Question period
Church of Scientology
Hon. Céline Hervieux-Payette: Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. On May 15, Le Devoir reported that the Church of Scientology was preparing for a major offensive in Canada. This pseudo-church seems obsessed with the idea of establishing itself in Canada in order to recruit new members. According to the president of Canada’s Church of Scientology, Yvette Shank, they hope to open another seven churches by the end of 2011 in Canada’s major cities, much like the one opened in downtown Quebec City in January 2010. They are looking to build in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Kitchener.
We know that the founder of the Church of Scientology was convicted of fraud by a French court in 1977; that in 1992, Toronto’s Church of Scientology was condemned by the Ontario Court of Justice for ordering some of its members to spy on government authorities, including Ontario’s police service and the Office of the Attorney General; and that in 2009, the two main branches of France’s Church of Scientology and seven of its leaders were prosecuted for organized fraud and illegally operating as a pharmacy, eventually paying hundreds of thousands of Euros in fines. How does your government intend to limit the growth of this movement and take appropriate measures to ensure that it does not receive any public funding or claim a federal property tax exemption and also ensure that it is never recognized as a charitable organization for tax credits under the Income Tax Act?
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[English]
Hon. Marjory LeBreton (Leader of the Government): Honourable senators, I am puzzled that the honourable senator would address the activities of the Church of Scientology. These activities have nothing to do with government policy, although I recognize that at the end of the honourable senator’s question, she talked about tax charitable status and things of that nature.
I will not comment on a newspaper report of any organization that may be coming to Canada, but I will take as notice the portion of the honourable senator’s question with regard to charitable status.
Senator Hervieux-Payette: To help the honourable senator with her inquiry, I point out that the Church of Scientology is no stranger to criminal accusation or prosecution. Its message of deceit has spread, through brainwashing vulnerable people in the United States, France, Spain, Ireland, Canada and dozens of other countries, and the organization is banned in some countries such as Germany. The global spread of the Church of Scientology coincides with a number of events orchestrated by the organization that are of questionable legality and morality. The Church of Scientology’s rap sheet contains charges and accusations of fraud, extortion, capital flight, coercion, the illegal practice of medicine, taking advantage of mentally ill persons and murder.
When will this government get tough on crime and ban organizations like the Church of Scientology and other sects that prey on the weak and put all Canadians at risk through the use of theft, violence and manipulation?
Senator LeBreton: Honourable senators, this matter is not something that directly involves the government, other than the honourable senator’s question about charitable status. A newspaper report based on stories about the Church of Scientology is interesting to some, I am sure. There have been all kinds of accusations, which have nothing to do with the government, and it is therefore not appropriate for me to respond any further.
Très intéressant.
Madame Payette, je vous propose de communiquer avec le Sénateur Xénophon en Australie qui a lui aussi montré des inquiétudes au sujet de la scientologie en chambre. Je suis certain que monsieur Xénophon serait intéressé à échanger des informations au sujet de la secte. il travaille déjà en collaboration avec d’autres gouvernements en Europe, par exemple.
Bien à vous et merci
Anonymous
The abusive nature of this cult knows no bounds. For four years my friend has been trying desperately to maintain contact with her adult daughter. The so-called church has ordered the daughter to disconnect from her Mom because Mom won’t give up the (relatively meagre) family inheritance to scientology. Thank you for working to ensure no tax dollars will go to support this scam.
How can I help with your quest Madame Hervieux-Payette?
Bravo Madame Hervieux-Payette! It’s about time the government dig deeper into the activities of this U.S. created cult. Many people, some Canadian citizens, have been trying to get their stories out. The media and politicians have been scared but no more! Look around people and quit letting this criminal cult get away with their abuse. Check it out for yourself and read the testimonies and books written by ex-members. Not all of them have happy experiences like the celebrity members claim. I’m sick of them and their front groups like Narconon, Applied Scholastics and WISE.
Be advised that your question into Scientology will make you ‘fair game’ to the organizations intelligence service, the Office of Special Affairs, OSA, and you WILL be targeted and investigated, and you WILL be attacked! The type of crimes noted by you will now be directed at you, your office and staff, your friends and family.
Since you have entered into this debate, you should study in detail the policies of ‘Fair Game’, which are widely available on the internet, as they will be in full force against you.
If you have not delved into this subject to any depth, you should consider doing so, for your own defense. You have opened up a can of worms beyond your imagination.
You are not alone.
Good luck.
Please check out Senator Nick Xenophon’s of Australia, he recently secured a Senate inquiry into the tax exempt status of organizations such as the Church of Scientology. Because more ex Scientologists are speaking out with fresh claims of horrible abuses he’s also pushing for a judicial investigation. Thank you so much for looking in to this. It would save so many Canadian lives!
Hopefully, USA will finally get it.
With My Deepest Respect.
Hon. Céline Hervieux-Payette: Finally we have people all over the world who will stand up to this criminal money making BUSINESS. Thank you for standing up. Your Government needs to realise this is not a religion, its only a cloak. Would any Government turn a blind eye to drugs and other criminal activity? so why the reluctance to deal with this group?
Please keep fighting this cult! I’ve read a great deal about their practices and “faith”. The number of families destroyed by their practice of disconnection is sickening and their illegal practices worldwide go against the moral fabric of our country. I urge everyone to do more research on this cult. They truly are insidious.
Scientology is desperately trying to open up in Canada, not only with their “church” organisation but also through their front group “Narcanon” which preys on drug users.
I have heard they are targeting drug users in Vancouver, withholding medication and blackmailing people.
All the best preventing this evil cult from taking hold in your beautiful country.
The most important thing is to never let them have charitable/tax free status.
Good luck, this cult are secretive for a reason.
Honorable senator, thank you for bringing this issue up in the Senate.
Please allow me to respectfully correct you on one point, though: $cientology has not been banned in Germany - it is, however, under surveillance by the “Bundesnachrichtendienst”, the German secret service. To quote the website of the Bundesverfassungsschutz:
“The “Scientology Organisation” (SO) is still being monitored by the offices for the protection of the constitution. Concrete evidence of activities directed against the free democratic basic order continues to be available. This is why the legal requirement for the organisation to be monitored by the offices for the protection of the constitution is met. Therefore, the relevant decision made in 1997 by the Permanent Conference of the State Ministers of the Interior and the State Senates remains valid.”
http://www.verfassungsschutz.de/en/en_fields_of_work/scientology/
$cientology is banned in Greece, though, and has also been convicted of organized fraud in France last october.
I applaud you for taking a stand against this criminal organisation.
Honorable Senator, I applaud you bringing up this issue. I hope your country has a proper benefits and harm test for organisations applying for tax payer support through classification as a charity.
Banning scientology is actually a bad idea but not affording it state financing and state subsidy is a good idea.
Good luck.
Thank you for your courage to speak out about this destructive cult that is endangering the safety of Canadians. Bravo!
Does Narconon Trois-Rivieres have a free reign on how they operate and treat substance abuse patients? It would seem that this has been the case for many years, but could end soon with a new government investigation under way by the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services.
The Narconon Trois-Rivieres addiction treatment center is again under scrutiny by multiple government agencies; including confirmation today that the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services in Trois-Rivieres, has begun two investigations. The health risks and safety of Patients and the advertised and promoted 70% success rate are both under investigation.
The Quebec Regional Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner reviewed documents of concern in October 2010, and confirmed today, November 26, 2010, that they have the powers to intervene when he is “suspicious that the rights of a person or group of people are not respected.”
The recent statements from ex-staff members and patients, have painted a clear picture of a treatment center which follows the pseudoscience practices and doctrines of the Church of Scientology. Some staff is from the Montreal Church and many Narconon administrative directives are received from this entity and closely followed.
Scientology and Narconon are clearly the same cult, with the same goals: “MAKE MONEY. MAKE MORE MONEY. MAKE OTHER PEOPLE PRODUCE SO AS TO MAKE MORE MONEY.”
The story of a young man’s death and untold other incidents of abuse, mistreatment, neglect, and exploitation of the vulnerable, may be but a sad memory for many, but they will not be forgotten.
By: David Edgar Love
http://www.examiner.com/personal-safety-in-montreal/david-love