You have to love how well politicians lie, to make a sellout seem a good thing. Then there is the Politician that tells you how great it is to share such an open border, and how good of a friend you are, while at the same time killing tourism in your country, and putting the blame for their own incompetence onto your shoulders.

Hats off to both Conservative Cannon, our Foreign Affairs dufus, and Hilary Rodham Clinton, the US poster model for failed political hacks, for their stellar performance in announcing that the Great Lakes Water Treaty of 1909 will be renegotiated, as merely a way to update how we preserve the environment. 

“We have to update it to reflect new knowledge, new technologies and, unfortunately, new threats,” Clinton said.

“The rivers, the lakes, the streams, the watersheds along our boundary do not belong to one nation, they belong to all of us,” she said at celebrations overlooking the falls.

“The friendship between Canada and the United States is a model for the world,” said Cannon. ( CBC News )

Funny how Clinton makes that sly remark, about it not belonging to anyone, course the fact that it is her country who pollutes the lakes faster than one can say ‘defeated candidate’, and is the one who thinks we are a third world country,  doesn’t come into play, now does it?

After all it is her Government that is trying to steal the Northern Waters of Canada so they can legally send their warships through the passages, and their oil tankers, without meeting our tougher restrictions on pollution. Mind you, our lovely fair haired boy, Stevie, is doing everything he can, to reduce those restrictions, those protective services. After all, he’d like nothing better than to be the Governor of the 51st USA State.

And you have to love how they talk about free exchange of goods, through NAFTA and the cross border shopping, while it it is the USA who constantly tries to deny Canadian Industry a role in the US Market. Or how their new regulations, requiring anyone over 16 to have a passport in order to enter their land of plenty.

And our eager and willing stupe, Cannon, plays right into it, extolling the virtues of a country that has led the world to economic ruin, because of its greed. Course it is his same boss, that is allowing Mining Companies to dump toxic waste into our streams, so they can make huge profits. And too, in all fairness, so that Canada will be just like the United States, a dumping ground for polluters. After all, wouldn’t be fair to have pristeen lakes, clear and clean water, when our gentle giant of a neighbour has nothing but sludge and ooze in its lakes & rivers, from the same practice of dumping and pollution.

Now would it?

An interesting story is out, about some of the ‘lesser known’ aspects of the recent Budget that we know will create a $30 Billion deficit.  And this little known aspect, makes me wonder what else is hidden among the volumes of text, and how much our country is going to be screwed for generations to come. The part is the small change to the ” Navigable Waters Protection Act “.

While the law itself has remained nearly unchanged for 130 years, it was, until now, a way for Government to not just insure we have clean waters, but that we can control and limit, if necessary, expansion along those waterways. Now some will argue that it is archaic, in need of change, because it basically sets that any waterway that a canoe can navigate, comes under this act.

At the time of writing the act, river transport was a major means of transporting goods, and yeah, canoes were the chosen method. Sure, some of these little streams, rivers, are no longer used for that, but they still all feed into the major lakes and waterways.

What changes is that no longer does the PUBLIC have a guaranteed input into changes along those waterways. Construction along the banks no longer need to have environmental impact studies, and the argument is that why should they. Course, the fact that it can erode the quality of the water, or the ability of nature to combat pollutants is set aside in that argument. After all, it is only a small river, a minor little stream, and so can’t have any real impact, right?   WRONG!

The decision should not be taken away from the people, nor should the real impact of development be made without knowing the facts. To now let a single minister make the decision, is wrong, and we already can see how this Administration has no concern for the environment. After all, they are quite willing to let the Mining Companies dump toxic waste into our lakes, for the sake of improved profits.

Now they have carte blanche to do it anywhere they want, because they also get to determine what is, what isn’t a major waterway.  Maybe they’ll say the St. Lawrence is no longer a major waterway, or how about your favorite lake? Maybe Slave Lake in Alberta will become a minor tributary so that oil sludge and stuff can be dumped into it?

I don’t understand this Conservative desire to rape and pillage the country. To give unchecked controls to people who shouldn’t have absolute power, and yet they seem to be rushing to do just that. From giving every police office the power to put anyone in jail, wihtout due process, without even an iota of fact to back it up, they can toss you into jail and throw away the key, under the new Tory Terrorist Bill.

They have gutted our food safety programs, to where it is totally understaffed, and the rules for inspectors are so convoluted, no one knows what they can or cannot do. Food manufacturers like Maple Leaf Foods, self regulate, with limited oversight, from people who can’t step in, or stop what might be unsafe practices.

Mining companies get the right to dump toxic waste, at a Ministers decision, and it is the old Navigable Waters Protection Act that has put that on hold, that has forced the Mining Companies to provide an environmental impact study, and has forced the Tory Government into court to provide that information.   NOW THAT IS CHANGED.

Those who support this RAPING OF OUR ENVIRONMENT say that this change is not what it means, that while it is simple a POSSIBILITY, it doesn’t mean it will happen. So, what, we wait until the lakes are polluted, then spend a few billion to clean it up? Like how is that being fiscally responsible?

Isn’t the idea of preventing this crap from happening, more economical in the long run? And can’t we see that our method of protecting the environment hasn’t worked, and that to do so now, is going to cost us tens of billions of dollars, when it would have cost a fraction of that, if we had done it just five years ago?

All of these changes do have one thing in common. They protect the profits of giant corporations, at the expense of the National Good. And today, the Harper Tories use the economy as an excuse, saying that by unrealistic regulations, we are hampering economic growth. Yet at the same time, they claim that the majority of the affected rivers, streams, are in rural areas, where there is no need for protection from developers.

If true, why change the law?

If true, how does the current law hamper economic development?

Obviously, the Harper Conservative claims are just LIES.

You know, the more the Stephen Harper Conservatives hold onto power, the more I wonder at them, at their logic, and even their unmitigated gall. The Federal Fisheries Minister for example, who after the story broke about the uncaring raping of our lakes by the Tories, said that it was a responsible move to move Mine Waste to our Lakes.

Seriously, that is what he said.

“It is much more responsible to store them in water,” Hearn said.

“Any damage done in relation to fish or fish habitat has to be mitigated where there is no net loss to either fish or fish habitat. There is a major environmental study done before any go-ahead is given,” he said, adding that “every aspect is covered” before anybody could be in a position to damage the environment. (source – CBC News)

Naturally they are trying to downplay it, by using their Heroes style of making up less dangerous sounding names. To begin with, this is toxic waste, but instead of calling it for what it is, they refer to as ‘mine tailings‘ which gives it a nice sounding, less harmful name. Fact is, it is TOXIC. Doesn’t matter what you call it.

Course you have to love the Mining Industry, who claim that it is much better to use lakes in areas that are rugged, than building their own proper containment pond. After all it is hard to find good storage in the mountainous regions, where these mines are located. So it makes much more sense to dump the waste into local lakes, as being a plus for the environment. SERIOUSLY, that is their justification for seeking this ruling by the Fisheries Department, one the Harper Tories are quite willing to grant.

“The preferred solution is obviously a man-made structure, but when topography does not allow that, or when in actual fact a surface structure might be more risky … it may not be possible to find an appropriate level area that would allow that to be done,” Peeling told CBC News Tuesday. (source – CBC News)

Okay maybe I am thick, but let’s think about this. If ideally they would prefer some holes dug, fresh water used, but because of the terrain, they’d rather store their toxic crap in our pristine lakes. Their reasoning being that it is too hard to blast holes in the mountains, to form these safe reservoirs. Uh, so how do they dig the mines out? They don’t have heavy equipment up there already digging deep into the mines? I suppose these mines just magically appeared?

This is utter BULL.

If they can bring in the equipment and manpower to dig the mines, they can dig the reservoirs they need to hold their toxic waste. It really is that simple, and all Stephen Harper is doing, is giving the Mining Industry a free ride, at the expense of our natural lakes. To say that they will monitor it is like asking Mattel to insure its toys are lead free.

I suppose it is not something we think of, as being a pressing issue.

Sure, there are some who are passionate about the Environment, about saving the wildlife, the forests, and yet for the most part, I think many of us don’t feel it is a pressing issue. Not like how to contain the rising cost of gasoline, or the increasing rise in food costs. Those issues, along with Immigration, Health Care, all seem to be more important, more urgent, but I wonder, if we aren’t missing something?

Take two leading environmental issues of today. Look at the crazy change in weather, at the flooding in Iowa, at the recent Salmonella outbreak because of Tomatoes, then look at the recent decision by the Stephen Harper Government to let mines dump their wastes in Canadian Lakes. Look at how John McCain is urging for more Off Shore Oil Exploration, and then maybe take a gander at the results of the receding floods in Iowa again.

LeRoy Lippert, chairman of emergency management and homeland security in nearby Des Moines County, warned people to avoid the floodwaters: “If you drink this water and live, tell me about it. You have no idea. It is very, very wise to stay out of it. It’s as dangerous as anything.” (source – CBS News)

Fact is, we should pay heed to what is happening below our Southern Border. We can see the mistakes that are being made, and take action so they don’t happen up here. Yet here is Stephen Harper ignoring the lack of environmental stewardship and following the same risky path of US Administrations, that are leading to an economic and environmental melt down of the United States..

There is no way to assess how much of an ecological risk these floods will have. Iowa is a major agriculture state, and what harm all these chemicals will create into the soil is, well scary. Seriously, there are many things we should be doing, such as ending our dependancy on chemical solutions for pest control, for enhancing crop growth. I mean with all this stuff now floating around, unsafe for humans, but okay for plants?

This is why we need to maybe take a closer look at how we live. I mean this type of stuff is hardly raising an eyebrow anywhere, lost among the human tragedy from the flooding, but is all this truly all natural? I mean think about all the building we do, the cutting down of trees to feed our need for more lumber. While we do that, we take away Nature’s own air filters, and we weaken the soil structure. Too many cut trees, and we wind up with mudslides, we wind up with dirty air that seems to just get dirtier, all because we are not managing what GOD GAVE US.

Seems to me we are spending way too much time talking about Corporate Interests, about keeping industry alive. Be rather useless if there aren’t any people around to buy those products, don’t you think?

Watch the Harper Tories claim they aren’t responsible for their Mandarins who are quietly allowing the Mining Industry to open up Canadian Lakes for their toxic waste. Once more the regime of Stephen Harper is placing Corporate Interests over the needs and best interests of the Country.  By using an obscure loophole in the Fisheries Act, the Tories are giving permission to mining companies to save tons of money, and rape our future, by dumping their waste into popular fishing lakes.

“What Canadians need to know is that this year, from March 2008 to March of 2009, eight lakes are going to be subject to being put on Schedule Two, which is just about every mine that is going ahead this year is looking around, looking for the nearest lake to dump its waste into.” (source – CBC News)

It seems that Stephen Harper and his group are more concerned about insuring a steady stream of campaign financing, than they are about governing a nation. The land, the trees and lakes, that make up this great country, are part of our heritage. He can apologize for treatment of Natives but they are words, that have no substance, as he allows his Government to allow for the destruction of the natural beauty of Canada.

They hold NO MEANING because it is simply a way for him to gain good public relations. If he truly was sincere, if he truly did care, he wouldn’t one day apologize, the next allow for the rape of the country. Our First Nations are the trustees of the land, as is the Crown and yet here is the Crown, as represented by Stephen Harper and the Tories, allowing for the destruction of our heritage. This is simple WRONG.

A vote in the next federal election, for any Tory Candidate, is a vote for George Bush and the United States. That is what this regime believes in, the rape and destruction of a country and its principles. From secret warrants, from secret hearings, from stonewalling investigations in bribery, from failed promises, from deliberate threats, attack ads, to the eventual amalgamation of Canada with the greatest evil since Hitler’s Nazi Germany, the United States.

That is the goal of Stephen Harper, to make Canada the 51st State of the Union of Hypocrites, Bullies, and Greed Merchants. George Bush leaves office soon, one can only hope Stephen Harper joins him and DEPARTS.