Monday, February 18, 2008

Gag Law Police On the Prowl

The Gag Law Police are circling around a group called Friends of Science.

Seems this group may have engaged in unlawful "election advertising" when it ran a series of anti-Kyoto radio ads during the last federal election without first getting permission from Elections Canada.

Under Canada's draconian election gag law, that's a no-no.

I should know, because about seven years ago I went through this investigative process -- a process that turned out to be quite expensive.

Of course, back in the days when Friends of Science ran these ads Stephen Harper opposed the Kyoto Accord.

Now he supports it, so I am not sure if these radio ads did any good.

Mind you, Harper once also opposed gag laws, but that's a whole different story.

7 comments:

hunter said...

How does Stephen Harper support Kyoto? The Conservatives have been the only ones solidly against sending our tax money over to Russia and China, re-Kyoto. They have taken a lot of heat for it, like Suzuki wanting them jailed!

Anonymous said...

For anyone living in Ontario, they will be familiar with the group (something like the Family Coalition) organized and paid for by unions and the many teachers unions that ran ads consistently vilifying anyone who didn't support their viewpoint while encouraging people to vote for anyone other than PC's. This was all fair game because they support liberal left wing crooks - if you dare to critize the religion of global warming watch out cus the union run government organizations like Elections Canada or the Human Rights Commissions will destroy you . Welcome to Canada - truly a 3rd world country in the making.

Anonymous said...

Don't get into the "once opposed" game with regards to Harper, it may end up being a longer list than blogger can accommodate. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Once opposed... still opposed... The Media has gone far a field when it comes to how they interpurate things to fit their personal view of events rather then just reporting facts. Lookng at the actual speaches Harper has made and then what's reported in the news it's easy to see why this plain speaking individual is so milighned and hated by the Left leaning media... he doesn't give them much to work with and when he does it's usually a trap the Liberals fall for hook, line, and stinker...

Just because someone names their dog Kyoto doesn't mean they have any clue about the enviroment...even after being a federal enviroment minister...Mr Dion just doesn't cut the Mustard...

Today it's "Climate Change",
2 or 3 years ago it was all about Global warming, go back just a little over a dozen years and it was global cooling...

It all amounts to the same thing....weather paterns change over time...and weather men and women in the western world are about the only profession you can work in (other then in a cushy Union job, city worker or in Politics) and be catigorically wrong 80%+ of the time and still keep your job.

Review said...

Yes, that must be really tough, being asked to obey the election contribution laws like everyone else. They should have a special break.

Anonymous said...

The Friends of Science (FOS) are FOS!!!!

'Nuff said!

Monkey Loves to Fight said...

I don't like the gag law, but I do believe in breaking laws I don't like. I don't like the fact the speed limit is 100km/h on the 401 and would love to be able to drive over 150km/h without having my licence suspended, but I still obey the law, even if I don't like it.

And correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the one group that supported the NCC in their court challenge on the Gag law (I believe it was the Environmental Protection Alliance) come from the left side of the spectrum so not all on the left oppose it and there are some on the right who support it too.

As for Friends of Science, I think they are just a bunch of people wanting to defend the oil industry at all costs and find excuses for doing nothing on climate change. However, I would not argue they should be silenced. However, I don't think they should be exempt from the gag law either. They should follow it until repealed and if a bad law (which I believe it is) it should be repealed for all groups.