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[Linus]

Originally Posted by Truly Scrumptious

Leadnow.ca is attempting to force by-elections in enough ridings to challenge the Conservative's majority government. Please sign and share!

524. (1) Any elector who was eligible to vote in an electoral district, and any candidate in an electoral district, may, by application to a competent court, contest the election in that electoral district on the grounds that
(a) under section 65 the elected candidate was not eligible to be a candidate; or
(b) there were irregularities, fraud or corrupt or illegal practices that affected the result of the election.


http://www.leadnow.ca/robocall-fraud

Does this mean I will get back my right to vote since Elections Canada has deemed that I no longer have a right to vote (even if the Canadian Constitution declares that I do)?

[foxyshaman]

Originally Posted by Linus

Does this mean I will get back my right to vote since Elections Canada has deemed that I no longer have a right to vote (even if the Canadian Constitution declares that I do)?

Why do you no longer have the right to vote?

[Linus]

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

Why do you no longer have the right to vote?

Elections Canada has determined that if you've been out of the country for longer than 5 years you cannot vote in any further elections.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by Linus

Does this mean I will get back my right to vote since Elections Canada has deemed that I no longer have a right to vote (even if the Canadian Constitution declares that I do)?

What does your right to vote, although you should of course have it, have to do with the robocall fraud?

[girl_dee]

More than 130 beef products recalled 3

BY SHEENA GOODYEAR ,QMI AGENCY
FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2012 09:21 AM EDT | UPDATED: TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2012 03:03 PM EDT

2.27 kg package of No Name club pack beef steakettes. (CFIA/HO)

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Canada isn't doing enough to protect consumers from tainted food, says a prominent food safety expert on the heels of a major frozen beef recall.

"If the public thinks food inspections by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are going to protect Canadians from contaminated food, think again. It's just not that way," said Richard Holley from the University of Manitoba.

Just as spring begins and Canadians start dusting off their barbecues, more than 135 kinds of frozen beef have been recalled in Canada because of E. coli fears. On Monday night, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency updated its list of beef recalls for the fifth time this month, following four updates in February.

These massive recalls — which include popular brands like President's Choice and Best Value — are possible, in part, because so much food in Canada comes from just a handful of companies, Holley said. The recalled beef, sold across Canada under a number of brands, all comes from the same food facility, Establishment 761 in Saskatoon.

"The businesses are getting larger and larger and they have a clientele that, in some instances, stretches right straight across the country," Holley said. "But when you have the capacity to have an extended shelf life of a product by freezing them, this sort of increases the scope of the recall."

Garfield Balsom, a food-recall specialist with the CFIA, said authorities decided to pull all products from Establishment 761 made between July 1, 2011, and Feb. 15, 2012, after one person reported getting sick.

"This is a lot of frozen beef that was manufactured way back in July 2011. Now something's wrong there. E. coli analysis takes, max, 10 days," Holley said.

Balsom said CFIA is trying to get to the root of the problem, but investigations of this scale are complex, and finding the cause of a contamination can be "extremely difficult."

Holley said CFIA only discovers the cause of outbreaks about 50% of the time.

He said in order to protect people from food-borne illness, Canada needs to focus more on prevention rather than relying on after-the-fact testing to catch outbreaks. Canada also needs to keep better data, he said.

"There are things in the system in need of repair and things we don't know and we have the will in Canada to address this. We don't know how many people die in Canada from eating tainted food. Nobody is charged with the responsibility of keeping that data."

The food industry isn't much safer now than it was during the 2008 listeria outbreak that killed 23 people, Holley said.

"There's too many holes in the system to have the assurance that this is not going to happen again," he said.

The full recall list, which can be found on the CFIA website, includes Best Value, President's Choice, Calgary Stampede, Country Morning Gold, No Name, Grillhouse, Heritage Angus Beef, Irresistibles, Keg, Maple Lodge Farms, Overwaitea, Our Finest, Q Burger, Prairie Heritage Producers, Simply Food, Sunspun, Spring Creek, Webers, Western Family and Zabiha Halal.

Food contaminated with E. coli might not look or smell spoiled, but it can cause severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea in healthy people. But for some people — especially children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems — the effects can be serious and even fatal.

"Some people may have seizures or strokes and some may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Others may live with permanent kidney damage. In severe cases of illness, people may die," the CFIA said.

[foxyshaman]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

More than 130 beef products recalled 3...

This would not be such an issue if we still maintained local butchers and local abattoirs. The fact that thousands of animals go through establishment 761 in Saskatoon is, in large part, the problem. I am not sure how beef products, produced in such horrific conditions, (sanitary and humane conditions) could be safe. If one MUST eat meat, then one should go to the local farmer's market. I buy my kids their meat from a local farmer who takes it to his local butcher... the meat is better. And more importantly... safe. Oh and it tastes wwwaaayyyy better. I can't even imagine how many individual animals make one pkg of ground beef.

Thank you for posting that Cajun_dee. I don't eat meat, so I had NO IDEA this was going on today. <shudder>

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

This would not be such an issue if we still maintained local butchers and local abattoirs. The fact that thousands of animals go through establishment 761 in Saskatoon is, in large part, the problem. I am not sure how beef products, produced in such horrific conditions, (sanitary and humane conditions) could be safe. If one MUST eat meat, then one should go to the local farmer's market. I buy my kids their meat from a local farmer who takes it to his local butcher... the meat is better. And more importantly... safe. Oh and it tastes wwwaaayyyy better. I can't even imagine how many individual animals make one pkg of ground beef.

Thank you for posting that Cajun_dee. I don't eat meat, so I had NO IDEA this was going on today. <shudder>

THIS is why i stopped eating meat years ago. my family was in the cattle industry, i know what it is supposed to be like, and this is not it.

dee

[foxyshaman]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

THIS is why i stopped eating meat years ago. my family was in the cattle industry, i know what it is supposed to be like, and this is not it.

dee

Agreed Dee. I grew up on a farm. The reason I quit eating beef was because of how tasteless the store bought crap was. I still don't understand what all the 'yummy' fuss is about. We grew, killed and butchered all of our own meat and poultry. There is no comparison. I really prefer a vegetarian diet. It just tastes better, to me. I don't care if someone eats meat, I am personally not offended.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

Agreed Dee. I grew up on a farm. The reason I quit eating beef was because of how tasteless the store bought crap was. I still don't understand what all the 'yummy' fuss is about. We grew, killed and butchered all of our own meat and poultry. There is no comparison. I really prefer a vegetarian diet. It just tastes better, to me. I don't care if someone eats meat, I am personally not offended.

Even veggies taste like crap half the time. I can't find a decent carrot to save my life. I love chomping on a raw carrot but every time I buy a bunch they are either tasteless or flaccid or both. The same with radishes. I love radishes. I can't remember the last time I actually ate one that I enjoyed. The limp tasteless thing again. I wish I had the time and a way to grow my own stuff.

[Linus]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

What does your right to vote, although you should of course have it, have to do with the robocall fraud?

Perhaps a new gov't might cause Elections Canada to change their policy?

[betenoire]

So today is the day that the NDP membership chooses a new leader.

There are three people left. Thomas Mulcair, Brian Topp, and Nathan Cullen. Peggy Nash got bumped out in the most recent vote.

[EnderD_503]

I was honestly really disappointed that Nash was eliminated. She was really the only one I was really hoping to see lead the NDP.

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

I was honestly really disappointed that Nash was eliminated. She was really the only one I was really hoping to see lead the NDP.

She was probably the most NDP-like of the potentials, so it does suck.

Thomas Mulcair. I don't know! I didn't vote for him, but I think he'll be okay. He's probably a bit of a departure, but that might be a good thing.

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by betenoire

She was probably the most NDP-like of the potentials, so it does suck.

Thomas Mulcair. I don't know! I didn't vote for him, but I think he'll be okay. He's probably a bit of a departure, but that might be a good thing.

With Nash I felt she was a lot more involved in the community than most MPs seem to be. When I was still living in Parkdale I was impressed at how engaged and visible she was with the community, in contrast to most MPs who you don't see or hear from other than around election time.

I don't know how engaged/visible Mulcair has been in his riding for folks living there, but Nash is one of the rare politicians who reads "activist" to me. I don't get that from what little I know of Mulcair. It would have been nice to see a party leader that was more "activist" than "politician" in Canada.