Have the Tories Turned their Backs on Us?

MEDIA RELEASE

Unaccountable and Indifferent Government

The director of the maintenance enforcement program (MEP) has a personal vendetta against me which has clouded her judgment since 1999 when she issued an unlawful garnishee against my commission income to pay maintenance and at the time I was already paying, says a 63-year old black man who is now terminally ill with cancer of the bone marrow, multiple myeloma, (MM).

“I have documents showing that MEP director Judith McPhee was forced to withdraw her unlawful garnishee against me in April, 1999,” said Mr. Boyd, “She is a lawyer, who should understand the implications of such an unlawful action. How can this happen in a democratic society where officials are supposed to be accountable for their actions?” Mr. Boyd asks.

Mr. Boyd also said that this garnishee went to his principle insurance partners and made it impossible for him to conduct insurance business with his major insurance partners. I was labeled as a “deadbeat dad,” even though I was making payments to the best of my ability under these difficult circumstances. There are laws on the books that were supposed to protect me from such prejudices but they did not apply to me. Rather than getting better, things got worse when another civil servant colluded with the MEP director.

Another top civil servant in government assisted the MEP director and that was the Superintendent of Insurance who modified my insurance license soon after the first garnishee was issued (in violation of section 26 of the maintenance enforcement Act) until I had no money to fight back and the Superintendent suspended my license at the end of 14 months of the cat and mouse license game for an additional 6 months. I was forced to declare bankruptcy.

In October 2006 I found myself in a desperate situation when Minacs, during my probationary period, dismissed me after I divulged my illness. The federal garnishee was established on my income in 1998 when I was a successful insurance agent in good standing and the MEP director, knowing that I was no longer making that income for the last seven (7) years, allowed the recovery rate to stand at 50 %. So from October of last year until the present I have been getting only $100.00 a week. This is still occurring despite my several written communications with her and most recently by fax letter of February 8, 2007 in response to her suggestion that she may reduce the garnishee percentage if I completed the forms she had sent out to me. That was done and still I have no relief. Why?

To date, after writing the minister of justice recently, delivering that letter by fax, with no reply to date, I am forced to conclude that the MEP director is accountable to no one.

I applied for a federal disability pension on February 21, 2007 and because of my medical condition on February 23, 2007 I was granted the pension in three days, a process which normally takes four months. Why has it been not been possible for the MEP to rely as readily? In five months, I have been unsuccessful in even getting an acknowledgement that the MEP director recognizes that what she is doing is wrong.

“I thank the federal government agencies for recognizing my situation and pushing through the pension, but that will not help unless the MEP director withdraws her second garnishee as she was forced to withdraw the first.” he said adding what was unlawful in the first place remains in his mind unlawful still, unless the director is above the law,” Mr. Boyd said.

“The current garnishee is a federal garnishee because the federal law allows for a conflict of laws, but the federal government did not, in its wisdom, ever contemplate that a high ranking civil servant would knowingly re-issue a garnishee that the issuer had already declared to be unlawful. Such a move would only be motivated by a personal vendetta, especially as at the time of issuance of the second garnishee I was being forced into bankruptcy by the actions of the two provincial civil servants working together against me. I feel I am being tortured and there appears to be no end in sight so I am asking the public for help.” Mr. Boyd said.

“Top civil servants are incompetently operating these departments of government and they cover up for each other. The truth will only be achieved and justice will only be served through a public inquiry.” Mr. Boyd said, adding, “I am asking for a public inquiry now through the media because I can find no one who appears to be accountable for the actions of the MEP director or the Superintendent of Insurance. I am doing this through the media as a last recourse, knowing the perils that this request can bring it, especially following the Percy Paris situation in which he was persecuted by the media and by his colleagues in the province’s legislature for coming forward with his allegations.”

I have refused to submit my EI claim this past weekend, recognizing the health risks I am taking. That is why I am going public with this media release to bring attention to his blatantly unaccountable that plagues family law its payors and their children. I have gone to conciliation in the Supreme Court Family Division and it continues but that process in this situation is flawed and has shown itself to be cumbersome. Still I am engaged in this process, though it will take far more time than I have to complete. I am prepared to make post dated cheques available to the MEP based on my current income, not that of 1998. Still, I am stonewalled at every turn.

“What else can I do other than what I have done already but to appeal now through the media for a public hearing?”

In the interim Mr. Boyd is requesting the garnishee be withdrawn while he works out maintenance payment arrangements through Family Court where he is represented by Nova Scotia Legal Aid. Conciliation is proceeding at present. This issue is just the tip of the iceberg and as you will see there is more to this story than just what you read here.

Have the Tories, provincially and nationally, turned their backs on Black people in this country? It is a legitimate "QUESTION" and only they can answer it by their actions and not their words. Ask Premier Rodney MacDonald at email premier@gov.ns.ca Also ask the minister of Justice, Murray Scott justmin@gov.ns.ca to give me an unbiased hearing.

February 26, 2007.

cc

Rodney MacDonald premier@gov.ns.ca

Murray Scott, minister of justice justmin@gov.ns.ca

Judith McPhee, MEP director
Halifax Coalition against Poverty (HCAP)
Bound to be Free Coalition and Network


For Questions and Interviews Contact:

Frank Boyd 902 463-0070 email fsjboyd@yahoo.com

Here are some of the letters that have been forwarded to me from concerned about the issues I have raised in my Media Release:

"Dear Mr. Premier and The Honorable Minister of Justice:

I have had an opportunity to read Mr. Boyd's concerns and indeed given his current condition and the seriousness of the issues he raises, he should, in fact, must be given your attention immediately. Mr. Boyd has raised several serious however reasonable concerns that hitherto have gone unattended in fact, he has been ignored and concurrently treated unfairly. This is not only my perception however, it is also the opinion of several of mycolleagues. Regrettably however, this is not only unjust, unreasonable but, indeed inhumane. Mr. Boyd deserves the right to be treated with dignity and respect and given a fair chance to present his case to an unbiased body. Therefore, I urge you both to grant Mr. Boyd this reasonable request...Accordingly, I shall look forward to your response to this most seriousmatter in the immediate future.

I remain sincerely,"

"Dear Mr. Premier and the Honorable Minister of Justice:"

Frank Boyd has a right to access justice.

"I am writing you in response to information that I have received from Mr. Frank Boyd...I believe it is vital that the issues...be addressed immediately. All that is being asked is that Mr. Boyd’s maintenance reflects his income. Thank you for your time and I’m looking forward to your response."


To:
Mr. Rodney MacDonald, Premier of Nova Scotia;
Mr. Murray Scott, Minister of Justice

Remove Garnishee F. Boyd

It is with great concern for our province and our country that I write to you today.

I am aware that many letters have been sent to government officials by Mr. Boyd and by others supporting Mr. Frank Boyd’s call for a public hearing into his situation and yet there has been no reply. I cannot believe that it is the intent of Ms. McPhee, the MEP Director to take more than half of a man’s EI wage and leave an elderly man with terminal cancer, unable to fight this dreaded disease and forced to rely on others for a roof over his head. My sympathies are with him and many others agree.

Why do the wheels move so slowly that this man could be dead before something is done? How can it be possible that some government assistance can be granted in just days but the MEP Director cannot take action to correct a wrong started 5 years ago?

The actions of the MEP were appalling enough but it continued when the Superintendent of Insurance of Nova Scotia unlawfully failed to issue him a full license, robbing Mr. Boyd of his livelihood and a consistent income. Failing to issue him a license means his income was cut off and he could not pay maintenance. This was all done without a hearing, forcing Mr. Boyd into bankruptcy.

How can Mr. Boyd pay maintenance if one Department garnishes his wages unlawfully and then another department takes away his ability to earn income? This is unrealistic, unlawful and heartless. Give Mr. Boyd a public hearing!

The scandalous behavior perpetrated by various government departments continues. What kind of country do we live in that allows the machinery of government to destroy Mr. Boyd’s life? Yet, no one is held accountable!!

The only humane course of action here is for the MEP Director to remove her garnishee at once!

I will post mmore letters as that are copied to me. If you do not want your letter posted let me know. As you can see letter writers are anonymous.

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