Response: A Thousand Voices

WELCOME READERS

2009-01-08T03:45:00.027-04:00

CONCERNED COMMUNITY CITIZENS...

Please bear with us as we are in the process of development as we are always evolving. We thank you for your patience.

People's lives are not static so our board cannot possibly be so since this will be a process in motion we invite you to check in to see the updates from time to time. You will find the sections to the right of the blog, just click on each one. Select the topic you were following and the most recent add-ons will be first to read wherever possible.

The evidence of deliberate abuse and unethical practices on the Vulnerable is ample and we will bring to you those pieces as we can. Sadly because these same vulnerable persons are also subjected to retaliation and further hardships for speaking out we will protect those individuals in as much as we can. Keep in mind abuse NEEDS privacy which is why we have to do this blog: to be as public and transparent as possible.

The Impoverished and Vulnerable in Nova Scotia may have different stories but regardless of ethnicity, religious denomination, spiritual aspiration, sexual orientation, political persuasion, academic achievement or experienced endeavor, family dynamic, young, elder, male or female, native or immigrant, the end result is the same: soul murder!

For every one that speaks out they represent at least a thousand voices.

We will get to all of this truth..... you may want to pull up a chair.

WE are community by community for community.

It is the civic and moral duty of RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES to inform our readers about the many socio-political issues, unethical/ illegal practices and corrupt persons that are abusing their employed and/or elected positions and authority as public servants-government members or elected officials, be it municipal, provincially or federally. As with all forms of abuse it cannot take place without enablers and colluders be them environments, policies ( or lack thereof ) and other persons, employed or elected, in Nova Scotia. RESPONSE will not knowingly engage in or support any patterns of conduct that will collude or enable this abuse on the marginalized and vulnerable people in this province.

'I have expressed an opinion on public issues when ever they appeared to me so bad and unfortunate that silence would have made me feel guilty of complicity ....one other human right....this is the right, or the duty, of the individual to abstain from cooperating in activities which he considers wrong or pernicious.'

(p35, Ideas and Opinions, Albert Einstein,Crown Publishers: 1982.)

All materials submitted to RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES is the property of same. All submissions by the administrator are the property of the administrator and you will need written permission to copy any materials from this blog unless otherwise specified as a publication that is an outside source, for example links or news articles, or third party as there is implied consent when given to us to publish on this blog.

All communications, questions, comments, submissions are to be sent to:

responsevoices@live.com

...and all will be published unless otherwise specified by the submitter. Names will be removed in those submission where retaliation from public servants can be predicted.

We asked that while you read you look after self. Even those who have been desensitized from the violence and abuse over time are still at risk of being further traumatized by some of the brutality and honesty in the submissions and postings.

Our submissions are unapologetically real, honest and morally outraged.

We trust that you will use your discretion in deciding if this blog is appropriate for you.

Incestuous Nova Scotia government is suffocating the Vulnerable and this blog attempts to allow those voices to be made public and known for the excuse that one did nothing because they did not know is a common refrain and ignorance is not a legal or moral defense.

For those who feel they have been wrongfully represented on any post contained and published within this blog, feel free to engage the judicial system as you deem fit and necessary . The more public the records and accounts and declarations become about your nefarious corrupt sociopathic contamination and crimes against humanity, the greater chance there will be public inquiries and criminal/constitutional investigations against you while increasing the inevitable moral outrage of the good folks of Metropolis.

The ends will justify the means and we cannot get you into courts fast enough on our own...

We are a community based organization that does not intend to have government, our perpetrators, have control of our voice. We do not take visible allegiance with those who are fragging us and we are being FRAGGED by the NOVA SCOTIA GOVERNMENT.

Publishing the TRUTH has its own retaliation and repercussions especially if you are already marginalized and targeted. The enclosed legal excerpts in the next section 'protect' those who are brave enough to share and publish the truth so please feel free to copy the section. Of course we know words alone cannot protect you, we can only hope the law eventually will.

RESPONSE:

.....A THOUSAND VOICES

proudly is independent of any political or religious denomination or influence. We promise to promote the ideals of an egalitarian society-equality for all and strive to improve the quality of life as we share this global sphere with many diverse example of life.

keeping it real...
because it has been faux real

CHAOS THEORY or the Butterfly Effect, coined by Ed Lorenz: the idea that seemingly random events are actually connected if observed long enough to see their inherent and inevitable relationship.

Albert Einstein talks of the persecution of the Enlightened and Intellectuals in society... persecutorial events that seemingly are random but not at all: they are the direct result of organized efforts of the status quo to harm those who are about improving and evolving humanity,

Crimes committed against the vulnerable are not random events.

They are deliberate and often premeditated acts of fragging.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*PLEASE NOTE: that most post informations on this blog have been submitted by the administrator. The entries have already been entered into court hearings, transcripts, decisions, evidence, commissions, investigative files. The confirmed one reason why these investigations have never been conducted is that as soon as they are deemed official for public inquiry it belongs to the public for perusal. By withholding the information from the public, agencies and government/civil servants and elected officials are allowed to continue their abuse with impunity. It is that very silencing of truth through retaliation, punishment, institutionalization and induced poverty that created the need to actualize this blog which, in turn, acts as a venue for over 1000 VOICES.

This is NOT a child site due to the graphic experiences and language and topics. We suggest that youth under the age of 16 not be permitted to view this site without appropriate supervision unless they are legally emancipated.

CHARTER /LEGISLATION/ STATUTE

2009-01-08T03:43:00.014-04:00

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/index.html

PART I

PROSCRIBED DISCRIMINATION

General

Prohibited grounds of discrimination

3. (1) For all purposes of this Act, the prohibited grounds of discrimination are race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability and conviction for which a pardon has been granted.

cont in link

http://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/default-en.asp

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEED A COURT IN NOVA SCOTIA?

http://www.courts.ns.ca/

There are various levels of courts in the province of Nova Scotia.

The Small Claims Court provides a quick, informal and cost-effective method for deciding claims.

The Bankruptcy Court and the Probate Court deal with financial and inheritance matters respectively.

The Provincial Court is where most criminal matters are heard.

The Supreme Court has two branches; the General Division and the Family Division in Metro Halifax and Cape Breton. In other areas, family matters are heard in the Family Court.

And finally, there is the Court of Appeal, the highest court in the province.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Human Rights Program: NOVA SCOTIA

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pdphrp/docs/icescr_pidesc/ns_e.cfm

Nova Scotia

Article 2: Rights Specifically Subject to Non-Discrimination Provisions

The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on "source of income".

Article 3: Equal Rights of Women and Men

In 2001, Nova Scotia women who worked full-time earned, on average, 71.6 cents for every dollar earned by men working full time. In 2003, women in Nova Scotia earned 69.1 percent (for ALL workers the ratio is 64.4 percent) of what males earned where both worked full-time, full-year. Among paid female employees in the province, 35 percent earned less than $10 per hour in 2003, compared to 22 percent of paid male employees. Since 1996, there has been a decrease in the ratio of female to male earnings.
Matters related to Aboriginal women are discussed within the context of the Mi'kmaq-Nova Scotia Tripartite Forum. For example, a study was conducted of Aboriginal women in Arts and Crafts, which resulted in a proposal and plan for developing business skills for Native Craftswomen. A statistical report on Aboriginal women in Nova Scotia was prepared to inform the work of various Tripartite Forum committees. The Nova Scotia Native Women's Association is a partner in the Tripartite process.

Article 6: Right to Work

Employment supports are provided to more than 10,000 income assistance clients each year. Last year, 43 percent of these clients participated in educational or training programs, 31 percent began employment as a result of the supports and 26 percent enhanced their employability through career development activities. Only 25 percent of clients require the full amount of income assistance.

Employment equity and Workplace Diversity

The Public Service Commission is responsible for the administration of employment equity for the public service of Nova Scotia. As demonstrated below, there was a slight decrease in the total number of members of affirmative action groups in the public service between 2000 and 2005. In 2000, the number of these employees represented 7.82 percent of the total civil service; in 2005 they represent 7.24 percent.

Affirmative action group	2000	2005
Aboriginal persons	49	49
African Nova Scotians	200	187
Other racially visible groups	72	83
Persons with disabilities	471	400

In 2005, there are approximately 6,481 women in the public service and the following is a breakdown of the pay plan distribution for women in 2005.

Pay Plan	# of Women	% of Women
Clerical	1,676	93%
Heath Services	262	95%
Technical	343	28%
Professional	1,016	51%
MCP*	534	45%

* Management Compensation Plan positions

While women are under-represented in some occupational categories, 45 percent of MCP level employees are women. In 1993, women occupied only 30 percent of management positions with the Nova Scotia Public Service.
The Nova Scotia Public Service Commission has established the Diversity Talent Pool, the Diversity Accommodation Fund, and the Diversity Round Table. In 2004-2005, the Affirmative Action Casual Inventory, which provided members of the designated affirmative action groups with entry level casual public service opportunities, was renamed the Diversity Talent Pool. Since September 2004, 24 designated group members have been placed in casual positions within the Public Service. The talent pool is promoted as the best place to find candidates for casual positions. Presentations about the pool have been made to organizations representing designated groups and at careerfairs at the Black Cultural Centre and the Mi'kmaq Friendship Centre. In 2005-2006, the pool will be "on-line" to encourage applications from designated groups for all positions within Government.
Job seekers with disabilities face additional challenges, such as access to technical aids and equipment, or workplace accommodations. The Diversity Accommodation Fund helps the Government hire persons with disabilities who may need some job accommodations.
The Valuing Diversity Round Table provides strategic advice, information, and expertise to the Government. In particular, the Round Table will provide advice and guidance in matters relating to the Affirmative Action Policy and its application, initiatives and tools to support the Diversity Initiative, templates and methodologies that will assist Government to implement affirmative action plans, and employment system reviews.

Aboriginal people

The Mi'kmaq-Nova Scotia-Canada Tripartite Forum's Economic Development Committee has put forward a number of initiatives focused on enhancing Aboriginal skills and employment, including Open for Business, an initiative focused on Aboriginal youth and developing entrepreneurship and business skills. Also, the Government, through the Economic Development Committee, has supported an Aboriginal Youth Business Summit.
On November 20, 2003, the Government entered into an agreement with Michelin North America (Canada) Inc., the Government of Canada and the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia to enhance Aboriginal participation in the workforce.

Persons with disabilities

In April 2004, a new federal/provincial agreement was signed to replace the existing Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities initiative. This new Agreement, the Multilateral Framework for Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities, will ensure that Nova Scotia can continue to support labour market programs for adults with disabilities through a broad range of more flexible programs and services, from skills development to encouraging employment readiness, from supporting a person at work, to ensuring that a person is able to remain working.

Article 9: Right to Social Security

Between 2000 and 2005, the number of people on income assistance in Nova Scotia declined from 35,000 to 32,000. The total program expenditure, however, increased, because of additional support services such as training, pharmacare and special needs, as those individuals who continue to receive income assistance have more complex barriers to employment requiring multiple, long-term interventions.
The Government increased social assistance rates in 2004 and 2005, which represented a two-year, annualized increase of $4.6 million. Single adult renters will receive an additional $50 per month, while single adults boarders will receive an additional $25 per month. Starting October 2005, the personal allowance will be $190 per month and the shelter allowance will range from $260-$535 per month for individuals to $550-$600 per month for families.
In August 2001, the Government introduced a new Employment Support and Income Assistance Program, which represented the most significant change to Nova Scotia's welfare system in more than 30 years. The program provides for a person's basic needs while encouraging and supporting them in their efforts to become self-sufficient. People receiving assistance develop a personal plan that outlines their barriers and strengths to employment and the necessary steps they must take to get a job. Other improvements include enhanced benefits for pharmacare, child care, transportation, work related items (e.g. work boots), integrated child benefits and training.

Family-related benefits

The Government of Nova Scotia has made some important strides in addressing child poverty as part of the National Child Benefit (NCB) (see Introduction to the present report). Nova Scotia has expanded and strengthened programs and services to help low-income families. In 2002-2003, the total spending on NCB programs was $30.9 million. See Canada's Fifth Report on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for additional information on the Nova Scotia Child Benefit.

Article 10: Protection of the Family, Mother and Child

Nova Scotia provides funding for child care to promote healthy development of children and to support working parents needing child care. As of June 2005, there are approximately 60,000 children six years of age and younger, and there are approximately 12,000 licensed child care spaces serving children aged 13 years and younger. This includes approximately 9,300 full day spaces in 220 centres (105 non-profit and 115 commercial), and 3,200 part day spaces in 148 centres (77 non-profit and 71 commercial).
Since 2001, Nova Scotia has contributed more than $77 million as part of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) initiative. Direct funding to regulated child care in Nova Scotia is approximately $19 million per year. Nova Scotia provides funding for child care through two streams, subsidized child care for families in need and financial assistance to child care centres in the form of infrastructure grants/loans to support expansion of child care and operating costs of centres.
The most recent Government of Nova Scotia progress report on Early Childhood Development investments and outcomes is available online, at http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/families/early_childhood.html. Information on the Early Childhood Development Agreement can be found in the Introduction to the present report.

Family violence

In April 2002, the Government launched a process to redesign its family violence programs (Transition Houses, Women's Centres, and Men's Intervention Programs). The Government's response lays out a plan for working with service providers to meet specific community needs. It is available online at http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/families/community_
outreach.html.
The Government funds nine transition houses for abused women and children. Statistics indicate that annual admissions to transition houses decreased from 1,037 in 1992-1993 to 869 in 2002-2003, however, family violence remains a significant issue. A report was prepared in January 2004 and may be found online, at http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/families/pdf/Womens_
Centres_Mens_Intervention_Program_Jan2004.pdf.
As part of the Domestic Violence Intervention Act, which was passed in 2003, victims of family violence now have access to emergency-protection orders that preserve financial and physical well-being. Emergency protection orders can range from 30-day orders, which provide for temporary possession of the home or bank accounts, to orders that direct an individual to have no contact with the victim.
Other Government initiatives include:
- Regional plans are being developed by the fall of 2005 for women's centres, men's intervention programs and transition houses, to provide more outreach and information ation services.
- A Deputy Minister's Leadership Committee on Family Violence has been established, including the Deputy Ministers of the Departments of Justice, Health, Education and Community Services.
- The Advisory Council on the Status of Women works to reduce violence against women in communities, workplaces and families.

Article 11: Right to an Adequate Standard of Living

Measures to reduce poverty

Combating poverty requires action on many fronts. The majority of people receiving income assistance need literacy programs, academic or skills developments and the Community Services Employment Supports focuses on these needs. In 2004, 43 percent of those receiving support services participated in educational or training programs.
Information on the Employment Support and Income Assistance Program can be found under Article 9.
In June 2004, the minimum wage in Nova Scotia was increased to $6.50 per hour. It was raised again in May 2005 to $6.80 per hour. It is estimated that in 2005, about 21,900 Nova Scotians work for minimum wage. The increase will benefit those who need it most by increasing their gross yearly income by about $624 with the first increase, and an additional $728 with the second.

Homelessness

Under the Government of Canada's Supporting Community Partnerships Initiatives (SCPI), organizations and agencies received approximately $6.6 million under Phase One (1999-2002) of the Initiative and an additional $6.5 million has been allocated to the province under Phase Two (2003-2006). The Province contributes to the operating costs and the establishment of many of the projects funded by SCPI, such as approximately $6.5 million to support homeless related facilities in 2003-2004.
In September 2002, Nova Scotia entered into an Affordable Housing Agreement with the Government of Canada in which each level of government committed to $18.63 million in funding to create or renovate 850 to 1,500 units over five years. See Canada's Fifth Report on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for additional information.
The second phase of the Canada-Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Agreement was signed in March 2005. In this phase, the total investment in affordable housing in Nova Scotia will reach $56.18 million by 2008 and will be used to create new rental housing and homeownership options, and to rehabilitate or convert aging housing stock. As of March 31, 2005, approximately 330 dwelling units have been constructed or renovated through funds made available under this agreement.
Also, since 2001-2002, the Nova Scotia Housing Development Corporation has funded approximately 16 projects. Approximately $11.8 million in assistance was provided in 2003-2004 to help nine projects, including a 30-unit assisted living project and two properties for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities.
In addition to the initiatives under the Affordable Housing Agreements, Pendleton Place, a shelter for individuals with mental health and substance abuse problems, opened in the fall of 2004.
An enhanced partnership between the government and shelter operators was announced in May 2005 to make the best possible use of existing resources and to provide enhanced supports for those with mental health and substance abuse issues so that anyone seeking shelter can be accommodated in the existing system. Nova Scotia will also be working with the Government of Canada in this area.

Article 12: Right to Physical and Mental Health

There is a provincial funding commitment to support the skills assessment, recruitment, placement and retention of internationally educated health professionals (physicians) through the Clinical Assessment for Practice Program (CAPP). Further information on this program can be found online at http://www.capprogram.ca/index.html.
The Nova Scotia Diversity and Social Inclusion in Primary Health Care Initiative is a three-year plan, started in 2003 and funded by Health Canada's Primary Health Care Transition Fund. It highlights issues and facilitates the development of culturally inclusive policies and the first provincial guidelines for culturally competent primary health care in Canada, with participation from provincial District Health Authorities, the IWK Health Centre, Community Health Boards, Health Canada, communities including First Nations, African Canadians, Acadians/Francophones and immigrants, providers, researchers and community-based organizations.
The Office of the Provincial Medical Officer of Health has the responsibility to protect and promote the public's health in the following areas:
- communicable disease control
- environmental health
- emergency preparedness and response.
In 2003, the Province instituted a provincial SARS Response Plan to deal with any cases, which occurred in Nova Scotia.

Aboriginal people

The Tui'kn ( Mi'kmaq word for passage) initiative, which consists of local health-care teams including a doctor, a dietician, a pharmacist, a nurse and a health educator, was established in 2004 to improve health status and outcomes, build on the strengths of each of five Cape Breton First Nations communities, improve coordination and integration of services and work toward sustainability through increased accountability and community capacity building. It was based on a similar program started in Eskasoni, and studies showed that 89 percent of Eskasoni residents felt that the quality of health-care services in their community improved during the program. There was also a significant decrease in the number of times area residents visited the doctor or went to the emergency room.
In addition, the Province is involved in the collaborative development of an Aboriginal Health Blueprint. This is part of a series of commitments made by First Ministers at their September 2004 meeting.

Women

The Healthy Balance Research Program is exploring the relationships between women's health and well-being and their paid and unpaid work, including caregiving. Four research streams are being conducted: a Nova Scotia population-based survey, focus groups, secondary data analysis and caregiver portraits. The goal is to bring to the policy arena a message about the importance of building a caring society and a healthy balance for women. Voices of women traditionally under-represented in research (African Nova Scotian women, Aboriginal women, immigrant women, women with disabilities) are included through Equity Reference Groups who advise on culturally appropriate methodology and dissemination strategies. This five-year project, started in April 2001, is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research as a Community Alliance for Health Research. The Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women and the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women's Health are lead partners.

Youth

In 2005, new provincial prenatal education and support standards and youth health center standards that address accessibility issues for vulnerable groups were introduced. Also, the Healthy Beginnings Enhanced Home Visiting initiative provides increased support for families who need additional support in the early years.
Funding has been committed to provide universal access to breakfast programs for elementary school children.
In April 2003, the provision of health care services to youth in correctional facilities was centralized. The IWK Health Centre provides health services to youth at the NS Youth Centre in Waterville through an interdisciplinary health team including nurses, psychologists, social workers, a physician and psychiatric services. In addition, a Sexually Aggressive Youth Treatment program has begun for youth who are in the correctional centre as well as in the community. Psychiatric and psychological assessments for the courts are conducted in the community, in the hospital or in the youth centre depending on the clinical need of the youth.

Article 13: Right to Education

An amendment to the Governor in Council Education Regulations in 2004 allows a student with special needs to be funded to attend a designated special education private school.

Back to Index

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where can I find a copy of the
Canadian Criminal Code?

Criminal Code of Canada:

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-46/index.html

Criminal Code

Related Information

Related Regulations

~~~~~~~~~~

Possible public servant /govt accountability?
BILL C45

What is Bill C-45?

Bill C-45 is federal legislation that amends the Canadian Criminal Code. Bill C-45 became law on March 31, 2004 and is now the new Section 217.1 in the Criminal Code which reads:

"2.17.1 Every one who undertakes, or has the authority, to direct how another person does work or performs a task is under a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm to that person, or any other person, arising from that work or task."

The bill established new legal duties for workplace health and safety, and imposes serious penalties for violations that result in injuries or death. It also establishes rules for attributing criminal liability to organizations, including corporations, for the acts of their representatives and also creates a legal duty for all persons directing work to take "reasonable steps" to ensure the safety of workers and the public.

Why was Bill C-45 (Section 217.1 in the Criminal Code) created?

Bill C-45, also known as the "Westray Bill", was created as a result of the 1992 Westray coal mining disaster in Nova Scotia where 26 miners were killed after methane gas ignited causing an explosion. Despite serious safety concerns raised by employees, union officials and government inspectors at the time, the company instituted few changes. Eventually, the disaster occurred.

After the accident the police and provincial government failed to secure a conviction against the company or three of its managers. A Royal Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate the disaster. In 1998, the Royal Commission made 74 recommendations. The findings of this commission (in particular recommendation 73) were the movement that led to Bill C-45.

What are the main provisions of Bill C-45 (Section 217.1 in the Criminal Code)?

Bill C-45 (Section 217.1 in the Criminal Code):

Created rules for establishing criminal liability to organizations for the acts of their representatives.

Establishes a legal duty for all persons "directing the work of others" to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of workers and the public.

Sets out the factors that courts must consider when sentencing an organization.

Provides optional conditions of probation that a court may impose on an organization.

Who does this Criminal Code affect?

This Criminal Code affects all organizations and individuals who direct the work of others, anywhere in Canada. These organizations include federal, provincial and municipal governments, corporations, private companies, charities and non-governmental organizations.

Who is responsible for enforcing this Criminal Code?

Police and crown attorneys enforce Bill C-45. The police and crown are responsible for investigating serious accidents and will determine whether any charges should be laid under the Canadian Criminal Code. The criminal code is a very different set of rules, and should not be confused with "regular" occupational health and safety laws (OH&S) and how they are enforced.

Who is responsible for enforcing occupational health and safety laws?

Depending on your jurisdiction, the Ministry (or Department) of Labour or Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) enforces OH&S laws. Across Canada each province, territory and the federal government are responsible for enforcing their own individual set of occupational health and safety laws. Each jurisdiction employs inspectors who visit workplaces to ensure companies are complying with their OH&S rules. In the unfortunate event of a serious accident, these inspectors conduct an investigation and determine if a charge should be laid under the appropriate section(s) of the OH&S act or regulation. An accused individual or company may then need to appear in court where a fine or other penalty could be imposed if they are convicted. The police are not normally involved in this process.

Does Bill C-45 (Section 217.1 in the Criminal Code) impact on other legislation?

No. Bill C-45 is a separate piece of legislation that applies to the Canadian Criminal Code only. It does not intrude upon, or override, other existing federal, provincial or territorial occupational health and safety statutes and regulations. In the event of a conviction; however, Bill C-45 does require the courts to look at any penalties imposed by other jurisdictions in determining a sentence.

Can a company be charged under a provincial OH&S act and the Criminal Code at the same time?

Not likely. According to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a party cannot be charged for the same offence twice -- whether found guilty or acquitted. This rule against multiple convictions for the same offence is known as "double jeopardy".

What types of offences will be targeted?

It is unclear at this time. To date we are only aware of two cases, where individuals were charged under the new provisions in the Criminal Code. In both cases, these charges were later dropped.

Note: At the time the law was being discussed in parliament, the government commented on its intentions for the Bill stating that:

"the criminal law must be reserved for the most serious offences, those that involve grave moral faults... the Government does not intend to use the federal criminal law power to supplant or interfere with the provincial regulatory role in workplace health and safety"

These comments may serve to help guide authorities in their application of the law, but they do not in of themselves constitute the law. Once a law is passed, it is up to the police, crown attorneys and the courts to interpret and apply the law based on the Criminal Code and previous cases under common law.

Has anyone been charged?

Yes. To date there have only been two cases where individuals were charged though in both cases, the charges were later withdrawn.

On April 19, 2004 near the city of Newmarket, Ontario a worker was killed after the ground around him collapsed while digging a ditch at a residential construction site. The construction site supervisor was charge under section 217.1 of the Criminal Code with one count of criminal negligence causing death. In March 2005 the charges of criminal negligence against the site supervisor were dropped in an apparent plea bargain which saw the supervisor agree to three of eight charges under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.

In the other case, in June 2002 near Calabogie, Ontario, two people were killed when a gate to a hydroelectric dam was opened, causing a flood. Two supervisors were acquitted of criminal negligence causing death in 2006.

How can I ensure a safe workplace and limit my liability?

Employers can limit their liability and reduce the chances of being charged under the provisions of the Criminal Code by implementing an effective workplace health and safety program.

You will want to know:

what your legal obligations are under occupational health and safety laws and standards,

what hazards exist in your workplace, and

how to effectively reduce or eliminate them.

You will also want to ensure employees are aware of the company's health and safety program, are informed of any risks, and receive appropriate training and protective equipment.

Below are some OSH Answer documents that may help. You may also want to consider hiring a health and safety consultant to assist you with this process.

Responsibilities

OH&S Legislation in Canada - Introduction

OH&S Legislation in Canada - Basic Responsibilities

OH&S Legislation in Canada - Internal Responsibility System

OH&S Legislation in Canada - Due Diligence

Elements of a Health and Safety Program

Basic OH&S Program Elements

Job Hazard Analysis

Risk Assessment

Inspection Checklists - General Information

Guide to Writing an OSH Policy Statement

For further information, review our other OSH Answers documents at:

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/

Plain Language Guide: Bill C-45 - Amendments To The Criminal Code Affecting The Criminal Liability Of Organizations:

http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/dept-min/pub/c45/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://ccla.org/
Canadian Civil Liberties Association

http://www.ccla.org/rightswatch/

Overview

French
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is a national organization that was constituted in 1964 to promote respect for and observance of fundamental human rights and civil liberties. Our work, which includes research, public education and advocacy aims to defend and ensure the protection and full exercise of those rights and liberties.
The Association is sustained by several thousand paid supporters drawn from all walks of life.

History of CCLA
Since the mid 1960s, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) has been a leader in protecting our fundamental freedoms.

The fight against abuse of state authority has not always won popularity contests for the CCLA, but the association has earned widespread respect for its principled stands on such issues as censorship, capital punishment, and police powers.

The CCLA was formed in 1964 by a group of citizens, primarily based in Toronto, who were alarmed about a proposal by the Ontario government to drastically increase police powers. While the police bill was withdrawn after extensive protest, civil libertarians saw a need for an ongoing watchdog group to guard against threats to democratic rights.

Since then the CCLA has spoken out on hundreds of issues, from film censorship to the rights of welfare recipients not to be harassed by government officials, from forced religious teaching in the schools to the rights of political groups to demonstrate in the streets.

While the CCLA has operated with a volunteer board of directors made up of prominent citizens, its chief public spokesperson from 1968 to July 2009 has been lawyer Alan Borovoy. From a small office in downtown Toronto, Borovoy and the rest of the CCLA’s small staff have organized court interventions, presentations of briefs to legislative committees, and rallies, as well as a programme to educate students on the value of civil liberties.

“Our strategy has always been to raise hell without breaking the law,” Borovoy often said.
Throughout, the CCLA has always been backed financially only by its members and supporters. It has neither sought nor received any government money.
Over the years, active CCLA members have included some of Canada’s most well known names in law, journalism, politics, the arts, labour, business and other fields. Our founding president was former Ontario judge and lieutenant-governor J. Keiller MacKay, and early activists included prominent journalists Pierre Berton, June Callwood and Barbara Frum. Political leaders such as Allan Blakeney and Dalton Camp have been active as have top names in the legal field, such as Louise Arbour and Edward Greenspan.

Within a few years of its founding, the CCLA spoke out vigourously against one of the most severe restrictions of liberty in Canadian history, the invocation of the War Measures Act during the Quebec crisis of 1970. At the time, the CCLA was one of the few groups to protest against the imposition of martial law and the arrest of hundreds of Canadians even though no charges were laid against them.

Other early campaigns by the CCLA included the fight against religious instruction in the public schools, and the push for independent investigation of complaints against police forces, an issue that is still alive today. The CCLA was also active in publicizing the difficulties accused citizens were having consulting lawyers.

In the 1970s, the CCLA became more active on human rights related questions, becoming one of the first groups to document under-representation of visible minority groups in parts of the job market. In one of the association’s more well publicized actions, CCLA activists called up employment agencies posing as employers but specifying they wanted only white workers. Such surveys found a widespread willingness to discriminate. Its unique research enabled the CCLA to document its argument that existing human rights legislation was not strong enough. This set the stage for the ensuing employment equity campaigns.

The rights of citizens receiving welfare or charged with criminal offences have always been a focus of CCLA attention. In its early years, the association challenged the infamous “spouse in the house rule” that treated women welfare recipients unfairly. The CCLA was the first group to propose that citizens who had been wiretapped by police should be informed of the fact once the bugging has ended....cont in link....

Currently, CCLA is working on issues of national security, police accountability, freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of religion and anti-discrimination and equality. Nathalie Des Rosiers is the new Executive Director. ” The work of a watchdog such as the CCLA is to maintain its vigilance to ensrue that our democracy continues to function and that abuses of power are denounced and stopped,” Des Rosiers says.
This post is also available in: French

~~~~~~~~~

Applicable Canadian Criminal Code:

When truth a defence

311. No person shall be deemed to publish a defamatory libel where he proves that the publication of the defamatory matter in the manner in which it was published was for the public benefit at the time when it was published and that the matter itself was true.

R.S., c. C-34, s. 275.

Publication invited or necessary

312. No person shall be deemed to publish a defamatory libel by reason only that he publishes defamatory matter

(a) on the invitation or challenge of the person in respect of whom it is published, or

(b) that it is necessary to publish in order to refute defamatory matter published in respect of him by another person,

if he believes that the defamatory matter is true and it is relevant to the invitation, challenge or necessary refutation, as the case may be, and does not in any respect exceed what is reasonably sufficient in the circumstances.

R.S., c. C-34, s. 276.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Odd how government employees are encouraged and highly respected by the ethical and the intellects for coming forth with their accounts of abuse and corruption and are protected by Whistle Blower Legislation.Yet if community voice does the same they are silenced through intimidation tactics, abuse, degradation, financial or housing coercion by the very oppressors that inflict the original injury and inhumanity.

We understand that not everyone is computer literate, including this administrator. We wish to encourage people to take advantage of the many computer classes at our very capable libraries in Metro. We also encourage that others offer to help teach those who are without this knowledge or perhaps take the notes and type it for that person who may not be able to do so. It is in the offering with others that we find our most honest selves.

Also in recent news in keeping with items for public interests:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/top-court-transforms-press-freedom-with-new-libel-defence/article1409816

KIRK MAKIN

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009 12:00AM EST Last updated on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009 2:28AM EST

JUSTICE REPORTER

The Supreme Court of Canada transformed the country's libel laws yesterday with a pair of decisions that proponents say will expand the boundaries of free speech.

The court ruled that libel lawsuits will rarely succeed against journalists who act responsibly in reporting their stories when those stories are in the public interest.

It also updated the laws for the Internet age, extending the same defence to bloggers and other new-media practitioners.....

"Freewheeling debate on matters of public interest is to be encouraged and the vital role of the communications media in providing a vehicle for such debate is explicitly recognized," Chief Justice McLachlin said in a pair of 9-0 decisions.

Although the court acknowledged that free expression does not "confer a licence to ruin reputation," it argued society is best served by fearless commentary and investigative journalism...

The acceptance of this new defence by the Supreme Court of Canada will greatly advance the cause of freedom of expression, transparency and responsible journalism in Canada."

Chief Justice McLachlin said that context is critical. She urged trial judges not to parse controversial statements in isolation, but to consider the entire subject matter.

Other critical factors listed by the court were: the seriousness of a published allegation; the public importance and urgency of the issue; the status and reliability of a source; and whether the plaintiff's side of the story was sought and accurately reported...

Paul Schabas, a lawyer for the Star, said yesterday that the ruling "is hugely important; the most important libel decision ever released by the Supreme Court. It is a victory for the right to speak responsibly about public matters - to put issues to the public and let the public debate and decide."...

Dean Jobb, a journalism professor at University of King's College in Halifax, said that a revamping of the libel laws was long overdue.

"The court has recognized that the definition of 'journalist' is expanding in our online world," Prof. Jobb said. "Bloggers and anyone else publishing information on matters of public interest can claim the defence, provided the way they gather and present the news conforms with the ethical standards of journalists."

RESPONSE DEBUT and PREAMBLE

2009-01-08T03:25:00.027-04:00

Response : A Thousand Voices

a P.O.W. production

Are Community Services, Housing and HRM Police faux real?

liar liar pants on fire

Come join us as we give special attention to the many actors in our Nova Scotia government-civil services and the offices - agencies that protect them.

Bravo to these thespians on their superb performances in beguiling and confusing the NON-POOR public!

Please join us for an Education-session about the TRUTH on how the POOR in this province are really being treated by those who are mandated by legislation to assist and protect us.

Lets make Nova Scotia a safe and healthy place for EVERYONE regardless of where you live, regardless of who you are.

Halifax North Memorial Public Library
June 8 7:00 - 8:30 pm
2285 Gottingen Street Halifax

Due to the sensitive nature of the discussion we ask that this be a non child/youth function for anyone under 18 years old.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Response : A Thousand Voices

a Prisoners Of Welfare production

liar liar pants on fire

Halifax North Memorial Public Library
June 8 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Agenda-

7:00-7:15pm Welcome and Introduction of the Response Team

7:15- 8:00pm Panel Discussion:
Department of Community Services
(Assistance, Disability and Housing) and
Halifax Regional Municipality Police

8:00pm-8:15pm Colluders with Corruption : Partisan Politics,
Neutral Agencies/Commissions and Media

Tax dollars pay the wages of corrupt and abusive government and civil servants. Does this mean tax payers are culpable for damages and suffering inflicted by those whose wages they pay or are they an ally prepared to eradicate the abuses of the Impoverished?

8:15-8:30pm Questions and Comments

~~~~~~

We finally arrived! Though not really, there is so much work to do and undo, the truth has been waiting patiently for a personal invitation for a very long time!

This debut was an anxious one as there was so many issues of abuse and corruption that has to get out into the public that there was fear of not being able to do it justice in just 1.5 hours. But we at least set it up to be spoken and once that has been started there is no taking it back. We did not assume to solve the issues in one night but rather acted as the introduction to a book with a taste of things to come. We are all conduits to another event and we all play a role whether it be passive or active.

The planning for this evening was not without its own drama.

Some of the RT were exposed to the usual intimidation tactics of being threatened of losing housing or meeting spaces if I was in the room, another was told they could not attend a function that I organized and I was hit with a double whammy though I should not have been so naive.

I was a member of Community Action on Homelessness (CAH-5 years) and Community Advocacy Network(CAN-9 months), two non profits that claim to address issues of poverty in HRM. They had no problem conveniently using my unwaged labour and unpaid expertise as an academic with 3 university degrees who worked for community since I was 15 years old. No, they had no issue at all as I attended regular meeting and helped organize or contributed to events on poverty, well the poverty they wanted to talk about, you know, that polite policy induced poverty not the abusive and murderous poverty that destroys families and communities.

I asked CAH to post my flyer on their email list service so that it could get out to several hundred people who in turn would get it out to many more. The computer was great way for networking these events to the largest amount of people in the shortest time. They agreed then went silent. After 4 emails and my inevitable resignation they finally came out public with their very polite public reply ( see below).

They lied.

Now after benefiting from my energies,experience and unwaged labour I was now deemed an outlaw, a pariah or was that piranha?

These fraudmaudes and fakejakes finally were outed for who they really are: cowards and colluders of the corrupt. They had no problem with their incessant whiny and complaining behind closed doors but when it came to being out on the task they were the first to run!

See what you would not know is that most of the people on these committees are flaming NDP supporters and they usually and subtlety coerced community voice to take visible allegiance with NDP, notably Maureen MacDonald. Thankfully, those of us who 'lived' in her communities are not the least bit confused about who she thinks she is. It has been the the recent grievance of community voice I speak with that they are tired of going to events that they are told are for them and their issues to find out they are really about supporting NDP, I knew it was true as they pulled that stunt on me too but that is for another post.

Anyway as CAH disclaims on the email list serve that any posters they send out are 'outside' of their responsibility( paraphrasing). So why not post mine? They said it was radical. I guess if I spent my time with liars, sociopaths and corrupt people I would see telling the truth as being radica

Or was it that they knew what abuse and abusers they themselves colluded with causing immeasurable damages to individuals, families and communities? While boycotting my flyer they posted Maureen MacDonald's election flyer several times prior to the election. Even now they could not see how contaminated they were in their passive and active coercion of NDP into the poor communities. There are no words to reflect my disgust for those people who knowingly promoted a election debate for Maureen, their friend, while publicly claiming to be non-partisan. No one really knew Dr Guam or Andrew Black so the planned debate prior to election in that area was for Maureen alone. I am community voice and Maureen was one of many offenders. And they knew that.

They claimed to be about community voice, yet, once again they silenced mine while taking visible allegiance with a person who has harmed so many through her cultural and socio-political ignorance for diverse groups in poverty.

Paul Ohara, a supposed community voice for 20 years, sent me an email in response to my outing them for their very inappropriate visible allegiance while silencing community. They still did not get it. And it was clear, I would never get used to this need of theirs to assume to educate others on process. I guess he thought if he sent me the reply I would think differently. He had already asked me previously not to resign from CAN but now I was an outlaw, just weeks later and after a major planning project for his group while newly resigned. He was confused about the difference between tolerating someone and respecting them.

I immediately resigned, a third time, from CAH and had just resigned from CAN due to a total sum of discrimination, selectivity, inappropriate conversations, positions and unhealthy practices that sought to attack those too healthy to sit at that table.

But I must also hold myself accountable. Why did I assume that the those who spend their lives in denial and enabling would suddenly have an epiphany for the debut of NO MORE LIES? Despite knowing this on a cognitive level it did not change the fact that I felt incredibly betrayed.

Leaving it on the positive note: we went as scheduled on June 8 and had a diverse group in attendance. We did start late due to a technical problem, me and the overhead, but we covered alot of ground on various issues that needed to be put into the air. Again it served as an introduction to events and discussions that are being planned for the future. I again apologize to those who came who did not get a chance to speak. An email address was provided in the event others had comments not heard and we at RESPONSE believe it is only through the bi-directional exchange of experiences and knowledge that real work is done in meaningful and sincere manner. Our other topical discussions will include more time for such dialog as we concentrate per topic per event.

Thank you to all who stayed behind to help clean up so we were out the library on time. That to me that is where community cohesion really lies. I have been to many community events where people just up and leave without thought to the shared work load. To know that so many took the time to do just this meant the world to me. Those who stayed back to have further discussion also let me know there is a real overdue need to keep this conversation going and we, RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES intend to do just that.

WE CANNOT BE A THOUSAND AND MORE WITHOUT YOUR VOICE!

We will be in touch with future planned events and hope to continue to enjoy your support.

And to one certain guest: thank you and my book is almost FINISHED!

'If fighting for your own civil rights is not worth fighting for... then what is?' Bertrand Russell

~~~~~

My email to CAH on their loud silence to boycott sending my flyer through a supposed neutral email list service.

To Community Action on Homelessness

Darcy and Claudia, if you have been told not to email out my flyer can you please let me now.Your continual silence on this matter is telling and silence will be confirmation. You already gave me permission to send it out yet it has not been sent out. You refuse to acknowledge any of my emails on this matter.

If you have decide not to print out my flyer to email as you agreed then you have decided to control community voice once again I cannot take visible allegiance with such an oppressive and exploitative practice. Controlling the information to the public is a cheap way to protect NDP or CAH government support.This is also another attempt for yet another non profit organization to take visible allegiance with NDP as it forces the POOR voice into support or there will be retaliation..You cannot enable the POOR to have a voice then try to speak FOR them. This is an ongoing issue with your organization and it was inevitable to be outed.

Please remove me from ALL CAH materials and lists.This is my formal resignation for this organization that took 6 years of my dedicated free labour for it own work despite the ongoing abuse from certain Steering Committee members and those who work in Department of Community Services and municipal offices.

If you are not for and with community voice then you are a colluder!

thank you

Reply from Darcy and CAH...odd she says she was out of the office yet the flyers for Maureen MacDonald's pre- election debate were sent twice and according to the time stamp on those emails, she was in the office.

Gayle,

Sorry not to have gotten back to you - I was out of the office Friday and Monday. I do take ownership of the fact that I told you I would send out your flier without first checking with our advisory, that was hasty of me, for when your flier was reviewed by our advisory (which included first voice individuals) it was determined that it would not be appropriate to advertise this event on our list, given its radical nature.

This is not meant as silencing of First Voice but as maintaining the focus on partnerships that CAH promotes. CAH wishes your group all the best in its efforts for radical voices speak loudly and are heard in a different and important way. We believe that all types of activism are important.

I think it would be unfortunate to take you off all of our lists as you are a valuable contributor to the community, however if this is your wish, I will do this.

Darcy

----- Original Message -----

The email reply from Paul Ohara, email addresses have been removed for his privacy.

Hi Gayle,

Hope last night went well, speaking of "bugging"wanted to respond to your email posted on CAN listserve regarding cash the decision not to post the flier on the listserve was not Darcy or Claudia's. It was made by "community" members of the steering committee including myself. It was not done lightly, or without thought, I do believe the methods, tactics, or strategies for change can differ among groups or individuals. I think there are many people myself, Darcy, Claudia included who embrace values similar to your own ("imagine all the people living life in peace")

The CAH Listserve goes out to numerous groups including government agencies., the risk in posting your flyer was in alienating people we want to bring on side in terms of our "community plan" which in part is to promote partnerships with all sectors posting your flyer was the conflict for our "strategy" and does not imply where possible we will support your work.

CAH has supported HCAP for example however CAH does not endorse civil disobedience. As Housing activists many in community have advocated for social housing rather than "programs" SCPI has influenced our agenda and taken time away from advocacy through engagement in small L "liberal" social policy.

The compromise for us related mainly to having influence in the 11 million dollars that was allocated in Halifax over the past seven years.

So in short we have tried to take advantage of the opportunity to have the money spent when possible on community needs

I admire that you are uncompromisable in your work. I will support you when I can so please know that our unwillingness to post the flyer is relative to strategy not "value"

Paul

~~~~

There you have it. The 'reason' that my flyer and event was boycotted was because it was a strategy! ....It is a strategy to stop the truth from being discussed while taking visible allegiance with perpetrators. It is a strategy to silence community voice from speaking out for their dignity and rights. It is a strategy to enable the perpetrators who should be investigated for crimes against humanity. It is a strategy to take visible allegiance with abusers while publicly claiming to be a community advocate. It is a strategy to take visible allegiance with those who have immeasurable resources against those who have none. It is a strategy.....the polite answer......

Though I am confused....if they felt so convicted and substantiated in their political strategies then why feel so threatened by mine? If they are so sure of themselves with clear conscience then why boycott my stance, why not come to my event and call me to the floor for my alleged confusion? If they were so about the truth and sincerely helping community then why be so afraid to sit where truth sat?

Now please be patient it could be my brain damage getting in the way of my assessment of this situation: so is Paul saying that posting my flyer on a supposed neutral email list service that they qualify as being a network list service without responsibility for content,would have had the power to interrupt monies, 11 million dollars, that was already allocated to our province for housing strategies and initiatives?

Well I had it all wrong- I thought they wanted to protect their many abusive friends especially their NDP pal Maureen MacDonald before her election debate with Andrew Black, who look like he just started shaving and Dr Guam, who the heck is Doctor Guam?

Here I thought they wished to once again control community voice, my voice, one they know is credible and well documented and substantiated , the one voice that would out them for the frauds that they are.

Here I thought they felt threatened that their secure fragile little enabling/disabling delusional worlds of selling people down river was about to be 'outed'.

Here I thought the NDP flamers did not want a Tory government to find out that the NDP really are not representing the 'peeps' afterall!

Oh wait, that is unfair of me...they have never been in power so how can they be responsible for anything!

Dang this brain damage!

I did not reply to either Darcy or Paul for despite the 'disabilities' I have, mine pale in comparison to those they have.

Of course they neglected to mention that they were really worried about losing the new bigger room donated by Housing to the CAH office. They had been told they could have a larger more functional room from Housing offices but this seemed to be more promise than action for some time. It is NOT a coincidence that shortly after our debut at the library and CAH deliberately boycotting our event CAH did finally get that new office. CAH knew we would be speaking about the criminal abuse on the Impoverished by several Housing staff...

Talk about pimping community voice.....

Oddly not one of several perpetrators attended....they, of course know what we would say about them, perhaps they knew they could not challenge the truth? I hope in their lifetimes they come to understand that it is due to the lack of timely, appropriate, sincere and adequate responding to the numerous criminal violations to Impoverished and marginalized groups in Nova Scotia that begets the RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES.

'for every action there is an equal and opposing reaction'

~~~~~

Please note that this is not exclusive to Paul Ohara, he represents a population of fakejakes and fraudmaudes that sell community voice down river on a regular basis. Another is Jeanne Faye, another community advocate, that will be discussed when we get to Housing,Welfare of families, and Violent issues while hiding the laziness and apathy of a friend who just so happens to be the MLA ( Maureen) of one of the most volatile areas in Halifax. But in all fairness to Jeanne she could not do her fraudmaude without the endless assistance of Dalhousie Legal Aid constant and pathetic substandard and false empathy on the rights of poor in public housing.

It is not a coincidence that Maureen and Jeanne are affiliated with the Maritime School of Social Work (MSSW)and Dalhousie Legal Aid (DLA), two very unhealthy environments. MSSW( Wanda Thomas Bernard) and DLA ( Donna Franey) and Maureen and Jeanne were fully aware by 2002 of the violence and rapid decline in my health due to their not responding to the racial violence my family and community endured from the property manager, a government employee, Irvine Carvery and his posse and the police.

Please note that a communication was sent by me to Alexa MacDonald on Maureens' failure to respond to serious acts of violence by Housing staff, police and a youth gang that terrorized my community through property damage, physical assault and threat to assault on various people including my own family.

Not responding appropriately to the real issues of the most vulnerable, poor, elder, disabled, immigrant, youth, children, families and the traumatized is epidemic in the Nova Scotia NDP party. Instead Maureen took visible allegiance with Irvine Carvery one of the most dangerous government employees I have ever had the misfortune of being contaminated by.

Had NDP and Maureen sincerely been the humanitarian workers as they profess to be, they and she would have set out to address the problems I had itemized and substantiated, after all I did all the dirty work, Mulgrave Park would be a very safe place immediately. This in turn would have served as a template for all housing and public housing models in Nova Scotia and perhaps the nation. Had she truly been about the people that would have been the natural and intuitive thing to do.

We will get to all those abuses that can render a person in such a state of trauma to have to take their own lives to stop the abuse that is government sanctioned.

~~~~~

email on CAH list email service June 21 2096 after mine was boycotted.....this is the other group Paul mentioned that they do not support civil disobedience..

June 21, 2006 12:10:08 PM
To :
members list

Subject :
[CAH] Community Events and Announcements
Hello Members,
Here are a couple of upcoming events and initiatives happening in the community. These are organized outside of CAH so any enquiries should be directed to the contacts provided within each listing.
listing include: ....(edited for content)
3) HCAP radio show - call for input and volunteers
Thanks, and enjoy this first day of summer!
Darcy..

Hello,The Halifax Coalition Against Poverty (HCAP) is starting a radio show onCKDU 88.1 FM. We hope to create and maintain a weekly half-hour show dedicated to providing analysis and coverage of poverty issues and updating the greater HRM community on the activities of the anti-poverty movement locally. We recognize that the dissemination of information is essential to building strength and winning hearts and minds.HCAP invites everyone to participate in this project. We need people to help us identify the issues of the day, host the show on air, point untoward events where we can record audio, etc. The show is still in its formative stages and probably won't get on the air for a month or so.Please contact HCAP if you'd like to contribute in any way.Some major themes of the show will be the issues of poor tenants (ie. Rentcontrol, gentrification, landlord abuse, Residential Tenancy Act, HRMby-law M100), people on social assistance (affordable housing, sub-povertyrates, bonuses for Department of Community Services bureaucrats,caseworker incompetence, students non-eligibility, etc.) homeless people(Safe Streets Act, police harassment, shelter system, etc.) and poorworking people (unionization, Labour Code, abuse by employers, minimumwage legislation, etc.)..........

~~~~~~~~~~~

So I guess HCAP was not a threat to the 11 million dollars even though they discussed many of the same issues we did in fact list them more specifically than we did in our flyer. Darcy sent out this message via the very same email list service that she /CAH disallowed mine to go through. Is the fact that it is after the election a key factor? Was it personal? Heck yes! This had been the group Paul points out they cannot support due to civil disobedience actions.

I guess they found this HCAP flyer to be civil enough for their delicate sensitivities? Yet Paul and others allow themselves to take visible allegiance with those creating the need to form groups that are about honesty? Paul and others have no issue with taking sides with those who have been uncivil and disobedient and down right illegal as they work in their oppressive positions against the Impoverished.

If you are getting dizzy that means you read right.This is the crap community must go through regularly trying to figure our who in fact are their real allies void of all the tiresome and pontificating rhetoric.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paul had asked me to type up the report back to our Truro Conference, the one that I organized literally days before our debut. He said he would try to find some money to pay me. He then stated that he received an email for a generous donation and that there would be money: what was my fee for doing up the report back to the particpants?

I told him that my last labourous contract was for $20.00 /hour a few years back but that I would not be offended if he found some one else. I can only assume that he did and was only offended that he did not have enough respect to let me know this. I guess my fee of $20.00 was far out of reach over the usual unwaged labour I provided and was gladly taken. We never discussed how many hours that would be but lets say since I was there for the entire conference, did alot of the note taking and the planning, it would take me the least time to do the report back so how much out of pocket would that have really been? I was the most qualified afterall.

At no time did Paul counter-offer.....he had fallen victim to his own assumptions.

As predicted.

I deliberately set it at $20.00 to test a well discussed hypothesis. It is no longer a hypothesis it is fact ---that community labour is under valued, under appreciated and taken for granted and when asked to be considered as an equal in the same field, it is dismissed. That there are no boundaries to using and abusing and misusing the sincere and often last resort labours of those in the war by those who claim to be allies to the casualties of that poverty war.

But community already knew this.

Paul, among others, were the ones who strongly advocated for a higher minimum wage as not to exploit labour and reduce poverty!!!! Good thing I have a great sense of humour! Too bad it is not that funny!

Apparently my labour, knowledge and experiences, never mind my academic achievements of three university degrees, are much more valuable when they are unwaged! Who knew!

~~~~~

The overall point is that one should not expect of another that which he or she fails to demand from self.

RESPONSE was partly formed as a response to the overwhelming hypocrisies and double standards that do exist in certain NPO and agencies claiming to be about a specific causes. The discrimination, the cliques, the retaliation, the unequal distribution of power and labour and contributions and favours, the gossiping the pitting of people against another, the insensitivities toward another are all things that we claim to be outraged against those who are harming the vulnerable yet you can find them all in abundance in the agencies or NPO that state they are the anti-thesis of such when in fact they are the micro example of such.

We hope to not resemble those we claim are our perpetrators. We hope to have higher aspirations than to settle for the barrel bottom of expectations for self and others.

'quality is not an accident, it is the deliberate result of intelligent effort' (unknown)

To those who smiled in my face and sat at my table the day before our debut at the community library and then took visible allegiance against me the next day..: I have nothing but pity for you, especially the ones who lied about why they could not attend, as you did not make just a judgment about me or this group of brave souls, you made an observation about yourselves and the ones you protect and your conditional commitment to community and the eradication of injustices found in many faces namely poverty.

~~~~

We do apologize for the following:

Those who did attend our debut were told that the evening was being taped.

We were hoping to have it transcribed and posted here so those who were unable to attend could read it.WE believe that since privacy allows the abuse to occur we wish to be as UNPRIVATE as possible. Unfortunately the tapes have alot of static and is barely audible.We have someone trying to decipher them now.WE may not be able to post the entire transcript due to this but will post what we can salvage.This is not to be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to silence information.That should be obvious by now.We will post what we can transcribe for you.Thank you.

Update: as of July we still cannot decipher much of the tape for the static and background noise, much to our dismay.Unlike government officials, we did not want to be seen in the same light of having secret meeting and/ or speaking bout people behind their backs. Of course the USUAL SUSPECTS were allowed to come being members of the public but chose not to for they would have been held accountable by the public that did come.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU ...OUR DEBUT

Welcome to all to our evening. We are the RESPONSE TEAM named as the result of so many before us who have failed or have refused to respond appropriately and /or sufficiently to the grievances and abuse of the POOR in Nova Scotia. WE were asked what is so different about our new group ..the only answer..we plan to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…
It is evident that the HRM Police (DeptOJustice), Housing, Social Assistance, Disability and Child Welfare divisions and programs(DeptOCommunity Services) do not wish to engage in the communities of the Impoverished in a sincere and meaningful way. As a ‘response’ to the National Report Card with a FAILURE in highest crimes rate the Police have decided to open community based offices in an areas that have been marginalized as poor violent communities. The very fact the Police have publicly identified poor communities as the most violent again shows that they are trying to distract the public from the TRUTH that crime is pervasive in all areas of HRM and the TRUTH that the Police have encouraged the state of disrepair of public housing and other poor communities. Both Mayor Kelly and Beazley have blamed the YOUTH and DRUGS for this failed report card.
Despite all the resources, legislation and policies in place, the Department of Community Services also received a FAILURE in their National Report Card for neglecting and creating more issues for the Poor as well as increasing numbers of the poor. And why is Housing, which is a division of Community Services not enforcing their own policies and Residential and Human Rights Act to ensure our communities are safe for our families? Did you know that there is a zero toleration for violence policy in the Housing manual yet public housing is a war zone?
What is the point of having property managers if they are not managing the property?

This is followed with a fail in National Health report card with Nova Scotia having the highest numbers in psychiatric issues and various chronic illnesses.
We think this is not a coincidence that all three departments: Justice, Health and Community Services have failed report cards nationally as they have refrained from bringing serious issues to the forefront despite the voices of poor people demanding immediate reform and action and civil justice.
Persons in poverty can be effected and affected by all three departments, quite often at the same time.
WE hold the employees, managers, ministers of each department responsible for the lack of humane services and delivery that has quite deliberately targeted the communities of the poor, what ever face that may wear.
WE are offended that the Police wish to embarrass the Poor by making our communities to be the most violent in all of Nova Scotia only because we are poor.
WE are offended that the Police want our communities to be the perpetual scapegoat for a failing and corrupt classist judicial system in Nova Scotia.
WE are offended the Police want this to proceed as if violence and drugs are an exclusive Black and Native and class issue.
WE are offended that Housing refuses to answer to the many grievances about maintenance and violence and in fact often promotes volatile and unhealthy living conditions by not responding at all rendering the government through public and social housing the greatest slum landlords of all.
WE are offended that Community Services uses its power to inflict further trauma on those in poverty rather than promoting elevated levels of humanity as indicated in their mission statements and policies never mind all the legislative pieces and documents that protect such things from happening yet they do.
WE are offended that the ministers of departments are fully aware that the corruptions, violations to constitutional rights and acts of inhumanity are pervasive in each department and have refused to respond judicially to remedy this very despicable reality. In fact have lied about receiving substantiated documents to these violent acts committed by their staff at various levels.
WE are offended that the department of Health has still not formed an effective alliance with DEPT of Community Services to ensure the improvements of health among poor people. Heaven forbid if we started helping poor people feel better and get well, who else will we blame for societal problems?
Violence is defined in many ways and we do not think the limited and convenient definition used by the Police is helpful to any community affected by violence BECAUSE it is defined by the Police and not the community. Despite the police deliberately not reporting real crime numbers and incidents, the true nature of crime in public housing is lost to create an image of false safety and effectiveness of policing when in fact the police have encouraged and maintained crime and violence and drugs in these communities. Having improperly trained officers in the most vulnerable of communities IS violence.
Violence is in the threats named by Housing to those who owe rents that if they dare complain about the disgraceful and unsafe and unhealthy living conditions in and around their home they will be put out with an eviction and how many know they can take this to appeals? How many have the energy and health to do such an arduous task
Violence also can be financial coercion. There are so many ways that a case worker can inflict harm on an individual or family by virtually having unmonitored and ungoverned power making very serious life altering decisions that effect the quality of human life yet…….hair dresser in NS need only do an exam and 1250 hours under supervision of a master stylist to cut your hair…these case workers need no prior qualifications other than grade 12 they do not need to be social workers, as outlined by NSASW if you have a BA you can earn candidacy in 3 years for registered status. So if that 3 years is in a very unhealthy environment then it is 3 years of unhealthy learning and habit with no real check and balances. Being a social worker in NS does not guarantee a more professional environment but it is a start. But we need not look any further why the Poor are in so much pain, the ones in control of their lives are not qualified to have such power. Why should any one take Community Services case worker seriously when the standards are so low and connote a reality that they do not take themselves seriously?
Do you know it is a $400.00 fine if you litter in HRM yet governments, case workers, unionized employees and civil servants and police 'litter' all over the place with their 'garbage'. Is the waste on our curbsides and streets deemed more valuable by our policy makers that we should have such a fine for garbage/litter and not for those who injure human life ?
The damage of this lack of sincere and accountable professional integrity to individuals, elders, families, children and communities is PRICELESS.
To allow unqualified persons to make decisions that are murdering the souls of human beings IS violence. In 1996 I graduated from the Maritime School of Social Work and it was one of the most unhealthy environments I have ever been in, I hear it is not much better all these years later.
Violence can be found in withholding necessary medications and services to individuals which happens every day with Community Service clients which inevitably exacerbates the conditions of that person and /or family to the detriment. And they know that. The anger found in public housing and among the poor in general IS trauma based yet the police with all of their lack of proper qualifications still barge in abusing people further.
Persons with mental health issues(MI) are being used for clinical drug testing without their consent causing further health and life conditions. Dalhousie University who employs one of these doctors and the College of Physicians and Tory Minister and Liberal Critic for Health and CMHA provincial and national levels are all fully aware of what is going on at the QEII/Abby Lane and have done nothing to investigate. Is it a coincidence that we have the highest rate of psychiatric illnesses in Canada and doctors having multi-pharmaceutical relationships for profits while rending these people poorer in a system that will not look after their needs.?
The poor are traumatized, many MI are poor or become poor as their illnesses progress without any meaningful supports in the hospital or community by way of Community Services and Housing to be placed in other vulnerable communities already very unhealthy. This cycle is perpetuated and exacerbated by living in volatile conditions that are promoted by Police, CS and to some degree the general public with very limited understanding of how the poor are treated in Nova Scotia.…if you do not have trauma or MI before you move into public and social housing and poverty you will develop them while you live there as it is the most barbaric of living conditions anywhere.
These are just some examples there are many but these are most pervasive nationally reporting as notable failings to meet even the most basic of measures. Abuse needs privacy and now the nation knows that NS, little polite NS has failed 3 report cards. There is nothing polite about how Nova Scotia abuses its most vulnerable.
Nova Scotia has no accountability sanctions in place. WE then are forced to use what appear to be neutral agencies such as Human Rights Commission, the Police Commission and Ombudsman Office. But they too are contaminated with their own politics and agendas based usually on nepotism or political loyalties causing more harm than good, hiding and colluding with the outrageous systemic and deliberate acts of violence committed by many government employees paid by NS tax dollars.
Does this mean that NS tax payers are sponsoring government sanctioned violence on the poor? Inadvertently these corrupt and criminal government employees and civil servants are implicating the tax paying persons of Nova Scotia in the genocide of the poor and vulnerable.

The Response Team really believes that the average tax payer in NS does not know how the poor people are really being treated hence we have taken on the arduous task of educating the masses for we truly and humanely believe that if the average NS knew they would never support or allow such inhumanity to take place. In fact we believe that they will become our strongest allies in helping improve the health of every family by holding this government accountable for acts against humanity. It is the duty and obligation and responsibility of civilized persons to do so.
WE know that the real issues of violence are maintained by the classist attitudes of Police and Community Services Department with regards to how they think they can abuse our rights as persons living in poverty and visibly impoverished areas.
Community Services and Justice departments have been well informed on the outrageous and immeasurable abuse committed by its staff and failed to respond. In fact in many cases both departments sought out those who wish to bring these matters public and retaliated causing further injury. In fact they had retaliated against me with such venom and organized deliberation that on May 25 2004 I attempted to take my life to stop the abuse inflicted on me and my son. Numerous people and government employees and agencies knew about the ongoing acts of abuse since 1992 and did nothing.
Both ministers, department of Justice and Community Services, are fully aware of the systemic corruption, abuse and exploitation of the poor especially those forced to live visibly poor communities. They failed to respond. The mayor is fully aware of same abuses and has failed to respond. The Ombudsman Office is fully aware of these abuses and failed to respond. The Human Rights Commission is fully aware of these abuses and failed to respond. The Police Commission is fully aware of these abuses and failed to respond. Not only did each of these organizations fail to respond they worked individually and in concert to hide this very disturbing information from the rest of the Nova Scotia public motivated by the sole purpose to maintain and encouraged isolation and further abuse of the poor. They have been allowed to do this with impunity.
The media has encouraged and collude with the misinformation of poor people often causing further stereotypical violence while protecting the perpetrators who are all government employees and civil servant.
There is a new vocal ideology that poverty is policy made. This is true, to some degree but changing policies to be more humane is only one aspect of the multi- dynamics of poverty as they are in reality in Nova Scotia. It is based on a very dangerous and faulty premise and assumption that those interpreting and enforcing the policy do so in the most humane manner and within professional guidelines. We know discrepancies between workers within the same agency office let alone across the province is a huge problem that cleverly hides the acts of retaliation and abuse against Impoverished persons. The discrepancies themselves are the only proof we need to show that changing policies alone is not sufficient nor the real issue of abuse. We must change the entire staff and the way the policies are enforced. A surgeon does not remove some of the cancer, they remove ALL of the cancer with a hope that it will never return.
We cannot ignore that it does not matter how well written and progressively modern our policies may appear to be, if they are not being implemented by intelligent humane persons they are futile.
‘quality is not an accident: it is the direct and deliberate result of intelligent effort’ (unknown)

Martin Luther King Jr.' states there comes a day when the oppressed get tired of their oppression'..... and today we are tired

We will not be silenced anymore!

~~~

INTRO panelists… each panelist to speak for 10 minutes.

Would like to add that we had a total of 6 panelist that was reduced on the last day to 3:one had to work , one just did not show and the other, well the real issue is that there was no media, they were boycotted, and this person really needed to continue to 'glow' having had recent media attention. Instead of being honet she sought to attack our group which just let us know she was not ready to do the great work we needed to do as community work requires one to be selfless and the think in terms of the greater good for the majority and not just for self.

~~~~~
Conclusion:
It is our long term intention to design a community based organization working in an advocacy capacity that will enable those who have grievances against the Police and Community Services/Housing to come forward to file so that we may issue reports to the ministers and the Nova Scotia public for accountability to the Voices of Thousands of Poor. We also hope to set up a website to acting as a network among other community based agencies with a deliberate task of being a watch dog on any thing and anyone acting untoward those in poverty. We hope to host quarterly ( 1 every 4 months) education-sessions ( edu-sessions) and discussions on such topics as : swarming and bullying, what is community and its allies, the welfare of children and families, cultural cohesion, appeals processes and advocates, health/wellness and poverty to name a few.

We also hope to maintain a database on decisions made by Human Rights, Ombudsman Office,Residential Tenancy Board, Police Commissions and Community Services so that others can use these materials for themselves in their own work or appeals or in an alliance with us as their advocates.

We will be asking for applications for community voice to offer their valuable resources to put these into place.

BY community FOR Community.

It is pass time for a new system.

Apathy is as violent as the original criminal act and Only when that cancer is cut out can the community body begin to heal.

WE NEED your help as allies to bring this attention to the table until each person who has committed crimes against humanity be brought to task.

Thank you to Uniacke Parent Resource Centre- community based groups tend to be nomadic until you can get an office space generously donating a huge break in the rent. We also needed photocopying and such and for that we also thank an anonymous donor who also provided the refreshments and administrative costs as well. Last but not least the North End Library for allowing us to use their space. They are not responsible for the content for our information this evening they were selected by us as we hold this library with much respect for allowing Community to be heard.

Thank -you!

reference reads:

1.Thursday, November 24, 2005 General Social Survey: Criminal victimization2004 and Client Services (1-800-387-2231;613-951-9023), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.

The rate of violent victimization in Canada, based on information provided by Canadians themselves, was no higher in 2004 than it was five years earlier, according to a new survey that examined the extent and nature of criminal victimization. Data from the General Social Survey (GSS) in 2004 found no significant change in self-reported rates of violent victimization, namely sexual assault, robbery or physical assault. ...

Violent crime rates highest in Alberta and Nova Scotia Residents of the western provinces generally reported higher rates of victimization, with one exception. Nova Scotia's rate of 157 incidents per 1,000population ranked among the highest for violent victimization and was similar to the rate of 160 recorded for Alberta. Halifax appeared to contribute to Nova Scotia's high rate of violent victimization. It was the census metropolitan area with the highest rate of violent incidents for every 1,000 population.

2.
HALIFAX TOPS VIOLENT CRIME STATS
Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly says he's concerned by new statistics that suggest the municipality is the violent crime capital of the country. Statistics Canada surveyed 24,000 people in 2004 to find out if they had been victims of robbery, sexual or physical assault, breaking and entering, and other offences within a 12-month period. The data, released Thursday, shows residents of Nova Scotia reported the second highest rate of victimization, at 157 incidents per 1,000 population. Only Alberta was higher, at a rate of 160.
STATISTICS CANADA: General Social Survey: Criminal victimization In fact, Halifax is the census metropolitan area with the highest rate of violent incidents per capita. There were 71,000 violent incidents in 2004, for a rate of 229. Toronto has more incidents but its rate is 107. Kelly said he will be asking for a meeting with both the federal and provincial justice ministers to try to toughen up the legislation dealing with repeat young offenders. "If you see the report there is a high discussion on the youth component, and for us there is a small group who unfortunately have a high level of charges. So the youth approach in the justice system needs to be addressed," he said. Two-thirds of those violent crimes are committed by people under the age of 24, according to the Halifax police.
Police Chief Frank Beazley said some of the rise in crime rates can be blamed on an increase in drug use in the community. "We arrested one young man in the Clayton Park area with a drug addiction problem who had done 80 break and enters, and then when we arrested him the whole activity stopped and went down again," he said. Like Kelly, Beazley wants the justice system changed when it comes to keeping young offenders off the streets. "They've committed as many as 40 new offences while they're on interim release from the courts, and it becomes like fishing. You catch and release and you catch again and release," said Beazley. Meanwhile, the police chief has set up a program called Project Breach where police officers check to see if young offenders are obeying their curfews. Kelly pointed out over the past two years the municipality has hired 32 new police officersCopyright © 2006 CBC All Rights Reserved

~please note that the youth are a very disempowered marginalized population yet they had the power to bring the NS judicial system on its knees for a national fail on their report card? The same youth responsible, in part, for the world peace pavilon in Dartmouth?

Also we would like to point out the Project Breach is a joke!
I called in so many times on offenders supposedly on house arrests when I seen them out and about drinking beers smashing beer bottles, abusing little kids or selling crack and not once did the HRM Police respond to my calls and I was Neighbourhood Watch!

I can assure you the front line police offisewers are the ones who are the greatest problems blaming everything on everyone else but themselves. Having worked on the first amendment for the Young Offender Act, and there have been a few since, I met with very dedicated people who brought together, the concerns of the community while trying to enable the healthiest solutions judicially and with the alleged offenders. Not one person in that room and I am sure the same follows for every other amendment session, misunderstood the seriousness of the task at hand. I
have often heard the YOA blamed for the youth today, that is a lie! The Act is NOT responsible for lazy government employees and civil servants who wish to ignore all the relevant and specialized sections or the enforcement of the Act in general. The Act is not to blame.The youth are responsible for their actions ONLY.

The police, the crown and the judges are the ones pushing the youth through without proper services in place that is if it even makes it to court. It is outrageous the way youth are not being treated within the philosophies of probation that could and would dismantle any thoughts of a career in crime. Director Jim MacDonald is by far one of the laziest and ignorant employees I have ever met. His answer to youth coming in and out the systems is that 'they will get tired of it eventually'. One youth I know to be on probation for 2 years was court ordered to family violence and therapy sessions. Two years later not one has been put in place. Is this the youth's fault or that of a system too incompetent to do their jobs?
We will speak more on the corruption of Peter Kelley the allege mayor of HRM, and the alleged chief of police Frank Beazley in up coming posts. I can assure you, you will no longer be confused as to where the problem lies and who has been telling lies.

3.The Chronicle-Herald NovaScotia, Friday, November 25, 2005, p. B7
Paul Everest

Think-tank gives N.S. failing grade; Child poverty rate has worsened for 4th straight year

Nova Scotia has received a failing grade in the 2005 Child Poverty Report Card.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released the report Thursday, the 16th anniversary of a parliamentary resolution to end child poverty by 2000.

According to the think-tank's report, poverty rates in Nova Scotia have worsened for the fourth straight year, with more than one in five of the province's children living below the low-income cut-off. The national average is one in six.

Nova Scotia, among five provinces in which the poverty rate has increased, has the worst record in Atlantic Canada.

The report card also reveals that impoverished children are deprived of nutritious food, dental care and extracurricular activities, and are more likely to struggle both in school and in finding jobs.

Report author Pauline Raven, research associate for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, says information was gathered from Statistics Canada, the Canadian Council on Social Development and the National Council on Welfare. The report cards offer insight into the causes and scope of the problems, but Ms. Raven says deeper digging is still needed.

"We'd love to see a report on progress from the government," she said. "But we don't get that."

Ms. Raven said she wants to know what steps the province is taking to help, specifically with transfers including rebates and child tax credits.

Child poverty rates continue to rise because of a lack of balance, she said. The federal government has increased child tax benefits, but Nova Scotia has removed children from its family welfare allowance equations. The minimum wage is also failing to keep up with the rate of inflation.

Karen White, spokeswoman for the Community Services Department, says child poverty is a "complex issue" and co-operation is needed.

"We view it as a shared responsibility between both levels of government, the private sector and individuals," Ms. White.

She said the department has increased income assistance rates over the last two years and 75,000 families are receiving the National Child Benefit, which pays up to $283 per month, per child, depending on family income.

Ms. White could not offer reasons for Nova Scotia's poor performance in tackling poverty, nor could she say if there is an agenda or timetable for dealing with the problem. But she did say that the department is committed to fixing the situation.

"So long as there's one child living in poverty in Nova Scotia, we have to continue making investments in assistance," she said.

The 2005 report card offers some encouragement. Child poverty in families with a lone-parent mother decreased from 60 to 50 per cent. But Ms. Raven isn't getting her hopes up.

"It could be the number of lone-parent mothers is going up," she said. "Regardless, one in two children who live with a lone-parent mother will live in poverty in Nova Scotia."

The low-income cut-off rate for a lone-parent mother with one child in a rural area is $19,462.

The report card offers two recommendations to government to decrease the province's child poverty rate. One is to improve economic support for low-income families. The other is to have a greater redistribution of wealth between richer and poorer families.

Ms. Raven says it will take more than that.

© 2005 The Chronicle-Herald - Halifax. All rights reserved.

Document number: news·20051125·HH·0Nov25new_txt0152

FEDERAL CONSULT

2009-01-08T03:24:00.003-04:00

CONSULTATIONS WITH FEDERAL FINANCE COMMITTEE

Final Report

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2577724&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1&File=9

a little taste of who we are....

(Submitted per transcript into the Federal Finance Consultations 2006- (1) and (2) recommendations were accepted into the Federal Report)

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2430651&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1#Int-1714896

Our community-based organization, Response: A Thousand Voices, discusses and evaluates the ongoing conditions and treatment of the most vulnerable of Nova Scotian Canadians: the impoverished, in all of its guises. To paraphrase an adage, one is only as strong as the weakest link, so are the provinces and territories in a nation like Canada. Our most vulnerable Canadian in this vast nation of incredible resources is not immune to the truism in that adage.

The most vulnerable of any Canadian community is the weakest aspect of the nation, and it is here where we find the gaping issues of neglect and concern that can only be remedied with governmental attention and finances allocated to the issues identified as the most important in our respective communities. We strongly believe that humanistic mentalities and programs implemented to address these critical issues here in Nova Scotia can also be applied across Canada and will inevitably improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable of all our natural resources--the Canadian people.By improving the conditions for living of this specific population, we improve all life for all Canadians. To do otherwise is in direct violation of our own statutes, legislation, acts, and Constitution. To do otherwise jeopardizes the quality and therefore the security of the future generations of Canadians still unborn.

If we as Canadians desire to be taken seriously on the global stage, we must first take ourselves seriously.

By addressing the issues of the most vulnerable of any Canadian city, we set into motion a commitment that our people are its greatest natural resource and we are prepared, as a nation, to put whatever money is necessary to ensure that this valuable resource does not become contaminated, or worse, extinct, either through complete assimilation with our neighbours to the south or through the lack of national pride and identity, cohesion, and culture.

Canada has such a great opportunity to set standards of respect by government for its citizens that can be emulated around the world. There are so many choice remedies of which we can avail ourselves, but only a few sincerely reflect the intelligence and civility that we boast about as people living in a developed nation in the western world. With our most humble resources as a community voice organization, we respectfully submit the following as the topics of critical concern that we know, if put into actualization, will improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

The treatment of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons. So too could be said about measuring the civility of Canada on how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. When we, with honest introspection, discover the truth about the conditions of the Canadian poor, we then reveal what we are capable of doing as Canadians, as a nation, in creating these deplorable conditions and creating the solutions to dismantle them.We do not live in a fascist or tyrannical country, so if we ignore the impoverished, then we choose to do that. If we mistreat or abuse our impoverished, then we choose to do that. If we collude with or enable others to abuse or mistreat them, we choose to do that. If we assist the most vulnerable with whatever reasonable remedies will inevitably improve their quality of life, we choose to do that as well.

We think Canada is a nation that chooses to aspire to those standards that are above reproach. This can only be measured in its creation of humane policies and selection of qualified civil servants to implement and enforce them equally and fairly without prejudice and intent to harm.

Some could argue that to aspire to such elevated understandings of humanity is counter-intuitive to the competitive nature of a capitalistic world. We advocate that humanity within governmental policies and commitments improves the integrity and therefore the efficiency of every Canadian, thereby indirectly and directly improving the quality and quantity of their production and earning potential within that family and that community. This will inevitably improve the quality and quantity of Canadian production, influencing the at-home market and international importing and exporting markets. We rely more on the solid character of a strong Canada; we rely less on others we are competing with and for the very resources we already have.

We hold governmental efficiency through efficacy as the very critical attribute of a formidable Canada. With this in place it will keep us in standing, not only as a worthy competitor in the world market, but as an innovator that sets new standards for governing this very market.

We created a new acronym, GETE, governmental efficiency through efficacy. We understand that every government department is a system, much like a machine of production, that is dependent on every other system for functionality. If one of the parts of the system is dysfunctional, we can predict with accuracy what the repercussions will be. To ignore or dismiss the importance...we know that we're giving the last results to the people who can least afford them.

We have five recommendations, and I realize you already have the strategies:

One is a baseline standard for qualifications for civil servants in those departments that interact directly with Canada’s most vulnerable.

Two is a provincial and federal website for the Department of Community Services for (a) appeal decisions and issues; and (b) for those families and individuals who have to migrate to various provinces for work, medical care, or supports, which could include education.

Three is a separate provincial and federal department for housing, with a separate division in Access Nova Scotia to deal with social and public housing issues.

Four, a separate provincial division for persons with disabilities in the Department of Community Services.

And five, a new eclectic department for legal accountability and national responsibility for Canadians to safely report/whistle-blow on civil servants who are breaking the law and/or violating the chartered constitutional rights of its citizens.

We are very pleased that our recommendations were indirectly and directly referenced in the final report. The following are excerpts:

The Committee also heard testimony specific to the training of federal public servants. The Purchasing Management Association of Canada indicated its support for provisions contained in the Federal Accountability Action Plan which indicate that the federal government will provide accreditation and training for procurement officers, and requested that sufficient funding be allocated to achieve this goal. In addition, the federal government was encouraged to endorse professional standards in the day-to-day operation of governments and to provide funding to recruit and train public servants to meet those standards. Response: A Thousand Voices also recommended the establishment of standards regarding minimum qualifications for civil servants in departments that interact directly with low-income Canadians.

( this actually is our submission as vulnerable families which tends to be equated with 'low income' exclusively-it assumes middle and upper families are not vulnerable in their own way which is a misnomer however our presentation for this event was focused on vulnerable families due to poverty.)

The Committee also heard about the value of consistent and integrated social assistance rates and supports across the country. To facilitate interprovincial/territorial migration for work or health reasons, Response: A Thousand Voices proposed the creation of a database containing relevant information about service users, which could serve as a resource for case workers regarding prior case appeals and decisions.

( this was to disallow uneducated case workers from making people wait ridiculous amounts of time for assistance application approvals and appeal hearings -all to be national database as folks also move intra-inter provincially for education/medical/work reasons -untrained staff do create more stressors for these families, with impunity.

Like Margaret Meade said: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. (1901-1978)

Actual Official Submission in Full
(transcript)

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?SourceId=180787

SEPTEMBER 5 2006 SUBMISSION TO PRESENT
OCTOBER 24 2006 in HALIFAX

RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES

PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS WITH FINANCE COMMITTEE

Respectfully submitted by:

Gayle McIntyre (BAADM, BSW) Chair- on behalf of the Response Team (RT) responsevoices@hotmail.com

Presenting in Halifax Nova Scotia on October 24 2006

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘CANADA’S PLACE IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD’

Please note the case studies provided for each recommendation are real stories/real lives. These are not exhaustive anecdotes and case studies: unfortunately there are just too many to tell. If we are presenting on October 24 in Halifax, it will not be necessary to refer to the case studies as those are for your perusal in meetings.

Please also note that all information in the provided case studies has already been entered into testimony into various courts in Nova Scotia and /or substantiated by several medical and legal documents and sources. They are provided in this presentation for illustration purpose. Due to the honest nature of the illustrations: please read with care as it may be shocking to some who have not interacted with the Impoverished in Canada.

RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES

PREAMBLE:

Our community based organization, RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES discusses and evaluates the ongoing conditions and treatment of the most vulnerable of Nova Scotian- Canadians: the Impoverished, in all of its guises. To paraphrase an adage: one is ‘only as strong as the weakest link’: so are the provinces and territories in a nation like Canada. Our most vulnerable Canadian in this vast nation of incredible resources is not immune to the truism in that adage. The most vulnerable of any Canadian community is the ‘weakest’ aspect of the nation and it is here where we find the gaping issues of neglect and concern that can only be remedied with governmental attention and finances allocated to the issues identified as the most important in our respective communities. We strongly believe that humanistic mentalities and programs implemented to address these critical issues here in Nova Scotia can also be applied across Canada and inevitably improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable of all our natural resources: the Canadian people.

By improving the conditions for living of this specific population we improve all life for all Canadians. To do otherwise would be in direct violation to our own Statutes, Legislations, Acts and Constitution. To do otherwise jeopardizes the quality and therefore the security of the future generations of Canadians still unborn.

If we as Canadians desire to be taken seriously on the global stage then we must first take ourselves seriously. By addressing the issues of the most vulnerable in any Canadian city we set into motion a commitment that our people are its greatest natural resource and we are prepared as a nation to put whatever monies necessary to ensure that this valuable resource does not become contaminated or worse: extinct, either through complete assimilation into our neighbours to the south or through the lack of national pride and identity, cohesion and culture.

To use a farming analogy: there are all kinds of planting soils however it can be agreed that the greatest quality of ‘produce’ is grown in the richest and most fertile of soils. By providing Canadians the opportunity to grow within a well maintained and healthy soil can only produce the best quality of Canadian. The strictest guidelines for care or maintenance of this soil and crop must also be produced as there is always ‘something’ waiting for the right ‘season’ to ruin the crop.

Canada has such a great opportunity to set standards of respect from government for its citizens that can be emulated around the world. There are so many choice ‘remedies’ that we can avail ourselves with but only a few are sincerely reflecting the intelligence and civility that we boast about as people living in a developed nation in the western world. With our most humbled resources as a community voice organization we respectfully submit the following as those topics of critical concern that we know if put into actualization, will improve the quality of life for those who have none.

The treatment of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons
(Fyodor Dostoevsky)

So could be said about measuring the civility of Canada in how it treats its most vulnerable citizen. When we, with honest introspection, discover the truth about the conditions of the Canadian Poor we then reveal what we are capable of doing as Canadians, as a nation both in creating these deplorable conditions and in creating solutions to dismantle them. We do not live in a fascist or tyrannical country so if we ignore our Impoverished then we choose to do that. If we mistreat or abuse our Impoverished then we choose to do that. If we collude with or enable others to abuse or mistreat our most vulnerable, then we choose to do that too.

I have expressed an opinion on public issues whenever they appeared to me so bad and unfortunate the silence would have made me feel guilty of complicity. (Albert Einstein)

If we assist the most vulnerable with whatever reasonable remedies that will inevitably improve their quality of life, thus giving them life, then we choose to that as well.
We think Canada is a nation that chooses to aspire to those standards that are above reproach. This can only be measured in its creation of humane policies and selection of qualified civil servants to implement and enforce them equally and fairly without prejudice and intent to harm.

Some could argue that to aspire to such elevated understandings of humanity is counter-intuitive to the competitive nature of a capitalistic world. We advocate that such humanity within governmental policies and commitments improves the integrity therefore the efficiency of every Canadian thereby indirectly and directly improving the quality and quantity of their production and earning potential within that family and within that community. This inevitably will improve the quality and quantity of all Canadian production influencing the ‘at home’ market and international importing and exporting markets. By relying more on the solid character of a strong Canada, we rely less on others who are competing with and for the very resources we have.

We hold governmental efficiency through efficacy as the very critical attribute of a formidable Canada and with this in place it will keep us in standing, not only as a worthy competitor in the world market, but as an innovator that sets new standards for governing this very market.

Governmental Efficiency Through Efficacy (GETE)

Every governmental department is a system much like a machine of production that is dependent on systems for functionality. If one part of any system is dysfunctional we can predict with accuracy what the repercussions will be, not only of that particular dysfunction but of any attempts to ignore these ‘glitches’. To ignore or dismiss the importance and synergistic involvement of each civil servant within each department will always having long lasting results which are then passed on to the very people who can least afford them. As most Nova Scotian-Canadians who are Impoverished have various interactions with the Department of Community Services, the Department of Justice and/or the Department of Health, that is our focus for this submission.

As mentioned we are in Nova Scotia and our information applies to the experiences of those living here however we are fully aware that the issues created by governmental systems with regards to poverty and its manifestations can apply throughout this nation to any province and territory respectively.

We are recommending the following amendments, remedies and creations for consideration by your finance committee for allocation of tax revenues in keeping with the Governmental Efficiency Through Efficacy (GETE) theme of our submission. We ask that you consider each of these recommendations on their own merit and then collectively as addressing various gaping voids in the systems that are causing detrimental affects to many Canadians, Canadians who rarely have the opportunity to voice their own suffering and rely heavily on community based organizations such as ours to do that bidding on their behalf.

Please excuse the over simplification as we are trying to be brief in the allotted page specificity. This brevity in no way reflects the lack of urgency or importance and they are equal in our concern, they are in not in a particular order of priority. We, at RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES recommend the following:

1. A baseline standard for qualifications for civil servants in those departments that interact directly with Canada’s most vulnerable.

2. A provincial and federal website for the Department of Community Services for : a) appeal issues and decisions (b) for those individuals/ families that have to migrate to various provinces to find work and/or appropriate medical care and /or supports.

3. A separate provincial and federal department for Housing with a separate division in Access Nova Scotia to deal with Social/Public Housing issues.

4. A separate provincial division for persons with disabilities in the Department of Community Services

5. A new eclectic department for legal accountability and national
responsibility for Canadians to safely report/whistle blow on civil servants that are breaking the law and/or violating chartered constitutional rights of its citizens.

RECOMMENDATION :
1. A baseline standard for qualifications for civil servants in those departments that interact directly with Canada’s most vulnerable.

We do not claim to know what each employee has as qualifications, experience or academic training but what we do know that in Nova Scotia we are shamefully failing all expectations in dealing with every category of Impoverished people from the elderly to the disabled to the single moms with young children. Is this a lack of sufficient funds or the lack of employees with skills to know how to allocate those funds and services appropriately in a manner that is actually meaningful to the individual?

We can successfully argue that it is a combination of both however we tend to lean to the latter as being the most problematic as the waste of funds and lack of access to necessary services is a disgrace especially when it is clear that if they were just allocated in smart manner the desired result has the eventuality of being actualized. Those who have the most options to their avail ultimately have the most viable solutions. Because financial decisions are life decisions for the Impoverished, having under-qualified civil servants making life decisions for the most vulnerable is pouring water into sieve.

One does not need to have a university degree in Keynesian economics to ascertain that what and how much we invest today will determine the investments Canadians will have to make tomorrow. If we value and appreciate our assets today it will decrease our liabilities tomorrow.

Case study:
From 1976 onward the Dartmouth Community Services Child Protection Services (CPS) were fully aware of calls they received twice anonymously from neighbours on the abuse in a childhood home. They ONLY came twice in 4 years and in front of two of the perpetrators the children were asked if they were being abused. Having been brainwashed with a very misleading definition of what abuse means, the children all negated that inquiry. So the physical, emotional, mental and sexual abuse continued without respite.

Now without any meaningful intervention at any time, in 1992 over 10 years later, one of the siblings was found living on the streets prostituting although the Community Services, same office, was ’involved’ with an open file this entire time. The oldest already made ward of the court in 1980, was the one who found him and contacted the office. Not one thorough investigation legal or otherwise was ever conducted on 4 abused children, all siblings. The oldest then, against her will and under false pretenses of the office, had to assist the office to bring a case to the family courts. This woman had left all this abuse behind many years earlier and went on with successful lifestyle and family.

The first family court matters were in 1992 that should have been dealt with over a decade earlier. Disclosures were made during these court hearings and unbeknownst to the woman sent to the crown’s office for criminal charges that should have been laid in 1980. Against her will she was forced to testify against her childhood rapist she had not seen for over a decade. The CPS-Dartmouth and police knew all about this crime on May 25 1980 yet did nothing about laying criminal charges against this pedophile. Victim Services then since 1994 denied every one of her medical expenses though substantiated by several doctors that the trauma of being forced to testify on matters that were psychologically dead, caused 4 chronic illnesses. Victim Services fought with this woman violating an existing court order, until 2003 when the NS Court of Appeals ruled unanimously in the woman’s favour calling the Department of Justice, Crown and Victim Services ‘dangerous…inventing their own policies and laws as they went along’.

A woman with three university degrees and once a provincial employee is now living in criminal poverty and chronic daily pain from this outrageous display of civil servants not acting with an integrity and decorum worthy of their government positions. She is now locked for life in a relationship with the very system that left her in home to be abused as a child. The department of Community Services and Justice crippled this woman who once worked full time for the government and part-time as community advocate with the most vulnerable issues. She and her son are now in and out the health system due to the entire trauma inflicted on them by civil servants due to a lack of appropriate and sufficient qualifications.

Was this avoidable? Yes. Had the police and child welfare charged this pedophile in 1980 when they first knew about it. The entire destruction of this family unit living in Canada would have been avoided. This woman and her son paid a horrific price for the lack of standards of many civil servants in 3 departments: Community Services, Justice and Health. Strained energies are now being wasted living in poverty fighting for rights and money already legislated rather than putting those energies toward being a quality employee, advocate and parent raising a strong healthy family in Canada.

STRATEGY: To have federal and provincial regulators agree that the lowest qualification for a Community Services case worker is at least a Bachelor of Social Work by an accredited program/university in Canada with a pre-requisite of a Humanity degree in Cultural and Gender Interactions and Community Development.
To review and amend the qualifications for police staff who work with
crimes committed against persons. To have at least a Bachelor of Arts or Sciences degree in Humanities: Victimology, Cultural and Gender Interactions and Community.

Community Services: It would be the responsibility of each potential employee and those now employed to complete this degree without credit or grandfathering. I attended the Maritime School of Social Work in 1994-1996, and I am told it is still below standard, producing students incapable of interacting in a diverse meaningful way with the most vulnerable. While I was there a few employed persons where being grandfathered in with credits for being in the field for years: they were the most classist, sexist, racist, spiteful of each class.
It is imperative that each potential staff member for Community Services is NOT given credit for time served. Of course this recommendation is based on the given that the social work program is of a standard boastful of integrity, intelligence and humanity such as we can find in Ontario social work programming.

Justice: The lack of appropriate qualifications for police who interact with the most vulnerable is shameful. Nova Scotia failed the last national report card on violence then had the audacity to blame it on the marginalized group called ‘youth’. Those of us who are working with community who are abused regularly by police, know the real culprits are and that would include those hiding the truth about the state of chaos throughout every division of our department of justice. This, combined with the lack of any real qualifications for civil servants interacting with victims, creates every opportunity for further revictimization and trauma again draining valuable energies best used elsewhere.

The Justice and Community Services systems both create so much avoidable injury that in turn drains the health services and further harms the victim as they will not and do not work in a supportive modality with service users. These systems are set up in adversarial roles with any service users who tend to be the most vulnerable of Canadians. The ’inmates are running the asylum’ and this is due to the lack of any real leadership in the last decade in both departments.
In summation government systems create their own chaos, damage and injury that in turn reverberates in other systems: government creating its own business. This is a disgraceful waste of human and financial resources: money and efforts best used in promoting a healthy and strong Canada. Civil servants have a lot of unmonitored discretionary powers, to give that type of authority to those not equipped psychologically, ethically or academically is equivalent to the casualties left behind after a drive-by shooting.

The cost to Canadians to implement this recommendation: ZERO.
Benefit to all Canadians: PRICELESS
Cost to Canadians if not implemented: IMMEASURABLE

RECOMMENDATION:
2. A provincial and federal website for the Department of Community Services for : a) appeal issues and decisions (b) for those individuals/ families that have to migrate to various provinces to find work and/or appropriate medical care and /or supports.

At this time we do not have a provincial or national data base for this information. In keeping with the theme of efficiency: it is vital to have such a website/database for both the civil servant and service users to save immeasurable time, stress and peripheral services that at this time only seek to exhaust and frustrate already exhausted and frustrated service users.
By having a networking system that can store and process the information of any service user of Community Services that information can get passed within minutes to a another province for a family deciding to migrate, for whatever reasons. As it is set up now some are waiting 3 months to have their applications processed in a new province when they had already been in a province assistance program in the last residing province. The 3 month wait or any wait other than a week is unreasonable as the individual and usually the family unit cannot sustain the financial stress for that length of time. With apartment deposits to groceries for hungry family members how are they to survive and maintain wellness for any person over a week?

This is inhumane by civilized standards. A data base will allow a family to migrate to any province or territory for work or health reasons with the least amount of stressors that take energy away from the intended purpose of migrating. Within minutes they can be processed without any undue hardships to that family as well as save the paper trails that only cause more delays that are unnecessary. Energy then is put into productive outlets instead of being exhausted in stress and worry, notwithstanding saving the cost to that family unit’s ‘sanity’ as they are forced to survive in that chaos.

The other more important need for a provincial national website is to eliminate the abuse and retaliation of case workers to service users already in various stages of suffering as persons living in poverty in Canada. As you know again Nova Scotia with shamefully failed in addressing various needs for poverty issues as Community Services has neglected to look after its own even at a basic humane level. Too often when case workers who are unqualified to handle the issues of the daily work choose to make hasty decisions dismissing the needs of that person, then refer the individual casually over to the appeals process. Often these individuals are not equipped medically, cognitively, socially or legally to present their own case, many just do not get to the appeals process to have what it is they are requesting.

The appeals process is abused by lazy and retaliatory case workers instead of using it as a last resort. Too often needs are substantiated by doctor notes for services and /or prescriptions not covered by our provincial MSI and leaving the individual without items they need for basic living and reduction of pain. This person so often is too ill to apply for an appeal and that decision goes unchallenged thus violating at least one of their constitutional rights.

We often have service users who are marked in an office regardless of the case worker. This person becomes the target of unbelievable retaliation and undue hardship often supported by supervisors and managers who are also unqualified. This is not only unethical but illegal as well yet goes unpunished. The appeals referral is the abuser’s best tool in that it goes under the radar as a means to cause immeasurable stressors for that target. Unethical workers are the first to hold as shield ‘but it is policy’ as they have become so accustomed to using the lax interpretations and unmonitored discretionary powers as defenses for deplorable working standards.

Then we have the issue of redundancy. If a person needs a prescription and the case worker denies access that person may appeal that decision. It usually takes about 3 months for an appeal when the person needed the prescription yesterday. What is unacceptable in this is that often at least one other person has already been approved by a case worker or an appeal decision. Why is this sick person expected to go through the hassle of waiting in pain when this drug was already approved for someone else? By having this information on a database the case worker can feel confident making a decision and avoiding the appeals process instead of exhausting a person to appeals.

With this type of humane system an individual or the advocate can print off this information as supporting information to take to their appeals hearing as proof that the drug has already been approved. To expect infirmed people to fight for what they need is appalling especially when the case worker knows that with their unmonitored discretion they allow some of their clients the very things they deny, usually for personal reasons, to others.

One of the more hidden areas of abuse is cutting people off of funding without notice. There is already a ridiculous amount of time being wasted processing individuals to then cut them off when the communication issue usually rests with Community Services. This is frustrating for anybody which in turn effects how they function. Too often the person does not even get their mail to be notified of a case worker meeting and is cut off without notice. The case worker will say they sent out a notice in the mail but we are yet to know of anyone who has received one prior to being cut off. The case worker cannot prove they sent one. This leaves that family and /or individual in barbaric hardship as they usually find out they have been cut off when the landlord asks them for the NSF charges for lack of rent money.

By this time it is too late and the stress often too unbearable to even get to apply for an appeal - this person usually ends up homeless and in further destitution. All this is avoidable if the case worker acted in a humane manner instead of the highly prejudicial and adversarial manner toward their case load persons. It is as easy to think of solutions that reflect civility by acting in a manner and making decisions that avoid undue hardship. Ethical people naturally think and work within this framework.

It defies surviving to deliberately not show for meetings that you know will result in your monthly allotment being cut off. It begs the question: who would jeopardize their own home and food for a meeting as required? It also begs for humanity and intelligence that no one would deliberately jeopardize their own living funds. But case workers across the board will cut these people off without notice with the suspicions that these people are criminals, liars or lazy.

Please read enclosed transcript of my presentation to the Standing Committee for Community Services on this very issue of case worker abuse, appeals and databases-all were approved and supported by the Standing Committee but rejected by the newly replaced minister, David Morse.

No one should be cut off without the benefit of an ethical and structured independent appeals hearing FIRST. To treat vulnerable Canadians as if they are guilty before they are proven ‘guilty’ is draconian and goes against our legal premise and right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. But why do we see this unethical pattern and mentality amongst civil servants in a Canadian system that is supposed to be mandated to be about humanity and rehabilitation to alleviate some of the struggles so that people may find quality of life?

http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/hansard/comm/cs/cs_2006jan12.htm

Although the cost to that person’s health, self esteem, family unit, quality of life and ability to strive, albeit immeasurable, is confidently determined to be detrimental often beyond repair. Yet we continue to employee, with tax payer’s money, unqualified case workers who, in the guise of acting administratively, misuse and abuse the appeals process.
Canada needs to stop punishing and degrading its poor.

Case Study:
Youth goes to file for an application with Community Services for disability but only can get a few of his part-time employers to co-operate with letters of employment proof as required. As he spends this time trying to get the required documentation he is told that he took too long and must start again. Keep in mind he needs medical assistance with funds. This youth went through 7 months of this rejection for no reason other than the Community Services sought to be adversarial and not compassionate while retaliating against this youth’s mother also on disability. Because of this ongoing stress and lack of money this youth is rendered homeless and starts to couch surf.

After seven months of this circular waste of time and energy that left this youth hungry, homeless and trauma he is finally approved only be cut off the next month. He did not show for his employment meeting, he did not know about it. Case worker lets that one go, was told youth did not get notice in the mail. He missed the next meeting again he did not have a notice, he gets a warning rather than the case worker putting something in place to ensure he is receiving his notice at an agreed upon address. He misses the last meeting and did get notice on the very day of the meeting only in the afternoon but the meeting was in the morning. So this youth who did not get all three notices was cut off with case worker hiding behind the pathetic and enabling excuse that the youth violated policy. Then proof was requested by youth and mother who collects the mail. The case worker could not show proof that of any of the three meeting notices were received or received within a reasonable time. Yet this entire time money was deducted taken from his mother’s cheque yet the same office knew son was not giving her money for rent as they were not giving him any money.

The matter finally goes to appeals after 6 months of asking for an appeals date. The adjudicator completely ignores the request for monies to be awarded retrospectively, decision only tells youth to re-apply. The lack of any meaningful decision at appeals enables case workers to continue with abuse of authority that inflicts undue hardship. Youth must wait 3 more months while being homeless then moves to another office district which is unavoidable. New office knows new address but send notice to old temporary address per registered mail as agreed upon in the appeals hearing. Youth is cut off though office knows he no longer was at the address on the registered mail. He has to re-apply at new office due to this cut off.

At the new office after 2 months of waiting he is cut off after a couple of months with no received no communications per registered mail as agreed upon. He is homeless again due mother using Community Services of disabilities-there just is not enough money to go around. Case worker and intake worker were told several times by mother that son is in desperate need of medical assistance/respite and drug and anger counseling for trauma. Community Services cut him off nonetheless. Finally after a year and a half this youth mother has to charge him criminally three times for anger issues to try to get him the very help Community Services refused to assist with. This youth then applies again. The new case worker made one phone call to this youth and cut him off with no registered mail notices. Registered mail was put in place at previous office and per appeals discussion as youth is so traumatized that needs this type of communication as well as assists mother to keep tabs on requirements on son’s behalf, plus proof was entered that mail was often stolen, plus proof was enter signed by another case worker who stated in writing that not all mail is received due to mismailing or forgetfulness of case workers.

Reason: he is finally told that he did not get back with any information about his address yet case worker called him at his home on the land line. His mother had kept her own case worker informed to the going-ons and she knew the son was at this address as moneys again would get taken from her cheque if he is living in the same home. There was no registered mail communications at all on meetings or required information.

An appeal date has been requested over 2 months 7 times by mother/advocate and the offending office is refusing to set one up telling the youth to just re-apply. They wrongfully cut of the youth so many times and are refusing to give him an appeals date saying they are no required to do so yet they are the ones in the constitutional and policy wrong. This office wished to hide behind excuses and refuses to give an appeal date to this day. They have told the youth to get in contact with the last worker. It was pointed out to the manager of that office that this same worker abused this youth’s rights and left him homeless and without services. This youth was accepted into university two years consecutively but was not well enough both times to attend due to chronic instability, lack of appropriate treatments in place and homelessness brought on by ongoing incompetent case workers over 3 years. They were told that to demand the youth to engage with this same worker is akin to telling an abused wife to go back to her abusive husband.

These workers are so incompetent yet do know what damage they are doing to individuals thus families. The office is refusing to give this youth a new worker and this youth refuses to talk to this worker that left him homeless, without treatment and hope all because he did not call him back by an ambiguous set time unbeknownst to the youth and with the information already confirmed. This office has refuses to comply although acknowledges that registered mail was agreed upon in the last office two years earlier. They are openly and knowingly violating this youth’s rights. They are refusing to assist this youth until he talks to the very worker who treated him like garbage. The youth has had enough of fighting with Community Services for moneys he is legislatively entitled to, he knows he runs the risk of homelessness but he cannot take the abuse any more from workers.

The new reason dated August 24 2996 for the appeal to not go forward now is that this youth violate the thirty day policy of filing an appeal. Yet this appeals manager (AM) and office manager (OM) is fully aware that an appeal was requested by phone several times and that the manager asked to investigate it first. Four weeks later she left a very ignorant and patronizing voice mail on the same phone for both the youth and mother (yet youth was cut off as the address was not confirmed for the second time for this number) and in this voice mail the OM stated that she seen nothing wrong. So it was the OM who knowingly violated the 30 day notice to appeal as set out by the policy (Section 12 Appeals Policy Nova Scotia). This is the type of unethical practice that protects these workers from accountability, abuse needs privacy to thrive. This is the very unethical practice that continues to harm, with impunity, the most vulnerable of Canadians.

STRATEGY: To have an intra/inter provincial data base set up so that case workers and individuals can access the relevant informations while respecting client confidentiality as case decisions are also assigned numbers, that each case worker would be required to do searches on this data base on relevant topics before rendering a decision. The decision to cut people off of funds can ONLY take place AFTER an appeals hearing determines this as the last resort and that all alternatives should be exhausted before being referred to an appeals process which should ONLY be used as a last resort .
To have computers set up in each waiting room of a Community
Service office so that service users can, without fear of retaliation, access this information per topic key word if the matter does go to appeals. Cases to be recorded by number only.

The cost to Canadians to implement this recommendation: allocation of minimal funds to create this data base throughout each office across Canada and /or within each province will be less that the cost to keep this dysfunctional system going with redundancy hearings and paper work, and ultimate costs being absorbed in insulting human life while being degraded and abused and forced to use other systems. This entire process from waiting for months for an application to be approved to being put needlessly through appeals is taking energy away from individuals who could be using that energy and focus on being productive in other areas.
Benefit to all Canadians: PRICELESS
Cost to Canadians if not implemented: IMMEASURABLE

RECOMMENDATION:
3. A separate provincial department for Housing with a separate division in Access Nova Scotia to deal with Public Housing issues.

In Nova Scotia there used to be separate department for Housing. We are not suggesting that it ran efficiently or existed without issue in fact quite the opposite. What we do know is since its complete inclusion into the Department of Community Services the abuse, issues, neglect, corruption and misallocation of Federal Housing funds has found a new home to hide.

With the Federal-Provincial Transfer money talks and the SCPI moneys to be spent on Housing initiatives it is crucial to have the most effective and educated persons in charge of these great projects. The Housing division in Nova Scotia is embarrassingly criminal in how it violates constitutional rights of the Impoverished and bastardizes the Residential Tenancy Act sections on a daily basis.

We need to, at least here in this province, have a separate department to handle, process and administer all Social/Public Housing issues. With the increase in homelessness across this nation and the depravity that is overflowing in our public housing systems we need to have the most educated staff to execute the daily functions that serve this very diverse and vulnerable special needs population of poverty. We know other provinces are worried about the same social ills and to ignore the need for a separate department both provincially and federally is to decide to let this problem to get out of control draining other services such as health care and police services including increased numbers of incarcerated Canadians.

In Nova Scotia if you have a Social/Public housing issue or an issue with any home in the government program you must file with Access Nova Scotia- Residential Tenancy Board. We find that to be a great disadvantage to Impoverished persons for a few reasons:

(a) this is NOT a landlord tenant situation in that the landlord is usually a
private landowner where monies for profit are exchanged and we feel the limitations of the Act are in that they speak to the financial relationship that does exist in the private renting market between landlord and tenant. In Social/Public Housing the government is the property manager NOT the landlord. This manager has a different relationship with the tenant in that this is often a result of poverty therefore not a mutual agreed upon/equal power legal relationship, in fact most live, not by choice, in depraved geographical environments, criminality and violence. The commonality among all housing in this program is that all the residents are Impoverished or are at least pretend to be. Too often the deplorable conditions of abuse and lack of appropriate management in public housing is neglected as they have unmonitored authority which are abused to the point that residents have killed themselves out of desperation here in HRM. This goes without notice as who cares about a ‘dead poverty pigeon in public housing’? (note sarcasm)

In HRM we have property managers inventing their own laws as they go along often inciting a posse mentality to control those residents that do not wish to conform to the criminality often breeding in public housing. When we find residents wanting to file or submit grievances they are often threatened by Housing staff as most owe rents due to the chronic state of their lack of funds living in poverty. The constant threat by staff to control the residents into submission or an automatic eviction is criminal beyond words yet it continues regularly and has for generations.

(b)If you are able you can file with Access Nova Scotia there is no real confidence of having your rights honoured. We strongly believe that this is an inherent conflict of interest as both Housing and Residential Tenancies are governmental agencies and have often worked in concert to hide each other’s corruption thus enabling each other, with impunity, to continue to rape the rights of the Impoverished.

(c) We also strongly advocate for the waiving of the administration fee (now $25.00) for social/income/disability/employment assistance recipients. Asking for this fee from people already starving and near homelessness is absurd. This fee is being taken out of rent or grocery money, government money, to then be given back to another government agency: again government creating its own business and taking from those who have nothing to give. The most abused in Housing are too poor to fight for their rights and are left to live in the most oppressive tyrannical conditions in a free nation that has a Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Case Study:
Mother with disabilities is forced to live in public housing as her monthly allotment does not give her choice of neighbourhood. She is forced to endure depraved criminality only read about in newspapers. Being a community advocate she exhausts all avenues from Housing district managers, ministers to mayor trying to have the matter of police corruption and violence in housing to be investigation for the safety of all in and around each public housing system. Instead of these documented and substantiated grievances being viewed as a humane opportunity, those most guilty, all civil servants, organized a movement to have her evicted on fabricated issues. For 3 years the property manager incited racial violence against this woman and her family and property. This manager’s son is a police officer so they felt no need to help her every time she phones police as this manager refuses to enforce the laws and Acts governing public housing for public safety.

The police went out of their way not to help this woman as they prefer the status quo of not having to do any real work in public housing hiding behind their prejudices that all poor people are animals anyway. This woman, already on permanent disability because of Justice department, is so abused by HRM Housing staff , Police and by those who all knew about the systemic abuse and malicious persecution and did nothing: she had to attempt to take her life to stop the abuse. She survives and the abuse continues with impunity. Prior to this she has filed with Residential at a huge cost to her in many ways. The Housing MRHA Board of Directors ignored her pleas for help and colluded with the corruption though silence. She loses the first round but Appeals unanimously rule in her favour. She files against the with the tenancies manager another civil servant, for nepotism, for obstruction of justice and unethical practices obvious during the first hearing and decision that had her evicted and called her ‘the danger to the community’.

The Access NS manager ignored several requests for an internal investigation into what is clearly illegal activity by civil servants. Now after the attempt to take her life she is in a new community but Housing fabricated the inspection as they are accustomed to produce less than professional work. This new residence is greatly damaged and toxic and she now has new medical concerns and costs that are on top of those she is already suffering from daily. She again files with Residential Tenancy who now is playing a dangerous semantic game stating that since Housing is no longer the real landlord they are not obligated for damages. The woman points out that Housing is still one of two property managers now in a new Housing program RSP and also points out that damages are the direct result of the fabricated inspection and they know this as Small Claims already determined that fact on other items at an earlier date.

To date Residential Tenancies are refusing to assign a hearing appeal date to this woman so they can hide, as usual, the systemic corruption and violations to several Acts and polices. They do this as they know they can get away with it. Due to new medical concerns there is an immediate increase and further dependency on the MSI health care system for weekly medical services. Medical services and needs prescribed by several doctors are being ignored by the case workers and managers yet they have crippled this woman. They deny request after request referring her to appeals after appeals after appeals knowing she is in critical trauma on a daily basis due to their ongoing abuse that has not stopped in over a decade. All of this after she already tried to take her own life partly so she did not ever have to spend another day abused by Community Services and its many sociopathic workers. Access Nova Scotia is truly not accessible to or for the Poor.

STRATEGY: To have employed only those who have sufficient qualifications: Masters in Social Work and Community Development.
To waive all administration filing fees for Housing matters for those living on a governmental allotted assistance program.
To set up an independent Housing department set aside from other Community Services programming and assistance.
To set up a review/grievance/appeal board with the latter having a
minority of civil servants, the majority being community and /or private members to decide the matters of public/social housing grievances. ( the Community Service appeals process uses adjudicators from the community who are NOT government employees).
To have annual inspections and evaluations on performances of Housing
staff and property managers in the most vulnerable of any Canadian community.

The cost to Canadians to implement this recommendation: allocate funds from Residential Tenancy to this new board. With encouraging the most abused to come forward to have their issues of maintenance and legislative rights will inevitably improve the safety of every social housing community without fear of retaliation or eviction as punishment.
Benefit to all Canadians: PRICELESS
Cost to Canadians if not implemented: IMMEASURABLE

RECOMMENDATION :
4) A separate provincial division for persons with disabilities in the Department of Community Services.

As you know recently the new LICO pharma-care plan is being put into place and already there is much concern: it clearly excludes person who do not fit into the LICO. Thankfully many Canadians will benefit from this new assistance to families with medical needs however it is ONLY assessable to those receiving child tax benefits and too many Impoverished do not fit into this qualifier.

Many disabled elderly who are in desperate need of pharma-care assistance may not have children or their children are too old to qualify. The same type of program must be set up for those with disabled but do NOT have offspring biological or otherwise. But first we need to start restructuring the list of approved medical items, services and prescriptions: again government generating its own business keeping the sick disabled.

For anyone with disabilities: too many medical items, services and prescriptions are being rejected by case workers claiming that since they are not itemized on the MSI list they do not have to approve them, this despite the realities that in several cases at least 2-4 specialists have requested a particular item. So despite having medical expertise making requests on behalf of disabled service users we have the least educated case worker then hiding comfortably behind the policy that if MSI does not cover it they do not have to approve it. The sad thing is that Community Services should be acting on behalf of every service user and if enough people are requesting the same item they should be acting on their behalf to have stated items included on the MSI list. There are items however that are NOT approved by MSI that are being approved by case workers and again we are back to the favoritism- retaliation model case workers use with impunity.

The avoidable stress brought on by case workers and endless appeals inevitably cause further medical complications, one does not need a medical degree to understand that result.
Disabled persons are a greatly ignored group of all vulnerable Canadians.

Case Study:
Woman presents case at appeals in 1999 on a program that if in place will get her back to work full-time without any need of further Community Service (CS) monies. She wants to go back to work full time to use her 8 years of education. Her presentation shows the appeals people and case workers, substantiated by medical documentation and a medical presenter that her plan will cost one half of what CS was willing to pay on garbage drugs. She needed to do holistic/naturopathic as she has sensitive to synthetic drugs. Case workers and appeals said NO.

Woman gets sicker as CS has her in and out of appeals, she is so sick she has to move into public housing where she gets so traumatized from ongoing civil servant abuse she attempts to take her life. Her entire day is now about controlling rage and pain, she is a medical recluse. She will never be able to get back to work now that there are more medical damage brought on by civil servants. Because CS refused to help her she was forced as sick as she was to fight with Victim Services/Justice for 9 years to get medical moneys for services only needed because she was a victim of CS. CS forgot to charge her perpetrator when she was a child.

This highly functional woman is now medically crippled for the rest of her life all due to the lack of appropriate services and properly trained case workers to deal with special needs service users. She will drain the moneys for the rest of her life because there is a serious shortage of intelligent and humane civil servants who disabled this women, she will never regain her hyper- functionality and productivity and quality of life her family was accustomed to.

STRATEGY: To put back in place a separate division in Community Services for persons with disabilities, individuals and/or families as their needs are not the same as others service users, in a partnership with the Department of Health.
To staff these divisions with no less than a Bachelor of Social Work and at least one course in medicines/nursing or rehabilitative care.
To have decisions regarding medical items to include the service user’s own medical team as expert and equal testimony and part of any decision regarding the person’s care, with decisions to be placed on website/database for others.

The cost to Canadians to implement this recommendation: allocation of funds
Benefit to all Canadians: PRICELESS
Cost to Canadians if not implemented: IMMEASURABLE

RECOMMENDATION:
5) A new department for national and provincial accountability and responsibility for Canadians to safely report/whistle blow on civil servants that are breaking the law and/or violating chartered constitutional rights of its citizens.

In Nova Scotia we have a serious, pervasive and incestuous problem of retaliation-persecution, nepotism, and unethical practices in our Community Services and Justice Departments in all divisions: social/income /employment assistance, disabilities, child welfare, housing, policing, crown, victim services etc.

The Usual Suspects are enjoying tax-paid waged upward mobility in the ranks leaving a trail of poison bread crumbs causing outrageous damages, destroying individuals, families, lives and communities. If I am a civil servant and I come forward with information to restore the integrity of a responsible Canadian government I am saluted as being brave ethical soul. If I am a vulnerable soul being abused by a civil servant and come forward in hope of having any Canadian legislation set out to protect me honoured, I am further abused and degraded by other civil servants into silence and sometimes death.

http://fairwhistleblower.ca/wblaws/canadian_experience.html

STRATEGY: To have annual evaluations on civil servants performance by an Independent Review Board (IRB), will automatically keep a monitored check on those with incredible powers with meaningful inquiry and repercussion for offenders/violators.

To use the new recommended appeals process to monitor the number of appeals per case worker, abuse and misuse will be obvious for further review.

To develop an Independent Review Board for Service Users (IRBSU) whose
grievances are to be viewed as equal and as important as those submitted by whistle blowers. Victims of governmental abuse are not confused about who is abusing them and how. The problem is so many other civil servants are in place waiting to smother that voice so that the status quo of complacency and unethical practices can prevail. Having this review board will encourage people to come forward without fear of retaliation to bring serious issues that benefit everyone. Tax payers do not want their hard earned money paying wages for lazy or corrupt civil servants.

To set up this IRBSU provincially with report backs to federal level-federal
members (IRB) who can be provincial reps with each province also having community members selected through applications from each province, both to be changed every five years, separate from elections or partisan party involvement. The present disjointed relationship between provinces/territories and federal levels are being felt by those most using the systems: the Canadian Poor.

Recognizing the Canadian Constitution allows for separate powers for federal and province there are some critical issues that should not be allowed to be disconnected and that would be of national and community safety, health, development and unethical practices committed by too many waged civil servants employed and paid by Canadian tax payers.

To have findings from IRBSU being given to IRB who will be including this with
their own findings from their internal inquiries and other sources such as whistle blowers; review the efficiency of civil servants as it is measured by improving quality of life of the most vulnerable.
The left hand should know what the right hand is doing.

The cost to Canadians to implement this recommendation:-allocation of funds from relevant departments that will also make up some of the members on this IRB, funds also to be allocated to provinces for IRBSU, splitting funds between the IRBSU and IRB. Convenient and acceptable indicators: meaningful decreases in judicial involvement, health care program /prescription usage and recipients to social assistance programs, all of which have, to date, been the ignored measures of failing governmental systems.
Benefit to all Canadians: PRICELESS
Cost to Canadians if not implemented: IMMEASURABLE

CONCLUSION:

You are going to let fear of poverty govern your life and your reward will be that you will eat, but you will not live. (George Bernard Shaw.)

The sad and embarrassing reality is that energies and resources of the Impoverished and vulnerable are already exhausted and limited. What they do have is for combat as they constantly fight for rights that are already codified municipally, provincially and /or federally.

To put the most vulnerable Canadians in such a position of third-class citizenship is unforgivable, uncivil and morally unconscionable. How can we expect let alone demand respect from the international powers when we lack the necessary respects for our own people?

The people portrayed in each case study are from the same family. The aggregate amount of suffering cannot be calculated. The inhumane and uncivilized suffering one family endures when the system lacks the suggested recommendations cannot be measured other than through the lack of dignity, the waste of human life and futuristic hope. This is what happens when we have Canadian systems insulting the integrity of ethics and human life.

At this time Canada is not functioning at an optimal level worthy for worldly competition. As with any building structure we know the endurance and quality of that foundation determines the longevity of that structure. Canada, provincially and federally, needs to sincerely and with purpose evaluate the lack of synergistic functionality within and among its own systems that are draining our most valuable resources: the Canadian people. We know that if we do not give the engine of our cars the proper attention, required maintenance and necessary energy substance the engine will collapse leaving us quite without a vehicle for motion and mobility.

For Canada to find a place in the competitive world it must first strive to compete with its self on its own merit. To set one’s own standards, which should be above reproach, is to confidently accept the challenges from any other source or nation. When we can meet our own new standards of measure for integrity, ethics, excellence and humanity then not only can we, as a solid nation, stand out as setters for a new global expectation, we will inevitably demand others to ‘stand on guard’ for Canada as a country to be worthy of international multi-dynamic competition and eventual envious assimilation to our quality of life.

Now is the opportunity for Canada to demand the best from itself, we should not settle for less. If we continue to expect less of our selves and underestimate our capabilities, then other nations, with our consent, will continue do expect nothing from us either.

The question is: Does the Canadian government need to invest in its own greatest product: the Canadian people? … if the answer is ‘yes’: what is the government prepared to do ?

Canada as a nation and government cannot expect others to find value in its natural resources if Canada itself does not find the value there first and foremost. We cannot expect from others that which we do not first demand from ourselves.

RESPONSE: A THOUSAND VOICES