CANADIAN POLITICS WINNIPEG:

HARPER ESCAPES RIDICULE BY THE SKIN OF HIS TEETH:

Here it was last Tuesday, and Molly was zipping along the roads of Winnipeg dodging the spring crop of Grand Canyon sized potholes. It was local news time on the radio, and one item caught my interest, even more than the ever deceptive "puddles" that could easily be a car swallowing shaft entrance to a pit so deep you can see a red coloured guy with horns, a tail and cloven hoofs at the bottom.


Now just for the info of non-Canadians we are into an federal election campaign, and Stephen Harper, the leader of the Conservative Party, was making a pit stop in this benighted town. Seems Sneaky Stevie was up to having a little star glitter rubbed off on him, and his apparatchiks arranged that he would visit the home of popular culture wonder Maria Aragon in what one media report called "a rough, west-central Winnipeg neighbourhood". Now "rough" and "west central" are largely synonymous in this town.


Aragon is a ten year old girl who went straight to the heart of pop culture celebrity last February when a video posted to her sister's You Tube account of her performance of Lady Gaga's song 'Born This Way' caught Lady Gaga's attention. LG posted a twitter link to the video, and within 6 days it had received over 26 million views (It now stands at about 27.4 million views-Molly ). The rest is history. On March 3 Aragon performed with LG in Toronto. She has also appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show.


What does all this mean gentle reader ? Well...Lady Gaga just so happens to be the most followed person on Twitter in the whole big world. Personally I have little doubt that there are at least ten times as many people in the world who now know of Maria Aragon as compared to people who would know who on Earth Stephen Harper is, let alone pick him out of a lineup of other corporate criminals. This Aragon kid is BIG, and her appearances have probably increased the number of people in the world who know there is a place called Winnipeg by over 50 times.


Well Sneaky Stevie isn't going to let an opportunity like this go by. His local flunkies rapidly contact the Aragon family and "offer" them a media spot of 'Maria Meets Stephen". Now understand that Stevie is known for many things but definitely not for his kind, gentle, forgiving nature. Obvious exploitative political plug or not this sort of thing would be called "Un'offerta che non potrà rifutare" in the mountains of Sicily.


The day arrives, and so does Stevie. The first jolt they get is when the Aragon family insists that everybody, media, flunkies (campaign workers) and even the Harpers, have to remove their shoes before entering. I honestly love these people. Then it's Stephen and Maria at the piano as she sings out her version of 'Born This Way'. Now understand that said song has a very clear and direct point about the acceptability of gay love and sex. It's also, however, the song that made Maria famous so Harper keeps that old fundamentalist concrete plug firmly up his ass and doesn't vary his facial expression one tiny bit. What, after all, is a little fundamentalist so-called "morality" when votes are at stake ? Stevie got through it though I suspect he had to spend two hours on the can that night to finally pass that plug.


Almost done, but then Stevie slips on the banana peel. Somebody from the crowd of media and hacks suggests he take a turn at the piano himself and sing a duet with Maria. "Hot ziggedy zam", thought Harper, a photo-op beyond belief. Understand that Harper fancies himself something of a musician and singer. To be fair he is OK, but a combo of Glen Gould and Pavarotti he is not.


"Do you know any Beetles' tunes says Harper to the little girl. A sweet innocent voice pipes up, "Only 'Imagine'". SLAM; Speaking of Imagine I imagine the sound of the trap closing on Sneaky. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit", he thinks. Now understand that it is one thing to sit quietly through a rendition of a song saying that gay people are OK. It is quite another to have to join in and mouth the words to 'Imagine' which pretty well runs the full gamut of things Harper dislikes. Especially as the song was written while Lennon was in his full lefty phase. Having recovered from an almost terminal case of chintzy new age religiosity, Lennon felt obliged, like an ex-alcoholic or an ex-smoker, to throw his atheism into the song with all the subtlety of a front end loader.


You can practically hears the gears whirling and see the sparks flying off Sneaky's head as his weasel-like brain frantically tries to find a way out of this dilemma. Here's the problem. Singing the actual words of the song will not endear him to other members of the local Ottawa congregation of the Blessed Reformed Pentecostal Evangelical Church of the Holy Inquisitor. Whisper, whisper, gossip, gossip. On the other hand both refusing or actually singing different words in the offending portions will make him a laughing stock not just nationally but probably internationally as well. Stevie can see his brilliant little photo-op circling the drain and threatening to make him a world wide laughing stock.


What to do ? The correct answer would have been to lie and say he didn't know the song and suggest another singer. Stevie, however, panics. First he tries, "do you know any other Beetles' songs ? What about 'Hey Jude' ? "No, only 'Imagine'", says the sweet childish voice.


By this time I'm practically ecstatic. Now I have to admit to a personality fault here. It's the reason why I would make a piss poor smuggler. Lacking a concrete butt plug I suppose that I couldn't equal Stevie in controlling my facial expression. I am, however, pretty good. The problem is that, just after clearing the exit door I would feel an overwhelming urge to turn around and give a combined middle finger and cocked elbow salute while loudly insulting Customs for not catching me. In other words I find "gottcha-now-you-son-of-a-bitch" moments of triumph irresistible. Even if the triumph is somebody else's.


This is beyond belief. I'm listening in as a ten year old girl traps one of the most sly, slippery, conspiring, mendacious lower forms of reptilian life that has ever "graced" Canadian politics. Stevie tries one more tack saying, "I have my own lyrics for that song". Probably true, but he ain't getting Maria to sing them. This bizarre proposal freezes in midair, and Stevie resigns himself to a lot of strange looks at the soul saving gatherings for years to come. Maria sang the first verse :
"Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No Hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today."


And now it's Stevie's turn for verse # 2. His pants ripple as his anal sphincter tightens as hard as possible on that old concrete enema.
"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace."


While singing the "and no religion too" part Stevie's amygdala took over and he had to say "I'm going to get in trouble for that one". One can only speculate if this was actual worry, an attempt at damage control or perhaps a rare sighting of a bird most have thought extinct for decades...Stephen Harper's sense of humour. Who knows ?


While gathering up their shoes and leaving the Aragon household some of the reporters present decided it might be interesting to ask Maria's father if he is a Conservative supporters. This was out of the question, and Stevie's thugs (excuse me, "campaign staff") made it very plain that the media would have no chance to talk to the family.


Thus ended Sneaky's attempt to catch as much of the star dust as possible from the fame that surrounds Maria Aragon. Hardly as successful as he might have hoped. I have to say that my opinion of Maria and her family is that they are some of the smartest people in this city. One thing they may not know, however, is what to do now. My usual advise to anyone who lets such a circus through their door is simple. Phone Poulin's Exterminators, the oldest such company in Winnipeg. Don't think you are safe just because the politician and his gangsters have gone out the door. For all you know they could have laid eggs, and as anarchists through the centuries have found out to their sorrow government pests are harder to get rid of once developed than any other pest on Earth.


Now, courtesy of a secret agent the law firm of Molly, Molly, Molly and Mew has placed in the PMO are the actual words of Sneaky Stevie's own version of 'Imagine'. In full. You can see what Harper's version is just as it is sung in intimate moments in the Harper household.. An exclusive to Molly's Blog Enjoy gentle reader:
"Imagine there's no freedom
It's easy if you try.
All proles below us
We can do it on the sly
Imagine all the wages
Much lower than today

CHORUS
You may say I'm a tyrant
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
As consultant 901

Imagine there's no unions
It isn't hard to do
Nothing but planes and prisons
And no high pensions too
Imagine all lower people
Living life in debt

CHORUS

Imagine there's no welfare
I wonder if you can
No need for medicare
Woman once more under man
Imagine all the people
Working for $10 a day

CHORUS

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS HUMAN RIGHTS:

WATER AS A HUMAN RIGHT:

Most of take our access to clean safe abundant water for granted. This is not, however, the case in poorer countries nor even on many reservation here in Canada. In a time when there are increasing disputes between countries for access to water and when there is a global push to sell off public utilities to the private sector the movement to declare access to water as a human right is particularly timely. Here's a notice from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) asking you to add your voice to this movement.

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Water is a human right: Push for Canadian action


On July 28, the United Nations General Assembly will take a landmark vote on recognizing the human right to water and sanitation. CUPE members can help push Canadian representatives to support this vital resolution.

The resolution would recognize “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a universal human right”. The resolution calls for increased financial, technological and capacity-building support to countries in the global South, to build the public services that will make this human right a reality.

The Council of Canadians’ Blue Planet Project has launched an online week of action to build support for the resolution.

Today, 1.2 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water, and 2.6 billion don’t have access to basic sanitation services. For years, the Canadian government has blocked efforts at the UN to recognize these services as basic human rights.

CUPE has written a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon as part of an action organized by Public Services International, the public sector trade union federation we belong to.

CUPE has also signed an open letter supporting the UN resolution.

What you can do

Now it’s time to add your voice, by sending a message to Canada’s UN representatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

**Send an email to Canada’s representatives at the United Nations, Ambassadors John McNee and Henri-Paul Normandin.
**Send an email to Prime Minister Stephen Harper calling on the Canadian government to support water as a human right.

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THE LETTERS:

Here are the letters that the post above asks you to send. First of all go to this link to send the following letter to the Canadian ambassador to the UN.

WWWWWWWW
Dear Ambassador,

I am writing to express my support for the United Nations General Assembly resolution clearly recognizing the human right to water and sanitation.

I believe it is critical that the United Nations General Assembly demonstrate leadership in focusing priorities on securing water and sanitation for the 1.2 billion people without access to clean water and the 2.6 billion without access to basic sanitation. Everyone must be able to enjoy these fundamental rights.

Access to safe clean drinking water and sanitation is essential for the health and dignity of people around the world. This resolution comes at a time when communities around the world face the impacts of climate change and a global water crisis.

As you know, under Target 3 of Goal 7 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Environmental Sustainability, states pledged to “Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.”

I am hopeful that passing the resolution will make water and sanitation high priorities at the UN Summit on the MDGs being held September 20-22, 2010 in New York, U.S. It will also focus attention on water before the Rio +20 summit in 2012, another critical moment for the global community to come together for our common future.

When the General Assembly considers this resolution, I respectfully ask that your country provide its support for a clearly stated resolution declaring the human right to water and sanitation.

I would also encourage your state to co-sponsor this historic resolution and send a further signal of your commitment to these fundamental human rights.

Sincerely,

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And if you go to this link you can send the following letter to our beloved comrade leader Sneaky Stevie Harper.

WWWWWWWW
Prime Minister Harper,

I am writing to demand that Canada support the resolution put forward by the Bolivian Mission at the United Nations, which calls for water to be recognized as a human right.

This resolution would recognize the right to water and sanitation for the 1.2 billion people without access to clean water and the 2.6 billion without access to basic sanitation.

We are concerned that Canada along with a handful of states including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States and Australia, are attempting to block the process by watering down what is currently a strong proposal by Bolivia to address global injustice when it comes to access to water and sanitation.

It is essential that the resolution specifically declares “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation a universal human right.”

Your government claims it is committed to maternal and infant health, yet you have obstructed the official recognition of water as a human right at several key UN meetings. Every eight seconds a child dies from drinking dirty water. Access to safe clean drinking water and sanitation is essential for the health and dignity of communities around the world.

People living in Canada want their government to show leadership on water issues by recognizing this human right and by taking an active role in dealing with the global water crisis. It is time for Canada to stand on the right side of history and support this very important call to have water and sanitation declared human rights.

Sincerely,

HUMOUR:

TEAR GAS ON THE WIND:

HUMOUR:

STEVIE'S DREAMS:

HUMOUR:

EXPOSED--THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE RIOTER AT THE G20:

HUMOUR:

THE G20- THE NAKED TRUTH:

HUMOUR:

IS A HARPER APOLOGY ALL THAT THEY GET ?:

CANADIAN POLITICS:

SOLVING THE PENSION CRISIS:

Molly has mentioned the appeal from the CEP Union about Canada's pension system before on this blog. The recent finance ministers' meeting made vague promises to "reform" the system as whatever "gradual increases" mean, leaving potential things like rises in the CPP payroll tax up in the air. Here's another appeal, this time from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) calling for real reform in Canada's pension system.

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Tell Stephen Harper: It's time to fix Canada's pension crisis
All Canadians should have the right to a secure income in their retirement through access to workplace and government-sponsored pension plans.

But 11 million Canadian workers have no workplace pension plan, and existing plans are under added stress because of the global economic meltdown.

Fortunately, we can fix this situation - by doubling the CPP to offer secure and enhanced pension benefits for the 93% of Canadians who make CPP contributions, by raising the guarantee income supplement to lift hundreds of thousands of poor pensioners out of poverty, and by introducing better regulations to protect pension plans from bankruptcy.

Tell Prime Minister Stephen Harper that there's an urgent need to solve the pension crisis in this country.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Prime Minister.

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Dear Prime Minister:

All Canadians should have the right to a secure income in their retirement through access to workplace and government-sponsored pension plans.

There’s an urgent need for the federal government to solve the pension crisis in our country. I call on you to implement reforms proposed by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, including:
* Doubling Canada Pension Plan benefits to provide up to 50 per cent of the average wage;
* Working with unions and employers to ensure more Canadians are part of defined benefit pension plans and to protect the plans of workers already covered;
* Tougher laws to protect workers’ retirement income.

HUMOUR:

COMING SOON...TO A TAX OFFICE NEAR YOU, COURTESY OF THE HARPER GOVERNMENT:

Click on graphic for better viewing.

HUMOUR:

ALL THE NEWS THE TORIES WANT YOU TO HEAR:

CANADIAN POLITICS:

SUMMIT COSTS TOP $1 BILLION (AND COUNTING ?):

From an estimate of $179 million two months ago the costs of the upcoming G8/G20 summit in Ontario have now spiralled up to $1.1 billion dollars. One wonders how much further the bill will climb before all is said and done, and, of course, how much the federal Conservative government- true to form- will do to hide the actual bill.

This bill is for a three day event. For comparison security at the recent Vancouver Olympics (17 days) was $900 million. For further comparison last year's G20 summit in England cost a mere $20 million, and the G20 event in Italy cost $359 million. It says a lot that, just to provide the Harperites photo-ops and ego-boo, the Canadian government can waste three times as much money as the Italian ! government. Impressive.

Want to know what this sort of thing might look like in reality. I took out my handy dandy hand calculator and started to break in down by time units (giving allowance for the fact that the sums are so huge that "error" messages occur unless you take off three orders of magnitude). The cost is about $15 million per hour, about 255,000 per minute and $4,244 per second. Try the following experiment. Cut out sheets of paper to the same size as a currency bill. Stand in front of the toilet. See if you can toss more than four of these (representing a thousand dollar bill) into the toilet one at a time in less than one second. Bet you can't do it.

One wonders if there is any purpose whatsoever being served by such meetings of the ruling class besides offering an opportunity for protesters. Here's a further story from the CBC about this circus and its cost.

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Summit costs hit $1.1B
The cost of hosting the G8 and G20 summits next month in Ontario now stands at $1.1 billion and further outlays are likely, federal documents show.

The price tag includes $160 million for hospitality, infrastructure, food safety and extra staffing. That amount is in addition to the $933-million security bill the Tories revealed earlier this week.

Protesters confront police in London in April 2009 as thousands of demonstrators converged on the centre of the city to protest against the G20 summit. (Owen Humphreys/Associated Press)
"This might be the most expensive 72 hours in Canadian history," Liberal MP Mark Holland said.

But Public Safety Minister Vic Toews defended the costs for security, saying Canada has an obligation to make sure world leaders are safe while visiting Toronto and Huntsville, Ont.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff blamed the Conservative government's "poor management" for the ballooning cost estimates.

Ignatieff said Wednesday that Canadians can't understand how the government's initial earmarking of $179 million for security has multiplied in the space of a couple months.

Security costs at previous summits

•G8 summit Japan, October 2008: $381 million
•G8 summit Gleneagles, Scotland, July 2005: $110 million
•G20 summit London, April 2009: $30 million
•G20 summit Pittsburgh, September 2009: $18 million US
"These numbers are off the scale with other G8s and G20s," Ignatieff told reporters outside his party's weekly caucus meeting in Ottawa.

"We're three weeks away from the event where Canada will be on the world stage, and I want to be proud of Canada. For now, I'm embarrassed."

Not a cost overrun: Toews
In an interview with CBC News earlier in the day, Toews defended the security estimate as the "most efficient and effective" use of public money for Canada's "unprecedented" hosting of back-to-back international summits. He also insisted the estimate was not a cost overrun.

"This has been budgeted for, and the money is released as it is required," Toews said.

The estimated cost for security over the course of seven days in June dwarfs the amount spent at previous international summits and is expected to surpass the $898 million spent during the Vancouver Olympics — which spanned 14 days.

The official price tag for security at last year's G20 summit in Pittsburgh was listed at $18 million US, according to municipal and U.S. federal officials.

But Toews said comparing the costs for security at this year's summits with the amount spent at the Olympics is like comparing "apples and oranges" because the G8 and G20 meetings, with so many heads of countries visiting at once, require a very "different type" of security.

"Granted there were some heads of nations at the Olympics, but nowhere in the configuration or the numbers that are going to be here," Toews said. "I don't think you can say, 'Well, because it's seven days instead of 14 days, it should be half the price.' It simply doesn't work that way."

The face-to-face meetings, Toews said, allow leaders to deal with issues that simply can't be handled over the phone or by video-conference.

When asked by the Liberals during Wednesday's question period to explain the costs, Toews said the government believes the experts when they say such a level of security is necessary.

"I understand that the Liberals don't believe in securing Canadians or the visitors here," Toews told the House. "We're different."

NDP Leader Jack Layton said the Conservatives have "quadrupled" funding for security, and some of that money could have gone to the government's G8 maternal health initiative. Layton then chastised the Conservatives for refusing to include abortion in its maternal health plan.

"You can do a lot of things with a billion dollars," Layton told the House.

In response, Prime Minister Stephen Harper repeated the government's position that Canadians do not want a debate on this matter.

Single venue would have saved money: Liberals
G8 leaders will gather in Huntsville, Ont., late next month, then join other world leaders for the G20 summit in the heart of downtown Toronto. The security money will be used for planning, accommodation, information technology and working with security partners to protect leaders and their delegations.

The additional $160 million in costs includes about $100 million for office and meeting spaces and pre-summit meetings. Another $1.2 million is to ensure the food served to dignitaries is safe and healthy, while $10 million has been spent on infrastructure and about $50 million has been paid to spruce up the Huntsville area.

Ignatieff ridiculed the Conservatives for switching the G20 meeting venue from Huntsville to Toronto months into the planning stage.

"At first they said Huntsville, then they said, 'Oops, Huntsville is too small and too many flies. Let's high-tail it down to Toronto,'" he said. "This is the confusion we're talking about."

Holland said the government could have reduced security by hosting both summits at a single location, instead of the "logistical nightmare" of two separate venues hundreds of kilometres apart. But Toews said the dates of the summits were actually moved closer together to save money.

Holland said security for the summits is critical, but the government shouldn't be handed a blank cheque.

"We're not talking about cutting corners; we're talking about proper planning," Holland told CBC News on Wednesday. "They tried to force a round peg into a square hole."

Security plans for the G20 meeting in Toronto feature two fenced areas — an outside fence that will close off a large section of the downtown and disrupt access to homes and workplaces, and an inner fence that will control access to hotels and the convention centre.

Later Wednesday, Chris McCluskey, a spokesman for Toews, accused Ignatieff of failing to understand the cost of the summits.

"His comments indicate he has no understanding of the parliamentary budget process, no understanding of the reality of providing security to world leaders, and no understanding of what it takes to have Canada take its rightful place on the world stage," he said in an email.

"The only embarrassment here is Mr. Ignatieff’s ill-informed commentary on an event he should be supporting."


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/05/26/g8-g20-security-summit-toews.html#ixzz0p6cNbLPW

HUMOUR:

CANADIAN POLITICS:

WHAT IS HARPER'S SECRET ?:

The story of the "power pair", Rahim Jaffer and Helena Guergis continues to develop by the day. The latest is that Canada's Ethics Commissioner has excused herself from investigating the so far secret (how typically conservative !) "allegations against Guergis because it is "not within her mandate". What this means is that whatever Guergis is guilty of is probably not connected with how she allowed her husband to use the perks of her office as a junior minister. What exactly Guergis is accused of and probably guilty of (beyond sharing her husband's cocaine) has been conveniently buried beneath an RCMP investigation which will no doubt take an extended time, especially as the government will apply all sorts of pressure to extend such time.

What are the skeletons in the closet ? Molly has noticed that one thing that was "in the news" a week ago is no longer such ie how Guergis got a "sweetheart deal" on her recent purchase of an Ottawa house. If the "influence" on the bank was from her and her husband's organized crime contacts then yes; it is not within the purview of the Parliamentary Ethics Commissioner. But it is still criminal. Look for this to be thoroughly buried for a long time to come. *It seems to have been forgotten by the mass media in the last week. for memory's sake here's an article from the Toronto Star a week ago about this particular pit that the couple has gone swimming in.

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Probe Helena Guergis mortgage, Liberals ask ethics czar

Tory minister received $800,000 for new home without down payment

OTTAWA–The Liberals are asking the federal ethics commissioner to look into a big mortgage given to embattled Tory cabinet minister Helena Guergis.

They want to know if Guergis received preferential treatment to finance an expensive new home.

Liberal MP Marlene Jennings wrote to commissioner Mary Dawson on Tuesday, asking her to look into reports that Guergis was given a mortgage for the full $880,000 cost of the Ottawa home.

Jennings says reports suggest a Bank of Nova Scotia branch in Edmonton granted the mortgage without requiring a down payment.

She notes that the conflict of interest code for MPs stipulates that no MP or family member shall accept – directly or indirectly – any gift or benefit that might be perceived as an attempt to influence the MP.

Guergis, the minister of state for the status of women, came under opposition fire in February for throwing a tantrum at Charlottetown airport.

And last week, she faced further calls for her resignation after it was revealed that several current and former staffers had written letters to newspapers praising the minister – without identifying their links to her.

Guergis's husband, former Edmonton Tory MP Rahim Jaffer, has helped keep the spotlight on the minister. He was fined last month for careless driving after charges of cocaine possession and impaired driving were dropped.

CANADIAN POLITICS:

CONSERVATIVE CORRUPTION:

Ex Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer has become the subject of outrage to the average Canadian and amusement to those who take politics as a spectator sport. From accomplishing the almost impossible in being beaten by an NDP candidate in Edmonton of all places to having an aide imitate him on a talk show his is a hard act to follow. It's very hard to top being caught over 0.08 while driving and having cocaine found in one's possession at the time of the arrest and getting off with a "driving without due care and attention" slap on the wrist. Mr Jaffer, however, has managed to top himself, as the following story from the Toronto Star about the events that preceded his arrest details.

There is only one person on the Canadian political scene that gives Jaffer any competition for the title of loosest cannon, and that is his wife, sitting Conservative MP Helena Guergis. While the public may wonder how anyone could escape and double whammy change of drunk driving and cocaine possession (political interference ???) the spectacle of someone throwing a vandalistic temper tantrum at airport security and not only not being charged but actually being allowed to proceed onto the plane may be equally mystifying. Guergis also apparently took a page from her husband's book and had her staff fake letters to the editor from supposed 'unconnected' members of the public. the latest pit that she has fallen into is that there are now demands for a investigation on the part of the Ethics Commissioner concerning the details of her house purchases. A fine pair indeed. Obviously meant for each other.

Here are the sordid details of Jaffer's night out before he got nailed. It begins with a high end party at a Toronto steak house attended by 5 characters of ill repute plotting how to soak the Canadian taxpayer. Their escorts for the night are three ladies of the same.

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Former MP Rahim Jaffer connected to alleged conman

Jaffer boasted to businesses: I can get government money easily

Kevin Donovan
Staff Reporter
The booze was flowing on the back patio at Harbour 60 Steakhouse in downtown Toronto.

Nazim Gillani of International Strategic Investments, four business associates, and three busty hookers dined in style last Sept. 10.

Former MP Rahim Jaffer, a self-described peddler of government grants, credits and loans, was in fine form, chatting up prospective clients. Early the next morning, Gillani would greet the day with a colourful email to the night’s guests: “Mr. Jaffer has opened up the Prime Minister’s office to us,” he boasted, unaware at the time of how Jaffer’s night had ended. Gillani is a character. By last September, at least two major police departments and the federal taxman were after him on fraud or tax evasion allegations.

Sixty kilometres north of the dark wood panelling of Harbour 60, a dozen Ontario Provincial Police officers were setting up a RIDE check, a routine stop and sniff assignment that is the bread and butter of the Caledon OPP detachment. Sgt. Mike Garant was the boss. Ten-year veteran Kim Stapleton, a by-the-book officer, was also on duty. Often praised for her work, Stapleton was one of a group of OPP officers selected to travel to the Olympics to work on a security detail in the new year. With other Caledon officers that night, she set up a highly visible RIDE checkpoint just north of the road that snakes past the Pumpkin Patch Childcare Centre. Proudly displayed in their tiny OPP detachment is a MacLean’s article on strict policing with the headline: Caledon: Where you can’t get away with anything.

The intersection of Gillani, Jaffer and the waiting RIDE program is central to the unanswered question surrounding events that Thursday night – how did Jaffer escape serious charges with a slap on the wrist? And its raises another question – was the former MP selling government access he did not have?

Nazim Gillani lives and works out of a rented, million dollar, two-storey home on a busy stretch of Kipling Ave. in Etobicoke. Hanging around the house at any given time are a former CFL offensive guard who once faced steroid production and marijuana possession charges (they were dropped); a lawyer suspended three times for not cooperating with Law Society probes into his business ; a creeping nest of would-be-titans-of-finance; and an odd parade of 20 something interns from business schools across the country.

In the driveway there is usually a Porsche Turbo, two BMWs, a sleek Infiniti, a Mercedes, and a lumbering old white van. Gillani owns none of his empire, at least on paper.

Gillani, the ceo of ISI, is a 43-year old wheeler dealer whose company boasts it “has been successful in obtaining grants and loans from various Government bodies.” A typical day for Gillani involves a late breakfast on the Queensway, an afternoon meeting around the kitchen table at the house, an early evening visit to his “Bloor Street Office” (the VIP lounge at strip joint Club Paradise) and a dinner like this one.

At Harbour 60, Gillani was doing what he always does: Talking big about deals. Gillani – “Naz” to his pals – has a habit of finding new businesses, promising to take them public. As the first part of that process he convinces owners of companies to pay him cash to cover his fees. Businessmen who have walked away angry say Gillani owes them hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they received nothing in return. Some speculate that Gillani raised money for them, and kept it. Though some would like to complain to police, they say they are reluctant to because Gillani has told them he has compromising photographs of them at strip clubs.

Keeping a close watch on Gillani at the dinner, as he always does, was former Toronto Argonaut offensive guard Mike Mihelic, his six-foot-five inch, 310 pound vice-president of business affairs (who owns most of the cars in the driveway).

Mihelic and Gillani, that night, were feeling heat from York Region Police, who were probing their involvement in a $1.5 million wire transfer fraud against home buildings supply company Rona, a case unrelated to Gillani’s investment schemes. The allegations of investment fraud were being looked into by the Integrated Market Enforcement Team, an RCMP-led task force.

Gillani was visibly drunk; Jaffer was not, though he drank steadily.

Jaffer is known in Ottawa, where the Edmonton native was an MP for a decade, as a party animal. To those assembled at Harbour 60 though, Jaffer explained that he could not stay out all night. He had borrowed his wife’s Ford Escape, parked it at the Kipling Street house, and Mihelic had driven him to Harbour 60 in the Porsche. Jaffer said his wife, Helena Guergis, the minister of state for the status of women, was returning from a business trip and he had to get home to the house they shared in Angus.

The night progressed from cocktails to wine to liqueurs.

The women were supplied by 23-year-old Jasmine of high class escort agency Cachet Ladies. Gillani tells his friends he is engaged to Jasmine, whom he met a year ago on an escort date.

Jaffer, as he often does, told businessmen that he and his company, Green Power Solutions, were experts in obtaining government money. “I can get it, no problem,” he said. His company’s promotional material boasts a “thorough knowledge of government policies and incentive programs.”

“I have access to a green fund,” Jaffer said at the table.

A few weeks before the Harbour 60 dinner, Jaffer and Gillani held court at another steak restaurant, La Castille in Etobicoke. Gillani told a group of invited businessmen that his company could arrange start-up financing, and that Jaffer could come up with federal government funds. Jaffer explained that he had expertise, particularly in securing what he called “green loans” at very low interest rates.

Though Jaffer has not been an MP since he lost an election in 2008, he still gives out his MP business cards and did so at La Castille.

(Former and current associates of Gillani were granted anonymity for this story for several reasons, primarily because they fear physical retribution from Gillani and his associates.)

Also on hand at both steakhouses was Dr. Hai Chen, a business associate working with Gillani and Jaffer on a murky deal Gillani calls the ‘China initiative.’

At Harbour 60, Jaffer and Chen made plans for the first of two trips to Shanghai to grow business contacts between Canada and China. After Jaffer said he could secure Canadian government money for businesses, Chen said he could do the same in China. There was much talk around the table of “green” projects, particularly a Canadian venture where waste could be turned into solid fuel.

Shortly before 11 pm, the dinner party ended. The bill for dinner and drinks for nine was more than $3,200. Gillani paid and he and his guests went to the parking lot. It’s unclear where everyone went, but Jaffer and Mihelic drove off in the Porsche. There was much talk at the dinner that some would head off to Club Paradise.

Constable Kim Stapleton was going off shift and left her fellow officers at the RIDE program in Palgrave at 12:45 am. A diligent officer, she activated her mobile radar detector as she drove south through Palgrave on Highway 50. The speed limit in the small town was 50 kph. The detector beeped and clocked the approaching Ford Escape SUV at 93 kph.

“I’ve got a high miler here,” Stapleton said into her radio, turning on her lights. She told Sgt. Mike Garant back at the RIDE program that she was pulling over an SUV.

Walking up to the car, the female officer shone her flashlight in at the driver. Rahim Jaffer looked back. Stapleton smelled alcohol and asked Jaffer several questions.

“I smell alcohol, I am doing an alc test,” Stapleton radioed to Garant.

Pulling a roadside breathalyzer unit from her cruiser she administered the test, which showed positive for alcohol. Stapleton radioed for a male officer to join her because she was arresting Jaffer. Stapleton called for a tow truck to take away the Ford.

Sgt. Garant sent an officer down to Stapleton’s position. The officer searched Jaffer and found a bag in his pocket, which turned out to be cocaine.

The police officers looked inside Jaffer’s car and found a stack of Helena Guergis’ business cards. They drove Jaffer to the Caledon East OPP detachment and administered a blood alcohol test, which showed a level above the legal .08 level (police have not released the level or amount of cocaine). In Ontario, the penalty for being found guilty of driving above the legal level is a one year licence suspension, a $1,000 fine and a requirement to install an ignition lock that prevents a vehicle from starting unless the driver provides a sober breath sample.

Officers at the OPP detachment conducted a strip search of Jaffer, which police say is standard protocol when drugs are found on a person.

Stapleton charged Jaffer, 38, with driving over the legal blood alcohol limit, speeding 93 kph in a 50 kph zone; and possession of cocaine. He was released from the station around 6 am on Friday, Sept. 11.

The news of the high profile former MP’s arrest did not trickle out for a week. The morning Jaffer was charged, Gillani sent out an email to investors that was full of positive bluster.

“As most of you may have heard, we had a rather earth moving experience last night at dinner with Rahim Jaffer and Dr. Chen. Mr. Jaffer has opened up the Prime Ministers’ office to us and as a result of that dinner – he today advised me that is just as excited as we are and joining our team seems to be the next logical step,” Gillani wrote to a dozen close associates. (Tory insiders say Jaffer has no such access). (Well he doesn't now-Molly )

When news of Jaffer’s arrest leaked out the next week, it was front page news. Toronto lawyer Howard Rubel was hired to defend Jaffer. Jaffer told associates that the cocaine was in his jacket pocket, which was hanging in the back seat of his car, which he said meant he would likely get off on a technicality. The police maintain the cocaine was in his pants pocket.

OPP officer Stapleton, with the realization that this high profile case was likely coming to court during her Olympic duties, prepared her notes and understood that if needed she would fly back to testify.

Meanwhile, York Regional Police detectives charged Gillani, Mihelic and several others in November with fraud in connection with a deal Gillani allegedly orchestrated. A former senior employee of Rona was coerced into using his computer and finance knowledge to wire $1.5 million of Rona money to a dummy account in Hong Kong. Jasmine, the Cachet Ladies escort, was with Gillani in his bedroom when detectives arrived to make the arrest. Sobbing, she pleaded with them not to take her boyfriend away.

Two of those accused have said they will plead guilty in return for providing evidence against Gillani. No findings of guilt have been made and the case continues in Newmarket court later this month.

At IMET, the detectives who investigate financial market fraud allegations, senior officer Kevin Harrison said through a spokesman that he is aware of Gillani, but won’t confirm that an investigation is underway. Gillani has previously faced charges of carrying a handgun in B.C., and is being probed in a tax evasion case. Neither of these cases have been resolved.

Jaffer and Gillani’s friendship and business association cooled by November, though Jaffer and Chen are still friends. Jaffer had four brief court hearings on the cocaine and driving charges last fall and early winter. His lawyer showed up; he did not.

For the OPP in Caledon, the Jaffer arrest was a routine case. That’s why officers were surprised to be told in early January by Crown Attorney Marie Balogh that she did not want a trial. Instead, she was seeking a guilty plea on reduced charges. A pre-trial conference – the matters discussed are secret – was held on Feb. 18, 2010 before a judge. Caledon OPP were notified that the deal with Jaffer was made at “the most senior levels” of provincial law enforcement. OPP Caledon pushed back but to no avail. ( No luck for the OPP- Molly )

The next night, Jaffer and Dr. Chen had dinner to discuss their recent trip to Shanghai and another planned for April. Jaffer told Chen his wife was flying in from Prince Edward Island – he was hoping to pick her up at the Toronto airport but heard she was delayed.

Chen said he learned the next day from news reports that the delay came because Charlottetown airport staff had asked Guergis to take her boots off for screening and the minister threw a tantrum. Guergis later apologized.

On March 9, 2010, crown attorney Balogh told a hearing (in front of a different judge) that she was withdrawing all charges – speeding, driving over the legal blood alcohol limit, and cocaine possession – against Jaffer because there were issues with the evidence and she saw no reasonable prospect of a conviction. She replaced the charge with one count of careless driving, to which the former MP pleaded guilty. He was fined $500 and also voluntarily made a $500 payment to a cystic fibrosis charity.

In Ottawa, politicians speculated that Jaffer received a deal – the judge described it as “a break” – because of political connections. Former Stephen Harper spokesman Kory Teneycke said that is “ridiculous.”

In Toronto, former associates of Gillani speculate that Jaffer has “rolled over” on Gillani, provided evidence, and in return was given a good deal on his drug, speeding and drunk driving charges. ( Possibly-Molly )

Jaffer lawyer Rubel said it that is “laughable.”

Neither Gillani, Mihelic or Jaffer would respond to interview requests. Gillani cancelled numerous appointments with a Star reporter.

“Last night I woke up in excruciating pain and my feet were the size of footballs. I don't know what it is - but I haven't moved at all,” Gillani wrote in one cancellation email.

Kevin Donovan can be reached at (416) 312-3503 or kdonovan@thestar.ca

CPCPCPCPCPCPCPCP

Further Molly Comment:

I can't say that I'm surprised by this sort of story. Over the years I've come to believe that while left wing politicians may be more annoying overall that right wing ones beat them hands down for sheer unmitigated dishonesty and corruption. This tendency reached truly astronomical heights in the USA, but as far as I can determine it is universal. I explain it by the shrivelled conscience that seems to go with the pursuit of power through right wing politics. Not that every conservative shares this disability, but it seems to be characteristic of their leaders.

Left wing politicians can indeed be venal, but the evidence is that right wing ones are very much more so. I think this is because their concept of "morality" has shrunk down to attempts to control the sexual behavior of others. If all it takes to appear moral is to condemn the behavior of those who say "have sex with knotholes in trees" then items such as theft and telling lies simply don't register as "sins" in such a world view.

Just to close it should be noted that Jaffer's little deception on the talk show happened in 2001. In 2006 that infallible judge of character and pillar of morality Prime Minister Steven Harper appointed him Chair of the Conservative caucus in Parliament. Think about this as you watch the conservative wheels spin as they attempt to distance themselves from him and his battle-axe wife. This pair gave lots of warning about their tendencies a long time ago, but to a Conservative politician such things are unimportant. Getting caught big time is, however, quite important.

BLOGGING:

CANADIAN BLOG AWARDS-WHERE HAVE ALL THE WINNERS GONE:

Once more Molly's Blog is in the running for the annual Canadian Blog Awards under the category of 'Best Political Blog'. If you like what you see here go on over to the blog site, click 'Vote 2009', go to 'Political' and, of course, vote 'Molly's Blog'. Voting will end on December 12th, and finalists ( the top 10) will be chosen for the second round. Last year Molly made it into the top 5 finalists, but came fifth out of five. Help me better that result this year.

A question, however, has come to my mind. The vast majority of the blogs listed on the Canadian Blog Awards are either Conservative or NDP. When I compare this year to last only Molly's Blog and the 'Calgary Grit' (ie Liberal) blog amongst last year's finalists have been nominated this year. This seems rather anomalous to me, as the other three finalists still have existing blogs. When I look at the nominees I am under the impression that there has been a serious "push" amongst the conservatives to put their names up for voting. I doubt that the over-representation of conservative bloggers amongst the nominees is reflective of what is really happening in the Canadian blogosphere.

What do you think ? In any case I couldn't think of a greater insult to Sneaky Stevie Harper and his crew than for a tiny anarchist blog to beat his true believers. So go on over and Vote Molly at the Canadian Blog Awards if you are tired of the lies of our present government.

CANADIAN POLITICS/INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS:

STOP CANADIAN COMPLICITY IN TORTURE:

While the political football of the "torture scandal" is being tossed back and forth amongst Canada's political parties there at least some who preserve an ethical compass in the debate. While the government of (Sneaky) Stevie Harper continues to stonewall and add further legal hurdles to an open inquiry into how Canadian troops knowingly handed over detainees to the Afghan government for torture the opposition parties concentrate on the "who knew what when" aspect. Every once in a while (more often in the right wing press ) the mask is dropped and the Conservatives pull the 'Oh Canada' card ie "what the hell do you care about what happens to enemies you traitorous, yellow bellied, blah, blah, blah sons of bitches". I love it when this happens because it at least makes the problem under discussion clear. In truth the opposition, perhaps from political reasons of decorum, hasn't raised the obvious. When you turn detainees over to the present quisling government of Afghanistan what do you expect other than either torture or a speedy release due to the proper bribes being paid. The last time I looked the government of Afghanistan was indeed the government of Afghanistan. I hope that I am not mistaken and that they have not all become Sufi mystics who have given away all their worldly goods and vowed benevolence to all when I was not paying attention. To put it at its bluntest...what the fuck do you expect, other than torture for those who cannot pay the bribes from this crew ? Perhaps the majority of sheep who follow the dictums of their rulers in the Conservative Party may believe the lies, but I am sure that the more intelligent bureaucracy of the Conservative Party have no such illusions.

Those who do indeed preserve an independent moral compass (something that the average conservative is in sorry need of) include Amnesty International Canada. Here is their statement of opposition to the way that Canada is complicit in torture in Afghanistan and their appeal to join your voice to theirs in protesting this state of affairs.

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TORTURE IN AFGHANISTAN:

These have been a couple of intensely busy weeks. Amnesty International has been raising concerns about Canada’s approach to handling prisoners apprehended on the battlefield in Afghanistan for over seven years. Now it has become one of the dominant issues in the country. I'd like to share with you some reflections about the disturbing information and heated political debate regarding very real concerns that over the past several years an unknown number of prisoners, picked up by Canadian troops, and then transferred to Afghan officials, have almost certainly been subject to brutal torture in Afghan jails.

I am very proud of the role that Amnesty International has played in pressing for action on this issue. Working against torture has long been a priority for Amnesty International, right around the world. In that work we seek to expose the torturers, but we also expose instances where other officials and even other governments may be complicit in torture, including by handing over likely victims.

Torture is abhorrent. Complicity in torture is shameful. Both are against the law. That is what is at stake for Canadians as we confront these latest revelations.

Why should Canadians care what happens to detainees once they're in the Afghan prison system? See Questions & Answers

Amnesty International, alongside the BC Civil Liberties Association, first raised questions about Canada’s prisoner policy in Afghanistan in 2002. ( Under a Liberal government- Molly )

At that time Canadian troops were handing prisoners over to US forces in Afghanistan. We called for those transfers to be halted because some of the prisoners were being sent on to Guantánamo Bay and others were at real risk of torture in US detention facilities in Afghanistan. Combined with US refusal to recognize the applicability of the Geneva Conventions to those prisoners meant, we insisted, that Canada was violating our own international obligations when we handed prisoners over. We urged Canada to consider developing its own capacity to hold prisoners.

Eventually the government agreed with us, and halted transfers to US forces in late 2005. But they traded one human rights problem for another. Since that time, prisoners have instead been delivered to Afghan authorities, even though torture and ill-treatment in Afghan jails is a longstanding and widespread reality in the country. We again called for Canada to take a different approach. We urged instead that the government develop a cooperative approach to overseeing the detention of these prisoners, doing so in collaboration with Afghan officials and with other NATO allies. Unfortunately the government did not take up the suggestion. Transfers continued.
Why a Public Inquiry?
After years of public campaigning and raising concerns directly with successive Canadian governments, Amnesty International eventually turned to the courts and tribunals for a remedy. Here’s a look at the path we took to get there

In early 2007 we launched an application in Federal Court seeking an order halting the transfers. We also lodged a complaint with the Military Police Complaints Commission asking that body to look into it, as military police did play a role in the transfers. We were faced with considerable government resistance and obstruction on both fronts and both proceedings became difficult and bogged down. Despite some promising initial rulings, in the end the Federal Court case could not go ahead when the courts ruled that the Charter of Rights (the entire legal basis of our case) did not apply to the actions of Canadian soldiers outside Canada. That, clearly, is a very worrying legal precedent with implications beyond this case.

Amnesty is calling for a full, public Commission of Inquiry regarding the handling of Afghani detainees.

Open letter Action

Following Richard Colvin’s explosive testimony two weeks ago, a parade of witnesses has come before the parliamentary committee now looking into this, including retired Generals and our current Ambassador to China.

There has also been a false debate about proving torture. The government has insisted that no incident of a transferred prisoner being tortured has been proven.

One is left with the impression that the only proof the government would accept is to be present while the torture occurs and witness it firsthand. The proof of torture in Afghan prisons and that transferred prisoners have been tortured is overwhelming and it is very disturbing.

Richard Colvin, who the government tasked with looking into this for 1 ½ years, certainly reached that conclusion. But having assigned him the task, the government preferred to disregard his message. He is not alone. Canadian journalists have, through tenacious investigative reporting, uncovered numerous cases of transferred prisoners who provide detailed and credible accounts of torture. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (funded and supported by Canada, to our credit) has expressed concern. Other Canadian government monitors have documented cases. And there is good reason to believe that the Red Cross has also raised concerns with the Canadian government.

Instead of denying these concerns and impugning the messengers, it is time to take action.
Torture is an egregious human rights violation. By its very nature it destroys the sense of human dignity that is at the heart of the very concept of human rights. Canada clearly stands against torture. It is imperative, therefore, that we be firm and resolute in our refusal to in any way cooperate with or assist torturers. But we have not witnessed that firm, resolute stand over the past several years. Certainly not in the last two weeks. Clearly this has upset large numbers of Canadians who do not believe that this reflects their Canada.

Amnesty International and the BCCLA have jointly called for a public inquiry into this matter. Many others have as well, including all three opposition parties and leading media editorials across the country. We will now press hard for that inquiry to be convened. It is only through a public inquiry that we will gain a full understanding of what has unfolded over the past several years. A public inquiry would also offer recommendations for a different approach, one that would fully conform with our international human rights obligations. If you would like to add your voice to that demand, just click here:
Sign appeal

Amnesty's open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper
All the best,
Alex Neve

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THE LETTER:

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter to the Prime Minister of Canada.

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Dear Prime Minister Harper:
Canada has pledged to be part of the effort to restore and uphold human rights in Afghanistan. Yet Canadian forces continue to transfer detainees to Afghan custody despite the risk of torture and ill-treatment.

I am shocked that the Canadian government has chosen to dismiss the reports of human rights organizations and even some of its own trusted officials. I am further disappointed by the obstruction of efforts – whether through the courts, tribunals or even the parliamentary system – to clarify the handling of prisoners in Afghanistan.

Accountability and transparency are essential to the promotion of human rights both at home and abroad. It’s time for Canada to live up to the same responsibilities we demand of others.
I urge you to convene, without delay, a full, public Commission of Inquiry into all aspects of the laws, policy and practice that has governed Canada’s approach to handling prisoners in Afghanistan.

CANADIAN POLITICS:

WHISTLEBLOWER SMEARED:

The Parliamentary Committee hearing into the allegations of Canadian ex-diplomat in Afghanistan Robert Colvin that Canada knowingly handed over Afghan detainees to that country's government for torture continues. The Harper government responded with what it does best- a vicious attack on Colvin's credibility. The following is the story from the Harper Index news service, a site devoted to keeping a close eye on the manoeuvres of our beloved Prime Minister, Sneaky Stevie.

This matter has been commented on repeatedly in the mainstream press, and from what I am reading the general opinion of said commentators is that "nobody gives a damn". The more Conservative the author the greater amount of gloat with which this message is delivered. The sad fact is that it is probably true. Outside of the tiny ranks of "the left" most people in these parlous times have bigger fish to fry. One may hope, however, that this incident added to dozens of others may reinforce the also widespread conviction that Sneaky Stevie and his coterie are accomplished liars. If it adds to this realization it will have done some good.

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Colvin's gagging and public smearing highlight callousness:
Harperites deaf to suffering of detainees, innocent or not, and quick to slag courageous whistleblower.
OTTAWA, November 20, 2009, a special HarperIndex.ca report: The reaction to diplomat Robert Colvin's report, that top advisers gagged him when he tried to report widespread torture of Afghan detainees captured by Canadians, revealed the Harper government's callousness in two ways. First, the government, according to Colvin, who served as a top diplomat in Afghanistan, willfully ignored urgent reports from him in 2006 and 2007 that all detainees, guilty and innocent, were subject to torture, including being beaten with rubber hoses and electrical cable, shocked with electrical current, and raped.

Colvin pleaded for a year with top officials to deal with the situation, but he was told to keep quiet and to stop putting his concerns in writing.

Then, confronted this week with Colvin's explosive testimony to a Parliamentary committee, government ministers blasted Colvin as an incompetent official and under Taliban influence. "We are being asked to accept testimony from people who throw acid in the faces of schoolchildren and who blow up buses of civilians in their own country," defence minister Peter MacKay said in Parliament.

Attacks by MacKay and other government members came despite Colvin's support for Canada's military role in Afghanistan, and his posting, since 2007, to Washington in the high-security role of senior intelligence officer at the Canadian embassy.

"From ordering officials to stop documenting information on detainee abuse, to gagging witnesses, using delay tactics, and interfering with the Military Police Complaints Commission, this government continues to undermine the investigation into Afghan prisoner abuse," NDP defence critic Jack Harris (St. John's East) told a Parliament Hill news conference. "It places our soldiers in a perilous legal position. As Mr. Colvin testified, handing detainees over to people who we know will torture them constitutes a war crime."
Posted: November 20, 2009
Harper Index (HarperIndex.ca) is a project of the Golden Lake Institute and the online publication StraightGoods.ca