Sandra Finley

2012-03-14 How votes get “moved”: Voter fraud concerns in east Toronto widespread

Robocalls & Vote moving, Election Fraud No Responses »

Mar 152012

(Related to earlier postings re “vote moving”.)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/03/14/toronto-voting-irregularities-scarborough.html

CBC News

Posted: Mar 14, 2012 9:30 PM ET; Last Updated: Mar 15, 2012 2:03 PM ET

Mano Kanagamany, who has worked on Liberal Party campaigns in east Toronto for 25 years, says he and former Scarborough Southwest candidate Michelle Simson filed a complaint with Elections Canada after the last federal election. (CBC)

Allegations of widespread voting irregularities in an east Toronto federal riding are similar to complaints from a neighbouring riding and a municipal byelection held nearby, two people closely involved say.

“This should have come out a long time ago,” Muttukumaru Chandrakumaran, who ran in a municipal byelection in Ajax, Ont., said Wednesday.

Chandrakumaran was responding to a CBC News investigation on Tuesday that uncovered allegations of electoral fraud concentrated in the Tamil community in the riding of Scarborough-Rouge River. Those allegations, which span both the federal and provincial ridings, centre largely on what appears to be a lack of oversight surrounding election-day additions to the official voters list.

Chandrakumaran said he remembers groups of people from his Tamil community who were not on the voters list showing up at polling stations during the 2008 vote and claiming to live at the same address.

“Up to 26 people were voting from one house,” he said.

‘Elections Canada, it’s like talking to a wall’

Chandrakumaran said he complained to police and Elections Canada with no response.

“Elections Canada, it’s like talking to a wall,” he said.

CBC reported Tuesday that Marlene Gallyot, the federal Conservative candidate who lost to the NDP’s Rathika Sitsabaiesan in Scarborough-Rouge River has complained to Elections Canada, alleging ineligible voters “by the dozens” turned up on voting day and filed ballots illegally. She also said scrutineers — party volunteers who oversee voting on behalf of candidates — were approaching voters at polling stations, speaking to them in Tamil and coaching them on who to vote for.

Mano Kanagamany, who has worked on Liberal Party campaigns in east Toronto for 25 years, said Wednesday that he and former Scarborough Southwest candidate Michelle Simson filed a complaint with Elections Canada after the last federal election over concerns about illegal voters.

“We are only asking Elections Canada to investigate it,” Kanagamany said. “Cross-check with [Citizenship and Immigration Canada] that they are real citizens who live in the riding.”

Most of the complaints involve members of the Tamil community.

Gary Anandasangaree, a spokesman for the Canadian Tamil Congress, said the community works to get out the vote but has never heard of anyone taking part in fraud.

“We’re not in any way, advertently or inadvertently, suggesting people go out and vote when they’re not eligible to vote,” he said.

2012-03-15 Great video: Rally in Ottawa Against 2011 Election Fraud and ‘Robocall’ Scandal – March 11, 2012

Robocalls & Vote moving, Election Fraud No Responses »

Mar 152012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDUMa2VU8L0

2012-03-15 Important info: The legal status of #robocalls – – Election fraud or dirty tricks?

Robocalls & Vote moving, Election Fraud No Responses »

Mar 152012

http://rabble.ca/news/2012/03/election-fraud-or-dirty-tricks-legal-status-robocalls?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rabble-news+%28rabble.ca+-+News+for+the+rest+of+us%29

By Peter Rosenthal

While authorities are busy investigating election calls, many people are uncertain about whether deliberately misinforming voters about the location of their polling station is illegal or just a “dirty trick.”

Be assured that such acts violate at least two sections of the Canada Elections Act and that substantial penalties may be imposed on anyone convicted. The combined effect of sections 281(g) and 491 (3) of the Elections Act make it an offence to wilfully endeavour to prevent an elector from voting. Also, section 482 states that every person is guilty of an offence who, by any pretense or contrivance, induces a person to refrain from voting or to refrain from voting for a particular candidate.

There is no doubt that both these offences were committed by everyone who made such calls and by everyone who knowingly aided or abetted the making of them. Moreover, an attempt to commit an offence is an offence.

It’s alleged that other kinds of improper calls were made. The making of telephone calls that purport to be from the office of a candidate, but are really instigated by an opponent and are calculated to discredit the named candidate, would constitute using a pretense to induce a person to refrain from voting for a particular candidate, and thus would also contravene section 482. On the other hand, a call that leaked true information about a politician’s divorce would be a “dirty trick” but not illegal.

The maximum penalties for violating these sections of the Elections Act are severe: a fine of up to $5,000 and imprisonment for up to five years, or both. Moreover, a person convicted of such an offence may also be ordered to compensate anyone who has suffered damages as a consequence of the offence and to take any other reasonable measure to ensure compliance with the act.

We have to hope Elections Canada does a thorough investigation, identifies those responsible and prosecutes them vigorously.

Can elections be annulled if they were affected by such telephone intrusions? Any elector in an electoral district and any candidate may challenge the results if irregularities, fraud or corrupt or illegal practices affected the outcome. Such a challenge is made by an application to a superior court.

Anyone considering a challenge must act quickly: an application must be made within 30 days after the applicant first knew or should have known of the irregularity.

Peter Rosenthal, a lawyer with Roach, Schwartz and Associates, is adjunct professor of law and professor emeritus of mathematics at U of T. This article was first published in NOW magazine.

2012-03-12 Dick Cheney cancels upcoming Toronto visit

George Bush war criminal No Responses »

Mar 122012

I love good news! thanks from everyone, Doug!

Cheney cancels his visit –
– And all because of our “thugs” in Vancouver!

Way to go!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/03/12/toronto-dick-cheney-cancels-visit.html

Dick Cheney cancels upcoming Toronto visit

The Canadian Press

Posted: Mar 12, 2012 4:51 PM ET

Last Updated: Mar 12, 2012 6:19 PM ET

Read 118 comments118

Former U.S. vice-president Dick Cheney has cancelled an upcoming visit to Toronto. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press)

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Former U.S. vice-president Dick Cheney has cancelled a Canadian speaking appearance due to security concerns sparked by demonstrations during a visit he made to Vancouver last fall, the event promoter said Monday.

Cheney, whom the protesters denounced as a war criminal, was slated to talk about his experiences in office and the current American political situation at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on April 24.

However, Ryan Ruppert, of Spectre Live Corp., said Cheney and his daughter Elizabeth had begged off via their agent.

“After speaking with their security advisers, they changed their mind on coming to the event,” Ruppert said.

“(They) decided it was better for their personal safety they stay out of Canada.”

Last Sept. 26, Cheney’s appearance in Vancouver was marred by demonstrators who blocked the entrances to the exclusive Vancouver Club.

The activists, who at one point scuffled with police, called for Cheney’s arrest for war crimes and booed guests as they arrived at the $500-a-ticket dinner.

One man was arrested for choking a club staff member.

Ruppert said the “thugs” put everyone at risk and forced Cheney to remain inside the club for seven hours until police were able to disperse the protesters and deem it safe for him to leave.

“It was a complete disaster for them because it’s a major security issue,” he said.

The upshot, he said, is that discussion over American policy on such issues as Guantanamo Bay or the Iraq war is being silenced.

“You lost that conversation because you’re talking about a group of thugs,” Ruppert said.

“It’s a real sad story because it really overshadows what the peaceful protesters, who often have very legitimate points, would be doing and saying.”

Those who bought tickets to the Cheney event can either get a full refund or exchange them for an appearance by free-speech activist, Mark Steyn.

“It’s incredibly disappointing for us,” said Ruppert, who was planning for as many as 5,000 people to attend the Cheneys’ talk.

“We were very excited about this event.”

Rupert did not say how many tickets had already been sold at prices ranging from $79 to $595.

Cheney critics accuse him of endorsing the use of water boarding and sleep deprivation against detainees while serving in former president George W. Bush’s administration.

Before the Vancouver event, Human Rights Watch urged the federal government to bring criminal charges against Cheney, accusing him of playing a role in the torture of detainees.

Don Davies, the NDP immigration critic, also argued that Cheney should not have been allowed into Canada.

Cheney has vigorously defended interrogation techniques on the grounds they saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

2012-03-12 Election fraud. The problem for the journalist. Someone may be able to help.

Robocalls & Vote moving, Election Fraud No Responses »

Mar 122012

THE JOURNALIST’S DILEMMA (and ours):

I did see the video . . . . The key problem is that they skate over the key question: how the voters supposedly move. Their addresses won’t match up at the polling station and they won’t get a ballot in the normal course of events. It’s kind of a huge problem with the story – unless there’s systematic fraud whereby scrutineers overlook the wrong addresses. Not saying that can’t happen – but unless you show that it did, you’re just making fun videos for YouTube. Obviously tons of folks would “move” in every election if it were easy. Let me know if you hear more.

2012-03-10 Vote moving, “closely contested” election ridings, Steven Bryant and David Janakowski

Robocalls & Vote moving, Election Fraud No Responses »

Mar 122012

Please go to Steven and David’s blog www.votemoving.com

“Vote moving” is introduced in http://sandrafinley.ca/?p=4536 2012-03-08 You learned “robocalls”. Now learn “vote moving”. And you get “rigged election”.

Steven Bryant and David Janakowski figured out and named “vote moving”. They had it figured out AND blogged within a week of the May 2, 2011 election.

I contacted them because I was curious: “Your work is dated May 10, 2011 – – almost a year ago. And a week after the election? What led you to put it all together? I’d be interested in talking with you, if you don’t mind.”

Steve and Dave are carrying their story on their blog. It comes down to the “closely contested” ridings. www.votemoving.com

2012-03-09 Robocalls: Older voters targeted by election day phone calls, Elections Canada believes

Robocalls & Vote moving, Election Fraud No Responses »

Mar 112012

Excerpt:

“Mitch Wexler, a Conservative voter-data expert, said political parties can supplement voter registration lists with CENSUS information…”

ttp://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1143808–robocalls-older-voters-targeted-by-phony-voting-day-phone-calls-elections-canada-believes?bn=1

Published On Fri Mar 9 2012

Federal elections officials say that the fraudulent phone calls appear to have targeted older voters.

Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Allan WoodsOttawa Bureau

OTTAWA—Automated phone calls that directed people to the wrong polling stations in the last federal election may have overwhelmingly targeted older voters, the Toronto Star has learned.

Elections Canada investigators sifting through a flood of complaints that have emerged about dirty tricks in the spring 2011 campaign have started to notice this pattern as they call individuals to verify details of the suspicious phone calls they reported receiving.

Most of those who received an automated phone call telling them their polling station had been changed say they were contacted early in the campaign by the Conservative Party and indicated that they would not be supporting their local Tory candidate.

Now federal elections officials say that the fraudulent phone calls appear to have targeted older voters.

“Every single person I’ve contacted has been (born) between 1947 and 1949,” said one unidentified Elections Canada employee who was following up on the complaints Friday morning.

The Star inadvertently overheard a number of telephone conversations between the woman and complainants located across the country while a reporter was reviewing election expense records at Elections Canada’s Ottawa offices.

The questions put to complainants included the content of the robocall, the date it was received and whether that person was able to recall or record telephone number from which the call came. The final question, of those calls that could be heard by the Star, was for the complainants’ age.

A spokesperson for the agency declined to comment or provide any additional information about the pattern investigators appear to have identified.

“You can appreciate that I can’t comment on a snippet of conversation that may have been overheard out of context,” said spokesperson John Enright.

The revelation suggests that whoever was behind the fraudulent robocalls that are now the subject of a massive investigation may have been working off of a more sophisticated list of electors than the barebones voter information provided by Elections Canada.

Enright said the list of voters that all political parties and local candidates receive during an election period contains only the names and addresses of electors. Combined, parties spend millions of dollars during a campaign to identify likely supporters as well as non-supporters and target them for donations and other forms of support.

“It speaks to a degree of sophistication that sort of flies in the face of the initial reaction that it was a scattergun approach possibly by some junior underling who maybe just tore off a page of the voter’s list,” said NDP MP Pat Martin. “It seems more targeted and focused and complex maybe than some of the stories would have you believe.”

Mitch Wexler, a Conservative voter-data expert, said political parties can supplement voter registration lists with census information and other data to paint a fuller picture of the electorate. But he said it is virtually impossible to isolate and target senior citizens.

The average turnout rate in the May 2011 election was 61 per cent, meaning that 14.8 million out of an eligible 24.3 million Canadians voted. A Statistics Canada survey released last month found voters aged 65 to 74 had an 82 per cent turnout rate — the highest of any age group.

Martin said seniors are also the most likely to fall for a fraudulent phone call purporting to come from Elections Canada about a polling station change, either because they are more trusting or less technologically savvy.

“Younger people might be a little more jaded about automated phone calls whereas seniors would be less familiar with them and more likely to believe it,” he said.

It is alleged someone with the Conservative party campaign in the riding of Guelph set up a robocall account with the aim of sending voters to the wrong polling station. The complaints received so far suggest the scheme targeted those who were likely to vote for Liberal or NDP candidates.

Matt Meier, the owner of RackNine Inc., the Edmonton-based business that was used to send out the robocalls, has been able to track the unique identifying number, known as an IP address, of the computer behind the illegal phone calls, the National Post reported Friday. He has forwarded that information to Elections Canada investigator Al Matthews to help track down the alleged perpetrator.

Meier says the individual who set up the account identified himself as Pierre Jones, a University of Ottawa student from Joliet, Que. The cellphone used to place the robocalls was registered under the alias “Pierre Poutine.”

With files from Tonda MacCharles

2012-03-07 Oliver man speaks out about pipeline, gets visit from RCMP

Corporatocracy or Democracy or Administrative State or WHAT? No Responses »

Mar 112012

Read it on Global News: CHBC Okanagan | Oliver man speaks out about pipeline, gets visit from RCMP

Kelowna, CHBC News : Wednesday, March 07, 2012 8:01 PM

Photo Credit: CHBC News , Eric Szeto

John Allsop of Oliver says he’s still is on edge after an encounter with RCMP months ago.

Last November, Allsop called the Prime Minister’s Office to voice his opposition to the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.

He did not hear back from the prime minister but he says that within days, an RCMP officer was knocking on his door.

The officer told Allsop they had received information that he had called the PMO’s office and asked him who he knew and who he was in touch with.

Allsop says these were intimidation tactics.

He adds that when the constable left his house, he said something to the effect of “don’t do anything, don’t go anywhere, be sensitive about where you go.”

He was told by the officer that whenever the prime minister visits, RCMP receive a “persons of interest” list by the federal government. Stephen Harper was to be in Vancouver for the Grey Cup that weekend.

Shocked by the events, Allsop contacted Southern Interior NDP MP Alex Atamanenko. Atamanenko wrote a letter to the prime minister and has yet to receive a response. Atamanenko calls this undemocratic.

“I get a little worried that a citizen in this case expressed his opinion and instead of getting an answer back, he was visited by the RCMP because of a perceived threat by security for the prime minister. Something is not quite right here,” Atamanenko said.

CHBC News tried getting answers from Oliver RCMP but they would not confirm whether they had even gone to his house.

“All I can tell you is that Mr. Allsop is a member of our community and if there is anything more you want specifically in regards to him, you should probably contact Mr. Allsop or speak to the Prime Minister’s Office,” said Sargeant Kenneth Harrington.

CHBC News contacted the PMO’s office but did not get a response. However, a reporter at the Globe and Mail tells CHBC News that he did speak with the PMO’s office and was told that RCMP were not asked to investigate and there is no record of his calls.

Allsop says his phone bills prove otherwise.

He is concerned tactics like these will have a chilling effect on those who wish to express their opinions in the future. He also denies that he is a threat to national security.

“I am a passionate Canadian citizen who believes in preserving what beauty we have for as long as we can,” Allsop said.