KEEPING THEIR EYE ON THE BALL..

KEEPING THEIR EYE ON THE BALL – BALL? -- WHAT BALL?
A commentary on the conservative government’s lack of concern for truth and their lack of concern for their abuse of their own citizens –
never mind any concern regarding the torture of Afghans by Afghans.

By Victor Drummond ©
December 2009

Don’t shoot the messenger.

But that is exactly what the conservative government did when Richard Colvin reported multiple times, in 2006 through 2007, there was reason to believe Afghans detained by the Canadian military as suspected dissidents, or possibly even terrorists, were being tortured after being turned over to Afghan authorities.

Although it is well known that interrogation methods, in countries such as Afghanistan, are far different than in Canada, or the United States, it apparently was not politically correct for the Canadian military or the Canadian government to officially, and publicly investigate Colvin’s reports.

Instead it was much less likely to offend our Afghanistan allies to deny any knowledge or suspicion what Richard Colvin was reporting had any validity what-so-ever and if the Canadian Military in Afghanistan was in fact delivering suspected terrorists to the Afghanistan prisons to be tortured then so be it. We don’t want to know about it. In fact we are more than willing to throw our own citizens and public servants under the bus to maintain our official stance of ignorance of the issue.

After all is said and done who knows better than the Afghan prison guards, and prison officials, how to deal with their own citizens. A forced confession is apparently as good as any other confession when it comes to obtaining an acceptable conviction record in places like Afghanistan.

And what about failing to supply the international Red Cross with accurate details of the detainees turned over to the Afghan authorities? Who dropped the ball on that important function? Was it a duty the military should perform? It would seem it should be as they are the first level people involved in the prisoner transfer process. If it was left for this important function to be performed by Canada’s Minister of Defence then it is no wonder the Red Cross was left out of the loop. He claims he never heard of Canadian detainees being tortured after being turned over to the Afghan authorities.

Then what about the high ranking Canadian Military Officers who initially testified they had no knowledge of any Afghans held by the Canadian Military that were tortured after being turned over to the Afghan Prison authorities? Three of those high ranking Canadian Military Officers testified they had no knowledge of such events taking place and there was no evidence – to their knowledge – that any such events had ever taken place.

Was it a burning conscience or the threat of exposure that inspired one of those high level officers to do an about face and admit there was evidence of at least one Afghan citizen detained by the Canadian military being tortured after the Canadians turned this detainee over to the Afghan authorities and the Canadian Military then took the prisoner back into Canadian custody?

What in hell is going on in the Canadian government? If in fact the Minster of Defence didn’t receive Richard Colvin’s reports then there is a serious breakdown in Canada’s internal system of communication.

Not many Canadians believe the Hon. Peter MacKay when he says he did not know of the warnings issued by Richard Colvin.

Even fewer Canadians believe our Right Honourable Stephen Harper was unaware of Colvin’s reports and that our PM really believed there were no incidents of prisoners -- delivered to the Afghanistan prisons by the Canadian Military -- being tortured.

There was a time when I would have defended the title of “Honourable” and “Right Honourable” that precedes the names of our Members of Parliament that hold a portfolio – but unfortunately I am overwhelmed by evidence to the contrary.

When our government leader made a promise to implement an “Action Plan” -- to provide “Fair Taxation” for “All Canadians” and at the time of the Gary Lunn “Tax Remission Order” (TRO)was quoted as saying “We’ll get it resolved” and “it will take a change of code.” in response to the question: “Will the fair tax deal granted by the Gary Lunn TRO be applied to all similar victims of taxes on money never seen?” – and then turned his back on the rest of the victimized Canadians – his credibility went down the tubes. From now on I take everything Stephen Harper says with more than a grain of salt.

When the Hon. James Flaherty, Minister of Finance declared publicly: “the taxing of honest, hard-working Canadians on phantom income is “fair” because they are treated the same as all other Canadian investors and stock market speculators” -- then his credibility also went down the tubes.

No other Canadian stock market investor and/or speculator are taxed on money that never existed and the Hon? Mr Flaherty should be fully aware of that fact.

It may not be a case of deliberate treachery, however, when the Right Hon Stephen Harper turned his back on those he had promised to provide fair taxation. It may be a case of defective comprehension.

If Harper really believes he has kept his promise of “fair taxation for all Canadians” then he is not deliberately telling a falsehood – he is merely stating something he believes to be the truth but is factually incorrect.

If that is the case then it leaves a person to wonder what other hallucinations does our PM hold to be true?

He may have just lost sight of the ball he was supposed to score with.

And what about the seemingly perfidious Minister of finance. He may have also merely taken his eyes off the ball he was expected to play and then in his mind his promise of “fair taxation for all Canadians” was now a reality.

How else can you explain his outrageous claim that victims of taxation on phantom income are treated the same as all other Canadian investors? You couldn’t get further from the truth if you tried.

When our government leaders can not even find the ball -- they are supposed to be watching --then they may not be competent to make decisions that could, and often do, impact negatively on the country as a whole and upon Canadians collectively or individually.

It is time for Canadians to inform their riding MP’s, including opposition MP’s, that they demand the representation our citizens have a right to expect by the person they elected to the House of Commons.

For starters inform them you demand the Canadian government fulfill their promises of: “fair taxation for all Canadians” and that our defective taxable benefit legislation be amended to put an end to taxing honest, hard-working, Canadians on “Earned Income” money that never existed..

Remind them the U.S.A. government has already corrected their comparable “Alternative Minimum Tax” (AMT) legislation and put in place a program to fairly compensate those U.S. taxpayers who had already been victimized under the old legislation.

Canada has no excuse for continuing this abuse of our taxpayers so demand a commitment to correct this problem in Canada -- or no support in the next Federal Election.

See you at the voting polls in the next Federal Election O’Grady.

Victor Drummond ©