As of the time of writing this post, the filibuster in the House of Commons is well underway. We made it to Second Reading, but then Jack Layton, at the end of his fifty-minute speech, moved a hoist motion to delay Second Reading for six months. And so the debate continues.
The government has decided to shut down the special panel of parliamentarians and judges that were vetting Afghan detainee documents, because apparently there’s nothing to see here, move along.
Terry Milewski talks about the interesting story told by competing redactions in at least one documented case of mistreatment of an Afghan detainee.
Incidentally, here’s a look at the government’s use of the phrase “Taliban detainees” when they are in fact referring to “Afghan detainees” in order to colour the debate.
Here is a takedown of John Baird’s assertion that the Afghan Detainee Document process cost $12 million (hint: It didn’t).
And even former Alberta premier Don Getty has come out against the Senate reform bill. BC Premier Christie Clark says reform if you must, but give BC ten more senators – not realising that the Upper Chamber is balanced regionally and not by province (24 seats for Ontario, 24 for Quebec, 24 for the Maritimes, 24 for Western Canada), and increasing one region’s seats will mean increasing all regions’ seats. Can we please kill this thing with fire?