The Western Canadian Scene (III)

Rising alienation in far-western provinces
Last month we published a report on the political scene in the western provinces, including a report by Neil Wilson respecting the rising grassroots sentiment in Alberta for more concrete action by its provincial government concerning the invasion by Ottawa of provincial jurisdictions, and a major address by Prof. Ted Morton of the University of Calgary outlining a constructive agenda for the western provinces in their efforts to get the Central Government out of provincial jurisdictions and return to constitutional government.
This report is a follow-up to last month's, with our focus primarily on Alberta, the heartland of dissatisfaction with the present taxing and administrating policies of our two senior orders of government.
Last month's report also mentioned the launching in Alberta of the ARL (the Alberta Residents League), to strengthen the voice and the impact of grassroots citizens' concerns and demands upon their provincial government and politicians in general.
A southern Alberta correspondent who attended the latest ARL public meeting, in the little town of Nanton (70 miles south of Calgary), reports as follows:
The speakers were Prof. Ted Morton of the University of Calgary and Link Byfield, Chairman of the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy, and the attendance was 360.
The message of the speakers drew attention to the present politically discriminatory situation in the West generally, and particularly in Alberta: pushed around by a Central Government controlled by only the two central provinces -- jailing farmers for selling their wheat while decriminalizing marijuana!
Then the speakers outlined the great natural resources and physical riches and strengths of Alberta, and the glorious possibilities and future possible "if only we could enjoy less Ottawa and more Alberta"!
At the close of the meeting Mr. Neil Wilson, the M.C., said that the time has now come for Albertans to begin issuing 'directives' to their provincial politicians to take action to evict Ottawa out of "our provincial constitutional jurisdictions, and replace members of our provincial legislature who fail to respond favourably to the wishes of their constituents," as the whole meeting burst forth in thunderous applause.
This Nanton meeting, apparently, is one of the earliest meetings of a major province-wide campaign by the Alberta Residents League to bring this message and challenge to every community in the province.

What is Klein's situation?
Alberta Premier Ralph Klein has held his high office ten years, longer than any other Canadian premier. And in recent years, since he was briefed on our Constitution, he has, on and off, waged rhetorical 'spats' with Ottawa over federal/provincial jurisdictions, transfer payments, etc. Going back just a few months, here are excerpts respecting these skirmishes:
n The National Post, April 16, carried a report captioned "Klein Mulls 'Firewall Against Ottawa.' " Here are excerpts:
"EDMONTON - Premier Ralph Klein says his government will consider some radical measures to build a 'firewall' around Alberta in the face of growing discontent with Ottawa.
"Mr. Klein yesterday told reporters the measures, which were first suggested in a letter two years ago by six right-wing Albertans, could include setting up the province's own versions of federal programs without leaving Confederation.
" 'The firewall letter doesn't include separation,' Mr. Klein said. 'It includes a number of things that the province might do to assert its authority … like our own pension plan, a divorce from the federal taxation system (and) a provincial police force.'
"In addition to floating the firewall idea, the Premier speculated about crafting a national charter outlining provincial-federal responsibilities in the wake of Jean Charest's Quebec election victory. …"

n The National Post, April 19, carried an editorial piece captioned "Klein's mixed message." Here are excerpts:
"The province of Alberta has no shortage of legitimate grievances with the rest of Canada in general, and with Jean Chrétien's Liberals in particular. This is an area of the country where many people are still angry with Pierre Trudeau's National Energy Policy. In recent years, the Liberals' support for the Canadian Wheat Board, the decision to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, and the creation of a national gun registry over the objections of thousands of Albertan hunters have only added to the region's collective umbrage.
"But even if Albertans are justified in feeling alienated from Ottawa, there are right and wrong ways to go about addressing the problem. And Ralph Klein, the normally sensible Alberta Premier, sometimes seems to have trouble distinguishing between the two. The provocative idea of a 'firewall' program that protects the province from federal intrusion may have attracted local interest when it was proposed by six prominent Albertans (including Stephen Harper, now the Canadian Alliance leader) in a letter two years ago. But as one of Canada's most powerful and influential politicians, Mr. Klein should have known he was treading on dangerous ground earlier this week when he appeared to embrace the same idea.
"As Premier, Mr. Klein is expected to abide by the federal-provincial framework laid out in our Constitution, both in letter and spirit. Thus, it is irresponsible for him to suggest that Ottawa's legitimate role in public administration might be blocked wholesale through some sort of 'firewall.' While Mr. Klein is correct to insist that Ottawa respect the boundary between federal and provincial areas of jurisdiction, he must respect that boundary as well. ...
"Mr. Klein must decide once and for all where he stands on Alberta's place in Canada. ... Albertans, along with the rest of Canadians, have a right to know where their Premier stands. Mr. Klein's voice is a welcome one on the national stage, but only if he thinks before opening his mouth."

Chrétien labels Klein a meddler
n The National Post, May 7, published a report under the above caption, with this subheading: 'The PM's reaction explains why there is Western alienation.' Following, is this report, by the Post's Ottawa Bureau Chief, Robert Fife:
"OTTAWA - Jean Chrétien delivered a tough message to Alberta yesterday to keep out of federal jurisdiction and stop complaining about Western alienation after Premier Ralph Klein angrily accused Ottawa of 'messing' in provincial affairs.
"The Prime Minister dismissed as unfounded the Conservative Premier's assertions that the Liberal government ignores the grievances and concerns of the West.
" 'We have some federal responsibility that we discharge quite well. The country is doing quite well at this moment and Alberta even better than the rest of the country,' Mr. Chrétien said after a Cabinet meeting.
"Mr. Klein said on Monday that Ottawa must 'stay out' of exploitation of Alberta's natural resources, the delivery of education and provincial health care.
"But Mr. Chrétien said the Premier seems to forget that Ottawa delivers a lot of money to the province for health care: 'We're sending them money for health care; perhaps we should keep it.' …
"While the Prime Minister was dismissive of the growing Western alienation movement, Ralph Goodale, the Public Works Minister and the political minister for Saskatchewan, conceded Ottawa is failing to properly address the issue. 'Western alienation is a real phenomenon,' said Mr. Goodale, a supporter of Paul Martin, the Liberal leadership front-runner. 'It must be treated seriously by the national government ... to get at the root of this old malaise and make it possible for more Western Canadians to feel comfortable and satisfied with their national government.'
"Stephen Harper, the leader of the Official Opposition and a Calgary MP, said the Prime Minister is out of touch with Western Canadians.
" 'The Prime Minister's reaction explains why there is Western alienation when Premier Klein raises valid areas of provincial jurisdiction in the interests of Alberta and he is simply dismissed in Ottawa,' the Canadian Alliance leader said. 'This is typical of the way concerns of many provinces, but particularly Alberta, are treated by this government.'
"In a speech to the Economic Transformation in Western Canada conference on Monday, Mr. Klein offered three ways the federal government could immediately resolve Western concerns.
"He proposed Ottawa allow the provinces to nominate candidates to the Senate; hold annual first ministers meetings; and guarantee provincial input before signing international agreements, such as the Kyoto climate accord. 'These are simple things that Ottawa could do,' Mr. Klein said. 'I'm not talking about huge changes here. It's something the Prime Minister could do tomorrow.'
"Later, Mr. Klein told reporters the Liberal government wants all power concentrated in Ottawa while it feels free to interfere in such provincial affairs as education, health and resource exploitation.
" 'We don't mess around with the CBC, the RCMP, the Criminal Code, the Canadian army or Foreign Affairs. Stay out of our bailiwick and we'll all get along,' he said.
"Alberta has also complained Ottawa is too sensitive to Quebec's concerns, noting it refused to fight a Quebec court ruling that softens the new Youth Criminal Justice Act.
"Mr. Goodale, who is working on a Western reform package for Mr. Martin's leadership team, said Ottawa needs to admit that Western alienation exists and deserves national attention. He agreed there is a need for an elected and effective Senate and a more representative House of Commons.
"But he said one of the biggest problems is the unwillingness of federal leaders to listen and communicate with the West. 'We at the federal level have to make a much better effort to be on the ground in the regions in this country communicating ... and listening to the messages coming back.' "

n The Toronto Sun, May 8, with a report by its Ian McDougall captioned 'Author: Lack of respect at fault,' with a subheading 'PM Klein turf war,' made a contribution to this issue. Following, are excerpts:
"The spat between Alberta Premier Ralph Klein and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien underlines a bigger problem: Disregard for the Constitution, says a former MP turned author.
"Klein and Chrétien recently traded shots in an ongoing political turf war.
"Chrétien mused about no longer sending health money to Alberta as a result of Klein's letter to U.S. ambassador Paul Cellucci in support of the U.S. action in Iraq.
"He followed up by telling Klein to mind his own provincial business.
"J. Patrick Boyer, author of the recently published Just Trust Us, said the fight wouldn't have happened if those in power respected the separation of power laid out in the Constitution.
" 'It's just one more small spark in the grinding wheels between the two levels of government ever since the people that run the country forgot about the Constitution,' he said.
"Boyer, a Tory MP from 1984 to 1993, now teaches at the University of Guelph.
"His book is part of the Underground Royal Commission, a series of works that examine government. In Just Trust Us, Boyer looks at how interference in other government jurisdictions has destroyed accountability.
"Boyer faults Klein and Chrétien equally in a 'dance step of constitutional mambo.'
"He points out the Constitution only has two areas where federal and provincial jurisdictions overlap -- immigration and agriculture.
" 'Everyone's living in each other's pocket.' "

The definitive solution:
Back to constitutional government
By far the most authoritative documentation we have seen on this problem of constitutional jurisdictions, outlining its cause and the cure, is a 'Proposed Revised and Updated Canadian Constitution for the Twenty-First Century,' published by The Canadian Constitution Committee chaired by Neil Wilson of Nanton, Alberta.
This proposed, revised and updated Constitution 2000, includes an introductory mini-booklet by Neil Wilson, captioned "A Constitutional Proposal to Return to Our Roots and Regenerate Our Federation," which gives valuable background respecting the cause and history of today's constitutional problems, with some valuable notes on English Common Law. Following, are the first few paragraphs of this little introductory mini-booklet.

A Little Background
Regardless of any misunderstandings or mistakes in the early constitutional development and framework of our country, the British North America Act for the past 133 years has been accepted by our governments, courts, institutions and general citizenry, as our Constitution. And upon examination, it's basically a sound and reasonable 'constitution,' even though in reality it is only an Act of the Imperial Parliament which was never validated by the Canadian People by way of Referendum.
Our widespread disillusionment in several major regions of Canada today, and our national 'unity' problem, are not caused by or the result of the BNA Act or its usage and acceptance as our Constitution. Indeed, today's problems are largely the result of the central government's violation and disregard of the BNA Act as our Constitution, and the widespread ignorance of our provincial governments and our citizenry at large regarding our rights, our powers and responsibilities outlined in the Act.
The provinces were here, as colonies or territories, long before any central government. And, according to the BNA Act, the provinces allocated to the central government certain areas of jurisdiction, listed in Section 91 of the Act, such as national defence, foreign policy and affairs, postal services, banking services, offshore fisheries, etc. -- those areas which by their very nature are national in scope. But the provinces retained for themselves exclusive jurisdiction over education, medical services, welfare, renewable and non-renewable natural resources, property and civil rights, etc. -- those areas of jurisdiction by nature provincial and of a local or private nature, including direct taxation (income tax), as outlined in Sections 92, 92A and 93 of the Act.

Federal Invasion of
Provincial Jurisdiction
Ottawa, in 1917, passed the Income War Tax Act, by which the central government 'borrowed' the provinces' exclusive constitutional right to levy direct taxation. This invasion of provincial jurisdiction was to meet the financial exigencies of wartime and to end within 24 to 36 months.
This 'borrowing' or exchanging of jurisdiction would certainly have been unconstitutional in peacetime without the sanction of a War-Measures Act. However, to this day Ottawa has not surrendered the income-tax jurisdiction it borrowed from the provinces 83 years ago!
Then, during the Second World War, this central government invasion of provincial areas of jurisdiction escalated, again under the exigencies of war.

Federal Invasion Becomes Permanent
The Globe and Mail, Sept. 17, 1997, under the caption "A constitutional mess on the Rideau" published a most significant and revealing letter by Eric Kierans of Halifax, who is a former member of the Quebec cabinet of Jean Lesage and the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Trudeau. Following, are excerpts:
"However, in 1942, to strengthen the war effort, all provinces agreed to cede their authority over personal and corporate taxation to the federal government (Dominion-Provincial Taxation Agreement Act, 1942). The agreement was to last for the duration of the war plus 12 months.
"As a result of the agreement, Canadian economic and fiscal policies were fully centralized. In 1943, the Dominion government collected 76 per cent of all governments' revenues. Ottawa officialdom was at the zenith of its power and, moreover, performed brilliantly.
"A simple question soon surfaced to torment the officials who had achieved so much -- Graham Towers, Alex Skelton, W.A. Mackintosh, Donald Gordon, Robert Bryce, Mitchell Sharp, et al. -- How do we extend this power and authority into the peacetime years ahead?
"Canada was a centralized state, a Keynesian prerequisite. It could remain so only by a successful amendment to the BNA Act or by repudiating the Taxation Agreement Act of 1942 and refusing to give up control of the income taxes. The full weight of the Department of Finance and the Bank of Canada persuaded the minister of finance, J.L. Ilsley, to renege on the agreement.
"In the Dominion-Provincial Conference of 1945-46, Mr. Ilsley stated that it was 'not the intention of the Dominion Government to consider a return to pre-war arrangements' and no, 'it is not proposed to seek a constitutional amendment.' The Dominion government would provide enhanced subsidies in exchange for the withdrawal of the provinces from the income-tax fields. Times had changed, he noted.
"The conference failed. But the Dominion government pushed through its proposals by budgetary resolutions. The Keynesian promises of high and stable employment and an 'edifice of social programs' were then introduced as the vision of postwar Canada.
"The cost? It can best be described in the words of Angus L. Macdonald, premier of Nova Scotia, who had seen this coming during his wartime years as minister of national defence for naval services. In an emotional address to the conference, he said:
" 'Provincial autonomy will be gone. Provincial independence will vanish. Provincial dignity will disappear. Provincial Governments will become mere annuitants of Ottawa.'
"There was no response. It was the way Ottawa wanted relations with the provinces to be.
"Quebec premier Maurice Duplessis said soberly: 'In my opinion, if we accepted the proposals of the federal government, Confederation could not endure.' " (Foregoing emphases added)
Well, there it-is, right from three of Canada's top wartime leaders, two of whom served in the federal cabinet and two as provincial premiers -- the story of how Ottawa brushed aside our 'Constitution,' the BNA Act, and invaded Provincial areas of jurisdiction and sovereignty concerning both social policy and taxation. And, with the federal 'edifice of social programs' using tax-dollars rightfully belonging to the provinces, Ottawa has progressively escalated its invasion of provincial jurisdiction until today we have an almost all-powerful, centralized, nondemocratic government in Ottawa, largely annuitant provincial governments, widespread federal-provincial wrangling, with a distinct threat of future fragmentation.
This situation has to be addressed and corrected, and a sound basis laid for genuine national unity, if we are to hand down to our grandchildren a great and united country and the rich heritage our forefathers handed down to us. And this requires a return to our roots and constitutional government, and the regeneration of our country.
That, and nothing less, has been the motivation for this initiative of a Revised and Updated Canadian Constitution.

Getting back to
Constitutional Government
Foremost in our minds in undertaking the essential revision and updating of our Constitution, was the fact that, while our Canadian citizenry has never been given an opportunity of ratifying the British North America Act by way of referendum, it nevertheless has proven itself to be a wisely conceived set of guidelines for good and responsible government to the extent that governments adhered to it. And, indeed, over a long period of time it has been widely accepted as our Constitution.
Therefore, throughout any revisions, we have been careful in confirming or clarifying points or sections, not to change the original intent, especially in the original division of powers and jurisdictions.
Moreover, in considering every idea, aspect and original intent, in revising and updating our Constitution we were ever mindful of the guiding principles inherent in our Common Law heritage:
The Constitution of Canada does not belong to Parliament, or to the Legislatures; it belongs to the country, and it is there that the citizens of our country will find the protection of their rights. And, furthermore, our Constitution is to assist our governments and citizens in the maintenance of Law, Order and Justice, and in the preservation, expression and transmittal to succeeding generations of our nation's culture and heritage.
It is our profound view that a constitution must engender respect for our past, our roots and history; and love, honour and loyalty to our country, our home and homeland; and a spirit of unity, national pride, confidence and faith in our purpose and future.
We believe that our proposed Revised and Updated Constitution's acceptance and confirmation would constitute a major step towards these high, yet realistic views.
(End of the excerpts from the introductory mini-booklet with the Proposed Revised and Updated Canadian Constitution 2000)

A few revisions and updates
A few of the revisions and updates in this new Canadian Constitution 2000 proposal include:
l Today, our Governor General is appointed by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Under the new Constitution 2000 proposal, the Governor General would be appointed by the Queen, on the advice of a committee comprised of her ten provincial premiers.
l Today, Senators are appointed by the Crown (the Queens representative in Canada, the Governor General) on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Under the new proposal, Senators would be elected by the Canadian citizenry for an 8-year term, half to be elected every four years; and Senate elections would coincide with those for the House of Commons.
l Today, the central government sells bonds and short-term instruments within Canada and abroad, thus incurring both national and international debt.
Under the new proposal, government borrowing would be confined to borrowing from the Bank of Canada and sale of bonds, etc., to Canadian citizens.
l Today, sea-coast and inland fisheries are administered by the central government.
Under the new proposal, they would fall under provincial jurisdiction with federal co-operation, as follows:
Sect. 71. The Provincial and Territorial Legislatures shall make Laws for the management of their respective Coastal and Inland Fisheries.
Sect. 72 (1) The Federal Government may make Laws regarding Access to Coastal and Inland Fisheries as an Agent of the Provinces, to aid in International and Internal Disputes, and the Environmental Preservation of Inland and Coastal Waters; but no such Law shall allow for Foreign intrusion of Canadian Waters for the purpose of obtaining the Primary Product of Fish without the Consent and Specified Quota of the respective Province.
Sect. 72 (2) The Federal Government shall ensure the Compliance of Provincial Regulation and Law, and shall arbitrate on behalf of the Provinces in Cases of International Dispute over Canadian Fishing Waters or Dispute between provinces sharing such waters.
l Today, Supreme Court Justices are selected and appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Under the new proposal, applicants would be screened by an All-Party Parliamentary Committee with which the Governor-General would confer before making an appointment.
l Today, so-called 'human rights' tribunals -- in reality nothing more than medieval Star-Chamber type 'courts' which operated outside the bounds and protection of English common law and the safeguards of properly constituted courts of law -- are being used in Canada to convict and punish 'politically incorrect' citizens of so-called 'hate' crimes, many of which are alleged (without proof) to have occurred more than half a century ago in foreign lands. They actually operate on the basis that "truth is no defence"!
Under the new proposal: Sect. 94 reads: "No Committee, Tribunal, Taskforce, or any other Government Agency, other than those Courts established by the Grace of the Crown, may pass Judgment or Sentence."
l Today, our central government, by foreign policy or treaty, may surrender Canadian sovereignty.
Under the new proposal: Sect. 113 reads: "The Parliament and Government of Canada shall have all Powers necessary or proper for exercising its Jurisdiction in Foreign Policy and External Relation; but under no circumstances shall the Federal government or its Agencies make any Treaty or Agreement, or take any Action, that would in any way diminish Canada's National Sovereignty or Provincial Jurisdiction, without first holding a National Referendum on such matter, and the Citizens' Verdict in such case shall Prevail and be Binding upon the Federal Government.
l Today, we are at the mercy of unaccountable politicians and governments.
Under the new proposal, provision is made for properly conducted Citizens-Initiated Referendum and Recall, to hold public servants and officials accountable for their conduct and actions.
These are a few of the major revisions in the new Canadian Constitution 2000 Proposal. This is truly a Canadian People's Constitution to meet the needs and challenges of this new Century. It's the solution to the jurisdictional haggling of federal and provincial politicians, and a major step towards national unity.
Copies of this Draft Proposal for a Revised and Updated Canadian Constitution 2000 A.D., including the introductory mini-booklet, an Index, and all Canadian provincial flags in colour on the back of the attractively coloured cover, are available from this Service at $10 a copy, two copies to same address -$15.

Postscript!
Newfoundland seeks
Constitutional changes
- By Ron Gostick -
Within hours after I finished writing the foregoing report, the Newfoundland-Ottawa controversy over the collapse of the cod fishing burst onto the political scene, and because it's very much a part of the same problem and controversy we've been discussing we are making this CIS section 8 pages and including it right here.
r The National Post, May 9, published a report on the fishery dispute captioned "Newfoundland seeks changes to Confederation." Here are excerpts:
"OTTAWA - The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador yesterday called for a renegotiation of the terms under which his province joined Confederation, as fury over Ottawa's decision to close the all-important cod fishery spread. ...
"Roger Grimes, the Premier, tabled a resolution in the legislature yesterday seeking a formal amendment to the 1949 Newfoundland Act, the document formally declaring Newfoundland and Labrador a province.
" 'Again we have a made-in-Ottawa decision thrust upon us without regard and respect for the concensus of the people of this province. This situation can no longer be allowed to stand,' the Premier told the legislature, to applause from even the Conservative opposition. …
"Mr. Grimes wants to amend the Terms of Union to give the province more control of its fisheries.
" '(The) resolution will direct the government of Newfoundland and Labrador to seek a formal amendment to the Terms of Union, providing for shared and equal constitutional authority between the governments of Canada and this province over fisheries adjacent to our shores.'
"Mr. Dion showed no enthusiasm for reopening the Constitution. 'We have no mandate from the Canadian people for that. It's not in our platform. It's not our policy,' he told reporters. …"
It might be noted that when former Prime Minister Trudeau added his so-called Charter of Rights to our BNA Act Constitution 21 years ago, neither did he have any mandate from the Canadian People; nor did he have the unanimous consent of the provinces which was required at that time for constitutional change! Quebec, we will recall, refused to sign. As a matter of fact, at no time in our history have the Canadian citizenry provided a "mandate" for a constitution. The central government has never given the electorate an opportunity by way of a referendum to either ratify or reject any of its so-called 'constitutions'!
r The National Post, May 17, published a report captioned "Grimes builds alliance to revise Constitution," with this subhead: "Newfoundland Premier says Klein, Charest are on board." Here are excerpts:
"OTTAWA - The prospect of a new round of constitutional negotiations grew yesterday as the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador demanded a wholesale rebalancing of federal and provincial powers on issues ranging from fish to Senate reform.
"The demand from Roger Grimes comes as Ralph Klein, the Alberta Premier, is calling for talks to reform the Senate and Jean Charest, the Quebec Premier, wants new arrangements to address what he calls a 'fiscal imbalance' between Ottawa and the provinces.
"The Prime Minister has so far refused to consider any constitutional talks.
"A resolution presented in the Alberta legislature this week lays out a detailed revision of the Constitution to change the Senate. Under the proposed changes, the Senate would have absolute veto power over legislation in areas of provincial jurisdiction - such as natural resources.
"The resolution also details provisions under which six Senators would be elected from each province and two from each territory.
"After meeting with East Coast MPs and Senators in Ottawa yesterday, Mr. Grimes announced he will meet with every provincial and territorial leader in advance of the annual premiers conference in July to strengthen his case for constitutional change. He is convinced he will have the numbers to make Ottawa respond.
" 'Canada is a creation of provinces and territories voluntarily coming together of their own free will to create a bigger, stronger and greater country. Our creation is somewhat out of control. It's gone amok and we need to bring some balance back to that,' Mr. Grimes told reporters after meeting with students from across Canada at Carleton University yesterday.
" 'There needs to be some redrawing of the lines of authority and the balancing of powers between Canada and the provinces and territories that put this country together in the first place. It's not Canada that has a God-given right to tell all of us what to do and how it's going to be done. We created the country so we should have a real say.' …
"On Senate reform, Mr. Grimes said he supports an 'effective and elected' Senate, but will wait until he meets with Mr. Klein before elaborating on a concrete proposal.
"He said he has already spoken with and supports Mr. Charest, who wants the 'fiscal imbalance' between Quebec and Ottawa corrected, as well as the establishment of a formal 'Council of Premiers' that would have a 'decision-making role' in running Canada. …
"Mr. Baker (George Baker, a Nfld. Senator) told the National Post he supports Mr. Grimes' demand for constitutional change despite opposition from his own government …
"He said Canada has been the 'worst managers' of any coastal state in the world of its fishing resource and without constitutional change that would give Newfoundland more control over its resources, the province will have no choice but to separate."
COMMENT: This latest fisheries tragedy in Newfoundland is powerful confirmation of the legitimacy of the Western Canadian demands for essential constitutional reform and federal respect for our present Constitution's division of powers and allocation of jurisdictions. And, as we have already recommended, a most informative and authoritative document on this whole constitutional question is the Canadian Constitution Committee's Proposal for a Revised and Updated Canadian Constitution 2000 A.D.
Other literature relevant to the Canadian constitutional question which we have available includes the following:
r The Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982. Includes BNA Act (now called The Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982) and The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which together now constitute our present 'Constitution.' $10
r The Missing Key to Canada's Future (is an understanding of our history and constitutional background). A high-quality booklet by two outstanding authorites on our constitutional history, with an Introduction and Postscript by Ron Gostick. This 66-page booklet deals with: The BNA Act of 1867; The Statute of Westminster of 1931; The Charter of Rights … of 1982; and the question: Do we have a valid constitution? The attractive cover, in colour, includes the flags of all our provinces and territories. $8.
r Freedom Wears a Crown, by John Farthing. First published in 1957 in Toronto, its scholarly presentation of the real constitutional role of the Crown is highly regarded around the Commonwealth. The author for some years lectured in economics and political science at McGill University and was one of the small group of brilliant young associates the renowned Stephen Leacock gathered around him. A penetrating examination of our constitutional monarchy form of government and the roots of freedom. SC., 226 pp. with Appendix and Index. $10.
r Canada's Future: More Debt and Bankruptcy? or Financial Reform and Prosperity?, by Ron Gostick. This attractive 64-page booklet, while not dealing strictly with constitutional issues, but with the largely unknown story of grassroots Canada this past century, is essential reading for those who really want to understand their country, its man-made problems but inspiring possibilities. It reveals the truth about 'financially-created' recessions and depressions which you won't learn in school! And outlines our incredibly rich heritage, largely untapped and even unknown to most of our citizens. An intriguing, yet almost suppressed aspect of our history. $8.
(Our prices include GST and shipping)

Once to every man and nation,
Comes the moment to decide;
Then it is the brave step forward,
While the coward stands aside …
Till the multitude find virtue,
In the faith they have denied.
--Author unknown

On Target Report

Who really controls Britain's Prime Minister?
The following article, including the heading and subheading, is reprinted from the April 2003 issue of the New Times Survey newsletter published in Melbourne, Australia.

Blair's chief fundraiser -- Lord Michael Levy
(Financing Tony Blair's Labour Party in Britain)
Lord Levy is one of the most important fundraisers for the Labour Party and Tony Blair's unofficial envoy to the Middle East. He met Blair at a dinner party in 1994 held by Gideon Meir, a senior Israeli diplomat, and became his tennis partner.
Levy was in charge of donations to the 'private trust' which funded Tony Blair's office before the 1997 election (which reached £7-million), and is now the chief fundraiser for the 'high value' donors account at the Labour Party, along with his deputy Amanda Delew (who worked with him at Jewish Care). He is reported to have raised £l2-million for the 'high value' fund before the 1997 election, becoming known as 'Mr. Cashpoint.'
Straight after the election he was given a peerage. He used to work with Dr. Henry Drucker, whose company Oxford Philanthropic was brought in by the Labour Party to advise on gaining large corporate donations, but they fell out over Drucker's description of Labour's 'blind trust' funds as 'evil' (the trusts have since all been closed down). At one meeting with Levy in his Totteridge mansion, Levy apologized to Drucker for not offering him a cup of coffee, but explained 'You'll have to do without as none of the servants are about and I don't know how to work the machine myself.'
Recording
He set up Magnet Records in 1972 with help from Maurice Oberstein, Head of CBS Records, and made millions from artists like Alvin Stardust, Chris Rea, Dollar, Darts and Bad Manners, at one point was selling 8% of all records in the UK. Some former employees of Magnet have complained that he was a tyrant who shouted at staff and threw ashtrays around. He sold Magnet to Warner Brothers in 1988 for £10-million and later set up another record company called M&G (named after himself and his wife Gilda), where he paid himself a salary of £308,657. He sold M&G in 1997.

Minimum Tax
Although a multi-millionaire, he only paid £5,000 in tax in 1998-9 and less than £lO,000 in 1997-8 as he said he wasn't working. He runs a private company called Wireart, an investment company which was based in an overseas tax haven until 1997. Wireart paid him £l6O,OOO (plus £50,000 expenses) for work as a management consultant in 1998-9 at the time he wasn't working. Since 1992 he has been Chairman of Jewish Care, one of the UK's biggest charities (he was asked to join by the Tory minister Lord Young), raising as much as £60-million.

Luxury
Lord Levy's multi-million-pound home, Chase House is in Totteridge; Levy's second home in Tel Aviv, Israel. Chase House, Levy's home in Totteridge (north London), has 5 large bedrooms, 3 sitting rooms, tennis court, swimming pool, a games room, palm trees, a large garage for his chauffeur-driven Jaguar and Bentley, and a separate annex for his servants. He spent £1.3-million refurbishing the house after he bought it in 1997 for £1.3-million …

Funds for Barak
He also owns a villa in Herzliya Pituah, an exclusive suburb of Tel Aviv in Israel, which he bought after selling another villa nearby for £4-million. He has acted as a fundraiser for Ehud Barak, the Israeli Prime Minister, and maintains a close relationship with him. His son Daniel worked for the Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, to whom Levy contributed campaign funds. Both his children live in Israel.
His role as unofficial envoy for the Middle East took him to 8 different countries in 1999, staying in British Embassies, including Syria, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Israel, Egypt and Lebanon (where he was accused by the Lebanese Government of bringing them the Israeli position, and the British Ambassador had to issue a statement to try and calm the situation down). He was also provided with cars, drivers and staff support. The Embassy in Amman, Jordan, arranged a lunch for him to meet Jordanian politicians.
(End of article)

COMMENT (by R.G.): We mention these details respecting the life of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to note that his life style and political friends hardly reflect the widespread U.K. citizenry he supposedly represents. And it seems obvious that he's getting advice and direction on foreign policy from a source that seems to be an agent of the Israeli government and whose interests are primarily the interests of this foreign state.
This perhaps explains why he was so easily co-opted by U.S. President Bush and his war party. One thing is certain: the only real 'winners' in war are the international conglomerates and financial interests who create and loan the money to build the armaments and weapons of massive destruction, and then create and loan governments the money for the reconstruction of the society and infrastructure they've just destroyed. And the losers are the rank-and-file citizenry and taxpayers of both sides in the 'war.'
No wonder the Christian Gospel tells us, Blessed are the peace-makers -- not the war-makers.

Common sense from New Zealand
The January-February 2003 On Target newsletter published in Auckland, New Zealand, published a most insightful article captioned "Iraq: Welcome to the New Imperial and Corporate World Order." Here are two excerpts:
"Despite the most disgusting and sanctimonious hypocrisy used to justify the Iraq attack, the affair might possibly do more in the long run for future British sovereignty, at least in respect of the EU (European Union). Inside the hopelessly bureaucratic and collectivist EU the Iraqi affair is showing up some of the real cracks. Spain has sided with the US, and Turkey -- which wants to join the EU -- has caved in to US pressure because it desperately needs the debt relief. Turkey's situation helps to show just what pressures and dynamics are at work in the world. Her people mostly want nothing to do with the US war against Iraq and most of the government looked like they wanted to keep out of it too. Here is how commentator Mehmet Ali Birand, writing in the Turkish Daily News (March 1) described it:
" 'When you are poor, when your creditors hang on your door, you find yourself helpless. Your powers of resistance start to ebb. You have to speak in an intimidated manner when confronted with your creditors' proposals. This is because you know very well that the moment you say "no," officials from the bailiff's office may knock on your door. You may find yourself unable to even feed your family.' "
COMMENT: Yes, sad but true are the words of commentator Birand. And they underline a lesson applicable to both individuals and states: in order to preserve your independence and sovereignty, do everything possible to avoid indebtedness. And with that in mind, strive to encourage in your own country financial policies that make possible both personal and public financial solvency, independence and sovereignty.

Indeed, Words of Wisdom
The same issue of the N.Z. On Target newsletter quoted above, published the following item under the caption "Words of Wisdom from Billy Graham's Daughter," and this note: "A supporter emailed the following to us. We don't have the original source."
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different. It is not intended to be a joke. It is not funny. It is intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked, "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding Sept. 11).
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.. She said:
I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we have been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government, and to get out of our lives.
And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?
In light of recent events - terrorists' attacks, school shootings, etc. - I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school ... the Bible says you shall not kill, you shall not steal, and love your neighbour as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he is talking about. And we said OK.
Then someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. The school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued (there's a big difference between disciplining, touching, beating, smacking, humiliating, kicking). And we said OK.
Then some wise schoolboard member said, since boys will be boys and they are going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they want so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said OK.
Then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down to earth, appreciation of the beauty of the female body. And we said OK.
And then someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then further again by making them available on the Internet. And we said OK. ...
Then the entertainment industry said, let's make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex. Let's record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes. And we said it is just entertainment, it has no adverse effect, nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead.
Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. Agreeing with them, we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good.
Now we are asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, their babies and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world is going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Funny how, if you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you are not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you want people you know to think seriously about these issues. If not, then just discard it, no one will know you did. But if you discard this thought process, you shouldn't wonder and complain about what bad shape the world is in!
(End of the N.Z. On Target item)
Well and eloquently said -- and most timely. Mr. Graham's daughter is a credit to her famous father.

Enterprise Report

BB & the BL:
Bush and Blair and the Big Lie
Following, under its above caption, is The Toronto Sun' April 20th column by its Foreign Affairs correspondent, Eric Margolis.
A California superior court judge sent me the following quotation, which is well worth pondering:
"We must make clear to the Germans that the wrong for which their leaders are on trial is not that they lost the war, but that they started it. And we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into a trial of the causes of the war, for our position is that no grievances or policies will justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced and condemned as an instrument of policy."
This declaration was made by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel L. Jackson, America's senior representative at the 1945 Nuremberg war crimes trials, and the tribunal's chief prosecutor.
Those now exulting America's conquest of Iraq should ponder Judge Jackson's majestic words. Particularly now that the U.S.-British justifications for invading Iraq are being revealed as distortions.
Every nook and cranny of Iraq has yet to be searched, but so far nothing incriminating has been discovered to validate lurid claims made by President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair. Let's review the big ones:
ç "The Iraqi regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised," said President Bush, warning Iraq was intent on attacking the U.S. But Mohamed el-Baradei, chief of the UN nuclear weapons inspection agency (IAEA), concluded in March: "No evidence or plausible indication of the revival of a nuclear weapons program in Iraq." The same for gas and germs.
ç U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell claimed before the UN, backed up by a dossier from British Intelligence, that Washington and London had a long list of sites in Iraq containing weapons of mass destruction (WMD). When inspected by the UN, and, later, U.S. troops, none contained any WMD. Part of London's damning dossier on Iraq was revealed to have been plagiarized from a 10year-old graduate thesis.
ç "Iraq is trying to procure uranium," thundered Colin Powell at the UN. Washington and London claimed Iraq imported yellowcake uranium from Niger to make nuclear weapons. In March, UN experts concluded the documents purportedly confirming the uranium sales were "not authentic" and in fact "crude fabrications."

Fictitious uranium
ç Bush: "Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminium tubes for gas centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons." The uranium to be enriched was, of course, the same fictitious uranium from Niger. UN inspectors found the tubes were for short-range, 81-mm artillery rockets.
ç The U.S. claimed Iraq was an ally of al-Qaida. No terrorist links have so far been found. Just a retired Palestinian thus, Abu Abbas. The notorious Ansar al-Islam "terror and poison camp" turned out to be mud huts occupied by motley Islamists who regularly denounced bin Laden.
çThe mobile germ warfare trucks Powell warned about -- a.k.a "Winnebagos of Death" -- turned out to be mobile food inspection labs. Iraq's "drones of death" that Bush warned might fly off ships to attack the U.S. with pestilence were, on inspection, two rickety model airplanes.
çThe Bush administration concealed from Americans that in 1995 Saddam Hussein's son-in-law, Gen. Hussein Kamel, had told the UN arms inspection agency and the CIA he had personally supervised destruction of all of Iraq's biological and chemical weapons (mostly supplied by the U.S. and Britain in the 1980s). Glen Rangwala, of Cambridge University, who exposed London's plagiarized Iraq dossier, obtained the transcript of the Kamel interview.

Torrent of propaganda
And so it went. A torrent of propaganda deceiving Americans into believing Iraq was armed to the teeth with WMD, somehow responsible for 9/11, and intending, as Bush repeatedly claimed, to attack the U.S.
Inspectors found no WMD. So far, neither have U.S. occupation forces. No nukes. No poison gas and dispersing systems. No Scud missiles. No al-Qaida camps. Just lots of palaces filled with hideous Mesopotamian baroque furniture and a ruined, destitute nation.
The U.S. has refused to readmit UN inspectors to Iraq. Two teams of U.S. intelligence specialists are sifting through the wreckage. Cynics suspect the U.S. will shortly "discover" a smoking gun to justify the invasion, even if one must be created. Otherwise, why would the U.S. refuse to allow UN inspectors to join the hunt? Doing so would authenticate any future U.S. claims.
No one, least of all this writer, who spent a harrowing time in Iraq under Saddam's brutal, sinister, megalo-despotism, mourns him. But in their lust to invade Iraq, the Bush administration and Tony Blair deeply discredited their own nations' moral standing, credibility, and democratic ideals by outrageously misleading their own people and whipping them into mass hysteria to justify an imperial war.
(End of Mr. Margolis' column)
Our only comment: That's putting it mildly!

A review from the South Pacific
The following items are reproduced from the February 28, 2003 issue of the Australian On Target report published in Melbourne weekly. It constitutes both a re-view and a re-view of today's international situation from the perspective of a well-informed and knowledgeable Australian journalist, Jeremy Lee.
Thought For The Week: "If Israel and Jews were not involved, there would be nothing extraordinary about my thesis. In the history of foreign policy, it has frequently been maintained that various leading figures were motivated by ties to business, an ideology, or a foreign country. In his Farewell Address, George Washington expressed the view that the greatest danger to American foreign relations would be the 'passionate attachment' of influential Americans to a foreign power, which would orient US foreign policy for the benefit of that power to the detriment of the United States. It is just such a situation that currently exists. We can only look with trepidation to the near future, for in the ominous words of Robert Fisk, 'There is a firestorm coming.' "
-- From The war on Iraq: Conceived in Israel, by Stephen J. Sniegoski, 10/2/2003

Digging Deeper Into War Motives
By now we have all got the official public picture of the Iraqi situation. An intractable United States, determined to save the world -- and even the United Nations -- from itself, is prepared to stand, alone if necessary, for freedom. It is impervious to any argument and is not concerned about what the rest of the world thinks. Those opposed to the obviously extensive bloodshed, and who dare say so, are "giving aid and comfort to Saddam Hussein." John Howard (Australian PM - ed.) has eagerly latched onto this catch-cry.
Behind all this rhetoric is one of the most desperate gambles in history -- an attempt by the US to stave off an imminent collapse and a shift in financial hegemony from Wall Street and the Federal Reserve to the European Central Bank and the EU.
The keys to the conundrum are China, Japan and Oil.

World Economic Forum 2000
At the Melbourne World Economic Forum in September 2000, On Target (20/10/00) carried a press report on the remarks of Mr. David Tang, Shanghai Tung chairman, who was unusually frank about the implications of free trade. He told those assembled:
"... I wouldn't concentrate on the rest of the world's companies selling in Asia. I would watch out, if I were you, about the WTO," he said .... "I've never understood why you want to engage us - we've got fantastically low labour (costs)" he told the forum. "China's going to completely devastate your whole labour force. They have labour costs 15 times, 30 times, lower than America ... All the stuff you're going to make, we're going to completely destroy in terms of costs," he said. "We can make things so much more cheaply than you. I would watch out for your markets being infiltrated by us …"
That was some 30 months ago. The water under the bridge is running at torrential speed.
Jobs: America's Number 1 Export.:
Rep. Bernie Sanders, just returned from a Congressional visit to China with 12 other members of the House, was chillingly frank about what they saw:
"US corporations are not only exporting America's manufacturing base to China but also our way of life and the very future of this industrial nation," he said. "In Vermont and throughout the United States there has been a massive loss of manufacturing jobs. In the last two years alone our nation has lost 2 million factory jobs -- 10 per cent of our manufacturing base ... At 16.5 million, we now have the lowest number of factory workers in 40 years ...
"While manufacturing is declining in our country, the picture that I saw in China is very different. In the cities that we visited -- Shenzhen, Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai there has been an explosion in technology and manufacturing.
"In Shenzhen, near the Hong Kong border, a small agricultural community has been transformed in 20 years to a major export centre with a population of millions.
"In Shanghai we observed an incredible phenomenon. Over the last 10 years an entirely new city of millions has been created in the Pudong region, which is becoming the Manhattan of China. This new area contains a modern airport, a major financial centre, numerous skyscraper office buildings, housing and factories. It has also a magnetic levitation train that travels 250 miles an hour, which the government intends to expand to other regions of the country.
"In 2002 the United States acquired a record-breaking $100-billion trade deficit with China. We exported approximately $22-billion in goods and services to them, while we imported over $120-billion.
"We should be mindful that our trade imbalance with China is not only related to low-end manufacturing, like sneakers and toys. Increasingly, China is manufacturing and shipping to the United States more sophisticated products in electronics and electrical machinery. As China rapidly expands its numbers of engineers and technological base, there is no reason to believe that that trend will not continue, endangering more and more high paying US jobs.
"We should not let the chief executive officers of corporate America continue to lower the standard of living of millions of American workers by shifting our manufacturing capabilities to China. We should not perpetuate the race to the bottom.
"While it is no secret that most of the giant multinational corporations in our country no longer see themselves as having allegiance to the United States, and will provide support to any country that allows them to make large profits, Congress must do better. We must have the courage to stand up to the hundreds of millions in corporate campaign contributions that flood the Capitol, and uphold our constitutional responsibilities to protect the American people …"

US Trade Deficit Coming Home To Roost
As we have revealed in recent editions of On Target, the US has been living off massive trade deficits for many years. Its debt structure is frightening and the destruction of its industrial base even more so. It is diverting more and more of its remaining industrial capacity to armaments and military capacity.
It has only been able to sustain this state of affairs because the $US is the sole global reserve currency. Hitherto, the world has traded only in 'Yankee dollars.' The US, in consequence, has flooded the globe with its dollars, which could finally only be traded in America. An E-mail report originating from Richard Douthwaite's organization FEASTA in Ireland on February 15 reported:
"...The dollar is the world's reserve currency. This gives a huge subsidy to the US economy because if a country wants to hold lots of dollars in reserve they must supply the US with goods and services in return for those dollars. In return the US creates a bit more credit. The more dollars there are circulating outside the US, the more goods and services the US has imported virtually for free. This is how the US manages to run a huge trade deficit year after year without apparently any major economic consequences. No other country can run such a large trade deficit with impunity. It is in effect getting a massive interest-free loan from the rest of the world.
"One of Europe's primary objectives, if not the primary objective, of setting up the Euro was to try to get some of this free lunch for Europe. If the Euro became a major reserve currency, or better still replaced the Dollar as the major reserve currency, then Europe too could get something for nothing.
"This would be a disaster for the US. Not only would they lose their subsidy, which has been increasing in size and importance to American economic wellbeing as the years have gone by, but countries switching to Euro reserves from dollar reserves would start spending their dollars in the US. In other words, the US would have to start paying its debts to other countries. As countries converted their dollar assets into Euro assets the US property and stock market bubbles would, without doubt, burst. The Federal Reserve would no longer be able to print more money to reflate the bubble as it is currently openly considering doing.
"There is, however, one major obstacle to this happening. Oil! Oil is, of course, by far the most important commodity traded internationally, and if you want to buy oil on the international markets you usually have to have dollars.
"Until recently, all OPEC countries agreed to sell their oil for dollars only. This meant that oil-importing countries like Japan needed to hold dollar reserves to buy oil. There is not a lot of point to stockpiling Euros if every time you need to buy oil you have to change them into dollars. But in November 2000 Iraq switched to the Euro with potentially perilous consequences. Only one country has the right to print dollars: the US! If OPEC were to decide to accept Euros only for its oil, then American economic dominance would be over. Not only would Europe not need dollars any more, but Japan, which imports over 80% of its oil from the Middle East, would have to convert most of its dollar assets to Euro assets (Japan is of course the major subsidizer of the US). The US, on the other hand, being the world's largest oil importer, would have to acquire Euro reserves, i.e. it would have to run a trade surplus. The conversion from trade deficit to trade surplus would have to be done at a time when the property and stock market prices were collapsing and its own oil supplies were contracting. It would be a very painful conversion, potentially disastrous. ...
"One article, written at the time the decision was made, claimed it made no financial sense .... At the time the article was written the Euro was worth 82 US cents. It is now worth about $1.05. So on economic grounds alone, the Iraqi decision has been a huge success (the $10-billion Iraqi fund at the UN ... has apparently also been converted). There may however be military consequences to it. The economic threat to the US may be influencing it in its belligerent stance towards Iraq.
"One other OPEC country has been talking publicly about possible conversion since 1999 -- Iran. And of course it has since been included in the 'axis of evil.' "
COMMENT (by Jeremy Lee): And we thought all this time that dear old George was simply saving the world from evil, at the eager request of Prime Minister Howard and Tony Blair! How wrong can one be?
(End of the Australian OT report)
COMMENT (by R.G.): so the 'war' against Iraq was not only about Oil and securing Zionist and US military bases in the Middle East, but was also about international financial control of all nations! On this subject, Jeremy Lee added this additional short item:
"Looking a little further down the track, however, one must ask why such nations as China, Japan and the OPEC countries should worry about the Dollar or the Euro. Suppose they started their own currency block, as Dr. Mahathir from Malaysia has advocated. They could safely cut the West completely out of global economics, handing out a pittance when they wanted something, but otherwise allowing the West to stew in its own juice."

Vol. 53 - No. 5 Supplementary Section No. 3 July-August, 2003

Knowledge of Zundel's activities
My knowledge of Ernst Zundel comes not from personal social or business relationship, but rather from monitoring his activities by press and other media reports, his court and 'human rights' hearings, and his monthly newsletter. Also, from the early '60s for 28 years, until his untimely death in 1989, I had the good fortune to have as my research director Patrick Walsh, who had been an undercover agent with the RCMP. And, because of his background and connections, was often able to give me insight and information not publicly obtainable.

Assessment of Zundel's Activity
From many years of monitoring Mr. Zundel's activities and publication, his court cases, and the media reports (often hostile), the following brief notes are an assessment of his activities and his objective:
çMOTIVATION: Zundel was born in Germany in the early days of W.W.II, and spent his early childhood during the severe economic exigencies and the hell and horror of total war. The rest of his childhood and his teen-age years were spent in a war-ravaged Germany further pauperized by allied imposed 'reparation' payments to the state of Israel, which was not created until 1948! And all his teens the newsmedia of the world was smearing and demonizing the German people and their former political leaders. A rather difficult and unpleasant environment period for a teenager in Germany at that time, I would imagine.
When he was about 19 or 20 years of age, he migrated to Canada, at that time perceived as the land of opportunity and freedom, without the biases and entanglement of the Old World.
However, as the years passed, he obviously began to realize that though the military war was long over, the propaganda and smearing of Germans still continued in our press, radio and TV media. And he obviously began to resent this incessant guilt-promoting propaganda and demonizing of his ancestral German people. Until, in adulthood he became not only a talented writer and artist, but an outspoken defender of the German people and their country. And it would appear from his writings and activities, that increasingly his life's prime objective and commitment was to defend and re-establish the honour and dignity of the German people and culture. This, it seems, is his life's purpose.
ç MODUS OPERANDI: Mr. Zundel's mode of operations to attain his objective of restoring the honour and integrity of the German people included: writing, publishing, mailings, meetings, radio/television appearances and broadcasting, etc. -- apparently aimed at the Free World in general but especially at Germany. And some of the views and claims he promulgated included such contentious and controversial questions and claims as the following:
r That because of inordinate Jewish influence and control in the Western World's media, Germany -- its people and its leaders of the 1930s and W.W.II period -- has been under continuous smear attack and demonization since that time more than half a century ago. And that Jewish world leaders declared economic and psychological war on Germany in 1933, years before W.W.II.
r That W.W.II Jewish war casualty claims have been grossly exaggerated, and inflated to the 'six million' figure primarily for the purpose of astronomical war reparation claims from Germany, and to gain the sympathy and psychological support of Jewish policies and actions in the post-W.W.II period. In other words, that the immense dimensions of today's version of 'The Holocaust' has been used as a racket to raise huge financial funds for the state of Israel.

r And that the foregoing Jewish policies and actions are largely responsible for the dishonour and denigration heaped upon Germans, by some even to this day.
Because of Mr. Zundel's views and objective I at first wondered why he didn't stay in his German homeland inasmuch as that's where the problem was. In retrospect, I realize that the post-war Germany was not a really free and sovereign nation with the freedoms we in those post-war years in Canada enjoyed. And so Zundel chose this freedom base for his operations! Now, of course, with Canada's so-called 'anti-hate' laws severely restricting freedom of speech and association in our own country, and the establishment of our so-called 'human rights' tribunals patterned on the old medieval England's Star-Chamber 'courts,' where "truth is no defence," Zundel's politically incorrect views and claims now not only demonize him, but also 'criminalize' him!

The charge against Ernst Zundel
Nearly three years ago Mr. Zundel, under charge by a 'human rights' tribunal in Toronto of a 'hate' crime, realizing he couldn't win in a kangaroo-court type of tribunal where you're guilty before you start and "truth is no defence," left Canada and joined his recently married American wife Ingrid Rimland in Tennessee, where they established their home. And Ernst began the paper work involved in attaining permanent residence and, presumably, finally citizenship. All went well, Ingrid continued her Internet work and Ernst continued with his writing and began setting up his art gallery for his paintings.
Suddenly, without warning or even a lawful warrant, early this year Ernst was arrested by a group of officials and whisked off to a distant prison for the worst type of hardened criminals, where he remained for some weeks. Then, without notice, he was whisked up to a detention facility in the U.S. near the Canadian border in the Buffalo area, and a few days later taken across the border to a prison in Thorhold, Ont. There he found out that he was to be deported to Germany. In the meantime, he applied for immigrant status in Canada as a refugee, as he faced a prison term if shipped to Germany, for some thought 'crime' he allegedly committed there years ago. Still held in prison in medieval leg chains, denied bail or visitors, he faced a series of immigration hearings, with no legal council.
Meanwhile there was intense pressure by Jewish organizations and spokesmen upon Ottawa to deny Zundel the rights accorded other immigrant refugee applicants and whisk him immediately over to Germany. This, apparently, could be done if Ernst were a "threat to our national security." And, within days, the Immigration Minister issued a certificate branding him such a threat! Canadian 'justice' on the fly. That's where the case is as this is written (May 27). However, Ernst now has a lawyer (Doug Christie), who has managed some type of appeal. By the time this reaches our readers, the next chapter will perhaps have been played out, or Ernst may be behind bars in Germany.

A travesty of Justice
This 'threat to security' charge by The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is false and as phony as a three-dollar bill.
National Security was tightly defined by the CSIS Act of 1982. Threats were espionage, foreign influenced activities, support of terrorism, or political activities that involved serious acts of violence against persons or property to achieve goals. The Act specifically stated that "lawful advocacy, protest and dissent" did not constitute a threat to national security.
Even Zundel's harshest critics admit that he is not a violent man. In fact, he comes from a Seventh Day Adventist family of pacifists. In over 25 years of political activity in Canada -- much of it under heavy police surveillance -- Zundel never practised nor advocated violence; nor was he ever charged with any violent offence. Indeed, neither he nor his actions fit any of the qualifications of a security risk as spelled out in the CSIS Act itself!
The best that CSIS -- the Canadian 'political' police -- can come up with is that Zundel could incite his followers to serious acts of violence or stir up other groups into violent actions. But in all his long history under review he has no track record of violence or unlawful activity.
However, Zundel himself has a long history of being the victim of violence by so-called 'anti-racist' and pro-Zionist gangs of hoodlums. For instance, his Toronto headquarters was set on fire by one group with $400,000 in damage, massive damage to contents, files and papers, etc. Miraculously the occupants escaped death. The Toronto police knew who directed this violent attack, but no, arrests were made! Also, he came close to being killed by a bomb sent through the mail on another occasion -- an attempted murder, in which CSIS itself was involved! Following, is an extract from a recent e-mail by Paul Fromm, director of the Canadian Association for Free Expression:
"A new book by investigative journalist Andrew Mitrovica offers disturbing evidence that CSIS knew terrorists had sent Ernst Zundel a lethal pipebomb and did nothing. In fact, they'd instructed the post office thieves they'd hired under the direction of snoop, now turned whistle-blower John Farrell, not to touch any package sent to Zundel from a Vancouver address. The CSIS operatives were seizing and opening much of Zundel's mail. Mitrovica's book 'Covert Entry: Spies, Lies and Crimes Inside Canada's Secret Service' (Random House, 2002) explains:
"CSIS controller 'Don Lunau warned the APIs (hired postal thieves) to be especially careful when handling any mail addressed to Zundel from a post office box from Vancouver. He refused to explain why the Vancouver address was on a watch list, but it was clear that he was worried that mail from that address might be used to conceal a bomb. Farrell's own nervousness peaked when Lunau ordered him to temporarily stop intercepting parcels destined for Zundel's home. ... In May, 1995, a package arrived at Zundel's home from a Vancouver postoffice box. ... It contained a powerful pipe bomb filled with large nails.' (pp. 138-139)
"Clearly, CSIS knew the bomb was coming and, while eager to save its own thieves and operatives, was quite willing to see the assassination device reach its target.
"We might note that, under CSIS's own mandate, it had no right to spy on Zundel, a pacifist publisher and dissident."
I have learned from another e-mail that Mr. Zundel, in a personal letter to the Executive Director of the Security Intelligence Review Committee in Ottawa, outlined further details from the Covert Entry book by Andrew Mitrovica of the Globe and Mail, and demanded that he do his duty and investigate the illegal activities of CSIS respecting the Zundel CSIS file.

Mediaeval jail conditions
Paul Fromm of Toronto, director of the Canadian Association for Free Expression, is acting as the legal representative for Mr. Zundel. He issued a statement on May 22nd captioned: Zundel Being Punished For Protesting CSIS Involvement In Assassination Attempt. Here are a few excerpts:
"Prepare to be shocked. I was.
"Today, after four days of bureaucratic hoop-jumping I got to visit political prisoner Ernst Zundel as his legal representative. The news is not good. He's being kept in degrading, mediaeval conditions in an effort to punish him for speaking out against CSIS.
"On Sunday, May 18, just back from a speaking trip to Winnipeg, I picked up two desperate phone messages from Ingrid Rimland, Ernst Zundel's wife. He had disappeared. She did not know where he was being kept. He'd been moved from the Niagara Region Detention Centre. He had not been allowed the use of a phone for 48 hours. She had just learned he was now in the Metro West Detention Centre, near Toronto International Airport.
"I raced up to the Metro West Detention Centre. Ushered inside, I was eventually met by Mr. Verrinder, the Shift Supervisor. No, I couldn't see Mr. Zundel. I would have to be cleared by security. He was a 'special' prisoner, Mr. Verrinder informed me. I could call security 416-675-1806, Ext. 4220, to be cleared. However, being Sunday, no one was there. The next day, Victoria Day, was another holiday and no one answered the phone in 'security.'
"I asked Mr. Verrinder whether Mr. Zundel was allowed newspapers or a pen.
" 'I'm not prepared to share that information with you,' this public servant told me. I then asked to see Mr. Zundel as a friend, rather than as a legal representative.
"All visitors had to be cleared, I was told. And, of course, there was no one available to clear me.
"This morning, I learned that, being a special prisoner, Ernst Zundel cannot receive visitors during normal visiting hours. I hastened to the prison for 11:30 - normal visiting hours start at 12:30.
"After a long wait, I was advised that they had brought Mr. Zundel to the interview room. I talked with him by phone with a thick glass separating us. Ernst looked pale in contrast to his bright orange prison jumpsuit. He had a thick white beard stubble. I learned that he had been denied a razor since he got there on Friday. He asked for a razor again today and was told, 'maybe tomorrow.'
"Ernst was his usual brave self, but is clearly taken aback by the mindless callousness of a system intended to break its 'special' prisoners. Most of his few possessions are kept outside his cell in the hall. When he goes to the toilet (inside) his cell, for instance, he must call for a guard to hand him his soap and towel. The guard may or may not come. 'Surely,' Mr. Zundel says, with practical German peasant common sense, 'this sort of delay is unsanitary, when peaople are worried about SARS and other diseases.' He's not allowed soap or a towel in his cell. Toilet paper is rice-paer thin squars about 2"x3". If you get diarrhea, you're out of luck. To clean your hands, you must summon a guard and let all the other prisoners know your humiliation.
"When he wants to brush his teeth, he must ask a guard to hand him his toothbrush, which sits outside his cell … in the hall with the dust. … 'I always have an officer and two guards when I leave my cell for a shower or to make a phnoe call,' he reports. He has almost no privileges and has still not been informed of prisoner's rights. …
"When I arrived at the prison, I looked up Security Director Mike Richard in order to arrange for Mr. Zundel to have the five volumes of support documents on which the CSIS reports in his detention case are based. Richard said they'd be kept outside his cell and that he'd have to ask for them one by one. …
" 'In Niagara, I had access to phone calls, almost at will. Here, I'm very much impeded with little phone access,' (he said) …
"Compared to the Niagara Regional Detention Centre, the food is scarce and poor. … 'It's one-third the rations and poorer quality than the food in Thorold,' Mr. Zundel told me. …
"Last week, Mr. Zundel filed a complaint with the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC), the body that overseas CSIS, asking that they investigate the shocking information in John Mitrovica's book Covert Entry …
"Last week, there was a flurry of activity among the administration in the Niagara Region Detention Centre. Within a day, Mr. Zundel was transferred. The transfer and the severe restrictions 'are punishiment and retribution,' Mr. Zundel says.
"However, Ernst Zundel is not discouraged We discussed several daring legal plans. Canada has not heard the last of Ernst Zundel. As the great English poet John Milton wrote: 'Iron bars do not a prison make.' "
(End of Mr. Fromm's statement)
The reality is that Ernst Zundel is a political prisoner.
Mark Weber, director of the Institute of Historical Review in the United States, is right when he wrote:
"Zundel is in prison not because his views are unpopular, or because he's a 'security risk.' He's in prison because Jewish-Zionist groups want him there. He's a prisoner because he promotes views that the Jewish-Zionist lobby considers harmful to its interests."
A final thought:
The information and views expressed in this four-page report won't be found in our public newsmedia. It wouldn't dare identify the enemies of freedom of speech and association within our country. But here's where you, our readers, could do a little educational work by ordering a few extra copies for judicious distribution to a few friends or neighbours, or key individuals in your community. Our rates are listed below.