Is the Queen (The Monarchy) interfering in our Canadian Parliamentary Democracy?

St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan's resume on ignoring legislation.

Recent events with the Governor General David Johnston have raised serious questions as to the role Her Majesty The Queen has taken in Canadian affairs. Now with the announcement by Environment Minister Kent that Canada has pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol greater and more alarming questions need to be examined.

In the past week at the climate change talks in Durban South Africa, Canada has acted in an intentionally disruptive manner. Other member nations of the Kyoto Protocol had been lobbied, even hard pressed by Canada to withdraw from the agreement.

On arrival back in Canada Minister Kent made his announcement of the Canadian pull out from the Kyoto agreement. Kent simply performs from cue cards there is no illusion the decisions even script is that of Prime Minister Harper. To justify Canada's pull out from the Kyoto Protocol and the international agreement to monitor and control greenhouse gas emissions, Kent has said that he is saving Canadians some $14 billion dollars in penalties. He broke this figure down per household to $1600.00 so as to have a strong shock value on the average Canadian. Kent also said that the weakness of the Kyoto Protocol to enforce any of the non-compliance was proof of how in affective the Kyoto was and that we should move on from it. Environment Minister Kent has never stopped pointing the finger at the US and China, as the number one and two of the highest emitters of CO2 in the world, and at the fact that neither had signed onto the Kyoto agreement.

Now the serious questions arise. The Governor General David Johnston on November 28^th had publicly and in his official capacity endorsed and supported the oil sands production. In doing so as the representative of Her Majesty, he has committed the Queen in official support for the oil sands. Our agreement in the Kyoto Protocol is not simply a handshake with a bunch of guys all speaking a different language around a big table. In fact it is a piece of legislation discussed in parliament, given Royal Assent and signed into law. It was called the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, Bill C-288. I quote from the actual document itself: “An Act to ensure Canada meets its global climate change obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.”

In fact the signing of Bill C-288 was a fraudulent act by the Harper-led Conservatives. It was Environmental Minister Kent who said on November 28^th 2011, “Our government believes that the previous Liberal government signing on to Kyoto was one of the biggest blunders they made.” Harper never had any real intention to honour Canada's obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, he simply had a minority government. Yet like the angry brat he never let go of the end-game plan. Is it a coincidence that Kent made this statement on the same day that Governor General David Johnston made his public support of the oil sands??

Bill C-288 continues, “Recognizing that, Canadians have a deep pride in their natural environment, and in being responsible stewards of their land, Canada is committed to the principle of environmentally sustainable development, a healthy economy and a healthy society depend on a healthy environment, Canadians want to take responsibility for their environmental problems, and not pass those problems on to future generations, global climate change is one of the most serious threats facing humanity and Canada, and poses significant risks to our environment, economy, society and human health.”

The strength and power of these words echo in the empty hypocrisy of Minister Kent's mouth. Kent has tried to justify Canada's pull-out of the Kyoto with lies and half-truths. In fact Canada had never really implemented policy to reach its targets under the agreement. Nor could it do so with the massive development of the oil sands. On September 19^th 2011 Kent said, “We're doing all this with a sensitivity not to strand capital, threaten jobs or impact consumer pricing.” (National Post Sept. 19,2011). This was in response that Ottawa would not bring out new rules for greenhouse gas emissions for the oil sands. Carbon emissions from oil sands production has risen to approximately 6.5% of Canada's total, according to the Pembina Institute, and will most likely double by 2020. The National Energy Board (the NEB) in their recent report said that massive growth in the oil sands production will likely triple by 2035. It doesn't take a genius nor cue cards to understand why Prime Minister Harper and Minister Kent must pull out of the Kyoto Protocol.

Suncor Energy Inc (SU) chief executive officer says, “Kyoto no longer works.” I wonder why? Much of the region has moved to “in situ” harvesting instead of strip-mining according to Peter Fairley in the MIT Technology Review (more details found in Is the QUEEN selling the oil sands? ). This looks prettier, less trees destroyed and perhaps looks less like the aftermath of a nuclear attack, but it is more energy intensive. According to Farley “it creates more than twice the production emissions of conventional oil sands mining” and “it has already accounted for two or three times as much greenhouse gas per gallon of fuel of gasoline refined from conventional crude.” Oops, no wonder the Kyoto can't work for any of you there.

The Prime Minister has not told the people of Canada that when he signed onto the Kyoto Protocol and Bill C-288 he did so as an intentional lie and fraud. Minister Kent hasn't told the people of Canada nor any of the world members, some 191 signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, that Canada never intended to honour its obligations under the agreement and would face high penalties. In fact these penalties were quite useful to use for the selling job to the Canadian people.

Yet what is most alarming is the role Her Majesty might of played in all of this. The Governor General exercises virtually all the Crown's powers, he is the representative of the Sovereign in Canada and is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. David Johnston has already proved his alliance and usefulness to Prime Minister Harper in the Mulroney inquiry. It was David Johnston who shaped the mandate and scope of the Oliphant Inquiry and in turn sheltered former Conservative PM Brian Mulroney. Mulroney who received cash stuffed brown envelopes and then made ludicrous explanations walked away from any consequence. Maybe Mulroney could say that he thought they were Playboy magazines and he wanted to be discreet. Still it was David Johnston who paid his dues to the Conservatives and PM Harper.

Prime Minister Harper should be considered as a great credit risk by credit card companies as he has proven to pay his debts. David Johnston got the Governor General's position even though many thought the public innuendo of the Oliphant Inquiry would keep him out of the running. The first spokesperson and co-founder of EthicalOil.org Alykhan Velshi has been given a plum position in the PM's office as director of planning. Is it coincidental that Alykan Velshi not only worked as director for communications for Immigration Minister Kenney and former Environment Minister John Baird before going over to run EthicalOil.org? Velshi claimed that the organization (EthicalOil.org) was “100% independent of government and industry.” Now he has a senior position in one of the most powerful political entities in Canada.

So is it also a coincidence that on November 28^th the Governor General David Johnston publicly and officially endorses the oils sands as a “great Canadian industry,” but also Environment Minister Kent says “Kyoto is the past” and as a coward refuses to say that Canada had already intended to annul its obligations to the agreement. And here lies the alarming question. Governor General Johnston commits the Queen to the endorsement of the oil sands as her representative in Canada on the same day that Kent makes his little statement leaving no real questions on Canada's position with the Kyoto Protocol. Yet the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, C-288 was an act of parliament given Royal Assent to become law requiring certain procedures and again Royal Assent to be repealed, how could Harper and Kent be so confident in their announcement. Have there been discussions privately between Governor General David Johnston and Prime Minister Harper and a deal struck before any public statements by Minister Kent? It simply doesn't make sense. True Harper has a majority and has a Senate stacked full of his hand-picked boys. Harper's confidence is running high that he can do as he pleases. Yet it is the Governor General who has to provide Royal Assent.

Elizabeth May Green Party Leader hinted at the possible legal questions in the announced pull out by Canada from the Kyoto Protocol. Though May did not go into any depth on the issue and hasn't mentioned that point since. The Federal Environment Commissioner, Scott Vaughan has said his office is consulting lawyers “to determine the implications of the Conservative government decision to withdraw from the Kyoto accord.” (Jason Fekete, Postmedia news, Dec. 13,2011). After all it is the Federal Environment Commissioner who has to report whether Canada is meeting its obligations under the agreement.

Environment Minister Kent used the 'salami method,' an old salesman's trick to break down cost to make the sale look more appealing. Kent wants the people of Canada to look at the potential cost of the penalties that Canada would face if we remain as a member of the Kyoto Protocol. First of all he has used inflated figures, or did he?, that's a question in itself. Second he has told the people of Canada that his government never really implemented policy to avoid these penalties and by selling the oil sands guaranteed that Canada would not be able to meet its obligations. Kent simply told an already financially overburdened people that it would cost them $1600.00 dollars each for his government's and PM Harper's fraudulent signing of Bill C-288.

Bill C-288, the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act also states: “the national science academics of Canada, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States declared the following in June 2005: “The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. It is vital that all nations identify cost-effective steps that they can take now, to contribute to substantial and long-term reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions.”, climate change is a global problem that crosses national borders.” There are no illusions on this issue. Yet Harper knows that we are sitting on enormous wealth in Alberta and it won't be capped, regardless of the massive damage it will create.

Kent eludes to the lack of any real enforcement mechanism in the Kyoto Protocol. The Greenhouse Gas Management Institute has this to say, “The compliance system under the Kyoto Protocol has yet to be tested. So what does this mean for the future of the Copenhagen Accord? Since we don't have a world government to enforce international law, the people of representative governments around the world must make it politically unacceptable for their governments to fail to comply with their treaty commitments and, equally important, they must make it politically unacceptable for their governments to look the other way while other countries fail to comply.”

Prime Minister Harper sent Environment Minister Kent to the climate change talks in Durban with script in hand to undermine the Kyoto Protocol and act as the spoiler. He did this with full knowledge of his position and intent to pull out of the agreement. Yet at home the story reaches more alarming questions. Bill C-288 the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act is a piece of legislation. How does he tear that up and throw it away?

The Governor General has already endorsed the oil sands publicly and committed Her Majesty the Queen to that endorsement. Has the Governor General also committed himself and therefore Her Majesty the Queen in a secret deal with Prime Minister Harper that Royal Assent is guaranteed. Can it be that Harper's manipulations reach so far? The Senate really is his, he has the majority in the House and point in fact he has the Governor General. So the question lingers has the Queen Her Royal Majesty been a partner and interfered with our Canadian parliamentary democracy? The Governor General has played an important role in all of this for Prime Minister Harper. Can it be possible the stage has been set to tear up a piece of legislation, of law, as simply as unwanted paper? According to Bill C-288 page 2 of 7: “Now, THERE FORE, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada enacts as follows”: followed by II points of the Act. Point #4 states, “This Act is binding on Her Majesty in Right of Canada.”

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