If the changes introduced by Minister Toews are not really about cutting costs, then what is going on? The best analysis that I have seen is from Stephen Maher for Postmedia News. “Toew’s decision,” he wrote, “fits the pattern of this government regarding groups of people whom devout elements of
Continue readingTag: Vic Toews
Canadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Christian priest rebukes Harper Gvt for nuking non-Christian prison chaplains
A Canadian Christian priest has condemned the Harper Conservative government for its “bigoted decision” to cancel the contracts of non-Christian chaplains at federal prisons. Father Malcolm French, a priest with the Anglican Church of Canada, says the decision is an “assault on religious freedom.” On Thursday, the CBC News reported
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Rob Anders and the Reform Party Reborn
Oh. My. Zombie. I'm afraid that Rob Anders is entering the final stages of his earthly degradation.Just a few days ago that grotesque Con was accusing Tom Mulcair of killing Jack Layton.Now he's going after the human rights of transgendered Canadians.Read more »
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Did Vic Toews do this because he doesn’t want Omar Khadr to have an Imam visit him?
Let me state from the start here that I’m a practicing Christian. As a Christian – not as a partisan political observer – I think this move to stop non-Christian chaplains from ministering to prisoners of other faiths is idiotic: The federal government is cancelling the contracts of all non-Christian
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Mulroney, the CIA, and the Con Meat Factory
Oh no. Blow me down like a leprechaun. It turns out Brian Mulroney didn't have to sing and dance for Ronald and Nancy Reagan at the Shamrock Summit. Like the Bojangles of Baie Comeau. The Americans liked him enough already. Read more »
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Omar Khadr: A Child Soldier Comes Home
It has been a seemingly endless nightmare, a horror story not only for Omar Khadr, but also for the country that let him down so shamefully.But at least tonight he is finally home.Read more »
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Online Spying Bill absent from government list of fall priorities
I spy with my little eye something that is missing from the government’s fall calendar. It’s something that’s been highly controversial, would become an invasive measure towards Internet surveillance, and would provide authorities with warrantless access to our private information. Out of guesses? It’s the hotly-contested Bill C-30, otherwise known
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Minister Toews still pushing online spying bill C-30, ignoring due process and police resourcing
Parliament resumes this month, and as Tim Harper of the Toronto Star asserts, the highly unpopular online spying bill, C-30, is still high on the government’s agenda. As there’s little on the books for the fall session of Parliament, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews is taking the opportunity to once
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Propaganda From Vic Toews
There are two letters of particular note in this morning’s edition of The Toronto Star, one a propaganda piece from our much beleaguered Minister of Public Safety, Vic Toews, the other from Ron Charach, who seems to possess a certain perspicacity in his assessment of the Conservative government. I am
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: Vic Toews Gives RCMP Okay to Violate UN Anti-Torture Convention
Vic Toews, Public Safety Minister issues a directive to RCMP, CSIS and Canada Border Services to use information obtained through torture.
In 1985, Canada led by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, signed the United Nations Convention Against Torture&…
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: Vic Toews Gives RCMP Okay to Violate UN Anti-Torture Convention
Vic Toews, Public Safety Minister issues a directive to RCMP, CSIS and Canada Border Services to use information obtained through torture. In 1985, Canada led by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, signed the United Nations Convention Against Torture . Article 2.2 of the UN Convention… ..
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: Vic Toews Gives RCMP Okay to Violate UN Anti-Torture Convention
Vic Toews, Public Safety Minister issues a directive to RCMP, CSIS and Canada Border Services to use information obtained through torture. In 1985, Canada led by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, signed the United Nations Convention Against Torture . Article 2.2 of the UN Convention… ..
Continue readingImpolitical: Benchquest: The what to do with Vic Toews saga rolls on
Just reading Tim Harper’s latest, hot off the internets: “Vic Toews and his quest for the bench.” This part jumped out: The Court of Appeal post is a federal appointment and Harper is believed to have told Toews that he would not appoint his minister directly to the bench. Instead,
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Vic Toews and my Manitoba Nightmare
Oh. My. Zombie. What a horrible nightmare. I'm pedaling furiously across Manitoba, desperately looking for a cheap motel. Because I've been warned not to be out on the road after dark. Especially when there's a full moon eh? And then suddenly I'm stopped by a cop and charged with SPEEDING
Continue readingImpolitical: Nicholson on a Toews appointment
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson was attending the Canadian Bar Association meeting yesterday in Vancouver and he was asked a hot button question given rumours about Public Safety Minister Vic Toews possibly retiring for a judicial appointment. This Globe headline captures Nicholson’s non-answer: “Politicians should not be ruled out for judicial
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Confirmed again: “Canada may use information obtained through torture”
Last February, we learned that Public Safety Minister Vic Toews had quietly authorized the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to use information gleaned from terror suspects through torture. Today, Toews’ spokesperson, Mike Mueller, confirmed that the Canadian government is open to using information gleaned under dubious circumstances abroad. Mueller was
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Never Ending Madness of Vic Toews
Uh oh. Call the zombie police. VicToews has stumbled out of his crypt and is going after Justin Trudeau. Again. Vic Toews launched yet another Twitter attack against Liberal MP Justin Trudeau today, accusing him of orchestrating the embarrassing Vikileaks Twitter account after it was revealed the account’s creator was
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: EFF: Proponents of Canada’s Online Spying Bill Still Trying to Justify Excessive Powers
A few weeks ago, we shared how Richard Fadden – director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service – had put forth an offer to help justify and tweak the Online Spying Bill (C-30) to make it more ‘palatable’ to the Canadian public. This proposed alliance between Toews and CSIS was
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay Said Canada Should Bring Omar Khadr Home
Surely this has got to be the ultimate Tale of Two Nazanins. Better still, Of Denial And The Tale of Two Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKays. The brand new wife of Conservative Defence Minister Peter MacKay is fuming. She accuses a journalist baiting her to criticize the Harper Government on the Omar
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Statistics Canada: Crime rate reached its lowest level in 40 years in 2011
The evidence on the crime rate in Canada is out! Statistics Canada reported yesterday that rate of crimes reported to Canadian police forces across the country reached its lowest level last year. The incidents of serious crimes also dropped. By six per cent. That’s for most offences, including attempted murders,
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