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  • From: FranandDave Nokes <fdnokes@hotmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Very time sensitive! Dangerous safety bill in Canada
  • Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 12:12:46 -0600


Senators meet tomorrow about this bill.

Any bill which allows for trespass, search, seizure and arrest, unsupervised
by the courts, is a dangerous bill to city folk and country folk alike. I am
concerned about anyone running any kind of growing operation.
Tomorrow, the senate will vote on Bill C-36, after refusing to hear a
constitutional lawyer speak about it. Some, of course, wanted to, but it
was voted down.
Now, as Canadians, we can take our turn to send messages to the Senate.
But, first, have a look at these details, please.
Easy access to senators to follow.
Frances




Background
On June 9, 2010, Bill C-36 was introduced for first reading in the House of
Commons. A copy of the Bill can be found at:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4606148&Language=e&Mode=1&File=32
– 1.
Bill C-36 is almost identical to Bill C-52 which had been introduced
into the 39th Parliament on April 8, 2008, and to Bill C-6 which had
been introduced into the 40th Parliament on January 29, 2009.
Summary of Points Discussed In This Paper


The rule of law is the fundamental underpinning of a free society.
Sacrificing the rule of law always leads to tyranny and loss of freedom.
The Bill represents an unprecedented change in the powers of the
state vis-à-vis the citizen. The rule of law and private property rights
are all but extinguished in the area of consumer products.
Although not applicable to natural health products, the Bill still
poses a threat. The Bill gives Health Canada inspectors the very powers
that concerned citizens in Bill C-51.
Bill C-36 is being promoted as necessary to protect our families. However,
under the existing law the State can already:

ban or restrict any consumer product under threat of million dollar
fines and two year jail sentences under the Hazardous Products Act;
make immediate orders banning or restricting any consumer product if
there is a significant risk to health or safety. In addition to fines
and imprisonment for non-compliance, the State can apply to the Court
for an injunction which brings police enforcement of the order;
obtain a search warrant and seize non-compliant products, and
prosecute for criminal negligence or homicide under the Criminal
Code. In some cases this can result in penalties of life imprisonment.


The real change brought about by Bill C-36 is not that it protects
consumers, as the cur-rent law already grants the State significant
powers to protect safety. Rather the real change is the abolition of
procedural safeguards citizens currently enjoy.
Bill C-36 abolishes the law of trespass thus allowing the State access onto
private property without any legal recourse.
Bill C-36 for the first time in Canadian history allows warrants to
be issued to search private homes without evidence of criminal wrong
doing.
Bill C-36 allows the State to seize property without a Court order,
without reporting the seizure to a Court, and for an indefinite period.
Bill C-36 allows the State to assume control over the movement of
private property without a Court order and without a safety concern.
The search and seizure powers in Bill C-36 are probably
unconstitutional for violating the right found in section 8 of the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to be free from unreasonable
search and seizure.
Persons can be fined and have property forfeited to the State for
administrative violations. Persons so charged have no right to have a
Court determine their guilt or innocence. Guilt is determined by the
Minister. There is no defence of due diligence or of honest but mistaken
belief. There does not have to be a safety risk to be charged with an
administrative offence. The Minister who determines your guilt or
innocence can keep seized property if he/she finds you guilty.
Directors, officers and managers are personally liable for
violations by their company. Despite the possibility of multi-million
dollar fines and long prison sentences, there is no right to
cross-examine key witnesses.
Directors, officers and managers can be saddled with debt years after they
have left the company.
Orders for recall or which take control of private property are
exempted from the procedural safeguards of (1) review and (2)
publication found in the Statutory Instruments Act.
All businesses manufacturing, selling or distributing consumer
products are saddled with additional red tape and expense regardless of
whether or not there is a safety concern.
Retailers and distributors of consumer products become liable for product
labelling and instructions.
There may be a significant conflict of interest. Health Canada may
benefit financially from fines and the seizure of private property.
Some consumer products such as sporting goods may have to be removed
from the market for violating the safety provisions of the Bill.
The Provinces are allowing the Federal Government to regulate in the
Provincial area of property and civil rights. This represents a
significant transfer of power from the Provinces to the Federal
Government.
The federal cabinet can incorporate documents from foreign
governments or organizations as law by referring to them in regulations.
This will remove Parliamentary scrutiny on issues that could
fundamentally change the ground rules for the consumer product industry.
Trade agreements and foreign laws can be adopted without Parliamentary
scrutiny.




  • [permaculture] Very time sensitive! Dangerous safety bill in Canada, FranandDave Nokes, 12/06/2010

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