Stealin’ All My Dreams

STEALIN’ ALL MY DREAMS
A MODERN DAY PROTEST SONG AND VIDEO

“I didn’t want to talk about it, so I wrote a song about it.”
Greg Keelor

Compelled to add their voice to the chorus of voices protesting Prime Minister Harper’s Conservative government, Blue Rodeo has written the modern day protest song “Stealin’ All My Dreams”.

Recorded and filmed on September 9, 2015, the song and video chronicle the failings of the current government and asks the question, “Have you forgotten that you work for me?”

“Blue Rodeo does not always speak with one voice. However we feel collectively that the current administration in Canada has taken us down the wrong path. We do not seem to be the compassionate and environmentally conscious nation we once were. As respectful as we are of the variety of opinions held by our audience, ‎we felt it was time to speak up and add our voice to the conversation.”
Jim Cuddy

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “STEALIN’ ALL MY DREAMS”

Watch the “Stealin’ All My Dreams” video

Scroll down for more information about the facts presented here.

PLEASE VOTE ON OCTOBER 19.

Photos from the “Stealin’ All My Dreams” recording session.

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“Stealin’ All My Dreams” Facts

ENVIRONMENT
In 2011 Canada became the first country to remove itself from the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty created to combat global warming and signed by 192 nations.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/12/12/canada_first_nation_to_withdraw_from_kyoto_protocol.html
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/canada-climate-change/canada-and-kyoto
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/dec/13/canada-withdrawal-kyoto-protocol
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-formally-abandons-kyoto-protocol-on-climate-change/article4180809/

In 2007 The Prime Minister promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
In 2014 Harper said that to reduce emissions would be crazy, declaring, “We’re clearly not going to do it.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/21/canada-climate-change-ranking-oecd-report_n_6024844.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-says-oil-and-gas-regulations-now-would-be-crazy-1.2866306
http://www.desmog.ca/2014/09/19/harper-s-timeline-canada-climate-change-2006-2014

2012 – Harper guts the Navigable Waters Protection Act.
98% of Canada’s waterways are now unprotected.

http://canadians.org/blog/fisheries-act-no-longer-protects-fish-fish-habitat
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/fisheries-act-change-guided-by-industry/article13606358/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/waterways-changes-in-budget-bill-seen-as-eroding-protections-1.1219007

POVERTY
A UN Right-to-Food envoy criticized Canada over its finding that 800,000 Canadian households are “too poor to eat”.
1 in 7 Canadian children currently live in poverty.
Food bank use has gone up 30% since 2008.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-shrugs-off-un-warning-on-hunger-and-nutrition/article2434556/
http://globalnews.ca/news/1685376/25-years-since-canada-vowed-to-end-child-poverty-where-are-we-now/
http://isnafoodbank.ca/s/isnafb/
http://www.cwp-csp.ca/poverty/just-the-facts/
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/25/child_poverty_rates_in_canada_ontario_remain_high.html
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/07/21/use-the-federal-campaign-to-fight-child-poverty.html

ELECTION FRAUD
Robocalls
Election fraud
Misleading campaign funding
Attack ads
…Harper legacy

Widespread fraud occurred during the 2011 election.  Robocalls “struck at the integrity of the electoral process” and the most likely source “was the CIMS database maintained and controlled by the Conservative party of Canada” stated the ruling judge.

Tax dollars were used to help cover the Tories’ legal bills.

Robocalls & Election fraud

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/electoral-fraud-did-take-place-in-2011-federal-vote-but-it-didnt-affect-outcome-judge-rules
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/taxpayers-paid-legal-bills-for-tory-mps-in-robocalls-case
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/michael-sona-former-conservative-campaign-worker-found-guilty-in-robocalls-trial
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/21/watch-out-for-dirty-voter-suppression-tricks-elections-canada-warns-staff_n_8168806.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tory-party-2-senators-face-election-charges-1.1070158

Misleading campaign funding

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/02/federal-election-2015-harper-costs-taxpayers_n_7921330.html
http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/07/31/harper-poised-to-reap-benefit-of-election-law-redo
http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/stephen-maher-how-harper-has-successfully-changed-the-law-to-inject-more-money-into-canadian-politics

Attack ads

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/30/trudeau-ads-conservative-mps_n_3187935.html
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/2011/03/30/hepburn_harper_the_king_of_nasty_attack_ads.html

ECONOMY
CLAIM:  Conservatives are thought to be the best keepers of the economy.
FACT:  This government inherited a $13.2 billion surplus and has run 7 straight deficits.
FACT:  Harper is the first Prime Minister since the 1950s to oversee a decline in the employment rate.
FACT:  Under Harper, Canada has had the smallest rate of economic growth since WWII.
FACT:  Under the Harper Government the oil industry has been given billions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks.

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/canada-deficit/
http://www.pressprogress.ca/6_charts_show_stephen_harper_has_the_worst_economic_record_of_any_prime_minister_since_world_war_ii
http://www.unifor.org/sites/default/files/documents/document/909-harper_economic_critique_eng_0.pdf
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sean-casey/harper-debt-economy_b_3976972.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/canada-trade-deficit-unexpectedly-widens-as-exports-slide/article25334786
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/05/15/Canadas-34-Billion-Fossil-Fuel-Subsidies/
http://rabble.ca/news/2011/02/its-time-end-canada%E2%80%99s-billion-dollar-handout-big-oil-and-coal

SCIENTISTS
The Harper government is muzzling government scientists and preventing them from freely sharing research results.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/capt-trevor-greene/science-cuts-canada_b_4534729.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/faq-the-issues-around-muzzling-government-scientists-1.3079537
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/muzzling-of-federal-scientists-widespread-survey-suggests-1.2128859
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-27/scientists-decry-canadian-undermining-of-climate-science.html

WOMEN
Under Harper, the government has shutdown 75% of the Status of Women offices across Canada.  It has also closed the Court Challenges Program created to help women and the LGBT community fight for their constitutional rights.

https://nowtoronto.com/news/features/stephen-harpers-war-on-women/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/the-harper-government-womens-rights-and-the-cost-of-speaking-out/article1314268/

ABORIGINAL WOMEN
Prime Minister Harper refuses to launch an inquiry into the epidemic of missing First Nations women.  When asked, Harper replied, “…it isn’t really high on our radar”.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/full-text-of-peter-mansbridge-s-interview-with-stephen-harper-1.2876934
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/stephen-harper-s-comments-on-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-show-lack-of-respect-1.2879154

INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
Widespread disregard for First Nations land rights.

2014 – Canada is the only UN member to reject Indigenous Rights Declaration.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/02/canada-un-indigenous-rights_n_5918868.html
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2014/oct/21/the-indigenous-land-rights-ruling-that-could-transform-canada
http://aptn.ca/news/2015/04/02/harper-cabinet-stalling-3-modern-treaties-2-years-federal-report/
http://www.idlenomore.ca/
http://www.globalresearch.ca/canada-prime-minister-harper-launches-first-nations-termination-plan/5318362
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/canada-sets-lowest-standard-at-world-conference-on-indigenous-peoples-1.2779590
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/supreme-court-ruling-on-native-land-claims-adds-to-uncertainty-for-pipelines/article19356432/
http://www.landclaimscoalition.ca/
http://www.lawconnection.ca/content/native-land-claims-backgrounder
http://www.mediacoop.ca/blog/dru/15600

BILL C-51
The 2015 Anti-Terrorism Act (Bill C-51) violates Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms including freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/21/canada-anti-terror-lawsuit-bill-c51
https://cjfe.org/resources/features/bill-c-51-freedom-assembly-and-canadians%E2%80%99-ability-protest
https://cjfe.org/resources/features/bill-c-51-freedom-assembly-and-canadians%E2%80%99-ability-protest
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/canadian-journalists-for-free-expression/bill-c51-charter-rights_b_7055920.html

CBC
Under the Harper government the CBC budgets have been cut by $115 million dollars.  More than 2800 people have lost their jobs.

http://www.cmg.ca/en/2015/09/22/cbc-announces-plans-to-sell-off-all-buildings-in-midst-of-election-campaign/#.VgL1o61UE0Q.facebook
http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/cbc-sheds-more-than-140-jobs-in-local-news-1.3010204
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/24/cbc-cuts-layoffs_n_6044378.html
http://www.cmg.ca/en/2015/04/16/latest-round-of-cuts-at-cbc-represents-massive-upheaval-in-newsgathering-capacity-across-the-country/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cbc-budget-cut-by-115m-over-3-years-1.1147096
http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2015/04/20/Harper-Brings-CBC-to-Heel/
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/cbc-cutting-back-evening-news-in-house-production-in-shift-towards-digital/

REFUGEES
Canada promised asylum to 20,000 refugees.
To date we have taken 2,300.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-calls-on-ottawa-to-bring-syrian-refugees-to-canada/article26231368/
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/03/welcome-for-syrians-refugees-contrasts-with-canada-s-historic-role-experts_n_8085624.html
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/refugees-primer/
http://www.thestar.com/news/federal-election/2015/09/20/stephen-harper-defends-refugee-response-as-generous.html
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/tories-promise-to-bring-10000-additional-refugees-from-syria-and-iraq-to-canada-if-elected

PREMIERS
There hasn’t been a conference of Canada’s “first ministers” (provincial and territorial premiers) since 2009.  Harper has only held two meetings since being elected (in 2008 & 2009). These events are held at the call of the prime minister and, since 1950, have typically been held annually.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/trudeau-wynne-lambaste-harper-for-skipping-another-first-ministers-meeting
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/its-beyond-time-that-harper-called-a-first-ministers-conference/article22020197/