In his latest abuse of the legislative processes, Harper has slide a particularly slimy bit into the 2015 budget implementation bill: The Harper government moved to retroactively rewrite Canada’s access to information law in order to prevent possible criminal charges against the RCMP, The Canadian Press has learned. An
Continue readingTag: Harper
The Cracked Crystal Ball II: A Dangerous Change In Law
In his latest abuse of the legislative processes, Harper has slide a particularly slimy bit into the 2015 budget implementation bill: The Harper government moved to retroactively rewrite Canada’s access to information law in order to prevent possible criminal charges against the RCMP, The Canadian Press has learned. An
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: A Dangerous Change In Law
The Harper government moved to retroactively rewrite Canada’s access to information law in order to prevent possible criminal charges against the RCMP, The Canadian Press has learned.
An unheralded change buried in last week’s 167-page omnibus budget bill exempted all records from the defunct long-gun registry, and also any “request, complaint, investigation, application, judicial review, appeal or other proceeding under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act,” related to those old records.
The unprecedented, retroactive changes — access-to-information experts liken them to erasing the national memory — are even more odd because they are backdated to the day the Conservatives introduced legislation to kill the gun registry, not to when the bill received royal assent.
The date effectively alters history to make an old government bill come into force months before it was actually passed by Parliament.
Oh, but this gets better. It turns out that this is intended to squelch an ongoing investigation by a parliamentary officer – the Information Officer, Suzanne Legault.
In an interview airing later Thursday on CBC News Network’s Power & Politics, Legault expanded on the ramifications of passing these amendments.
“What this does is that it erases the right of the requester to have ever made this request. It erases the right of the requester to have ever complained to my office. It erases all of the investigative powers that I have used during this investigation. And it erases the referral that I have made to the attorney general of Canada. And it erases the recommendations I have made to the minister.
“What these provisions do is they actually erase any potential administrative, civil or criminal liability for any actors involved throughout the investigation and in the destruction of those records in contravention to the Access to Information Act.”
Creating retroactive legislation in Canada that reaches back years in time is unusual, although technically legal as long as it isn’t a criminal code change.
“An argument has been made that there are elements in the information act, the Access to Information Act, that contradict something in that other piece of legislation. At best that is a loophole,” he said at an event in Windsor, Ont.
“I’m not sure there really is a contradiction, but to be perfectly clear, the government is clarifying the information act to make sure it is in full conformity with Parliament’s already expressed wishes on the long-gun registry that the RCMP has executed as they were required to do according to the law.”
The RCMP also rebuffed Legault’s accusations, saying it did nothing wrong.
“The RCMP disputes the OIC’s (Office of the Information Commissioner’s) view that it denied a right of access under the Access to Information Act by destroying records that were responsive to the request,” Sgt. Harold Pfleiderer said in a statement. ( CBC )
However, in this case, it is quite clear that Harper is trying to squelch an investigation into possibly illegal actions of the RCMP and other government officials with respect to the Long Gun Registry data. So, even if this legislation is technically “legal”, it doesn’t mean it is right. No government should be using legislative fiat to make its indiscretions “disappear”.
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Conservatives Take Their Debate Ball and Hide In A Closet
After so much effort from the Greens to ensure all Canadians can hear an inclusive debate, what the Conservatives are doing now is absurd and frustrating. So the Cons are behaving typically. Will the media let them get off? Yes, history shows. Of course, the less the Prime Minister says,
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Harper The Fascist Part MMXVIII
Remember in 2013, I wrote a rather lengthy post explaining the parallels between the Harper Government and fascism?Yeah, that. In the last week or so, the Harper Government has passed Bill C-51, which more or less turns the entire RCMP-CSIS-CSEC establ…
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Harper The Fascist Part MMXVIII
Remember in 2013, I wrote a rather lengthy post explaining the parallels between the Harper Government and fascism? Yeah, that. In the last week or so, the Harper Government has passed Bill C-51, which more or less turns the entire RCMP-CSIS-CSEC establishment into the PMO’s private police force. It grants
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Harper The Fascist Part MMXVIII
Remember in 2013, I wrote a rather lengthy post explaining the parallels between the Harper Government and fascism? Yeah, that. In the last week or so, the Harper Government has passed Bill C-51, which more or less turns the entire RCMP-CSIS-CSEC establishment into the PMO’s private police force. It grants
Continue readingLeft Over: The Thought Police: Alive and Well and Ruling in Canada
Ottawa considering hate charges against those who boycott Israel Blaney’s office cites ‘comprehensive’ hate laws for new zero tolerance plans By Neil Macdonald, CBC News Posted: May 11, 2015 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: May 11, 2015 5:00 AM ET ”ll bet Junior Trudeau is so happy he signed off on
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The high hopes of the Hair.
The Hair is on a mission. The Prime Minister thinks he can pull off a miracle in October and win a second straight parliamentary majority. While his strategy makes sense, his assumptions are faulty and his tactics are far too heavy handed. Strategically it is vital that he keep his
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Harper’s Conservatives – All About Security, Until They Cock It Up.
Needs more kittehs to improve political image. Sometimes I think it would have been better if we had actually passed our own Canadian Patriot Act. At least we would have a predictable baseline of oppression of every day Canadians not to mention a political target to take action on. Rather,
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: It Couldn’t Be Clearer but Nobody in Ottawa is Listening – Running Out the Clock
Okay, I agree – the science isn’t in. Not all of it anyway. There’s more coming in almost daily – research, studies, experiments, observations and analyses, projections – there’s a continually growing mountain of information and knowledge. The thing is – while there’s more to come, it would be beyond
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Fair and Balanced Questions
As you probably know, “Fair and Balanced” is the Fox News tagline that exists to trick the more easily fooled into thinking that’s what their actual objective is. Check out today’s story from the Vancouver Observer about “@FairQuestions”, a Conservative friendly researcher who took thousands of dollars in speaking fees
Continue readingLeft Over: Harper, You’ve Been Served…
“Woke up this mornin’ feelin’ fine…” Despite every contrary act of the Harperoids, have to say that today is a good day..yes, C-51 passed, and, notably, with the self-destructive Junior Trudeau’s tacit approval…Omar Khadr may get bail, and, realizing how mean-tempered and petty Harper can be, I’m sure he’s doing
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Shadow of Steve Harper Hangs Over Doctored Duffy Audit Report
It sounds like damned near everyone in the Harper PMO was in on the plan to bail out cash-cow-senator Mike Duffy. And that plan included corrupting the Senate audit process to “protect” the Cavendish Cottager. The Senate administration had hired the auditing firm Deloitte to look into the expense claims
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Lessons learned in Alberta
Nobody trusted the pollsters. They were the only ones who saw what would happen to the Alberta Conservative dynasty in Tuesday’s election. Babel-on-the-Bay failed to judge the extent of the anger. Everyone conceded that NDP Leader Rachel Notley was coming on strong. Who knew that Albertans were so mad at
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: B.C. experts ring the alarm on Bill C-51 as it is set to get voted
We ain’t giving up this fight, and we are going to keep it up all the way through to the October election if that’s what it takes. You have only a few more hours to tell your MP to vote against reckless, dangerous an ineffective Bill C-51. Speak out: https://stopc51.ca/?src=blg Article by
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Harper endangers Canadians at home.
There was some interesting story positioning in the Toronto Star on Monday. The top story on page two was that the federal government will block any attempt to procure bail for prisoner Omar Khadr. The top story on page three was a full width picture of the prime minister being
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Made In Canada Conservative Hypocrisy
“Canada had long been a proponent of harmonizing our climate-change policy with the U.S. until the U.S. started to fight climate change.” First it was the “Made in Canada” scam plan (that never appeared). Then it was, “We will act when our American partners do.” Now that Americans are acting,
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Are You Supporting Politics of Nihilism?
2030. You do realize that’s just 15-years away. Do you realize that 15-years is a heartbeat when it comes to making fundamental change? So, what’s so important about 2030? Plenty. By then we’ll be experiencing climate change impacts that are disruptive and difficult to bear. Take your head out of
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Ooh, This Is Beginning to Reek of RCMP and Richard Nixon
As the Mike Duffy trial begins to dissolve in the Crown’s hands, it’s beginning to smell like a political drive-by hit. Steve Harper’s attempts to distance himself from it only makes the smell worse. Michael Harris looks at Sideshow Steve and sees visions of Richard Milhous Nixon. While the Judge
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