Tsk, tsk Freedom Party

The Freedom Party is running in the Ontario election, hoping to eke out a seat or two for libertarian hopefuls. I like libertarian principles but unfortunately this “fringe” party really has no shot of getting elected as the government. In fact, they may stand as a spoiler to the Progressive Conservatives in some ridings. Yet, this situation may cause PC candidates to compete for votes in the freedom space of the electoral spectrum, so this is a good thing.

However, I must take issue with their latest commercial on prayer in public schools. Their ad uses a clip of mine, and not only do they take Tim Hudak out of context but, these property-rights-loving folks didn’t ask to use (or even credit) my video!

Here’s my interview with Tim Hudak from April 2, 2009:

At 4:08, I ask about vouchers and faith-based schools. If we go to 4:50 we hear Hudak say about faith-based schools,

“Very clearly, in the 2007 election, voters rendered a clear verdict that they didn’t support the party policy of faith-based schools support. And as leader of the Ontario PC Party, I won’t be opening that door again. It has been closed by the voters. I’ll look forward to working with our grassroots policy process with our members of the PC Party who are involved and our PC caucus colleagues. I’ll look for ways to innovate, create competition in choice, but within our public school system.”

In the Freedom Party ad below, the narrator says “PC Leader Tim Hudak is quietly committed to faith-based public schools.” Hudak: “Choice, but within our public school system”.

Hudak wasn’t talking about moving the faith-based argument from tax-credits of private schools to infusing religion in public schools. He was talking about creating competitive elements within the public school system. It was quite clear that he recognized faith-based meddling in education wasn’t a winning strategy in 2007. Vouchers as a general concept is a good one (and an competitive tool which I imagine the Freedom Party would support in our public schools system). The Freedom Party distorts this point using a quote from Hudak out of context.

And without any tagline for my video! Fair use is fair use, but please pass on the credit.

CBC Opt Out Campaign

Here’s our latest from the National Citizens Coalition:

OTTAWA –– With the federal government struggling to emerge from a $36-billion deficit this year, taxpayers have been demanding an immediate end to wasteful spending.

“This government was elected to balance the budget – that must remain the top priority,” says Peter Coleman President and CEO of the National Citizens Coalition. “If they are serious about the promises they made during the most recent election it is time to put the CBC on the chopping block.”

With taxpayers being forced to hand over $1.1-billion annually to fund the CBC, the broadcaster has still failed to remain relevant.

Now, a new petition has been launched at www.cbcoptout.ca, which allows taxpayers to join with thousands of others to symbolically opt-out of providing funding.

“It is time to tell Heritage Minister James Moore and Prime Minister Harper that the buck stops here – all 1.1 billion of them.” adds Coleman.

The CBC’s negative impact on the Canadian economy is deeper than most taxpayers realize.

“Private networks must compete with the CBC for advertising dollars, and the CBC has repeatedly refused to even open its books,” says Stephen Taylor, a Director with the NCC.

“Without a transparent, forensic audit the true costs of the CBC are impossible to estimate. This is before even including the millions of public dollars spent each year by other government agencies, such as Canada Post, to advertise on the CBC,” adds Taylor.

The National Citizens Coalition has been working hard for several years to bring this issue into the spotlight. Now that the CBC is in the hot seat, the pressure is on the federal Conservatives to act decisively and to stop wasting taxpayers’ dollars immediately.

Visit www.cbcoptout.ca and sign this petition today!

In Saudi lawsuit news…

Lawyers here,

[EthicalOil.org] ran a tough-talking ad campaign on Oprah Winfrey Network Canada in August that has a woman announcer denounce Saudi oil imports: “We bankrolled a state that doesn’t allow women to drive, doesn’t allow them to leave their homes or work without their male guardian’s permission and a state where a woman’s testimony only accounts for half of a man’s.

“Why are we paying their bills and funding their oppression?” the announcer then asks.

The ads push energy from Alberta’s oilsands as an ethical alternative.

Velshi says the Television Bureau of Canada’s advertising review and clearance service has informed him that it has received a cease and desist letter from lawyers for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia demanding approval for ethicaloil.org’s ad be withdrawn.

Velshi says the lawyers have refused to disclose the letter to him or to list Riyadh’s concerns.

“So all we all we know is Saudi Arabia has hired a law firm to try to censor what can appear on our television screens and that’s an outrage,” said Velshi.

Lawyers there,

A lawsuit has been issued against Saudi Arabia over allegations that it provided funding to al Qaeda, making the 9/11 attacks possible. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a Lloyds syndicate insurer, seeks $215 million to cover insurance claims it paid out.

British insurer Lloyd’s of London syndicate 3500 has filed a court case against Saudi Arabia to recover the $215 million it paid out in insurance settlements relating to the 9/11 attacks. The insurance company claims that al Qaeda was directly funded by Saudi groups who in turn should bear the responsibility of meeting the costs.