Government Comments

Our various levels of governments are supposed to protect the public from bad things & do the infrastructure things that private enterprise often doesn't do very well, or won't do. However, many times our government doesn't enforce it's own rules, doesn't look out for public interest, or simply caters to special interest & business lobbying groups. Many times I've wondered why various branches of the Canadian & Provincial governments appear to be more interested in protecting utilities & businesses from the public, than in protecting the public from the utilities & businesses. Some of the articles below will illustrate this.

WHY WE FIGHT is a fascinating documentary movie you can rent or buy, that takes a real critical look at the type of "military industrial complex" the U.S.A. has become. It's about Americans taking a real critical look at what has happen to their country, the manipulation of the population towards accepting war & feeding the war industry, about becoming a force for imperialism, an empire where war & destruction can be privatized.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH is former vice president Al Gore's "traveling global warming show" which has been turned into a documentary movie that came out May 24th 2006. Scientists say that he got the details mostly right, so it is really worth watching. You don't want to ignore this subject that will have an effect on all of our lives in the future & is already affecting some people's lives. This is a moral issue and we have a responsibility to do something about it. 

WAKE UP AMERICA: My opinions on why America must not re-elect the Bush Cheney Republicans.

FOOD LABELLING IN CANADA

GOODS & SERVICES TAX (GST) OVERCHARGING: When I first posted this issue July 2003, the GST web site said to retailers "If you offer a discount at the time of sale, you collect GST/HST on the net amount-the sale price less the discount." In other words, GST was to be charged on the actual net price you paid. However GST (Revenue Canada) has been quietly changing their legislation & web site to differentiate "discount" pricing from "couponing". This effectively allows them a money grab to collect GST on the price before the coupon is applied, rather than after the coupon is applied. They no longer treat "couponing" as a form of "discounting", but instead consider couponing as though the coupon were cash or a gift certificate for which actual cash was paid (which it isn't). The original intention when GST was implemented in 1991 was to charge 7% tax on the ACTUAL point of purchase price paid (after any in-store discounts). Interestingly, retailers still have government provided loopholesthey can use in the wording of their coupons to charge you tax on the lower amount, but many retailers like Costco, are not taking advantage of these loopholes on behalf of their customers. This may seem like nothing to be concerned about, but consider a store that offers a $200. coupon on a $700. item, that one item alone costs you $14. in extra GST, or consider buying a new $30,000. car with a $2,000. coupon off, you just paid $140. more in GST than was originally intended. May 18/2005.

PROVINCIAL SALES TAX (PST) OVERCHARGING: In Ontario there is a Provincial Sales Tax (PST) that is 8% of most consumer retail purchases. The rules are different than Federal GST. The PST rules state that if any item is discounted because of a manufacturers coupon, then you must pay 8% PST on the higher amount before discount, but if the discount coupon or sale is offered by the retailer, then you pay PST on the lower amount. For example, Costco has sold a 19" LCD computer monitor for $950. but if the manufacturer issues a $150. off coupon, which allows you to buy it for $800., then you have to pay 8% PST on the higher amount of $950. However if Costco issues the coupon, then they are only suppose to charge 8% PST on the actual net selling price of $800. It isn't always clear whether a coupon is issued by the manufacturer or the retailer. In this example, Costco may be charging $12. more PST than they are entitled to, depending of whether their store issued coupons are really from them, or authorized as coupons from the manufacturer. If you combine that with the $10.50 extra GST charge that they could use a loophole so they didn't have to charge, Costco may be charging a total of $22.50 in taxes that they didn't have to collect on this one item alone. July 11/2003 updated May 18/2005.

CANADIAN RADIO - TELEVISION & TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CRTC): The CRTC is a ministry of the federal government. All too often they pass rules that are not in the public's favour, make no sense & over step their bounds of authority. As an example, the CRTC says that cable companies own the cable television wiring in your home, even if you put it in yourself & paid for it, or had a private contractor install it. As a follow through to this, the CRTC says on it's web site that  "cable companies are allowed to charge the basic monthly fee for each cable outlet." & "When customers use a splitter to create an additional outlet, cable companies can charge for that outlet." One wonders how the CRTC figures they can allow the cable companies to charge for equipment that you own. The CRTC certainly doesn't allow the phone company to charge for extra phone outlets or extra phones that are hooked up. The CRTC also says that cable companies "are not obliged to send customers a bill every month. It is the customer's responsibility to ensure that the account is paid on time." These are dangerous precedent settings that defy logic & are completely the opposite of other Canadian laws. All other utilities or companies are required by law to issue you with an invoice before you are required to pay, but the CRTC somehow feels it can write it's own laws. In 1999 the CRTC actually considered whether or not they would try to regulate Canadians using the internet (pretty unbelievable eh?). If they could have, they would have, because the CRTC wants to CONTROL every telecommunications means that they can. The CRTC also approves Bell Canada to NOT allow you to pay for a referral to your home line if you cancel your business phone line, but they will allow a referral to a cell number (this was in Bell's favour & for no logical reason). All phone companies are mandated by the CRTC to respond within 24 hours to a service call, but many do not, especially on weekends & the CRTC is doing nothing to enforce their own rules. Shouldn't the CRTC be looking out more for the public's interest? Ever wonder why they often aren't? Why not phone the CRTC at 1 877 249-2782 & ask why, or better still, contact your federal Member of Parliament (MP) to discuss this issue.

FINANCIAL CONSUMER AGENCY OF CANADA: If you have problems with your financial institution that you can't resolve, check with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.

FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMISSION OF ONTARIO: The "Financial Services Commission Of Ontario" an arm's length agency of the Ministry of Finance, is a provincial government regulatory body that can be reached at 1 800 668-0128. Amongst other things, they approval or disapprove car insurance policies & rates. Unfortunately they clearly leave some huge loopholes for insurance companies to do things they shouldn't. My personal experience is that this government office isn't always doing what it should to protect the public.

Medical Malpractice & Virus Spreading At Scarboro General Hospital in Toronto.

Canadian blank audio recording Media Levy updated April 2002.

By Doug Hembruff.