Politics

There was another War on Gaza last month, a little more than a week the after the US presidential election. The good news is the death toll: Gaza 174, Israel 6, was much lower than last time.

And there was a historic UN vote that granted Palestine non member observer state status. Canada was one of the very few countries to vote NO. Israel, in retribution for this Palestinian action, has since announced plans for new settlements and has diverted taxes collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority for it's own use.  Canada stands by Israel. Canada is now Israel's strongest ally.

As Canada's international reputation circles the great white porcelain bowl, what do our major political parties and their leaders have to say about this appalling turn of events?

Nothing really. Netanyahu has all of these cowards by the short and curly's. And he won't let go.

Last Wednesday night, Bill C-398 was defeated in the House of Commons by a free vote of 148-141.

Seven Conservative members voted for the bill. The Liberals, NDP, Bloc, and Green party all voted unanimously for the bill except for those individual members who didn't vote. I will let others debate how free this vote really was.

The vote on C-398 was close. I'm just happy at the way it turned out.

Gerald Caplan is one of my favorite columnists. He is smart, caring and introspective.  It's a pity he writes for the Globe & Mail, which I call the Glop & Pail now because it definitely is no longer a newspaper-of-record.

Now we have him on record pimping for Canada's own Big Pharma.  And he drops a few names along the way.

Bill C-398, a sham piece of legislation that will change Canada's Patent Act, has had two hours of debate in the House of Commons. It now proceeds to a vote scheduled for Wednesday, November 28th. 

If this law passes, cheap copycat drugs (for humanitarian purposes) made by Canadian manufacturers can be sold to ANY developing country that might need it instead of the developing countries that take the time to apply for this exemption.

Below are excerpts from these debates that I thought best demonstrated the forces at work here.

The emphasis is mine, sometimes intended to set off either bullshit or irony alarms, sometimes just for highlighting the plain simple truth.

It's quite remarkable to see the left pimping for Canada's Big Pharma.

May the NAY's take the day.

Step right up folks! Free humanitarian aid right here! Help save Africa! Help end the scourge of AIDS. It won't cost you a penny, folks. Step right up. Sign here. Free Humanitarian aid!

Now we don't ask you for money to buy the life saving drugs. And the CGPA members are not actually donating any products or money towards this worthy cause.  The CGPA members Grandmothers Advocacy Network merely ask that Canadians help open up that market. All that is needed is to amend Canada's patent laws for humanitarian purposes.

Bill-398 is a sham. KILL BILL 398.

Who says that Canadians aren't politically engaged?

The campaign to pass Bill C-398 continues. The raging grannies of the Grandmother's Advocacy Network have their petition campaign in full swing now.

MP's from across the country and all parties have proudly stood in the House of Commons to proclaim their support for this sham bill.

This campaign to pass Bill C-398 is nothing but a brazen effort by Canada's home grown Big Pharma to open up a new world market for cheap copycat drugs.

Kill Bill 398. Tell Canada's Big Pharma to play by the rules.

There is a private members bill -- Bill C-398 An Act to Amend the Patent Act -- that is making it's way through parliament. It has broad support from members of all parties, the media and many well meaning organizations.

And why not? They say this bill is about noble things: helping Africa; fighting AIDS; it's about humanity itself. And it won't cost Canadians a dime.

But Grandma, what big teeth you have!

C-398 is really a cynical ploy by Canada's Big Pharma to rig the laws of Canada (again) so they can profit handsomely from an emerging world market for cheap, high quality, copycat drugs.  Made in Canada and made legally, right?

BILL C-398 is a FRAUD, lawyers and lobbyists dressed up in Grandma's clothing. KILL BILL 398.

Stephen Harper has done it again. He crossed the line, was too clever by half, and he prorogued parliament for no good reason. Now he has pissed off more people than most anyone could ever imagined. People have reacted.

The breaking story from the CBC garnered over 4200 comments, the first Globe & Mail story logged over 2000 comments, all within 48 hours.

Harper has unleashed a tsunami of protest. A facebook group Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament now has close to 80,000 members, which is 22,000 more than it was just 18 hours ago! The debate on Facebook group is passionate, the activity intense.

An election is now on the horizon when parliment resumes sitting in March. Mr. Harper, you are responsible for this one. You, and you alone. You reached too far, assumed too much, and acted too imperially.

Last Thursday Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announced in the House of Commons that …the government will comply with the court order with respect to issuing an emergency passport to Abousfian Abdelrazik. The court order he refers to was a June 4 ruling by Federal Court of Canada Justice Zinn.

A website called PeoplesCommission.org provides a wealth of information on the Abdelrazik case, including Justice Zinn's decision. I discovered this site on the Rabble.ca website, which has become a favorite of mine for news that doesn't make the news.

I can't stop blogging about the political madness in Canada. Over the last few days I have learned that donating airfare to a Canadian stranded and abandoned in the Canadian embassy in Sudan puts one at risk of being convicted of supporting terrorism.

We have a government that makes up new rules as it goes along. Canada signed an agreement with Israel that co-ordinates the exchange of national security information and border management policies.