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Sunday, September 2, 2012

Canada Rejected Neoliberalism Twice - Third Time Charm

This is is re-posting of a posting by Mike MacNeill on Facebook.It describes some of the source of neoliberalism in Canada. Our politicians don't dedicate time serving us, they view their time in office as a job interview for the corporations that will hire them after we get sick of their hypocrisy. Both the Conservatives and Liberals have been guilty of it, and both were practically wiped out as a result. The Liberals only have a fututre if they return to actually being liberal, progressive, non-corporate and non-neoliberal. The Conservatives are under the thrall of the Hypocrite Harper and his extreme neoconservative neoliberalism.
Next election we must make a third example of our rejection of neoliberalism and devastate the Conservative party. We must say no and the tactics he uses, the same ideologies that have nearly destroyed the US. Quebec already did it. They often speak first and loudest among them. For once I agree with them. It's time to take Harper and Ottawa to task and get a government and country that truly represents us. We were doing so well, progressing and making amends for the past evils, and then came Harper and we've been sent backwards decades. We must stop the dismantling and auctioning of our resources, lands, rights, and the nation we love.

We must end the power that corporations like Power Corporation of Canada, RBC, Scotiabank, Imperial Oil, and others have in our democratic nation or it will cease being one and we'll be back to working for the company store, or our feudal masters, whichever way you want to put it.


Power Corporation of Canada: While it was originally established as an electric utility holding company, under the control of politically connected Paul Desmarais, Sr., the company became a conglomerate with major interests in publishing and the finance industry.[2] Power Corp is widely described as the power behind the Canadian government and influential elected officials. Former Prime Minister of Canada, Paul Martin, was hired in the 1960s to work for Paul Desmarais, Sr. by Maurice Strong. Martin became President of Canada Steamship Lines, a subsidiary of Power Corp., and in 1981 Desmarais sold the company to Martin and a partner. Martin went on to make his personal fortune as an owner of CSL. Former Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien sat on the board of Power Corp. subsidiary Consolidated Bathurst in the late 1980s before he became the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Chrétien's daughter France is married to the son of Paul Desmarais, Sr., André. Also Chrétien's chief of staff Eddie Goldenberg worked in the past for Power Corp. Former Prime Minister of Canada, the late Pierre Trudeau, served in the mid-1990s on Power Corp.'s international advisory board. Trudeau's assistant Ted Johnson also worked for Power Corp. During the Trudeau administration Michael Pitfield held a variety of positions in government but during his time in the private sector he was at one time a Vice-Chairman of Power Corp. and is currently listed as a Director Emeritus. Former Prime Minister of Canada Brian Mulroney also has a relationship with Power Corporation. Mulroney's friend Ian MacDonald described Desmarais as “Mulroney’s mentor in the business world,” and it is believed that Mulroney has done legal work for Power Corp. since the end of his term as Prime Minister. Additionally, former Mulroney Minister of Transport Don Mazankowski is currently Power Corp.'s company director. Former Premiers of Ontario William Davis and John Robarts of the Progressive Conservatives have both sat on Power Corp.'s national advisory board. John Rae, the brother of former NDP Premier Bob Rae, currently serves as Power Corp.'s Executive Vice President. Former Premier of Quebec Premier Daniel Johnson, Jr. worked for Power Corp. from 1973 to 1981 and in the last three years of this term was a Vice-President in the company. Former member of the Liberal Party of Canada Maurice Strong became President of Power Corp. by his mid-thirties. He had a role in the creation of the Canadian International Development Agency and in 1976 he was appointed to run Petro-Canada. He later worked for the United Nations. Power Corp.'s international advisory board has featured individuals such as former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, former oil minister of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, former head of the US Federal Reserve Board Paul Volcker, and the previously mentioned former Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau. The former Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec's President and CEO Henri-Paul Rousseau became the vice-chairman of the company and a member of the board of directors of Power Corporation. http://www.powercorporation.com/en/

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