Justice James Stribopoulos sees the G20 human rights abuses as highlighting the problems with handing over poorly-defined powers to law enforcement: In an essay published in a new book on policing during the summit, Justice James Stribopoulos blames the abuses that took place on an absence of specific legislation to
Continue readingTag: Charter
Accidental Deliberations: On failures of strategy, calculation, politics, principle and general humanity
Shorter Justin Trudeau: Nobody could have foreseen that Canadian voters would judge me based on my actions rather than my self-proclaimed brand.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On common ground
The Progress Summit’s panel on First Nations has included plenty of discussion of the need to identify commonalities between First Nation issues and other groups within Canada. And I’d add that there are plenty more opportunities to draw further connections. The recognition that the federal government tried to eradicate aboriginal
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On choosing forums
In addition to grossly misrepresenting the NDP’s position in opposition to C-51, Yves Messy makes the bizarre argument that we should decline to fight against the Cons’ terror bill through the political system, and instead count on courts to rein in its excesses. So let’s look at what’s wrong with
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On constitutional questions
Most of the analysis surrounding the Cons’ terror bill so far has assumed that CSIS’ powers will be interpreted based on a plain reading of the legislation. Under this reading of C-51, any action which could violate the Charter or other Canadian law would only be authorized by a warrant,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Kathleen Geier discusses the U.S.’ culture of overwork and its human toll: There is abundant evidence that long working hours is incredibly dangerous from a public health perspective. Fatigued or sleep-deprived workers who drive or operate heavy machinery are an obvious menace to
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Civil Liberties Group Sues Spy Agency Over Illegal Spying On Canadians
The BC Civil Liberties Association has filed a lawsuit against Canadian spy agency ASEC, claims its surveillance of Canadians is unconstitutional. The post Civil Liberties Group Sues Spy Agency Over Illegal Spying On Canadians appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Elizabeth May urges MPs to vote for the NDP’s housing Bill C-400
By: Green Party of Canada (Press Release) | Feb. 27, 2013: OTTAWA – Green Leader and Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands Elizabeth May will vote in favour of Bill C-400 this evening and urges her fellow MPs to do the same. Bill C-400, the Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Canadian Values in 2012
From the Globe and Mail: I find it interesting that the Charter is so high but at the same time the Patriation of the Constitution is so low. Filed under: Canadian Politics, Conservative Party of Canada, Liberal Party of Canada, … Continue reading →
Canadian Progressive World: The day Canada’s white supremacists saluted Stephen Harper
So far, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s ideology-inspired of project of social and political engineering expresses itself most eloquently as the Conservatives’ egregious assault on civil liberties, the metamorphosis of Canada into a petro-state, and militarization of both Canadian society and foreign policy. We’re yet to acknowledge how this project oppresses
Continue readingImpolitical: The #G20 Office of the Independent Police Review Director report
The National’s report above is a good overview of yesterday’s release of the G20 report by Ontario’s Office of the Independent Police Review. You can read it here and while it is lengthy, the executive summary and ensuing recommendations are not a very taxing read. It is a tale of
Continue readingPample the Moose: Happy Charter Day! And the importance of an "s"
Today’s the 30th anniversary of the formal adoption of the 1982 Constitution Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A lot of ink has been recently devoted to the Harper government’s non-observance of this day. I could add to this, but instead I’d like to draw your attention to
Continue readingPample the Moose: Happy Charter Day! And the importance of an "s"
Today’s the 30th anniversary of the formal adoption of the 1982 Constitution Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A lot of ink has been recently devoted to the Harper government’s non-observance of this day. I could add to this, but instead I’d like to draw your attention to the text of the formal statement issued by Heritage Minister James Moore and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson which was originally posted here. I say “originally posted” lest the initial text be changed.
The full statement reads:
Statement by the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, on the 30th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Constitution Act of 1982
OTTAWA, April 17, 2012 – Today marks the 30th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Constitution Act of 1982, which was formally signed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on April 17, 1982, in the presence of tens of thousands of Canadians on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
This anniversary marks an important step in the development of Canada’s human rights policy. Building on Diefenbaker’s Canadian Bill of Rights of 1960, the Constitution Act of 1982 enshrined certain rights and freedoms that had historically been at the heart of Canadian society into a constitutional document known as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Constitution Act of 1982 empowered our government to amend every part of Canada’s constitution, for the very first time.
As we look ahead to Canada’s 150th Anniversary in 2017, we encourage all Canadians to commemorate the milestones that have built our nation and made us the great country we are today.
There are all sorts of things that can be critiqued about this statement, starting with the omission of the Prime Minister and architect of the deal, Pierre Trudeau. But because I’m in a peculiar mood, let me instead draw your attention to paragraph 3 of the statement. There’s a rather important little “s” that is missing from the end of the word “government”. Because as any constitutional expert worth their salt knows, most parts of Canada’s constitution cannot be amended by any single government. In some cases, it takes at least two, in most it takes eight (seven provincial governments representing 50% of the population, plus the federal government), and in a few key areas it takes eleven governments to amend the constitution.
So unless there is a super-secret plan by the Harper government to start unilaterally amending the constitution, his ministers’ staffers did a terrible job proofing that mediocre statement.
Continue readingPample the Moose: Happy Charter Day! And the importance of an "s"
Today’s the 30th anniversary of the formal adoption of the 1982 Constitution Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A lot of ink has been recently devoted to the Harper government’s non-observance of this day. I could add to this, but instead I’d like to draw your attention to
Continue readingImpolitical: Harper on celebrating the Charter
Harper can’t celebrate the Charter ’cause it’s too divisive and all. This is weak tea for a Canadian Prime Minister: “In terms of this as an anniversary, I think it’s an interesting and important step, but I would point out that the Charter remains inextricably linked to the patriation of
Continue readingBill 17: De-democratizing healthcare
My time lately has been consumed by two grad courses, an active full-time job and home and family commitments. But one emergent and urgent issue has forced me to tend to my oft-neglected blog. (Yes, Minister Zwozdesky, I do consider healthcare to be urgent.) If I was at all surprised
Continue reading