TURMEL POLITICAL PRESS 1982a
820109Sa
Ottawa Citizen, Dave Brown
Brown's Beat
To John Turmel, the professional gambler and perpetual candidate. He
also plays good accordion. He spent a large part of Christmas Day at
St. Vincent's Hospital, entertaining on all five floors. Nurse A.B.
Armstrong was on duty and says his visit was appreciated by all.
820310We
Toronto Sun, Front page picture
Placards at Park
Protesters wave signs as Lt. Gov. John Aird and his aide-de-camp John
Fullerton, walk to the opening of the Ontario Legislature yesterday."
Globe & Mail, CP Tom Van Alphin
Picture of Ray and I picketing at Queen's Park
Lieutenant-Governor John Black Aird accompanied by his senior aide-de-
camp, Lieut.-Col. John A. Fullerton, walks past demonstrators at
Queen's Park yesterday.
820416Fr
Ottawa Citizen, Ian MacLeod
John Turmel and his brother, Ray, involved in ongoing court battles to
abolish interest rates and legalize gambling, carried placards. As her
car swept by, the Queen leaned forward to read the simple message:
"Abolish Interest." A quizzical look on her face, she appeared to
mouth the two words.
Hamilton Spectator, CP
The lone sign of protest along the way had nothing to do with the
Queen or the constitution. A placard near the entrance to Rideau Hall
said "Abolish Interest."
Globe & Mail, Allen Abel
They also serve who only sweep and wait
Outside the Kent Street hostelry at which monarch and selected
subjects will sup paraded Raymond and John C. Turmel for the 48th
Thursday in a row. They Turmels are unreconstructed politicians and
familiar gadflies in the Ottawa swarm. The one carried a sign that
read "Abolish interest" and the other held a placard that read "Bouey
is a crook."
A couple of youthful achievers not officially sanctioned by any member
of Parliament approached Ray Turmel and received a lesson in cock-eyed
economics. It was past noon -- they were waiting for Governor Gerald
Bouey to etch the latest Bank of Canada rate on stone tablets -- but a
clock on the corner of Kent and Sparks showed 9:40 and would all day.
Ray Turmel told the teen-agers "If I give each of you $100, what do
you have?" "I've got $115," said one of the youths bejeaned and
beaming. "I just put it in the bank and got 15% interest." "But where
does that $15 come from?" Ray Turmel whined, twirling his poster to
show the sign that pictured Bouey and a caption, The King of White-
Collar Crime; he and his brother plan to be on the Hill at dawn
tomorrow to picket along the route of Her Majesty's walkabout. "The
Bible tells us, `Let the exacting of interest stop." Someone else has
to pay for what you profit."
"I don't care," the pupil said. "I just made 15 bucks."
820428We
Ottawa Citizen, John Turmel letter
Rae's candidacy
In his letter of April 5, Mr. Jack Berry has his facts wrong when he
states that Bob Rae has to content himself with a bird's-eye view from
the gallery, "not because of his own fault" but because "he must wait
until Bill Davis has the guts to call by-elections."
In fact, Mr. Rae won't be running even when the Hamilton West by-
election is called having preferred to wait for a softer seat in
Toronto. Mr. Richard Allen is representing his party in that contest.
It is therefore evident that Mr. Rae's bird's-eye view is on account
of his own decision and not because Mr. Davis lacks the guts to offer
the contest. I submit that Mr. Davis has little to fear from an
opposition leader who sits in the gallery waiting for an easy
victory.
820505We
Ottawa Citizen Ad
You are invited to meet BOB RAE, leader of the Ontario New Democratic
party, Wednesday, May 5th, Salon A, Civic Centre, 7:30p.m., sponsored
by the NDP Ottawa Area Council.
820506Th
Ottawa Citizen, Dennis Foley
Ottawa man sues Bob Rae for slander
Bob Rae, recently-elected leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party
was served with a slander subpoena Wednesday night by professional
gambler John Turmel. Turmel says Rae slandered his "scientific
integrity" outside the Ontario legislature in March during a farmers'
protest demonstration. Turmel has filed his Statement of Claim in the
Ontario Supreme Court. The slander lawyer consulted by the Citizen
said that while Turmel's self filed action did not follow the
prescribed format, it could not be regarded as frivolous and there was
every chance the Ontario Supreme Court would allow it to proceed to
trial if pursued by Turmel. Rae, a member of the NDP federal caucus
until elected Ontario leader, would say only that he was taking the
suit "extremely seriously." Turmel served the subpoena at the Civic
Centre where Rae was addressing party supporters. Turmel's claim
against Rae is blunt. "I cannot allow someone with a technically
inferior education to slander my intellectual integrity. In my world,
if a man won't put his money where his mouth is, he shuts up."
820508Sa
Ottawa Citizen
The Silver Challenge started as a line of tape stretching 500 meters
along the mall from the Bank of Canada building at Bank Street to the
Royal Bank at Metcalfe. Bouey placed the first coin -- a quarter
specially minted Thursday night -- outside his office at 11a.m.
Ottawa Citizen 820511Tu, Charles Gordon
Interest high as world record captured on tape
What the sound truck announced as "the longest row of quarters in the
world, we hope," began behind the Bank of Canada building with the
Governor of the Bank of Canada sticking the first coin. The timing was
especially good because, just moments earlier, the notorious Social
Credit Turmel brothers had dashed off in the other direction with
their usual signs condemning interest rates in strong terms and the
Governor in even stronger ones. They may have thought the Governor was
at the other end of the mall, where in fact, Harry Belafonte would be
appearing to stick the last quarter on. Told that the Governor would
be at this end and Harry Belafonte would be at the other, a passer-by
said "I'll go to the other end." As it turned out, hundreds of others
did too. If that was too bad for the Governor of the Bank of Canada,
at least he didn't have to put up with signs quoting the Bible against
his interest rates. And it would be another half hour before a New
Democrat rose in Parliament to demand his resignation. The Governor
appeared walking out of his bank with some other bankers, one of whom
immediately tripped over the sticky tape. There was some time taken to
repair it. Finally, the governor announced that the longest row of
quarters in the world, we hope, was officially opened and stuck the
first quarter.
[jct: I got the quarter for $10.]
Ottawa Citizen
Someone may quit for Rae
Ontario New Democratic leader Bob Rae said Friday he knows of
"someone" willing to resign his seat in the provincial legislature so
he can win his seat in time for this fall's session.
820522Sa
Hamilton Spectator, Denis Leblanc
John thinks he has the right formula
Any bets?
Picture of me in hard-hat captioned "Back Again"
The Hamilton West by-election got its fourth candidate yesterday.
Ottawa's professional and convicted gambler, John Turmel, indicated
he'll try and grab the vacant provincial seat again. Two years ago,
the 31 year-old graduate engineer failed to convince voters that his
platform was the soundest of all. He finished last. Undaunted by that
set-back -- and others before it -- Independent John -- or The
Engineer as his white hard-hat reminds -- is back, only this time his
philosophy has an equation behind it and proves the workability of his
idea: the elimination of interest.
He opened his campaign for the Christian Credit program at the corner
of James St. S. and Main St. on the door-step of the riding's
returning officer. Returning officer Paul Drage did not permit John to
stage a press conference in the room. "This is neutral territory,"
said Mr. Drage "Out." And so at the intersection where lumbering
tractor trailer units often drowned his never-stopping verbal
outpouring and where only two passers-by stopped to listen, John
launched into the Bank of Canada and its Governor, Gerald Bouey,
against whom he is locked in legal battle. As his Notice of
Application for Leave to Appeal in the Supreme Court of Canada states
"... and take notice that the said application shall be man shall be
made upon the grounds that the usury rake-off set by Gerald Bouey,
Governor (Keeper) of the Bank (Gaming house) of Canada creates a
genocidal gamble, aptly named mortgage (deathgamble) for its
requirement that the participants in the deathgamble repay both the
principal and the usury when the banks only created and loaned out the
principal..."
OTTAWA
For those who may have difficulty in comprehending John's platform, he
has come up with a simple electrical blueprint. Any electrical
engineering student, having looked at the diagram, would agree with
its workability and capabilities. For the more advanced, there's the
Laplace variable and the interest rate which can be reduced to a
workable equation when determining either the purchasing power
1/s(Laplace variable) + i(interest rate) or loss of purchasing power
i/s(s+i) (? - ?). Nothing to it.
Whether or not voters will get to closer examine the candidate and his
theory that would do away with unemployment and inflation remains
cloudy. John returned to his Ottawa home after unveiling himself
yesterday. "There's no point in coming here and standing on a street
corner trying to talk to people. There should be some all-candidates'
meetings. Talk to the union people here. They'll organize them,
they'll tell about the ones we had last time." Should he campaign
locally, the Hamilton West riding could be lively with John's high-
tech approach. With a diskette in his back pocket (it contains the
cure for our economic and social woes) and his formula written down,
he is ready to go. The one formula he has to worry about is where x
equals votes. In 1980, that calculated to 77 or, for him, two votes
for every thousand cast. And if John fails here, there is his mother,
Theresa, and brother, Raymond, who accompanied him yesterday and who
are considering two other ridings. On the same platform, of course.
Hamilton West Journal, Diana Burri
Candidate carries solution in pocket
Picture of me talking to Denis Leblanc captioned "IT REALLY WORKS:
John Turmel explains his platform to passers-by. Mr. Turmel was in
town May 20 to campaign for the June 17 Hamilton West by-election. His
platform is simple: the elimination of interest.
The solution to Canada's economic problems was in John Turmel's back
pocket last week. Mr. Turmel, Ottawa's professional gambler and fourth
candidate in Hamilton West's by-election stood on the corner of James
and Main explaining his platform to passers-by. His platform is
simple: eliminate interest on loans. With a small disc in his pocket
and an equation, Mr. Turmel said, his formula will abolish interest
overnight -- a feat he claims -- will make him more famous than Albert
Einstein. Mr. Turmel is no newcomer to Hamilton. Two years ago, he
placed last in the mayoralty race. Undaunted, he is back, this time
with the equation behind his philosophy. The Christian Credit program,
as he calls it, will destroy the usury banking system "The greatest
sin in the world." "Credit should be based on human ability and not on
collateral. If I'm better than the next guy, but ability is based on
collateral and if I have none, I don't get the credit. That's unfair.
People are losing their homes, their farms because of interest," he
said. "With my system, there is no interest. Why should there be
interest? Why do we have to pay back money we never borrowed?" Two
years ago, Mr. Turmel told the banks he would be "taking down the
systems." "This will be the major revolution in history. People are
being conned. They strike for more money for food but they should be
fighting for more food for their money. The politicians don't know
what to do. History will prove that I have the answer."
820529Sa
Hamilton Spectator, Larry Crandall
Rae in no hurry to get seat
"When this campaign is over we'll look at finding a seat in a by-
election," Mr. Rae told reporters. "That will be towards the end of
June, before the next session starts in August.
He said that attitude shows in the government's insensitivity to
problems of businessmen and farmers hurt by high interest rates. He
called for a moratorium on interest charges on mortgages and an
interest rate assistance.
820601Tu
Hamilton Spectator, Adam Mayers
Candidates parade on parties' platforms
The picture of the four candidates was cropped to cut me out and leave
only the other three. It was captioned: Students at Hamilton
Collegiate Institute listen to candidates Joe Barbera, Bob McMurrich
and Richard Allen.
The fourth candidate, John Turmel of the Christian Credit Party, said
the answer to all economic ills is to eliminate interest rates.
820602We
Hamilton Journal West, Denise Davy
Candidates focus on Hamilton's economy
Picture of candidates at St. Mary's captioned "ALL THE CANDIDATES:
Candidates represent the four parties in the Hamilton West campaign
were present at St. Mary's Catholic School Tuesday to present issues
and talk with students.
Riding on an open ticket is Independent candidate John Turmel or as
the hard hat says that he has been wearing during his campaign "The
engineer". Turmel's platform is simple. He plans to abolish interest
rates and intends to take the Supreme Court to court on Monday to
begin proceedings. Using quotes from the bible to explain his policy,
Turmel elaborated on what he called the "evils of the bank usury
system." later during the rebuttal period Turmel accused Ontario NDP
leader Bob Rae of being "too chicken" to attend today's meeting.
820603Th
Hamilton Spectator
Candidate sparks row at meeting
An all-candidates meeting last night deteriorated into a shouting
match as one of the candidates demanded to be heard. One of three
candidates who showed up a the Hamilton Public Library for a meeting
on women's issues sponsored by the Women's Centre of Hamilton
Wentworth, maintained the audience and moderator were being
"undemocratic" in their treatment of him. John Turmel, Christian
Credit Party candidate, was cut short by the moderator early in the
meeting when he attempted to answer a question relating to his sole
platform in the by-election -- abolition of interest rates. The
moderator said the question couldn't be answered because it did not
relate to women's issues.
DISARMAMENT
Later, a question on disarmament was not turned down although it was
not explained how this related to women's issues. After several
questions from the audience, addressed to the "two serious candidates"
and the announcement by another woman who said she'd like to see Mr.
Turmel "ejected" from the meeting, Mr. Turmel started calling the
proceedings "undemocratic." "It's undemocratic. It's illegal. You
can't do it to me," said Mr. Turmel. Later in the meeting, Mr. Turmel
removed $1500 in bills from his wallet and waved them in front of
candidate Mr. Allen, challenging him to a bet he couldn't find
anything wrong with Mr. Turmel's proposed system to abolish interest.
Mr. Allen and Mr. Barbera, who kept quiet during the outbursts between
Mr. Turmel and the audience, attempted to voice their concerns about
women's issues.
Mr. Turmel related every question to the root problem of interest.
When challenged about the relevance of those answers, Mr. Turmel said
"poverty is the major women's issue."
Hamilton Journal West, 820609We
Candidate makes circus out of meeting for women
Picture caption "CIRCUS: An all candidates meeting for women's issues
quickly turned into a vocal circus last week when John Turmel began
hurling insults to the audience. The insults were returned, though,
and the meeting ended on a sour note.
What began as an all-candidates' meeting about women's issues quickly
turned into a free-for-all with John Turmel hurling off insults to
audience members. The meeting, June 2 at the Hamilton Library, was to
have discussed the candidates' platforms on those matters most
concerning women, such as day-care, women's status and equal pay for
equal work. Richard Allen, Joe Barbera and Mr. Turmel were each given
5 minutes to address the issues followed by a question and answer
period.
Maggie Fischbuch, board member of the women's center and organizer of
the meeting, said the disruption caused by Mr. Turmel was "unfortunate
and uncalled for." "People came to listen to the two serious
politicians and were forced to listen to his nonsense. He didn't talk
about the issues. He didn't abide by our rules and worst of all, he
was abusive to the audience." Mr. Turmel told one woman that her
"educational background was inferior" and therefore, she was "too
ignorant to comprehend" his platform. Mr. Barbera said the meeting
became clouded with Mr. Turmel's outbursts. "It's unfortunate that the
focus of the meeting became Mr. Turmel and not the issues. It was bad
enough that McMurrich didn't show up, but then to have the evening
wasted just added salt to the wound." Mr. Allen said although the
meeting was disrupted on several occasions, "good things did come out
from the meeting. It is unfortunate that people who asked questions of
Mr. Turmel regarding women's issues didn't get answer, but rather a
formula. I think one thing clearly came out of the meeting: Turmel's
attitude towards women." said Mr. Allen. "He simply assumes that women
are incapable of understanding his platform. He thinks it's a fact of
life that women are inferior and therefore doesn't think he's being
abusive in assuming it."
At one point, Mr. Turmel told a member of the audience "she was a
commie" and "should move to Russia where they appreciate her kind of
attitude." Throughout the two-hour session, the audience shouted for
Mr. Turmel to "leave", "get out" and "shut up". His response on
several instances was "Nothing you say will shut me up. I won't
leave." Members of the audience became frustrated and left before the
meeting was concluded.
Hamilton Spectator
John Turmel wonders where the Liberal would get his money for his
ventures. "Is he going to borrow the equity? Where's he going to get
the financing? And there will be interest charged on the money and we
know that interest kills jobs so that there will be no gain," said Mr.
Turmel. The solution was the issuance of his Hamilton money from his
interest-free bank.
820604Fr
Vancouver Sun, Jamie Lamb
Good times and bad times
You're on the third floor, West Block, home of the House of Commons
Committee investigating and assessing the profitability of chartered
banks. This morning's witness is Bank of Canada Governor Gerald Bouey.
With interest rates about to rise almost a half percentage point to
15.87%, and the chartered banks about to raise their prime lending
rates, and the Canadian dollar under siege, and the country in an
economic tailspin, the Committee and press alike were looking forward
to Mr. Bouey's appearance. Besides, with the Prime Minister and the
Finance Minister away at the Economic Summit, the committee
proceedings are the only game in town.
So, high noon on the hill? Would the MPs tell the Governor to board
the out-bound stage or elect him Sheriff? Nothing so dramatic,
unfortunately. In fact, the proceedings began on a comic note. As
Committee members and reporters filtered into the Committee room, they
were greeted by the self-proclaimed saviour of the economy, John C.
Turmel. Mr. Turmel is a fixture on the Ottawa scene in his white hard
hat and his bag of mimeographed cures for the economy. You can find
him parading in front of the Bank of Canada building every Thursday
always with a sign which reads "Bouey is a Crook." Mr. Turmel has a
knack for crashing meetings. During last year's economic summit in
Ottawa, a group of 14 high-powered U.S. journalists were in a hotel
room waiting for a private briefing by a very senior American
official. Into their midst shimmered Mr. Turmel, handing out tracts,
informing all that it would be a good thing if Mr. Bouey were sent to
a leper colony. The look of puzzlement on these heavyweight media
faces was priceless. Mr. Turmel was more sedate on this occasion,
handing out his "Blueprint for banking" which he, as a "Banking
Systems Engineer" and soldier for Christ, has designed.
I chuckled when I read it and he said that I may be laughing now, but
in 10 years, I'd be sorry about missing my chance for an interview.
(Not to worry said a colleague; he had been told to expect a Nobel
prize if he wrote about Mr. Turmel's blueprint, and so far, there
hasn't been any telex from Stockholm.)
Wheeling away to shout cheery greetings to committee chairman, Liberal
John Evans -- "Hey John Evans, you low-tech MP, how are you?" -- he
spun back and handed out an application -- in forma pauperis -- for an
appeal before the Supreme Court. The appeal reads in part:
(They cut my words right out of the story right at the colon. Jamie
Lamb says they probably had all of it in the fourth edition)
Outside the committee room, Mr. Turmel was still blatting his own
trumpet. "Banking is as banking does; can you believe it? Don't you
believe it, friend, because I've got the electrical blueprint for
success right here.
Speaking in grandfatherly tones, Mr. Bouey offered his impressions of
chartered banks and their actions in an era of high and volatile
interest rates and recession. Mr. Bouey, in a patient voice which
might be reserved for a slow but eager child, offered his usual
defence of the bank's monetary policy. Inflation and inflationary
expectations must be reduced. A drop in the dollar would promote
inflation and result in even higher interest rates than we presently
experience. Nobody likes high interest rates, but to protect the
dollar and reduce inflation, high interest rates it is.
820608Tu
Globe & Mail, Leslie Sheppard, CP
Bouey won't face his charges, top court tells political gadfly
1. Bank of Canada Governor Gerald Bouey will not be charged with
genocide and keeping a common gaming house, the Supreme Court of
Canada ruled today.
2. A panel of three judges, alternating between amusement and
annoyance, refused to hear arguments supporting the charges from
professional gambler and sometimes politician John Turmel of Ottawa.
3. Mr. Turmel, 31, was seeking a judicial order to have Ontario's
Attorney General lay the genocide charge against Mr. Bouey on the
grounds the Bank of Canada's interest rates policies are killing
people.
4. He wanted the Supreme court to order the Ontario Court of Appeal to
give him more time to appeal lower court decisions refusing to order
the charge be laid.
5. Mr. Turmel told the court that every time a farmer is forced into
bankruptcy because of high interest rates, food production is slashed
and starvation increases.
6. He maintained that about 46,000 babies die of starvation throughout
the world daily because farmers can't afford to grow food, he
maintained.
7. Mr. Bouey should also be charged with keeping a common gaming
house, Mr. Turmel argued because the bank is gambling that customers
will be able to repay both the principal and the interest on their
loans.
8. Mr. Turmel had pointed to the French origins of the word mortgage
to support his case -- mort is the French word for death and gage is a
form of the French verb to wager.
9. "The usury rake-off set by Gerald Bouey, Governor (Keeper) of the
Bank (Gaming house) of Canada creates a genocidal gamble aptly named
mortgage (death gamble) for its requirement that the participants in
the death gamble repay both the principal and the interest when the
banks only created and loaned out the principal, Mr. Turmel said.
10. "Natural law, biblical law and criminal law indict the mortgage as
the greatest atrocity ever inflicted on mankind. It is the proverbial
root of all evil."
11. He urged that the banks' computers be reprogrammed to eliminate
interest charges until the legality of interest rates can be
determined by the courts.
12. Mr. Justice Roland Ritchie said Mr. Turmel's view were all very
interesting but beyond the jurisdiction of the busy court.
13 "We're really not concerned with matters so esoteric as your
arguments."
14. Questions about the federal Bank Act would be more properly
addressed to the House of Commons, of which "happily or unhappily you
are not a member," he said.
15. Mr. Turmel, who can often be seen on Parliament Hill waving a
placard urging the abolition of interest rates and labeling Mr. Bouey
a crook, is a candidate for the fledgling Christian Credit Party in
the Jan. (June) 17 election in Hamilton West.
16. The main platforms of the Christian Credit Party are the abolition
of interest rates and establishment of no-fault fire and car
insurance, he said.
17. He has run in 10 elections in Ontario in the past year, including
last August's federal by-election in Spadina.
Hamilton Spectator, Supreme Court says phooey to charges against Bouey
Toronto Star No trial for Bouey on "Killer interest rates"
Edmonton Journal Phooey on Bouey, court told
Owen Sound Sun Times No genocide charges against Bouey, court
Kitchener Waterloo Court KOs Bouey critic
London Free Press Court won't hear attack on Bouey
Winnipeg Free Press Gambler loses Bouey gambit
Gazette Bouey genocide charge thrown out
Citizen Turmel craps out on bid to have Bouey charged
Final Court buries gambler's case against Bouey
Le Droit Bouey, no accusation
Calgary Herald Bouey beats genocide charge
Hamilton Spectator, Dana Robbins
Turmel feels "shafted" in fight against Bouey
"They blew it, I've been shafted." That was John Turmel's reaction to
a Supreme Court of Canada decision yesterday that ruled Gerald Bouey,
governor of the Bank of Canada, wouldn't be charged with either
genocide or keeping a common gaming house. Mr. Turmel, a professional
gambler and politician, is a candidate in the Hamilton West provincial
by-election and had requested that the charges be laid. He maintains
that bank interest rates are responsible for thousands of children
starving to death around the world because interest rates force many
farmers out of business. Mr. Turmel who grew up in Hamilton but now
lives in Ottawa, represents the fledgling Christian Credit Party,
which opposes all bank interest and supports establishing no-fault
fire and auto insurance. He accuses the Conservatives, Liberals and
New Democrats of being controlled by the banks. "The other three
parties are brought lock, stock and barrel, he said. Mr. Turmel told
an all-candidates meeting last night that the court's decision doesn't
mean an end to his fight against interest rates. "It's either people
in the poor-house or bankers in the jail-house," he said. "If everyone
refused to pay the interest on their mortgages, the courts would
become so backlogged on their cases that the government would be
forced to intervene. "We're going to clog the courts," he said. He
said that if he was elected, he would personally take every mortgage
foreclosure in his riding to the Supreme Court. "If I get in, I'm
going to get the banks off your back," he said. "I represent
revolution." Mr. Turmel said government should be providing interest-
free credit. "Interest kills jobs," he said. "We should cut the banks
right off. There's no reason the government can't provide banking
services.
Hamilton Spectator
The three candidates, along with Christian Credit party candidate John
Turmel, were invited to speak by the Durand Neighbourhood Association
and fielded questions from the large audience for about an hour. "I
represent revolution," said Mr. Turmel, whose sole platform is the
abolition of interest rates. "If I get in I'll get the banks off your
back because, as a gambler, I love breaking banks."
820611Fr
Hamilton Spectator
Federal Liberals dragged in again
John Turmel also blamed the federal government but specifically
pointed the finger at interest rates, the abolition of which would
mend the difficult times. The theme has become commonplace as the four
tune up for the June 17 vote. Mr. Turmel answered all questions with
his no-interest philosophy, a response the audience, which consisted
of Spectator employees and other news media, did not accept.
820612Sa
Owen Sound Sun Times, John Wright
Interest protester Turmel wants to tie up the courts
Picture of me asking at a mike captioned: John Turmel seeking converts
John Turmel, 31, of Ottawa, the gambler-politician who wants everyone
to fight the right of banks to charge interest will speak at a public
meeting tonight at the Holiday Inn. Turmel will explain how, for $15,
anyone faced with a bank writ or foreclosure can at least gain himself
a right to be heard before three Supreme Court justices why his case
should not go before the highest court of the land. "It's a legal way
all of us can, by our legal right, jam up the courts with so many
protests over the high interest rates across the land," said Turmel
Friday. Turmel, who is trying to start a new party called the
Christian Credit party ran in the federal by-election two years ago in
Hamilton West and garnered 87 votes. He said he has signed his first
member in the Owen Sound area, a farmer. He made news this month when
he went before the Supreme Court seeking a judicial order asking that
Bank of Canada governor Gerald Bouey be charged with genocide or with
keeping a common gaming house. He charged that every time a farmer is
forced into bankruptcy because of high interest rates, food production
is slashed and starvation increases overseas. Turmel claims banks
should be allowed only a service charge on money borrowed and no
interest. He will speak at 9p.m. in the St. Vincent room.
820615Tu
Hamilton Spectator
Economic woes are battlefield for by-election
The NDP have counted on both provincial and federal government
disenchantment in search of favorable votes. The Independent is
counting on anything. The three party candidates are all rooky
candidates but not unfamiliar with political wars. They have spent
time in the back-room strategy sessions in other campaigns. John
Turmel has survived 10 other elections and there is no reason to
suggest he'll spoil his track record while campaigning for the total
elimination of interest rates. Mr. Turmel has limited his campaigning
to all-candidates meetings. His single theme is no-interest. He also
includes no-fault fire and auto insurance. A voluntary program, its
participants would provide funds to rebuild or repair a member's house
destroyed or damaged by fire. He carries no illusion into the election
and knows where he'll stand after the votes have been tallied. "I'm
not here to get elected. All I want to do is fix the system," he said.
820616We
Hamilton Spectator Editorial
Barometer in Hamilton West
Voters are faced with a choice of four low-profile candidates.
John Turmel has become almost a perennial and played his usual
belligerent role of gadfly, advocating the elimination of interest
rates.
820618Fr
Hamilton Spectator
Turmel down again but he's still not out
Wearing his white hard hat, defeated candidate John Turmel appeared at
New Democrat Dr. Richard Allen's victory celebration to present him
with a computer program. The diskette contains the establishing no-
fault fire and auto insurance, a government dividend, and the
abolition of interest, Mr. Turmel said. "We'll be sending him to
Parliament with the answers in his back pocket. He can put it on the
province's data base. Why should he refuse the answers, just because
they are high tech?" he said. Mr. Turmel gained 173 votes in his
eleventh unsuccessful attempt to run for office. But he has not given
up. Turmel said he will run again the upcoming federal by-election in
Broadview-Greenwood, Leeds-Grenville and Temiscaming. And the
Christian Credit party will also be presenting candidates "armed with
computer programs" in as many municipal elections as possible. The 31
year old engineer, casino owner and professional gambler from Ottawa
said he did not expect to win and is pleased that he received more
votes than his last election attempt in 1980 where he gained 77 votes
in Hamilton West by-election. He feels he gaining support from the
young people of the other three parties. But he added "They didn't put
me up there. I guess they are voting for poverty. Most people vote
with their eyeballs, not with their brains." Of the three parties, he
feels the NDP are closest in philosophy to the Christian Credit party.
"We were born out of the same depression." Mr. Turmel, a resident of
Hamilton from 1950 to 1963, spent $500 on his election campaign, on
food, gas, printing costs, he said.
Hamilton Journal West
John Turmel, whose party's platform is to abolish interest rates, also
made an appearance at Tory headquarters. Milling around in the crowd
sporting his engineer's hard hat, Mr. Turmel said Bob Rae must be
"kicking himself" for not running in Hamilton West. But, wherever Mr.
Rae decides to run, Mr. Turmel threatened he would be there on the
ballot. Asked what he thought of the winner, Dr. Allen, Mr. Turmel
smiled. "It'll be nice to have a historian at Queen's Park. He can
record the history of the depression as it goes" he said.
The media should also thank John Turmel for adding an extra splash of
colour to this campaign.
820621Mo
CP, Gerard MacNeil
Ottawa -- Raymond Turmel of the fledgling Christian Credit party of
Canada said today he will clog the courts with foreclosure cases
unless something is done about interest rates. Turmel, 29, an
unemployed, had just argued unsuccessfully in the Supreme Court of
Canada that it is a violation of natural law for the Bank of Nova
Scotia to charge him interest on a $900 promissory note. The Ottawa
resident said the Criminal Code's provisions against gambling are
paramount to the Interest Act's provisions allowing lenders to charge
borrowers interest rates. "You're way off base," Chief Justice Bora
Laskin told Turmel. "You may contract any rate of interest you agree
on." Turmel also argued that interest rates are causing the deaths of
thousands of infants because farmers are forced into bankruptcy by the
banks. "That's not relevant to this case," Laskin said. "46,000 deaths
isn't relevant?" Turmel asked.
Laskin and two other justices, Willard Estey and Antonnio Lamer, who
heard the Turmel motion urged him to raise his point of law if he had
one. Turmel said the new charter of rights and freedoms gives
supremacy to "the law of God" then began quoting Biblical passages
relevant to interest rates. "Well, I figured that one of these days,
it (the charter) would come up this way" Laskin said wearily. A smile
crossed the faces of the black-robed lawyers waiting their turn with
other motions. The hearing lasted about 15 minutes before Laskin
dismissed the motion. But outside the court, Turmel said the Supreme
Court would soon be inundated with such cases. "There are 200,000
foreclosures a year in Canada and County Court judges rubber-stamp
them," he said. "We have prepared a "how-to-stiff-the-banks kit" that
will allow anyone to bring their case to the Supreme Court of Canada.
It only costs $45 to go from County Court to the provincial appeal
court to the Supreme Court of Canada. When the Supreme Court has to
foreclose on every case in the country, maybe things will change.
Turmel's brother, John, who was in the Supreme Court a few weeks ago
with a similar case against interest rates, said the Christian Credit
Party kit was used last week by Owen Sound beef farmer to stave off
foreclosure. Other farmers in Owen Sound also intended to use it, John
said. "No more farmers are going broke," Turmel added. "They're all
coming here. We'll represent them. My life's ambition is to shut down
the courts. They are the enforcers of the Interest Act."
Turmel will run in Leeds-Grenville under the Christian Credit banner
in a federal by-election that has yet to be called.
820702Fr
Winnipeg Sun
Maureen Scurfield
Politician pickets against interest rates
The founder of the fledgling Christian Credit party blew into town
Wednesday for a two-hour picket against interest rates. Parading in
front of the Portage Avenue branch of the Bank of Canada, John Turmel,
politician and self-described professional gambler, carried signs
bearing Bible quotations on the evil of charging interest. "The Bible
says `Let the exacting of interest stop'" read the sign bobbing above
Turmel's head. The 31 year-old politician said he took the quotation
from the story of Jesus throwing bankers out of the temple. Joining
him on the picket line were the other founding members of the group,
his mother and his brother. Ray Turmel's sign which has now paraded in
every major city west of Quebec calls Bank of Canada Governor Gerald
Bouey "a crook" and "king of white-collar crime." "I've run into Bouey
two or three times in Ottawa and we've discussed my sign," said Ray.
"I told him to sue me, but he hasn't got the nerve. The last place he
wants to see me is in a courtroom."
John Turmel recently had his case against Bouey thrown out of Supreme
Court. He was seeking a judicial order to have Ontario's Attorney
General law a genocide charge against Bouey on the grounds the Bank of
Canada's interest rates were killing people. But on to more pressing
matters. "We're going to Regina to torpedo the ship," said Ray of
their pilgrimage to the Social Credit convention beginning July 3.
"We're going to sign'em up to the Christian Credit party," he said
triumphantly. The main target for membership will be old-times who
still believe in prohibition of interest," he said. Newer Social
Credit members have "gotten off the track -- they're in favour of six
percent interest now," said the unemployed taxi dispatcher. The Ottawa
based Turmels say they have devoted their working lives to the party.
All three plan to run in Ontario by-elections within the next year.
Ray Turmel says they raise money for the party by selling bumper
stickers which call for an end to interest rates.
820702Sa
Regina Leader Post
Christian Credit Party leader looking for new recruits
The business part of the Social Credit Party of Canada's leadership
convention wasn't slated to start until Saturday morning, but Friday
night, Joe (!) Turmel was already waiting to recruit disenchanted
Socreds to his fledgling Christian Credit party. Turmel, 31, is the
man who recently lost the bid in the Supreme Court of Canada asking
that Bank of Canada Governor Gerald Bouey be charged with genocide or
keeping a common gaming house because of "killer interest rates." A
panel of three judges threw the request out of court and refused to
hear arguments from the professional gambler and politician who
contends that every farm foreclosure caused by high interest rates
increases starvation in the world. The Christian Credit party was
formed after the Social Credit party refused to renew the memberships
of Turmel and his brother Raymond. He touts the new party as a "high-
tech" version of Social Credit and is in Regina complete with the
white hard hat that has become his trademark hoping to recruit people
who disagree with Socred policy set at this weekend's convention. "We
came here to purely for the chance to offer old-time Socreds, who
ought to be in favor a no-interest party, the chance to join one," he
said in an interview. The main planks of Turmel's party are an
abolition of interest rates and the establishment of no-fault fire and
car insurance. Turmel who, earlier Friday, was picketing the Regina
branch of the Bank of Canada, said abolishing interest rates is an
"overnight solution" to the country's economic problems that can be
achieved simply by reprogramming the central bank's computer. And for
those who don't believe him? "I don't care," he said. "I'm telling the
truth."
820724Sa
Globe & Mail
Court section
John Turmel v Bob Rae
Motion by the defendant for orders striking out the statement of claim
for 1,2,3,4, reasons. J. Sack, QC for the applicant and John C. Turmel
appearing on his own behalf. For reasons endorsed on the back of the
Record, action is dismissed with costs payable on a solicitor client
basis.
Toronto Star
Rae wins dismissal of slander
Ontario NDP leader Bob Rae has won dismissal of a slander action filed
against him by professional gambler John Turmel of Ottawa. The suit,
started earlier this year, has been dismissed by Mr. Justice Joseph
O'Brien in the Ontario Supreme Court as having no valid grounds
warranting going to trial. The judge ordered Turmel to pay Rae's legal
costs. Turmel, who received 98 votes in the federal Spadina by-
election last August, had claimed Rae slandered his "scientific
integrity" outside the Ontario Legislature last March while addressing
a farmers' protest.
820821Sa
Ottawa Citizen
Jane Taber
Memories all family has left
of a better life sit on the front lawn of the Devecseri home. William
and Susan Devecseri must leave their home of 19 years. The bank has
foreclosed on their mortgage. Outside his Breezehill Ave. home, beside
the old taxi meter that rang up fares when Devecseri, 52, was an
Ottawa cabbie, beside the paintings, tires, tools, are signs. Printed
in black magic marker, they complained the foreclosure by the Bank of
Montreal is "non human." Devecseri's problems began in earnest in
November when he realized he couldn't pay the $30,000 he had borrowed
in time. But the root of the problem goes back to 1978. Four years
ago, the Quebec government expropriated the section of the land he
owned near Portage-du-Fort, near Shawville. A year before, Devecseri
had built a restaurant. The expropriation, needed to by-pass the town
of Portage-du-Fort, meant demolishing the restaurant. Devecseri built
another restaurant, taking a second mortgage on his 3 bedroom home and
borrowing more money. He thought the settlement for the expropriation
would pay his debts. It didn't work that way. ???? the Quebec
government has offered about $7,000 for the small tract of land.
Estimates by local construction firms put the cost close to $300,000.
He is still haggling with the Quebec government. He told this to bank
officials but they are tired of explanations. "I'm completely cleaned
out financially," he said. "I don't even have a house anymore and we
can't get an apartment because we don't have a good credit rating."
Jack Bowman, manager of the Rideau St. Bank of Montreal says he feels
sorry for the family but his hands are tied. "In this day and age,
these are the kinds of things that happen. He is not a successful
businessman and he lost out. He owes us the money." Bowman said
Devecseri has lived in the house since January without making any of
the $200 monthly payments. "The unfortunate part is that he waited
until the last hour to do something about it and we tried out best and
did everything we could to get him into the bank to talk to us but he
just wouldn't." Devecseri says he won't leave until his money comes
from the Quebec government. Quebec transportation official Rene
Lacroix says "Devecseri was offered money for the property but he
rejected it."
820827Fr
Ottawa Citizen
Jane Taber
Constitution cited in mortgage case
Arguing that foreclosing on his mortgage violates his rights under the
constitution, an Ottawa man has filed notice to appeal the action.
William Devecseri was told he would have to leave his Breezehill home
by Aug. 19 when the Bank of Montreal was granted possession by the
courts after he couldn't pay a $30,000 loan due last January. He will
remain in his home while the Supreme Court of Ontario considers his
appeal request. The motion argues the foreclosure violates the right
to life as guaranteed in the Charter and the charter's guarantee that
an individual has the right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual
punishment. The Bank of Montreal's lawyer, Stanley Kershman, refused
comment. Bank of Montreal manager Jack Bowman also refused comment.
820901We
Ottawa Citizen Letter
John Turmel
Source of loans
I must question Mr. Richard Gwyn's belief, stated in his Aug. 3
column, that the banks are "lending people other people's money."
Graham Towers, former governor of the Bank of Canada, testified before
the Commons committee on banking and commerce, in 1939, that "the
banks, of course, cannot loan the money of their depositors: (p456).
"Each and every time a bank makes a loan, new bank credit is created -
- new deposits -- brand new money" (p113 and 238). Credit unions lend
people other people's money. Chartered banks do not. The funds they
take in are never actually lent out. Since they do not lend out our
money, as do the credit unions, but always lend out new money, they
had better not dare declare failure or they will have to explain where
those savings they never lent out went.
820907Tu
Toronto Star
Desmond Bill
Immorality of interest led man to police station
Star `"IMMORALITY" OF INTEREST LED MAN TO POLICE STATION' Desmond Bill
Picture of Feeny with my sign saying "Bankers starve third world
babies" and me under his arrest, with my arms crossed looking
extremely sedate and looking at Feeny like he's an idiot who doesn't
know what he's in for, captioned "No Entry:
Metro police made sure John Turmel, above, didn't his protest against
bankers and interest rates into the meeting rooms of the Sheraton
Centre, where World Bank president Tom Clausen was speaking about the
plight of poor nations.
Metro police hauled away a man who stood outside the Sheraton Centre
protesting against bankers. John Turmel, 31, founder of the 75 member
Christian Credit party of Canada, was taken to No. 52 division police
station and allowed to go free a couple of hours later. He was warned
that he would be arrested for breach of the peace if he went back to
the site of the International Monetary Fund / World Bank meetings and
displayed his signs again. "If you go back there, you'll be back
here," one policeman told him in the station.
SUPREME COURT CASE
Turmel, who is trying to start a Canada-wide Ottawa-based protest
against evictions, claims that charging interest is not only immoral
but illegal under Canadian laws. Turmel, who says he "wants to use the
system to screw the system," has already taken his case to the Supreme
Court of Canada where the judges brushed off his claim. But that
doesn't deter him. "It cost me $15 to go all the way to the Supreme
Court," he explained. If every single person being evicted took their
case all the way to the highest court in the land, we could clog up
the whole system. "You'd probably die of old age before the banks
could foreclose on you." Turmel says his method is not being used by
William Devecseri, a 52 year-old Ottawa man, after a bank foreclosed
on his home mortgage, and obtained a court order to evict him.
Devecseri has filed notice to appeal the action and meanwhile
continues to live in the house.
Turmel is a follower of what he calls "pure Social Credit" theories of
Major C.H. Douglas, the economic theoretician behind the Social Credit
movement that swept Alberta in the mid 1930s and led to the first
Social Credit government in the world. It held power in Alberta for 30
years.
UNSUCCESSFUL CHARGE
Turmel once tried to charge Gerald Bouey, Governor of the Bank of
Canada with keeping a common gaming house, arguing the bank is
gambling customers will be able to repay their loans. To buttress his
case, he cited the meaning of the French words from which we derive
the word mortgage: mort is the French word for death and gage is a
form of the French verb to wager. He said mortgage is aptly named as a
deathgamble "for its requirement that the participants ... repay both
the principal and the usury when the banks only created the loan out
of the principal." When a Justice of the Peace refused to lay the
charge against Bouey, Turmel appealed to the courts for an order that
Justice of the Peace lay the charge but was repeatedly turned down. He
now offers free kits telling others "how to stiff the banks." Copies
may be obtained by calling him in Ottawa.
Globe & Mail
Yves Lavigne
Interest rate protester is taken away by police
Picture of Ray with the "Bankers are crooks" sign captioned "Police
check out Raymond Turmel holding a picket sign outside the Toronto
hotel where IMF is meeting. His brother, John, was turned away. Story
on Page 5. Also shows an officer rolling his eyes when he found out
Ray was not me.
An Ottawa man who tried to attract the interest of international
bankers outside Toronto's Sheraton Centre yesterday with a sign and
literature criticizing interest rates was held for about an hour by
police. John Turmel, 31, was not charged but was taken from the hotel
by a Metro police officer who said he was under arrest, Mr. Turmel's
brother, Raymond, said in an interview. Mr. Turmel was warned not to
return to the hotel under threat of being charged with an offence to
be determined by the arresting officer, a police officer outside the
hotel said. The police officer said Mr. Turmel was singled out from
about a dozen protesters because he was stopping people who would not
listen to him. He said protesters are allowed on the sidewalk outside
the hotel, where the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank
are holding their annual meetings, as long as they do not bother
people. Mr. Turmel is running as an Independent candidate in the three
federal by-elections this fall. He is also campaigning to become mayor
of Gloucester, near Ottawa. Mr. Turmel is promising to abolish
interest rates if elected.
820921Tu
Ottawa Citizen
Jack Walker
Merrickville -- Economic concerns and the antics of the Turmel
brothers dominated the first meeting in Leeds-Grenville. The meeting
represented the first occasion for the four serious candidates to
square off in public but the affair was marred by the unexpected
arrival of Ray Turmel whose $200 deposit and 25 signatures allowed him
to formally enter the race. Between his antics and the occasional
interruptions from his brother John, the audience managed a few
questions. Aside from the interlopers, the only other stir was from
Neil Reynolds ....
Recorder and Times
Lino Robazza
Fringe candidate turns meeting into a shambles
It was probably the strangest all-candidates' meeting yet held. It
degenerated into a near-shambles with the appearance of the Turmel
brothers. Raymond unveiled a platform based on the jailing of all
bankers, a zero interest rate and a zero premium fire and auto
insurance plan by computer program. Since all candidates could answer,
Turmel was able to vent his views repeatedly bring the proceedings to
a grinding halt. The people present could only laugh, shake their
heads in amazement, or retire to the coffee machine, as Turmel, with
guidance from his brother, blamed the world's woes, including the
starvation deaths of 17 million children, on bankers. "What I want to
do is help you stiff your bankers." But the weirdness was not over
yet. The meeting concluded on a bizarre note as John Turmel, who once
tried to take the Bank of Canada Governor Gerald Bouey to court,
questioned the candidates. Asked why he was no in the running, Turmel
replied "I can't. I'm in Toronto -- Broadview-Greenwood." "I wish your
brother was in Temiscaming" quipped Anderson. Later, the four main
line candidates said they would attend future meetings but hoped for a
change in the format.
820922We
Smith's Falls Record News
Barry Raison
Merrickville all-candidates full of surprises
SURPRISES' Barry Raison
Ottawa's Turmel brothers, John and Ray, were eager to get involved in
rural politics. Ray told the crowd in rapid-fire delivery, "is to
teach you people how to fight the banks."
I'm here for one reason; I want to teach you people how to fight
banks. These guys are in favor of bigger and better banks. Nobody gets
ahead when the bankers are in charge. I'd like to see the bankers in
jail. You can see by my sign I think they're crooks.
My long-term strategy is that nobody pays the bank. If we do it my
way, every single foreclosure has to go through the SCC to be
finalized. They (other candidates) never talk about banks. They never
talk about what they're doing to you. Seventeen million kids on the
planet die of starvation because of interest rates. I'm saying that to
put the farmers out of work while people are starving to death is a
crime. I want to ability interest rates, not lower them, abolish them.
If you abolish the interest rates completely, then everyone can go
back too work.
Prescott Journal
Jail all bankers says newest candidate
It figures that if five people borrow ten units each, but they all
have to repay 12, someone is going to get knocked out of the game.
The Turmels are trying to start a nation-wide protest against bank-
ordered evictions and repossessions. Mr. Turmel claims he can help
keep anyone in their home, legally, once the banks have foreclosed.
Mr. Turmel who managed to apply his anti-interest rate, anti-banks
platform to every question. When the banks raise interest rates,
employers have to find someone to fire. If interest rates were
abolished, the employers would be able to hire more people.
Kemptville Advance
Marlon Buttars
Economic distress is a main by-election concern
While Christian Credit party member Ray Turmel and his brother John
kept the crowd both amused and perturbed... Serious concern for the
economic welfare of Canadians alternately took centre stage with the
comic diversions of the Brothers Turmel..
The sobriety of the occasion was constantly interrupted with the
theatrics of late-comer Ray Turmel. Questioning tactics from brother
John almost broke the composure of other candidates and the patience
of the audience near the event's end.
820924Fr
Brockville Recorder Times
Brockville Recorder Times with a big picture of the candidates with
Ray holding up the "Bankers Starve Third World Babies" sign.
Kingston Whig Standard
Picture of clapping people captioned "Members of the audience enjoy
antics of Christian Credit party candidate Ray Turmel.
Ray Turmel and his brother John, who disrupted a meeting earlier this
week in Merrickville with constant interruptions, were well behaved
and provided some levity. Ray found some way to blame the banks for
everything from the recession to mandatory metric to poor postal
service. He even had the audience responding good-naturedly to his
antics. Regarding unemployment, Turmel asked "Who's destroying all the
jobs?" and several members of the audience piped up "The banks!"
Brockville Recorder and Times
Editorial
Ray Turmel, standing on shaky independent planking, the complete
unknown, is best forgotten. If anything, he will inhibit the healthy
flow of opinion we hope to hear from the established candidates.
820929We
Toronto Star
Joe O'Donnell
The only light touch to the evening was provided by independent
candidate John Turmel, who said he was establishing the Christian
Credit party, which stands for the "total abolition of credit."
Gananoque Reporter
Ray Turmel, the most outspoken of the five, brought occasional
outbursts of laughter from the 175 people in attendance as bankers,
lawyers and judges of the Supreme Court of Canada were painted with a
black brush. "Lawyers are bankers' paid muscle. The mafia gave better
rates than the Royal.
Prescott Journal
Editorial
Ray Turmel says the programs of the other parties are not "computer
ready." The Christian Crediters already have their formula for
economic recovery enshrined on a computer disc, ready for insertion in
the country's nerve center. Push a button and -- voila! Bank loans for
only the cost of a service charge and no-fault, no-premium insurance
protection. We wonder if the other candidates in the race are now
gnashing their teeth, wishing they had such a high-tech solution. No?
Oh well.
820930Th
Toronto Sun
John Paton
Independent candidate John Turmel, who advocates abolishing interest
rates, received the loudest applause for blasting the Liberal
government's job creation track record. Turmel told the crowd Ottawa
had destroyed 500,000 jobs last year instead of creating them.
821005Tu
Kingston Whig Standard Letter
Wonderful world of computers
In your Friday Sept. 24, 1982 editorial, you stated that "a complete
unknown, Ray Turmel, standing on shaky independent planking ... is
best forgotten. If anything, he will inhibit the healthy flow of
opinion we hope to hear from the established candidates." I happen to
be running for the as yet unregistered Christian Credit party of
Canada which holds that credit can only be Christian when there is no
interest charged. The Bible is explicit: "Let the exacting of interest
on money stop." Nehemiah 5:10. Therefore, our major plank is the
abolition of interest rates by restricting the banks' computers, which
now charge both interest and service charges, with only the service
charge.
Computers can be programmed to do many wonderful things and the most
wonderful thing that the computers can be programmed to do is to
provide us with interest-free money. Yes! Interest-free money. Lincoln
did it with paper, we can do it with computers. Most people are too
timid to dream about interest free credit. They've been told by the
bankers and their agents that it is not possible. Interest-free money
has sure been difficult to accomplish using a paper medium of exchange
but is trivial to re-accomplish using an electronic medium of
exchange. Not only can they dream of electronic interest-free money,
they can vote for electronic interest-free money at the October 12
federal by-election. Our platform is contained in a computer software
package (diskette) ready to be put on any city, province or nation's
computer system. This has only been possible due to the recent
breakthroughs in computer engineering, therefore, I bet that my
platform is not standing on shaky planking but is standing on the very
best foundation the wonderful world of computer engineering can
provide. With the advent of banking by Telidon from our homes, all
bank branches will necessarily end up closed from lack of use. As to
my possibly inhibiting the healthy flow of opinion you hope to hear
from the established candidates, considering the opinions of the
established parties got us into this depression, your desire to hear
only the strategies of the proven losers is the major inhibitor of the
discussion of radical new solutions and a bit unfair. As Leeds-
Grenville's first Christian Credit candidate, I am, Ray Turmel.
Kingston Whig Standard
Fifth candidate Ray Turmel wants to fire Bora Laskin. He argued that
when banks foreclose on farms in Canada, people overseas starve for
lack of food. "That's s strictly because of interest rates."
Brockville Recorder and Times
Doug Coward
All-candidates meeting turns into `Ray Turmel' show
Spencerville -- When Anderson reminded the meeting that he will attend
the other all-candidates meetings and that he believes in the forum as
a necessary part of the democratic process, Turmel jumped in again
saying "Get me on CJOH, Chuck." The Ottawa television station will
have the four main candidates debating the issues on its news show
today but Turmel won't be involved. He told the audience he will set
up a picket line in front of the CJOH and warned the other candidates
about crossing the line. For all his theatrics, Turmel was challenged
by one member of the audience but another person asserted that "He's
the only one that makes any sense."
821006We
Kemptville Advance
Ray Turmel's theatrical antics have been a source of humour and
aggravation for his fellow candidates. Mildred Smith said Mr. Turmel
has "almost made a mockery of what we are trying to do." Turmel has
branded Smith a "scab" because she, along with Anderson, Reynolds and
Cossitt, crossed a picket line imposed by Ray Turmel outside the CJOH-
TV broadcasting studio. The four were featured in the nightly news but
Mr. Turmel was not allowed in with the group and was instead pre-taped
in a five minute interview. Last week, CKWS-TV in Kingston at first
barred Turmel but later relented.
Prescott Journal
Editorial
The campaign tactics of Ray Turmel have been somewhat of a surprise
but not as surprising as the counter-attack launched by editorial
writers at some area newspapers. The Brockville Recorder claimed the
candidacy of Turmel "will inhibit the healthy flow of opinion we hope
to hear from the established candidates." With out mouths still agape
after that slap in the face for those of us who value freedom of
speech, the Smith's Falls Record News landed a kidney punch by
suggesting that spoil sports like Mr. Turmel were good reason to raise
the price one must pay to become a candidate. We were floored. If, as
the Recorder says, the "shaky" platform of Mr. Turmel will obscure the
policies of the established parties, then the policies of the
established parties must be something less than shining beacons. We
feel it's undemocratic to use money to winnow out all but the
"serious" candidates -- and good reason for serious poor people to
feel slighted.
Gananoque Reporter
"Christ was the first bank fighter." Christ was opposed to usury and
interest and therefore, his teachings are in direct correlation with
the party's main plank -- the abolition of interest.
821007Th
Toronto Sun
John Turmel, a banking systems engineer wants to abolish interest
rates and charge only service fees for loans by using computer
programming.
821008Fr
Kingston Whig Standard
I say "Bora, you're wrong. You're uneducated. You're an old man.
You're fired if I get in. Judges are nothing but referees. And they
are bum referees, so we have to get rid of them."
Re legal foreclosures, "The legal system is funny. All you have to do
is throw a piece of paper and it grinds to a halt."
"Who the hell do the bankers think they are? They think of themselves
as God, as the masters of society. Well, I want to remove their power
base -- their interest device. The bankers have the final say on
everything. You want to et into a business venture, you have to kneel
in front of a banker.
821010Su
Brockville Recorder
"Your choice is people in the poor house or banks in the jail house."
Turmel has dominated all four meetings with his ceaseless energy. He
is arguably the fastest-talking candidate ever to run in Leeds-
Grenville. Listeners end up with a relentless diatribe against banks.
He has been arrested for breach of the peace violations but has never
been charged. Turmel says he will purposely cross the street to
demonstrate before a prominent figure, and then police will approach
him and ask him to leave. "I know my rights and sometimes, the police
officer ends up arresting me."
821101Mo
Ottawa Citizen Front page
Michael Prentiss
Ottawa mayoral candidate arrested for disrupting CBC election debate
Big picture of Marc being taken away by the police captioned "Darrel
Kent remains impassive as police arrest Marc Gauvin during CBC debate"
A candidate for mayor of Ottawa was arrested during a chaotic taped
election debate staged for television by the CBC Sunday. Marc Gauvin,
25 year-old classical guitarist, was whisked away by the Ottawa police
at the request of CBC officials after he refused to leave the stage
where the debate was being held. Gauvin was protesting a decision by
the CBC only to invite the two front-running candidates to participate
in the debate, taped for showing on CBOT at 6:30 tonight. The other
two mayoral candidates excluded from the debate, chartered accountant
Joseph McCarthy and mathematician Arnold Guetta, also protested the
"outrageous unfairness" of the CBC's decision to invite only Dewar and
Kent. After the two person debate, moderator Sue Lumsden invited the
other two candidates to join in a question-and-answer session, also to
be shown as part of tonight's show. "Is Mr. Gauvin joining us?" she
asked. "He's in jail" shouted one of Gauvin's supporters. Gauvin was
taken by police car to Ottawa police headquarters and charged with
causing a disturbance. He was later released, but by then, the taping
was over.
Just before the taping began, Gauvin pulled up a chair on the stage.
McCarthy and Guetta were in the audience, where they stayed throughout
the rumpus. CBC security guards asked Gauvin to leave. "You were told
what your role would be" Dan Turner, one of the interviewers said.
When Gauvin still refused to leave, police were called and the two
officers led him away. As the d debate began, Gauvin was huddled with
the two officers at the back of the hall. "Are you arresting me? If
you're not going to charge me, I'm going to go back," he told them. He
went back on stage, sat between Dewar and Kent and waved to the
camera. Ken Johnson, producer of the program, interrupted the taping.
"I don't think we can have a serious debate of the issues with this
kind of circus." CBC officials asked police to arrest mayoral
candidate Marc Gauvin after he attempted to crash a debate Sunday
between Mayor Marion Dewar and her main challenger Darrel Kent. Gauvin
was taken away with the evident approval of the audience of about 150,
most of whom seemed to be Dewar or Kent supporters.
When it was their turn to join Dewar and Kent on the stage at Christ
Church Cathedral meeting hall on Queen St., the other two candidates
denounced the CBC. Joseph McCarthy said he had been "gagged" by the
publicly owned network. Arnold Guetta said the CBC had acted
outrageously and that it was also outrageous that Gauvin couldn't even
take part in the question-and-answer session because he was under
arrest. "I don't think any of us feels very good about what happened,"
said Dewar to a questioner who said he felt "terrified at the lack of
free speech and intolerance of dissent." But Dewar said she understood
that all candidates had agreed to the format as decided on by the CBC.
Kent seemed to sympathize with Gauvin's claim that he had a right to
participate in the debate. When the taping finally got underway, he
said that on a publicly owned television network, "we must stand for
all points of view being represented." Both Kent and Dewar had been
sitting quietly on stage and appeared to say nothing when Gauvin was
arrested. Kent later seemed to agree with a questioner who asked
whether it would be reasonable to walk out of a debate from which one
or more candidates was excluded." Johnson said the C0C has a long-
standing record of giving different coverage to main candidates and
those that he said some refer to as fringe candidates. "We believe in
equitable and fair treatment, but equitable does not mean equal."
Ottawa Citizen
The greatest reaction from the Orleans Recreation Complex crowd was
saved for Ray and John Turmel, the brother team of bank-fighters. Ray,
who's running for mayor, called mortgages a "death gamble" and pushed
a "Stiff the bank" book, which he said shows how to delay mortgage
foreclosure all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Ottawa Citizen
John Turmel election profile
Bank fighter and election veteran John Turmel, 31, is running in both
the Gloucester aldermanic election and a provincial by-election in
York South. He is preaching the same anti-interest rate message for
which he is well known across the region. Under the banner of the
Christian Credit Party of Canada, Turmel has been promoting the
abolition of interest rates, no-premium fire and auto insurance and
government dividends. he and his brother Ray, a mayoralty candidate,
have provided comedy and chaos throughout the campaign, but have
failed to address any local issues. Turmel, an engineer, has been
involved in numerous political races, including the Ottawa mayoralty
campaign in 1980.
Ottawa Citizen
Ray Turmel election profile
Ray Turmel, the younger half of the bank-bashing brother team, is
running under the banner of the Christian Credit party of Canada. The
party believes in the abolition of interest rates, no-premium fire and
auto insurance and government dividends. Although he does not address
any of the strictly local issues, Turmel, 30, says the measures in the
party platform provide the answers to all the city's problems. He said
the city should print its own dollar bond currency, which would be
used to pay for municipal services. The interest-free bonds could then
be used by businesses in the city to pay their taxes. Turmel suggests
Gloucester enter the computer age to adopt the no-premium insurance
plan. Losses would be evenly shared by those participating in the
plan, Turmel says, but only after the loss has been proven. Turmel has
provided many of the lighter moments of the campaign by promoting a
guide to avoiding mortgage foreclosure entitled "Stiff the Bank."
Ottawa Citizen
Marc Gauvin election profile
An election without gambler John Turmel's demand for the abolition of
interest charges has become a thing of fading memory in Ottawa-
Carleton. Classical guitar player Marc Gauvin is carrying the Turmel
colors in this year's Ottawa mayoralty election, insisting only an
assault on the country's monetary system can abort the descent into
depression. Shortages of housing and social services, and of money for
public works such as roads and arts centers, could all be solved by
printing up city of Ottawa bonds to pay for them, the Patterson St.
resident says. Depression is being caused by the banking system's
insistence on extracting from the economic system more than it lends
it, he argues. If the cost of money could be cut to its face value as
a medium of barter, the cost of city services could be drastically
reduced. Like the Turmel brothers Ray and John, Gauvin platform
performance is spiked by a strong shot of show business. Gauvin argues
the interest rate system worked only while there was new territory too
expand to. Once it is abolished, the government can make sure enough
money in the system too pay for needed goods and services. Gauvin's
election campaign, like all Turmel campaigns, is being run on a
shoestring with reliance on public meetings and the media to put the
word out.
821102Tu
Ottawa Citizen
CP
Supreme Court reserves decision in Turmel case
John Turmel's campaign against interest rates got a boost Monday as
the Supreme Court of Canada reserved decision on his motion for a full
hearing of his case against Bank of Canada governor Gerald Bouey.
Turmel has made numerous efforts in the last two years to challenge
the central bank's interest-rate policy, and in virtually every case,
judges have dismissed his arguments as frivolous. But the 31 year-old
self-styled "engineer" of the Christian Credit Party, arguing his own
case before a panel of three justices, may have scored points Monday
with a constitutional argument. He claimed that interest rates violate
the right to life guaranteed him by the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. Turmel maintains that every time someone forecloses on a
farmer, infants die as a result. Most motions to go before the Supreme
Court are rejected after a brief hearing. The justices grant leave on
a handful of the 30 or so applications as an indication of the court's
interest in an argument. "We've finally got to first base," chortled a
Christian Credit supporter after Justices Jean Beetz, Julien Chouinard
and Antonio Lamer reserved decision after a 20 minute hearing. Their
decision on whether to hear the case will be announced later this
month. Turmel, aside from his interpretation of the Charter of Rights,
argued that laws allowing banks and other lenders to charge interest
violate Criminal Code provisions against genocide and gambling. He has
been assaulting interest rates on a number of legal fronts. For those
facing foreclosure, he has a court action kit he says can stave off
eviction for a year at a cost of about $45 to the user. "Get an extra
year rent free," he said of the scheme. Successful users so far
include Bela Devecseri, a Montreal homeowner who faced eviction in
September, and George Bothwell of Owen Sound, Ont., whose beef farm
was about to be taken over by the bank that held the mortgage, he
said.
Globe & Mail: COURT BOOSTS INTEREST CASE
Journal de Montreal: TURMEL IN A GOOD MOOD
Vancouver Province: BOUEY FOE REACHES FIRST BASE IN COURT
Charlottetown Guardian: GETS BOOST (small)
Edmonton Journal: INTEREST ARGUMENT INTERESTS JUDGES
Le Devoir: UN VIOL DE BANQUE (small)
Le Droit: THE TURMEL REQUEST RESERVED IN THE SUPREME COURT
Vancouver Sun: BOUEY FOE REACHES FIRST BASE IN COURT'
Ottawa Citizen
Jennifer Jackson
(Morn) Candidate again pledges to disrupt debate
(Final) Mayor candidate pledges to picket debate
Mayoral candidate Marc Gauvin vowed at a candidates' meeting Monday to
disrupt tonight's CJOH mayoral debate if he isn't allowed to
participate. "I'll be picketing there," he told about 50 people at a
city-sponsored meeting for mayoral candidates. "I want equal and
equitable time." Two other longshots for Ottawa mayor, mathematician
Arnold guetta and chartered accountant Joseph McCarthy, said they will
also try to join the debate which, so far, includes only Mayor Marion
Dewar and her main opponent, Ald. Darrel Kent.
On Sunday, Gauvin was arrested and charged with creating a disturbance
when he refused to leave the stage at a downtown meeting hall, where
he protested the station's decision to include only Dewar and Kent in
the debate. "I'm the latest political prisoner," he told the crowd
Monday. "I wonder what the CBC is afraid of. If defending your rights
is causing a disturbance, Canada is not the democratic country it
thinks it is."
Al MacKay, CJOH news editor, said the debate section of CJOH's program
will be aired live at 6:50 p.m. and will include only Dewar and Kent
in a segment about 14 minutes long. Guetta, McCarthy and Gauvin will
be given about one minute each in pre-recorded profiles to be aired
after the debate. MacKay defended the decision, saying the debate is a
news program, not a free political announcement. "It's a judgment
call," he said. Since some fringe candidates have a past history of
disrupting meetings and gather less than 5% of the vote, the station
decided the public would be better served if the program concentrated
on the candidates with the most realistic chance of winning, he said.
Dewar said at Monday's meeting she's made a commitment to appear on
the show and plans to go. Kent said he didn't like the idea of a
publicly-funded corporation like CBC cutting certain candidates but
pointed out "CTV is not a publicly-owned network."
Le Droit
France Simard
Marc Gauvin will picket CJOH
Excluded from another broadcast
Ottawa -- Yesterday, candidate Marc Gauvin asked his opponents Marion
Dewar and Darrel Kent to respect the picket line he will man today in
front of the CJOH television station to protest their treatment of
him. He hopes to thus demonstrate his displeasure at the station's
decision not to invite him to participate in a municipal election
broadcast. Candidates Arnold Guetta and Joseph McCarthy were also
excluded by the station.
Gauvin has already shown, on Sunday, his opposition to this kind of
decision when he joined Dewar and Kent on the stage of a debate
organized by CBC to which had not been invited. He has to appear in
court on a charge of loitering in a public place.
Wanting an equitable share of the CJOH broadcast time, he did not
convince mayor Marion Dewar or Darrel Kent to refuse to participate.
Both indicated they would attend the taping today.
Nevertheless, Kent condemned CBC stating it should have allocated time
to all candidates because it is funded by the public purse. "All
debates organized with public money should offer equal treatment to
all candidates," he said. He noted that all city-sponsored debates
gave all candidates, no matter how stupid their ideas, a chance to
express themselves."
"It's a violation of democratic principles," he continued. It's not
the CBC who should decide which candidate is serious but up to you."
But as to private networks like CJOH, Ken said they have the right to
invite the candidate of their choice. "CJOH is a private concern and
can do what it wants with its money."
Deploring that too many citizens rely on the media, he indicated that
if elected, he'd try to change the electoral procedure.
821103We
Ottawa Citizen
Dave Mullington
Candidate pickets outside studio while debate airs
As mayoral hopeful Marc Gauvin waited outside in the dark, damp chill
of early evening, the two leading candidates in the Ottawa mayoral
race, incumbent Marion Dewar and challenger Darrel Kent, debate each
other in the warmth of a CJOH television studio Tuesday. Gauvin who
pleaded not guilty today in Provincial Court to a loitering charge
following an incident on a CBC mayoral debate Sunday, was accompanied
in his latest protest by supporters John and Ray Turmel. The two
remaining mayoral candidates weren't present and, like Gauvin, had not
been invited to appear. Dewar and Kent shared two seven minutes
segments in a debate moderated by CJOH's Brooke McNabb, and this was
followed by pre-recorded profiles of the three remaining candidates
lasting about a minute each. Gauvin said the two-man debate was
undemocratic because he and the other two candidates weren't invited.
MacKay said the station was giving "equitable" if not "equal" time to
all candidates. MacKay said that in past Ottawa elections, "fringe
candidates" obtained only about 5% of the vote. "This is not a free
time political broadcast," he said of the debate. He said the station
wanted to inform the voting public "in a calm orderly fashion." Gauvin
was arrested Sunday when he refused to leave the stage because only
Dewar and Kent were included in a CBOT televised debate. He will stand
trial Feb. 15. Later Tuesday evening all five candidates shared the
stage at an all-candidates meeting sponsored by The Ottawa Women's
Lobby.
Gauvin said the solution to women's problems was simply the same as to
most problems: kill interest rates.
Toronto Star
Mayoral candidate protests TV coverage
Ottawa -- A fringe candidate in the Ottawa mayoral race is protesting
the lack of air-time he's been awarded by two English language
television stations. Marc Gauvin says debates aired by CBC and CTV
outlets were rigged to prevent him from speaking to the people. "The
major issue is democracy and democracy has been violated." But
spokesmen for both television stations say the amount of air-time
given minor candidates reflects their impact on the voters. "I am
quite frankly upset at charges that I am manipulating the democratic
process. As in any news story, the amount of time is based on a
judgment call," said Al MacKay, managing director of CJOH-TV. The
first debate was taped last Sunday at CBOT-TV. Producer Ken Johnson
said the format allotted half an hour to the two main candidates,
incumbent Marion Dewar and alderman Darrel Kent, and half an hour to a
five-candidate debate. In protest, Gauvin staged a one-man sit-in
during the taping. He placed himself on the set and refused to leave
when the first half of the debate was starting. Ottawa police were
called and Gauvin was arrested and later charged with causing a
disturbance. Johnson says he believes CBC gave the minor candidates in
equitable amount of air-time. Equitable treatment does not necessarily
mean equal time, he added.
Ottawa Citizen
Wendy Warburton
Wanted: Method of discouraging fringe candidates
Toronto -- Concerned about rising numbers of municipal candidates the
province plans to study ways of discouraging "fringe" candidates.
Municipal Affairs Minister Claude Bennett said Tuesday the government
has received several complaints about the number of so-called "fringe"
candidates running in several cities. Candidates given little chance
of winning more than a handful of votes have caused headaches for
organizers of debates and all-candidates meetings, he said. In Ottawa,
mayoral candidate Marc Gauvin caused a ruckus at a recent CBOT
television taping because he was excluded from a debate between Mayor
Marion Dewar and Ald. Darrel Kent. In another municipality, a
candidate is openly using the election as a platform to publicize his
views, telling voters he has no interest in winning, he said. Possible
means of discouraging candidates include requiring a registration fee
or increasing the number of nominators, he said. Only 10 supporters
are needed to file nomination papers, compared to 100 in a provincial
election. Bennett added he dislikes the idea of a deposit because it
might discourage able candidates. Bennett's executive assistant, Larry
Malloy, said the ministry is also concerned a deposit could be
considered an infringement of an individual's right to seek public
office. Candidates in federal elections must post a $250 deposit which
they get back if they win at least 15% of the votes cast. Malloy said
the biggest problem lies in defining who is a fringe candidate and who
is a serious candidate. "The guy in the clown suit's pretty obviously
a fringe candidate, but what do you do about the guy who just doesn't
have enough money, be said. He also noted some fringe candidates
repeatedly turn up in federal and provincial elections, regardless of
the deposit and need for 100 nominators.
For instance, Christian Credit candidate John Turmel has run 14 times
at various government levels since 1979 and has yet to win. This year,
he paid a deposit to run in the federal Broadview-Greenwood by-
election, winning 16 votes, and found enough supporters to officially
enter the Hamilton West by-election, where he won 173 votes. he is not
running the provincial by-elections in York South, where he threw one
all-candidates meeting into an uproar for 10 minutes by insisting he
be allowed to answer questions directed to other candidates. "We
couldn't keep out a John Turmel or anyone else with the money," Malloy
admitted. "But we may keep out two or three others." He said regional
staff have been asked to monitor the effects of fringe candidates on
local elections and to report back.
821105Fr
Ottawa Citizen
Mayoral candidate launches legal action over debate exclusion
Mayoral candidate Marc Gauvin is suing CJOH-TV for damages for
excluding him from a live, televised debate. A writ served Thursday
claimed unspecified damages "resulting from the unequal and
inequitable distribution of free time made available to candidates" in
the Tuesday broadcast. Mayor Marion Dewar and Ald. Darrel Kent,
considered her leading opponent, shared two seven-minute long segments
in the debate, on CJOH's Newsline 90 program. They were followed by
pre-recorded profiles of Gauvin and candidates Guetta and McCarthy of
about one minute. Gauvin was arrested Sunday and charged with causing
a disturbance after he refused to leave the stage where a CBC-TV
debate was taking place. He said Thursday he also plans to take legal
action against the publicly-owned station and will picket radio
station CJSB tonight to protest the stations' plans to give broadcast
time only to Dewar and Kent. Gauvin said the CRTC rules require that
radio and television stations afford equal air time. But CJOH managing
editor Al MacKay said Thursday the station has to give equitable, but
not equal time to candidates.
821108Mo
Ottawa Citizen
Jennifer Jackson
Tougher steps urged to limit fringe candidates
Fringe candidates might be discouraged from running if they had to get
more people to nominate them, say the two major contenders in Monday's
race for the Ottawa mayoralty. Dewar said "probably 100 would do it"
for the mayor's race. Only 10 signatures are necessary now. She said
aldermen might be required to get 50 instead of the 10 now. Claude
Bennett said Tuesday the province will study ways to discourage fringe
candidates from running. He said his department has received numerous
complaints that such candidates have caused headaches for organizers
of debates and all-candidates meetings. Kent suggested more too.
Joseph said "I could certainly live with that."
The problem of fringe candidates has become evident throughout the
Ottawa mayoral campaign as meetings have been disrupted. Marc Gauvin
who wants to abolish interest rates, recently caused a ruckus at a
CBOT taping when he was excluded from a mayoral debate. Guetta and
Mccarthy were also excluded. However, moderator Sue Lumsden invited
the three to join in for the question-answer period. Kent says he
thinks CBC, because it is a public broadcasting corporation, should
give each candidate equal time. But he says the same rules shouldn't
necessarily apply to privately-owned television outlets such as CTV
and its affiliates.
Dewar says the candidates should be given equal time. Mccarthy said
"The media doesn't have a smidgen of right to decide beforehand who's
serious. They should he ashamed of themselves. It's a herd instinct we
have here and it's interfering with the people's right to elect
whoever they want." But officials of CBOT, CJOH, and the Citizen say
it's a matter of journalistic judgment. Citizen editor Russell Mills
said the newspaper doesn't distinguish between major or minor
candidates in school board or aldermanic campaigns. "We've made the
distinction just in the case of the Ottawa mayor." He said the
decision was made because the paper's resources are limited and a
judgment must be made on which candidates have the most realistic hope
of winning. "That's part of our function, to make judgments." So far,
he's had no complaints from any of the Ottawa mayoral candidates about
the amount of coverage they've received, although be has in past
elections. Dewar and Kent shared the second page of the Citizen's
election supplement Monday. Gauvin, McCarthy and Guetta shared the
third page.
As well, news features will be printed on Kent and Dewar in the
Weekend Citizen. Most other coverage has been tied to specific news
events. Bob Harvey, executive news producer at CBOT, the local CBC
station said: "I guess we apply journalistic principles. We never
ignore any candidate." He said many factors go into the decision
separating the major from the minor contenders: the candidate's
support in the community, his political track record and how much
volunteer support his campaign has. But Harvey agrees "they're all
sincere ... you have to treat them seriously."
Le Droit
Bilingual, loud and marginal
With bad grace, even louder, the three other mayoral candidates
received only crumbs of publicity reserved for the stars. Marc Gauvin,
disciple of John Turmel, even went to jail for having opposed a debate
without his participation.
821110We
Ottawa Citizen
Jacquie Miller
Totally-allergic woman faces eviction into "unclean" world
A Smiths Falls woman who says she's allergic to the world outside her
home is being evicted, and says she plans to take her belongings and
live on the street. The Bank of Montreal has given Jean Metcalfe, 51,
until Friday to leave her house because she hasn't made a mortgage
payment in eight months. Metcalfe claims to be severely allergic to
most things in modern life: chemicals, synthetic materials, exhaust
fumes, cigarette smoke, perfume, even fumes from cooking. The rambling
six-bedroom house where she lives alone is stripped nearly bare, with
all the synthetic carpet, drapes, and furniture removed. She says
she's been unable to find another home she's not allergic to, and is
convinced she'll become seriously ill if she's forced to leave. "I'll
just have to live on the street" she said Monday after getting word
from the bank to expect a bailiff at her door Friday. Metcalfe, who
has two grown children in Smiths Falls and two in Alberta, says she
can't live with family or friends because she'd be exposed to things
like synthetic carpet, cigarette smoke and fumes from oil and gas
heaters. "All my friends have gas or oil heating. I've been to all
their homes but I had to leave before I got ill. I have a tent but I
can't even live there because I'm allergic to the canvas. I'm just
trusting in God to find me a home.
She says she needs a home with electric heat and no carpeting.
Traditional allergists dismiss the idea of "total allergy syndrome" as
medically unproven. But some unorthodox doctors say the massive
chemical build-up in modern life can trigger a breakdown in the body's
immune system for some people like Metcalfe. Metcalfe belongs to the
Human Ecology Foundation, a self-help group for people who believe
many illnesses are caused by things in the environment. Ottawa Dr.
Libuse Gilka, a family physician, specializing in preventative
medicine, said it would be a tragedy if Metcalfe is forced from her
home. it was Gilka who advised Metcalfe to avoid going out into the
polluted environment and to eat a strictly limited diet. Last year,
Metcalfe quit her job boarding women from the Rideau Regional
Institute. Her $436 monthly welfare cheque is too small to pay
mortgage and heat payments that top $600 a month.
Paul Howard, the lawyer representing the Bank of Montreal, says the
bank has no choice but to repossess Metcalfe's house: "We've been
trying to stall but she's been unable to come up with any alternative
financing. This lady is many months in arrears and there's only so far
the bank can go. Who's the innocent party here? The bank lent some
money and the lady isn't paying it back." Metcalfe says she's been
looking for another house to rent for a year and a half, and has put
ads in several newspapers, with no luck.
821117We
Smiths Falls Record News
Barry Raison
Woman vows to fight bank in courts
An Elmsley St. woman who hasn't made a mortgage payment since April is
gearing up for a showdown with the Bank of Montreal. Jean Metcalfe
refuses to leave her home and has enlisted the support of bank-fighter
John Turmel, of Ottawa. Mr. Turmel who wears a white hard hat and
calls himself "The Engineer," is an oft-time political candidate for
the Christian Credit party and campaigns for the abolition of interest
rates. His brother, Ray, ran in the Leeds-Grenville federal by-
election last month. Mrs. Metcalfe and Mr. Turmel are trying to charge
the bank manager with keeping a common gaming house and genocide. The
first charge is to be laid because a mortgage is a gamble and the
second because interest charges "deliberately inflicts on the group
conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction"
Mr. Turmel says in a sworn affidavit which is to be part of the civil
proceeding in Perth this Friday.
The civil action, in the Supreme Court of Ontario, is a motion by Mrs.
Metcalfe to stop the bank's foreclosure process on the grounds that it
is "frivolous in that it's physically impossible to exact more
monetary units than were created by the loan." That is a cornerstone
of Turmel doctrine -- that people should only have to pay back as much
money as they borrowed. Paul Howard, the bank's lawyer, says the bank
has "bent over backwards trying to work something out." They went
power of sale (a process whereby the mortgagee can take back property
if the mortgage isn't paid) in August but have been holding back to
allow Mrs. Metcalfe time to find a solution. At one point, they
thought she might be able to come up with some money. Another time,
Lanark MP Paul Dick requested that the bank wait until the Central
Mortgage and Housing could look at the case. She was supposed to be
out by Friday but then she and Mr. Turmel filed the court application
and the bank is at a standstill again. The bank does have the power to
have Mrs. Metcalfe evicted, Mr. Howard noted. Mrs. Metcalfe says she
feels confident the bank won't evict her as long as the case is before
the courts. "If the court throws this out on Friday, we're just going
to lay another charge and go to a higher court. The judges at the top
will be the ones who evict us. They'll be the ones to kill us."
Mrs. Metcalfe and a companion, Diane Elder, claim to have a rare
sickness known as Total Allergy Syndrome. She says she's allergic to
the twentieth century. She couldn't like in an ordinary house because
synthetic fibers, such as those found in furniture and floor
coverings, make her violently ill, she says. During an interview with
a reporter from the Record News, she opened a window because she says
the smell of soap or aftershave made her ill. Medical authorities are
divided on the existence of the syndrome. Many claim it is a neurosis
and not a physical ailment.
On Monday afternoon, Mr. Turmel, Mrs. Metcalfe and others picketed the
Bank of Montreal. A clip of the protest was shown on CJOH-TV. Mrs.
Metcalfe says it would cost her more than $1000 a month to renew her
mortgage and that she has to stay in her house because it's specially
equipped to cope with her illness. She hasn't been able to work for
some time because of the illness and is on welfare. She quit making
payments last spring because she didn't think paying interest was fair
although she is more than willing to pay the principal, she says.
"Somebody has got to be a crusader for rights, even if it's got to be
a sick woman." The bank manager should be put behind bars pending the
case, Mrs. Metcalfe and Mr. Turmel have agreed. They plan to start
legal action against Justice of the Peace Howard Stansel if he doesn't
file the charges. John Turmel gets the credit for keeping her in her
house, she says. "He's our knight in shining armor. I don't know much
about him but I like what I see. Every day that John keeps me in this
house is one day less that I'll have to sleep in the park." Mr. Howard
ways the public is the loser in this case. "Other people have to pay
higher rates because of actions like this."
821124We
Ottawa Citizen
Dennis Foley
Turmel loses another interest rate round
John Turmel's latest attempt to have Bank of Canada Governor replace
interest rates with a service charge was thrown out Tuesday by the
Supreme Court of Canada. Undaunted by his third straight loss in the
highest court in the land, Turmel said afterwards he was not giving up
the fight and was already planning a return engagement. The Court
refused Turmel leave to appeal lower court rulings dismissing his case
against interest rates, which he maintains are contrary to the
"natural, biblical and criminal laws." Turmel is a founder of the
Christian Credit party of Canada, an offshoot of the Social Credit
movement. The Christian Credit party opposes interest rates.
The Supreme Court heard his arguments Nov. 1 but reserved decision
until Tuesday, apparently caught by his argument that interest rates
violate fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Charter. Turmel said
Mr. Justice Antonio Lamer alerted him to the fact he was chasing after
the wrong person in basing his case on Bouey. Lamer was intrigued by
his arguments, Turmel claims, but pointed out he was not properly
directing his challenge. "I'm going to ... go after the justice
minister and the finance minister. I'm going to force them to protect
us under the charter. I've learned a lot since I started this two
years ago and this time, I'm going to rigorously ensure that all steps
are properly followed. He is currently stickhandling four other
motions challenging the validity of interest rates before the Ontario
Supreme Court and three appeals before the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Turmel, a professional electrical engineer, is trying to become the
first accredited banking systems engineer, contends the economic
system does not have built-in allowances for interest charges. When
one person pays interest, someone else is the loser. The higher the
interest rate, the more bankruptcies, he said.
Smiths Falls Record News
Barry Raison
Bank wins round one in Metcalfe dispute A+
The Bank of Montreal has won round one over Jean Metcalfe and John
Turmel but Mr. Turmel says it is just the beginning of his bout
against the bank. On Friday morning, County Court judge John Matheson,
acting as a Supreme Court of Ontario judge, threw out Mrs. Metcalfe's
motion to stop the bank's foreclosure proceedings against her. Mr.
Turmel had filed the motion on behalf of Mrs. Metcalfe. It said in
essence that the bank couldn't foreclose because they are charging
interest on the mortgage. Charging interest is a violation of
biblical, physical and criminal law, Mr. Turmel said in the
application. As well as throwing the motion out, judge Matheson
charged court costs to Mrs. Metcalfe. Bank lawyer Paul Howard said the
process of evicting Mrs. Metcalfe is continuing.
Contacted in Ottawa Tuesday morning, Mr. Turmel was anxiously awaiting
a Supreme Court of Canada decision on whether Bank of Canada Governor
Gerald Bouey is guilty of genocide. He feels the bank governor is
guilty of the charge because charging interest rates "deliberately
inflicts on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its
physical destruction." The part in quotations is part of the Criminal
Code definition of genocide.
Mr. Turmel and Mrs. Metcalfe have also gone to Justice of the Peace
Howard Stansel to lay charges of genocide and keeping a common gaming
house against the local Bank of Montreal manager. Charging interest on
a mortgage is a form of gambling leading to the gaming house charge,
Mr. Turmel says. "If the Supreme Court should decide my way,
everybody's off the hook. Say a prayer and you got a no interest
mortgage." He believes interest charges will fall by the wayside when
computers take over the banking industry. Customers will only have to
pay a surcharge to borrow money, he says.
He is preparing an appeal of judge Matheson's decision as well. Mr.
Stansel hasn't gone ahead with the charges against the local bank
manager and this has upset Mr. Turmel. He plans to take legal action
against the Justice of the Peace if he doesn't proceed. Mrs. Metcalfe
has said that she and a companion, Diane Elder, would die if they were
evicted from the home. Both claim to have a rare sickness called Total
Allergy Syndrome which makes them allergic to almost everything. The
house is specially equipped to handle her illness. Although she is
unwilling to leave the home, she's also refused to pay the mortgage
because the bank charged interest on it. Her mortgage came up for
renewal recently and she says it would cost more than $1,000 to renew
it.
821208We
Le Droit
CP Gerry MacNeil
Court of Appeal dismisses John Turmel
Television stations have to give equal time to all political
candidates, said John Turmel yesterday to the Federal Court of Appeal.
Mr. Turmel tried to get an order forcing the CRTC to ask the CJOH-TV
to explain why it didn't give equal time to all candidates. Mr. Turmel
was among 10 candidates in the Ottawa Center federal race. CJOH had
accorded 20 minutes of time to the first five candidates and only 15
minutes to the other five, one of whom was Turmel. Judge Darrel Heald,
flanked by judges William Ryan and Roderick Kerr, explained that the
court could not issue an order of mandamus against the CRTC because it
could use its own discretion to handle cases of this type.
Ottawa Citizen
Julian Beltrame
After each loss, tenacious Turmel just looks ahead
A picture of me in the hard hat with a prissy grin captioned "he'll
take judge's advice."
Even before the Federal Court of Appeal passed judgment on his battle
with the CRTC, John Turmel was trying to put on a brave face. But
during the brief court recess Tuesday, he'd had to admit -- "it
doesn't look good." In fact, the court not only rejected Turmel's
claim that a previous court erred, but also ordered him to pay what
may amount to more than $1,000 in costs. Turmel alleged the CRTC had
no right to dismiss his complaint that CJOH-TV did not treat a group
of candidates for the 1980 Ottawa Center riding federal election
equitably when it allotted them less air-time than another group the
station regarded as more serious. Turmel asked the court for a
mandamus order -- an order to the CRTC to force the body to make a
judgment. But Mr. Justice William Ryan said the court could not grant
a mandamus order since the CRTC had already made a judgment in
dismissing his complaint against CJOH. "If they (CRTC) did something
wrong, the remedy should be a motion to set aside the decision," he
said. Turmel said after the hearing he would take the judge's advice
and appeal the CRTC ruling. As for the court costs, he said he'll have
to round up a poker game and come up with the money.
Turmel's good humour after his court loss Tuesday wasn't surprising --
he's had plenty of practice being a good loser. Since the self-
anointed blackjack king of Ottawa placed his first bet on the
political table in May 1979, he has run in two municipal elections,
eight federal elections and four provincial contests. He has lost all
fourteen. He hasn't even come close.
His luck in the courts of the land has been equally rotten. Starting
with his losing gamble that Canada's gaming laws could not touch him
so long as he held his blackjack nights in different locations -- for
which he spent a few weeks in jail -- Turmel has taken on everyone
from the media to the Bank of Canada. By his own admission, he has
placed more than 60 motions before the courts against the banking
systems alone. And he lost every case, even failing to get central
Bank of Canada Governor to accord him enough respect to defend himself
against Turmel's suit, which charged the bank's interest rate policy
constituted genocide against the third world because it put farmers
out of business. But rather than cash in his chips, Turmel presses on.
He has eleven court cases on the go. Four before the Supreme Court of
Ontario, three in the Ontario Court of Appeal, one in the County
Court, two in Divisional Court, and one before the Quebec Court of
Appeal.
And he has his own political party -- the Christian Credit party which
he formed after breaking with Social Credit because he says the latter
compromised its principles on interest rates. Under the Christian
Credit banner, he ran three candidates in the last municipal election;
Marc Gauvin for mayor of Ottawa, his brother Ray for mayor of
Gloucester and himself for Gloucester alderman. Turmel has turned into
such a pain in the side of the establishment, Ontario Municipal
Affairs Minister Claude Bennett last month announced plans to study
ways of discouraging "fringe candidates." Turmel remembers the
statement, he has a clipping of the story along with every other
newspaper article bearing his name. "I've got them scared now, they
think I have money."
Ever since Turmel began campaigning, he has held rigidly he has The
Answer to rid the world of the root cause of evil -- interest rate
charges. It is to uphold The Answer that he goes to court, wages
doomed campaigns throughout Ontario and Quebec and formed the
Christian Credit party. Turmel chose the name because "Jesus fought
the banks and you can't imagine Jesus charging you interest?" But
those who knew Turmel before his political phase remember him as
unconcerned with interest rates. W.J. Schneider, a Carleton University
mathematics professor, who "admits to hiring" Turmel as a teaching
assistant for his gambling course between 1974 and 1977, remembers the
Bachelor of Engineering graduate as "very rigid." "Sometimes he get
simple things wrong and sometimes he grasps sophisticated ideas
quickly but either way he's very stubborn about it. He went from
totally apolitical to running for everything. One day his interest in
interest rates was non-existent, the next day it was the single
motivating factor in his life." Schneider believes Turmel is an
adequate gambler but living in Ottawa, it would be impossible for
anyone to make a living from gambling.
Now 31, Turmel concedes he is far from wealthy. Unemployed, he lives
with his brother's apartment on Donald St. He says he has not been to
Las Vegas in two years but says he makes enough from "gambling with
wealthy people" to support his meager lifestyle. He lives cheaply.
When he campaigns outside Ottawa, he takes the bus and lodges at the
YMCA. He estimates his total outlay for all his court cases at about
$2,000. He says proudly he does not accept welfare or unemployment
insurance and he hangs on to his "discovered" mathematical equation
like a vain actor to a dream of fame. The complicated formula
eliminates the possibility of inflation by making it a factor of
interest rate charges which in his system equal zero. "Once my
equation is accepted, my name will be known for eternity. I'm the guy
who solved the biggest riddle in history," he says without a trace of
embarrassment.
Jean Metcalfe knows most people look on John Turmel as a "nut" but to
the Smiths Falls woman, Turmel is the only politician who she has met
who really cares. Metcalfe, who says she suffers from a debilitating
allergy to most things in the world, was ordered to vacate her
property when the Bank of Montreal for failure to pay rent despite her
cry she could not survive in the outside world. "John Turmel offered
his help and now he keeps me here (by appealing her eviction notices
from one court to the next). He comes and goes with me to court
because I'm not able and he doesn't charge me anything. He really
cares. He'll help anybody who needs it. I find he's a kind and
considerate person."
Another Turmel disciple is George Bothwell, an Owen Sound farmer who
is using Turmel's court strategy to stave off foreclosure on his farm.
Turmel's theories about interest rates make a lot of sense to
Bothwell. "His method will buy you a lot of time if nothing else. I
don't think he's a nut. He's a little egotistical, maybe even a lot,
but what he is saying has a lot of merit."
But even Turmel's opponents have come away from the battle with a
grudging respect. Mayor Marion Dewar, who was never threatened in the
1980 mayoralty race, called Turmel a "very fine intelligent person. He
has a great sense of humour and one on one, he's very good." Certainly
election campaigns would run smoother and Canada's court load would be
reduced without the John Turmel's of the world, she says, but she
opposes moves to silence him. "You just have to face the fact that
there's nothing you can do to stop them (from pressing frivolous
charges or running in elections). It's a small price to pay for living
in a democratic country.
Smiths Falls Record News
Barry Raison
Metcalfe still at house
Jean Metcalfe is still in her home as legal wrangling continues in her
ongoing dispute with the Bank of Montreal. When the bank started the
eviction process, Metcalfe and Turmel filed a motion to have the
process halted because it is immoral and illegal to charge interest on
mortgages. Judge John Matheson threw out the Metcalfe motion but Mr.
Turmel is filing an appeal with the Ontario Court of Appeal. Meanwhile
the bank has filed a motion to speed up the process. But Mr. Turmel
isn't about to be stopped that easily. He is going to argue against
the bank's motion at a hearing in January.
Meanwhile Mrs. Metcalfe attempts to have the bank manager charged with
genocide and keeping a common gaming house. The genocide charge has to
go through the Attorney General's office but she has managed in laying
the gambling charge. It is unclear whether it will ever make it to the
court docket.
Mr. Turmel said his fight with the banks is continuing on a number of
fronts across the province. "That' my professional duty as an
electrical engineer. It sounds weird but where there's interest,
there's positive feedback." He and his brother, Ray, use election
campaigns as their forum to denounce the banking system. "I don't want
to get elected to have a job. I can make lots of money playing cards."
The two are planning to file several suits against television stations
in Ottawa and Toronto for not allowing them to participate in
candidates' debates.
821209Th
Ottawa Citizen
Kelly Egan
Homeowner fights off bailiff
Picture of me restraining Bela as Kershman and the bailiff are being
chased on the front lawn of his home. Captioned "An angry William
Devecseri pursued officials attempting to evict him. The cameraman was
Chris Mikula.
A Breezehill Avenue man saddled with mortgage foreclosure on his home
fought back with a legal punch of his own when he fended off a bailiff
and bank lawyer trying to take possession of the house. The officials
were attempting to carry out a Sheriff's order for William Devecseri,
his wife Susan and one of their two children, to vacate the bungalow
by Oct. 12. While the front door locks were being changed, however,
Devecseri scrambled to obtain a document for the bailiff saying the
foreclosure on his home of 20 years was still before the courts. A
lawyer for the Bank of Montreal agreed to give the 52 year old man two
options, vacate in one week or pay $600 a month rent until the case
comes to court, probably in February. Devecseri who says he can't
follow either option, is attempting to get legal advice before the
week of grace is up.
"On November 29, a judge adjourned my appeal to the Divisional Court
and a date hasn't been set for that yet. As far as I can see, until
that's settled, it must in force over the order to vacate," he said
Wednesday in an interview from his home. When Devecseri's plight was
detailed in a Citizen story in August, bank-basher John Turmel became
his ally. Turmel has since aided Devecseri in having the case bounced
from one court to the next. With Turmel's help, Devecseri tried to set
aside the judgment for immediate possession of the house granted to
the bank earlier this year. That motion was dismissed
It was Turmel in fact who produced a copy of the November 29 decision
for the unemployed former restaurant owner. "I lost my restaurant, I
lost my land, I've lost all my money and now I'm losing my house. I
don't know what to do next," he said.
During the November appeal hearing, The Supreme Court of Ontario
justice ruled the case was in the wrong forum and adjourned it to the
divisional court. Turmel says the case will be heard in February.
821218Sa
Ottawa Citizen Letter
Rosemary Godin
Daring to shake up the establishment
The story on John Turmel (Dec. 8) was more than a little off base in
its direction. Three quarters of the story is spent telling us what a
"loser" John Turmel is; what a "pain in the side of the establishment"
he has become; how he demands "grudging respect" and how he impedes
the smooth flowing of election and our courts. Well I say "bravo" to
the Turmels for shaking up the establishment and daring to question
what most of us mice have come to accept as the natural "way of
things." People today are losing their jobs, the land, their homes,
and probably, ultimately, their families. And these people are not
"slouches," they are decent hard-working citizens who can't, or don't
know how to, fight the systems that has done this to them.
Along come the Turmels who, in admittedly bizarre ways, give a family
only an extra week or month to stay in their homes -- but a lot can
happen in a week. The Turmels give people hope, pride, and support
when our lovely "establishment" wouldn't dream of doing so. You bet
your boots (because that's all many of us have left) there's "nothing
you can do to stop them." And what a giant step backwards in democracy
Claude Bennett is taking in studying ways to discourage "fringe
candidates" from running in elections. What's democracy all about,
anyway?
I don't give a damn that five or eight years ago, John Turmel was
unconcerned with interest rates -- who was? I fail the see the point
of that in the story. All I care about is that John Turmel and his
brother are two of the most intelligent, quickest wits in town who
can't stand seeing the rest of us getting shafted all the time. Their
political side-show amuses and most importantly, enlightens me to
"facts of being governed in a democratic society that I never thought
of before.
821221Tu
Ottawa Citizen
Kelly Egan
Allergic woman foils bank
A Smiths Falls woman who says she's confined to her home because she's
allergic to the outside world won a court battle and staged off
eviction Monday. The Bank of Montreal had applied for a writ of
possession. However, Mr. Justice D.D. McRae refused to grant the writ
and sent the case back to Perth where a hearing will be held before
Judge John Matheson Jan. 18. Metcalfe told the court she needed more
time to find another place and asked that the case be adjourned to a
Perth courtroom so that it would be held closer to home.
821229We
Smiths Falls Record News
Barry Raison
Metcalfe and bank continue court battles
After winning a court battle last Monday, Jean Metcalfe was ecstatic.
But the euphoria was short-lived as she was served with another court
notice telling her to be at the Perth courthouse Dec. 29 to be cross-
examined on an affidavit she had filed in her fight to stay in her
home.
The bank started the eviction process about two months ago. Metcalfe
got Ottawa bank-fighter John Turmel on her side and has been battling
with the bank in court ever since. The Bank of Montreal had applied to
the Supreme Court for a writ of possession (permission to evict her)
and the case was heard in Ottawa last Monday. Mr. Justice D.D. McRae
refused the bank's request and sent the case back to judge John
Matheson in Perth. A hearing is to be held on Jan. 18.
The bank has now demanded that she appear Wednesday in Perth to be
cross-examined on an affidavit she and Mr. Turmel filed in October
which used mathematical formulas and quotes from the bible to declare
that the charging of interest on loans is illegal. This time Mr.
Turmel isn't being allowed to represent Mrs. Metcalfe and she needs a
lawyer. The problem is she says she can't get one. Armed with a Legal
Aid certificate, she tried every lawfirm in town late last week.
Nobody would take her case. "I just can't get a lawyer. John's better
than a lawyer anyway -- he's a lot smarter," she says.
Mr. Turmel says he's not sure what to do if he isn't allowed into the
hearing. This hearing will serve no useful purpose and the bank is
simply trying to harass Mrs. Metcalfe. "After a minor victory, the
bank just wants to hit her with something else." He plans to be in
Perth in case he is allowed in. "I would suggest she just go in there
and and not answer questions until she gets a lawyer. It's not her
fault she can't get a lawyer," he says. Both of them feel she wasn't
given enough time to seek counsel, especially when many law offices
were closed Monday and Tuesday because of the holiday. Meanwhile, Mrs.
Metcalfe's search for a new place to live is continuing, without any
luck. "I don't want to fight with the bank but I have no alternative -
- I have nowhere else to go. I didn't ask to be sick. I don't want to
be sick. But I am sick and there's nothing I can do about it."
Send a comment to John Turmel
Home