Elections Canada to charge Moore

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » July 17, 2004, 10:49 am

http://www.canadafreepress.com/cover_storyj.htm

Elections Canada will lay charges against shockumentary filmmaker Michael Moore.

Officially, Elections Canada will neither confirm nor deny plans to lay formal charges against Moore. However, Canadafreepress.com has learned through sources that charges are imminent and expected by the end of next week.

The anti-Bush Moore, who often lets his mouth get ahead of him, may think he got away with the boner of the Canadian release of Fahrenheit 9/11 just days ahead of the June 28 federal election, but there is the little matter of election law infringement.

Moore’s pre-election advice lecturing Canadian voters not to vote Conservative quickly enraged a number of Conservative Party supporters who launched the website: http://www.chargeMoore.com in an effort to encourage Elections Canada to uphold its own law.

Moore’s tactics encompass what legal beagles believe is a direct violation of Canada electoral law. Under the "Non-Interference by Foreigners" clause (Part 11, Division 9, section 331) of the Canadian Elections Act:

No person who does not reside in Canada shall, during an election period, in any way induce electors to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate unless the person is

1. a Canadian citizen; or

2. a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2 (1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

As far as the letter of the law is concerned "I love Canada," as Moore has stated, does not count.

Penalties under the Canada Elections Act for such violations are a $2,000 fine--or a jail term of six months less a day. Kasra Nejatian, spokesperson for chargeMoore.com and his lawyers aren’t interested in the fines. "They (the fines) can be higher, but we aren’t interested in that. What we want is the jail time," Nejatian told Canadafreepress.com.

Once charges are laid, the small force behind chargeMoore.com is confident that they will be successful. "It (the Act) is fairly clear here. He has no wiggle room."

Nejatian, however is being realistic. While he doesn’t expect Pooh-Bah Moore to spend a single night in the slammer, he is anticipating that such a charge would all but bar the Michigan-native film maker from ever entering Canada again, a point he sees as a bonus as bright as any star.

Encouraged by the amount of public support his online petition has found, Nejatian says he’s hoping that even more Canadians will log on at http://www.chargeMoore .com to sign up.

"There’s no excuse for a foreign socialist millionaire to show up in our country and try to spread his propaganda," he said.

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » July 17, 2004, 11:10 am

I dont know why, but the though of moore being some prison bitch for 6 months just makes me giggle

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » July 17, 2004, 11:17 am

Apparently the Liberal mayor of... I forget which town... somewhere... is going to offer to make him an honorary canadian citizen so that he won't have to be charged. Politics make me giggle.

Akaran_D · Post by **Akaran_D** » July 17, 2004, 11:38 am

Can't we just givbe him to you guys, and pay you to keep him there?

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » July 17, 2004, 11:49 am

If you all want to get him he was born and raised in Davison Michigan to a middle middle class semi white collar family and he pretends to be the son of a poor white sharecropper. He currently lives in a multimillion dollar home in NYC, and has given nothing back to the communities he has defamed in his clawing rise to money.

Wulfran · Post by **Wulfran** » July 17, 2004, 1:32 pm

Its kind of amusing to picture Moore urging people not to vote Conservative in Canada, especially considering most Canadian Conservatives would be classified as centrists in the US. Our religious right exists but has no where near the support or power of that in the US.

I also find the thought of him in jail funny, but I also doubt anything will ever come of this.

And no Akaran, you guys have to keep Moore and Limbaugh: we don't want either one.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » July 17, 2004, 1:56 pm

Moore's making fools of the liberals that are so brainwashed and duped they'd probably start sucking if he dropped his pants in front of them. The irony is he's just another rich american making money specifically off liberals that go to see his films.

Cha ching!

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » July 17, 2004, 1:59 pm

Elections Canada to charge Moore
by Justin Boudreau, Managing Editor, Canadafreepress.com

Elections Canada will lay charges against shockumentary filmmaker Michael Moore.

Officially, Elections Canada will neither confirm nor deny plans to lay formal charges against Moore.

Pretty amusing for an article to contradict it's title in the second paragraph while moaning that Moore "lets his mouth get ahead of him".

Quaint law though. Ranks right up there with the $500 fine for setting of nuclear weapons within the city limits of Chico, CA.

Kguku · Post by **Kguku** » July 17, 2004, 2:46 pm

Niffoni wrote:Apparently the Liberal mayor of... I forget which town... somewhere... is going to offer to make him an honorary canadian citizen so that he won't have to be charged. Politics make me giggle.

Because we all know a MAYOR has the right to hand out citizenships left right and centre

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » July 17, 2004, 3:51 pm

No person who does not reside in Canada shall, during an election period, in any way induce electors to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate unless the person is...

This is seriously one of the most retarded things I've ever read. Canadians are dumb.

(Or at least the ones who came up with that!)

(I mispelled Canadians and nobody noticed!)

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » July 17, 2004, 11:51 pm

Aslanna wrote:
No person who does not reside in Canada shall, during an election period, in any way induce electors to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate unless the person is...
This is seriously one of the most retarded things I've ever read. Canadanians are dumb.

(Or at least the ones who came up with that!)

uhm why exactly? Not wanting foreigners interferring with an election doesn't seem too outlandish to me. IMO any foreign involvement in an election is undesirable.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » July 18, 2004, 12:27 am

So if I tell Canadians not to vote I am breaking their law? Sounds like Canadians are a bunch of sheep then if they cant use their own heads and think for themselves.

Attention all Canadians: I order you not to vote in the next election.

Wonko Wenusberg · Post by **Wonko Wenusberg** » July 18, 2004, 1:09 am

It's an excellent law.

Jice Virago · Post by **Jice Virago** » July 18, 2004, 2:51 am

The law is pretty much unenforcable unless someone tells canucks not to vote and then decides to enter Canada. Its a stupid law in the same sense that the US outlawing foreigners from protesting on their home soil would be.

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » July 18, 2004, 3:11 am

Jice Virago wrote:The law is pretty much unenforcable unless someone tells canucks not to vote and then decides to enter Canada. Its a stupid law in the same sense that the US outlawing foreigners from protesting on their home soil would be.

Well I'd assume the law pertains to actions by foreigners or their agents within Canada, where the law has jurisdiction.

miir · Post by **miir** » July 18, 2004, 11:59 am

Kguku wrote:
Niffoni wrote:Apparently the Liberal mayor of... I forget which town... somewhere... is going to offer to make him an honorary canadian citizen so that he won't have to be charged. Politics make me giggle.
Because we all know a MAYOR has the right to hand out citizenships left right and centre

Hence the designation "honourary"...

And by the way, no credible news source has confirmed that Elections Canada will do anything about this complaint.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » July 18, 2004, 3:32 pm

usually canadian conservatives don't act so petty and immature like american conservatives do. this is pretty surprising that they are actually lobbying to imprison moore for something as insignificant as this.

if anyone should be fined, it should be the producers and interviewers on the canadian tv show that even asked him for his opinion in the first place. ignorance of the law is no excuse, but an american shouldn't have to be well versed enough in canadian election laws to say "hey I'm not allowed to comment on that" if some tv interviewer starts asking him his opinion.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » July 18, 2004, 4:19 pm

Kylere wrote:http://www.canadafreepress.com/cover_storyj.htm

Under the "Non-Interference by Foreigners" clause (Part 11, Division 9, section 331) of the Canadian Elections Act:

No person who does not reside in Canada shall, during an election period, in any way induce electors to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate unless the person is

1. a Canadian citizen; or

2. a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2 (1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Im sorry but thats a fucking bullshit law

eOmniz · Post by **eOmniz** » July 19, 2004, 5:32 am

wtf?

The canadians who said this is a good law ... If we had the same law all of you posting anything remotely anti Bush or anti Kerry would be breaking the law ... non Canadians should be free to criticize a Canadian official, just as Canadians should have the freedom to ignore someone who has no clue what they're talking about.

That's a completely silly law in our times of mass media.

Karae · Post by **Karae** » July 19, 2004, 6:31 am

I guess it's their perogative to charge him since he did clearly break that law, though I'd suggest the journalists are more culpable than Moore since they're clearly more familiar with the laws of Canada. However, it's an entirely ridiculous law if subjectively enforced under circumstances like these.

You could charge just about any political figurehead under that law. For example, it's safe to say President Bush's actions have influenced the Canadian election far more significantly than Moore's comments (which would have gone totally unnoticed without the threat of prosecution).

Seems the conservatives in Canada are just as fond of groundlessly attacking people over non-issues and accomplishing nothing but looking foolish and petty in the public eye as conservatives here.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » July 19, 2004, 11:29 am

IMO any foreign involvement in an election is undesirable.

Wish the US would agree!

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » July 19, 2004, 12:01 pm

eOmniz wrote:wtf?

The canadians who said this is a good law ... If we had the same law all of you posting anything remotely anti Bush or anti Kerry would be breaking the law.

how do you figure I'm going to break US election laws from my home office in vancouver?

take a peek at your own election laws. I'd bet you have a similar law anyway.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » July 19, 2004, 12:20 pm

I love seeing what a clueless shill Moore is. He peolly knows exactly squat about the politics of the Canadian Conservatives, but he chose to bash them because they sound a lot like our GOP. Truly, he is a model American: Loud, ignorant, and fat.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » July 19, 2004, 12:49 pm

kyoukan wrote:
eOmniz wrote:wtf?

The canadians who said this is a good law ... If we had the same law all of you posting anything remotely anti Bush or anti Kerry would be breaking the law.
how do you figure I'm going to break US election laws from my home office in vancouver?

take a peek at your own election laws. I'd bet you have a similar law anyway.

I wish we did, I'd be all over Bush for sticking his nose into Australian politics.. If you think the Canadians are indignant about a comedian telling them how to vote, how do you think I feel about a head of state doing it? =p

Wulfran · Post by **Wulfran** » July 19, 2004, 1:23 pm

Stupidity abounds in this story:
- Moore for spouting off on something he obviously new nothing about
- the UNIVERSITY STUDENT (i.e. in this case, a young idealist that needs to get back to reality with everyone else... and I think it is important to point out that it is an effort by a disgruntled idealist and not the Conservative Party) trying to spearhear this whole thing
- the mayor of Sarnia for thinking he could veto it by making Moore an "honorary citizen"
- in light of the point Karae makes, I think you can add the interviewing journalists to the list of idiots as well.

I honestly wonder if this law would even be Constitutional if they tried to press it, as it brings up the question, do guests/visitors in Canada have the same right to free speech as the citizens? Personally I would hope so. I can see some "Big Brother logic" to a law like this, in that a foreign politician may be charismatic and somewhat popular inside Canada and some elements may think "wow thats a smart person, I should listen" as opposed to questioning whether the speaker has the interests of Canada or their own nation at heart. I also imagine its an old law aimed at preventing agents provocateur, etc. from times when the world wasn't as peaceful and caring (when you look back, one of the reasons the Canadian capital was made in Ottawa, in the late 19th century, was they felt it would be defensible should the US invade again).

Seems the conservatives in Canada are just as fond of groundlessly attacking people over non-issues and accomplishing nothing but looking foolish and petty in the public eye as conservatives here.

As for this, Karae, you seem to share Moore's penchant for commenting on things of which you know very little, as this is more correctly a tactic to the left leaning parties in Canadian politics.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » July 19, 2004, 2:29 pm

Zaelath wrote:
kyoukan wrote:
eOmniz wrote:wtf?

The canadians who said this is a good law ... If we had the same law all of you posting anything remotely anti Bush or anti Kerry would be breaking the law.
how do you figure I'm going to break US election laws from my home office in vancouver?

take a peek at your own election laws. I'd bet you have a similar law anyway.
I wish we did, I'd be all over Bush for sticking his nose into Australian politics.. If you think the Canadians are indignant about a comedian telling them how to vote, how do you think I feel about a head of state doing it? =p

Personally i could give two shits if the price(future king) of Saudi Arabia held a big ralley in the US telling everyone to vote for Bush as he is vital on the war on terrorism, restoring order to the american people, and preventing society from becomming to liberal and sac-religious

VeeshanVault

Elections Canada to charge Moore

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