Fixing What Harper Broke: A to-do list

[marcus]

Elizabeth May has come out with a list of damages that Harper has done. Some will be easy to fix, but some will not. (Not on the internet - yet - Only in email)

Here is a list of the To-Do list:

1) Fixing security law:

• Repeal Bill C-51. As a compromise, the Liberals could amend part 2 (No Fly lists) while repealing Parts 1 (info sharing), 3 (terrorism in general propaganda), 4 (the most dangerous, unleashing CSIS as covert disruptors) and 5 (allowing evidence obtained by torture).
• Repeal C-44 – allowing CSIS agents to operate over-seas.
• Repeal C-38 – with a section eliminating the Inspector General for CSIS.
• Repeal C-3 (2007 legislation that introduced unconstitutional security certificates).
• Instead – build security law drawn from advice from the Arar and Air India Commissions of Inquiry.

2) Rebuilding our criminal law system:

• Reinstate the Law Reform Commission and Court Challenges programme.
• Repeal C-10 and other mandatory minimum provisions.
• Repeal C-2 (Insite).
• Repeal C-14 (NCR).
• Repeal C-25 (Truth in Sentencing Act).
• Repeal C-309 (Preventing Persons from Concealing Their Identity during Riots and Unlawful Assemblies Act).

3) Reverse trend to slippery citizenship:

• Return Canada’s embassies to aggressively act for Canadians abroad in trouble – including on death row.
• Repeal C-24 (only one citizenship exists – unless obtained by fraud, citizenship is citizenship).
• Repeal FATCA (found in omnibus C-31).
• Restore citizenship for Lost Canadians.

4) Immigration and refugee law:

• Repeal the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act from Fall 2011 that puts refugees arriving by boat in jail for a year (C-31).
• Return to principles of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act – create a predictable path to citizenship.
• Prioritize family reunification.
• Create a sponsor-friendly refugee support process. Restore health, housing, language and other supports to refugee claimants.
• Appoint board members to Immigration appeal board to deal with backlog.

5) Restore evidence-based decision making:

• Restore Long Form Census. Rehire Munir Sheik as Chief Statistician of Canada and give him the Order of Canada.
• Repeal C-38 sections that wrecked environmental assessment (EA). Eliminate any EA role for energy regulatory agencies (NEB, offshore petroleum boards, CNSC, etc) and return EA to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. Repeal C-38 destruction of CEAA, and further amend the Act to remove the conflict of interest found in the pre-2011 CEAA. A good model can be found in the Liberal 1993 Red Book (never implemented).
• Repeal C-38 elimination of the National Round Table on Environment and Economy.
• Re-hire scientists.
• Restore funding to the Canadian Climate Forum (formerly the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences).
• Restore funding to Polar Environmental Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL).
• Restore the Marine Mammals Contaminants Programme.
• Restore testing of smokestacks for air quality.
• Restore ozone layer testing.
• Restore freshwater science. Resume funding and DFO work in Experimental Lakes Area.
• Restore research funding and monitoring for ecological integrity to Parks Canada.

6) Repair environmental laws and policy:

• Repeal C-38:

I. Damage to Fisheries Act (restore habitat protection, reverse administrative changes in interpretation of “deleterious to fish” as meaning acute toxicity at LD50, as well as removing the equivalency provisions for provincial down-loading);
II. Section that amended NEB also damaged Species at Risk Act, Navigable Waters Protection At, Fisheries Act exempting these acts – as not applying along route of a pipeline;
III. As above in decision-making section, restore CEAA as sole agency to oversee environmental reviews.

• Repeal C-45:

I. Restore Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA), and repeal the 2009 omnibus bill that re-defined “navigable waters” to a matter of ministerial discretion. Return NWPA to its pre-2006 condition. Navigable waters are any and all waters that can be navigated.

• Restore funding to Canadian Environmental Network.

7) Climate action:

• Ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
• Work with other Kyoto parties and support the information sections and the mechanisms, especially the Clean Development Mechanism. No new targets need be established within the KP as our new targets will evolve in the new comprehensive COP21 agreement.
• Restore ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program.
• Consider the other actions in place in 2006 that the Harper administration cancelled.

8) Repair Official Development Assistance:

• Restore funding to MATCH, KAIROS, Canadian Council for International Cooperation, etc.
• Consider re-establishing CIDA as its own agency, but at a minimum reverse funding cuts and restore goal of poverty alleviation.

9) Service Canada:

• In what was described as an effort to save money, the Harper administration created a new department to house administrative, IT and finance roles. Call for a full audit by the Auditor General and determine if Service Canada has in fact resulted in savings, or, if, as many suspect, it has been a boondoggle. Consider restoring functionality in the public service.

10) Reverse monumental mistakes:

• Cancel any federal funding to Canadian Memorial to the Victims of Communism and cancel plans for its current location. Allow it to proceed in another location with a more modest and reasonable design as a private charitable project.
• Restore land from French Cove in Cape Breton Highlands National Park to the park, reversing private give-away to private sector interests. Allow the so-called Mother Canada statue to be built on an appropriate site in industrial Cape Breton.

11) Repair national parks:

• Cancel any and all plans to further privatize within national parks.
• Amend the Sable Island National Parks Act to remove the role of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board as a regulator within the park. Ban seismic testing, drilling and any industrial activity in the park.
• Amend the Rouge Valley National Parks Act to restore ecological integrity.
• Re-affirm the guiding principle of the National Parks Act to protect ecological integrity.

12) Repair legislative damage to First Nations rights and title:

• Amend the NWT devolution act to restore the water boards and other agencies created by treaty.
• Repeal C-27 (First Nations Financial Transparency Act) and S-2 (Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act).
• Restore funding and re-open the National Aboriginal Health Organization and the First Nations Statistical Institute.

13) Women’s rights:

• Restore purpose of Status of Women Canada to include achieving equality for women.
• Restore funding to Canadian Association of Women and the Law, National Action Committee, etc.
• Institute an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.
• Implement pay equity for women in federal civil service.
• Repeal manipulative laws that contort women’s rights creating increased risks to women:

I. S-7 (Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act)
II. C-36 (Sex trade worker law)

14) Restore funding to CBC-Radio Canada:

• Cancel sale of assets.

15) Reverse cessation of home delivery by Canada Post

16) Investor State agreements that cannot be undone:

• Canada-China Investment Treaty was signed and ratified without any hearings in Parliament, without a ratification vote in the House or Senate.
• The earliest Canada can be out from under this treaty is 2045. To protect Canadian interests and sovereignty, we need a law requiring immediate public disclosure of any and all complaints by the People’s Republic of China against Canadian legislation, regulation or policy changes, pending or concluded, at all levels of government. This notification includes any diplomatic pressure from the PRC in the six month window for conflict resolution prior to the lodging of an actual arbitration claim. Canada must be prepared to pay damages to the People’s Republic of China if our environment, labour or safety laws require it. The Canada-China Investment Treaty is the worst of the changes wrought in the Harper era. It could operate to stop the needed repairs. All we can do now is ask to re-negotiate while ensuring our domestic legislation guarantees transparency.

[Argus]

Elizabeth May has come out with a list of damages that Harper has done. Some will be easy to fix, but some will not. (Not on the internet - yet - Only in email)

Here is a list of the To-Do list:

Gonna need a lot more than a ten billion deficit for all that. If Trudeau does everything shoe-flies like May want the deficit will be more like thirty billion and will grow ever larger year by year.

[Smeelious]

I think that the next 4 years will suck for JT.

[angrypenguin]

I think that the next 4 years will suck for JT.

Why?

[Smeelious]

Why?

Too much will be expected of him.

[Boges]

I just read this laugher.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/10/29/liberals-urged-to-repeal-measure-that-traps-women-in-abusive-relationships.html

There is an exemption if abuse is a factor but that's not good enough. This groups pretty much wants marriages of convenience legalized and uses domestic violence as a front.

[CITIZEN_2015]

13) Women’s rights:

II. C-36 (Sex trade worker law)

A great list most of which I agree and it shows how much harm Harper regime has caused in Canada and to Canadians in his long long reign.

Little has been said about C-36 though and it must be reconsidered by the new popular government of Justin Trudeau. I don't know much about the bill itself but rather the manner in which or reason for, it became law, This bill which was brought in by previous conservative regime and pushed by the former so called justice minister was prepared in rush without any consideration for sex workers' lives and safety (to meet the Supreme Court of Canada deadline which struck down previous sex trade laws because it assessed that they would endanger sex workers). More importantly sex workers who were most affected were NOT even consulted and were excluded. Also because of bill C-36 clients of those sex workers cannot report the underage and those forced into trade if and when they come across one as they would be prosecuted if they do and that is horrible. The conservative regime called its own selected witnesses and exclude those who wanted to speak against the bill. They did all these for political gains only and in order to keep their core support happy, that is mainly the religious right.

The bill is opposed by sex workers groups and they call it "Pickton's law' referring to Robert Pickton who murdered many innocent sex workers because those previous laws which had made communications in public illegal caused the poor workers to be lured to his home and murdered. The new laws are even worse than the laws struck down by Supreme Court in 2013 according to sex worker organizations. The New Prime Minister Justine Trudeau opposed this bill and so did Mulcair. Now that he is the Prime Minister and with a majority he should reconsider the bill or best send it to the Supreme Court and there is a good chance that it will be struck down again for same reasons it was struck down in 2013.

I don't know what laws would be the best (sex workers know it best as what laws protect them best) as I am not an expert in the subject nor does it affect me personally but I strongly oppose any laws that would endanger or adversely affect the most vulnerable citizens namely minorities, females, elderly and children.

Edited October 29, 2015 by CITIZEN_2015

[poochy]

A great list as it shows how much harm Harper regime has caused in Canada and to Canadians in his long long reign.

Of course it is, you probably actually believe that, but im sure in your mind there is nothing they have done that hasn't been harmful, which of course would be utterly ridiculous, meaning you and the writer of this list have zero credibility. That sort of thing used to matter, but not any more it seems.

So in future instead of governments doing new things they should spend all of their time undoing what the previous has done.

[On Guard for Thee]

Of course it is, you probably actually believe that, but im sure in your mind there is nothing they have done that hasn't been harmful, which of course would be utterly ridiculous, meaning you and the writer of this list have zero credibility. That sort of thing used to matter, but not any more it seems.

So in future instead of governments doing new things they should spend all of their time undoing what the previous has done.

Unfortunately this time around a lot of time will have to be spent fixing things. Too bad but bad laws need to come off the books now, or be thrown out by the SCC later. Sooner is definitely better than later in such cases.

[CITIZEN_2015]

Of course it is, you probably actually believe that, but im sure in your mind there is nothing they have done that hasn't been harmful, which of course would be utterly ridiculous, meaning you and the writer of this list have zero credibility. That sort of thing used to matter, but not any more it seems.

I guess that making this personal attack on me and the OP rather than a debate gives you lots of credibility!!!!!!!. WE NOW HAVE OUR COUNTRY BACK. So say whatever you wish if that makes you happy. Losers talk and winners act.

Edited October 29, 2015 by CITIZEN_2015

[WestCoastRunner]

Harper has done a lot of damage to BC both monetary to the province and upon individuals. I'm so relieved he was booted out and I look forward to the improved BC.

[Wilber]

Harper has done a lot of damage to BC both monetary to the province and upon individuals. I'm so relieved he was booted out and I look forward to the improved BC.

What damage?

[The_Squid]

The Kitsalano CCG Base should be restored, as promised.

The assisted-death panel should be disbanded as the previous government put people on it who are openly opposed to assisted dying. Pretty stupid.

[WestCoastRunner]

What damage?

Let's see.

The fisheries act

U.S. Funding of the environmental act. Attacks on environmentalists

His stance against needle exchange

Etc. Should I go on.

[Argus]

A great list most of which I agree and it shows how much harm Harper regime has caused in Canada and to Canadians in his long long reign.

I guess we need to start calling it the Trudeau regime now, huh?

Little has been said about C-36 though and it must be reconsidered by the new popular government of Justin Trudeau.

Popular? He was elected with pretty much the same number of votes as Harper got last time around.

I don't know what laws would be the best (sex workers know it best as what laws protect them best) as I am not an expert in the subject nor does it affect me personally but I strongly oppose any laws that would endanger or adversely affect the most vulnerable citizens namely minorities, females, elderly and children.

It's good that you warn us repeatedly that you don't know anything about this law or what laws would be best, so we can properly assess the validity of your criticisms.

The law was modeled after the same law in that evil land of fascism, Sweden, so we certainly know it must be awful, right?

The sex workers want to be able to set up brothels, or work out of their own homes, which sounds fine -- until it turns out their home is next door to you. Then it's not so fine. That's why the government won't legalize that.

[Argus]

Let's see.

The fisheries act

U.S. Funding of the environmental act. Attacks on environmentalists

His stance against needle exchange

Etc. Should I go on.

So his opposition to needle exchange, which has amounted to nothing, his distrust of foreign paid environmentalists, which meant nothing, and "U.S. funding of the environmental act" which is confusing, and that's it? The fisheries act? What about the fisheries act? And how could the fisheries act do so much 'damage' to BC?

[Argus]

WE NOW HAVE OUR COUNTRY BACK.

LOL!

[WestCoastRunner]

I

The sex workers want to be able to set up brothels, or work out of their own homes, which sounds fine -- until it turns out their home is next door to you. Then it's not so fine. That's why the government won't legalize that.

Prostitution is not going away not as long as johns exist, unless you can figure out a way to get rid of the customers. Let's provide these workers with safe working conditions so they don't end up as another pickton victim.

Let's remember that most of these sex workers start out as thrown away children from dysfunctional families. Not every child born in Canada has a rosy childhood. Most sex workers come from abusive families. Let's not turn our backs on them twice.

[WestCoastRunner]

So his opposition to needle exchange, which has amounted to nothing, his distrust of foreign paid environmentalists, which meant nothing, and "U.S. funding of the environmental act" which is confusing, and that's it? The fisheries act? What about the fisheries act? And how could the fisheries act do so much 'damage' to BC?

Do you really want me to provide details on these issues?

[Argus]

Do you really want me to provide details on these issues?

I want to know how Harper has damaged BC. I just saw a google picture and it doesn't seem to be damaged...

Edited October 29, 2015 by Argus

[WestCoastRunner]

I want to know how Harper has damaged BC. I just saw a google picture and it doesn't seem to be damage...

Yes a very impressive post.

[Argus]

Prostitution is not going away not as long as johns exist, unless you can figure out a way to get rid of the customers. Let's provide these workers with safe working conditions so they don't end up as another pickton victim.

Let's remember that most of these sex workers start out as thrown away children from dysfunctional families. Not every child born in Canada has a rosy childhood. Most sex workers come from abusive families. Let's not turn our backs on them twice.

That's all very well and good but do you want one living next door? With a parade of johns coming to the door at all hours?

That's why no government is going to legalize it in their own homes. That leaves brothels. Nevada does it that way but they have big empty areas in the desert away from the cities. Us, not so much. The suburbs spread out pretty far.

[Argus]

Yes a very impressive post.

I wish the question had an impressive answer.

[TimG]

Prostitution is not going away not as long as johns exist, unless you can figure out a way to get rid of the customers. Let's provide these workers with safe working conditions so they don't end up as another pickton victim.

The flaw is this logic is: official brothels will have to impose standards on the workers (no shooting up, constant std tests, et. al.) yet it is extremely unlikely that the most at risk women (meaning women trapped in a drug addiction cycle) will be able to comply with those standards. This will ensure they still end up on the street as they do now dealing with the clients that the brothel won't take. Getting these women off drugs should be the priority if the objective is to reduce harm. Edited October 29, 2015 by TimG

[ToadBrother]

That's all very well and good but do you want one living next door? With a parade of johns coming to the door at all hours?

That's why no government is going to legalize it in their own homes. That leaves brothels. Nevada does it that way but they have big empty areas in the desert away from the cities. Us, not so much. The suburbs spread out pretty far.

Why would brothels be any different than, say, liquor stores or lumber yards. Municipalities have zoning bylaws to prevent just what you describe, so brothels wouls just be another category of commercial zoning.