ERROR CODE 343

ERROR CODE 343

A PROJECT TO ENABLE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES

(343 seats available in the next Federal Election, Ottawa Area Code 343).

AND SO IT BEGINS…

In August 2019, Hon. Mr. Justice G.A. Meschishnick was presiding over a Court of Queen’s Bench Chambers hearing in Battleford Saskatchewan. James D Steele was representing the Applicant, he was attending by telephone. The judge asked if anyone was there to represent Suffern Lake Regional Park vs Lisa Wildman et al. He said, “just a moment Mr. Steele, there are quite a number of people approaching the bench”.

There were 5 of us. Self representing Respondents to SKQB 174 of 2019.

THAT WASN’T REALLY THE BEGINNING OF OUR STORY, MORE LIKE THE MIDDLE

We started out with democratic concern over taxation without representation. There were many other lawsuits to follow, always launched by the same Applicant with the same law firm. We held our own in these cases, but every case was heard in Chambers, so Respondents were never given the opportunity for examinations or mediation even though we suggested both. Judgements were made based on affidavits and the real story was never told out loud in court.

Along the way we met Justice Meschishnick then Madam Justice Zerr followed by Madam Justice Goebel then Justice Zuk (several times) and finally Madam Justice Haaf. All are Federal Judges. We lodged judicial conduct complaints against two of them with the Canadian Judicial Council and they tasked Chief Justice, Supreme Court of British Columbia, Christopher Hinkson with conducting the reviews of the two Saskatchewan Federal Judges. He in turn required a submission from Saskatchewan King’s Bench Chief Justice, Martel Popescul. That’s eleven federal level judges.

WHATS GOING ON HERE?

After nine years of deceit, obstruction, the petty weaponizing of the justice system and the sheer “shoot-the-messenger” arrogance from every level of government, we decided there must be better ways to spend retirement.

The saying goes “if you aren’t part of the solution, you must be part of the problem”. The problem is that writing letters and talking to a non-responsive stone wall that’s built in a circle does not lead to a solution.

THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM

At the heart of the problem is Political Parties, businesses that create the illusion of democracy. The 157-year-old business model put in place by whiskey-happy John A. MacDonald is long past its best before date.

The solution is to change it. We are starting a discussion with the goal of democratic change in mind. We know some will dismiss us, some will discredit us, and a few will even attack us (we have already lived that). However, we do know that across Canada there are others who have faced political and organizational injustice circumstances similar to ours. We know because we have spoken to them.

10 MILLION 300 THOUSAND

We also know that in 2021, ten million three hundred thousand people who could have voted chose not to. Our current Prime Minister occupies his position after gaining only 18.5% of the eligible vote. There is something very wrong with that and not a single Party has even asked why, they only yell insults at each other in Question Period and woo us with tee shirt slogans. “Axe The Tax” should be countered with “Promote The Vote”.

The last thing Canada needs is another political Party. What we do need is representatives who will directly represent us, not a business disguised as a democratic agency.

SO LET’S GET ON WITH IT!

Why Did We Face All Those Lawsuits? EDUCATION PROPERTY TAX

In simple terms, the Government of Saskatchewan, using one of its created entities, weaponized the judiciary to shut us up.

We identified an Education Property Tax evasion scheme that had begun about 20 years earlier. The NDP had instituted this wildly unpopular tax. Back then the now ruling SaskParty was brand new and was the official Opposition. They formed a government in 2007.

There are 296 Rural Municipalities in Sask. Fewer than 5% enjoyed these tax dodging maneuvers on about $50 million worth of properties. Those RMs had direct connections to influential SaskParty insiders, past and present.

The SaskParty was trying to quietly get out from their past tax indiscretions, and we interfered with it. The NDP has no apparent interest in revisiting history.

The many local lawsuits against us were nothing more than diversions to draw attention away from the Provincial problem.

Over time we learned we were not alone. We citizens may have access to court but when our governments are participants, we certainly don’t have access to justice. We can’t afford it. The tactic is stunningly simple, use public money (some of which is your own tax contributions) to spend you out of existence. This isn’t an imaginary claim. The law firm that managed every lawsuit against us had previously published a handbook on how to fight against financial weaklings.

At one point in our long running saga, a Deputy Minister in the Government of Saskatchewan called us frivolous and vexatious. Given we have never been the Applicant in any court action, that apparently makes us frivolous and vexatious Respondents.

THOSE STONEWALLS BUILT IN A CIRCLE?

We have learned this isn’t just a Saskatchewan problem. This abusive behaviour is occurring across the country. Governments everywhere weaponize the justice system to support their silence, and when they do speak it is meaningless bafflegab.

WE TRIED TO WORK INSIDE THE SYSTEM

Over the years, we have contacted Attorneys General for Canada. The only one that provided a meaningful answer was the office of Jody Raybould-Wilson. We tried to work with the Justice Minister/Attorney General (JAG) for Saskatchewan. At the time, we did not know the JAG’s wife worked at the law firm that had already launched several lawsuits against us.

We contacted JAG Canada, David Lametti requesting a public inquiry. He told us he couldn’t interfere in provincial matters and suggested we contact the Saskatchewan Ombudsman. That office doesn’t deal with matters before the court, and one way or another we have been before the courts almost constantly since June 2019.

Minister Virani replaced Minister Lametti, and his office has only been aware of our situation for about 2 months. They have not yet responded to our concerns. We also contacted two other Saskatchewan JAGs: one told us to get a lawyer, the other advised that her office would be responding to our communications, but never has. In the meantime, we were back in court two more times, not by our choosing.

It should count for something when citizens are repeatedly dragged into court but don’t lose even without a lawyer. However, we see no evidence that anyone in positions of authority Federally or Provincially sees that as a problem. That doesn’t really have a democratic ring to it.

When an Attorney General chooses to not pay any attention to violations of laws, civil and criminal, where does a citizen go to for help? Certainly not the Prime Minister or the 500 other Parliamentarians who didn’t take the time to respond to our concerns.

GOING FROM A LOCAL DISPUTE TO A NATIONAL DEMOCRACY PROJECT

When the system fails, only the public can change the system. BUT, first there must be an appetite for the public to do that. We believe that appetite exists; we can’t confirm without asking the question.

In 2021, 338 squabbling Members of Parliament in their various corners of ideology and self-interest took part in an unscheduled election that cost our country almost $615 million. The result of that election made almost no difference at all in the number of seats held.

It is hard to believe that all 338 elected Members of Parliament thought this was a good idea, but it’s very easy to believe their party leaderships did. Collectively they spent over $80 million on the campaign. That doesn’t include the money spent by individual candidates: there were 2010 of them, and some spent over $100,000 each.

10,300,000 eligible voters chose to not vote at all. Ten million three hundred thousand non-voters along with the statistically likely, three million undecided voters, means there is a very large unserved market and a significantly large undecided market.

The same situation exists at provincial and territorial levels. For example, In Saskatchewan there have been voter turnouts of less than 40% in some areas.

Survey after survey shows that politicians are among the least trusted professionals in our society yet that is who we allow to manage our country.

How does that work? How can it be that something so important as our democracy be handed over to a small group of people we openly distrust? It is our contention that the answer to that question can be explained in just two words: Party Politics. Political Parties could not exist in their current state if they could not divide us into specific ideological groups. First, they create teams, then they create rivalries. The only time politicians give praise to an opposing politician is when one of them dies.

Parties don’t appear to even trust the abilities of their own members. Allowing them to vote their conscience in the House of Commons is a rare thing, and “free votes” hardly ever happen. Not voting along Party lines can get them booted out of the gang and with that lose Committee perks, Cabinet positions and things of that nature.

It begs the question, if we elect 343 Members of Parliament in the next election and they are not allowed to vote their conscience, or more importantly, that of their constituents, why should we elect them?

The current structure suggests that the people we chose to represent us cannot be trusted to make the proper decisions and they must be guided by a Party organization, which by definition is a business (NAICS 2012 - 813940 - Political organizations - Canadian industry).

Campaign Finance Laws and Regulations

Campaign laws are profoundly and unfairly rigged against the Independent Candidate and give Parties extraordinary funding power over the election process. This makes them the most powerful organizations in our society. They direct the votes that determine the wars we go to, they pick the judges who judge us, they decide the curriculum that educates us, and they decide the use of our vast wealth. They act very much like a typical cartel.

They do all this without occupying even one seat in Parliament, but as businesses, control them all.

In Canada under current regulations elections aren’t won, they are purchased.