Retroactive changes to criminal pardons violate charter rights, B.C. judge rules

@Jazzsax1 They have volunteer coaches (Thats me) but the school has to be careful with contact sports. A rugby player was killed in Brampton a few years ago, so insurance is a concern. Nova Scotia for 2 days banned rugby in high school and we just did a petition and got it reversed literally last week.

I understand taxes. Its allocation. When the US is humming Ontario hums too. When they suffer, we also suffer. Does that mean we spend like drunken sailors? No. And that didn't happen. Remember Harper had a surplus when he took power and left with a deficit. Why? The economy. Not his "policies". But The Liberals will have the same "luck" as well. Good economy...balancing the books is easy. Bad economy, suddenly its hard.

The economy works better when money is spent and people are buying. To suddenly pretend that "we are in crisis" to cut spending for a political ideology ignores the fact that a government does not control the economy. Our economy is oil prices and reliance on the United States.

Alberta. They elected conservatives for 40 years. They let oil companies pay minimal royalties despite the fact the oil companies would have still been there (because that is where the oil is) and they oil companies supported that government etc. Then NDP comes in and because OPEN is punishing Iran oil is cheap. Alberta is in a mess, NOT because of Conservatives or NDP, but because of oil prices. What is the Conservative "mantra"? The NDP drove business investment away. When a political party has to deceive and lie to win, it is to hide the reality. Big oil wants THEIR people in charge. How is that good for the actual PEOPLE? Knowing that when oil prices rise the province will do well again.

The truth is the left represents people. The right represents corporations. My take is I am on team people.

As for leaders. Conservatives HATE a positive leader. That never gets them elected. Harper Scheer, Ford, its always division, gloom, disaster, hatred. Think about that. Think about Trump and Obama. Hatred vs hope.

The division has never been clearer. Even terrorism. "Anti poverty activists who trash businesses" vs "white supremacists who walk into a mosque and kill muslims". They are NOT the same to me.

The left as we know it (the NDP) represents corporations. Have you ever dug deep into unions? They are just like the right, padding their pockets for their own good and pretending they are helping their members. I've been on both sides of that equation, including working *in* the office of one of the big large unions, and what I saw shocked me. Unions are just another corporation feeding the pockets of their management.

The NDP did mess up business. They made the investment climate here BAD... I agree with you that royalties were too low, but the NDP essentially made the prospect of actual investment of dollars into AB a stupid idea. You don't get investment money flowing in to help CHANGE oil and go green unless you make the investment climate make sense for that money to flow in. They single handedly sent invesment money packing. Increased corporate taxes, increased minimum wage, and did a whole pile of other bullshit.

If you want to talk about terrorism, why is the media afraid of saying "Muslim terrorists blow up 8 Christian churches" in Sri Lanka? Oh no... it's "Easter worshippers", yes because we worship easter. Again, more bullshit from the left. Doesn't suit their narrative so they cover it up.

What the left hates is the right is blunt and to the point. Life is not all sunny wise and people need to realize that. Like come on... "Fishermen, oops, I mean fisherfolk!" When does it stop?

Treat people kindly. Work hard. Stop making everyone politically correct and wearing little boy panties and maybe we won't be in as much of a mess as we are now, being divided over stupid crap.

BTW, I love that this site doesn't censor! LOL

@Jazzsax1

You mention Unions and corporations like they are the same. This is conservative-speak.

Unions - elected by members. Funded by members. 1 person 1 vote. Total democracy. Person at the top is ELECTED and yes in some cases can make a lot of money. Hundreds of thousands of dollars sometimes. A real entity made up of REAL people, most of them making a living wage.

Corporations - fake entity that was created so as to not pay their share of taxes, and when the corporation kills someone, to limit liability. The "board members" are generally appointed, and are simply insiders who make obscene amounts of money to go to ....meetings. They make not a single widget. And the CEO? His pay is usually thousands times more than the worker employed. No democracy, you BUY shares, so its controlled by the wealthy.

You cannot claim these are "similar". One would make policy based on whats best for their collective members. For example, teachers. Smaller classes, more pay, less hours might be policies.

Corporations? "Lets hire more lawyers to cover up that the stuff we dumped in that river killed 10 kids with cancer." "Lets ship our work to china so we can pay workers nothing, have no labor laws in place and we can squeeze more profit.

And don't compare union corruption(mob ties) with Corporate corruption. A Corporation sees dead people as a cost of doing business. That is it.

The Conservative 'strategy' is always to pretend "unions" and "corporations" are the same, but they are absolutely not. If you got rid of every corporation, the world would easily function. Business owners would simply be responsible for their products. No hiding. More taxes paid. But profit would still be gained.

If Unions were eradicated, working conditions would deteriorate pretty quickly. Wages would go down. Actual PEOPLE would be hurt. Families. Corporations are NOT real.

The left thinks real people should control things. The right thinks corporations should.

@TO EVERYONE

I love a lively debate, politics or otherwise. I really do not mean to offend anyone. I will say that my politics are shaped by what I feel is best for my clients. I get quite passionate because its impossible to do this job and not feel empathy for the people your trying to help. For MY clients, ideally an NDP government would be the most advantageous. Realistically, only Liberals and Conservatives get elected Federally, so I advocate for Liberal Governments. I fully expect people to vote for the party that best represents THEIR interests. For those that 'politics' is a pain in the as to read about, I do apologize. I think its relevant and I try to keep it out of other threads.

It would be nice if we could actually create new threads here instead of having to post in other threads.

But John, sorry if you think that unions are all squeaky clean... they're not. Bad is bad, whether it comes from the left or right. The left just likes to believe because it appears they are doing "more good" that their bad is better.

it's right or wrong is it not? No middle ground, just like with the courts. You're guilty or you're not (whether you really are doesn't matter in the end).

@John Rogers - any more news regarding Record Suspensions or Bill C-93? I have been looking, but can't see anything yet. Thanks!

@Michelle

No new updates to make regarding pardons, record suspensions. I'm pretty sure the Liberals will make it an election topic while the NDP will go further and ask for expungement in some cases. The Conservatives will probably recommend to toughen up the laws or maintain the status quo. I see the right winning in a few months with a minority, so I think it will take many more years before we see changes. There is a bill in the Senate currently under review sponsored by an independent senator. Chances look slim that it passes. The radical right is gaining momentum everywhere in the West, so we will see many retrograde changes happening. We are going backwards not forward.

@Michelle no updates, but I very much doubt the bill in the Senate has any chance of being passed.

I have told clients if nothing by the end of June then we will have nothing before the next election. The last chance to pass anything will be probably when they also pass the marijuana legislation.

Hi All, Please see the most recent update regarding Cannabis Record Suspensions (Bill C-93).

https://www.canada.ca/en/parole-board/services/record-suspensions/applying-for-a-cannabis-record-suspension.html

Lately I have been getting a few clients who are paying me to do the "measurable benefits" portion of the pardon. They are all clients of Pardons Canada on St.Clair in Toronto.

These people are paying Pardons Canada to "do the pardon" for them. But in reality:

-They have to go somewhere else to get fingerprints (and pay for them)
-Pardons Canada is getting the court documents
-The client is being told to do their own police checks (Pardons Canada is not even filling out the forms completely)
-The client is being told to write their own measurable benefits

In essence, they are simply getting court documents and sending the pardon to the parole board. This is not a 'service', this is a "pardon fantasy camp" where you get to pay to do your own pardon. And they charge about $1500 for the privilege. Ridiculous.

@71...John, crazy...Federal Pardons is not much better...I really wonder how the 2 mentioned companies are going to handle these new I-192 forms...they are terrible forms to deal with..not to mention the new E-safe filing process...will be interesting..

@Michelle its incredible that when I direct clients to call the owner of Pardons Canada (Andrew) and demand the DO THE WORK and they literally refuse. Its incredible they can get away with this poor service. The sad part is this is why they do nothing until they get all their money upfront, then the client is "stuck". Awful. And don't forget in Ontario, court documents are not expensive at all, sometimes as little as $3.50.

@John Rogers, I have a case right now, where the client has been "scammed" terrible, several thousand dollars, and for nothing..for both a Pardon and a Waiver by said company. She is not even eligible for a Pardon until 2023 and they sold her on a waiver, which she does not need..but has already paid so much money towards it. I am helping her just sort through the mess and she wants to continue with waiver, so I am doing paperwork, even though I have told her many times she doesn't need it. I hate to send people to the border with an application when they don't need a waiver, as the Custom Officers do not like this practice and give the people a hard time. I sure hope this new electronic system will get rid of these scam companies... Oh and now said company keeps phoning pressuring her to give more money. I told her to stop answering the phone or change her number...

@Michelle, feel free to name them. Its the best way for people to become aware.

Cannabis Pardons are finally here.

https://www.canada.ca/en/parole-board/services/cannabis-record-suspensions.html

For the free guide.

Main differences between THIS application and a regular pardon?

-Court documents are NOT always needed for the cannabis pardon
-you do not have to show you paid a fine or victim surcharge (but you must show restitution if owed)
-no 'measurable benefits'
-no $631 fee.

You still need
-fingerprints
-court documents (if applicable)
-local police check

This is for ONLY possession of cannabis. If there is other convictions PLUS this, you must still get a pardon for the whole record.