“Stealin’ All My Dreams” Facts

ENVIRONMENT
In 2011 Canada became the first country to remove itself from the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty created to combat global warming and signed by 192 nations.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/12/12/canada_first_nation_to_withdraw_from_kyoto_protocol.html
https://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/canada-climate-change/canada-and-kyoto
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/dec/13/canada-withdrawal-kyoto-protocol
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-formally-abandons-kyoto-protocol-on-climate-change/article4180809/

In 2007 The Prime Minister promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
In 2014 Harper said that to reduce emissions would be crazy, declaring, “We’re clearly not going to do it.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/21/canada-climate-change-ranking-oecd-report_n_6024844.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-says-oil-and-gas-regulations-now-would-be-crazy-1.2866306
https://www.desmog.ca/2014/09/19/harper-s-timeline-canada-climate-change-2006-2014

2012 – Harper guts the Navigable Waters Protection Act.
98% of Canada’s waterways are now unprotected.

https://canadians.org/blog/fisheries-act-no-longer-protects-fish-fish-habitat
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/fisheries-act-change-guided-by-industry/article13606358/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/waterways-changes-in-budget-bill-seen-as-eroding-protections-1.1219007

POVERTY
A UN Right-to-Food envoy criticized Canada over its finding that 800,000 Canadian households are “too poor to eat”.
1 in 7 Canadian children currently live in poverty.
Food bank use has gone up 30% since 2008.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-shrugs-off-un-warning-on-hunger-and-nutrition/article2434556/
https://globalnews.ca/news/1685376/25-years-since-canada-vowed-to-end-child-poverty-where-are-we-now/
https://isnafoodbank.ca/s/isnafb/
https://www.cwp-csp.ca/poverty/just-the-facts/
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/25/child_poverty_rates_in_canada_ontario_remain_high.html
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/07/21/use-the-federal-campaign-to-fight-child-poverty.html

ELECTION FRAUD
Robocalls
Election fraud
Misleading campaign funding
Attack ads
…Harper legacy

Widespread fraud occurred during the 2011 election.  Robocalls “struck at the integrity of the electoral process” and the most likely source “was the CIMS database maintained and controlled by the Conservative party of Canada” stated the ruling judge.

Tax dollars were used to help cover the Tories’ legal bills.

Robocalls & Election fraud

https://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/electoral-fraud-did-take-place-in-2011-federal-vote-but-it-didnt-affect-outcome-judge-rules
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/taxpayers-paid-legal-bills-for-tory-mps-in-robocalls-case
https://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/michael-sona-former-conservative-campaign-worker-found-guilty-in-robocalls-trial
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/21/watch-out-for-dirty-voter-suppression-tricks-elections-canada-warns-staff_n_8168806.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tory-party-2-senators-face-election-charges-1.1070158

Misleading campaign funding

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/02/federal-election-2015-harper-costs-taxpayers_n_7921330.html
https://www.theobserver.ca/2015/07/31/harper-poised-to-reap-benefit-of-election-law-redo
https://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/stephen-maher-how-harper-has-successfully-changed-the-law-to-inject-more-money-into-canadian-politics

Attack ads

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/30/trudeau-ads-conservative-mps_n_3187935.html
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/2011/03/30/hepburn_harper_the_king_of_nasty_attack_ads.html

ECONOMY
CLAIM:  Conservatives are thought to be the best keepers of the economy.
FACT:  This government inherited a $13.2 billion surplus and has run 7 straight deficits.
FACT:  Harper is the first Prime Minister since the 1950s to oversee a decline in the employment rate.
FACT:  Under Harper, Canada has had the smallest rate of economic growth since WWII.
FACT:  Under the Harper Government the oil industry has been given billions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks.

https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/canada-deficit/
https://www.pressprogress.ca/6_charts_show_stephen_harper_has_the_worst_economic_record_of_any_prime_minister_since_world_war_ii
https://www.unifor.org/sites/default/files/documents/document/909-harper_economic_critique_eng_0.pdf
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sean-casey/harper-debt-economy_b_3976972.html
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/canada-trade-deficit-unexpectedly-widens-as-exports-slide/article25334786
https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/05/15/Canadas-34-Billion-Fossil-Fuel-Subsidies/
https://rabble.ca/news/2011/02/its-time-end-canada%E2%80%99s-billion-dollar-handout-big-oil-and-coal

SCIENTISTS
The Harper government is muzzling government scientists and preventing them from freely sharing research results.

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/capt-trevor-greene/science-cuts-canada_b_4534729.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/faq-the-issues-around-muzzling-government-scientists-1.3079537
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/muzzling-of-federal-scientists-widespread-survey-suggests-1.2128859
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-27/scientists-decry-canadian-undermining-of-climate-science.html

WOMEN
Under Harper, the government has shutdown 75% of the Status of Women offices across Canada.  It has also closed the Court Challenges Program created to help women and the LGBT community fight for their constitutional rights.

https://nowtoronto.com/news/features/stephen-harpers-war-on-women/
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/the-harper-government-womens-rights-and-the-cost-of-speaking-out/article1314268/

ABORIGINAL WOMEN
Prime Minister Harper refuses to launch an inquiry into the epidemic of missing First Nations women.  When asked, Harper replied, “…it isn’t really high on our radar”.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/full-text-of-peter-mansbridge-s-interview-with-stephen-harper-1.2876934
https://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/stephen-harper-s-comments-on-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-show-lack-of-respect-1.2879154

INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
Widespread disregard for First Nations land rights.

2014 – Canada is the only UN member to reject Indigenous Rights Declaration.

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/02/canada-un-indigenous-rights_n_5918868.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2014/oct/21/the-indigenous-land-rights-ruling-that-could-transform-canada
https://aptn.ca/news/2015/04/02/harper-cabinet-stalling-3-modern-treaties-2-years-federal-report/
https://www.idlenomore.ca/
https://www.globalresearch.ca/canada-prime-minister-harper-launches-first-nations-termination-plan/5318362
https://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/canada-sets-lowest-standard-at-world-conference-on-indigenous-peoples-1.2779590
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/supreme-court-ruling-on-native-land-claims-adds-to-uncertainty-for-pipelines/article19356432/
https://www.landclaimscoalition.ca/
https://www.lawconnection.ca/content/native-land-claims-backgrounder
https://www.mediacoop.ca/blog/dru/15600

BILL C-51
The 2015 Anti-Terrorism Act (Bill C-51) violates Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms including freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/21/canada-anti-terror-lawsuit-bill-c51
https://cjfe.org/resources/features/bill-c-51-freedom-assembly-and-canadians%E2%80%99-ability-protest
https://cjfe.org/resources/features/bill-c-51-freedom-assembly-and-canadians%E2%80%99-ability-protest
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/canadian-journalists-for-free-expression/bill-c51-charter-rights_b_7055920.html

CBC
Under the Harper government the CBC budgets have been cut by $115 million dollars.  More than 2800 people have lost their jobs.

https://www.cmg.ca/en/2015/09/22/cbc-announces-plans-to-sell-off-all-buildings-in-midst-of-election-campaign/#.VgL1o61UE0Q.facebook
https://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/cbc-sheds-more-than-140-jobs-in-local-news-1.3010204
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/24/cbc-cuts-layoffs_n_6044378.html –
https://www.cmg.ca/en/2015/04/16/latest-round-of-cuts-at-cbc-represents-massive-upheaval-in-newsgathering-capacity-across-the-country/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cbc-budget-cut-by-115m-over-3-years-1.1147096
https://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2015/04/20/Harper-Brings-CBC-to-Heel/
https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/cbc-cutting-back-evening-news-in-house-production-in-shift-towards-digital/

REFUGEES
Canada promised asylum to 20,000 refugees.
To date we have taken 2,300.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-calls-on-ottawa-to-bring-syrian-refugees-to-canada/article26231368/
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/03/welcome-for-syrians-refugees-contrasts-with-canada-s-historic-role-experts_n_8085624.html
https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/refugees-primer/
https://www.thestar.com/news/federal-election/2015/09/20/stephen-harper-defends-refugee-response-as-generous.html
https://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/tories-promise-to-bring-10000-additional-refugees-from-syria-and-iraq-to-canada-if-elected

PREMIERS
There hasn’t been a conference of Canada’s “first ministers” (provincial and territorial premiers) since 2009.  Harper has only held two meetings since being elected (in 2008 & 2009). These events are held at the call of the prime minister and, since 1950, have typically been held annually.

https://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/trudeau-wynne-lambaste-harper-for-skipping-another-first-ministers-meeting
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/its-beyond-time-that-harper-called-a-first-ministers-conference/article22020197/