but likely well organized group of people from the neighbourhood are planning on 'shutting it down' … not because anything has gone wrong, not because damage has occurred to their property, but because they find the very idea of homeless people having shelter in their neighbourhood distasteful," read the Facebook post.
Since Sunday, the post has received more than 600 shares on Facebook.
The emergency shelter has been open for just over a week and has been at capacity the past few nights. Most of the guests have been women.
The shelter can house up to 20 people, who are invited to come inside, have a shower, grab a coffee and something to eat and then rest for the night.
An information session
The former Anglican bishop's house has been converted into an emergency shelter. (Philip Drost/CBC)
Davidson said organizers held a meeting for residents on Tuesday, and people in the area were able to ask questions about the shelter and organizers could explain what it's all about.
"It was a good chance for people in the neighbourhood who had questions," she said.
"They're actually walking a bit of a tightrope of, 'Well I actually don't want people freezing to death but I also have concerns and questions because it happened very quickly,'" she said.
It's a pretty quiet and sedate place overall.- Dr. Sara Davidson
Davidson said the shelter is working closely with police and a mental health action team, in case a person is harmful to themselves or others.
"We would handle just as we would anywhere involving the right authorities to support that person," she said.
But for the most part, Davidson said residents in the area haven't noticed the shelter is there. "It's a pretty quiet and sedate place overall," she said.
I am so ashamed of my beautiful city , when people are against this temp winter shelter to keep people alive and well for no other reason than they think they are to good to have homeless in their area .. if they are not damaging anything or being rowdy just shut up and let these people be . must be a bunch of rich hypocrytes totally disgusting
Harold Benson
How come some of us stoners never ended up in those decision making jobs ?
Harold Benson
@Harold Benson *you*
David R. Amos
@Harold Benson Methinks "you" and Sam were simply not paying attention N'esy Pas?
Cathy Stafford
""I heard today a small but likely well organized group of people from the neighbourhood are planning on 'shutting it down' Who did she hear it from? What did the person actually say? Just exactly what is everyone getting excited about? Heresay? Inuendo?
David R. Amos
@Cathy Stafford Methinks its good gossip N'esy Pas?
Fred Dee
sad to see the primary comment here is attack the person who is against it.
Find out what the issues are first! Maybe they can be easily solved.....
David R. Amos
@Fred Dee Dream on
Jeff LeBlanc
@Fred Dee it's not sad, in fact the world needs less people who think that way. Wouldn't miss them one bit.
Fred Knox
Identify those that want the shelter closed for all to see their neighbors true colors.
David R. Amos
@Fred Knox I will lay odds that we will never know
stephen blunston
@Fred Knox I agree maybe we can all go stand outside there house and actually give them something to whine and complain about
Pam McInnis McCann
People are upset (and rightfully so) when animals are left out in sub zero temperatures for too long. And some people think it's acceptable for people to sleep outside in the winter? This shelter is much needed in the winter. It opens at 8PM and closes at 7:30 AM each day. Guests must leave in the morning. No one hangs out in "the neighbourhood" all day. It's just hard to imagine someone wanting to close this place down.
David R. Amos
@Pam McInnis McCann Methinks you don't know Fat Fred City like I know Fat Fred City N'esy Pas?
Jeff LeBlanc
Man I hope this group gets outed for all to see
David R. Amos
@Jeff LeBlanc Me Too
Mary MacKenzie
@Jeff LeBlanc So that some vigilantes can go harass them?
Jeff LeBlanc
@Mary MacKenzie wouldn't bother me one bit if they did. The world needs less people with mindsets like that. We would all be better off.
Darren J Taylor
What kind of miserable, self-absorbed human being takes issue with another human being given shelter in the dead of winter??
Jeff LeBlanc
@Darren J Taylor the kind that need to be outed for the world to make fun of
Cathy Stafford
@Darren J Taylor Anonymous, no name people.
David R. Amos
@Darren J Taylor Welcome to the Circus
John Haigh
I know where I'm headed on New Years when I can't find a cab ride home.
David R. Amos
@John Haigh Methinks you just upset some folks N'esy Pas?
Jason Inness
Fredericton, the capital of NIMBYism for the entire maritimes.
Instead of putting effort into having a homeless shelter shut down, maybe these people should look into addressing the root causes of homelessness so the need for the shelter goes away.
Anybody campaigning against a homeless shelter a few weeks before Christmas should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.
David R. Amos
@Jason Inness I agree
Mary MacKenzie
@Jason Inness It's government's responsibility, not the homeowners.
Eva McLaughlin
@Jason Inness Well said.
Lynn Ronan
@Jason Inness Some people really don't give a **** about anyone but themselves.
David R. Amos
@Lynn Ronan I agree
Paul Richardson
Not in back yard attitude.
David R. Amos
@Paul Richardson Its the way of the world
Lynn Ronan
@David R. Amos Yes, there is a simple word for.....selfishness.
David R. Amos
@Lynn Ronan True
Howard Smith
Good story with lots of feelings but no facts? The reporter should do better.
David R. Amos
@Howard Smith YUP
cheryl wright
i am hoping that the reason there has been no formal complaint issued that because when that person went to others to gather support they shut the person down and pointed out what a Grinch they are being
David R. Amos
@cheryl wright LOL
Cathy Stafford
Not to be a party pooper here, I know how people like to jump to conclusions, but has anyone checked the facts on this story? So far Dr Davidson has said the a complaint came in from someone wanting to shut the shelter down. That's it. That's all. What kind of complaint? Written? Verbal? Has anyone asked the neighbors about this? Come on CBC. A little more meat on the bone please. An entire neighborhood is being condemned here.
Cindy Fordyce
@Cathy Stafford
It says right in the article that no formal complaint has been made yet. Appears the doc is just simply trying to stay ahead of the argument.
Ian Smyth
@Cathy Stafford yeah it seems kinda premature for a news article about it. but prevention is usually a better practice than reaction.
Cathy Stafford
@Cindy Fordyce She said "the complaint came in during the day last week while organizers were getting ready for the next group of people to stay the night." That is the complaint I am talking about.
David R. Amos
@Ian Smyth Howcome you don't care that I am homeless?
Lynn Ronan
@Cathy Stafford This is true. One person can reflect badly on everyone.
Addie lingley
There are bad things out there period in society, a shelter is to help people stay alive that do not have a place to go, people are just naive or ignorant to their situation. There are more dangerous people outside of shelters than inside, I hope it stays!
David R. Amos
@Addie lingley "I hope it stays!"
Me Too
Gary MacKay
Becoming homeless can happen to anyone at any time. How our society treats others in need is a reflection of it. There will always be self serving, self-righteous individuals and followers that have a holier than thou attitude which is most unfortunate when it comes to doing the right thing. IMO. I would hope the good citizens of NB's Capital City can set an example of understanding and caring and refute this attitude of NIMBY' ism.
David R. Amos
@Gary MacKay I have been homeless since 2005 and not once have i sought assistance from the government or anyone else for that matter
Mary MacKenzie
@David R. Amos Why not?
David R. Amos
@Mary MacKenzie Pride
Wally Manza
What a wonderful opportunity and cause for a neighborhood and community to shine!
Fred Dee
@Wally Manza but some do have concerns,,, and with the voices here... they are afraid to come forward and talk, and should be. Sadly, talking things out can often get things cleared up...
Not in my back yard is a common thing, and reality is … that is what people want!!
Minister defends new school for colleague's riding while other projects postponed
43 Comments
David R. Amos
Welcome back to the Circus folks No doubt the SANB clowns will soon make an appearance in order to make their dubious opinions well known to all N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
Cry me a river...
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin Methinks Dominic Leblanc was very dumb to stick his nose i provincial business and attack Ernie Steeves while you and Marguerite Deschamps go on and on and on N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
Who cares...
cheryl wright
maybe they can utilize some of the space at all the new francophone schools they have built in Fredericton that are sitting at well under max capacity. save all around
Rose Michaud
@cheryl wright There's only 2 french schools in Fredericton, only one of which is new. The K-12 school on south side was so over capacity and had more portable classrooms that you can imagine. The new k-8 school on the north side is not well under max capacity. Get your facts correct instead of spewing lies. Now, building a french school in Quispamsis was a complete waste of money, as both the English and French kids fit in the same school. Now they have two schools only being half used.
Marc Martin
@cheryl wright
Said like a true PANB cult follower.
Marc Martin
@Rose Michaud
Don't try to explain that to an anti-French group member, your wasting your time.
cheryl wright
@Marc Martin oh there you are. actually I am not anti French as I have told you before. I am anti waste .
Alexandre Hilton
@cheryl wright I'm not going to agree with Marc Martin because he is a blind partisan with room temperature IQ, but Rose has it right. Both école des batisseurs and école Ste-Anne (south side, same building in the CCSA) are both over capacity, and it is not getting any better with the massive influx of refugees coming in on a monthly basis.
They built one school on the north side, les éclaireurs, because there was (and still is) a need to service that side of town, plus Douglas, Penniac, Noonan, etc...
I also know, for a fact, that French students from the Hanwell area are sometimes spending over an hour on the bus in the afternoons, but you do not see me blindly advocating for another French school in Fredericton. Insinuating that these schools are 'well under max capacity' is just plain ignorance.
Oh, and I don't want to pour salt on the wound, but they are building a brand new Francophone school in Oromocto. If you've ever seen their current school, Arc-en-Ciel, you would understand why.
Michael Hunt
@cheryl wright With the Liberal economic war on the English in the Fredericton region through language based government hiring we will need far less English schools and far more French schools soon. As a transfer payment province the majority of jobs are tied to government even outside the capital. This kind of targeting one social group would be illegal in any western country except Canada..
cheryl wright
@Alexandre Hilton I will admit if the information I thought to be correct was misguided and incorrect . for that I am apologizing. And no salt in my wound. If a location needs a new school so be it. I come from a time when all cultures and languages all rode the same bus. I do not see any harm in sharing schools, and having separate sections if you may, but still sharing the same school. I don't see how that infringes on any rights or beliefs but I do see how it cuts down on costs. I am not anti French so to speak as some would lead people tp believe. I believe we all should have the same opportunities. No one is better or more entitled to anything because of language, culture or area where you live. we should all be treated in the same manner and all given the same rights ... nobody more .. nobody less. if that makes me a bigot as I have been called by some that's ok. I admit if/when I am wrong and think for myself and do not blindly follow political leaders or parties for the sake of doing so .. again... despite other peoples opinion.
Jeff LeBlanc
@cheryl wright don't bother replying to him, it's a lose-lose situation
Alexandre Hilton
@cheryl wright For the record - I do not consider you a bigot. I am a Francophone with multiple children in the Francophone school system. You are a fiscal conservative, as am I. In fact, I agree with your statements. Kids in Kent county, for instance, are 5-10 students in the bus, and could easily be in the same bus together to save costs, completely agree. However, I do not think they should be in the same schools.
I want you to reflect on one thing though, if I may. If we were to amalgamate these services, are you o.k. with a large portion of uni-lingual Anglophones losing their jobs? Because that's exactly what would need to happen. Lets say one of my sons is on the bus, and there's an accident, and that bus driver needs to tell everyone to stay calm and get off the bus. My kids are bilingual, so that's fine, but not all kids are. If the bus driver cannot speak french, how will he tell uni-lingual Francophone children to get off the bus?
Be careful what you wish for.
cheryl wright
@Alexandre Hilton I absolutely get what you are saying about the unilingual loss of jobs being greater percentage that the francophone counterparts; but not if we utilize the language translation services or boxes. by using them I am sure we can not only keep jobs but fill in a lot of unoccupied jobs.
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin "Don't try to explain that to an anti-French group member, your wasting your time."
Methinks i made a minor goof It appears that one SANB dude was already here N'esy Pas?
Fred Knox
@Marc Martin Says a true SANB cult follower.
Marc Martin
@cheryl wright
PANB followers are anti-French.
Marc Martin
@Alexandre Hilton
Cry me a river...
Marc Martin
@cheryl wright
*I do not see any harm in sharing schools*
I do and so does the charter.
* I am not anti French so to speak *
All PANB members are.
*I admit if/when I am wrong *
Thanks for the good laugh...
Marc Martin
@Alexandre Hilton
* am a Francophone with multiple children in the Francophone school system.*
No you are not.
Marc Martin
@Fred Knox
I am not even part of SANB try again.
Marc Martin
@Alexandre Hilton
*Kris Austin will always get my vote.*
Caret to comment what you posted 5 months ago? Like I said before fake name with a PANB agenda.
Marc Martin
@Alexandre Hilton
*You are a fiscal conservative, as am I.*
It would have been easier just say * I am a PANB member like you*
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
Who cares..........
Marc Martin
@cheryl wright
*but not if we utilize the language translation services or boxes*
Why didn't Kris Austin want to use them for any interview with the French media ? Oh wait he declined all interviews....
Marc Martin
@Alexandre Hilton
*@Shawn McShane I'm voting PA, and would suggest to everyone who is disillusioned with the big parties to do the same. They won't change their ways unless they are subjected to a massive wake-up call, and this is our chance to give it to them.
2 months ago*
Another one...a PANB member..........Care to comment anti-French fake name?
Alexandre Hilton @Marc Martin Je suis un Francophone qu'a voté pour l'Alliance des Gens. Je ne suis pas comme toi - Je ne suis pas un fanatique aveugle du parti libéral. J'ai bel et bien des enfants dans le district francophone sud, et je suis bel et bien un Francophone.
Oui, Kris aura toujours mon vote. J'ai faite en masse de bénévolat pour les frères Murphy, Roger Melanson et al. Les libérals n'ont pas ton bien-être en tête quand ils font leurs décisions (à moins que vous etes Syrien, bien sur, mais ça c'est un autre conversation).
T'a raison - ce n'est pas mon vrai nom. Je ne peux pas utiliser mon vrai nom pour des raisons qui excèderaient ta faible compréhension. Je ne suis pas le seul Francophone partisan de l'Alliance.
Believe it or not, some Francophones ARE smart enough to see through liberal/pc BS, and are looking for a better way. I know that is difficult for you to understand, but I suggest you take off your partisan blinders and look around you. NB is in massive debt and we need radical change FAST.
PCs dramatically cut infrastructure spending in capital budget
209 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.
Graeme Scott
Seems like a pretty sound plan overall to me. We didn't get into this mess overnight and we won't get out of it during one term of a government either. Overall I'd say it's a good start.
David R. Amos
@Graeme Scott Methinks everybody know that I have no respect for Mr Higgs and his cohorts whatsoever However I must give the Devil his due, tip my hat and say that I agree with what has been announced today. At least I am fair N'esy Pas?
Paul Bourgoin
Premier Higgs, what about Northern New Brunswick Schools, in Francophone North?
Eric Fowler
@Paul Bourgoin What about them?
Bob Smith
@Paul Bourgoin I would suggest you look at the budget for the Francophone Games that Gallant's buddies have planned...might have built a school or two if not for them.
cheryl wright
@Bob Smith I am sure the government will not pony up for more than the allotted 10M they had already agreed to and not a penny more. (the 10m is still too much in this day and age for this province and its debt load ). Higgs has a good head on his shoulder
Bob Smith
@cheryl wright I truly hope so...but when multiple levels of government are involved and language is involved even tangentially, bad decisions can be made.
Paul Bourgoin
@Bob Smith I have no political party loyalty! Only what is best for New Brunswick citizens. The back to the past Alliance & Conservative glued into one Party to travel to a Political mentality of 1864 will destroy New Brunswick's future or should I say our children's future and this is sad. It is not political parties teaming up that is needed here it is New Brunswick population working together as one. By the way when we are fighting division look seriously where the provincial crown-land profits go!!
stephen blunston
@cheryl wright they better not offer more for the games , why a great thing if the organisers cant give honest numbers the games should be cancel;d
stephen blunston
@Paul Bourgoin it would be nice if we could get along to better the province unfortunately to many special interests looking out for nobody but themselves
Fred Knox
Is this best for all New Brunswick citizens?
Fred Knox
@Paul Bourgoin
daryl doucette
@Paul Bourgoin to Bermuda.
Penny Kollar
@Marc Martin actually no I didn't but I see you being anti -anglo often.
Jann Dutch
@Paul Bourgoin How fast is the population growing up there? Because schools down here are full before they finish building them. They need to spend money on the most needed projects first
Rosco holt
@Paul Bourgoin The North will get what it always got? Crumbs & beat up hand me downs. Things that belong in a museum.
When a Northerner(working in civil services) ask Fredericton for new equipment, Fredericton's answer is "We don't care."
Marguerite Deschamps
@Rosco holt, well put! Most high ranking civil servants in charge in Fredericton have never even set foot up north. They don't care. The south has all the four-lane highways and Higgs just cut the project for the only one heading only just a little way north.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Cry me a river
Marc Martin
@Penny Kollar
Please point out where I am anti-anglophone.....
Marc Martin
@Jann Dutch
*They need to spend money on the most needed English projects first.*
Corrected you..
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin "Please point out where I am anti-anglophone....."
Methinks you should review all the comments of yours that have not been deleted thus far then check my blog again N'esy Pas?
Billy Sturgeon
So.... 60.2 Million in new school infrastructure spending ... or 130 million for Francophonie Games. Or a better comparison should be: total spending is $600.6 million for the entire province but hosting a sporting event is 130 million. Anyone think this is a good idea needs to give there head a shake.
Bob Smith
@Billy Sturgeon Thank Gallant..the gift that keeps on giving even after he leaves office.
Marc Martin
@Billy Sturgeon
Cry me a river..
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin Methinks that is what you have been doing for months Now that you are using the expression I used against you many times perhaps I should feel flattered N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@Marc Martin, that David, full of himself, ain't he?
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin what a witty retort.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Robert Mason, witty as the one from whom he borrowed the expression from. Guess who!
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks I resemble that remark N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David R. Amos, if the hat fits you, wear it.
Mario Doucet
The anti anglophone party is pro deficit spending.
stephen blunston
@Mario Doucet yeah but they don't know any better cause the boss says budgets balance themselves
Mack Leigh
@Mario Doucet
Especially the " spending on themselves " part of the equation.
Marc Martin
@Mario Doucet
There is no anti-Anglophone party there is only 2 anti French party in power PANB and the CoRservatives.
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin Methinks you are an Anti-Anglophone dude who is minor minion within the SANB N'esy Pas?
Robert Mason
@Marc Martin show me a quote or an example where any political party in NB made an anti French statement or has something in their policy book that is anti French. @ Mario Doucet Same question to you only show me an example of where the Liberals are anti English. This low brow sniping does no good and is very telling of your motives and IQ.
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin "Who cares what you think...."
Methinks Mr Higgs and Mr Trudeau and their many lawyers do N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
Cry me a river....
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
Fakes news...who cares..
Richard Dunn
The concept of living within your means is foreign to most liberal leaders. I congratulate, and support, this government on making the tough choices that need to be made. We need to eliminate our deficit and that cannot be accomplished through reckless spending. Failure to take these steps will result in decisions being made for NB, by our lenders, that will be very unpopular and drastic.
It is nice to see the adults running the province again.
Jeff LeBlanc
@Richard Dunn you just aged yourself big time with that post.
Rosco holt
@Richard Dunn "It is nice to see the adults running the province again."
Adults where? I don't see any.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Richard Dunn, now if only they wouldn't give all our natural resources to the corporate welfare baum$.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks the Irving Clan doesn't care what you think any more that my Clan does N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David R. Amos, this is the second time you state this; it's getting redundant.
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
Who cares...
Rod McLeod
Perhaps they were given their marching orders on the Francophonie Games. The money has to come from somewhere.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you know as well as I that the Irving Clan don't care about your silly French games N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@David R. Amos, one thing I have in common with the Irving clan then; I don't care either.
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
Cry me a river...
Luke Armstrong
With a debt of over 14 Billion, NB should welcome the PC's agenda with open arms. Congrats people!
David R. Amos
@Luke Armstrong Methinks his boss Mr Higgs should had acted ethically years ago but at least Mr Steeves fixed a few things today N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
Who cares...
Paul Bourgoin
New Brunswick, the Family owned province!
Colin Seeley
@Paul Bourgoin
Perhaps Quebec is the place for you.
Where Major cities shrug while poring millions of litres of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence.
And they brag about sustainable hydro power, a significant percentage robbed from Newfoudland and Labrador which they sell at significant profit in the US.
The James Bay project covers huge areas whose forests once sequestered carbon dioxide and provided refuge for wildlife.
Even after the Megantic tragedy, they militate against the safer transport of oil by pipeline rather than rail.
Trudeau and company kowtow to and participate in this hypocrisy and provide billions in transfer payments at the expense of Alberta.
In any event thousands of New Brunswicker’s have employment thanks to the McCains and Cookes and Irving’s.
Merry Christmas.
reginald churchill
@Colin Seeley ----agreed, good comment
Paul Bourgoin
@Colin Seeley To know so much about Quebec Colin, you have to be a QUEBEC-COR!
David R. Amos
@Marc Martin "You bigotry is out this morning eh little Colin."
Methinks that many would agree that yours certainly is N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
Who cares what you think...
Rosco holt
When will Higgs & Austin revise the subsidize that the province hands out?
Michael McFadden
@Rosco holt What would that be ?
Marguerite Deschamps
@Michael McFadden, what would that be he says; sheesh!
Rosco holt
@Michael McFadden Subsidize that stay long after the reasons for implementation have past, electricity deal, forestry give away, taxpayer paying for construction and up keep of logging roads, lower tax rate for corps., paying businesses to extract our resources just to name a few.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Who cares?
Marc Martin
@David R. Amos
You do..
Minister defends new school for colleague's riding while other projects postponed
Finance Minister Ernie Steeves says new school needed, or kids may be bused to Oromocto, Nackawic
Jordan Gill· CBC News·
Finance Minister Ernie Steeves defended cuts to capital spending in an interview with Information Morning Fredericton. (Michel Corriveau/Radio-Canada)
Finance Minister Ernie Steeves is defending his government's plan to postpone school projects in eastern New Brunswick but allow a proposed school in the education minister's riding to go ahead.
Steeves told Information Morning Fredericton the new Hanwell school, which will be located in Education Minister Dominic Cardy's Fredericton West-Hanwell riding, is needed because there's no more space for students at existing Fredericton schools and no more portable classrooms can be added.
Without a new school, children would have to be bused up to 40 minutes away.
"Those kids were going to face being bused out of the Hanwell region to either Oromocto or Nackawic," said Steeves.
"That school has been number one on the DEC's hit list if you will … for the last three years," Steeves said. "I remember Brian Macdonald, when he was MLA, going on about that a lot and the Liberal government had totally ignored it. Probably or maybe because it was in a Conservative riding. I don't know."
Steeves said the theory the project was saved because it's in a minister's riding doesn't hold water. He pointed to plans to build a new school for 1,300 students in Moncton, although he seemed to think the school was planned for nearby Dieppe.
"We don't have any MLA there, nor do we have much chance of ever having an MLA there," said Steeves.
Moncton has three Liberals MLAs and two Progressive Conservative MLAs, including Steeves. Construction has not started on the Hanwell school, and a decision hasn't been made about where to put it.
The tight capital budget Steeves delivered on Tuesday postponed planning for a new K-8 school in Moncton to replace Bessborough and Hillcrest schools and for the design of a new K-8 school in Campbellton
Concerns about Playhouse, plows
Steeves said people shouldn't expect money this year for Fredericton's proposed new performing arts centre. (Philip Drost/CBC)
Steeves didn't bring good news for Fredericton residents looking for money for several projects in the city.
The city was expecting provincial money to rebuild the Playhouse and build a new pool. But Steeves didn't inspire hope.
"It's not going to be this year," he said.
The People's Alliance has said it will support the capital budget but is concerned about a lack of funding to upgrade the winter snow removal fleet in the province.
While Steeves said the concern was "legitimate," he didn't pledge more funding for it.
"We're doing what we can with what we have and [we] really are trying to do the best and make the best decisions for New Brunswick."
Hard sell
Steeves said several funding arrangements are still going ahead, including a $130 million five-year refurbishment project at the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst. (Vitalité Health Network)
Steeves said the cuts to spending were difficult to present to caucus.
"That was a hard sell, yes, I will say that," said Steeves.
"Nobody wants to deliver tough news, but I had to deliver it to them."
And it's not all doom and gloom, he said. Many projects are still underway, including a $130-million, five-year refurbishment at the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst, and the capital budget overall is more than $600 million.
"We're still doing the upgrades," said Steeves.
"I don't want people to think that this is just about going away."
PCs dramatically cut infrastructure spending in capital budget
PCs propose spending $60.2M on schools, down from $105.8M the Liberals budgeted for 2018-19
Jacques Poitras· CBC News·
Finance Minister Ernie Steeves presented a capital budget on Tuesday, saying the province had 'failed to curtail' infrastructure spending. (Michel Corriveau/Radio-Canada)
The new Progressive Conservative government is dramatically scaling back spending on infrastructure with a capital budget almost one-third lower than what the previous Liberal government had planned.
There is a smattering of new projects in the spending plan, including new kindergarten-to-Grade 8 schools for Moncton and Hanwell, but the overall belt-tightening is clear.
The government is postponing several major, high-profile projects, including:
A new Centennial Building and courthouse complex in Fredericton.
A new New Brunswick Museum in Saint John.
Route 11 upgrades between Cocagne River and Little Bouctouche River and between Glenwood and Miramichi.
Planning for a new school in Moncton to replace Bessborough and Hillcrest schools.
The design of a new K-8 school in Campbellton.
Renovations to the Memramcook Institute.
Total spending is $600.6 million in 2019-2020, far below the $865.5 million the Liberals had forecast for the same year.
Finance Minister Ernie Steeves told the legislature that while a burst of stimulus money a decade ago stabilized the economy after a global market crash, "we have failed to curtail our infrastructure spending as the economy started to improve."
He called the continued large-scale deficit spending on infrastructure "a large factor in the near doubling of our net debt" and warned that debt could grow more quickly if interest rates rise as a result of a downgrade of the province's credit rating.
In education, the PCs will spend $60.2 million in schools next year, down from the $105.8 million the Liberals budgeted for 2018-19.
That includes a new anglophone K-8 school for the rural community of Hanwell, outside Fredericton, in the riding of Education Minister Dominic Cardy. The school location has been the subject of a long local lobbying campaign.
Cuts in Liberal ridings
Cardy was jeered by opposition MLAs as he told the house the decision was a sign of the Higgs government taking politics out of school-funding decisions.
"In terms of schools and renovations to schools, the majority of projects that have been eliminated are in Liberal ridings, and at the same time the minister of education sees a new school being built in his own riding," said Liberal MLA Roger Melanson.
Steeves disputed that, noting the Moncton area is getting a new school for 1,300 students. "I don't think that's founded at all," Steeves said.
He also told reporters that some of the postponed projects could be revived once the province has a chance to evaluate them.
"A lot of the projects are deferred and we'll see where they are next year," Steeves said. "For this year, we're focused on balancing the budget, on keeping that bond rating steady. If that goes down, our interest rates go up and we just spend so much more money."
The new Moncton school is a francophone K-8 school. The previous Liberal government had announced plans for the school to take pressure off two overcrowded schools in the city, École Le Sommet and École Champlain.
The Anglophone West district education council has proposed a new Hanwell K-8 school. PCs have set aside money for this project in their proposed budget. (Anglophone School District West)
On roads and bridges, the Tories will spend $321.1 million, a reduction from the $458.1 million the Liberals allocated for this year.
The PC capital budget also includes $123.8 million for health-care infrastructure, an increase from the $99.9 million by the Liberals — but all but $32 million of the PC total is to continue work on projects already underway.
That includes a new maternity and newborn unit at the Moncton Hospital, a surgical suite addition at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre, additions and renovations at the Chaleur and Dr. Everett Chalmers regional hospitals and a mental health treatment centre for youth in Campbellton.
The budget includes a five-year spending plan that projects similar amounts of spending in all areas for the fiscal years through 2023-2024.
I think this was a pretty good indication of why there is such a high staff turnover in the WH. Trump is incapable of discussion, unwilling to listen and always wanting to bypass process.
Mag Amherst
@Emmanuel Rochon
so you are saying he has had enough of ineffectual discussions, and processes that serve trough mongering more than providing solutions?
Rick Wier
@Emmanuel Rochon faced with smart opposition Trump crumbled, he had no answers except to pout and blovate, Pence was hilarious in his non support, never saw a guy trying so hard to be invisible
David R. Amos
@Emmanuel Rochon Methinks the plot has thickened rather nicely N'esy Pas?
Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen gets 3 years in prison
Cohen says loyalty led him to cover up for Trump's 'dirty deeds'
CBC News·
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer, arrives at federal court in Manhattan Wednesday for his sentencing hearing. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's former lawyer, has been sentenced to three years in prison for crimes including campaign finance violations and lying to Congress.
Cohen apologized for his actions and told U.S. District Judge William Pauley III that "blind loyalty" to Trump led him to "cover up his dirty deeds."
Cohen, 52, pleaded guilty to making false statements in 2017 to the Senate intelligence committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. He earlier pleaded guilty in August to eight separate counts, including campaign finance violations that he said he carried out in co-ordination with Trump.
At that time, Cohen said he secretly used shell companies to make payments of $150,000 US and $130,000, respectively, to silence former Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult-film actress Stormy Daniels for the purpose of influencing the 2016 election. The women have claimed they had affairs with Trump after the real estate mogul married his third wife, Melania.
Pauley characterized Cohen's offences — which included evading $1.4 million in taxes related to his personal businesses — as a "veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct."
Cohen was sentenced to three years for the payments, and two months for lying to Congress, but the penalties will be concurrent. The court is fined him $50,000 for both cases and ordered three years of supervised release after imprisonment,
Cohen also said he felt it was his duty to cover up the President’s dirty deeds. Says he owns his mistakes and repeated his first loyalty is to his family and country
Trump has derided Cohen for co-operating with prosecutors, calling him a "weak person," and has downplayed the extent of their professional relationship.
Earlier this year, Cohen said he arranged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, left, and Karen McDougal, former Playboy Playmate of the Year, who have both said they had sexual encounters with Trump. (Matt Sayles/Associated Press, Evan Vucci/Associated Press, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty for Playboy)
"Recently the president tweeted a statement calling me weak and it was correct, but for a much different reason than he was implying," Cohen said in court. "It was because time and time again, I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds."
Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of four to five years in prison, saying he should receive some credit for his co-operation with special counsel Robert Mueller, but noted that he had not entered into a co-operation agreement with New York authorities.
Cohen's 'credible' information
Cohen's lawyer Guy Petrillo argued for more leniency, stressing that Cohen co-operated despite not knowing the future of the Mueller investigation and whether "the most powerful person in our country" would try to shut down the probe.
Since 2017, Mueller has been investigating allegations of co-ordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign. The two investigations were interconnected — one run by federal prosecutors in New York, the other by the special counsel.
At the sentencing hearing, a prosecutor in Mueller's office, Jeannie Rhee, said Cohen "has provided consistent and credible information about core Russia-related issues under investigation." She didn't elaborate.
Cohen was accompanied to court by his wife, daughter and son.
He is among a number of people in Trump's orbit who have pleaded guilty to criminal charges. The list also includes his former presidential campaign chair, Paul Manafort, and Manafort's colleague, Rick Gates, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who was released last week after serving a short prison sentence.
Trump appeared in Moscow in October 2013 during a news conference for the Miss Universe pageant, which was run by his company. He sought to build in Moscow at various times through the years without success. (Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA)
While Trump has mused about not being opposed to offering a presidential pardon to Manafort, Cohen's prosecution at the state level would make him ineligible for a pardon.
The president has assailed the various investigations, while Russia has denied trying to interfere in the 2016 election for the purposes of sowing discord and improving Trump's prospects.
Trump said the potential Moscow project was well documented, and he emphasized that the plan was abandoned. But the voters weren't fully aware of its existence.
On the subject of the payments, Trump insisted he only found out about them after they were made, despite the release of a September 2016 recorded conversation in which Trump and Cohen can be heard discussing a deal to pay McDougal for her story of a 2006 affair.
Trump has derided Cohen for co-operating with prosecutors and turning state's evidence, which is often a feature of the criminal justice system.
"It's called flipping and it almost should be illegal," said Trump.
Trump was asked earlier this month why he retained Cohen for about a decade.
"Because a long time ago he did me a favour," said Trump.
Trump's clash with Democratic leaders may be a glimpse into the next 2 years
With Democrats set to control the House, televised spat was tense
Matt Kwong· CBC News·
U.S. President Donald Trump talks with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer Tuesday in a meeting that didn't go as planned. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
The president of the United States. Rebuked in his own house by Democratic leaders. With the cameras rolling at his own invitation.
If Donald Trump wasn't feeling the effects of a new, post-midterms power realignment in Washington before, he likely was on Tuesday afternoon during a remarkable standoff in the Oval Office with Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.
Trump wants $5 billion to fund his border wall with Mexico; Democrats will only agree to $1.3 billion for "border security," not a wall. If the two sides can't reach an agreement by Dec. 21, funding for some government agencies expires, triggering a shutdown. Pelosi branded the scenario in personal terms.
"Trump shutdown. You have the White House, you have the Senate, you have the House of Representatives, you have the votes, you should pass it right now," Pelosi said, urging him to support spending legislation to avert the shutdown.
Trump fired back. There was little point in passing a government funding bill, he argued, if it would fall in the Senate. More crosstalk followed as Schumer also piled on. Voices were raised.
CBC News
Trump and Democrats argue over border security
00:0001:15
Donald Trump tells Democrats strong border security hinges on building a wall on the Southern U.S. border 1:15
Pelosi and Schumer suggested repeatedly that they take the debate away from the gaggle of press — an idea Trump dismissed, saying he liked the "transparency." In the middle of the tense 17-minute exchange, Pelosi came to a regrettable conclusion: "This has spiralled downward."
Maybe. But the president ought to get used to this as he braces for a new Congress in January, when Democrats take control of the lower chamber from Republicans. The House is now the ultimate check and balance.
'Used them as props'
It's a new reality, said Brent Budowsky, a columnist for the U.S. politics website The Hill who formerly worked for Democratic leaders in Congress.
"It's opening day of a baseball season where there are totally new teams out there," Budowsky said. "Today was like the first inning."
Democrats ended the "one-party state," he said, and Trump will have to come to grips with the fact he "won't pass one piece of legislation — one spending bill, nothing — that the Democratic House doesn't agree with."
There's little that's remarkable about the president and influential lawmakers staking out new power relationships or making entry bids in advance of negotiations. What's unusual is that it unfolded publicly, offering a crystal-ball glimpse of the two years ahead for a divided government.
Schumer listens as House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi speaks to reporters after their meeting with Trump to negotiate a funding bill and avert a government shutdown. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
"But this doesn't have to do with divided government," said Mark Harkins, a senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University. "This has to do with the fact that president Trump brought in two Democrat leaders and used them as props.
"This is what negotiation looks like when you have a reality-TV star as your president."
Perfect sound bite
Only, Pelosi and Schumer weren't so willing to sit passively.
As much as Trump may be a master of media, Schumer and Pelosi aren't neophytes, having a combined half-century of experience in the U.S. Congress.
As they sparred, Trump said he could get a House majority to pass a spending bill. "Then do it," Pelosi challenged.
Then Schumer repeatedly brought up wanting to avoid a shutdown — and the president handed Democrats a perfect sound bite for who to blame if it happened, declaring: "I am proud to shut down the government for border security."
Schumer grinned. (Vice-President Mike Pence, seated beside Trump, never spoke a word.)
CBC News
Trump and Democrats argue over wall
00:0000:54
Donald Trump tells Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi he'd be proud to shut down the government over funding the wall 0:54
"That's where the president started to lose some of the rhetorical battle," Harkins said. "I don't know if he was baited — if that's the right terminology — but I think he was willing to say 'Yeah, this is good politics: If you don't give me border security, I'd be behind shutting down the government.'"
The problem is that owning a shutdown, advocating for one or being seen as the cause of one is generally regarded as unwise. A majority of Americans would prefer to keep the government running and compromise on a border wall.
"You live by the camera, you die by the camera," said Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University. "And I think that anybody who says that he came out of there in a commanding position really misinterpreted the event."
Will Trump 'learn his lesson'?
Rachel Bovard, policy director at the Washington-based Conservative Partnership Institute, which advocates for conservative causes, saw Trump's decision to make the clash public as a presidential power move — Trump establishing the negotiating tactics Democratic leaders can expect for the next two years.
Bovard believes pundits might be underestimating just how symbolically important the border wall is to his base, which comprises an estimated 32 per cent of Americans.
A woman carries her son near the border between the United States and Mexico, in Tijuana. Trump is fighting with Democrats over funding for the wall he promised to build on the southern U.S. border. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)
Tax reform wasn't "wildly popular" with core supporters, she said. But getting $5 billion approved for the funding of a wall is "representative of the only accomplishment" Trump devotees can take away from the last two years of a unified Republican government, she said, seeing as the Trump
administration has so far failed to fulfil promises to repeal the Affordable Care Act, defund Planned Parenthood or achieve substantive immigration reform.
As for what possessed the president to allow the awkward debate to be televised live, Harkins, with Georgetown University, is still scratching his head.
"He decided to let the other side play. They were in his house, under his rules. He did not have to do that," he said. "What will be fascinating is to watch the next one."
The next one?
That's the thing, Harkins said.
"Do we think he'll learn his lesson from this, or not?"
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Brian Gallant 'close' friends with 2 key members of Francophonie Games committee
90 Comments
David R. Amos
Surprise Surprise Surprise
Marguerite Deschamps
"POOF"
Content disabled.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Yea I am about to file another lawsuit and mention you know who
Marc LeBlanc
@David R. Amos. You two need to settle down.if I could get you'se together with a half dozen of my "special"eggnogs you'd be hugging in no time
Content disabled.
David R. Amos
@Marc LeBlanc Are you related to Dominic Leblanc or the Judge I had a war with in Federal Court who was protecting him?
Content disabled.
David R. Amos
@Marc LeBlanc Notice how fast the questionable lady's insult went "Poof"
Buford Wilson
A pure waste of money.
Marguerite Deschamps
"POOF"
Content disabled.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you are playing games as well N'esy Pas?
kelly sherrard
Am I surprised at this story? No. The province can't afford to spend money like this when there are homeless people out on the streets in the cold this winter, record numbers hitting the food banks, seniors taking up almost 30% of the hospital beds because there are no nursing home beds, the issues in this province go on and on and on. Anyone supporting the province putting out millions to pay for these games should shake their heads.
Taxpayers/voters are being fed a load when the politicians tell us it will bring in millions in revenue. Not true. There will be no where near $100M in revenue from hosting these games. The province should just pull the plug and walk away now before matters becomes worse.
Marguerite Deschamps
... and the wealthy do not pay their fair share of taxes, I might add.
Content disabled.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Do you?
Doug Leblanc
Presumably the entire committee, including Gallant’s very close friends, travelled to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for the 2017 games. Which politicians went? We know Francine Landry did. Now we learn MLA Rob McKee also did but he has no comment on budget. What was his role there. Who else went and how much did the trip to Ivory Coast cost tax payers? Did we pay for business class flights? Did they order $30 glasses of orange juice at the best hotels. Let’s see the expenses. The liberals need to account for the entire $455,000 in salaries last year, and 1.7 million budgeted for 2018 (according to this article). Was this a full time job for Gallant’s friends or just pocket money.
David R. Amos
@Doug Leblanc Good Questions Sir
Doug Leblanc
Why was the director of strategic marketing for opportunities NB doing communications for the committee when the story broke? Has opportunities NB been funding everything thus far?
David R. Amos
@Doug Leblanc Please keep digging
Marguerite Deschamps
Pull the plug!
Mario Doucet
@Marguerite Deschamps These people are your heroes.
Marguerite Deschamps
@Mario Doucet certainly NOT Crisse Austin and the elusive Higgs Bozon.
John Haigh
@Marguerite Deschamps Imagine being this person.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks you enjoy the Circus as much as I N'esy Pas?
Billy Sturgeon
I always try to give most people, including governments, the benefit of the doubt. However this entire mess is so greesy and full of collusion its unbelievable . Its no wonder citizens have no trust in government. It's all very sad and I just hope Higgs and bring back some trust and accountability to the province.
David R. Amos
@Billy Sturgeon Methinks you should check my work N'esy Pas?
Mark (Junkman) George
Time to get your "big boy pants" out of the closet Blaine, put them on, and pull the plug/shut this mess down. You wanted to be the boss so bad........... time to show some leadership and good sense.
David R. Amos
@Mark (Junkman) George I concur
Nicolas Krinis
With our province in the hole, the libs were going to spend $130M on a sporting event? Unbelievable. We simply cannot afford it.
John Haigh
@Marguerite Deschamps There's a difference between reading English & understanding English. Libs didn't "go forward with that number" because it would have been political suicide leading into an election. If the Libs won a majority you can bet your OAS that the games would be moving forward at full steam & friends of the Libs in that region would continue lining their pockets.
David R. Amos
@John Haigh Methinks the lady doth protest too much N'esy Pas?
Fiscal responsibly demands this whole division driven ploy be shut down now, cut all funding .
David R. Amos
@ Who are you?
Mike Morton
Old school Pork Barrel Politics at it's finest. Your predecessors taught you well Mr. Gallant.
David R. Amos
@Mike Morton Methinks all of Mr Gallant's fair weather friends are about to lose his phone number N'esy Pas?
Jeff LeBlanc
Can't wait for these games to crash and burn.
David R. Amos
@Jeff LeBlanc Methinks they already did N'esy Pas?
Mario Doucet
The north shore mafia takes another one on the chin.
Chantal LeBouthi
@Mario Doucet
Red mafia blue mafia same results
David R. Amos
@Mario Doucet Methinks not many folks have much empathy for the SANB about now N'esy Pas?
Mario Doucet
This mess is not going away anytime soon, corruption on this scale only deepens the mistrust of the acadian people.
Al Bekirkey
@Mario Doucet acadian people are great they sing dance got great food and are usually supper sweet to deal with its these pocket liners drapping themselves in whatever flag of conveniance they can get to line their pockets
Marguerite Deschamps
@Mario Doucet, I see that you are reneging your roots...well unless you're an imposter.
Al Bekirkey
@Marguerite Deschamps you know not all francophones in new brunswick are acadian you know their are several french dialects just in new brunswick all with different accents
Tom Wright
@Marguerite Deschamps are you serious?
Tom Wright
@Al Bekirkey and there are English names that have deep Acadian roots. My Grandmother was Acadian. Because I now have a English surname I am no longer Acadian? Desolee man but this debate is going down the wrong road when people think that way.
Al Bekirkey
@Tom Wright i agree with you its counterproductive to say you should be in my tribe or your not moral enough to be in my tribe it surely doesnt help us as new brunswickers
Seamus O'hern
@Marguerite Deschamps ....and again you open the gates of common sense....N.B. style.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks i should ask who are you to judge him merely because his last name dictates that he should agree with you N'esy Pas?
Mario Doucet
Did Brian Gallant ever do anything right or for the english?
reginald churchill
@Mario Doucet -----exactly
Marguerite Deschamps
@Mario Doucet, who is trying to create a division now between the French and the English?
Mario Doucet
@Marguerite Deschamps The division is already there and always has been. The exclusive franco games prove it.
John Haigh
@Marguerite Deschamps I don't recall any English New Brunswickers suing Ambulance NB.
Marguerite Deschamps
@John Haigh, when the law is not being followed, you have the right to sue.
John Haigh
@Marguerite Deschamps Keep thinking on it Margo, you're almost there.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "when the law is not being followed, you have the right to sue."
Methinks you are well aware that is exactly what I do N'esy Pas?
Al Bekirkey
@Marguerite Deschamps the division lies at service new brunswick were anyone with anglophone accent will never be givin the accredation to meet provincial standards based on pronunciation also known as an accent would the same discrimination be held against someone with haitian or african or south american french likely the answer is no all evaluation are based on a case by case basis with no actual standard a person can strive to achieve basicly if you have the wrong accent the folks that have been installed as the language gatekeepers will turn you down
Al Bekirkey
@Al Bekirkey freedom of information requests are now being prepared lets see what happens when this is all documented and brought out
Al Bekirkey
@Al Bekirkey seems the shoe does not fit the other foot as the english language is butchered daily on many levels of gov and no recourse is given to the offended in the same way at the ola office you are deemed a hateful bigot if question your service from someone that has a very strong accent speaking a different language and most people dont mind they get what they need and they move on with life
Marguerite Deschamps
@Al Bekirkey, more fake news! You fool others with your false rhetoric, but not me. I know for a fact that this is not the case.
Al Bekirkey
@Marguerite Deschamps ive got the paperwork and will have pages more coming and from what ive seen you post i find it hard to believe the grip on reality that may be held is fleeting at best
Al Bekirkey
@Al Bekirkey i was trying to word that in a way that wouldnt get sensored but left the meaning unclear what i was trying to say is i got the proof baby and from what i see from your posts the grip on reality is an ever loosening one
Al Bekirkey
@Marguerite Deschamps yall picked the wrong cat to play 3 card monty with im about to flip teh table and steal your fake watch
Dan Lee
@Mario Doucet Blame your father........you know what i mean......errrrrrr
Tim Raworth
@Marguerite Deschamps When the president of the paramedic union CUPE 4848 states on the record that "150 bilingual paramedics are not going to drop out of the sky anytime soon," then people should listen. Bilingualism in NB is a farce as Stats Can reports only 33.9 % of the population considers them selves bilingual. The rest are excluded from many jobs. What your solution, throw more money at the problem? Just keep suing us deeper into debt.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps "You fool others with your false rhetoric, but not me."
Methinks that is and interesting statement coming from you as most of your comments that have already been disputed evaporate N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
@Al Bekirkey, I wonder if you even know what you're talking about.
David R. Amos
@Marguerite Deschamps Methinks a lot of folks are wondering the same about you N'esy Pas?
Al Bekirkey
@David R. Amos since half my argument is blackholed i will say this when accents are the defining moment of being bilingual we have lost the argument on equity
Al Bekirkey
@Marguerite Deschamps sorry all of my argument
David R. Amos
@Al Bekirkey Most of my replies are blackholed
Brad Little
...And CBC'S "Shocker Headline of the week goes to...."
David R. Amos
@Brad Little Methinks its hard telling no knowing for sure because the week is not over yet N'esy Pas?
Brian Gallant 'close' friends with 2 key members of Francophonie Games committee
Spokesperson says former premier recused himself from the issue
Jacques Poitras· CBC News·
Former premier Brian Gallant has 'close' relationships with two key members of the 2021 Francophonie Games organizing committee. (James West/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Two friends of former Liberal premier Brian Gallant occupy key positions on the organizing committee of the Jeux de la Francophonie — a committee that is rapidly losing the confidence of political leaders over the ballooning costs of the games.
Eric Larocque, the executive director of the organizing committee, is a personal friend of Gallant, dating back to when they worked together at the University of Moncton student federation.
And Eddie Rutanga, the committee's head of government and community relations, is another close friend of Gallant. He helped introduce the then-premier to his future wife, Karine Lavoie, according to a 2016 profile of Lavoie in the Telegraph-Journal.
Both men are paid employees of the committee, which is made up of federal, provincial and municipal representatives.
Four provincially appointed members of the committee announced late Wednesday they were resigning, saying they no longer had the confidence of the New Brunswick government.
"The team responsible for organizing the games is comprised of qualified and passionate individuals who have, at heart, the well-being of all New Brunswickers," said the statement, signed by Eric Mathieu Doucet, Mirelle Cyr, Eric Cormier and Kim Rayworth.
The statement said the fifth provincial member had resigned for professional reasons.
Gallant recused himself
Last week it emerged that the projected cost of the games, submitted by the committee to the province in the spring, had ballooned from $17 million to $130 million.
Gallant has so far not responded to questions about the soaring price tag. He has refused to comment because, according to a spokesperson, he recused himself from the issue because he was "close" to those involved.
Eddie Rutanga, left, and Eric Larocque are two key members of the 2021 Francophonie Games organizing who have 'close' relationships with former premier Brian Gallant.
Progressive Conservative Education Minister Dominic Cardy cited the personal links to Gallant in the legislature Wednesday when rebutting Liberal attacks on PC spending cuts.
The previous Liberal government "plowed money into the pockets of the friends of the former premier who now have been unable to organize the Francophonie Games," Cardy said.
Confidence in the committee?
Premier Blaine Higgs suggested to reporters that the federal government create a permanent team of officials to run athletic events of this scale when they are in Canada.
"You shouldn't be learning every time you have an event like this," he said. "Let's not just put a list of warm bodies there. Let's put a functional group in that has a skill set to make that happen."
Even Gallant's former cabinet colleague, Liberal MLA Roger Melanson, wouldn't say Wednesday whether he has confidence in the organizing committee.
Liberal MLA Roger Melanson said the organizing committee has to reduce the cost of the games. (CBC)
"It's not my decision, the question of confidence," Melanson said. "It's the organizing committee's. Certainly when we see the figures go up every time we ask for more details about the business plan, it's worrying."
He said the committee has to reduce the cost of the games "to gain some credibility in this process." Gallant was in the legislature Tuesday for Question Period but left afterward to catch a flight, a Liberal staffers said. He was not there at all Wednesday.
It's not clear when Gallant recused himself from the Francophonie Games issue.
"Obviously, when matters came to cabinet, he was not part of those conversations," Melanson said Tuesday, though he wasn't able to say precisely when the then-premier stepped away from the issue.
Gallant's involvement in bid
Gallant was involved in the early stages of the bid: he signed a letter to officials with La Francophonie in July 2015, and met with officials who came to evaluate the province's proposal later that year, former Francophonie minister Francine Landry said this week.
And in 2016, he recorded a video as part of the bid presentation that won over the Francophonie officials making the decision.
In the video, Gallant, who grew up in a mixed English-French family, explained he chose to attend French schools as a child so he could compete in the Acadian Games, a decision that also connected to his francophone roots.
L'Acadie Nouvelle called Gallant's presentation a key factor — the "pièce de résistance"— in winning the bid, according to an April 2016 story.
Gallant's office announced the appointment of Larocque as executive director of the organizing committee on April 19, 2016, mere days after New Brunswick won the bid.
The organizing committee's budget this year is $1.7 million. It has 11 employees. Last year, it paid out $452,000 in salaries.
It didn't put taxpayers at risk because we were not going to support that number.- Liberal MLA Roger Melanson
The Francophone Games are open to all athletes from 58 member countries of La Francophonie regardless of the language they speak. The international organization is made up of countries that use or have a historical connection to the French language.
New Brunswick and Quebec are both member governments of the organization.
The New Brunswick organizing committee has five members appointed by the provincial government, four named by Ottawa, and one each from the host cities of Moncton and Dieppe.
Moncton Centre Liberal MLA Rob McKee, a former city councillor who travelled to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for the 2017 games, said he had confidence in the organizing committee, even after learning last week of the $130 million cost.
"I do," he said. "They've been working very hard over the last year or two. … I have faith that they are doing their work. Obviously I think the price tag is too high."
Melanson said the previous Liberal government didn't make the $130 million figure public before the election because they refused to sign off on it.
"There was never a decision to go forward with that number," he said. "It didn't put taxpayers at risk because we were not going to support that number."
Transfer payments to Quebec (who rejected the east/west) pipeline while continuing to enjoy $7.00 a day, child daycare, as well as other infrastructure benefits can all be attributed to the proceeds of Alberta oil whether we like it or not. Indeed Notley's biggest error was to trust the wolf in sheep clothing residing in Ottawa.