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PCU and real fraudsters

At the time of this writing, The Globe and Mail just unveiled that the federal government was drafting a bill to punish "fraudsters" on the Canada Emergency Benefit, the famous ECP set up to help the millions of people suddenly finding themselves unemployed with the pandemic.

Probably that the amounts and possible penalties will change according to opinion public and if there is an outcry, but the project of current law refers to "a fine of 5000 $ as well as a second fine of double the amount pocketed. This draft [bill] also provides for the possibility of a prison sentence "of six months or less " for the guilty ".

Again once it’s the working class that’s going to take a hit explain why.

First, so that there is no ambiguity (and to cover our rear), I do not encourage anyone to do wrong statements. Whether at the PCU, Unemployed, help social, name it. The chances of getting caught are quite high and legally, is to be on the wrong side of the law. Ensuite, I will not throw a rock at anyone who snatch and who needs cash, understand me.

However, Firstly, several of these "false statements " to the PCU will not have been made in bad faith. Why? Because initially, messages addressed to the population almost let believe that everyone had access. And the "Errors administrative " will have been many. The number of people who received larger amounts, two fold, are significant.

Also, I will be told that some "fraudsters" already had access to social assistance, for example. Well, with a ridiculous amount like that granted by social assistance, I can hardly see myself saying to a person she has to be content with 670$ per month, while the government established the amount of PCU at 2000$ per month considering that this is the minimum required to meet his needs. As if the aid providers social suddenly live well with an amount 3 times less and miraculously join the ends.

More, let's be honest, people who have obtained ECPs illegally are seldom rich people. We are not talking about a person with phenomenal income. And that's without taking into account that many workers are immediately eliminated from the equation : the without status, people in the sex industry, etc. No declared income, no PCU.

Secondly, another argument will be to say that "yes but it's not honest ", or that "that will have cost a fortune in fraud to taxpayers ”. I want well, but for the number of dishonest things which have really a negative impact on our society in general, we rarely puts so many means in place to punish "the guilty ". Let me explain. Was, we are preparing the ground for a real witch hunt.

By against, how often do the different levels of government have injected huge sums for «help » private companies which nevertheless «shippent » their production abroad while granting big bonuses juicy to their executives and CEOs. We can think of Bombardier, this "flagship" of the Quebec economy. These are billions invested and who in the end will mainly benefit a handful of people who want maintain their hectic pace of life.

Or better yet. Every year, there are over 25 billion $ who are lost in tax havens. And we know the companies and people who benefit from it, who do not pay their fair share. Are they preparing a bill to bring them to justice? Fuck all. Plus, in April, at the start of the pandemic, the federal government even announced that companies known to have accounts in tax havens could benefit from state aid despite their illegal activities.

25 billion in tax havens, it pays in sacrament for months of PCU, aid services, public services, care of health, community programs, etc.

This is to say that while the federal government prepares its hunt for the poor and precarious, the real scammers will continue to take it easy.

  • A member of IWW-Montreal

Iran: Youth and working class facing a repressive regime

The workers' journal, via Iran in fight

A year ago the ruling faction kept itself in business thanks to rigged elections. From the Iranian people and their youth, despite a terrible repression, defied the regime by going out on the street, shouting at night on the roofs, going on strike.

The regime that combines all the flaws of a bureaucracy, of theocratism and capitalism has constantly lost ground through its corruption, its free-riding and inability to solve Iran's main problems. He held on by stepping into the cycle of violence against the Iranian people.

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