September 15, 2009
Contents:
- You Asked about Bill C6 and Canadian Health Freedoms. Here`s the Scoop.
- Swine Flu Pandemic - To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?
- HST Will Unjustly Affect Massage Therapists
- Canada Is At the Tipping Point of Climate Change
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You Asked about Bill C6 and Canadian Health Freedoms. Here`s the Scoop.
by HANS StaffA controversial Bill currently before the Canadian senate, Bill C6, has many critics in the natural health movement and people otherwise interested in health freedoms speaking out and urging others to do the same.
According to the Parliament of Canada website, Bill C6 was first read in the Senate on June 16, 2009, after having gone through the House of Commons. The C6 status page reports that it was reintroduced before senators on Sept 16, 2009, where it continues to be debated as of Sept 24, 2009. The latest debate entry noted on the website is Sept 22, 2009.
There is still time to tell Canadian senators your opinion of C6. In addition to a concise and critical open letter below by David Rowland, PhD, on how C6, if passed, may impinge on protected freedoms, we have pasted some relevant links for you to browse and draw from in your letters/emails to senators.
Please make your voice heard on this important issue.
Canadian senators` phone, fax and email list:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/senmemb/senate/IsenAssi...
To follow the status of C6:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.asp...
To read the transcript of the senators` debate on C6:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/40/2/parlbus/chambus/senate/de...
Bill C6 homepage in Parliament:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.asp...
Legislative Summary of C6:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.asp...
Video Clips on C6 criticisms by constitutional lawyer Shawn Buckley:
http://nhppa.org/?p=225
More misc. information on C6 and Canadian health freedoms:
http://nhppa.org/
OPEN LETTER TO CANADIAN SENATORS
by David W. Rowland, B.Com., MBA, PhD
Dear Senators:
This is an unprecedented occasion. You are being asked to ratify a bill that violates our charter rights as Canadians. Don't do it. Bill C-6 is so seriously flawed as to bring into question the integrity of everyone who votes for it.
Under the guise of protecting consumer safety, Health Canada is counting on you to expand its powers beyond all reasonable bounds - and in flagrant defiance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Canadian Bill of Rights, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (sections of which are summarized below). You don't have the mandate to oblige Health Canada. It is your duty to uphold our charter rights, not violate them.
Health Canada wishes to become a power unto itself, responsible to no one. Legally, you cannot give them that power. It isn't yours to give.
The following features are included in Bill C-6:
Scientific Ignorance. In the total absence of scientific evidence of harm caused by a particular product, Health Canada intends to take action against the vendors of that product simply because they believe that it may have an adverse effect on a person's health. [Preamble; 2]
Allegiance to Foreign Governments. Health Canada intends to ignore Canadian sovereignty. [2(e)(f); 14(1)(d)(i)]
Disclosure of Confidential Information. The Health Minister intends to disclose personal and confidential business information to third parties without the consent of the person to whom the information relates and without notifying that person. [15; 16]
Unreasonable Search and Seizure. Inspectors may enter any premises where they believe there are products relating to the Act. They may examine anything and seize anything they deem relevant. [20(2)]
Trespassing. Inspectors may enter on or pass through or over private property, without being liable for so doing. [20(4)]
Use of Force. Inspectors may be accompanied by peace officers authorized to use force. [21(3)]
Confiscation. Goods seized may never be returned to their owner. Anything seized may become forfeited to Her Majesty in right of Canada (i.e., the Health Ministry) [25; 26; 27; 61]
Lack of Training. The Minister may designate any person she wishes to be enforcers of the Act, regardless of their qualifications, training, or experience. [28; 33]
Unlimited Powers. Inspectors may take any measures they consider necessary to remedy non-compliance with the Act, including putting the person out of business. [31(2)]
Excessive Penalties. Anyone who contravenes a provision of the Act may be fined up to $5,000,000 and imprisoned for up to five years. [38(1)(3)].
Presumed Guilty. Anyone whom is believed to have contravened sections of the Act is deemed guilty of an offence - even if their products are totally safe. Anyone who pays a fine is deemed to have committed the violation in respect of which the amount is paid. [38(1); 50(1)(a)]
No Defence. Those named in a notice of violation are not allowed to defend themselves by truthfully claiming that they exercised due diligence to prevent the violation. Innocence and truth are irrelevant. [56(1)]
Bypassing Parliament. Health Canada intends to expand the powers of C-6 even further by issuing Orders in Council which will not be subject to parliamentary debate. [36]
Senators: do your duty. All of the above provisions are travesties of our legal system and flagrantly violate the charter rights of every Canadian. Stop Health Canada from becoming a government unto itself. You are our last hope.
Sincerely,
David W. Rowland, B.Com., MBA, PhD
Woodstock, NB
Charter Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
11. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation.
17(2). No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Canadian Bill of Rights
It is recognized and declared that in Canada there have existed and shall continue to exist without discrimination by reason of race, national origin, colour, religion or sex, the following human rights and fundamental freedoms, namely,
1(a). The right of the individual to life, liberty, security of person and enjoyment of property and the right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law.
1(b). The right of the individual to equality before the law and the protection of the law.
2. Every Law of Canada shall, unless it is expressly declared by an Act of Parliament of Canada that it shall operate notwithstanding the Canadian Bill of Rights, be so construed and applied as not to abrogate, abridge or infringe or to authorize the abrogation, abridgment or infringement of any of the rights or freedoms recognized and declared, and in particular, no law o f Canada shall be construed or applied so as to
2(e). Deprive a person of the right to a fair hearing in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice for the determination of his rights and obligations.
2(f). Deprive a person charged with a criminal offence of the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, or of the right to reasonable bail without just cause.
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
8. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.
11. Anyone charged with an offence has the right
11(d). To be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.
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Swine Flu Pandemic - To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?
by ISIS Report 14/09/09We have a swine flu pandemic, and the burning question for everyone, especially those with young children, is to vaccinate or not to vaccinate?
So what is this pandemic swine flu? It is caused by a completely new H1N1 flu virus that has a combination of genes from bird, human and swine flu viruses from North America and Eurasia [1] that appeared suddenly out of nowhere (see Fig. 1).
The flu virus is very complicated. It is a RNA virus with 8 gene segments and different strains can exchange gene segments by a process called reassortment. This is also why flu virus can change much faster than other viruses with only one continuous genome. The history of reassortment events can be reconstructed by comparing the base sequences of different strains. The 2009 pandemic strain involves intermediate steps that are not so easy to go undetected, given that there is routine surveillance of flu strains and quarantine on live animals moving between countries, let alone continents.
Some people are convinced the virus has been created in the lab as a conspiracy to depopulate the planet. Some blame the intensive livestock industry [3], which indeed could have contributed. The most plausible theory so far, is perhaps one due to virologist Adrian Gibbs, that it came from a faulty 'multivalent' vaccine containing several viruses created in the lab and given to pigs in America [4] (Swine Flu Virus Created from Pig Vaccine? SiS 44).
More at
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/swineFluVaccination.php
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HST Will Unjustly Affect Massage Therapists
by Massage Therapists' Association of BC As of July 1, 2010, BC registered massage therapists (RMTs) will be the only health care providers in the province required to charge HST to their patients. We believe this is discriminatory to our patients and profession. Further, it is not in keeping with governments' commitment in the 2008 Throne Speech supporting musculoskeletal health and wellness.
Preamble: On July 23, 2009 BC's Premier and Minister of Finance announced their intention to harmonize (HST) the provincial sales tax (PST) with the federal goods and services tax (GST). The new 12% HST is derived from 7% PST and 5% GST and will come into effect on July 1, 2010.
Health Care & GST: The Massage Therapists' Association of British Columbia (MTABC) and the Ontario Massage Therapists' Association (OMTA) have lobbied the federal government for many years for exemption under the act. As well, the MTABC has actively worked with and supported other provinces, most recently Alberta, in their work toward achieving legislation in their province.
Under GST regulation, most healthcare professions are exempt. "The Government of Canada has adopted an objective approach to determining which services should be considered basic health care services and consequently be exempt from GST/HST. For example, if a service is covered by the health care plan of two or more provinces, it will be exempt from the GST/HST in all provinces. In addition, if a profession is regulated as a health profession by at least five provinces, the services of that profession will be exempt from the GST/HST in all provinces." In fact, on December 28, 2006 the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, announced the exemption of GST/HST for midwife services making them "more affordable" for women throughout Canada since they had achieved the regulation requirement.
Offsets/Tax Neutral: Businesses can offset (or balance) their GST/HST from the purchases they have made throughout the year for their business with sales - thereby neutralizing the tax.
RMTs simply do not have the offsets required to make this a revenue neutral tax because we do make significant purchases and primarily provide services, rather than goods, to our patients. Therefore the RMTs and ultimately their patient will pay the costs.
Average Cost: The HST will increase the average cost from $89.25 to $95.20 (or approx. $6.00) for a one-hour visit to an RMT.
British Columbia's RMTs: BC's RMTs have the highest standards of training in North America, arguably in the world. They are the only massage therapists in Canada regulated as primary health care providers under BC's Health Professions Act.
BC RMTs are accepted as service providers to Medical Services Plan (limited), WorkSafeBC, ICBC, Veterans Affairs, RCMP, independent police forces throughout the province, Coast Mountain Transit and all private extended health plans.
For a sample letter to send to your MLA in support of registered massage therapy, email:
Massage Therapists' Association of BC 

mta@massagetherapy.bc.ca

www.massagetherapy.bc.ca
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Canada Is At the Tipping Point of Climate Change
by Climate Action Network CanadaHANS - Health Action Network Society recently joined 70+ organizations and became part of the KYOTO*plus movement - Canada's campaign for climate action.
In the past year, concerned citizens all over Canada have joined the KYOTOplus* movement and called on our government to properly address the climate crisis by introducing world class legislation. The kind in place in
the EU, Australia and most recently announced, Japan.
As a result, more than 140 MPs have committed to real action by signing the KYOTO*plus*Politician's Pledge.
We are only 12 MPs away from a majority! Please take 2 minutes to help us secure the final 12 MPs.
Click here to contact the MPs who are purposefully delaying this legislation.
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5654/t/4747/camp...
**Contact your MP on Facebook!*
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154165159739