CBC news: Michael Moore broke election law, alleges young Tory

[gator_in_Ontario]

Hope this isn't a dupe.

TORONTO - An Ontario university student is urging Elections Canada to charge American filmmaker Michael Moore over comments he made during the recent federal election campaign.

more...
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2004/07/14/moore_elxn040714.html

[Screaming Lord Byron]

1. I don't think anything came of it. .

There's no there, there, if you know what I mean.

[bryant69]

2. It is estimated that by the year 2008

1 in 3 young conservatives will have sued Michael Moore over one thing or another. The average settlement will be $37.50 and a coupon to Arbys.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[JHB]

3. My prediction:

This twerp will be shown to have ties to US conservatives, and the sole purpose of this campaign is to harass MM and cost him money in legal fees.

[punpirate]

4. Too bad this young Conservative...

... in Canada does not understand the difference between induction and persuasion. Offering an opinion might be construed as a form of persuasion, while induction is a form of coercion.

Conservatives, it seems, have no better grasp of logic in Canada than they do here in the US.

Cheers.

[On the Road]

6. Hmm, Yes, What is "Induction" in the Canadian Legal System?

Another question would be jurisdiction. The law appears to refer to aliens IN CANADA trying to get a particular candidate elected. I don't see how Canadian law would claim jurisdiction over an American making an American movie.

[punpirate]

8. Moore was in Canada shortly before the US release...

... making statements to the press--that's probably the basis for the complaint.

But, induction (not inductive logic) likely means directly inducing someone to vote in a certain way, and, as in this country, would mean buying a vote, giving them something in exchange for a vote, face-to-face coercing to vote in a certain way (i.e., arm-twisting), or promising them something tangible in exchange for their voting in a certain way.

If this case isn't thrown out, I'll be quite surprised, especially since the US ambassador to Canada has pretty much been threatening the Canadian government to spend more money on defense and less on health care and generally meddling in Canadian electoral affairs for months and he hasn't been arrested or ejected from the country....

Cheers.

[On the Road]

9. Oh, I See --

It's a vote-buying and coercion law. No, of course it doesn't apply. Typcial law student mistake.

[LoZoccolo]

11. Well, maybe the law isn't so stupid.

I can see the point about buying votes.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

13. Which, clearly, Moore never did.

[Spazito]

5. This guy is like the one who is "making" the film "Michael Moore...

Hates America", just a nothing shill looking for his 15 minutes of fame and whining that his party didn't win.

[nini]

7. Someone sent me this in an email this morning..

this was my reply to her:

````````
pathetic. there's a difference between 'induce' and giving your opinion and hopefully that is the point this little Jr. Conservative fascist will learn.

On the bright side Moore must be getting his point across and pissing off the right wing.. :-)
`````````````


I am soooooo sick of these nazis...

[LoZoccolo]

10. The whole law sounds stupid.

It seems inevitable that there would be some conflict about what "induction" is sooner or later.

[LoZoccolo]

12. Well, maybe not.

See post #11.

[Lisa]

14. CBC News interviewed a constitutional law expert last week ...

... who said there weren't adequate grounds for a lawsuit. An opinion isn't tantamount to threats or bribery!


Hey, if they drag Moore into court for something like this, the next-door courtroom ought to have Ambassador Cellucci up on charges of slander (for blabbing to various people that he had inside evidence about Maher Arar being a terrorist).