Canadian Politics Megathread: That is simply not Trudeau

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Helsing: Aug 23, 2003; DON'T POST IN THE ELECTION THREAD UNLESS YOU JOE BIDEN

Most of the Canadian conspiracy theorists I've talked to will keep referring to the CIA or other prominent America spy agencies when they are complaining about government monitoring. Many of them can't even remember the name CSIS. For whatever reason a made-in-Canada conspiracy just isn't as sexy.

I also recall meeting a Canadian libertarian once who kept insisting that income tax was unconstitutional and talked about that crazy belief some libertarians have about the government controlling a secret bank account in your name. While believing the CIA is following you is at least somewhat plausible even if you aren't American, this guy believed theories that are based on exactingly specific (mis)understandings of how the American government works.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 17:03

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# ? May 9, 2024 17:44

Blade_of_tyshalle: Jul 12, 2009; If you think that, along the way, you're not going to fail... you're blind.

There's no one I've ever met, no matter how successful they are, who hasn't said they had their failures along the way.

Ah, yes, Power Corporation. The most transparently-named evil entity outside of a Bond film.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 17:03

AegisP: Oct 5, 2008

Helsing posted:

I also recall meeting a Canadian libertarian once who kept insisting that income tax was unconstitutional and talked about that crazy belief some libertarians have about the government controlling a secret bank account in your name. While believing the CIA is following you is at least somewhat plausible even if you aren't American, this guy believed theories that are based on exactingly specific (mis)understandings of how the American government works.

Isn't that belief tied pretty centrally to the Freemen/Sovereign Citizen movement that have been cropping up lately?

# ? Oct 9, 2013 17:20

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Yeah, that's the Freeman on the Land line pretty much exactly.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 18:14

Precambrian Video Games: Aug 19, 2002

Blade_of_tyshalle posted:

Ah, yes, Power Corporation. The most transparently-named evil entity outside of a Bond film.

I don't suppose they have a subsidiary Free Masonry Corp.?

# ? Oct 9, 2013 18:32

colonel_korn: May 16, 2003

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mike-duffy-court-documents-5-surprising-things-1.1930295

quote:

1. The RCMP have enlisted forensic accounting help

The RCMP are able to dip into government departments for extra investigative help.

Mark Grenon, an employee with Public Works and Government Services Canada who is an accountant with a specialty in forensic accounting and a certified fraud investigator, has been seconded to the RCMP's sensitive investigations unit to examine Duffy's expense claims.

It was Grenon who spotted a lump sum in Duffy's expense accounts that appeared "disproportionately larger than other expenses."

2. Much of Duffy's office budget went to consultant friend

Duffy used a budget called "general expenses" to award consulting contracts to Gerald Donohue, a former TV technician who had an insulated concrete form business. The general expenses budget, says Horton, seems to be used to pay for the day to day operations of a Senate office and includes work senators commission to do with their Senate responsibilities.

Over half of Duffy's general expenses budget was spent on Donohue's contracts. That same budget was also used to purchase computers, printers, a coffee maker and a "music system."

3. Donohue billed for research for Duffy, but prepared no reports

Donohue issued invoices to Duffy for research on topics such as "the heritage project" or "aging in the Canadian population." But in an interview with the RCMP, Donohue said that Duffy asked him to prepare information on "obesity" or "being a Conservative." He also told the RCMP he never produced a document, report or product.

4. Other Duffy contractors didn't get paid as much as Donohue

The RCMP interviewed three other consultants who did work for Duffy. All three had other clients for whom they performed consulting work, and all had backgrounds in politics, government or business.

All three were able to describe in detail research they conducted for Duffy about topics such as industrial development proposals or the effect of the proposed Atlantic power accord on P.E.I. None of them were paid more than $3,000.

Yet Donohue was paid in sums of $10,000, $12,000, $13,000 and finally $24,000, sliced into payments of $2,000 over a period of a year. (Tax was added by Senate staff to Donohue's payments, bringing the total to $65,000).

5. Donohue was collecting disability insurance and not entitled to earn any income

Donohue told the RCMP he did not personally receive money from Duffy because he was collecting disability insurance and couldn't earn any income. The cheques from Duffy's office were paid to a media company Donohue set up, which did no media business and which later morphed into the concrete form company. The company, he said, consisted of his wife and son.

In March 2012, Donohue stopped accepting contracts from Duffy because, he said, he received a "personal statement" showing he was earning income, when in fact, he said, the income should have been in his company's name. He blamed the slip on Senate bureaucracy.

Man is Duffy ever a pathetic turd. I really hope this thing blows up even more than it already has.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 18:56

Prism: Dec 22, 2007; yospos

AegisP posted:

Isn't that belief tied pretty centrally to the Freemen/Sovereign Citizen movement that have been cropping up lately?

Yes.

It's particularly funny because Canadian 'sovereign citizens' will cite American laws because they don't understand ours aren't the same.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 18:59

Helsing: Aug 23, 2003; DON'T POST IN THE ELECTION THREAD UNLESS YOU JOE BIDEN

Its idiotic for the practicioners but its a brilliant example of cynicism by the "gurus" who sell Freeman on the Land tactics as a get-out-of-jail-free card to hapless dupes. This is one of the more interesting points driven home in the fascinating judgement from Meads v Meads, where an Albertan judge earlier this year set out to systematically demolish and expose the entire Freedman on the Land scam:

quote:

The bluntly idiotic substance of Mr. Mead�s argument explains the unnecessarily complicated manner in which it was presented. OPCA arguments are never sold to their customers as simple ideas, but instead are byzantine schemes which more closely resemble the plot of a dark fantasy novel than anything else. Latin maxims and powerful sounding language are often used. Documents are often ornamented with many strange marking and seals. Litigants engage in peculiar, ritual‑like in court conduct. All these features appear necessary for gurus to market OPCA schemes to their often desperate, ill‑informed, mentally disturbed, or legally abusive customers. This is crucial to understand the non-substance of any OPCA concept or strategy. The story and process of a OPCA scheme is not intended to impress or convince the Courts, but rather to impress the guru�s customer.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 19:08

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

colonel_korn posted:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mike-duffy-court-documents-5-surprising-things-1.1930295

Man is Duffy ever a pathetic turd. I really hope this thing blows up even more than it already has.

The one thing I don't understand is why this Donahue fellow is apparently so eager to tell all this to the RCMP. Did he get threatened with a big tax bill or something?

Prism posted:

It's particularly funny because Canadian 'sovereign citizens' will cite American laws because they don't understand ours aren't the same.

Canadian laws are actually just a smoke screen deployed by NOAA to distract us from the American New World Order. Obviously.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 20:04

Lobok: Jul 13, 2006; Say Watt?

colonel_korn posted:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mike-duffy-court-documents-5-surprising-things-1.1930295

Man is Duffy ever a pathetic turd. I really hope this thing blows up even more than it already has.

hahahahaha, oh man:

quote:

Donohue said that Duffy asked him to prepare information on "obesity" or "being a Conservative."

How To Be a Fat Conservative

by

Mike Duffy

# ? Oct 9, 2013 20:06

Squibbles: Aug 24, 2000; Mwaha ha HA ha!

colonel_korn posted:

In March 2012, Donohue stopped accepting contracts from Duffy because, he said, he received a "personal statement" showing he was earning income, when in fact, he said, the income should have been in his company's name. He blamed the slip on Senate bureaucracy.

Hahaha now I can't stop thinking of this guy as The Dude

# ? Oct 9, 2013 20:14

Juul-Whip: Mar 10, 2008

Lobok posted:

hahahahaha, oh man:

How To Be a Fat Conservative

by

Mike Duffy

# ? Oct 9, 2013 20:28

infernal machines: Oct 11, 2012; we monitor many frequencies. we listen always. came a voice, out of the babel of tongues, speaking to us. it played us a mighty dub.

PittTheElder posted:

The one thing I don't understand is why this Donahue fellow is apparently so eager to tell all this to the RCMP. Did he get threatened with a big tax bill or something?

Canadian laws are actually just a smoke screen deployed by NOAA to distract us from the American New World Order. Obviously.

He's probably been hit with a bill to repay the disability pension he received during that time. If they decide you were ineligible while receiving benefits they can force you to repay them.

*edit*
For someone who's head so closely resembles Humpty Dumpty, you'd think Mike Duffy would try to avoid taking a fall like this.

infernal machines fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Oct 9, 2013

# ? Oct 9, 2013 20:34

The Dark One: Aug 19, 2005; I'm your friend and I'm not going to just stand by and let you do this!

I just saw a bunch of flowers and mementos along the tracks by Fallowfield station as my train went by. :unsmith:

# ? Oct 9, 2013 21:20

InfiniteZero: Sep 11, 2004; PINK GUITAR FIRE ROBOT; College Slice

Lobok posted:

How To Be a Fat Conservative

This study failed so he became a complete piece of poo poo instead.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 21:21

Arabian Jesus: Feb 15, 2008; We've got the American Jesus
Bolstering national faith

We've got the American Jesus
Overwhelming millions every day

The Guardian posted:

The Canadian government agency that allegedly hacked into the Brazilian mining and energy ministry has participated in secret meetings in Ottawa where Canadian security agencies briefed energy corporations, it has emerged.

Claims of spying on the ministry by Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) come amid the Canadian government's increasingly aggressive promotion of resource corporations at home and abroad, including unprecedented surveillance and intelligence sharing with companies.

According to freedom of information documents obtained by the Guardian, the meetings � conducted twice a year since 2005 � involved federal ministries, spy and police agencies, and representatives from scores of companies who obtained high-level security clearance.

Meetings were officially billed to discuss "threats" to energy infrastructure but also covered "challenges to energy projects from environmental groups", "cyber security initiatives" and "economic and corporate espionage".

The documents � heavily redacted agendas � do not indicate that any international espionage was shared by CSEC officials, but the meetings were an opportunity for government agencies and companies to develop "ongoing trusting relations" that would help them exchange information "off the record", wrote an official from the Natural Resources ministry in 2010.

At the most recent meeting in May 2013, which focused on "security of energy resources development", meals were sponsored by Enbridge, a Canadian oil company trying to win approval for controversial tar sands pipelines.

Since coming to power, Conservative prime minister, Stephen Harper, has used his government apparatus to serve a natural resources development agenda, while creating sweeping domestic surveillance programs that have kept close tabs on indigenous and environmental opposition and shared intelligence with companies.

Harper has transformed Canada's foreign policy to offer full diplomatic backing to foreign mining and oil projects, tying aid pledges to their advancement and jointly funding ventures with companies throughout Africa, South America and Asia.

Keith Stewart, an energy policy analyst with Greenpeace Canada, said: "There seems to be no limit to what the Harper government will do to help their friends in the oil and mining industries. They've muzzled scientists, gutted environmental laws, reneged on our international climate commitments, labelled environmental critics as criminals and traitors, and have now been caught engaging in economic espionage in a friendly country. Canadians, and our allies, have a right to ask who exactly is receiving the gathered intelligence and whose interests are being served."

Observers have suggested that Canadian spying on Brazil is related to the country's auctioning of massive offshore oil finds, potential competition to Canada's tar sands, and Canada's desire to gain competitive advantage for more than 40 Canadian companies involved in Brazil's mining sector.

"There is very substantial evidence that the spying Canada was doing for economic reasons aimed at Brazil is far from an aberration," Guardian columnist Glenn Greenwald told Canadian media on Tuesday. Greenwald hinted that he will be publishing further documents on CSEC.

"We've already seen how Canadian embassies around the world essentially act as agents for Canadian companies � even when they're implicated in serious human rights abuses," said Jamie Kneen of MiningWatch Canada, an NGO watchdog. "We just had no idea how far they were willing to go."

Seriously, what the gently caress Canada

# ? Oct 9, 2013 21:23

Danny LaFever: Dec 29, 2008; Grimey Drawer

Arabian Jesus posted:

Seriously, what the gently caress Canada

No surprise. Western Governments seem to user their secret services (openly) to further private corporations agendas rather then protecting their citizens or whatever they pretended to do.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 21:53

Baronjutter: Dec 31, 2007; "Tiny Trains"

Don't these corporations have big enough budgets to afford their own espionage ? Why are we giving them espionage welfare?

# ? Oct 9, 2013 21:55

Excelsiortothemax: Sep 9, 2006

The conspiracy theories I hear all the time are about DARPA testing HARP technology out in the arctic.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 22:12

mik: Oct 16, 2003; oh

Arabian Jesus posted:

Seriously, what the gently caress Canada

I want to bold this entire article:

Inside Canada's top-secret billion-dollar spy palace

quote:

While the Harper government is preaching government austerity, it is spending almost $1.2 billion on a new Ottawa headquarters for a little-known military spy agency.

It's the most expensive Canadian government building ever constructed.

...

When completed next year, the facility in suburban Ottawa will house the roughly 2,000 employees of the Communications Security Establishment Canada, a federal agency that spies mainly on foreigners by hacking into their computers, reading their email and intercepting their phone calls.

CSEC officially estimates the complex will cost $880 million. But sources close to the project say it will be closer to $1.2 billion by the time all the associated costs are tallied.The new CSEC headquarters will have more floor space than the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and its cost would build several big city hospitals.

...

It is virtually impossible for the media or taxpayers to verify the specifics of how all that money is actually being spent � almost everything to do with the project has been declared a matter of national security and stamped �secret.�

The former head of CSEC makes no apologies for what he calls an �architectural wonder� at public expense.

In a rare and wide-ranging interview exclusively with CBC, former CSEC chief John Adams spoke at length about the agency and its new headquarters, a project he oversaw from its inception until his retirement last year.

�Did it have to be an architectural wonder? No it didn�t,� Adams says.

�But, you know, glass in this [CBC] building is the same price as glass in that [CSEC] building.

�That building is just going to look an awful lot better than this building.�That facility is going to be quite magnificent.�

...

Contrary to Adams�s contention that glass is glass, a construction executive familiar with the CSEC project says the exterior panes that cover the building are all custom cut and part of a special mounting system, all of which is �far more expensive� than anything on a conventional office building.

Experts say the security features of the CSEC project are a major reason the price tag is so high.

The glass exterior, for instance, like virtually everything else in the new headquarters, comes with special security features to prevent other spies from spying on CSEC.

...

CSEC also needs about three times more computing power than it has, plus a full backup, Adams says. �There are more transactions at CSEC on a daily basis than all of our banks combined.�

...

Thomas of the taxpayers' federation said other public servants will be outraged.

"Federal government employees are coming home telling their families they don't have a job anymore and at the same time we are constructing a billion-dollar house of glass for our spy agency."

The best part:

quote:

�How do you get them to gather? You have things there that will draw people. Fire draws people. It's got a fireplace. People say that it is ostentatious. It is not ostentatious. A, It is part of the heat; and B, it is gas; and C, people will walk to the fire. And guess what? They are going to meet people that they would not otherwise see."

Three hours after this story was posted online, two senior officials from CSEC�s public relations department contacted CBC News to say there will be �no fireplaces in the facility.�

This is not the first time the plans for the new spy palace have been changed.

Plans for the facility to include a skating rink and hobby garden were dropped early in the development after their existence was reported in the media.

I bet they hope the media doesn't find out about the room where conservatives jerk each other off, it would be a shame to have to remove it from the building's plans.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 22:13

ocrumsprug: Sep 23, 2010; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

mik posted:

I bet they hope the media doesn't find out about the room where conservatives jerk each other off, it would be a shame to have to remove it from the building's plans.

That room would contain the other party too as this is not some new department.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 22:17

Precambrian Video Games: Aug 19, 2002

Baronjutter posted:

Don't these corporations have big enough budgets to afford their own espionage ? Why are we giving them espionage welfare?

Of course supporting our mining and oil industry is in the national interest, silly. You wouldn't want to lose all those jobs, would you? These brave spies are fighting for our jobs.

Does this have anything to do with that enormous server complex the US (NSA?) is building in the desert in Arizona or wherever the gently caress to spy on as much internet traffic as they possibly can?

e: my bad, it's in Utah, and it only sounds like an outlandish conspiracy theory - it will become real quite soon.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 22:18

Paper Jam Dipper: Jul 14, 2007; by XyloJW

Who needs a Census when you can just spy on your people?

# ? Oct 9, 2013 22:38

egg tats: Apr 3, 2010

Paper Jam Dipper posted:

Who needs a Census when you can just spy on your people?

Never tweet how many bathrooms are in your house!

# ? Oct 9, 2013 22:42

Huge Liability: Mar 2, 2010

In more libertarian news, my friend has moved on from being angry at the census and is now trying to establish a taxi service in Guelph that accepts 'donations' of silver and bitcoins (there is no mandatory minimum payment because that would be tyranny.) This is in order to "take back the roads and your freedom of travel from the state."

# ? Oct 9, 2013 23:04

bunnyofdoom: Mar 29, 2008; I've been here the whole time, and you're not my real Dad!

Huge Liability posted:

In more libertarian news, my friend has moved on from being angry at the census and is now trying to establish a taxi service in Guelph that accepts 'donations' of silver and bitcoins (there is no mandatory minimum payment because that would be tyranny.) This is in order to "take back the roads and your freedom of travel from the state."

Wow. Just wow.Has he emailed barely literate manifestos about this to the major political parties? If so, I may have dealt with him.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 23:08

ocrumsprug: Sep 23, 2010; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

Huge Liability posted:

In more libertarian news, my friend has moved on from being angry at the census and is now trying to establish a taxi service in Guelph that accepts 'donations' of silver and bitcoins (there is no mandatory minimum payment because that would be tyranny.) This is in order to "take back the roads and your freedom of travel from the state."

"Who does he think built the roads", I naively ponder?

# ? Oct 9, 2013 23:08

Huge Liability: Mar 2, 2010

bunnyofdoom posted:

Wow. Just wow.Has he emailed barely literate manifestos about this to the major political parties? If so, I may have dealt with him.

It's a high school acquaintance of mine. He invited me to his libertarian Facebook page after I posted a news article about police brutality (I think it was about Yatim's murder), and I joined out of curiosity. There are no manifestos or barely-literate rants, he mostly just shares news articles and libertarian blogs (and advertises his taxi business, apparently.)

edited to add that I just found out the libertarian blog is run by another high school acquaintance, who used to be extremely well-spoken and had real political aspirations. He now shares images like this and refers to Canada day as "Slave Day."

Huge Liability fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Oct 9, 2013

# ? Oct 9, 2013 23:15

infernal machines: Oct 11, 2012; we monitor many frequencies. we listen always. came a voice, out of the babel of tongues, speaking to us. it played us a mighty dub.

ocrumsprug posted:

"Who does he think built the roads", I naively ponder?

They sprung fully formed from the sweat of his brow.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 23:16

egg tats: Apr 3, 2010

Huge Liability posted:

It's a high school acquaintance of mine. He invited me to his libertarian Facebook page after I posted a news article about police brutality (I think it was about Yatim's murder), and I joined out of curiosity. There are no manifestos or barely-literate rants, he mostly just shares news articles and libertarian blogs (and advertises his taxi business, apparently.)

edited to add that I just found out the libertarian blog is run by another high school acquaintance, who used to be extremely well-spoken and had real political aspirations. He now shares images like this and refers to Canada day as "Slave Day."

Maybe he's referring to the genocide committed against the native populations of Canada :unsmith:

I know he isn't :smith:

Edit: wait why does he specify that it's a monopoly of force? Would it be better if the oppression of all Canadians was administered by an oligopoly or a free market?

egg tats fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Oct 9, 2013

# ? Oct 9, 2013 23:37

ocrumsprug: Sep 23, 2010; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

senae posted:

Maybe he's referring to the genocide committed against the native populations of Canada

I know he isn't

Edit: wait why does he specify that it's a monopoly of force? Would it be better if the oppression of all Canadians was administered by an oligopoly or a free market?

How do you live this close to the States and think that Canada is violently oppressing its citizens in comparison? :psyduck:

e: I want an oligopoly in true Canadian tradition.

# ? Oct 9, 2013 23:48

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

senae posted:

Edit: wait why does he specify that it's a monopoly of force? Would it be better if the oppression of all Canadians was administered by an oligopoly or a free market?

The Free Market is always the best at everything, and there's no reason to think the violence market would be any less efficient. :colbert:

# ? Oct 10, 2013 00:05

Helsing: Aug 23, 2003; DON'T POST IN THE ELECTION THREAD UNLESS YOU JOE BIDEN

senae posted:

Maybe he's referring to the genocide committed against the native populations of Canada

I know he isn't

Edit: wait why does he specify that it's a monopoly of force? Would it be better if the oppression of all Canadians was administered by an oligopoly or a free market?

Truly batshit Libertarians favour privatized police forces or what they sometimes call "Dispute Resolution Organizations" (DROs).

# ? Oct 10, 2013 00:23

Wistful of Dollars: Aug 25, 2009

In Duffy chat he has recently been spotted holding open doors at a random truck stop in New Brunswick. (True story)

In other news, someone at the CBC NL decided to kick the hornets nest.

# ? Oct 10, 2013 00:34

Dr Christmas: Apr 24, 2010; Berninating the one percent,
Berninating the Wall St.
Berninating all the people
In their high rise penthouses!
🔥😱🔥🔫👴🏻

Whoops, wrong thread

# ? Oct 10, 2013 00:37

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

El Scotch posted:

In Duffy chat he has recently been spotted holding open doors at a random truck stop in New Brunswick. (True story)

In other news, someone at the CBC NL decided to kick the hornets nest.

To think, they had a particularly good intro about how nobody should have expected moving the community would do anything.

# ? Oct 10, 2013 00:57

BattleMaster: Aug 14, 2000

Paper Jam Dipper posted:

Who needs a Census when you can just spy on your people?

But spying on Canadian citizens is illegal, so obviously this secret organization with no public oversight is respecting the law and the rights of our citizens. Obviously there is tons of oversight, which is why we are finding out about this from an American journalist living in Brazil.

I kind of wish we would stop playing at being a big boy nation just because we totally helped out in World War II or something. We're some podunk-rear end backwater, we don't need spies or stealth fighters or special forces and I wish we would stop doing those things because we think it makes us look cool (it isn't working)

# ? Oct 10, 2013 01:57

TrueChaos: Nov 14, 2006

El Scotch posted:

In other news, someone at the CBC NL decided to kick the hornets nest.

This... This isn't going to end well.

# ? Oct 10, 2013 02:10

Dreylad: Jun 19, 2001

TrueChaos posted:

This... This isn't going to end well.

They've already put up an apology for the article.

# ? Oct 10, 2013 02:15

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# ? May 9, 2024 17:44

Blade_of_tyshalle: Jul 12, 2009; If you think that, along the way, you're not going to fail... you're blind.

There's no one I've ever met, no matter how successful they are, who hasn't said they had their failures along the way.

mik posted:

I bet they hope the media doesn't find out about the room where conservatives jerk each other off, it would be a shame to have to remove it from the building's plans.

Ohhh, so that's what the huge monstrosity beside Gloucester Centre is. It's very convenient, there's a transit station nearby, Loblaw's, Bulk Barn, Walmart, Chapters, two Starbucks, and the Silver City!

# ? Oct 10, 2013 02:49

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Canadian Politics Megathread: That is simply not Trudeau

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