The Heartland Institute is obviously not happy about those leaked documents. In fact they are so unhappy that they have threatened to sue anyone who has dared comment on the documents stating in a press release that “The individuals who have commented so far on these documents did not wait
Continue readingMorton's Musings: "No one expects a cabinet minister to know every single line of a piece of legislation,
but it is certainly alarming that the Minister of Public Safety was completely ignorant to an issue of fundamental freedom as serious as authorizing warrantless searches. This should never have happened, and must never happen again. Ministers clearly need to make a full understanding of the legislation they are promoting
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: A friendly reminder
Some people who should know better are suggesting that universal media condemnation (as opposed to public involvement on social media) should be seen as the main factor in getting the Cons to climb back down on arbitrary online surveillance. So let’s take a ride in the wayback machine. It wasn’t
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Why Vic Toews Should Resign Immediately
Well I see that Vic Toews has abandoned his scary role in Vic Toews and the Zombie Internet Eaters, for an even scarier role as Captain Queeg. Dear Constituents,Over the last few weeks I have been subjected to an extensive personal attack by my political opponents as a result of certain
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The Hidden Implications of Lawful Access
With a petition of 100,000 signatures, the overwhelming momentum of OpenMedia.ca’s Stop Online Spying campaign has sent Public Safety Minster, Vic Toews, back to the legislative drawing board. Toews’ Lawful Access bills, or Bill C-30 as they’re collectively now known, have sparked such an uproar that they will bypass the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – No, it isn’t much surprise that poll respondents may think we’ve moved to the right as a country: after all, Con propaganda (largely echoed by the media) has been declaring that for years. But as Warren Kinsella notes, that perception bears no resemblance
Continue readingThe Sixth Estate: Well, That Explains It: Vic Toews Can’t Read
I suppose it doesn’t surprise me that the responsibilities of a Cabinet minister in the Harper Regime do not include reading your own bill before introducing it in Parliament. In fairness to Vic, in between violating election laws and having children with mistresses, there probably isn’t much time left over
Continue readingPeace, order and good government, eh?: Mostly competent government
How can tabling legislation in the House of Commons without knowing what it actually says be considered competence? Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says he is surprised to learn that a section of the government’s online surveillance bill provides for “exceptional circumstances” under which “any police officer” can request customer
Continue readingPeace, order and good government, eh?: QOTD: On civil service
Hamutal Dotan, writing at Torontist about municipal politics, gives us a concise paragraph that’s as appropriate in the context of what we’ve seen from the Harper Government™ as it is to the particular issue Dotan is addressing. Among the things good governance requires: an independent civil service, populated by staff
Continue readingBuckdog: Public Safety Minister Vic Toews Now Says That He Is ‘Surprised By Content’ Of His Own Bill
Huh?! In a complete reversal, the Conservative Cabinet Minister who introduced ‘police state’ style legislation now says he is surprised by the content of his own Bill. “Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says he is surprised to learn that a section of the government’s online surveillance bill provides for “exceptional
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: “What’s Wrong With Our Bodies, Anyway?”
Um, nothing. Just that runway models — and expectations — are getting skinnier. From Plus Model Magazine. On the left is a “straight-size” runway model, on the right, “plus” size model Katya Zharkova (size 12-14). A stunning contrast between the near-anorexic “norm” and healthy reality, wouldn’t you say? According to the
Continue readingConservatives to send blank bill to Committee
(Ottawa, February 18) DawgNews has learned that new omnibus legislation, provisionally entitled “The No More Hidden Agenda Act” is being sent directly to Committee before second reading. C-1A consists of some 1050 pages, all of them blank. “I obviously can’t discuss this bill in any detail,” said Prime Minister Stephen
Continue readingBene Diction Blogs On: “We’ll make a victim of you all over again” The case of Mark Archibald
Former Prairie Bible Institute grad Mark Archibald was sentenced to house arrest for a year on Friday after pleading guilty to indecent sexual assault. Six months concurrent, the last 6 of 18 months will be a court imposed curfew. The Calgary Herald tells the story of two of his victims
Continue readingLeDaro: Vic Toews: The Big Brother sings
He will be watching you!
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: # 3
“What are you doing?” “Putting books away.” “Why are you doing that?” “So people can find them later.” “Do you have any books about fishing?” “Books on fishing… let’s see. Oh look, here’s one with Winnie the Pooh fishing.” “I put that there!” “You did?” “I did! I put that
Continue readingROAR!: Sean Casey on FAQMP – Monday night
If you’ve not seen the show FAQMP, it’s on ichannel, which you can watch on TV if you get it, or online. They interview MP’s, and folk send in video or email questions and the MP’s answer them. Now while I don’t expect anything earth shattering to happen during this
Continue readingCNN’s Erin Burnett makes play to become this decade’s Judith Miller
Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi put he screws to Erin Burnett for her Judith Miller act – promoting a new war, this time with Iran. She employs all of the old Miller tricks, including fear mongering, acting as stenographer for hawks and presenting trumped-up ‘evidence’. You can just feel it:
Continue readingEvilness: Why bill C-30 will never work.
There is, rightly, much ado about the internet spying bill C-30 that is currently before the house. A bill so poorly written that the Harper Conservatives have sent it to committee for amendments before it has even reached second reading. There are several moral reasons why the inappropriately named "Protecting
Continue readingRecreating Eden: Saturday Photo: The Way to Recover from What Ails You
Gastroenteritis has attacked, and a number of family members are writhing away. Won’t last, of course, but it would be a lot nicer to rest in the sun in a nice park than to huddle under covers on a late winter day. This picture was taken a couple of years
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