Perhaps Rick Norlock can answer some of our questions before his staged townhalls.
Through the Bank of Canada, Harper gave 200 billion taxpayer dollars to financiers in exchange for their toxic debt, accumulated through irresponsible trading in 'innovative' financial products.
Where has that money gone, exactly? Where are the public audits of financiers who received our money? Self-reports from those bailed out or their business colleagues, are insufficient.
The Harper government changed regulations in the Bank of Canada Act to reduce public reporting of exchanges with private financiers. It has allowed an increase in irresponsible, privacy-protected electronic trade in derivatives, hedge funds, and leveraged debt, promoting further boom and bust cycles while taxpayer dollars disappear into the void.
Nothing has changed since the economic crash. Obama's and the G20 proposed 'financial reform' actually entrenches irresponsible financial behaviour globally through the World Trade Organization. The trade rules guarantee financier privacy and rights to expand their destructive behaviour. Another crash is inevitable unless the trade context is changed.
Further, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Harper has been guaranteeing the shoddy loan practices of insurers like US-partnered AIG Canada, with tens of billions of taxpayer dollars. Presumably Harper knows that this hemorrhaging of our money will continue under 'free trade' rules. When will the backdoor bailouts and the trade giveaways stop?
Meanwhile, the Harper government has continued to cut critical public services funding. He has cut funding for women's shelters, those with disabilities, even church groups doing justice work. Harper has refused to return money taken from workers through the Employment Insurance fund. Child poverty and the gap between rich and poor have increased astronomically. Full-time jobs with benefits have gone through the basement, replaced with part-time,low-pay, and instability.
Harper has increased privatization of health care, education, water, telecommunications, and energy, and continues to give-away public assets. The generations-long investments of residents in their public services are given to wealthy financiers, who then fritter the proceeds away in the financial casino. How much longer can the assault on the people of this country continue?
Harper continues to subsidize tar sands profiteers, sending our energy south, destroying the climate and our own reserves while refusing instead to invest in public clean energy for truly sustainable jobs.
Harper has, once again shown his contempt for Parliament by closing it. Democratic debate across the country cannot be replaced by corralled town halls focussed on narrow questions.
How do members of the Harper government explain their assumption that residents are blind to hypocrisy? Have these tactics been suggested by the Bush-era public relations consultants which Harper continues to hire?
I'm looking forward to Rick's responses to these questions, particularly the text of public audits on financier transactions in the past two years.
Sincerely,
Leigh Thomson
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