Bill 38,in one monster book delivers the 2012 budget and changes to 70 complex Canadian Acts of Parliament in a single ‘Omnibus’ or ‘All Bills’ Act. Each member of Parliament gets 5.2 seconds to debate each Act within the book. No wonder the public can’t figure out what’s going on. What does repealing the “Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act” have to do with a government budget? Or the “Seeds Act” which gets rid of Canadian government food inspectors? Or Amending the “Auditor-General Act”? Nothing.
Most of these changes are separate issues from what any normal democratic country would consider proper or acceptable for an annual budget debate. Withdrawing from Kyoto, reducing Canada’s national census, reducing Elections Canada very limited budget by 7.5 million in the midst of national election fraud investigation all require separate Parliamentary debates. Yet these are just three examples out of the 57 Acts that the ‘All Bills Budget’ amends. At the same time, “All Bills” cancels 7 Agencies and creates 3 new Acts.
‘All Bills’ is about making sure democracy doesn’t happen; that the organizations which oppose the belief based agenda of the Conservative Party are punished; and that all federal statistical and policy research which could be used to dispute belief based policies such as more prisons make life safer are eliminated. Among the many victims of ‘All Bills’ will be the nation’s Archives which will be closed down coast to coast. Nor will there be money for new books to be collected and stored for those who can find an archive somewhere that is operating. It’s not so dramatic as book burning but it has the same effect. It makes it harder for people to get information that might lead them to dissent and it intimidates people, because most people understand instinctively that access to history, not propaganda is a one of the quiet keys to fair and honest government.
This is a radical government that has no interest in democracy. It’s clear the election which brought them to power was stolen by mysterious operators through criminal activity and the winning Party is now ruthlessly imposing its beliefs on the nation. In my judgement and many others, it is a government which is not legitimate and does not have the authority to impose its ‘All Bills’ on the nation.
The great thing about the evening marches in Quebec is at least there’s one small part of the country that has not been cowed into submission. Those kids are fighting for a lot more than affordable university fees. They’re fighting for freedom of assembly. They’re fighting for a vision of the country which is democratic and puts ordinary people first, not one that serves vast financial interests. They cheer me.