Election Night in Canada : Celebrating CopyRight Bulte!

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

incumbent MP, , is still holding a fundraiser hosted by various lobbyists: Doug Frith (President of Canadian Motion Pictures Distributors Association – CMPDA), Graham Henderson (President of Canadian Recording Industry Association CRIA ), Jackie Hushion (Executive Director of the Canadian Publishers Council), Danielle LaBossiere (Executive Director of the Entertainment Software Alliance ESA) & Stephen Stohn (DeGrassi producer, who spoke to the Copyright Board of Canada) on Jan 19th, four days before a general Federal Election.

She has been critized for the optics of this, but has refused to consider that there might be a problem, or the perception of a conflict of interest.

Via Michael Geist I’m hearing that she is now claiming :

“They are not hosting a fundraiser for me. It’s a celebration of my support for the arts community.”

Yeah, Right. This was reported in the Toronto Star and happened at the yesterday’s – January 16th- All Candidates Debate. (also mentioned on Boing Boing : Hollywood’s Member of Parliament makes national news ).

Like Joey says : Sorry, Sam, But Your $250-a-plate Party IS a Fundraiser. contributions go to her, with a tax receipt for political contributions. Keep on “spinning”, Sam. It still looks and smells the same.

Steve Stinson was the brave and well organized soul who asked, on January 11th, the candidates if they would take the . You can watch video of Sam Bulte’s lack of response, as well as the raw video of all the reponses. (She was the only one not to say ‘yes’). Thank you Steve!

Online Rights Canada is holding a Balanced Meal to counter Sam’s Copyright Cartel’s big banquet, same day (January 19th), Time and Place (at the Drake Hotels , the relaxed coffee house and juice bar on the west side). Cory is now mentioning this on Boing Boing : Skip $250/plate dinner for dirty MP, eat with copyfighters

Canadian News Magazine Macleans mentions it a side bar story in their current Issue in Wrath of the bloggers Toronto Liberal MP candidate Sarmite Bulte lands in hot water over a fundraiser hosted by beneficiaries of her proposed copyright reforms. which gives a nod to Joey aka Accordion Guy and Boing Boing (see : Canadian MP imports US’s worst copyright AND dirty campaign financing

Mark Evans has also written on this in his column in the Financial Post: Sam Bulte’s Bad Optics.

It related news : France softens copyright bill : French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin issued the order to change the bill to enshrine the right of consumers to make private copies of music and film disks... Even the French are . Mon Dieu!

It also well worth reading an insider’s look inside the media industry in Canada by Matthew Good, one of those the artistic creators that Mrs. Bulte claims to support, a well know Canadian musician out of beautiful – if wet -Vancouver, BC.

previously on FP: Parkdale / High Park All Candidates debate, Sam Bulte : What’s That Smell and is it Cause or Effect, and Sarmite Bulte : Is Canadian CopyRight for Sale?.

Jan 19th update :

For those of you who missed the all candidates meeting held on Monday the 17th are available as MP3 files (or Podcasts) thanks to the Parkdale Residents Association.

Michael Geist, in The Sam Bulte Podcast, has listened to these and found three claims that Sam Bulte makes in about 30 seconds that are all subject to challenge:

“I am not taking money from special interest groups. As you know, you can look at my returns. All of my election returns are noted, they are transparent. Ninety percent of my donations came from individuals. Ten percent came from organizations or corporations. They are not hosting a fundraiser for me. A fundraiser is being held. Individuals are invited. Everyone is invited. It is self-funding. And yes, there will be artists there. It will be a celebation of my support for the arts community.”

Today’s Globe and Mail has a long piece on : Liberal MP’s fundraiser causes controversy

Irony Alert: The Sam Bulte fundraiser at the Drake Hotel will feature a performance by Margo Timmins (who is married to Graham Henderson ,President of Canadian Recording Industry Association CRIA ), who is best known as a member of “The Cowboy Junkies”. In a lovely work of analysis Joey de Villa concludes that she owes her success to copying, the very thing that Sam Bulte and her anti-user Industry friends are trying to stop, in The Cowboy Junkies, “Piracy”, and How it Made Them Big.

Jan 20th update

Balanced Meal Review covers the non fundraiser. Still looking for comments on Sam “Anti-User” Bulte’s Fundraiser and farewell dinner, although this G&M story : Muckraking — with other people’s muck is amusing :

On Monday, the eyes of the Internet will be on the Toronto riding of Parkdale/High Park. The rest of the election is a sideshow. Will the Liberals be reduced to two seats? Will the door of cosmic justice hit Belinda Stronach on the way out? Who cares? Everyone’s watching Sarmite Bulte.