CONTENTS
(1) GLOBE & MAIL, JULY 5, TWO FACE JAIL TIME IN CENSUS PROTEST
(2) LETTER TO THE GLOBE & MAIL, “I AM NOT BREAKING THE LAW”
(3) IMPRESSIVE LIST OF RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE, FROM CHELSEA
For those new to our network, Todd Stelmach from Kingston ON is one of the two who “face jail time” in the following newspaper article. (INSERT: Darek Czernewcan’s trial surfaces later.) Chelsea Stelmach (Todd is her husband) sent in a partial list of the newspapers that carried the article written by Joshua Clipperton from Canadian Press.
I am the other one of the two names in the article. My surname is spelt incorrectly.
Today I spoke with a reporter from the Canwest group. If the reporter receives clearance, Canwest papers will also carry a story about the Census boycott because of Lockheed Martin’s involvement.
I sent a letter to the Globe & Mail. I want to bridge from the story of the Census trials over to the Canada First Defence Strategy so that Canadians understand the mechanics of the process. The military-industrial complex is and has been tunneling into Canada. Lockheed Martin is the perfect vehicle through which to explain how it is done. The letter is an attempt to create awareness among the media.
More accurate than “military-industrial complex” is “government-military-industrial complex”. (re Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell speech: “…Eisenhower initially used the term military-industrial-congressional complex, and thus indicated the essential role that the United States Congress plays in the propagation of the military industry. But, it is said, that the president chose to strike the word “congressional” in order to placate members of the legislative branch of the federal government.”)
The new Canada First Defence Strategy spells out very clearly that it is a “government-military-industrial complex”:
1. “A Military in Partnership with Canadian Industry The Canada First Defence Strategy will also have significant benefits for Canadian industry.”
2. “It will also allow the Government to develop a stronger, mutually beneficial relation-ship with industry.”
=============
(1) GLOBE & MAIL, JULY 5, TWO FACE JAIL TIME IN CENSUS PROTEST
/BNStory/National/home
Two face jail time in census protest
JOSHUA CLIPPERTON
The Canadian Press
July 5, 2008 at 4:39 PM EDT
TORONTO – At least two people who defiantly refused to complete the 2006 Canadian census in protest of a software contract awarded to an arms manufacturer say they are willing to go to prison over the issue.
Todd Stelmach and Sandra Findley have never met, but are linked both by their cause and subsequent legal fight.
The two refused to hand in their 2006 census forms because Lockheed Martin won the contract to upgrade Statistics Canada’s software.
The billion-dollar American arms dealer supplies weapons to armies around the world, including for the war in Iraq.
Ms. Findley, 59, said she first heard about Lockheed Martin’s potential bid for the software contract in 2003 and immediately got in touch with Statistics Canada to voice her displeasure.
“[(Lockheed Martin] makes billions of dollars through the business of killing people, and destroying the environment in the process of killing people,” Ms. Findley said from her home in Saskatoon.
“So there’s no way that I’m going to see my tax dollars go to help enrich them.”
Mr. Stelmach’s decision to protest the company’s involvement in gathering Canadian data was quite different.
The 32-year-old Kingston, Ont., resident actually filled out his form before he and his wife heard about a census opposition group called Count Me Out.
“We discovered Lockheed Martin was outsourced by [Statistics Canada] to upgrade their software and do a lot of the processing of the 2006 census,” said Mr. Stelmach.
“This just shocked me and at first I thought it was a bit of a hoax.”
Failing to complete the national census is a federal offence. Ms. Findley and Mr. Stelmach both face a maximum penalty of three months in jail and a $500 fine.
Mr. Stelmach said he met with Crown lawyers on Friday and was offered the opportunity to fill out the form and receive a reduced fine with no jail time.
Mr. Stelmach has already refused similar offers and said he will plead not guilty in court Aug. 8.
Ms. Findley’s court date is set for early 2009.
Statistics Canada forwards the files of people who refuse to fill out the form to federal authorities, who then decide if charges should be laid.
Census branch director-general Peter Morrison said charges are only laid against someone “who has made a very conscious decision numerous times not to comply with the legal requirement of the census.”
“It is the law.”
The federal government uses the census to determine the level of funding jurisdictions across the country receive. In 2007/2008 nearly $70-billion was transferred, Mr. Morrison said.
Most of the 65 people charged for not filing the 2006 census have now complied, he said.
Mr. Morrison called the response to the census a “resounding success,”especially on Canada’s native reserves.
Still, residents of 22 reserves failed to complete the form, but Mr. Morrison blamed the number on rural access. “You’re not going to charge everybody on the reserve because you can’t get access to it,” he said.
Fifty-two cases of incomplete forms were referred to the federal Justice Department after the 2001 census, with seven people being convicted.
Because of trade agreements such as NAFTA the bidding process for government contracts is open internationally to companies like Lockheed Martin. Mr. Morrison also said concerns the arms dealer would be handling Canadians’ personal information is unfounded.
He likened the company’s role to that of a programmer upgrading a personal computer.
“Under no circumstances does anyone other than a Statscan employee, sworn in under the Statistics Act ever have access to any confidential census information,” he said.
Ms. Findley and Mr. Stelmach both said they’ve received resounding support from family, friends and co-workers – many of whom had no idea Lockheed Martin was involved in the census.
Both say they’re comfortable with their decision and hope the Canadian government will be more “ethical” in the contracts it awards in the future.
“There’s no reason on Earth that the Canadian census, any part of it, needed to be contracted out to enrich [Lockheed Martin],” said Ms. Findley.
The next census is in 2011, with the bidding for the next software contract currently under way.
===========================
(2) LETTER TO THE GLOBE & MAIL, “I AM NOT BREAKING THE LAW”
Email: letters AT globeandmail.com
Re: Two face jail time in census protest, July 5
For the information of the G&M staff:
I did not fill in my 2006 Census form. Part of the Census work was contracted out to Lockheed Martin Corporation, the world’s number one arms dealer that makes billions of dollars through wars and violence.
I am not breaking the law.
If my case is properly argued, I will be found “not guilty”. The Statistics Act says that I, the citizen, must comply but it doesn’t end there. It sets out conditions for the Government. I also have responsibilities as a citizen.
StatsCan says “Most of the 65 people charged for not filing the 2006 census have now complied”.
Yes, most of the protestors have complied. One person sitting in isolation, without people to impartially explain the Statistics Act, intimidated by the court system, without adequate financial resources or time or knowledge or experience, will fill in the form. They get a reduced fine and no jail time in exchange. They hold out as long as possible.
My trial is January 7 and 8, 2009 (INSERT: dates got changed) so I have time. I am not isolated; I ask for help. I am very grateful for the support received, I know I could not stand on my own. I cannot afford lawyer bills which might run to more than ten thousand dollars. So I will represent myself in court, if absolutely necessary. I do not have the skills to defend against the day-and-a-half of prosecutor’s arguments, but there is time to figure that part out, too.
Others share my concerns. In 2003-04 there was fierce protest generated by news of the Lockheed Martin Census contract. In response Statistics Canada reduced the involvement of Lockheed in the Census. 2006 Census work is just one of the contracts awarded to Lockheed Martin. In 2004 they were awarded a multi-year contract worth $56 million to look after the medical records of the Canadian military. In January 2008 “the purchase contract for 17 C-130J Hercules aircraft was valued at approximately $1.4 billion U.S., with an additional amount to be added in 2009 for at least 20 years of in-service support”. That’s a sampling.
Lockheed Martin figures prominently in the new Canadian “defence” strategy (June 19), which requires some explanation.
The language of the strategy leads one to believe that Canadian industries will be the beneficiaries:
“A Military in Partnership with Canadian Industry The Canada First Defence Strategy will also have significant benefits for Canadian industry. The infusion of long-term stable funding it provides will enable industry to reach for global excellence and to be better positioned to compete for defence contracts at home and abroad, thus enabling a pro-active investment in research and development and opportunities for domestic and international spin-offs as well as potential commercial applications.”
There is a lot of money to be had. Minister responsible, Peter Mackay: “…reveals details of $490-billion defence strategy to modernize military”.
Who gets the money? Tax-payors pay it. The billion-dollar contracts are awarded to Lockheed Martin. Lockheed works with Canadian industries: “Under the in-service support portion, the contractor will be required to spend in Canada 75 per cent of the total cost in direct industrial regional benefits
– well above the 60-per-cent ratio negotiated by the previous government for purchases of this magnitude.” (Source: Michael M Fortier, Minister of Public Works, Government press release, January 2008.)
Also: “Dalhousie University is announcing a multi-million dollar research contract with Lockheed-Martin. This contract is the result of government policy, which requires a foreign company to invest in Canada before it can enter into a government contract.”
These are called “offset agreements”. They will in time duplicate the American military-industrial complex, in Canada. Some say that has already happened.
The only way that Lockheed Martin has excess money to dole out, is if the government contracts are exorbitant. The contracting-out of the Census and other purchases have nothing to do with the efficiency of Lockheed Martin because it is the private sector doing the work. It has everything to do with transnational corporate access to the public purse through Government contracts and contacts. In the U.S., Lockheed Martin spent more on lobbying Congress than any of its competitors, spending $9.7 million in 2002. Only General Electric and Philip Morris reported more lobbying expenses. In the 2004 election cycle, Lockheed contributed more than $1.9 million.
The June 19, 2008 “Canada First Defence Strategy” says that Canada needs to have “compatible doctrine” with the U.S., along with being “interoperable”.
Lockheed Martin is an obvious vehicle through which to become interoperable.
80% of Lockheed’s money comes from the Government of the USA. The biggest chunk of the 80% is from military contracts. (It should be noted that Lockheed is diversifying into other Government service areas. The Canadian census is one example. Lockheed is also set to perform “data capture” and other services for the 2011 Census in the United Kingdom, depending upon the resistance in the UK. It does US census work. The medical records of Canadian soldiers have already been mentioned.)
Canadian defence strategy is to become “compatible” in “doctrine” with the U.S.. The problem with the “doctrine” of the Bush Administration is that killing creates hatred. Hatred breeds violence. Violence becomes terrorism. It is known that dropping bombs on people is counter-productive. But lucrative for Lockheed Martin.
The killing-combat model (doctrine) only escalates problems. It does not mobilize the tremendous power of people, as Gandhi did. A crowd of thousands, eventually millions, will overcome the various forms of violence, given time. It is the fastest road to peace. The killing ways of “combat” add to the hatred, prolong the conflict, is transferred from one generation to the next and will destroy the earth. In its long history, the killing ways have never accomplished peace, only destruction. This planet is and has been our one and only home.
Another individual who understands that we must discover alternatives to the killing ways is George Soros. George Soros is a self-made billionaire. He helps bring freedom-fighters from various countries to the U.S. where they are trained in resistance. They return to their countries to help overthrow oppressive regimes. Soros works with local people “on-the-ground”. It is about empowerment, the best weapon.
Becoming compatible with “the doctrine” of the Bush Administration, its buddies in Halliburton Corporation, Lockheed Martin, the contracting-out to mercenaries, etc., Canada too is setting up to cash in on “combat”. Is that what we want for “defence” strategy – – opportunities to make money? (Really, it is a transfer of money out of the public purse to the military industry that has record profits because of illegal and immoral war.)
The Canada First Defence Strategy states: “It will also allow the Government to develop a stronger, mutually beneficial relation-ship with industry.” The role of Governments is the relationship with human beings and other species, not corporations.
Canadians need to determine
– how much it will really cost Canadians and
– who benefits from this $490-billion defence strategy to modernize the military under Minister of Defence, Peter Mackay.
But getting back to Lockheed’s contract for Census work, the reason I will be on trial in January:
In the G&M article, Census branch director-general Peter Morrison is quoted:
“Mr. Morrison called the response to the census a “resounding success,”especially on Canada’s native reserves.”
The response to the 2006 Census (May) was a disaster that caused huge cost overruns. You may remember all the “Count Me In” advertising. By July, 2006, ten thousand people from B.C. alone had still not filled in their Census forms. A portion of the overruns should be included in the costs when the “low-bid” from Lockheed Martin is considered.
The part of the statement related to First Nations (a “resounding success,”especially on Canada’s native reserves.”), of and by itself might be true.
But in the context of the court cases it is very misleading. From newspaper reports in January 2008: “Charges won’t be pursued against natives on reserves because their compliance rates used to be considerably worse, says Anil Arora, director general of the census program branch at Statistics Canada.” The head line of the newspaper article is: “No charges sought for 35,000 natives who ignore Census.”
First Nations’ compliance was being handled well by StatsCan: “Statistics Canada seeks co-operative approach as compliance climbs”. There has been a change. The January 2008 article names Anil Arora as branch director-general; the July 5 news report identifies Peter Morrison as branch director-general.
The frank and honest approach of Government builds respect. Misleading statements bring disrespect and distrust. So does Lockheed Martin’s record of court convictions and fines amounting to tens of millions of dollars.
If Lockheed Martin was a person, they would be in jail. If they could not hide behind the corporate person, their conscience would bother them.
I am a person and so eligible for the jail cell. I have a conscience which is clear. With effort and help I will, in justice, stay out of jail!
Sandra Finley
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
(3) IMPRESSIVE LIST OF RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE, FROM CHELSEA STELMACH
(INSERT: I suspect that many of the links are now invalid. The cartoon is still up!)
First, many thanks to Chelsea and to Todd!
I had a good laugh over the middle-of-page cartoon on the blog (still there) http://aprilreign.breadnroses.ca/2008/07/todd-stelmach-and-sandra-findley-remember-those-names/
Also – there is a very good letter to the Kingston Whig Standard about people who pray but don’t take action, valuable words of local support for the Stelmachs.
I find that a sense of peace follows successful action. Personal inaction in the face of awareness only makes me frustrated and angry.
Best to you all down there in Kingston,
Sandra
(from Chelsea:))
So, it looks like a larger number of news agencies have picked up Todd’s story, and now we’re getting calls at the house …
News:
CTV: (Link no longer valid)
CBC: (Link no longer valid)
Macleans Magazine: (Link no longer valid)
LOCAL NEWSPAPER: http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1094191
(Link no longer valid) //calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2008/07/06/
(And many others! just google Todd’s name)
Blogs: http://aprilreign.breadnroses.ca/2008/07/todd-stelmach-and-sandra-findley-remember-those-names/
http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2008/06/12/christians-wrestle-with-lockheed-martinstats-can/
chelsea