Cape Breton MP Mark Eyking at the Middle River Bi-Centennial.
It’s a surprise how many people I talk to in Halton identify with Nova Scotia. There seems to be a “Casey effect” in the wake of the high-profile turfing of NS MP Bill Casey from the federal Conservative caucus. This came after my friend Bill refused to rubber-stamp the Harper Party budget which broke a long-standing revenue-sharing accord with his home province.
The Atlantic Accord has, of course, a romantic ring to it. For many unfamiliar with its funding implications, it evokes a bond with a part of the country that is pivotal to our history and the embodiment of welcome human values. But in the region, it’s seen as crucial to the vibrant future of a region hoping the resource industry will bring sustained good times.
Had a chat about this with my colleague Mark Eyking, the MP who represents the ruggedly beautiful and economically-challenged area of Cape Breton. First elected in 2000, the former vegetable farmer and entrepreneur has become an eloquent spokesman for the region, as well as a guy who takes his job a international development ciritic very seriously.
To view the video, click here.
48 comments ↓
I can attest to the comment on Celtic Colours International festival held on Cape Breton Island. It is a must for Celtic music fans. Check out their web site (google Celtic Colours)
Ottawa lost control of cost-cutting contract
DANIEL LEBLANC
From Thursday’s Globe and Mail
June 28, 2007 at 4:30 AM EDT
OTTAWA — The federal government burned through seven years worth of money in nine months last year in a failed effort to cut costs in its massive procurement machine, an internal audit has found.
Just as an aside, remember all the slagging on here that a certain person got for being a ‘car salesman’?? Did ya know, that Bill Casey used to be one? Funny how things go, eh? L
New Fords, actually. — Garth
DOWN and OUT!
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070628/tory_poll_070628/20070628?hub=Politics
OTTAWA OKAYS ARMED MILITARY TAKEOVER OF CANADA BY U.S.
MNN. June 28, 2007. Thomas Walkom wrote today in the Toronto Star that the conservative government plans to give U.S. police agents carte blanche to carry guns in Canada. Last June 2006 undercover U.S. agents [U.S. Border Patrol and ATF] were caught monitoring the Six Nations standoff at Caledonia. Their presence was exposed publicly only after native protestors hijacked their car. Strangely, there was no political or public outcry over what would once have been considered a unconscionable violation of Canadian sovereignty. Instead our men were charged with interfering with these agents foreign to Canada.
What’s going on here? The government in Ottawa is handing Canada over to the U.S. The public is unknowingly allowing itself to be absorbed by the U.S. without demanding the rights that U.S. states and citizens have. It is allowing alien U.S. agencies to usurp Canadian policing functions. Is this an acknowledgement that, in reality, Canada has lost its sovereignty to the U.S., or that it never had any in the first place?
Canada has given their own police the right to shoot us even though we never surrendered our jurisdiction to this foreign state. Neither the U.S. nor Canadian foreigners have a right to shoot us without our permission. Now we see that officials in the Canadian state have covertly agreed to hand policing over to a foreign hegemonic power.
The colonists illegally took onto themselves this right to have life and death authority over us. They are not “our†police because we are not Canadian, never have been and never will be. Are Canadians now U.S. citizens without normal citizenship rights? If Canadians can assume that we’re Canadians without our consent, why can’t the U.S. assume that Canadians are U.S. citizens without their consent?
Presently the RCMP, OPP, SQ, even the “Indian†police forces, FBI, CIA, Homeland Security and the Buffalo Police are all answerable to a power that is foreign to the indigenous people of the land. The presence of these foreign police is not new. Canada gave themselves permission to attack us. The right for the U.S. to use arms against Canadians is new.
Stephen Harper quietly published these proposed regulatory changes in its Canada Gazette last weekend. It has not been signaled for discussion by the public at large. It isn’t meant to just accommodate air marshals who fly back and forth across the border. It applies to “other†situations like border enforcement initiatives between Canada and the United States and everything else.
The Six Nations operation by the ATF gives an indication of the kind of “large and liberal†interpretation that is being given to the concept of “border enforcementâ€. The dispute over the encroachment on the Haldimand Tract at Six Nations by the settlers was under dispute for over 200 years. It does not share any boundaries with the U.S. Yet the U.S. Border Patrol and ATF were involved.
If a U.S. agent killed someone in Canada [both states are on Indigenous soil], who would be responsible to charge, investigate and prosecute? We’ve been raising this issue of violations of our “jurisdiction†forever. We never surrendered any of our jurisdiction over us and our land. We have never granted authority to Canadians or the U.S. to carry guns on the soil that we are holding in trust for our future generations.
So why is Harper loosening the rules? Were they wining and dining him, and now they took him to their dirty bed? Why is he changing the law without the consent of Parliament or Indigenous people without a full, fair and honest public discussion? Ottawa gives no reason. The U.S. colonial agents are policing someone else’s colony. The U.S. has already expanded its security and police presence in Canada. The FBI opened high tech offices in Ottawa right across from the Parliament Buildings.
The public inquiry into the imprisonment and torture of Maher Arar revealed that FBI and other U.S. agencies routinely took part in RCMP meetings dealing with his case. This scandalous case should have put people on notice.
Is Harper the “Trojan Horse†that got inside of Canada and took it over on behalf of the U.S.? The dark cloud is pulling over our land. It has no roots here. When Hitler went into Austria during WWII, he prepared them well in advance for his coming. He had sent in secret agents to take over all the levers of power, the corporations, the government, the police and the military. When the time came, the Austrians welcomed him with open arms, parades and waving German flags. The U.S. will march into Ottawa waving the Stars and Stripe with a tiny little Swastika down in the corner. They will be welcomed by the government, the police and the military. The U.S. is following this pattern. They are taking over without firing a shot.
No one is resisting this except the Indigenous people because it’s all ours, the land, the resources, the spirit.
Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nation News
” Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault.”
William Shakespeare
Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nation News
By Keith Phibbs on 06.28.07 2:43 pm
Just one thing: HAAA HA HA HA HA!
Our men. Umph. Poor innocent dears were just standing around and felt the overwhelming need to attack these officers. These officers were there at the invite of the OPP, they oft work together to learn from one another.
If the PM didn’t want you to know something, it wouldn’t be in the paper at all. Jeesh. Good for laugh though, thanks. L
By Keith Phibbs on 06.28.07 2:43 pm
Hear ! hear .
Great article .Now bounty hunters may be allowed access to Canadian territory .
This is despicable but par for the course for these idiots .
But what about Paris Hilton?
No one is resisting this except the Indigenous people because it’s all ours, the land, the resources, the spirit.
Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nation News
By Keith Phibbs on 06.28.07 2:43 pm
Garth. Is there any truth to this? If there is, I sure as hell hope that the rest of parties will be putting a stop to that act THIS INSTANT. Foreign policing entities should NOT NOW nor ever be allowed to carry weapons in Canada. To allow that is a massive blow to our sovereignty as an independent nation.
Please check into this Garth, this will be yet another integration that should never be allowed to come to pass in this country. All of this has GOT to stop!
“The Six Nations operation by the ATF gives an indication of the kind of “large and liberal†interpretation that is being given to the concept of “border enforcementâ€.
Keith Phibbs
There are a lot of things going on in the Six Nations communities under the guise of a land claim dispute and paternalistic coloniailism when everybody knows it it is about smuggling drugs and tobacco back and forth across the border. And when the gangs and smugglers buy votes and takeover the Six Nations Governments to enforce their own illegal activities, it is no wonder the people cry out for some level of government to give them relief. You know as well as I do that people’s lives have been threatened ,houses burned down and families run off because they dared to try and stand up for the traditional way against these illegals.
Yes the jursidictional land claim issues are legitimate but they must not be manipulated to hide the illegal activities of the few at the expense of the many
GARTH, I agree with the fellow posters with regards to the Star article, Please check this out and make sure that none of this crap is allowed…
Please check into this Garth, this will be yet another integration that should never be allowed to come to pass in this country. All of this has GOT to stop!
By SJ on 06.28.07 4:36 pm
One hundred per cent accurate . Sorry .
They’ll use an order in council (?) to push through the agenda .
Is that correct G. an order in council .
The land they are refering to is the haldimand Tract not all of Canada.
Also L,
“If the PM didn’t want you to know something, it wouldn’t be in the paper at all. Jeesh. Good for laugh though, thanks. L”
By Angry Canadian on 06.28.07 3:37 pm
That is even more of a scarier thought than having American police here.
The only reason it was in the paper is because the Natives stole his car.If they didnt it would have been hidden from us. THAT sounds like Harper.
Pssst, keep this under your hat but apparently the best strategy for the Harper Party is to stop talking about the Atlantic Accord and hope that voters will forget about it. Don’t tell anybody, just between you and me.
—————————————-
Tory equalization policy gets little support: poll
Updated Thu. Jun. 28 2007 12:50 PM ET
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — A new poll suggests Prime Minister Stephen Harper has won few converts in Atlantic Canada for his equalization policies.
The survey by Decima Research suggests that a 69 per cent of people in the region side with the premiers of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador on this issue, with only six per cent taking Harper’s side.
Pollster Bruce Anderson says the numbers also suggest that Harper isn’t making headway on this issue in the rest of the country either.
He says only a minority of Canadians say they really understand the complex equalization debate, but there’s still a tendency to side with the poorer provinces.
Anderson said Harper’s best bet might be to keep a low profile on the whole question.
The survey interviewed just over 1,000 people between June 21-24 and its national findings are considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Garth, with the long weekend coming, It would be nice for you to work very hard each and every day.
Have you seen the Angus Reid Forum Poll today?
The question is –
Will you vote for Stephen Harper in the next election?
Yes – 57%
No – 43%
Lets see now.
If we divide the 43% pie between the Liberals, the NDP, and Green, there is not much left for you poor liberals.
There seems to be less and less liberals around these days.
That sound you hear is the Niagara Falls of tax cash leaving Canada.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070628.RWILLIS28/TPStory/?query=bell+canada
It’s just amazing that Flaherty can be so dumb as to not get it!
If Bell would have converted to an IT just imagine the tax that would be going into Government coffers. Now they will lose billions and Bell will be raped and pillaged. Next come the job losses as Bell “right sizes” to pay for the money borrowed to finance their own takeover.
Here’s how it works:
http://www.prudentbear.com/articles/show/2000
Maybe some of you CONservative trolls can explain it to Flaherty.
Harper IS Scary!U.S. police agents,in our streets,with guns!The ad was true.The liberals were right.
“When two people, or even three people love each other and want to celebrate it, commit to it in some way in front of friends, family and their god (or not) well then more power to them.â€
By Georgine on 06.28.07 3:13 am
Georgine, Do you draw the line at 3 or where does the multitude of husbands or wives one can take on end.
By Marc on 06.28.07 1:25 pm
—————————————
Marc,
Were I liberated like Geo, and had foolishly suggested a triple to my wife, then immediately after discharge from hospital, I would have been whisked into Divorce Court.
I wonder what Geo’s minimum number is for an orgy; which, if celebrated in front of friends, is an act of love and commitment.
†Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault.â€
William Shakespeare
By Helfarch Mawrth on 06.28.07 2:57 pm
—————————————
Good boy. You found the library.
Unless of course you’ve been reading your collection of Classic comic books again. Still, that’s a step up from Spiderman.
GP
If the PM didn’t want you to know something, it wouldn’t be in the paper at all. Jeesh. Good for laugh though, thanks. L
By Angry Canadian on 06.28.07 3:37 pm
In order for the changes to regulations to become law they are required to be “Gazetted.” You cannot make “secret laws” so such changes even if made by order in council must be published.
I take it you would be quite content to be thrown in prison for breaking a “secret law” but I don’t believe that many people would be as “happy Leasa” as you would be to have that take place.
There is a huge difference between officers from different countries working together and allowing those officers free access to the territory of a foreign country including the right to bear arms.
The U.S. has always demanded that where ever they operate under arms that only the laws of the U.S. apply. Will this apply in this case?
19 times out of 20.
By Transcanada on 06.28.07 6:49 pm
Having taken statistics in university, I have always had this unfulfilled craving to see the the results of that 20th sample! LOL
Out there is my guess based on the extrapolated data discarded from the Poisson distribution curve!
Unless of course you’ve been reading your collection of Classic comic books again. Still, that’s a step up from Spiderman.
GP
By Grammar Purist on 06.28.07 8:09 pm
Quit wasting bandwidth .
Orders in Council :
http://tinyurl.com/2r8o94
Off topic, but this is so darned funny I figured it would be a great post. See if you can spot the funnymentalists! (Thanks, Bill-Muskoka).
http://www.iraq-war.ru/article/133112
So where is that person that was bitching and moaning about making a post that was derogatory and not contributing to the conversation?
Or is that for liberal minded people only?
Garth, with the long weekend coming, It would be nice for you to work very hard each and every day.
Have you seen the Angus Reid Forum Poll today?
The question is -
Will you vote for Stephen Harper in the next election?
Yes – 57%
No – 43%
Lets see now.
If we divide the 43% pie between the Liberals, the NDP, and Green, there is not much left for you poor liberals.
There seems to be less and less liberals around these days.
By Miltonman on 06.28.07 7:34 pm
Care to provide a link to that? I am a part of that forum and haven’t seen that little poll anywhere.
By Grammar Purist on 06.28.07 8:03 pm
ROFLMAO! Thanks, that made my night!
woohoo!
the CIA gets to bear arms!
Hey Garth, if you think you can ask the legal beagles in caucus about how well all these deals we’re signing square with Section 308 of the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2001, (H.R. Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2001, H.R. 5630 – the one that became law) without coming off as being paranoid, now might be a good time to do it.
in a nutshell (if you’ll pardon the expression), if the new agreements don’t specifically nullify the clause and there’s nothing else stopping them their agents get to play “home free”.
so it’s started…
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/06/28/protest-aboriginal.html
Surely, the police will ensure that our Canadian laws will be applied equally. Surely, we the taxpayers will have our mobility rights upheld. Surely, our politicians will call a spade a spade and not pay lip service and get their photo-ops.
http://tinyurl.com/2t2hwo
Accountability,transparency, and honesty at it’s finest eh!!
—————
“The government does not plan to make the Deutsche Bank report public before officials send it to cabinet ministers with a recommendation, Mr. McGrath said.
Union President John Gordon said the proposal “is taking place behind such a heavy veil of secrecy” that it undermines the Conservative government’s promises of transparency and open administration.”
It’ll never happen Catherine. McGuinty has made sure that he’s neutered the OPP and Fantino seems only too happy to be his lapdog. We’re an international joke.
SJ,
Here is the link to the Angus Reid Forum Poll that you so sarcastically asked for –
The question is,
Will you vote for Stephen Harper in the next election?
Yes – 57%
No – 43%
http://rm.angusreidforum.com/?cid=968rs=HEEnGg
Your welcome
BAM!
Another Income Trust gone and no more tax for Ottawa to collect. Great strategy Jim!
http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070629.wccsprivate0629/GIStory/
I hope you were equally outraged when the farmers decided to block traffic on major thoroughfares on their trek to Ottawa? They slowed traffic everywhere \caused huge backups and lost man hours and productivity for many Canadians.
Were any of them arrested for breaking laws?
Re comments by Miltonman on 06.29.07 9:49 am
On line polls like this “Angus Reid Forum” are useless in meansuring anything other than the answers of those who bother doing the on line poll.
The latest poll that Angus Reid has published shows Harper tied with Mulroney in response to the following question:
We would like to ask you some questions about the people who have served as prime minister of Canada since 1968. Which of these politicians do you think has been Canada’s best prime minister?
Pierre Trudeau 42%
Brian Mulroney 12%
Stephen Harper 12%
SJ,
Here is the link to the Angus Reid Forum Poll that you so sarcastically asked for -
The question is,
Will you vote for Stephen Harper in the next election?
Yes – 57%
No – 43%
http://rm.angusreidforum.com/?cid=968rs=HEEnGg
Your welcome
By Miltonman on 06.29.07 9:49 am
——————
When it comes to election time in the voting booth. Canadians are not voting for Dion, or Harper they are voting for their local candidate and the party he represents. I personally vote for the party of my choice first, even if that means voting for a candidate that I would not have preferred.
By Grammar Purist on 06.28.07 8:03 pm
GP: Lagging behind the conversation again as usual. Go back and catch the replies.
Or, even better, comment back there. We do often follow along on the actual page for several days you know. No, you wouldn’t. You just go back for the copy/paste. So boring. So out of context.
Or, even better, comment back there. We do often follow along on the actual page for several days you know. No, you wouldn’t. You just go back for the copy/paste. So boring. So out of context.
By Georgine on 06.29.07 1:00 pm
So brain addled …..
By Grammar Purist on 06.28.07 8:03 pm
GP: Lagging behind the conversation again as usual. Go back and catch the replies.
Or, even better, comment back there. We do often follow along on the actual page for several days you know. No, you wouldn’t. You just go back for the copy/paste. So boring. So out of context.
By Georgine on 06.29.07 1:00 pm
—————————————
Ann D,
Please translate Geo’s scribblings for me. If this keeps up I’ll put you on retainer.
Geo,
As bad as Junior is, you make even less sense. Didn’t you tell him you planned to ignore me? Just another Liberal liar and your pantyhose is on fire.
GP
Or, even better, comment back there. We do often follow along on the actual page for several days you know. No, you wouldn’t. You just go back for the copy/paste. So boring. So out of context.
By Georgine on 06.29.07 1:00 pm
So brain addled …..
By Helfarch Mawrth on 06.29.07 1:59 pm
—————————————
Little gnome,
So, we’re back to playing Pete and rePete with mommy again, are we? That’s nice, because the family that slags together, stays together.Now, go ask her for a cookie.
GP
C.B. Innes is right on the money regarding the validity of these sorts of online polls.
A cleary representative sample (i.e. one that is claerly and scientifically sampled from across all geographic regions, as well as from across all age, income and education demographics) would be much more valid in its conclusions.
And then reading this, you aren’t even a jew. You don’t even believe in the religion.
By Sean P. Hogan on 06.29.07 9:35 am
—————————————
Sean,
My understanding is that the word Jew is ascribed to both religion and ethnicity. Though Geo is a professed heathen, she is none the less a Jew; in which case your statement is incorrect.
Surely you must have recognized by now, that heathens retain some doubt about their conviction and need to constantly reassure themselves. This they do, by irreverent mockery of those of faith. I’m quite comfortable with who I am, and therefore have no need to denigrate those who have rejected religion. Their choice is of no consequence for me. Besides, we’re the guys who are supposed to turn the other cheek.
I recognize Geo’s complicity in your quarrel, so it will be interesting to see who makes the overture to conciliation. Will it be the heathen neo-lady, or the Christian gentleman offering an apology?
In almost eight decades, overwhelmed by their complexity, I’ve learned but three things about the gentler sex. They’re the ones with breasts, who leave the toilet seat down, and who won’t/can’t tell you what’s wrong, IF YOU DON’T KNOW.
Additionally, the feminists among them, such as Geo, have discovered the double standard.
GP
If you’re a satirist, bravo. If this stuff is for real, you’re insufferable. — Garth
If you’re a satirist, bravo. If this stuff is for real, you’re insufferable. — Garth
I’ll take that as acompliment Garth. Any part of the post you consider to be objectionable is of course, satire.
SJ,
Here is the link to the Angus Reid Forum Poll that you so sarcastically asked for -
The question is,
Will you vote for Stephen Harper in the next election?
Yes – 57%
No – 43%
http://rm.angusreidforum.com/?cid=968rs=HEEnGg
Your welcome
By Miltonman on 06.29.07 9:49 am
No sarcasm actually. I AM a part of angus reid and STILL cannot find how to get to that poll via the website or forum. So, yes, thank you for providing the link. I do wish that I could find out where to access more of these mini polls on that particular site.
Having said that, I am shocked at those results. Although it APPEARS you can vote as many times as you want…. whatever. I cannot personally say I agree with those stats, but a quick election would certainly tell the tale.
The poll is bogus. You can vote any number of times.
If you’re a satirist, bravo. If this stuff is for real, you’re insufferable. — Garth
I’ll take that as acompliment Garth. Any part of the post you consider to be objectionable is of course, satire.
By Grammar Purist on 06.29.07 7:26 pm
Insufferable,humourless twit .
If you’re a satirist, bravo. If this stuff is for real, you’re insufferable. — Garth
I’ll take that as a compliment Garth. Any part of the post you consider to be objectionable is of course, satire.
By Grammar Purist on 06.29.07 7:26 pm
Insufferable,humourless twit .
By Helfarch Mawrth on 06.30.07 7:33 pm
—————————————
Garth,
In your opinion, does the above comment by a disagreeable psychotic personality, constitute a gratuitous personal attack?