Just One Question: Who Stands Up for the Interests of the European Canadian Christian

Written by Paul Fromm

Wednesday, 16 March 2011 04:21

*Just One Question: Who Stands Up for the Interests of the European Canadian Christian Majority* Tory Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is the "King of Multiculturalism" and sucks up ferociously to the Third Worlders, tossing out apologies to Sikhs here, and grants and goodies there, while Liberal multicult critic, homosexual Rev. Bob Oliphant is trying to hang on to the traditional Third World support for the Liberal Psarty and says: "“I instinctively have a relationship with minority people, whether it’s religious minorities or racial minorities or ethnic minorities, as a gay person,” Jolly, but who speaks for ther Christian European founder/settler people fo this country? Paul Fromm Director CANADA FIRST IMMIGRSATIION REFORM COMMITTEE ?[image: The Star Logo] <http://www.thestar.com/> Back to Rob Oliphant takes on ‘King Multiculturalism’<http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/952895> Rob Oliphant takes on ‘King Multiculturalism’ March 11, 2011 Richard J. Brennan [image: {{GA_Article.Images.Alttext$}}] Liberal immigration critic Rob Oliphant at his Ottawa office. “I instinctively have a relationship with minority people," he says. CHRISTOPHER PIKE/FOR THE TORONTO STAR OTTAWA Conservative Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney walked into *The Korea Times* office in January and admonished the publisher for being Liberal-friendly. It suddenly made sense to Lawrence Kim why his staff at the daily newspaper was not given the chance to go with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to South Korea late last year while reporters from Korean weekly newspapers on the west coast got to go. The message was clear — play ball with the Conservatives and there are rewards. “We were not offered an opportunity (to go to Korea) ... he came and told me that they thought we are against the (Conservatives) and pro-Liberal but I told him that I am not pro or con,” said Kim, publisher of the Toronto daily. It’s this kind of alleged bully tactic that makes the Liberals’ multicultural critic MP Rob Oliphant determined to win back ethnic support for his party. The 54-year-old Oliphant has heard such stories about Kenney’s “let’s-make-a-deal” way with ethnic groups, which he says reinforces his belief they only get along with Kenney when they go along with the Conservatives. Kenney’s office disagrees with *The Korea Times’* account of what took place at that meeting, but acknowledges it has a problem with the paper’s coverage. “Minister Kenney has had a long-standing concern with the biased, unfair coverage the government was receiving in *The Korea Times*,” wrote his spokesman, Alykhan Velshi. Velshi said the minister went to the office for an editorial board meeting to simply express “our openness and good faith,” and added that Kenney wasn’t involved in deciding who was invited to the trip to Korea In his weekly teleconference with reporters Friday, Oliphant said the Conservatives are rewarding some communities who are onside while disciplining others for not following the party line. “They could lose particularly important funding or they may not get on an airplane to go with the Prime Minister,” he said, adding that many ethnic publications rely heavily on government advertising. Going up against Kenney is no easy task. One only has to watch a YouTube clip where a beaming Kenney was crowned “King Multiculturalism” earlier this month in Brampton to realize what he’s up against. But Oliphant, an openly gay United Church minister and Liberal MP for Don Valley West, is no stranger to challenges. “I instinctively have a relationship with minority people, whether it’s religious minorities or racial minorities or ethnic minorities, as a gay person,” he told the *Toronto Star* while sitting in his Ottawa office this week. Even so, new Canadians from around the planet no longer feel beholden to the Liberals, whose governments for decades have rolled out the welcome mat to newcomers. The common knock against the Liberals now is that they took their votes for granted. “There was an instant affiliation between newcomers through the 20th century and Liberal Party values. That was an affiliation, particularly with Mr. (Pierre) Trudeau … who understood immigration and he understood multiculturalism as a strength,” Oliphant said, adding that no political party can take this support for granted anymore. “We are having to work for it and that’s good,” he said. A recent leaked Conservative party email shows the Tories are targeting ethnic ridings, particularly in the GTA, and spearheading that effort is Kenney. Among other things the email noted: “If GTA South Asians were to form a city, it would be the third-largest city in the country.” Oliphant, 54, has the advantage of representing a heavily ethnic riding where more than 50 per cent of his constituents were born outside the country. He couples that with his years of ministerial work when he met and worked alongside Canadians of all races and religions. “When (a) particular community says that their faith is important to them they understand that my faith is important to me and … I respect people of all faiths and no faith,” he said. Oliphant said being gay hasn’t particularly hindered his work, even among the more traditionally conservative, religion-based minorities. “I met with a very conservative Muslim group last Friday … and I found what worked to open a door with them were two things: one I’m a minority. They may not understand or accept things like same-sex marriage but they know I understand what it means to be a minority. The second thing is that they understand that I am a person of faith,” said Oliphant, who married Marco Fiola, a professor of applied linguistics at Ryerson University, in 2005. Author and former Liberal Party strategist Terry Fallis said his old friend is “perfect” for the job of mending fences with minority communities. “He’s a United Church minister — social justice is what it’s all about. He’s articulate, he’s eloquent and he’s principled. I think he is very well suited for that job. He’s perfect for it, in fact. He has been working with those communities long before he was a member of Parliament,” Fallis told the *Star*. Asma Amanat, a journalist at the Mississauga-based South Asian publication *Generation Next*, told the *Star* Oliphant and Kenney are vastly different in their approaches. “Mr. Kenney stirs up the passion, Mr. Oliphant stirs up the intellect,” she said. Amanat said Oliphant knows his stuff, but “Mr. Kenney is very convincing when he’s speaking, it’s hard to ignore him … and many times (people) do (believe him).” She also said Kenney deftly plays off the fact he was a former Liberal but saw the light and now accuses them “of taking multicultural groups for granted.” “There is a very predominant feeling within our (South Asian) community that Liberals have taken this community for granted” and have turned to the Conservatives, even though they are still seen by some “as white Caucasians, not very inclusive,” she said. Oliphant said the Liberals are not going to play the game of offering voters special privileges or grants to multicultural communities in order to get their votes. “Jason treats his interactions with ethnic communities as a means to an end, a way to get the votes he wants for a Conservative majority. Does that work? For a time, perhaps. But ethnic Canadians aren’t stupid. They know when they’re being used. And they know when they are being treated as ‘very ethnic’ for a purpose,” he said. “While it takes more work and a long-term approach, I’ve found that these groups often see themselves as Canadians first, and want to be treated as such. They’re not chess pieces,” Oliphant said. In the meantime,* The Korea Times* publisher Kim said he is not particularly enamoured with Kenney “I don’t think Kenney has done anything good for immigrants …. he made immigration to Canada tougher by restricting those people who do not understand English … we don’t like him actually. “He pretends to care about the immigrant community … they are so eager to get re-elected. But I think it is time (for the Conservative) to go, to be changed even though the Liberals are not in good shape now,” Kim said.

 

Back to the Prison Warehouse for Another 3 Weeks for Political Prisoner Michelle Erst

Written by Paul Fromm

Friday, 11 March 2011 05:23

*Back to the Prison Warehouse for Another 3 Weeks for Political Prisoner Michelle Erstikaitis* TORONTO. March 10, 2011. The Ontario judicial system continues to warehouse political prisoner Michelle Erstikaitis. Appearing today before Mr. Justice Archibald, Miss Erstikaitis was sent back to prison to await an April Fool's Day appearance. Crown Attorney Boulet explained that the Attorney General's office is preparing a legal opinion to forward to the AG, in the light of a psychiatric assessment of Miss Erstikaitis. The AG who earlier had indicated that he might seek a "dangerous offender" (indefinite imprisonment) for Miss Erstikaitis, still has to decide. So, another three weeks of warehousing for this White Nationalist dissident who awaits sentencing on a domestic assault charge where no one was hurt and an assault against a prison official. She has now been in prison for 25 months. Judge Archibald is brusque but affable. He let Miss Erstikaitis ask several questions of the Crown. The 5'1" brunette was stylishly turned out in a black turtleneck and black long skirt. At the April 1 appearance, where the AG is expected to announce the sentence e will seek, a further date, within the next week, Judge Archibald indicated, would be set for arguments on sentencing. A lawyer CAFE consulted offered his opinion that Miss Erstikaitis should never have been designated a "long-term offender" after several youthful crimes, none of which resulted in injury. She has incurred the wrath of the system by, when still a teenager, writing a letter to Timothy McVeigh urging him to die bravely as a soldier. She was an active particiipant on STORMFRONT for several years.

 

Ex-Political Prisoner Brad Love Challenges Parole Gag Orders that Silence Free Speech

Written by Paul Fromm

Wednesday, 02 March 2011 08:33

* Ex-Political Prisoner Brad Love Challenges Parole Gag Orders that Silence Free Speech* ** *REXDALE, MARCH 1, 2011.* Former political prisoner Brad Love heads to court, March 3, to learn the results of the Charter challenge argued by his lawyer Patrick Leckie last week. Mr. Love challenged parole conditions imposed several years ago that gag him and all but make him a political non-person. Original parole conditions prevented him from writing to any of the 20 politicians and police chief who were recipients of the letters at issue in his 2003 conviction under Canada's notorious "hate law" -- Sec. 319 of the Criminal Code. Mr. Love, in a case that has made Canada an international laughingstock was jailed for 18 months -- the stiffest sentence ever under the "hate law" -- for writing non-threatening letters to public officials. In fact, over a 20 year period, he wrote more than 10,000 letters. They were hard-hitting,. sometimes profane, but never threatening. They sharply criticized one of the sacred cows of political correctness -- Canada's demography changing immigration policy. Eventually, after two charges of breach of probation, Mr. Love was slapped with a prohibition of writing to ANYONE, either electronically or by post, who had not expressly given him permission. Thus, a complaint to a credit card company about an incorrect charge or a letter to an alderman about a pothole could have landed him in prison. "In terms of being gagged, the house arrest imposed on Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi looks almost benevolent," Paul Fromm, Director of the Canadian Association for Free Expression. told the monthly Alternative Forum meeting in Toronto, February 24, when he introduced Mr. Love. "Oh, yes," he added. "Canada wants to make Suu Kyi an honourary citizen for her battle for free speech. Too bad we don't allow free speech in Canada." Mr,. Love, the voice of the workingman, sporting his signature baseball hat delivered an impassioned talk to the Alternative Forum. "Your right to free speech comes before your job," he insisted. The Charter challenge is part of a trial Mr. Love is undergoing as a result of a third charge of breach of probation, arising from letters he wrote to the Canadian Jewish Congress,. the League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith and the York University Students' Union early in 2009, twitting them about the "Anti-Israeli Apartheid" events being held on campus. Mr. Love complained that the Jewish organizations sent little old lady staffers rather than the big boys, like Bernie Farber and Len Rudner, to testify that they'd received letters allegedly from him. "One old lady didn't even know that B'nai Brith is a registered charity and she'd worked there for 14 years," he scoffed. "I wanted to know why she'd shown up in Court to complain against me. Where are the high ranking people from these Jewish groups that sought charges against Ernst Zundel?" he demanded. "These guys are secretive. Their addresses are unknown and hard to find. I wanted to get these men on the witness stand to admit that their groups are the voice of Israel, a state involved in murder." In Israel, he argued, "they are tough on illegal immigrants. Yet, if we urge the deportation of illegal immigrants in Canada, Jewish groups are the loudest in protest,. Imagine if Canada had an immigration policy like Israel's -- Jews only?" he added,. "That shipload of Tamils we've spent $25-million already processing -- imagine if that money had been spend on local seniors homes. But, if you call your MP about that, you just might have a visit from the police because some staffer found your voice 'threatening'," he warned, Looking forward to Thursday, Mr. Love said: "I hope the judge will see the error of the probation conditions." As in many Canadian free speech cases, the court's treatment of the accused is abuse by process."I don't know what I've spent in airfares flying from Fort McMurray for court appearances. Every time the case is postponed, I'm out $1,000 airfare, plus car rental, lawyer fees and missed work. I'm dizzy from flying back and forth to Toronto," Mr. Love said. "Mr. Leckie got me bail in 2003 on some of the 'hate' counts but I was informed that I'd never get out of prison as the 20 counts were divided among several police forces and I wouldn't have enough resources to be bailed out from all of them." We must remember Mr. Love was not charged with a crime of violence but with writing opinionated letters to public officials. "I tried to retain two bodyguards for personal security when the trial began last fall as I feared protests from Jewish groups. I approached three different security firms. Once they found out who the potential threat was, these firms cancelled out on me," he recalled. "Why is a 52 year old workingman flying out here to Toronto on a probation charge over writing letters?" he demanded. His sister-in-law pledged over $110,000 as a surety against her home and Mr. Love added $22,000 cash bail. "There's a whole courtroom dedicated to Brad Love." he noted. "Imagine if I could subpoena 90,000,000 Egyptians," Mr. Love mused. "They'd say: 'We overthrew a government and changed history and you're persecuting a man who wrote letters!'" "The judge should ask the Crown: 'Why are you prosecuting this guy? He's not even living in this province." Mr. Love is scathing about the media. None has shown up to cover this important challenge of a judge's power to use probation to gag political dissent. This case is political, Mr. Love noted. "For a minor alleged breach of probation like this most people would be out on their parents' signature." Instead Mr. Love's bail is greater than that posted by many people facing manslaugher charges.