Category: Lobbying

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Canadian Pharmacists Association: Campaigning At Taxpayer Expense To Grow Big Drug Industry

The Canadian Pharmacists Association has received money from the CEWS Program, which is the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. Now, it doesn’t say how much, but that information is available elsewhere. According to the Federal Lobbying Registry, the CPA has received $191,387.49 from the Canada Revenue Agency. This group is expected to receive more in 2021. Now, as most people know, the CEWS is run by the CRA, so it’s fair to assume that the bulk (or all) or it is from CEWS.

Now, another group getting taxpayer subsidies is hardly news worthy. That being said, what the CPA is pushing for is definitely worth talking about.

Subject Matter Details
Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
-CONTROLLED DRUGS AND SUBSTANCES ACT: Amending the CDSA to add pharmacists as practitioners (Opioids)
-Pre-budget consultation: Federal investments to improve the health care system and the health of Canadians
Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Regulation

The Cannabis Act, with respect to the medical cannabis regime and the role of pharmacists in dispensing and managing medical cannabis.

Policies or Program
-Distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccinations
-Health Canada — Emergency Preparedness/Pandemic Planning with respect to implications for the practice of pharmacy
-Health Canada — Error reporting by community pharmacy into the the Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention System (CMIRPS)
-Health Canada — First Nations and Inuit Health – Non-Insured Health Benefits program (NIHB) with respect to implications for the practice of pharmacy
-Health Canada — Foreign Credential recognition Program, Health Canada Health Human Resources (HHR) Strategy – working with the department to understand the entry of foreign-trained pharmacists to Canada
-Health Canada — Post-market surveillance of pharmaceutical products with respect to implications for the practice of pharmacy
-Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Finance Canada, Health Canada – Prescription drug cost containment strategies with respect to implications for the practice of pharmacy
-Supports and resources for pharmacists and health care practitioners in response to COVID-19.
-The implementation of pharmacare in Canada, with respect to the practice of pharmacy and the role of pharmacists in pharmacare

Policies or Program, Regulation
-Health Canada — Working with Health Canada to implement measures to respond to national drug shortages, and responding to US proposals on importation
-Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Finance Canada, Health Canada — E-health / electronic health records policy with respect to implications for the practice of pharmacy

Regulation
-Health Canada – COVID-19 and the role of pharmacists in administering COVID-19 vaccinations
-Health Canada – Influenza vaccination and the role of pharmacists in administering flu vaccines in 2020

Something few know about, the CPA has long been a proponent of medical marijuana, and has also supported its legalization. The reasoning is simple: weed is a commodity from which money can be made.

A noteworthy item is that the CPA is pushing to make it easier to bring foreign trained pharmacists to Canada. Like with most professions, if you increase the supply, it ultimately drives down wages. And it’s not like have an abundance of university graduates who struggle to find well paid work.

For reference, here is what the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act currently says. It also explicitly defines a “practitioner” for the purpose of being exempt from punishment.

practitioner means a person who is registered and entitled under the laws of a province to practise in that province the profession of medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine, and includes any other person or class of persons prescribed as a practitioner; (praticien)

If the CPA were to get its way, pharmacists would be able to prescribe, or at least renew prescriptions for things like opiods.

Back in August, the CPA sent out a media release that some 2,000 pharmacies were ready to provide rapid testing kits in various Provinces across Canada. Now, was this done with public safety in mind, or were they simply trying to push a very profitable product onto the market?

The CPA also weighed in on the recent Federal election. Presumably, they support electing candidates who will promise some or all of the following:

  • COVID testing: Creating a national testing strategy in parallel with Canada’s vaccine program that will provide Canadians with broad access to at-home rapid COVID-19 tests.
  • Opioids: Amending federal regulations to enable pharmacists to provide safe opioid-related care to patients by making the CDSA exemptions permanent and enhancing access to safe supply.
  • Indigenous health: Improving access to key health services through the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program.
  • Pharmacare: Implementing a universal national pharmacare plan that features a blend of public and private plans.
  • Drug shortages: Addressing drug shortages by reducing the frequency of shortages and supporting health professionals in managing those that do occur.

Yeah, there’s no conflict of interest here at all.

Also, the CPA has spoken out about Ivermectin. They claim lack of proof that it works, and risks of side effects. Strangely, there seemed to be no objections over vaccines, and over the same issues. Now, there is also no proof this “virus” exists, but that has been covered elsewhere.

The CPA claims to have thousands of sponsors and industry partners, but doesn’t seem to actually name them. However, we can probably guess a lot of the names.

If one wants to be a “Gold Sponsor”, all it costs is $10,000. Seems pretty cheap, doesn’t it. As for the politicians that they gain access to (in Ottawa), this is quite the list.

Anyhow, this is what we have: a trade association lobbying for laws to grow their market. At the same time, the taxpayers are footing the bill to keep the lights on for them. One would think that Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca would be able to fund that.

(1) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/cews/srch/pub/bscSrch
(2) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=2&regId=914369
(3) https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-38.8/fulltext.html
(4) https://www.pharmacists.ca/
(5) https://www.pharmacists.ca/news-events/news/more-than-2000-pharmacies-ready-to-provide-rapid-covid-19-tests-to-small-and-medium-employers-in-alberta-saskatchewan-manitoba-and-ontario/
(6) https://www.pharmacists.ca/industry-partners/sponsorships-affiliates/
(7) https://www.pharmacists.ca/industry-partners/
(8) CPA Lobbying In Ottawa

OTHER LOBBYING BY BIG PHARMA IN CANADA

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Kory Teneycke, Rubicon Strategy, And The Puppets That Are Ford, Kenney & Harper

Ever get the impression that all of the politicians belong to the same groups? Well, they do. They don’t even try to pretend anymore. If you want something done in government, your best bet is to write a cheque to the most connected lobbyists you can find.

This time, we will look at Kory Teneycke, and his lobbying firm, Rubicon Strategy. The article doesn’t really need much in the way of commentary. Their own profiles list the “leaders” whose strings they pull.

Our digital campaigns have elected Premiers in Ontario and Alberta. When you need to win online, we are ready. Whether it’s shaping public opinion, building blazing fast websites, or converting prospects into customers, we get the job done.

This is a quote directly from the Rubicon website. The Premiers they reference are most likely Jason Kenney (Alberta), and Doug Ford (Ontario). Of course, one has to ask what favours are expected from people like Ford and Kenney in return for taking power. Dance, puppets! Dance!

Kory Teneycke
Co-founder and CEO
If you’re in a tough fight, Kory is the guy you want on your side.
.
With two decades in public affairs, Kory has served as the Director of Communications to the Prime Minister of Canada, managed the cable news channel “Sun News”, and served as Executive Director of the Renewable Fuels Association. Kory was the manager of the 2018 campaign that saw Doug Ford become Premier of Ontario, and is now on a leave of absence to manage the 2022 campaign for the Ontario PC Party.

Jan O’Driscoll
Senior Vice President
When the game is on the line, you want Jan on your side.
.
With years of experience leading tactical communications and tough policy files, Jan is a straight shooter that gets the job done. He’s held senior leadership roles in the private sector as well as with several federal cabinet ministers in Harper’s government. Most recently, Jan served as Chief of Staff in several key ministries in Premier Ford’s government where he drove transformational initiatives to get wins for the people of Ontario.

Sarah Letersky
Vice President
Sarah knows government decision making.
.
As a war room operative she helped elect Doug Ford as Premier of Ontario. As a Chief of Staff in Premier Ford’s government, Sarah built an impressive network of peers, and successfully managed communications on a number of contentious files. If you need something at Queen’s Park, Sarah knows who to talk to and how to get it done.

Emrys Graefe
Vice President, Digital
Emrys is one of Canada’s foremost digital campaign strategy experts.
.
Obsessed with improving online performance, Emrys headed the digital campaign that made Doug Ford leader of the Ontario PC Party. His digital campaigns then won majority governments for the Ontario PCs in 2018 and Alberta’s United Conservative Party in 2019. In 2009 he started his career in federal politics inside Stephen Harper’s government, eventually becoming the Deputy Director of Political Operations of the Conservative Party of Canada. Emrys is an expert at influencing and leveraging public opinion.

Stephanie Delorme
Director of Operations
Stephanie is a strategic thinker and problem solver.
.
With extensive experience in the private and public sectors, in think tanks and politics, Stephanie’s range of experience gives her an innate understanding of a range of policy issues and creative approaches to solving them. Stephanie has worked in federal politics in the Opposition Leader’s office, on the provincial campaign in Ontario seeing Doug Ford elected as Premier, and in local politics in Ottawa.

Cole Hogan
Director of Creative
Others make content. Cole makes art.
.
Having played a leading role in the merging of Alberta’s Wildrose and Progressive Conservative parties, Cole is a highly talented communications professional. Cole is responsible for some of the most innovative advertisements seen in Canadian politics and played a key role in electing Doug Ford as Premier of Ontario and Jason Kenney as Premier of Alberta.

Christine Simundson
Senior Consultant
Christine wins campaigns.
.
Christine’s experience in the legal profession coupled with her experience in marketing and promotions gives her an edge when it comes to grassroots activism. Before joining Rubicon, Christine was active in the Ontario PC Party War Room during the 2018 Provincial election. Christine’s guidance elected 17 of the PC MPPs in Peel Region, Halton, Toronto and Northern Ontario. Christine was the PC Party Organizer for Peel Region and played a senior role in organizing the PC Leadership race of 2018.

Of course, have a read through the site to take it all in. Pretty sickening when corruption and cronyism is marketed as being “effective” in these roles.

And no, this isn’t being used to exclusively bash the conservatives. Here are 2 people from Rubicon who served in the Ontario Government when it was run by Kathleen Wynne and Dalton McGuinty. Another was involved with both the Federal and New Brunswick Liberals.

Very interesting. Another operative for Rubicon was Maxime Bernier’s old campaign manager when he ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada in 2016/2017. Anyhow, the rampant ties shouldn’t surprise anyone at this point, as all parties have dirty hands.

Now, looking briefly at the Ontario Lobbying Registry:

Of course, this is just what’s on file in Ontario. Pretty obvious that they are involved in promoting big pharma and vaccinations.

As for Innovative Medicines Canada, it has quite the member list, including a lot of common names. It describes itself as “the national association representing the voice of Canada’s innovative pharmaceutical industry”. Thank you Karen for clarifying this in the comments.

I.M.C. states that it works “with governments, insurance companies, healthcare professionals and stakeholders to advance the field and enhance the wellbeing of Canadians. We are committed to being valued partners in Canada’s healthcare system.” It also claims to “form effective alliances, support policies…” to widen access to medicines across Canada.

The Vice-Chair is Cole Pinnow, of Pfizer Canada, who has been very busy lobbying both Federally and across Provinces. The Treasurer is a representative from Gilead.

Everywhere one looks, there are more and more connections between big pharma, and the political class who pushes for policies to promote this. Actual science, medicine, and honest discourse seems to fall by the wayside. Check this article from Real Reason for more information.

Of course, all of this is only what’s on paper. There is likely a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

It’s curious that Rubicon also pushes its ties to the defense industry. Really makes one wonder why Federal Conservatives claim that much more military spending is needed. Are they really concerned about the troops, or is this about generating more business for their handlers?

(1) https://rubiconstrategy.com/
(2) https://archive.is/8e3mT
(3) https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-balfour-6ab1027/
(4) https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-coates-72983958/
(5) https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-harris-69348726/
(6) https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-mercier-8042271a/
(7) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-o-driscoll-0981651a/
(8) https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-smitheman-a057b526/
(9) https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-gairdner-2b66aa155/
(10) https://www.linkedin.com/in/shae-mcglynn/
(11) https://lobbyist.oico.on.ca/Pages/Public/PublicSearch/
(12) http://innovativemedicines.ca/about/member-companies/
(13) https://realreason.ca/kory/

No, this isn’t just one rogue person, or one rogue firm that behaves like this. Conflicts of interest between politics and business are rampant. Below are some of the examples previously covered on this site. Take the plunge, if you dare.

Also consider: Rubicon, like other firms, has operatives in multiple parties in the same area. For specific examples: the firm has ties to the Ontario Liberals and Conservatives, as well as the Federal Liberals and Conservatives. Doesn’t really matter who wins the election.

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Facedrive/Microsoft Partner For TraceSCAN Distribution (Wearable Contact Tracing Equipment)

A company called Facedrive has gotten together with the University of Waterloo to create a wearable device to aid in contact tracing. Now that it appears to be operational, it’s ready to sell in collaboration with Microsoft. You remember Microsoft, they helped launched ID2020 back in 2016. Their ex-CEO, Bill Gates, wants to vaccinate the planet.

[Facedrive] is pleased to announce that its contact-tracing platform TraceSCAN has achieved co-sell ready status on the Microsoft Partner Network. Achieving ‘co-sell ready’ status will provide Facedrive TraceSCAN with a significant scaling opportunity by gaining access to Microsoft global customer and partner base. Furthermore, ‘co-sell ready’ status will enable Facedrive and Microsoft teams to collaborate globally on promoting TraceSCAN as a holistic connected health solution powered by Microsoft Azure technology stack. Specifically, Microsoft sales and consulting teams will be able to offer TraceSCAN contact-tracing to their corporate customers as an integrated feature within the enterprise business applications powered by Microsoft products. The greater choice and flexibility provided by being part of the Microsoft Partner’s Network will provide Facedrive TraceSCAN customers with a richer set of options in implementing their contact tracing programs.

It seems that a business deal with Microsoft has been in the works for a while. Considering Gates’ many ties to globalism and this “pandemic”, associations with his former company are worth careful scrutiny.

July 2020, Microsoft announced that TraceSCAN wearables would be available, but distribution would be limited to partners only, for now. This was a sort of soft launch for the product. In September, commercial distribution of the the tracking units started.

December 2020, TraceSCAN received Federal certification from Innovation, Science and Economic Development of Canada (ISED). This used to be known as Industry Canada.

Facedrive appears to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (or AI) into its platform. The company claims that this will assist in forecasting the spread of COVID-19 and predicting any further outbreaks of the virus. In a sense, this device on your wrist would be used to help drive new modelling to make predictions for further lockdowns and martial law.

The AI algorithms will help detect of infected individuals that have not been in direct contact with a positive case but might have been a 2nd or 3rd-degree contact. As with everything, the devil’s in the details, and we would have to know what assumptions and calculations are being made.

The creepiness factor keeps going from there. TraceSCAN’s contact tracing wearables are also a means to track and trace children (even very young children) in their daily movements. Of course, this is being sold as safety and security.

Facedrive itself explains in broad strokes how their technology would work. This amounts to putting a GPS tracker on your wrist, and having your movements and medical conditions tracked. At the same time, this could be done to hundreds, or thousands of other people. This isn’t quite microchipping the cattle, but it’s getting pretty close.

What can this technology be used for? Facedrive gives a list of possibilities:

  • Secure access to facilities
  • Linking to existing services
  • Time tracking
  • Attendance notification
  • Immunization passport
  • Remote monitoring of health metrics

Have to admire how blunt this company is about being able to repurpose their product for more general purposes. At least they don’t lie like the politicians claiming that these trackers will only be limited to this so-called pandemic.

Even back in July 2020, the Ontario Government announced support for this company. As with most things in politics, the magic handshake is needed to get results. From the Provincial database, we are able to see who’s been pulling Ford’s strings this time.

With a quick visit to the Ontario Lobbying Registry, we can see that Facedrive has been active in recent months, using connected lobbyists to get the Government interested in their technology. And it may have helped this company secure a $2.5 million payment from Toronto.

It’s worth a reminder that Microsoft and the Ontario Ministry of Health are both part of the Vaccine Credential Initiative.

Description
VCI is working to enable individuals vaccinated for COVID-19 to access their vaccination records in a secure, verifiable and privacy-preserving way. The Coalition is developing a standard model for organizations administering COVID-19 vaccines to make credentials available in an accessible, interoperable, digital format. empower consumers to conveniently access, store, and share digital COVID-19 vaccination records

Ontario is working towards both a contact tracing system which far expands any legitimate use, and a universal vaccine certification. Anyone remember when this was just 2 weeks to flatten the curve?

Now, who were the people behind the scenes, pulling the strings of Doug Ford? It should surprise no one that the lobbyists involved have ties to the Conservatives both in Ontario, and Federally.

Stephanie Dunlop was involved in both of Erin O’Toole’s runs for the CPC leadership (2017 and 2020). She was also the Candidate Support Lead for the PC Party in 2018. This helped install Doug Ford as Premier of Ontario.

James Lin worked in the Government of Doug Ford, before going over to Hill + Knowlton. He was in the Ministry of Transportation, as a Policy Director. Additionally, he was an Advisor in the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport. He was also involved in the Toronto City Council when Rob and Doug Ford were there. February 2021, she lobbied the Manitoba Government of Brian Pallister over the same contact-tracing platform.

Laura Grossman spent 5 years working for the Government of Canada during the Harper reign.

Also worth noting, Natalie Sigalet, a Senior Account Director at the lobbying firm, Hill + Knowlton, has reached out to the Alberta Government of Jason Kenney. She worked in the Office of the Premier of Alberta when Allison Redford was in charge. Presumably, she’s still pretty connected.

Looking at the Federal Registry, Facedrive is listed there several times. Interestingly, in their 2020 registrations, they list no Government (taxpayer) funding in 2019. However, there is expected to be some coming up from Finance Canada and the Ontario Centre of Excellence. This appears to reference the $2.5 million secured from Ford.

In what should surprise no one, Facedrive has been receiving CEWS, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. Makes sense, as they are very much invested in promoting the pandemic narrative.

In the Azure Marketplace, Microsoft outlines the main goals of this product:
[1] Case Investigation
[2] Contact Tracing
[3] Contact Support
[4] Self Quarantine

Now all of this may sound harmless enough, especially since the self-quarantine is recommended. However, what happens when it becomes mandatory, and wearing this device isn’t a choice? Also, who will be monitoring this system, and what teeth will there be?

This system is just a few short steps away from becoming a Government run chipping and monitoring system. While this may sound hyperbolic, consider where we were even a year ago.

From the looks of things, Microsoft will be used as a hosting platform for which Facedrive is able to launch its product on a much larger scale. However, MS is also eligible to sell units of TraceSCAN under the terms of the arrangement with Facedrive. Of course, that leads to all kinds of privacy and security issues, including who will have access to this data.

And a serious question: what happens if the hosting or management of this system (or part of it) gets sold or outsourced to someone else? What privacy considerations will there be?

Just looking at the products and services offered by Azure, it includes: AI, analytics, blockchain and mixed reality. For people who value any semblance of bodily autonomy and privacy, this needs to be seriously looked into before ever signing on.

And no, this isn’t something new. Even in April 2020, the early days of this psy-op, Microsoft had partnered with the University of Washington. How strange that tracking people was their immediate response.

(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX_vdNM33Ug&
(2) https://id2020.org/alliance
(3) https://health.facedrive.com/
(4) https://health.facedrive.com/press-release/facedrives-tracescan-achieves-co-sell-ready-status-with-microsoft/
(5) https://health.facedrive.com/press-release/facedrives-tracescan-wearables-app-now-available-on-microsoft-store-for-partners/
(6) https://health.facedrive.com/press-release/tracescan-starts-shipping-wearable-devices/
(7) https://health.facedrive.com/press-release/facedrive-healths-contact-tracing-technology-tracescan-secures-federal-certification-from-innovation-science-and-economic-development-of-canada-ised/
(8) https://health.facedrive.com/how-it-works/
(9) https://health.facedrive.com/tracescan-ai-platform/
(10) https://health.facedrive.com/school-industry/
(11) https://twitter.com/FacedriveHealth
(12) https://health.facedrive.com/press-release/facedrives-covid-19-tracescan-app-receives-support-of-ontario-government/
(13) https://canucklaw.ca/vaccine-credential-initiative-passports-digital-health-passes-ontario-ford/
(14) http://lobbyist.oico.on.ca/Pages/Public/PublicSearch/Default.aspx
(15) https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephdunlop/
(16) https://registry.lobbyistregistrar.mb.ca/lra/reporting/public/registrar/view.do?method=get&registrationId=414590
(17) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslin16/
(18) https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-grosman-7331a28b/
(19) Facedrive Registration Alberta Sheila Wisniewski
(20) https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-sigalet-83b5556a/
(21) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=367466&regId=904875
(22) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/cews/srch/pub/bscSrch
(23) https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RWIzL5
(24) Azure Marketplace Facedrive TraceSCAN
(25) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/
(26) https://www.geekwire.com/2020/uw-microsoft-release-contact-tracing-app-aiming-battle-covid-19-preserving-privacy/

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Getting Started With Searching Government Lobbying Registries

If you want to know what’s really going on in your Government, talking to you M.P. or M.P.P. or M.L.A. might be a waste of time. Instead, you should be looking at who that person actually answers to. In most cases, it is corporate lobbyists, or lobbyists pretending to be involved in politics.

We come to the 4th part in the series: how to search lobbying registries. Contrary to what one might think, these can be a gold mine of information. These include names, dates, clients, subject matter, and whether the lobbyist(s) have ever held public office.

Also in this series, we covered: (a) research, investigative journalism for beginners; (b) FOI/ATIP filings; and (c) court record searches. This is meant as introductory lessons, and not to include everything.

Broadly speaking, these registries work in much the same way. You can search for a number of different things, and see what results come up. You can limit the search to more recent entries (which is usually 1 year), or do an advanced search, which flags everything irrespective of time.

These Registries can be used to run a “background check” of sort on politicians, and prospective politicians. If they have been lobbied, or used to be lobbyists, that is important information to know. The cronyism never really goes away. A huge warning sign, as shown above, is Erin O’Toole. He used to be a lobbyist for Facebook, working for Heenan Blaikie (same law firm as Jean Chretien and Pierre Trudeau).

Why do you want to do this? Well, are you at all curious about who runs your Government, and who is engaged in influence peddling? Do you wish to know why your elected “leaders” act in ways that are often detrimental to your well being? This is a good place to start.

  • Key Words
  • Lobbyist
  • Lobbying Firm
  • Client
  • Subject (Health, Finance, Education, etc….)

Also, these Registries work very well in conjunction with placed like LinkedIn, and other personal websites. After all, once lobbyists have been identified, it’s time to learn about their many connections.

Of course, make sure to save your findings, just in case. Take screenshots, archive links, and download any pdfs that are available. Don’t want the evidence disappearing, or even getting moved innocuously.

If you have any doubts about the wealth of information that can be uncovered, just search any article on this site where such registries were checked. A few are here, here, here, and here.

Above is a recent example that shows when political handlers have interest on the side. Of course, this is not limited to just Doug Ford.

Pfizer was covered in a May 2021 article. It was shown that Loyalist Public Affairs had lobbied the Ontario Government 4 times in April of that year. 2 of the lobbyists, Dan Mader, and Chris Froggatt, claimed responsibility for installing Ford in June 2018. Both are longtime “Conservative” operatives. Mader also alleged to have helped put in Erin O’Toole as head of the CPC. This simple example shows how intertwined lobbying and politics really is.

By connecting the lobbyist to their political cronies and allies, you are able to show a clear (or at least very plausible) link for certain legislation or spending.

Another use for these Registries is they often list how much Government (or rather, taxpayer) money an organization has received. Chapters-Indigo is notorious for not honouring mask exemptions, however, they took the public for over $20 million in the last year.

In fairness, these databases don’t help if there is no formal record. Conversations and meetings that are “off the books” will not show up here. Still, this is a pretty valuable tool in seeing who is really pulling the strings.

A criticism that frequently comes up is the frustration with “who can we trust?” when it comes to reporting Government affairs. The answer is no one. Rather than relying on someone else, a more effective tool is to take the initiative, and factcheck things for yourself. If an article or posting comes with links or documents attached, then go through them, and come to your own conclusions.

There is a Federal database, Provincial/Territorial ones (except NWT and Nunavit), and a few Municipalities have them as well. Since your taxes already go towards funding these, why not take full advantage of these resources?

Federal Lobbying Registry
https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/advSrch

Alberta Lobbyist Registry
https://www.albertalobbyistregistry.ca/

British Columbia Office Of The Registrar of Lobbyists
https://www.lobbyistsregistrar.bc.ca/

Manitoba Lobbyist Registrar
http://www.lobbyistregistrar.mb.ca/index.php?lang=en

New Brunswick Office Of The Integrity Commissioner
https://oic-bci.ca/

Newfoundland & Labrador Registry Of Lobbyists
https://www.gov.nl.ca/dgsnl/registries/lobbyists/

Nova Scotia Registrar Of Lobbyists
https://novascotia.ca/sns/lobbyist/Default.asp

Ontario Lobbying Registry
http://lobbyist.oico.on.ca/Pages/Public/PublicSearch/Default.aspx

Prince Edward Island Lobbyist Registry
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/feature/lobbyist-registry

Quebec Lobbyists Registry
https://www.commissairelobby.qc.ca/en/lobbyists-registry/

Saskatchewan Registrar Of Lobbyists
https://www.sasklobbyistregistry.ca/

Yukon Lobbyist Registry
https://yukonlobbyistregistry.ca/en

Toronto Lobbyist Registrar
https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accountability-operations-customer-service/accountability-officers/lobbyist-registrar/

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Canadian Public Health Association Is A Charity, Funded By Drug Companies

The Canadian Public Health Association, or CPHA, is an organization that tries to influence health policy within Canada and abroad. Also, check out the British Fertility Society, the U.S. Council on Patient Safety, the American College Health Foundation (ACHF), the Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN), or the Canadian Pharmaceutical Sciences Foundation (CPSF). All have similar ties.

But that seems harmless enough, right? Surely, these are all well meaning people. However, when one looks up who their major sponsors are, certain names stand out. This certainly is cause for concern, given how much money is known to influence the law and politics.

It’s a shame that this group doesn’t specify the amount that these “platinum” sponsors (or donors) contribute. Although the page has since been edited, the archive is still available, as is a pdf version. That being said, this prominent list includes:

  • AstraZeneca
  • Medicago
  • Merck
  • Moderna
  • Sanofi Pasteur
  • Seqirus

Yes, this organization’s biggest private donors are drug companies, including AstraZeneca, Merck and Moderna, who have a significant financial interest in ensuring the Canadian Government keeps purchasing their vaccines. Things get even more interesting, since the CPHA is actually a charity, registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. Not only is big pharma financing the CPHA, but those grants are subsidized by the public in terms of tax rebates.

CPHA was incorporated in 1912, and it became a charity in 1975. Its CRA registration is 106865744 RR 0001. How the CPHA describes its activities is also very interesting. Corporate documents can also be ordered on the Federal site.

Ongoing programs:
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE LIAISON AND NETWORK BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY IN COLLABORATION WITH VARIOUS DISCIPLINES, AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS; ENCOURAGING AND FACILITATING MEASURES FOR DISEASE PREVENTION, HEALTH PROMOTION AND PROTECTION AND HEALTHY PUBLIC POLICY; INITIATING, ENCOURAGING AND PARTICIPATING IN RESEARCH DIRECTED AT THE FIELDS OF DISEASE PREVENTION, HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALTHY PUBLIC POLICY; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE LIAISON AND PARTNERSHIP WITH CPHA’S PROVINCIAL AND TERRITORIAL PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS;ACTING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A RANGE OF DISCIPLINES INCLUDING HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, AGRICULTURE, TRANSPORTATION, OTHER HEALTH-ORIENTED GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS IN DEVELOPING AND EXPRESSING A PUBLIC HEALTH VIEWPOINT ON PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH ISSUES; DESIGNING, DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES, PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES; FACILITATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH GOALS FOR CANADA; IDENTIFYING PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES AND ADVOCATING FOR POLICY CHANGE; IDENTIFYING LITERACY AS A MAJOR FACTOR IN ACHIEVING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES.

The Canada Revenue Agency also provides a snapshot of the finances of all charities over the last 5 years. Looking through some of the data, we get this information:

2016 Financials Summary
Receipted donations $17,952.00 (0.61%)
Non-receipted donations $693,500.00 (23.43%)
Gifts from other registered charities $45,561.00 (1.54%)
Government funding $759,823.00 (25.67%)
All other revenue $1,443,165.00 (48.76%)
Total revenue: $2,960,001.00

Charitable programs $2,217,691.00 (75.52%)
Management and administration $478,049.00 (16.28%)
Fundraising $17,565.00 (0.60%)
Political activities $96,389.00 (3.28%)
Gifts to other registered charities and qualified donees $0.00 (0.00%)
Other $126,791.00 (4.32%)
Total expenses: $2,936,485.00

2017 Financials Summary
Receipted donations $6,562.00 (0.23%)
Non-receipted donations $334,000.00 (11.74%)
Gifts from other registered charities $65,979.00 (2.32%)
Government funding $1,485,693.00 (52.21%)
All other revenue $953,575.00 (33.51%)
Total revenue: $2,845,809.00

Charitable programs $2,275,825.00 (75.97%)
Management and administration $489,917.00 (16.35%)
Fundraising $9,128.00 (0.30%)
Political activities $98,965.00 (3.30%)
Gifts to other registered charities and qualified donees $0.00 (0.00%)
Other $121,957.00 (4.07%)
Total expenses: $2,995,792.00

2018 Financials Summary
Receipted donations $100.00 (0.00%)
Non-receipted donations $565,702.00 (13.15%)
Gifts from other registered charities $77,135.00 (1.79%)
Government funding $1,933,773.00 (44.94%)
All other revenue $1,726,656.00 (40.12%)
Total revenue: $4,303,366.00

Charitable programs $3,404,797.00 (82.24%)
Management and administration $498,188.00 (12.03%)
Fundraising $9,405.00 (0.23%)
Political activities $101,965.00 (2.46%)
Gifts to other registered charities and qualified donees $0.00 (0.00%)
Other $125,710.00 (3.04%)
Total expenses: $4,140,065.00

2019 Financials Summary
Receipted donations $100.00 (0.00%)
Non-receipted donations $565,702.00 (13.15%)
Gifts from other registered charities $77,135.00 (1.79%)
Government funding $1,933,773.00 (44.94%)
All other revenue $1,726,656.00 (40.12%)
Total revenue: $4,303,366.00

Charitable programs $2,609,623.00 (80.85%)
Management and administration $487,201.00 (15.09%)
Fundraising $9,554.00 (0.30%)
Gifts to other registered charities and qualified donees $0.00 (0.00%)
Other $121,370.00 (3.76%)
Total expenses: $3,227,748.00

2020 Financials Summary
Receipted donations $2,736.00 (0.07%)
Non-receipted donations $397,000.00 (9.57%)
Gifts from other registered charities $8,734.00 (0.21%)
Government funding $2,500,250.00 (60.29%)
All other revenue $1,238,324.00 (29.86%)
Total revenue: $4,147,044.00

Charitable programs $2,877,407.00 (82.79%)
Management and administration $552,487.00 (15.90%)
Fundraising $9,548.00 (0.27%)
Political activities $0.00 (0.00%)
Gifts to other registered charities and qualified donees $0.00 (0.00%)
Total expenses: $3,475,665.00

It would be nice to know what “other revenue” means, considering it represents between a third and half of the money that this organization takes in.

Because of its status as a charity, donations to the CPHA only cost about half the amount given. Approximately 40% to 50% comes back in the form of tax rebates. That’s not the only subsidy this group gets. Oh, there are others indeed.

The CPHA is also receiving CEWS, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. This means that taxpayers are subsidizing this organization for “pandemic relief”. That could be part of why this group never seems to oppose any measures that are brought in.

Considering that CEWS is intended for private businesses to cover their employees’ salaries, this would seem to imply that CPHA isn’t part of the Government.

CPHA is (surprisingly) not currently registered with the Lobbying Commissioner’s Office. It hasn’t been for a while, and the last time they received money (according to their postings) is 2015.

CPHA has a number of projects on the go, and the climate change ones stand out. Of course, it’s not surprising that it would be intertwined with everything these days. Given this group’s connection to the pharmaceutical industry, it’s quite expected that they also promote the mass vaccination agenda. This from 2017:

Immunization is one of the most successful and cost effective public health interventions, saving countless number of lives through the reduction of morbidity and mortality caused by disease. Despite this, vaccine preventable diseases still persist in Canada, requiring high levels of immunization coverage for continued protection. To better understand the underlying causes and strategies to achieving optimal vaccine coverage and acceptance, a significant body of multifaceted and interdisciplinary research is being developed within the Canadian and international research community. The growing interest in identifying and addressing the challenges faced in improving vaccine acceptance and uptake has resulted in the development of relevant research data, tools, practices, procedures and strategies. However, not all evidence is made easily available and accessible to support health care professionals growing needs.

Following a report commissioned by the Communicable and Infectious Disease Steering Committee of the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network Opens in a new window from the Vaccine Acceptance and Uptake Task Group, a number of recommendations to improving vaccine coverage were made. One of which included the establishment of an up-to-date inventory of relevant peer reviewed research and studies underlying the causes and potential solutions to vaccine acceptance and uptake in Canada.

In July 2017, CPHA—funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada Opens in a new window through the Immunization Partnership Fund—launched the Creation of a Canadian Immunization Resource Centre project. The project aims to offer access to the latest evidence-based products, resources and tools via the Canadian Vaccination Evidence Resource and Exchange Centre (CANVax) Opens in a new window. CANVax is an online database of curated resources to support immunization program planning and promotional activities to improve vaccine acceptance and uptake in Canada.

PHAC, the Public Health Agency of Canada, has been helping fund the Canadian Immunization Resource Centre project. It stands to reason that companies like AstraZeneca and Moderna are as well. This is essentially market research, not much different than the Vaccine Confidence Project. Keep in mind, PHAC is actually a branch of the WHO, and not really Canadian.

DATE AMOUNT
Dec. 5, 2016 $136,782
Jul. 1, 2017 $15,795
Jul. 1, 2017 $180,418
Jul. 1, 2017 $3,582,970
Oct. 19, 2018 $896,893
Jan. 2, 2020 $3,122,867
May 25, 2020 $508,792

Through Open Search, we can see the donations PHAC has made to CPHA in recent years. That is quite a lot of money, considering that pushing drugs is one of its primary functions.

This is a group that advocates on behalf of certain health policies, including on widespread vaccination. It also receives taxpayer money (along with pharma money) to run its operations. But whose interests does it really serve?

(1) https://www.cpha.ca/
(2) https://www.cpha.ca/corporate-partners
(3) https://www.cpha.ca/projects
(4) https://www.cpha.ca/creation-canadian-immunization-resource-centre
(5) https://opengovca.com/corporation/959421
(6) Corporations Canada Search
(7) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/srch/pub/bscSrch
(8) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/cews/srch/pub/bscSrch
(9) https://www.lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=16210&regId=826615#regStart
(10) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/
(11) CPHA 01 Continuance
(12) CPHA 02 Directors
(13) CPHA 03 Bylaws

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HireBIPOC, Replacing Whites In The Media Industry, All At Taxpayer Expense

HireBIPOC is a group that promotes the hiring of BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of colour) in the media. This includes pretty much everyone except whites, and that seems to be their only function.

All self-identified BIPOC working in all areas of the industry, across all experience/education levels, are encouraged to join.

Self-identified BIPOC? That sounds interesting.

The group claims to be run by volunteers, but this doesn’t mean that there is no cost to the public. The companies that they land jobs with are funded by taxpayers. But don’t worry, it’s all in the name of equality, or some such nonsense.

HireBIPOC’s objective is simple:
To eradicate systemic racism in the Canadian media landscape by

  • Shifting thinking and practices around hiring
  • Investing in the BIPOC community
  • Getting more BIPOC hired

Apparently, there is systemic racism in the Canadian media landscape. So, the solution seems to be to ensure more people of every background are hired, except for whites. That actually sounds really racist.

HireBIPOC will facilitate and increase BIPOC hiring in Canadian media & entertainment (television, film, digital) – whether Canadian or shot-in-Canada – in roles at all levels, across all areas of the industry – including production (above and below the line), behind the scenes, communications & marketing, and on-air.

HireBIPOC will be the most comprehensive roster of roles in the Canadian tv, film, and digital media and will encompass jobs in production as well as at media companies and arts organizations. The site will be available in both English and French. HireBIPOC’s category list will be extensive and include roles across all experience/education levels: writer, director, set decorator, wardrobe, production assistant, publicist, camera operator, post supervisor, social media manager, hair and makeup, accountant, on-air promotions, development executive, VFX/graphic designer, production executive… the list goes on and on.

We know a list is just a list unless it is used – consistently and across the industry. Canadian broadcasters Bell Media, CBC, Rogers, and Corus are HireBIPOC Foundational Partners and have committed to changing hiring practices within their respective organizations and the companies they work with. Specifically, they have committed to making the use of HireBIPOC a condition of greenlight.

HireBIPOC is operated by BIPOC TV & FILM, a volunteer-run advocacy group founded nearly a decade ago with deep roots in the BIPOC community and a track record for training and educational work, as well as building solidarity across industry organizations. BIPOC TV & FILM will also track how the site is being used in order to develop new programs and initiatives to address gaps.

You may notice on this site that there is no emphasis whatsoever on ensuring that SKILLED people are put into such positions. There’s no effort to ensure that the best people end up in such roles, regardless of background. A true meritocracy would be great. Instead, let’s hire based on race and skin colour.

One could argue that it’s private companies doing as they please, but that isn’t really true. Canada Media Fund, for example, is heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars. It seems that they all are, and this has been the case for many years. The CBC gets around $1.5 billion from the public annually, and the City of Toronto is “supposed” to serve all residents of there.

Side note: Toronto is a “sanctuary city” and will allow illegal aliens to access services. Thank you Rob and Doug Ford. But it also supports explicitly racist hiring practices in the media. Taking a look at HireBIPOC’s partners, we see this:

NAME TIME AMOUNT
Blue Ant Media Jul. 8, 2013 $45,153
Blue Ant Media Jul. 8, 2013 $286,950
Blue Ant Media Jul. 8, 2013 $290,808
Blue Ant Media Aug. 12, 2014 $44,833
Blue Ant Media Aug. 12, 2014 $302,691
Blue Ant Media Apr. 1, 2021 $350,000
Canadian Film Centre Apr. 30, 2018 $23,520
Canadian Film Centre Aug. 21, 2019 $3,395,000
Canadian Film Centre Apr. 29, 2019 $23,520
Canadian Film Centre May 19, 2020 $9,414
Canadian Film Centre Jun. 4, 2020 $600,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Jul. 18, 2006 $119,950,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Nov. 21, 2007 $119,950,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Jun. 20, 2008 $119,950,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Jun. 8, 2009 $119,950,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Apr. 1, 2010 $134,146,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Mar. 25, 2011 $34,596,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Aug. 12, 2011 $99,550,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation May 8, 2012 $134,146,077
Canada Media Fund Corporation May 2, 2013 $134,146,077
Canada Media Fund Corporation May 5, 2014 $134,146,077
Canada Media Fund Corporation May 22, 2015 $134,146,077
Canada Media Fund Corporation May 13, 2016 $134,146,077
Canada Media Fund Corporation Apr. 1, 2017 $134,146,077
Canada Media Fund Corporation Apr. 1, 2018 $134,146,077
Canada Media Fund Corporation Apr. 1, 2018 – Mar. 31, 2019 $16,960,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Apr. 1, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $157,793,710
***Canada Media Fund Corporation Apr. 1, 2020 $222,896,077
***Canada Media Fund Corporation Apr. 1, 2020 $22,000,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Apr. 1, 2020 – Mar. 31, 2021 $26,365,000
Canada Media Fund Corporation Apr. 1, 2021 $163,843,077
Canadian Media Producers Association Apr. 5, 2016 $156,704.
Canadian Media Producers Association Apr. 28, 2016 $50,600
Canadian Media Producers Association May 2, 2017 $136,120
Canadian Media Producers Association Jun. 1, 2018 $439,964
Canadian Media Producers Association Jun. 1, 2018 $504,964
Canadian Media Producers Association Apr. 12, 2019 $37,907
Canadian Media Producers Association Nov. 27, 2020 $138,300
Canadian Media Producers Association May 31, 2021 $99,750
Creative BC Oct. 20, 2014 $1,200,000
Creative BC Nov. 28, 2014 $1,199,992
Focus Media Arts Centre Jul. 6, 2020 $30,374
The Remix Project Jun. 11, 2018 $73,620
The Remix Project Jun. 11, 2018 $318,750
The Remix Project Apr. 1, 2021 $65,000
Rogers Media Inc. (Today’s Parent) Jul. 4, 2017 $374,592
Rogers Media Inc. (Châtelaine, French) Jul. 4, 2017 $567,295
Rogers Media Inc. (Chatelaine, English) Jul. 4, 2017 $1,176,978
Rogers Media Inc. (Maclean’s) Jul. 4, 2017 $1,492,069
Rogers Media Inc. (Today’s Parent) Apr. 1, 2018 $258,435
Rogers Media Inc. (Châtelaine, French) Apr. 1, 2018 $539,977
Rogers Media Inc. (Chatelaine, English) Apr. 1, 2018 $1,025,639
Rogers Media Inc. (Maclean’s) Apr. 1, 2018 $1,403,958
Telefilm Canada Jun. 8, 2007 $29,000,000
Telefilm Canada Nov. 14, 2007 $2,519,400
Telefilm Canada Jun. 10, 2009 $14,300,000
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Jun. 20, 2011 $50,000
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Jan. 31, 2013 $50,000
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Mar. 10, 2015 $50,000
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Oct. 27, 2016 $18,500
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Feb. 27, 2017 $60,000
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Aug. 1, 2017 $3,200
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Jul. 17, 2018 $7,532
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Apr. 11, 2019 $48,085
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival May 21, 2019 $8,860
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Apr. 1, 2020 $77,500
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival May 19, 2020 $7,840
Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival Sep. 15, 2020 $12,000

***With Rogers, those are just some more recent ones

HireBIPOC works with many different media outlets, all of whom are receiving some sort of subsidies. Keep in mind, the above list only refers to FEDERAL grants. One would think that this type of hiring policy would be condemned by a Government that claims to support diversity and equality. But the reality is, that it doesn’t.

It’s interesting that in a “white supremacist system”, the only group it’s legal to discriminate against is whites. Seems to be a really ineffective way of doing things.

In October 2020, the Sherbrooke Record wrote an article in support of these policies. They call it “being inclusive”, which is more than a bit dystopian. Just a thought, but perhaps that $12,000 subsidy they received 6 months earlier had something to do with it.

With all of that said, there seems to be a pretty easy way to game the system. There doesn’t appear to be any verification requirements. You can simply “identify” as a person of colour, in order to work with HireBIPOC. How odd it is to have a systemic racism problem (allegedly), where the only way to level the playing field is to identify as a non-white. Perhaps Rachel Dolezal was onto something.

On a final note, it’s unclear who actually runs HireBIPOC, at least from their website. Perhaps they’re trying to avoid the inevitable backlash. Also, their privacy policy is a bit unsettling. Read into that what you will.

Anyhow, take a look at Press Forward, another media collective that is committing to supporting the work of every group, except one.

(1) https://www.hirebipoc.ca/
(2) https://www.hirebipoc.ca/about/
(3) https://www.hirebipoc.ca/partners/
(4) https://www.hirebipoc.ca/privacy/
(5) https://www.hirebipoc.ca/create-account/?v=j#join
(6) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/
(7) https://www.sherbrookerecord.com/hirebipoc-a-new-initiative-calling-for-more-inclusive-hiring-practices-in-media/
(8) https://canucklaw.ca/press-forward-anti-white-independent-media-controlled-and-funded-by-the-establishment/