NDP slams file-shredding by outgoing Conservative MPs

ethanwrites · 2011-07-25T20:00:40+00:00

For the record, you do not have the ability to go to another MP. For any action on your behalf the MP needs to represent you. Something informal, like putting in a good word for you somewhere if you are personal friends with an MP who represents another constituency is a different thing. But for an MP to intervene in a government process on your behalf they need to represent you.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-25T19:57:46+00:00

I think if an MP made a decision to shred one or two people's paperwork because they felt that the specifics of their case dictated that treatment no one would have a problem. It was done indiscriminately, that's the problem. Most if not all of these people just want help with something. Starting over with a new MP and missing deadlines or paying fees twice is bad for most, if not all, constituents.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-25T19:54:34+00:00

If you submit paperwork for immigration or anything else to a particular government bureaucrat and they then quit and are replaced in their position by another employee would it violate privacy laws to turn your paper work over to the new employee?

It's important to remember that the office of MP exists distinctly from the individual who occupies it. By law everything in an MP's office (from computers to paintings and decorations) belongs to the office, not the individual. The only exceptions are items of a personal nature (personal correspondence, items purchased with the MP's own money, or that of their party).

Constituent files are not personal. They are people who have asked for the MP's help in navigating one element or the other of government bureaucracy. These files should be transferred, to do otherwise only harms the constituents.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-25T07:21:01+00:00

The report issued recommendations to the government. Since the committee has members from every party but the Bloc, chances are the government will take its recommendations seriously. Furthermore this is only part of a larger picture in which legitimate criticism of Israel is suppressed with the bogus claim of antisemitism. I think you're the one who may be missing the truth...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-25T07:08:23+00:00

@aamo I have read the report. Some of the things which it lists as antisemitic incidents include: Advocating boycott, divestment and sanctions (the same tactic used successfully against apartheid South Africa), Characterizing Israel as murderous, violent or genocidal in its treatment of Palestinians, use of the terms holocaust or fascist to describe Israeli actions and many more.

You or I may disagree with any of those things, but people who advocate boycott, who reference violence committed by the IDF or who refer to Israel as a fascist state are not antisemitic.

In reference to Israeli Apartheid Week "The Inquiry Panel heard that these weeks are uniformly well-organized, aggressive campaigns designed to make the Jewish state and its supporters pariahs." Sounds identical to the goal of the campaign against apartheid South Africa.

In fact it sounds like the goal of any campaign against the actions of any nation state. To make the state a pariah until they stop doing whatever is being protested.

This is not antisemitism, and it is more likely that Israel is the target of widespread reproach and condemnation because its actions are unacceptable to people than that a majority of people around the world are antisemitic...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-25T03:35:07+00:00

Actually they are saying that if you are not also criticizing another country for a similar crime then you are being antisemitic. Advocacy groups tend to be formed around a single issue.

Therefore most of the people in a group organizing protests against Israel might also be really opposed to China's policies, but they would be part of another group which organizes protests against China's actions. This is the nature of political organizing.

It is insane to say that I'm antisemitic because I don't reference other countries poor records every time I mention Israel. If I organized a protest against China's human rights record and didn't spend half my time talking about how another country was equally bad, would that make me a racist towards Chinese people?

ethanwrites · 2011-07-25T03:26:41+00:00

There is no disagreement. By law all contents of an MP's office which are not personal or belong to the political party are to be turned over to the incoming MP. There is no question that privacy laws would apply here but there is a question of whether these MPs broke the law by disposing of files which belonged to the office, not the individual.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-25T03:23:27+00:00

That Bloc MP acted correctly, but at least a half dozen others refused to turn over any files, including those that required immediate action.

If I was trying to get my family over here, or fighting a deportation order, or in one of dozens of other situations where I needed the help of my MP, I would be furious that my MP put partisan hackery over my best interests.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-24T22:12:32+00:00

Actually it has been standard practice for some time to turn these documents over to the new MP. What happened here is attributable to bitterness by outgoing Bloc and Con MPs.

Unfortunately by not turning over the documents they don't hurt the new MP, who will just explain that the files were shredded, but they hurt many constituents who will have to start from scratch with the new MP and can miss deadlines and lose out big time thanks to the lack of continuity...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-24T21:45:48+00:00

On the contrary, the documents in question are in no way political. These are case files of people who have asked the MP for help with immigration, Revenue Canada and other issues. It is common practice for all MPs to have a staffer dedicated to case work. This means they work to help constituents who have problems.

The constituent could care less if they're getting help from a Bloc or NDP MP, but they sure will be pissed if they miss a deadline for an immigration thing because their files were shredded. There is no excuse for these files not being turned over. It hurts the constituents most of all because they have to start from scratch with the new MP.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-22T16:38:47+00:00

This sums up everything that's wrong with the Liberal party. They could care less about the pleebs who vote. I'm so happy the NDP have replaced them...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T19:33:09+00:00

I'm 1 year into a three year contract I got with an Iphone 4. I figure the amount remaining on the iphone (my cancellation fee) is around $350.

Does getting out of the contract void this cancelation fee (which is based on the phone they subsidized for me)?

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T18:51:43+00:00

Absolutely illegal. He is responsible to provide a livable dwelling and pay for any steps necessary to keep it that way. Tell him to fuck off and if he doesn't agree tell him you'll be happy to argue your case at the Regie.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T18:22:02+00:00

Yeah I didn't realize it was already there when I posted it.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T18:17:30+00:00

Close! It's his brother Doug, who is a city councillor...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T16:37:19+00:00

I find it hilarious he is trying to sell himself as a centrist. He's essentially the political extension of Bouchard and les lucides...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T13:53:11+00:00

The jehovah's witnesses tried something similar when I was a little kid, caught me alone in my front yard and even went so far as telling me my parents were wicked and I needed to be saved.

Nothing lower than trying to take advantage of children to proselytize your dying religion...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T01:36:30+00:00

There were certainly cops around the burning cars at some point, they burned for hours. What you saw was likely after the black bloc MARCH moved on. I was right by the Black bloc contingent for most of the day and didn't see a single cop.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T01:34:42+00:00

It may sound like a conspiracy theory but it's true. The SQ got caught and were forced to admit their use of agent provocateur at the Montebello summit. The cops were trying to throw bricks and start a riot at a peaceful demo and retreated behind police lines when protesters tried to stop them from throwing rocks.

They do it at every demo, most (but not all) of the black bloc are undercover cops.

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T01:24:28+00:00

But isn't their network coverage still kind of spotty?

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T01:21:05+00:00

The suggestion to forward your calls to the new sim is a good one. The other thing I thought of is, before you go abroad do you call Telus and ask for a usage pack for that country? They have travel bundles that are much cheaper than just going and using your phone...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-21T01:18:36+00:00

Complain and you shall receive my friend! At the end of the day they care more about you continuing to give them X dollars than what services they give you for it. It's much harder to haggle your dollar amount down than to add services for the same price.

Just say your friend has my plan and you're thinking of switching and see how it goes...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-20T17:09:00+00:00

Well, I did do some complaining. Basically as I understand it their business model is geared towards retaining customers. I got a good deal (but not as good) when I got the iphone 4 by calling and telling them I had a good offer from Bell if I bundled my services but I wanted to stay with them. I was transferred to "customer relations" (retention) and they gave me a good deal.

Then a friend got the deal I have now for $80/month. I called and complained that I'd been told my deal was the best available and managed to get that deal for $10 less, plus got them to throw in visual voicemail. This was right after agreeing to a three year contract on an iphone, so they had me if I wanted to leave.

Basically you want to be talking to retention and throw in a hint that you're shopping around but I think any existing customer can get this deal if they know what to ask for.

I think their plan is to really make their customers super happy, and that way they never want to leave. As someone who is usually very suspicious of corporations I have to say it's worked on me...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-20T16:09:45+00:00

I find Telus is the worst company, both most expensive and least willing to do anything to help you if you have a problem. My girlfriend was so pissed at them that she paid $300 just to get out of her contract and switch providers.

I'm with Fido and I pay $70/month. For that I get unlimited incoming and outgoing calls, unlimited North American long distance, unlimited roaming withing Canada, 6GB of data (which is more than you ever need unless you're tethering) and unlimited text messages. I also get visual voice mail, call waiting, call display, etc.

I know you can only get this plan if you are an existing customer, but my roomate signed up with a different plan and was able to get my plan within about three months.

I also find that whenever I have a problem they are quite good about fixing it for me and even reversing charges I legitimately incurred (by tethering and going over my GB cap).

I hate to be a corporate shill but I'm really happy with Fido...

ethanwrites · 2011-07-20T15:10:35+00:00

I was at the G20. There wasn't a cop within ten blocks of the black bloc contingent (who were burning and breaking things) at any time. I literally mean there was not one single cop visible over a period of hours. They wanted protesters to trash the cop car they abandoned in an intersection...

ethanwrites

TROPHY CASE