Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

JOHN FELDSTED -- Either the US Justice Department has sufficient evidence to justify extradition in which case a hearing should be held forthwith, or it lacks evidence which should result in her immediate release


Canada’s deteriorating relationship with China takes its toll on farmers, ranchers
Carrie Tait ~~ Globe and Mail ~~ June 30, 2019


Graham Friesen is sitting in a comfy leather office chair in the front row of a cattle auction in rural Alberta, bidding on bulls and heifers with subtle head nods and fist shakes. He’s a cattle broker, making him a regular fixture at sales like this one last week in Strathmore, Alta., where about 30 others have gathered for the auction or to just gossip over pancakes and coffee in the lobby.

China banned Canadian beef and pork imports two days prior, injecting confusion, frustration and anger into conversations with those in the livestock industry who say that they are, once again, coming under unjust pressure because of frayed diplomatic relationships around the globe.

“World politics is dirty,” Mr. Friesen says as cattle plod through the sale ring. “We’re losing at that game.”

CLICK HERE to read the full story:


There is something off about the arrest and detention of Meng Wanzhou – it does not pass a smell test.

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou
Under our legal system, prosecutors need to have a case before they issue an arrest warrant. If a prosecutor does not have a case he can take to court, he or she can interview a suspect, but generally cannot keep him under arrest for more than a few hours.

Meng Wanzhou was arrested on December 1, 2018. She has been granted bail with stiff conditions including giving up her passport and paying for 24-hour monitoring, but essentially, she is under house arrest. The fundamental principles of justice do not appear to have been met.

The accused is entitled to know what the charges are and what evidence is held against her. There should not be unreasonable delays. Seven months have passed, and an extradition hearing is scheduled for January 2020. That is 13 months after the arrest.

Either the US Justice Department has sufficient evidence to justify extradition in which case a hearing should be held forthwith, or it lacks evidence which should result in her immediate release.

Our government should not be pleading with the US to intervene on our behalf with China. We should insist that the US government either extradite Meng Wanzhou within 30 days or we will release her.

The United States has had over half a year to prepare its case – it is put up or shut up time. We are not helpless; just clueless.

The media silence following the G-20 summit in Japan reflects Canada’s loss of stature. We are ignored or ridiculed rather than respected. Government ineptness has come home to roost and the Meng Wanzhou affair is part of it.

Announcing piously that we are only following the rule of law is ridiculous when the SNC-Lavalin affair is hovering in the background, two senior cabinet ministers have been tossed from the Liberal Caucus, Clerk of the Privy Council and the Prime Minister’s Principle Secretary have resigned and a very serious charge against Mark Norman was suddenly dropped.

G-20 leaders are aware of what is going on in Canada and are not impressed ... nor are Canadians. 


John Feldsted
Political Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stamer: Hope for Forestry Completely Shattered After Another Provincial Review Driven by DRIPA

IMAGE CREDIT:  Provincial Forestry Advisory Council Conservative Critic for Forests Ward Stamer says the final report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council confirms the worst fears of forestry workers and communities; instead of addressing the real issues driving mill closures and job losses, the NDP has produced a report that ignores industry realities and doubles down on governance restructuring. Despite years of warnings from forestry workers, contractors, and industry organizations about permitting delays, regulatory costs, fibre access, and the failure of BC Timber Sales, the PFAC report offers no urgency, no timelines, and no concrete action to stop the ongoing decline of the sector. “ This report completely shatters any remaining hope that the government is serious about saving forestry ,” said Stamer.  “ We didn’t need another study to tell us what industry has been saying for years. While mills close and workers lose their livelihoods, the NDP is focused on re...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH – My question is, ‘How do we decide who is blue enough to be called a Conservative?’

How do we decide who’s blue enough to be a Conservative? AS OF TODAY (Friday January 30 th ), there are now eight individuals who have put their names forward to lead the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Having been involved with BC’s Conservatives since 2010, and having seen MANY ups and downs, having 8 people say “I want to lead the party” is to me, an incredible turn-around from the past. Sadly, however, it seems that our party cannot seem to shake what I, and others, call a purity test of ‘what is a Conservative’. And that seems to have already come to the forefront of the campaign by a couple of candidates. Let me just say as a Conservative Party of BC member, and as someone active in the party, that frustrates me to no end. Conservatives, more than any other political philosophy or belief, at least to me, seems to have the widest and broadest spectrum of ideals.   For the most part, they are anchored by these central thoughts --- smaller and less intru...
1 comment
Read more

Labels

Show more