Thursday, February 06, 2020

Calling Yourself "Liberal" Doesn't Make You a Liberal


The federal government needs to get their attack dogs under control. The RCMP now resemble East Germany's Stasi. The latest outrage from these thugs is the threat to arrest and prosecute journalists who photograph officers in combat gear at the site of Wet'suwet'en protests in northern BC.
“Reporters need to be there to witness police actions, especially against Indigenous people,” Karyn Pugliese said.

The Wet’suwet’en’s hereditary leaders are opposed to the $6.6 billion Coastal GasLink pipeline, which is under construction to move fracked gas from B.C.’s northeast to LNG Canada’s export facility in Kitimat, B.C. 
“The RCMP need to realize we are not a police state. They don’t get to control editorial,” Pugliese said. 
“The public has a right to know what’s going on so they can make good democratic choices. There’s no role for police to decide they’re going to step in between journalists and the public’s right to know.” 
Pugliese said she confirmed reports that journalists were told by the RCMP not to photograph or film officers in tactical gear carrying assault rifles or arrests — or they’d be at risk of arrest themselves. Police also detained journalists in a van and removed them from the site.
In January the UN called on Justin to call off his dogs. He ignored them.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has issued a triple-barrelled decision calling on Canada to immediately suspend work on the Coastal GasLink pipeline, the Trans Mountain pipeline and the Site C dam until “free, prior and informed consent” is obtained from Indigenous peoples. 
The committee urged Canada to immediately cease the forced eviction of Wet’suwet’en peoples who oppose the Coastal GasLink pipeline and Secwepemc peoples opposed to the Trans Mountain pipeline, to prohibit the use of lethal weapons — notably by the RCMP — against Indigenous peoples and to guarantee no force will be used against them. It also urged the federal government to withdraw the RCMP, along with associated security and policing services, from traditional lands. 
In a two-page decision statement, the committee said it is alarmed by the escalating threat of violence against Indigenous peoples in B.C. and disturbed by the “forced removal, disproportionate use of force, harassment and intimidation by law enforcement officials against Indigenous peoples who peacefully oppose large-scale development projects” on their traditional territories.
It's pretty disgraceful when the UN has to tell your government to withdraw their thugs. It's also a clear indication that the label "Liberal" no longer stands for very much at all.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amazing, isn't it? Apparently we've degenerated to the point where no effort is placed on civilian resolution of dissolution of the camp. No, the BC government goes direct to maximum scare tactics, starting a year ago. The spectacle of dozens of faceless Mounties in SWAT gear to subdue half a dozen elders in a camp is awful. No wonder the UN has reacted to condemn. And the Liberals in Ottawa own those Mounties and so are complicit.

Should anyone be surprised? The PM with Freeland has basically sided with right wing dictators in Venezuela (a spectacular failure so far, thank goodness) against the mestivos supporting Maduro because Scotiabank and our miners are miffed; and in Bolivia they supported a racist woman to replace Morales, illegally chucked out following an election he won. "Rigged" say our lord and lady. Sure. The new dictatress advised the indigenous to quit the cities, return to the jungle and practise their heathen religion there, and let nher take care of the lithium business.

And now you have Trudeau under orders from some high git(s) with "interests" to gain a Security Council seat for Canada at the UN, even as we are condemned on Wetsueweten. Off to Africa to round up support for Canada's bid, apparently oblivious that Canada's foreign policy is exactly the same as Trumps as makes no difference. Canada is not held in high regard for being a US toady, so the trip is a waste of time, just PR for those folks back home.

A complete clusterf*ck. About as democratic as can be, eh?

BM

The Disaffected Lib said...

It is dispiriting, BM. It is good to see the National Observer, the Tyee, the Council of Canadians fighting back.

Anyone can self-identify as liberal. That means nothing. It's when you have to stand up for liberal values that you reveal your true colours.

Hugh said...

Just heard on CBC radio, the TMX pipeline cost has gone up to total of >$16 billion.

Hugh said...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vassy-trans-mountain-pipeline-1.5455387

Hugh said...

Then there's ~$15 billion for Site C dam. How are we going to pay for all this?

the salamander said...

.. Time to regard Political Parties as simply over stuffed, struttting moth eaten old hockey sweater Brands that Big Business bought the rights to or were awarded said rights via sole sourced back door cronyism. Exhibit A currently is the Kenney War Room Dominionist Doctrine which is simply Harper Firewall Doctrine regurgitated by a career political animal named Jason. Trudeau is now making it up as he goes or else Stuart Butts gives him his cues. Its just different colored Koolaid, same nutritional value.. ie nada, nothing. Posturing & preening partisan fellation for the nation.. Better or worse than a Scheer hand job or MacKay blowjob ? Or a Harper Valley rear assault.. ? Well who's to say ?

The Disaffected Lib said...

16 billion? Hesus Christi. There's not much point in feigning surprise. I'm sure the Kinder-Morgan gang in Texas had that number in mind when they decided to walk away from TMX and just write it off. Then along came Morneau with the federal cheque book and handed them a dandy profit on a lousy asset. With a number like 16 billion it's no wonder the government wasn't able to offload the pipeline.

Now they're stuck with it - rather, we're stuck with it. Either JT writes it off, and that's not politically feasible, or we'll just bleed the federal treasury. You know that, sooner or later, this will be called "Trudeau's Folly."

The Disaffected Lib said...

You're right, Sal. This is a giant, Parliamentary shit show. It was bizarre to hear Kenney praise Trudeau following the Federal Court ruling to sweep aside First Nations opposition to the pipeline. He must love how easily Trudeau can be played. We can expect Jason to be all over Justin with righteous fury if the Dauphin says "no" to the Teck mega mine. Jason needs a whipping boy to carry the anger from Alberta's negligent energy policies and Trudeau fits his bill.

the salamander said...

.. re Hugh's 1st comment..

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2018/12/05/news/trudeau-governments-trans-mountain-purchase-has-triggered-staggering-interest

I have another link I read re 6 month period in 2019 .. per actual subsidies we pay for re Trans Mountain. It suggested more than 30 million $ paid. There is a 2019 quarterly TM report findable on the web.. still looking for the most recent official public report as required by law

The Disaffected Lib said...

If you find that, Sal, please post the link.

the salamander said...

https://www.transmountain.com/corporate-reports

Q 3 2019 seems last report
Going to breeze through that PDF

I note CDEV is hotlinked re their 'consolidated reports

the salamander said...

.. I think it more useful to refer to CDEV interim reports, for verification
as they actually 'manage' TMC
So here is

https://www.cdev.gc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/CDEV-Q3-19-Report-EN.pdf

Will now browse that, as that is actually who is claiming extensive interest costs re TMC
which is one of the four entities they actively manage along with Hibernia etc

the salamander said...

.. haha.. This link is great ..

https://ieefa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Trans-Mountain-Pipeline-Financials-Suggest-Taxpayer-Dollars-at-Risk_November-2019.pdf

Thought I had posted it in a comment, its certainly more 'readable' and certainly pulls no punches, crawls right into the dubious posturing of Bill Morneau vis a vis Trans Mountain . Trudeau / McKenna Inc goes up in flames, pants on fire re 'the profits from Trans Mountain will fund our ambitious Environmental Plan' is to laugh. Its Trudeau having a hoot at taxpayer expense while pimping 'we have to raise GHG emissions in order to lower GHG emissions' and Ms McKenna has now been withdrawn from the grift to another grift.. Trans Mountain is 'no longer within her purview'